German Playboy regrets misquoting Morricone in interview

BERLIN — The German edition of Playboy magazine distanced itself Tuesday from an interview in its latest edition with Ennio Morricone, in which the renowned Italian film composer appears to blast director Quentin Tarantino and the Oscars ceremony.

The interview, published last week, quoted the 90-year-old composer referring to Tarantino as a “cretin” who stole ideas from others and the Academy Awards ceremony as “boring.”

Morricone, who won an Oscar in 2016 for his score for Tarantino’s film “The Hateful Eight,” has vehemently denied criticizing the director, his films or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

“I consider Tarantino a great director,” Morricone said, adding that he credited their collaboration for his Oscar success, “which is for sure one of the greatest acknowledgments of my career, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to compose music for his film.”