German Playboy Stands By Ennio Morricone Interview Featuring Composer Bashing Quentin Tarantino

German Playboy has released an official statement standing by its publication of an interview in which Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone criticized Quentin Tarantino (via Variety). The interview, conducted by music journalist Marcel Anders, appeared in German Playboy’s December 2018 issue and went viral over the weekend for quotes in which Morricone called Tarantino a “cretin” and referred to his movies as “trash.” Morricone later issued a statement denying the contents of the interview.

“We are surprised that composer Ennio Morricone denies giving an interview to German Playboy,” the publication said in a statement. “In fact, the conversation took place on June 30, 2018, at his estate in Rome. The interview, about the concert organizer Semmel Concerts, which was also present at the interview, had been agreed to with German Playboy. We also cannot understand that parts of the published statements were apparently not found to have been accurate.”

Morricone provided the original score for Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” which won him his first competitive Oscar. The composer denied he bashed Tarantino and said in a follow-up statement that he considers the filmmaker a “great director.”

“It has come to my attention that Playboy Germany has come out with an article in which I have stated extremely negative comments about Tarantino and his films, and the Academy,” Morricone wrote. “I have never expressed any negative statements about the Academy, Quentin, or his films — and certainly do not consider his films garbage. I have given a mandate to my lawyer in Italy to take civil and penal action.”

According to the German Playboy article, Morricone spoke about Tarantino and said, “The man is a cretin. He only steals from others and puts that stuff together in a new way. None of that is original,” Playboy’s article quoted Morricone as saying. “He is not a director. Meaning you can’t compare him to Hollywood greats like John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock or Billy Wilder. Those were great. Tarantino only recycles old stuff.”

Per Variety, the Morricone interview is advertised on the cover of the German Playboy December issue.

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