Quentin Tarantino launched an extraordinary tirade at Krishnan Guru-Murthy after refusing to answer questions about movie violence.
Quentin Tarantino erupted when Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked whether there was a link between scenes in his notoriously bloody films and real-life attacks.
The 49-year-old director snapped: “Don’t ask me a question like that – I’m not biting. I refuse your question. I’m not your slave and you’re not my master.
“You can’t make me dance to your tune. I’m not a monkey. I don’t want to talk about the implications of violence… because I’ve said everything I have to say about it.
“I have explained this many times in the last 20 years.
“I just refuse to repeat myself over and over again because you want me to for you and your show. And your ratings.”
Towards the end of the interview he rebuffed further questions on the topic, telling Krishnan Guru-Murthy: “I’m shutting your butt down.”
Quentin Tarantino, who was promoting his latest film, Django Unchained, told a stunned Krishnan Guru-Murthy the interview was simply “a commercial for my movie”.
Django Unchained, about a freed slave who turns bounty hunter in 1850s America, was nominated this week for five Oscars, including best picture. However, it has been criticized for its graphic violence. It was released last month, days after 20 children were killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.
Hours after Quentin Tarantino’s outburst, Hollywood bosses promised a “dialogue” with the Obama administration as US lawmakers seek ways to curb gun violence.
President Barack Obama has pushed gun controls to the top of his domestic agenda following the school shooting.
His administration is assembling proposals that would include a ban on sales of assault weapons, limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines, a crackdown on gun fairs and universal background checks for people buying guns.
Few analysts expect Hollywood to make any sweeping attempts to curb violence in films.
But Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading a White House task force putting together the proposed gun legislation, won a pledge from film and television industry groups that they would work closer with Washington.
America’s top gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, also met Joe Biden – and told him they will try to block any new gun laws.
Instead of making it more difficult for Americans to own guns, the NRA wants to post an armed security officer in every school.
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