Miramax Film Corp.
Briton Battsek Keeps Miramax in Awards Race
The New York Times' David Carr takes a look inside the mind of Daniel Battsek, the man whom the Weinstein brothers left behind at Miramax to carry on their tradition of making risky, quality films. read more »
Weinstein Books Splits From Miramax
Weinstein Books, the publishing imprint of Bob and Harvey Weinstein’s production company, has officially cut ties with Miramax Books, Weinstein Books president Rob Weisbach told The Observer today. The imprint has been part of Hyperion—Disney’s publishing arm—ever since the Weinstein brothers split from Disney two years ago.
The brothers agreed to temporarily retain some oversight of the Miramax imprint when they left Disney in 2005, in order to properly follow through on all the books they’d signed up before they left.
According to Weinstein Books president Rob Weisbach, he and his staff moved out of Miramax’s offices at 99 Hudson Street on September 30th and are now operating out of a new location at Cortlandt and Church Sreets.
Oscars at War: A Somber Party, A Gentler Glitz
Weepy Indie Director Tom DiCillo Brings His Big Gamble to Sundance
Harvey's Big Gangs Bang
Harvey's Big Gangs Bang
Spy: The Book of the Magazine
I Spy.
The other day, someone who will remain nameless accidentally left The Transom alone in an office. In that office was a copy of the Spy book, which comes out in a few months and will supposedly retail for 40 bucks or so. The nice publicist from Miramax Books recently declined to send over a copy, claiming there just weren't any on hand. OH YEAH? WHO'S ON HAND NOW, SISTER?
Behind the Music: Inside the Editor's Studio....
It's big. It has lots of pictures. It's gorgeous. Great reprints, great photos. Can't wait. It's also got lots of opportunities for editors Graydon Carter, Kurt Andersen and George Kalogerakis to autohagiographize. But really—if they don't, who will? And why shouldn't they? You should know, you've been ripping them off for years! (Yes you!)
Your Friends and Editors
read more »
MondoWeiss
The theme of the movie is sort of, You never know what can happen in life. Here were a group of schlemiels, the Cosmos, who were suddenly playing with the greatest soccer player in the world. The best of them, Shep Messing, accepted this sudden change with awe and humor.
The guy who covered the Cosmos for the Daily News, soccer rebbe David Hirshey, also shows up in the film, and makes the same point in his article about the movie on the ESPN site: "I realized my love of soccer was an easy pass to a life I would have never otherwise known. "
This World Cup has launched Hirshey (an editor at HarperCollins; he did my last book) as a writer. hen again maybe Dillon just wanted to get up close to the Gisele Bundchen doppelganger who was whispering in my ear as I scribbled my name on her program. Or perhaps he had overheard her opening line to me -- "I've heard so much about you, I always wanted to meet you." I'm just glad Dillon had moved on before the Brazilian bombshell uttered her next line: "My mother was Pelé's longtime assistant. I wasn't born when you were doing your book with him."
Following my lifelong policy of always being gracious to 19-year-old, thong-wearing daughters of old friends, I said, "I remember your mother," as memories of 1977 began dancing in my head like a Pelé stepover. There will never be another Cosmos. Big names may come over here eventually -- Beckham, Ronaldo, Zidane -- but they'll all be past their prime, and they'll be doing it for the money. We had guys who were at their peak -- Beckenbauer, myself, [Johan] Neeskens -- and we were on a mission."
Whether the Cosmos accomplished the mission is open to debate. Certainly, they planted the flag of soccer in the soil of the grassroots movement that today has 18 million American kids playing the sport in the United States.
And they did one other thing that may be even more enduring: They made me into a movie star.
It’s Condo Nast: Newhouse Keeps Editors Housed
It's Condo Nast: Newhouse Keeps Editors Housed
Weekend Roundup: Harvey, Russians, and Rich Kids
Even with a new company starting up, Harvey Weinstein has found time for real estate endeavors to ease the transition. Recently, the Weinstein Company purchased the old Miramax office in Tribeca. And now, Mr. Weinstein is buying a couple apartments at 55 Wall Street for the talent, according to the New York Post.
Sam Waterston takes a break from his Law & Order duties to fight for a Chelsea seminary’s right to build a 17-story building.
The Times discovers that “strangely organic yet somewhat self-consciously cutting-edge neighborhood” sprouting around the High Line. Ritzy restauranteurs, starchitects, and gallerists all get in on the action.
Not content with just building a hotel over the High Line (and dating Uma), André Balazs is developing a luxury condo near Wall Street.
Brighton Beach Russians say Net! to the smoking ban.And York Prep students get ready for reality television. read more »
-Michael CalderoneWeinstein Co. Buys Old Miramax Office
When the Weinstein brothers broke ties with Disney last April, there were a few matters that needed to be addressed, including real estate. As part of their settlement agreement, The Weinstein Company recently purchased a 3rd floor office at 375 Greenwich Street for $2.2 million, according to public records.
Conveniently, the 6,930-square-foot office had been home to Miramax for several years. While Harvey and Bob might have to toss out the Mickey Mouse stationary, they can keep their hip, Tribeca digs. The Tribeca Film Center offices and Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Grill are located in the same building.
Now that they’ve avoided being tossed on the street with a cardboard box full of Oscars, the Weinstein brothers can continue gathering billionaire and celebrity investors for their post-Miramax filmmaking venture. read more »
A Weinstein Company spokesperson declined to comment about the purchase.
-Michael CalderoneHarvey Calling
Only on the Upper East Side would the coming deluge of Bloomberg robo-calls kick off with one from Harvey Weinstein, as one reader who lives up there reports it has.
"Could their database KNOW I like Miramax films?" she asks in jest. Mostly in jest. read more »
Sack It To Me! Goodie Bags Gone Wild
As Goes De Niro … It's Nobu North
In Today's Paper: Basabe Burns Out, Nobu Expands, Bloomberg Courts, and Harvey Weinstein Blinks
Elsewhere in the paper, much to enjoy, including inside the glut of Iraq war memoirs. The Transom's favorite part: "There have been just a tremendous number of what you might call disillusioned-soldier narratives," said one editor. Ha! Go figure. read more »
Norm Pearlstine gets blowback at Time; the journalists of D.C. are doing the White House's work by tearing each other apart; and, from the other coast, Venice is, as The Transom knew, The New Hotness— and for once, it's not gays and artists doing the gentrifying, its agents and actors. Molly Jong-Fast admits what we all know: the horrible truth is that there is no 'It' bag this summer.On The Carpet
On the Sly: Bernie's Biopic
And that Stallone might be interested in playing our favorite embattled three-timing-husband/chauffeur-turned-commissioner in the movie version of Kerik's autobiography, Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice, which was optioned by Miramax last year. (Earlier, there was talk that Russell Crowe might play the part.) read more »
Sly may just be perfect casting - after all, back in the mid-90's, when Bernie was hired as director of investigations at Corrections, Rudy Giuliani told the department's then-commissioner, "Congratulations. You've just hired Rambo."
Of course, at this point it looks like the movie might never get out of development hell, although we hear that it will skip the controversies and just focus on Bernie's days as a street cop (when he was nicknamed the "Mayhem Magnet").
