Today’s announcement that Disney is shutting down Miramax Films is a loss for film buffs everywhere. (And what’s more, according to Slashfilm, “Eighty staff members will lose their jobs, and the last six Miramax films could well go into some sort of limbo.”) While in recent years the studio’s output was uneven at best, over the course of three decades, it produced some of our favorite films, ranging from the most delicate and emotional quotidian stories (Proof), to bloody action flicks (Kill Bill), to powerful foreign films that opened our eyes to the world around us (Tsotsi, for one).
Founded in 1979 by media moguls Bob and Harvey Weinstein (we can’t help but think of the angry, sweaty, and jiggly “Harvey” on Entourage, either) long before their names had much weight, Miramax was later bought by Disney in 1993. We’re all for the origins of the film company, which took pride in distributing independent films otherwise cast aside by major studios, and started out in the anything-but-glitzy town of Buffalo, New York. What’s more, it was named for Miriam and Max, the parents of the media-mogul brothers.
Yesterday, Harvey told The Wrap:
“I’m feeling very nostalgic right now. I know the movies made on my and my brother Bob’s watch will live on as well as the fantastic films made under the direction of Daniel Battsek [Disney]. Miramax has some brilliant people working within the organization and I know they will go on to do great things in the industry.”
Apparently the Weinsteins have tried to buy the Miramax name back, but have yet to receive an official response. Rumor has it that Bob Iger, the President and C.E.O. of Disney, will be happy to sell the company for $1.5 billion. Chump change.
So to pay our respects, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite Miramax films. Add to our list in the comments.
1. Amelie, 2001
2. City of God, 2002
3. Clerks, 1994
4. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, 2007
5. Kids, 1995
6. Life is Beautiful, 1997
7. No Country for Old Men, 2007
8. Pulp Fiction, 1994
9. The Queen, 2006
10. The Station Agent, 2003