Xixax Film Forum

I was bored and looking for information about Errol Morris, when I came across this:

http://errolmorris.com/images/films/thinblueline_harveyletter.jpg

This is from 1988.  Harvey Fuckstein was an asshole even before he was a bigshot.

That's nothing. If you really want to hate Harvey, read this:

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2F068486259X.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg&hash=ee1a9e342e99b1766bc9c1ba02d5810db9082cba)

That Morris memo only takes up one page in the book. Although, "Thin Blue Line" made money at a time when documentaries were box office poison.

What Mac said.  I'm reading Down and Dirty Pictures right now, can't put it down.  Probably read like 75-100 pages of it last night alone.  It's a great book.  Really inspirational to indie filmmakers, with the right dose of cautionary tales and a big fucking siren saying "stay the hell away from Miramax!"  I especially like the book for its insights into Soderbergh and Tarantino (though I didn't really learn too much new about Tarantino - I already knew he was an egomaniac).  Really makes me want to run out and see Schizopolis, too.  It's a real filmmakers' film, it seems.

tarantino's also a very nice guy though.

I haven't read Down and Dirty (nor will I--inspirational for indie filmmakers my ass; tabloids and gossip should be a hindrance, not an inspiration.  You want inspiration go make a damn movie), but I read that article very carefully.   Not to play devil's advocate, but Weinstein must have been on pretty decent terms with Morris to write that letter.  The main point of it is the way Morris campaigned the movie.  He wasn't being direct.  He didn't give the information that people needed--namely, what the damn thing was about.  So Weinstein wrote a facetious letter and even praised him at the end.  What's the big deal?  Heh.  Weinstein misspelled "media" with an "n" however.  And it's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, not NIGHTMARE.  That's the biggest fallacy I saw.

no, errol morris kept on talking about it as a documentary--and that was the D word those marketing people were afraid of the most.  It was his fucking film he could say whatever the hell he wanted about it.

I haven't read it yet, but the vibe I get is that it isn't very accurate. Biskind tends to cling to certain characterizations that play out in the most negative ways. More a book of scandal and rumor than evenhanded fact.

I think spike mike slackers and dykes is a pretty good book.

Quote from: mutinycoI haven't read it yet, but the vibe I get is that it isn't very accurate. Biskind tends to cling to certain characterizations that play out in the most negative ways. More a book of scandal and rumor than evenhanded fact.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/answ-man/sho-sunday-ebert22.html

Q: I've been reading Peter Biskind's latest book, Down and Dirty Pictures, about the rise of Miramax and Sundance. He details an alleged encounter between you and Todd Haynes at a film festival where he presented his movie "Poison." The book quotes Christine Vachon (an independent producer) giving her recollection. Apparently, Haynes introduced himself to you, saying, "Hi, I'm Todd Haynes." You said, "Who the hell is Todd Haynes?" at which point he said that he had directed "Poison."

The book quotes Vachon as saying that upon hearing that "Ebert literally snatched his hand back." The thing is, I know that, you liked Haynes' "Safe," and I thought you were a Haynes fan. What's the story here?

Nicholas Jarecki, New York City


A:Biskind has a way of massaging his stories to suit his agenda. Regarding his previous book, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, Steven Spielberg told me, "Every single word in that book about me is either erroneous, or a lie."

I contacted Biskind's source, Christine Vachon, for her memory of that meeting with Todd Haynes. She writes me: "At those Independent Spirit Awards (a million years ago it seems like) we had been told that you were not a fan of the film. Todd did introduce himself to you. I remember you appeared a bit flustered. I did not say that you said 'who the hell is Todd Haynes.' And I certainly do not remember saying 'you pulled your hand away.' I told the story -- innocently, I thought -- in the context of how far Todd and I had come with our little film. We'd heard you didn't like it, so it was an uncomfortable encounter -- but absolutely not in the mean-spirited context Biskind put it in.

"I have not talked to Peter Biskind since the publication of the book. He has not returned my calls. There were several things he quoted me as saying that I felt were taken out of context, like calling my longtime partner Ted Hope a 'thuggish frat boy' -- yikes!

"My biggest disappointment in the book (besides the tedium of one Bad Harvey story after another) was that there was absolutely no sense of the pleasure of seeing the films themselves. I remember seeing some movies at Sundance (like "The Hours and the Times") and being stunned and excited. Seems that the book should have had you rooting for Miramax at least half of the time."

I'm reading Down and Dirty Pictures right now and I forgot from Easy Riders that Biskind is ALWAYS off with dates, etc.  And in DaDP, he mistakenly refers to Nancy Savoca's True Love as True Romance!!!!

"But after the festival, Miramax went after both sex, lies and True Romance."

Come on! That's such a gross oversight. It's very obvious that he's talking about True Love, which played at Sundance in 1989, the same year as sex, lies and videotape.  I mean, sure, Biskind turns truth into trash in his books (in classic Hollywood style) and it does make for interesting reading... but this is just unacceptable.  That's like confusing American Pie with American Beauty.

Disney in talks to let Harvey Weinstein leave

NEW YORK -- Walt Disney Co. and its Miramax Films unit, which is run by Harvey and Bob Weinstein, are expected to meet this week to discuss letting Harvey Weinstein start a production company, and his brother remain at Disney to make movies, the New York Times said on Tuesday. Citing unidentified people involved in the talks, the newspaper said an agreement is not expected this week, and the sides are far apart on several big issues, but the progress shows that both sides recognize the importance of maintaining a successful relationship, the newspaper said. The two sides would like to reach an agreement before Disney's fiscal year starts on Oct. 1, it said, citing several people involved in the talks.

I always figured Weinstein was a punk. Miramax is a great studio, but Weinstein is not a great guy.

I've been reading Down & Dirty pictures as well, and I'm not enjoying it that much. True or not, it feels dense and kind of depressing.

the booking agent at my theater is passing down a rumor that miramax might totally disband in a few weeks, while still releasing Hero (meaning no ads?) as one of its last releases.

Miramax future on Disney agenda

NEW YORK -- The Walt Disney Co. chief Michael Eisner deflected questions about the status of talks with Miramax on Tuesday, but Disney brass will meet with Harvey Weinstein today to continue discussions about the Miramax Films co-topper's future at the studio.

Weinstein's status has been thrown into doubt in recent months, with reports increasing that he will leave Miramax behind while brother and fellow co-head Bob Weinstein could hang onto the reins at Miramax' s genre arm Dimension.

Also on the agenda for Miramax today are cutbacks, which are expected to be unveiled this week after a summer filled with chatter of widespread layoffs. Word of the cuts originally came in June, and a recent New York Post report put the number of staffers receiving pink slips potentially as high as 35% of the Miramax staff.

Sources said that a handful of Miramax staffers have been either quietly leaving the company or are in the process of searching for new jobs. Miramax production topper Meryl Poster has taken an uncharacteristic summer sabbatical to spend time with her family, leading to further buzz about her status.

Just how Harvey Weinstein's arrangement will play out remains unclear for now. Although Miramax has had an uncharacteristically quiet summer -- having blown through its annual budget prematurely -- the mini-major has a slate of high-profile films in the can that need shepherding in the short-term. They include the Oscar hopefuls "Neverland" and "Aviator," as well as the Jennifer Lopez starrer "Shall We Dance?"

Sources have said that the timing of any Harvey Weinstein departure is a bone of contention in the talks. Weinstein and Eisner met last month at Herb Allen's annual Sun Valley, Idaho, conference, where Weinstein told CNBC, "I think this will all be resolved amicably."

While the famously outspoken and opinionated Harvey Weinstein has a long history of needling Eisner and parent company Disney, the war of words between the parties escalated after Disney refused to let Miramax distribute Michael Moore's controversial documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11." That dispute prompted further speculation that the relationship had finally become untenable.

Eisner suggested that Miramax executives had long known that Disney would not allow the company to distribute "Fahrenheit," and were merely seizing an opportunity to hype the film while playing out a trumped-up controversy in the press. In May, Eisner made it clear that Miramax has been a good but not necessarily stellar investment, noting that Miramax "has made money two of the last five years" (HR 5/13).

But speculation that the Weinsteins might raise enough cash to leave and take Miramax's valuable library with them has been largely dismissed, and the possibility that the brothers could split has emerged as a more likely scenario if Harvey Weinstein does leave.

Eisner has insisted all along that the Miramax banner will stay planted at Disney regardless of the outcome of the Weinstein negotiations. Said the Disney CEO when asked this year if Miramax would still be part of the studio in five years: "That's like asking whether Disneyland will be part of Disney in five years. We own 100% of Miramax Films."

Quote from: MacGuffinEisner has insisted all along that the Miramax banner will stay planted at Disney regardless of the outcome of the Weinstein negotiations. Said the Disney CEO when asked this year if Miramax would still be part of the studio in five years: "That's like asking whether Disneyland will be part of Disney in five years. We own 100% of Miramax Films."

damn, does he have to be such a sunuvabitch about it though?

I'll root for Weinstein over Eisner any day. They should stand ten yards apart and fling stars of David at each other until one falls over dead. That'd settle it.

i watched thin blue line today. damn, that movie was good.

Disney, Weinsteins discuss divorce

Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein and Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook began a new series of meetings Wednesday in Los Angeles to finalize the future of Miramax Films. The continuing meetings are the culmination of an ongoing series of negotiations that intensified just before Thanksgiving and will determine the terms of a separation agreement that will see Bob and Harvey Weinstein, founders of New York-based Miramax, leave the Disney fold in September.

According to studio sources, Cook plans to hire a new executive to run a reconfigured version of the specialty division, which will be located in Burbank under Disney production president Nina Jacobson, who hopes to put some projects with indie edge through the streamlined company. "It'll be the old-model Miramax before they got a taste for big-ticket pictures," said one Disney executive, who further described it as "a filmmaker-friendly environment where they'll be searching for new talent, putting out about 10 movies a year, with five acquisitions."
 
Disney is expected to consolidate Miramax's back-office financial accounting, distribution collections and incremental overhead.

The Weinsteins are in the process of raising financing for the New Co., which is the temporary name they have given their new venture. They have enlisted help from such Wall Street companies as Salomon Smith Barney and Goldman Sachs, both of which helped them to assemble $420 million in equity to help finance films like "Cold Mountain." That deal fell apart when Disney refused to participate in equity financing.

Pathe, a European distribution and production company, also might be a player in the Weinsteins' future company. According to one source, Harvey Weinstein has been in discussions with Pathe chairman Jerome Seydoux about forming a joint venture.

It's not clear what shape that joint venture would take, but those close to the situation speculate that it could involve a shared interest in the Weinsteins' future distribution company and access to Pathe's international sales operation.

Miramax recently released Pathe's "Bride & Prejudice," from director Gurinder Chadha, and the Oscar-nominated "Les Choristes" (The Chorus). The company is scheduled to bow the Pathe release "Dear Frankie," starring Emily Mortimer, next month, and it recently bought North American rights to Pathe's "Mrs. Henderson Presents," directed by Stephen Frears and starring Judi Dench.

The streamlined Miramax, which sources said will be allotted an annual budget of about $350 million, will be "an elite SWAT team," according to the Disney exec. At the height of its growth two years ago, Miramax boasted 485 employees with an annual budget of $700 million, according to a company spokesperson. Those numbers are now down to about 200 employees and a $500 million budget.

During the past year, Miramax cut back its overhead and staff in order to maximize profits. Many other employees left voluntarily. Miramax postponed the release of "Proof," starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and "An Unfinished Life," starring Robert Redford and Jennifer Lopez, because it was felt their release would have strained the Weinsteins' Oscar campaign staff, which was handling "The Aviator" and "Finding Neverland."

The distributor has recently committed to releasing from 18-22 films between now and September. Staffers in the Miramax publicity department didn't learn about the massive marketing launch until this week, and some wonder how the feat will be accomplished. "Nobody releases 22 films in seven months and does a good job," one Miramax publicity executive said.

Fourteen films already are booked in theaters, starting with the Wes Craven horror thriller "Cursed," which opens Friday, and running through Danny Boyle's long-on-the-shelf sci-fi comedy "Alien Love Triangle," set for Sept. 16. Other titles include some big-budget films that have been kicking around the release schedule for months, including John Dahl's troubled "The Great Raid," starring Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Fiennes and Connie Nielsen, which was originally scheduled to open in December, and Terry Gilliam's "The Brothers Grimm," whose commercial prospects are doubtful, insiders fear. Miramax has high expectations for its two upcoming releases from Robert Rodriguez: "Sin City" (April 1) and "The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3-D" (June 10).

Releasing the films could prove a challenge for the company, though, because Miramax executive vp worldwide publicity Amanda Lundberg is going on maternity leave in April, leaving Dimension's Emily Bear as the Weinsteins' senior ranking publicity executive.

There also is a question of how Harvey Weinstein will oversee potential Oscar campaigns in the fall for stars Paltrow, Redford and Johnny Depp ("The Libertine"). "Proof," "Unfinished Life" and "Libertine" remain unbooked, and some might be sold, along with such other titles as "Daltry Calhoun," starring Johnny Knoxville; the Quentin Tarantino-produced "The Underclassman," starring Nick Cannon; Dimension's remake of "The Amityville Horror"; and the 2002 British shelf-warmer "Undertaking Betty."

Films that Miramax acquired at the recent Sundance Film Festival are expected to remain under Harvey Weinstein's control. According to Bob Yari, executive producer of the Pierce Brosnan heist film "The Matador," the deal included solid guidelines as to when it's to be released, the number of screens and the P&A commitment. It could go along with Weinstein to his new endeavor as well.

"This film will be released this year either by Miramax or Harvey's new venture," said Yari, who indicated that the deal was ultimately backed by Disney. "In any event, it will be under Harvey's guidance, and that's what is important to me. I know for a fact that 'The Matador' was not something he bought to leave at Miramax."

Several issues remain unresolved in the negotiations, most notably the question of the Weinsteins' departing bonus. Although reports have pegged that figure at $100 million-$150 million, according to sources familiar with the discussions, it is impossible to quantify the compensation until further decisions about how properties are to be divided. One key could be the Weinsteins' ongoing participation in Miramax projects going forward, including sequels to "Spy Kids" and "Scary Movie."

"It is in the Weinsteins' interest to make as much money as possible to bolster their takeaway compensation," said one Disney executive, "which is tied to their performance."

Disney Ends Weinsteins' 25-Year Run at Miramax

The Walt Disney Co. and Harvey and Bob Weinstein on Tuesday finally agreed that the brothers would step down from the helm of the Miramax Films unit they founded 25 years ago and which produced Oscar winner "Chicago" and box office hits like "Spy Kids."

The Weinsteins, who named Miramax after their parents Miriam and Max, will form The Weinstein Co. and take some of their best-known directors with them, but will also continue to produce some films in conjunction with Disney after they leave Miramax at the end of September.

The decision ends a fiery relationship between the Weinsteins and Disney's outgoing Chief Executive Michael Eisner, which burst into public many times, notably last year when Disney refused to release Michael Moore's anti-Bush hit "Fahrenheit 9/11."

The end of the long breakup comes just weeks after President and Chief Operating Officer Bob Iger was named Eisner's successor.

Disney said the Weinsteins will give up their positions as co-chief executives of Miramax but continue as co-chairmen of the company they founded through Sept. 30, completing current film productions and overseeing marketing and distribution.

Miramax Films and a 550-title library that includes the hit "Scary Movie" titles and Oscar winners like "The English Patient" will remain at Disney, which can exploit them on DVD or new digital formats of the future.

The Weinsteins and Disney pledged to collaborate on new films in the lucrative "Spy Kids" and "Scary Movie" franchises, as well as more than 25 other projects, but The Weinstein Co. will release films from directors Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith with whom the Weinsteins have long relationships.

Disney and the Weinsteins did not disclose financial terms. Published reports had speculated Disney would pay more than $100 million in performance bonuses to the Weinsteins for 2004 and 2005, but that could not be confirmed.

HARVEY'S BITTERSWEET MOMENT

Disney acquired Miramax in 1993 for what at that time was reported to be between $70 million and $80 million. Twelve years and 220 Academy Award nominations later, Miramax was worth $2 billion, according to Harvey Weinstein.

In a conference call with reporters, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook called the Weinstein brothers "two of the most creative and passionate" executives in the movies.

Reflecting on what was a bittersweet moment, Harvey Weinstein said giving up a company that bore the names of his parents "was the toughest part of the entire negotiation."

"Maybe the whole chapter hasn't been written on that; maybe it has," Weinstein added.

He and Bob Weinstein will retain the Dimension Films label, which has been a popular brand for mass market movies aimed at kids and teenagers -- two core markets for film companies.

Miramax, by contrast, targets adults, art house crowds and lovers of foreign language films with its slate of movies.

Disney's Cook said decisions on the size, structure and strategy for the new Miramax Films would be made by July 2005, and he declined to divulge further details.

Likewise, Harvey Weinstein declined to say how much money he and his brother would raise for The Weinstein Co., or how large it would be when formed.

Their new company will be "a fully integrated media company" with broadcasting, film distribution and even Internet components, Harvey Weinstein said.

He said the reasons for the breakup were many, but singled out deals he brought to Disney to acquire the Bravo and IFC cable channels, as well as film distributor Artisan Entertainment that were nixed by Disney corporate executives.

"In the new Disney, I think, those entrepreneurial efforts will be met with a stronger response," Weinstein said. "That is the irony of this deal." Iger will succeed Eisner as chief executive on Sept. 30 -- the same day the Weinsteins depart Miramax.

Quote from: MacGuffinDisney acquired Miramax in 1993 for what at that time was reported to be between $70 million and $80 million. Twelve years and 220 Academy Award nominations later, Miramax was worth $2 billion, according to Harvey Weinstein.

THATs what you call a good business deal.  like disney needs any money.  that sucks for the weinsteins to have to give up their company, and its 'brand' and start over essentially.  'the weinstein co' just doesnt have the same ring.

Quote from: themodernage02

Quote from: MacGuffinDisney acquired Miramax in 1993 for what at that time was reported to be between $70 million and $80 million. Twelve years and 220 Academy Award nominations later, Miramax was worth $2 billion, according to Harvey Weinstein.

THATs what you call a good business deal.  like disney needs any money.  that sucks for the weinsteins to have to give up their company, and its 'brand' and start over essentially.  'the weinstein co' just doesnt have the same ring.

From Twitch (//www.twitchfilm.net):

The Hollywood Reporter has just announced that the Disney / Weinstein Brothers split is complete with Disney retaining the Miramax name and the Miramax / Dimension back catalog while the Weinstein's will take the Dimension label with them on their exit. Bob and Harv will stay with Miramax on a non-exclusive basis until September 30th at which point they're gone for good ...

read the full story here (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000857150).

i don't get it. so is them starting a new company a good thing?

Without Disney behind their back, they probably won't get any Oscars anymore.

THATS A GOOD THING :cry:

Weinstein Company Partners with Rainbow Media and IFC

Miramax founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein have entered into a deal with Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, the programming wing of Cablevision, to create an acquisition fund and distribution arrangement between The Weinstein Company, and Rainbow. As part of the agreement, announced today, the Weinsteins will work closely with Rainbow's IFC.

Under the pact, the Weinsteins will acquire films for distribution, on DVD and television, and their company will also become IFC Films' home-video distributor and international sales agent. Both parties will share equally in the profits.

The Weinsteins will also handle home-video distribution of original programming by Rainbow's various cable networks, including the Independent Film Channel, American Movie Classics, WE: Women's Entertainment and the Fuse music-video network. Rainbow networks will have a first-look at the domestic broadcast premieres of films acquired via The Weinstein Company fund.

"At Miramax, my brother and I learned the power of film libraries and built an 800 title film library. We're going to do that again," said Harvey Weinstein in a statement. "This agreement with Rainbow puts us in a position to immediately begin that effort. I am deeply appreciative of the faith that [IFC's] Jim Dolan, Jonathan Sehring and Josh Sapan are showing in The Weinstein Company and I look forward to working together with them."

Films From the Weinsteins Falter, but the Brothers Stay Focused
Source: New York Times

LOS ANGELES, April 11 — As last weekend's box-office take for the heavily promoted "Grindhouse" tumbled in at just $11.6 million, a chilly realization came with the numbers: Not all is well with the Weinstein Company.

Indeed, the namesake entertainment boutique founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein as they acrimoniously left Miramax and the Walt Disney Company two years ago has seen its highly visible movie operation suffer humiliations that might have sunk a less tenacious start-up.

Marquee filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, with "Grindhouse," and Anthony Minghella, with "Breaking and Entering," have tanked. Michael Moore has yet to unveil "Fahrenheit 9/11.5" and "Sicko," a pair of films that were supposed to yield tens of millions of dollars in profit by now.

Meanwhile, "Factory Girl" and "Shut Up and Sing" had plenty of media sizzle as last year's awards season got going, but they missed the Oscars and sold barely $3 million in tickets between them.

"It could be better, obviously," said Bob Weinstein, speaking by telephone from New York. "Our drive and ambition are to be better than perhaps we've been."

Yet Mr. Weinstein was also markedly buoyant, insisting that the ministudio had not so much failed in its aims as succeeded in ways not widely understood. If "Grindhouse" had people asking " 'Wow, what's going on with the Weinstein Company?' " he said, "I'll use the opportunity to say, 'Wow, the kids are all right.' "

More to the point, Mr. Weinstein described a strategic shift that, only shortly after its birth, began transforming the Weinstein Company. Instead of acting as a minor league film producer and distributor, exposed to market risk and filmmaker whims, the brothers are trying to create a somewhat less minor media conglomerate, one that may be equipped to survive the vicissitudes of show business.

The underlying logic has been somewhat obscured by a blizzard of announcements connecting the fledgling company to deals with partners as far-flung as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Cablevision, Blockbuster, the aSmallWorld Web site, the Ovation cable channel and the Halston couture house, in which the Weinstein Company acquired a stake in March.

At least one of the Weinstein Company's private investors — which include Goldman Sachs, the French television broadcaster TF1 and the advertising company WPP Group — expressed wariness at that flurry.

"My only concern is that they may be taking on too many challenges outside their core business," said that investor, Mark Cuban, whose other interests include the Dallas Mavericks basketball team and the HDNet high-definition television network, in an e-mail exchange this week. He added: "That said, I have confidence in them."

Asked if he was comfortable at this point with WPP's investment in Weinstein, Martin Sorrell, the company's chief executive, said: "Very much so. It's the early days."

Mr. Weinstein said that his company's most significant step had been its acquisition last summer of a 70 percent stake in Genius Products, a Santa Monica, Calif., video distributor.

Genius, said Mr. Weinstein, distributes the company's movies at half the 10 percent fee he would pay a major studio for the service. (In fact, the Weinstein Company paid no cash for the distributor, but received the stake in return for rights to its products, according to a person involved with the transaction.)

Genius has grown rapidly in the last year — and has predicted as much as $800 million in revenue this year — as producers like ESPN and Robert Halmi Inc. signed on, in part because high-profile Weinstein films had opened the doors to major retailers like Wal-Mart and Target. The operation provides the kind of stable income that larger film companies get from their film libraries, while providing a pipeline for the release of older films that have been acquired by the Weinsteins. In a further twist, the Weinsteins have quietly been building a direct-to-video business that is intended over the next several years to produce dozens of films that may not be distinguished. (Mr. Weinstein, who fostered the "Hellraiser" series while still with Miramax, talks of keeping a Romanian-based crew in permanent production.)

Such films, with an expected profit of $1 million or $2 million each on minuscule budgets, would provide regular income.

"We want to be very much like the bigger companies, in a humble boutique way," Mr. Weinstein said. He called the direct-to-video gambit, helped by a deal under which Blockbuster contributes a substantial share of production costs for exclusive rental rights to the films, "a sneaky little business."

That emphasis on the small was not widely expected when the Weinsteins parted with Disney in March 2005, in a highly public rift over spending at their Miramax unit, which Disney had acquired in 1993. Under an unusual arrangement, the brothers remained at Miramax for six months while building their own company, which amassed $1.2 billion in financing from various sources, including $490 million from its equity investors.

Mr. Weinstein said his company has sufficient financing and does not expect to recapitalize itself soon, despite widespread talk in the film industry that new money would be needed to maintain a release schedule that is still reckoned at 15 to 20 theatrical films a year.

He also pointed to bright spots in the box-office record, which, by his tally, added up to $311 million in ticket sales last year. "Scary Movie 4," split with Disney, took in nearly $180 million in worldwide ticket sales last year. And "Hoodwinked," he noted, cost the company less than $10 million, and far exceeded expectations when it took in $100 million at the global box office, showing a path toward success in animation, where the brothers had never been a presence.

But for all that, the theatrical film business remains the public face of the company, and that has been plagued by hitches aplenty.

Mr. Weinstein acknowledged, for instance, having delayed production on "Opus: The Last Christmas," an animated film that has long been in the works.

Another such kink occurred when the director Kevin Smith, the director of films like "Clerks" and one of the Weinsteins' showcase talent relationships, first delayed, then dropped out of the coming "Fletch Won" in a dispute over casting. It became another Weinstein Company film to falter on the way to the screen.

The film, set for release this year, was taken over by Bill Lawrence, the writer and producer of the "Scrubs" television series.

Mr. Smith, whose "Clerks II" became one of the Weinstein success stories when it took in about $24 million at the domestic box office last year, said he expected to work with the brothers on a pair of coming films.

"It really feels like the long, sharp knives are coming out," Mr. Smith said, speaking on Wednesday of the shock that accompanied the failure of "Grindhouse." "Everybody's entitled to an off year."

Weinsteins to take back Miramax
THR EXCLUSIVE

It looks like the Weinsteins have managed to fashion a winning bid in the Miramax auction and will take back control of the company they founded in 1979 and sold to Disney in 1993 for $80 million.

Running the process internally, the Burbank studio for months has been soliciting offers for the recently shut specialty-film unit and its 611-title library.

Miramax founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein had been building enough financial muscle to put together an offer of $600 million or thereabouts, seeking to top bids from such rival suitors as businessmen Alec and Tom Gores and a more controversial one from Hollywood wheeler-dealer David Bergstein.

The Weinsteins have been kibbitzing with billionaire financier Ron Burkle throughout the auction process. In addition to Burkle's Yucaipa Group, the duo's backers include hedge funds Fortress and Colbeck Capital. In effect, Burkle and friends would be the official buyers, but the Weinsteins would effectively run the operation.

No word yet on when an official announcement of the deal will be made, as Disney lawyers are apparently still going over the financial details provided by the Weinsteins.

Did they really have to use the word "kibbitzing?"

Come on, how many opportunities do you get to use "kibbitzing" in a sentence? Not sure if I really understand the Weinstein's desire to get Miramax back if they're not actually going to own it though...?

I'm having trouble finding any long form interviews with Harvey Weinstein from before his arrest and trial, whether in print, audio, or video. I want to have a clearer picture of how far he's really fallen.

Mark Kozelek (https://pitchfork.com/news/mark-kozelek-of-sun-kil-moon-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-by-three-women/)