Quentin Tarantino Angers Israeli Moviegoers by Laughing Loudly During Horror Films
Director Quentin Tarantino sparked anger in Israeli cinemas by laughing loudly during dramatic and scary scenes. Annoyed moviegoers only realized his identity when the lights went up. Cinema chains responded to the incidents with humor.
Moviegoers in Israel who headed to local cinemas to enjoy a film found themselves paying more attention to the man sitting next to them than to the plot on the screen. The individual laughed out loud, repeatedly, even during the most dramatic and frightening scenes, sparking anger among the audience. Only when the lights in the hall went up did his surprising identity become clear: it was legendary director Quentin Tarantino.
The story was revealed on the Israeli television show "HaTzinor" after a video capturing the unusual laughter went viral online. Following the broadcast, additional testimonies emerged from viewers who encountered the same phenomenon at various screenings.
"Shut Up, You Idiot!"
One viewer shared that during a screening of the movie Obsession, a man in the hall laughed almost non-stop. According to her, at one point, an audience member lost her patience, stood up, and yelled at him in Hebrew: "Shut up, you idiot!" (literally: "son of a calf"). The audience could not comprehend who would react with laughter to scenes where everyone else was tense, but at the end of the screening, they discovered it was Tarantino.
Another testimony came from a screening at the Ayalon Mall in Ramat Gan. A viewer who was present described a man sitting in front of her who laughed during scary moments and scenes where his reaction seemed completely unrelated to what was happening. She noted:
"He had a rolling laugh, just like SpongeBob SquarePants. At some point, it felt like the audience was more interested in him than in the movie itself. There, too, a viewer demanded he shut his mouth, and only when the hall lit up did those present realize who he was."
Laughing at "Joker 2" and Horror Movies
Two friends who went to watch Joker: Folie à Deux ("Joker 2") said they noticed Tarantino even before entering the hall. Once the screening began, one of them immediately recognized the famous laugh and realized the director was sitting in the audience with them.
In another instance, a couple attending a horror movie heard a man laughing at almost every scary scene. As the film progressed, the audience grew angry and shouted at him to stop. At the end of the screening, one viewer looked in his direction and was stunned to recognize Tarantino's face.
Cinema Chains Respond with Humor
The Planet cinema chain told "HaTzinor" in response:
"The chain is happy to host all types of moviegoers—those who laugh during horror movies, those who hide behind their popcorn, and also legendary directors who simply laugh out loud. After checking, it was found that Tarantino did indeed laugh during the film. It has not yet been decided whether this constitutes a public nuisance or a particularly enthusiastic film review. We are happy to host Tarantino at our venues."
The Tel Aviv Cinematheque chose a mysterious and highly amused response:
"We neither confirm nor deny, and we especially do not burn valuable friendships for the sake of a television item."
Tarantino, who is married to Israeli singer Daniella Pick, has been living in Israel for several years and is known to be a frequent visitor to local movie theaters.
