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Kill Bill mastermind Quentin Tarantino was truly roasted by a host of friends including Samuel L Jackson, Uma Thurman and the Weinsteins at a Friars Club lunch in NYC.
The ballroom at midtown Manhattan’s Hilton hotel was bursting at the seams, with Tarantino drawing a record breaking 2,270 guests.
The roast had been postponed due to the sudden death of Sally Menke, Tarantino’s longtime film editor and close friend.
Sam Jackson, who served as roastmaster, called Tarantino ‘a walking spaghetti Western’ and cited his early love for Elvis Presley and interest in diverse film genres, including urban movies.
He quipped that he wanted to make sure to introduce Tarantino the way he always wants to be — as “Quentin Super Fly Tarantino Presley.”
The Snakes on a Plane star thanked the writer-director legend for casting him in Pulp Fiction, because now, 15-plus years later, he still gets asked to recite lines from it every day.
Many a joke had to do with Tarantino’s looks, voice and foot fetish, as well as his relationship with Uma Thurman, who he has called his muse. Praises heaped on him often featured the word ‘genius.’
In a much-applauded gesture, Thurman at the end of her speech took off her heels, put wine in them, handed one to Tarantino and toasted him. Although as the pics show he enjoyed it more.
Other roasters included Sarah Silverman, Kathy Griffin, Rob Schneider, Whitney Cummings, and director Edgar Wright.
Griffin recalled high and low points of her dating experience with Tarantino, while Keitel expressed parental feelings for the man of the hour.
Silverman, who celebrated her 40th birthday, took the Resevoir Dogs legend to task, she said Tarantino turned down directing Speed — ‘the first time he ever turned down speed.”
Jackson also heard some punchlines about his many film roles, with Schneider suggesting: “You really got to start saying the ‘N word’ more. And the ‘N word’ is ‘no’.”
Tarantino’s reply comments ended the event as he quipped about the lineup before him by saying the Friars seemed to be trying something new. “The no-comedian thing is kind of interesting,” he said.
He also highlighted that Jackson was at a disadvantage at the event, because “I’m not writing his dialogue for him.”
To kick off the event Friars “abbot” Jerry Lewis made a much-applauded appearance and lauded Tarantino’s work by predicting that the likes of Inglourious Basterds will be part of film history as his great grandchildren will still want to see it.
Non-speaking guests on the luncheon dais included Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Eli Wallach, Neve Campbell, Steve Buscemi, Rosario Dawson, Patricia Arquette, Cheech Marin, Dick Cavett and Joe Pantoliano.
The dais guests didn’t escape jokes either. Ratner, for example, quipped that the Weinsteins built businesses “without ever actually paying anyone” other than Oscar voters.
Schneider drew one of the biggest laughs of the night. Among his jokes, he said he knew why John Travolta, who sent a congratulatory note for Tarantino, was absent from the event. “There was a “Fags in Denial Who Believe in Aliens” convention.”