#EfeméridesMacabras: Eli Roth

By Casandra Vicario

Today, April 18, film director Eli Roth turns 46 — loved by some, hated by other fans of this genre. We're sharing 15 fun facts about this director, and taking the opportunity to send him a big blood bath, wherever he may be.

1.- His full name is Eli Raphael Roth and he was born in Boston, Massachusetts. A few years ago — in 2014, to be exact — he married actress Lorenza Izzo, whom many of you saw in the starring role in “The Green Inferno,” yes, directed by Eli Roth.

2.- Dubbed by Quentin Tarantino as “The Future of Horror.”

3.- Despite creating bloody, extreme scenes, Eli Roth feels sick at the sight of real blood. He's colorblind, extremely allergic to cats, and also obsessive-compulsive.

4.- He also suffers from “psoriasis,” a skin condition that inspired many of the scenes in his debut feature “Cabin Fever”.

5.- Along with Noah Belson, he directed 3 mini stop-motion animated shorts called “Rotten Fruit”, which are worth watching — they're fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHJFOpnGjkU (abre en nueva pestaña)

6.- In 2002, the so-called “Splat Pack” emerged — a group made up of independent filmmakers who like to create extreme films on very low budgets. Of course, Eli Roth is part of this group and shares the throne with Alexandre Aja (High Tension), Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw 2), James Wan (The Conjuring), and Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses), among others.

7.- He came to Mexico to present “Hostel” at a film festival, but the audience didn't treat him very well, and he literally ran out of the theater. “Hostel” won 3 awards at “ Fantastic Fest” for best director, best film, and best screenplay.

8.- He directed the film “Nation's Pride,” which is screened in Quentin Tarantino's film “Inglourious Basterds” (it's the film shown during the movie-theater scene)

9.- He also enjoys acting: he appears in his film “Cabin Fever,” in “Death Proff” and “Inglourious Basterds” by Quentin Tarantito, “Aftershock”, “Piranha 3D”, “Hostel 2”. “2001 Maniacs”, among others. Although one of his most curious acting roles came in the Troma Films movie “The Toxic Avenger IV. Citicen Toxie,” directed by Lloyd Kauffman. His role? “beautiful Young boy.”

10.- Here's his filmography as director: Cabin Fever (2002), Hostel (2005), Hostel 2 (2007), The Green Inferno (2013), Knock, Knock (2015), Death Wish (2017), and “The House with a clock in its walls” (2018). This last one, starring Cate Blanchete and… Jack Black, is an adaptation of the book of the same name written by Jonh Bellars and illustrated at the time by Edward Gorey.

11.- He's a huge follower of Nikola Tesla, with whom he says he has “a special connection.”

12.- He's Jewish.

13.- Some extreme-cinema directors appear in his films — Ruggeiro Deodatto, director of “Canibal Holocaust”, appears in “Hostel 2” eating human flesh, and Takashi Miike, in “Hostel”, as one of the “Elite Hunting” clients

14.-“The Green Inferno” was praised by Sthephen King as “bloody, hard to watch, but you can't take your eyes off the screen.” (This film was set to premiere in Mexico — they even got us excited with some posters — but in the end, it seems the movie theaters backed out.)

15.- His favorite horror films are: “Mil Gritos Tiene la Noche” (1982), “Quién puede matar a un niño” (1976), “Cannibal Holocaust” (1980), “The Last American Virgin” (1982), and “Audition” (2000).

And that's how you get to know a little more about this American director. Do you like Eli Roth's films?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcpYPu9M3bw (abre en nueva pestaña)