Quentin Tarantino was lunching with Miramax's Harvey Weinstein in a West Hollywood restaurant Wednesday when he got into a heated quarrel with Don Murphy, who co-produced "Natural Born Killers." This, to the astonishment of diners, lead to a fist fight. Later, Tarantino's partner Lawrence Bender issued a statement regarding the contretemps: "This (fight) was a misunderstanding which resulted in a handshake between Don Murphy and Quentin Tarantino."
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, who adapted Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch into the upcoming Jackie Brown, allegedly sucker-punched a fellow diner at a posh West Hollywood Italian eatery, according to an eyewitness account Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies responded to the ruckus involving the 34-year-old Pulp Fiction auteur at the restaurant Ago on trendy Melrose Avenue, but no arrests were made and no charges filed.
"All I know is that Tarantino and somebody else got into an altercation at the restaurant," said Sgt. Marty Chulack. "Whatever problems they had were resolved at the scene."
When called for comment, a worker at the dining establishment, described as the new meeting and eating place for insider Hollywood, refused to answer questions about the brawl.
But according to an eyewitness, the Tarantino incident occurred at lunch time. The witness, a fellow diner, looked up to see "this slug fest going on [near] the maitre d' station."
"I don't think either of these guys had a clue how to fight," said the witness, who described the melee like this: Tarantino standing above a cowering, unidentified man, "punching at his head."
Sheriff's deputies appeared after the fight had broken up. When they left, Tarantino was still there--joining his own party in another room of the restaurant, the witness said.
No word on the identity of Tarantino's punching bag or the cause of the brawl.
Tarantino's publicist could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
QUENTIN TARANTINO has been given the nod for his Broadway debut. The
PULP FICTION moviemaker is to team up with SINGLE WHITE FEMALE's
JENNIFER JASON LEIGH to star in WAIT UNTIL DARK. Rehearsals on the stage
version of the classic film thriller start in January with it
hitting the New York circuit in March. AUDREY HEPBURN starred in the
1967 film, playing a blind woman pursued by a gang of criminals looking
for heroin, with ALAN ARKIN playing the psychotic gang mastermind.
Miramax wants paws on 'Dog' video action
Fans of Quentin Tarantino's debut, the Harvey Keitel starrer
"Reservoir Dogs," could be in for a treat -- a new director's cut and a wide
theatrical rerelease of the film -- but only if Miramax co-chairman Harvey
Weinstein and LIVE Entertainment president Amir Malin can come to
terms. Miramax originally released "Dogs" and now holds the U.S.
theatrical and television rights, but LIVE produced the film and owns all
other rights, according to sources. The sources said Weinstein wants a
1,000-print rerelease of the picture to coincide with his company's release
of Tarantino's latest film, "Jackie Brown." But Weinstein will only move
ahead with that release if he can secure a piece of LIVE's home video
action. Adding to it all, there's a deadline: Miramax's rights to "Reservoir"
expire in 18 months. [Joseph Steuer]