Miramax and Hong Kong Films, a response from Harvey Weinstein (1 Viewer)

[ChrisJefferys]

So, Mirmax was sitting on Avalon because it wasn't what they expected? Doesn't anyone there even watch the films before they buy them?? Or do they just say "Hey Asian films are really hot right now, so we better buy the rights to anything we can find, sight unseen!".

 

[Matthew Brown]

This is what they did with Stephen Chow's movies.

Matt

 

[Paul McElligott]

This coupled with the way Miramax has made a couple of recent Oscar races so ugly with their politicking makes me want to avoid giving them any of my money.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Doesn't anyone there even watch the films before they buy them??

No
Actually they hada big licensor screening at a studio in LA when they wer looking for bids, so THEORETICALLY they had a rep there. He was probably in the lobby after the opening talking on his cel phone tho.

 

[Gui A]

Link Removed has a story about Universal now...
Does anyone have the original article stored somewhere?
Edit:
Nevermind...
found it here:
Link Removed

 

[YANG]

Besides targeting on asian made films,he also hit on other foreign made films right?
Isn't TRANSPOTTING get edited in U.S as well?

 

[Aaryn Chan]

 

[Jeff Adkins]

get edited in U.S as well?

Trainspotting was edited and redubbed for the US Theatrical release but the Miramax DVD is uncut. However, my take on this is that Miramax was too lazy (or too cheap) to re-transfer the film again so they just used Criterion's widescreen transfer from the laserdisc which was uncut. Otherwise, we probably would've gotten the altered version.
Although Cinema Paradiso is one example, I don't think Harvey did as much cutting before they were aquired by Buena Vista. But yeah, it's not just Asian films. He chopped 8 minutes from Life Is Beautiful and also removed several minutes from Malena.
Jeff

 

[DaveBB]

This coupled with the way Miramax has made a couple of recent Oscar races so ugly with their politicking makes me want to avoid giving them any of my money.

That's the major reason they are thinking about moving the Oscars to February.
Also: rumor has it that both the Weinsteins regularily enjoy the "company" of Gweneth Paltrow.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

He did not chop Life is Beautiful. Benigni did after the first few screenings in Italy. It's his preferred cut.

 

[YANG]

It is too bad that he prefer to do his foreign film rights purchase in his own "professional" way...sigh...

THERE IS REALLY A BIG ABSENCE OF KNOWING AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FILM MAKERS OF DIFFERENT CONTINENTS...

 

[TonyE]

He does know that these films were popular BEFORE he bought them, right?
What gives him the right to play editor to movies that were critically acclaimed for what they were already?
Of course he has the right to do whatever he wants since he owns the rights to them now.
In my personal opinion this is the same or worse than showing a film in 1.85:1 thats suppossed to be 2.35:1! In some aspects it is worse!

 

[Sean Laughter]

What does moving the Oscars to February have to do with Miramax pliticking?

 

[Randy Korstick]

Its really a puzzle to me that Disney will not release "Song of the Song" and edits other cartoons for fear of not being Political Correct and insensitive to race issues but yet they continue to allow Miramax to butcher Asian films and release them in sterotyped and racist versions. It may be better for this cause to get Asian rights groups involved in this. Disney would listen to this alot more I think.

 

[DaveBB]

What does moving the Oscars to February have to do with Miramax pliticking?

It gives less time for people to be swayed and votes "bought".

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Spielburg just said in the Wall Street Journal "I don't know what motivates him (Harvey)". While he was referring to Oscars, I think most people wonder the same thing