Martin Scorsese’s Dinner Turns Chaotic for Paul Schrader
A casual dinner at Martin Scorsese’s place took an unexpected turn for Paul Schrader, leading to a bizarre incident involving Scorsese’s dog and a quick-thinking in-house nurse.
Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader have been mates and creative partners for more than half a century, but nothing in their long history quite compares to a recent dinner that went off the rails. What started as a friendly catch-up at Scorsese’s home ended with Schrader losing a chunk of his thumb to one of Scorsese’s dogs. It sounds like something out of a far-fetched comedy, but Schrader insists it’s all true.
The pair have had their share of ups and downs, both personally and professionally, over the years. Their working relationship has always been lively, but the thumb incident easily takes the cake for the oddest moment between them.
Creative Partnership and Going Separate Ways
Schrader and Scorsese’s collaboration began with Taxi Driver, only Schrader’s second credited script, which quickly became a classic. Their next project, Raging Bull, also made a huge impact, while The Last Temptation of Christ stirred up plenty of controversy, making it one of the most talked-about films of its time.
By the time they finished Bringing Out the Dead in 1999, both had established themselves as directors. Schrader recalls that they decided to part ways professionally when they realised,
“there were now two directors in the room, and with Marty, there could only be one.”
There’s no bad blood, though. Schrader went on to direct a mix of hits and misses, while Scorsese continued to cement his reputation as one of the industry’s greats.
The Unlikely Incident at Dinner
Schrader’s visit to Scorsese’s place was meant to be a simple dinner, but things took a turn when he tried to pat one of the family’s dogs. Scorsese’s household includes a couple of bichon frisés, which Schrader described as “very beautiful.” But there’s also a Scottie, which, according to Schrader, is a bit of a handful. The Scottie originally belonged to Scorsese’s daughter, and while Scorsese isn’t its biggest fan, the dog remains part of the family.
Schrader recounted,
“The Scottie not only took out part of my thumb, he ate it.”
The incident left him with a hefty, blood-soaked bandage, which caught the attention of many. Instead of heading to the emergency room, Schrader was patched up on the spot thanks to Scorsese’s in-house nurse, who quickly took care of the injury.
Aftermath and a Lesson Learned
Schrader’s explanation for his bandaged hand was met with disbelief, but he took it in stride.
“So, on Tuesday night, I had dinner with Marty at his place. He has these dogs. They were very cute. Two of them were bichon frisé. They’re very beautiful.”
Unfortunately, the Scottie had other ideas, and Schrader left the dinner with one less piece of his thumb.
It’s safe to say that not every dinner invitation leads to such drama. In this case, Schrader might have been better off staying home, but at least he avoided a trip to hospital thanks to Scorsese’s unusual household setup.