Italian actress Asia Argento failed to turn up on Wednesday at the Rome press presentation of Abel Ferrara's new film Go Go Tales, which she claims has damaged her career.
Argento, 32, recently distanced herself from the film mainly because of a scene in which her scantily clad character is seen French-kissing a rottweiler.
The scene was the talk of the town when Go Go Tales was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007.
''Don't get me started on Asia Argento,'' Italian-American cult director Ferrara said.
The film, which goes out in Italian cinemas on Friday, is described as a 'screwball comedy' set in a downtown Manhattan lap-dancing club and co-stars Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins and Matthew Modine.
Argento, the daughter of Italian slasher director Dario Argento, has had a number of Hollywood hits including Rob Cohen's xXx (2002) alongside Vin Diesel, Gus Van Sant's Last Days (2005) and Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006).
