The film industry experienced a seismic shock when Quentin Tarantino’s debut film, Reservoir Dogs, was released in 1992. The self-confessed cinephile poured a concoction of genres into the movie, from exploitation thrillers to comedy, creating an offbeat and wildly inventive piece of work.
When audiences saw the film, a mixed reaction cemented its controversial status. While some critics loved the blend of humour with stylistic violence, others were disgusted by certain scenes, such as the ear slicing dance sequence. However, there was one filmmaker who was so captivated by the film that he decided to make his own homage to it, Restaurant Dogs.
The short film was directed by Eli Roth, who was studying at NYU at the time. The movie was received well by his university, marking the start of a successful career in the film industry. Roth knew that he and Tarantino had very similar influences, with both of them loving low-budget exploitation and horror movies from decades past.
While Tarantino has never made an outright horror movie, he loves the genre, and he has weaved many horrific elements into his films. Additionally, he has paid tribute to exploitation filmmakers within movies like Grindhouse and Kill Bill, making him one of the most successful modern filmmakers to heavily incorporate such a niche range of influences so blatantly in his work.
Roth, on the other hand, has leaned into these influences even more explicitly, becoming known for his splatter films and ‘torture porn’ style of horror movies. His films are low-budget and truly shocking – certainly not for the faint of heart. He released Cabin Fever in 2002, which put him on the map as a controversial figure in the industry, following it up with another subversive feature, Hostel.
When Tarantino saw Cabin Fever, he was impressed with Roth’s direction and ideas, and subsequently, the pair became friends. One of Roth’s biggest influences was now a mentor, a guide who felt like someone he could truly rely on for advice in the industry.
Talking to Reel Blend, the director explained that when he was starting out, “Quentin meant the world to me. I always call myself the original Tarantino rip-off.” Since becoming friends, Roth has directed a fake movie trailer that appeared in Tarantino’s Grindhouse and even proved his acting chops by appearing as Dov within the film. Two years later, he starred in Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds as Donny ‘The Bear Jew’ Donowitz, which remains his biggest acting role.
In the same interview, Roth explained how much he loves Tarantino. “He treated me like a friend. Like we grew up together in the video store. We had parallel childhoods and [the] same influences. And he knew that my love of horror movies was so pure, just like his,” he said.
Roth concluded: So finally, it’s like meeting another alien on your same planet who speaks that same language as you. We could reference that movie, and that movie. It’s incredible. What Quentin has done for me, it’s more than a friend, it’s a brother, it’s a family member.”