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Author Topic: Thoughs on foreign & independent distribution....
Mike Croaro
Master Film Handler

Posts: 394
From: Millbrae, CA
Registered: Apr 2005


 - posted 02-27-2006 09:56 PM      Profile for Mike Croaro   Email Mike Croaro   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Miramax - What has happened to this company? In the last year it sems they've only released one or two pictures. I don't recall them releasing anything "huge" in quite some time.

Sony Picture Classics - They seem to crank films out like there's no tomorrow. Vast majority seem to receive favorable reviews. My "favortite" film distributer.

Weinstein Company - "Doogal?!" What is going thru the Brother's Weinstein minds! The poster alone spells [bs] .

Anyone have thoughts on the recent (and future) of foreign and independent films?

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1129
From: Marietta, GA
Registered: Jul 2000


 - posted 02-27-2006 10:25 PM      Profile for Mike Spaeth   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Spaeth   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Biggest indie winner? Lions Gate

between Saw and the Madea franchises they're set - $30.5 million from a niche picture "Madea's Family Reunion"? That's HUGE. Both franchises cost about $5 million/film to produce.

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Mike Croaro
Master Film Handler

Posts: 394
From: Millbrae, CA
Registered: Apr 2005


 - posted 02-28-2006 10:12 AM      Profile for Mike Croaro   Email Mike Croaro   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Mike:

I believe you are correct. I don't really think of Lions Gate as an indie company even though they are one. They have shun the art house industry lately in favor of producing product for the multiplex crowd.

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Jeremy Jorgenson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1002
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: Feb 2005


 - posted 02-28-2006 03:28 PM      Profile for Jeremy Jorgenson   Author's Homepage   Email Jeremy Jorgenson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
You feel Lions Gate is less "indie" than Miramax (or Weinstein Co.)?

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John Koutsoumis
Master Film Handler

Posts: 261
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Aug 2003


 - posted 02-28-2006 05:07 PM      Profile for John Koutsoumis   Email John Koutsoumis   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
A good read on the topic is Peter Biskind's book
"Down and Dirty Pictures : Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film " (Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2004).

In the early days Miramax was hanging on a thread, they won some but lost a lot. And there's many stories of punch-ups involving Harvey Weinstein against other buyers and filmmakers. Other interesting notes are how Harvey got dubbed by Directors as "Harvey Scissorhands" and that before they could afford the necessary eqiupment they would make cuts to the actual release prints.
It's all pretty funny.

There is talk for the last few years that Digital Cinema will help independents by having easier access to distribution, ie: no need for prints. But I wonder whether this will end up being the case.

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