Regional U.S. Horror : Eli Roth

Eli Roth first worked in animation where he caught the attention of filmmaker David Lynch who lent sponsorship. He co-created the rock n roll parody 'The Rotten Fruit' for television. A prolific amateur director, Roth had studied film technique at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York City where his teachers included 'Beverly Hills Cop' director Martin Brest.

Roth launched the 'Cabin Fever' series by shooting a comical backwoods tale in North Carolina. He filmed the ambitious 'Hostel' backpacker series out on location in Czech Republic and Slovakia, directing a pair of films that earned him a place at the head of a table the press was laying under their imposed shock cinema label "torture porn". This press movement provoked a global furore. It seems to have led independent filmmakers down ever more brutal paths, while mainstream horror now seems to have lurched back towards the psychological, aware it can't possibly compete with the indies in terms of brutality shown.

More recent films Roth's directed have been inspired by films from the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, sections of the press began pitching Roth as a heritage director on a collision course with popular remake specialist Alexandre Aja. Among these genre entries, 'The Green Inferno' (2013) and 'Knock Knock' (2015) are shot in Chile.

Hailing from Massachusetts, Roth directs and produces international feature films (he co-produced the 'Baywatch' movie) and sometimes acts in the films of others. He continues to work in television where he produced the 'South Of Hell' horror series. He's now recognised internationally as one of his generation's leading voices on the history of 1970s & 1980s sex comedies, specialising in Italian cinema (he's a huge Alvaro 'Pierino' Vitali fan) though he's an acknowledged fan of varied international output (entries from Germany to the U.S., Sweden to Canada). He's also created information platforms for young horror fans, delivered online courses and backed the 'History Of Horror' documentary film series.

What are some of your favourite Eli Roth movies?

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