Paul Schrader says Martin Scorsese’s dog bit off and ate part of his thumb

Writer-director Paul Schrader has seen some s—.

You don’t get through the ’70s in Hollywood any other way. So showing up to a dinner with a bloodied hand and a missing appendage is just another walk in the park.

Schrader sat down with Variety to discuss his new film Oh, Canada, starring  Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Michael Imperioli, and Jacob Elordi. Based on Russell Banks’ novel Foregone about a dying writer who fled to Canada to avoid the Vietnam War draft, the film will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next week.

Hopefully by then, the filmmaker’s finger will be better.

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According to the Variety profile, Schrader showed up to dinner one night in December with a “a massive, bloody bandage wrapped around his hand.” Schrader, who wrote or co-wrote some of Martin Scorsese ‘s greatest hits (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ), explained that it was all Scorsese’s dog’s doing.

Schrader had had dinner with Scorsese at his place on a Tuesday night. The legendary director has two bichon frises, which are allegedly “very cute,” while his daughter has a Scottie, which is “problematic.”

Schrader went to pet the Scottie and, well, Schrader said, “The Scottie not only took out part of my thumb, he ate it.”

Gross. But there’s a bright side…sorta. Schrader didn’t need to rush to the emergency room since, “Marty has an in-house nurse.”

Which begs the question, is it because this dog’s killed before?