Weinstein has conspiracy theory for 'Cold' Oscar snub

[DGibFen]

Now THIS is good.

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2004020521390002036665&dt=20040205213900&w=RTR&coview=

BERLIN (Hollywood Reporter) - Miramax Films co-chairman Harvey Weinstein said Thursday he believes the low Oscar-nomination count for "Cold Mountain" was due in part to stories in the U.S. press attacking the moviemakers' decision to shoot the U.S. Civil War drama in Europe and not America.

Weinstein, who jetted in to support the Anthony Minghella-directed story, which opened the Berlin International Film Festival, hinted that there had been a whispering campaign against the production because the filmmakers chose to shoot largely in lower-cost Romania.

Said Weinstein: "I'm proud of 'Cold Mountain' being a European film. The movie has done $80 million at the U.S. box office so far and is on its way to $100 million. But I think it (being shot in Romania) did hurt us with the Academy (voters)."

Weinstein stopped short of calling it a boycott by voters but said negative press may have resulted in "a move to deny the movie awards." The film received seven Oscar nominations, but not in the key best picture and director categories.

Said Minghella: "There has been a reaction in America and a real campaign to stop movies leaving America to shoot."

While Minghella said he understood the criticism, he defended his decision to shoot in Romania on economic terms. "It was a choice between making the movie (outside America) or not," he said. "We still spent nearly $20 million in the U.S."

Weinstein also attacked what he called American "discrimination" against European films and cited an example of how few are seen in the United States.

"We believe in European quotas because European movies are discriminated against in America," Weinstein said. "The major networks in America have not shown one single European movie in 25 years."

The news conference saw Weinstein face down a question on why the movie's three principal stars -- Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger -- failed to travel for the evening's gala.

He said Law and Zellweger are shooting movies in London, and Kidman had returned to Australia because of a "family situation."

Weinstein said he had offered to buy out the production of "Closer," which Law is shooting, in order to secure the actor's presence in Berlin.

"You know my reputation," Weinstein joked. "If I couldn't get them out (to Berlin), nobody could."

He played down any suggestion that the stars weren't supporting the movie's European rollout, which begins Monday on a release tour of the continent's capitals. Law and Zellweger will be traveling with the film, while Kidman is gearing up to do satellite interviews upon her return to New York.

Other attendees at the news conference included the movie's Philip Seymour Hoffman and Brendan Gleeson.

[Grimfarrow]

Zzzzzz........

He has a million reasons. None of them faulting himself. Maybe the fact that people are SICK of Harvey Weinstein is the reason Cold Mountain was snubbed?

[DGibFen]

Originally posted by Grimfarrow
Zzzzzz........

He has a million reasons. None of them faulting himself. Maybe the fact that people are SICK of Harvey Weinstein is the reason Cold Mountain was snubbed?

DING DING DING!! WE HAVE A WINNER!! ;)

[Rogue588]

I don't know...

The CM commerical touting Reneé that shows a clip of her going on about rain or something or other is kinda funny/annoying..

[lesterlong]

Cold Mountain is pretentious crap!!! Only movie I seriously thought about walking out of. I stayed because I did pay for a ticket and didn't have much to do. I felt so dumb after seeing it. Like I had just been duped into buying something I didn't actually want.

[pro-bassoonist]

As much as I detest HW I have to agree with one of his points (and disagree with him at the same time)

This is true:
"Weinstein also attacked what he called American "discrimination" against European films and cited an example of how few are seen in the United States.

"We believe in European quotas because European movies are discriminated against in America," Weinstein said. "The major networks in America have not shown one single European movie in 25 years."


YET....HE is also the reason why so amny European films never make it to US shores!!

[UAIOE]

Oh Harvey, my tears flow like warterfalls because of your plight. :rolleyes:


Mine for pity again when you dont treat foreign movies like trash.

[Suprmallet]

This is what, three days after he claimed that Cold Mountain didn't get any oscars because it was released in December? He's really grasping at straws here. Plenty of Hollywood films are shot in Europe. This is the first time I've heard of it being a problem.

[jaeufraser]

Ha, what a joke. I doubt most people even knew where the damn movie was shot until Harvey started bitching about it. Why did this movie not get a best pic nod? Did Harvey ever consider that maybe, just maybe, there are five other movies that people favored over his flick? And if we are to consider some movie political motive for it not getting nominated, it's as said before...because people HATE Harvey's Oscar push, and they are sick of him shoving his movies down everyone's throat. Really, he needs to shut up and let the movie speak for itself. It's on its way to 90 plus million dollars, has been well reviewed and nominated for a few awards. When a movie is considered a disapointment for not getting best picture nods, well, geez, perhaps they're jsut expecting too much.

[Jepthah]

Hey Harv....people didn't like the movie that much.

And Harv....put some dirt on Nicole if she's supposed to be a civil-war era country gal in hard times. Just a suggestion.

[Suprmallet]

Originally posted by jaeufraser
When a movie is considered a disapointment for not getting best picture nods, well, geez, perhaps they're jsut expecting too much.

Well, the English Patient did get an ungodly amount of nominations and awards. I'm sure Harvey was expecting a repeat, and perhaps more, due to the bankability of the main stars.

[tanman]

:hscratch:

Return of the King was shot in New Zealand. That's kind of the Europe of the southern hemisphere.

[LiquidSky]

Originally posted by Suprmallet
Well, the English Patient did get an ungodly amount of nominations and awards. I'm sure Harvey was expecting a repeat, and perhaps more, due to the bankability of the main stars.

True. For me, "The English Patient" was pure torture to sit through.....and I love period films like "A Room With A View" and "Howards End".

I like Nicole but think she is over-exposed these days. Glad she is finally shutting up about her divorce.

[Groucho]

I didn't even know the film was shot in Europe until I read this thread. Quite frankly, I'm sick of Weinstein making excuses for Cold Mountain. Harvey, your film didn't nominated: GET OVER IT!

Not to mention:

Return of the King was shot in New Zealand
Lost in Translation was shot in Japan
Master and Commander was shot in Ecuador and Mexico
Mystic River was shot in Iraq

[LiquidSky]

Originally posted by Groucho
Mystic River was shot in Iraq

:lol:

[Michael Corvin]

How about bad marketing. None of the previews looked remotely interesting. Looked like a standard chick flick with the civil war as a back drop, not a civil war movie with elements of a love story.

[sundog]

Originally posted by Groucho
Mystic River was shot in Iraq

. . . and Seabiscuit in a bowl of saccharine.

[Geofferson]

Did the thought ever occur to him that Cold Mountain simply may not be Oscar material? I enjoyed the movie, but did not feel that it deserved an Oscar nomination.

[boston george]

God he is such an Oscar whore. Why do they (Miramax Films) feel such a need to pander to/beg the Academy for nominations?

[fnordboy]

Originally posted by boston george
God he is such an Oscar whore. Why do they (Miramax Films) feel such a need to pander to/beg the Academy for nominations?
Well how else is he going to have people publicly thank him and praise him? Next time I hear someone thank him while getting an award I think I am going to put my foot through the TV. I am so sick of it.

[Dr. DVD]

Originally posted by Geofferson
Did the thought ever occur to him that Cold Mountain simply may not be Oscar material? I enjoyed the movie, but did not feel that it deserved an Oscar nomination.

That's whay I thought when I saw it as well.

[MrX]

Originally posted by Geofferson
I enjoyed the movie, but did not feel that it deserved an Oscar nomination.
I agree

[movielib]

Originally posted by Groucho
...
Mystic River was shot in Iraq
:lol: It's a common mistake mixing up the Mystic and Euphrates Rivers.

[jayson1017]

Originally posted by Groucho

Mystic River was shot in Iraq

No, it wasn't. Unless you consider Boston, MA as being part of Iraq.

[TREX1993]

Originally posted by pro-bassoonist
[B]
"Weinstein also attacked what he called American "discrimination" against European films

So...when Harvey's Miramax gets a Best Picture nomination for Life is Beautiful and then Cold Mountain does not, somehow "discrimination" comes into play?! Plus, I would swear I've seen this broadcast on one of the big four networks.

And oh yeah, The Return of the King was released December 17th, just two weeks before the end of the year, yet somehow it seems to lead the Oscar field with eleven nominations.

Grasping for straws, grasping for straws...

[Jericho]

Ah damage control, let's see I've heard Cold Mountain wasn't nominated because

1) the movie was released too late
2) there's a backlash against Miramax/Weinstein for campaigning
3) Nicole Kidman looks too good in the movie
and now....
4) because the movie was short in Europe

What's next? They should just Blame Canada!

Seriously though, the movie got what 6-7 nominations. That's damn good. The Academy liked it, just not as much as some others. It's certainly possible that the above factors played a part in the nominations, but I suspect it was very little.

The simple fact is LOTR:ROTK, Mystic River, and Lost in Translation have been winning all the major critics awards, and not Cold Mountain. It just wasn't that well-received that it was an automatic for Best Picture.

[pro-bassoonist]

quote:Originally posted by pro-bassoonist

"Weinstein also attacked what he called American "discrimination" against European films




Originally posted by TREX1993
[B]So...when Harvey's Miramax gets a Best Picture nomination for Life is Beautiful and then Cold Mountain does not, somehow "discrimination" comes into play?! Plus, I would swear I've seen this broadcast on one of the big four networks.

And oh yeah, The Return of the King was released December 17th, just two weeks before the end of the year, yet somehow it seems to lead the Oscar field with eleven nominations.

Grasping for straws, grasping for straws...

Trex ...I did NOT SAY THAT!! :)

It was HW.....:D

[The Nature Boy]

This fat SOB should park his Buick sized head directly in his anus. This is the first step back to credibility for the Oscar, which has been missing since Shakespeare in Love beat out Saving Private Ryan(at least in my mind). What about the Hours last year? Formulatic Oscar pictures are NOT guaranteed paths to glory. Remember when it used to be best picture of the year, and not the best picture of Decemeber Harvey? You excuses are disgraceful and a slap in the face of some very deserving nominees.

I won't totally crap on Miramax, they have brought several, if not most, of the innovative and exciting films we've seen in the last 10 years to us, but this is insane.

This must be a tongue in cheek interview because he can't be serious. The English Patient winning is the ultimate lifetime BJ to Minghella, who's just as bad propogating this "made in Europe" b.s. I LITERALLY have never met one person who liked that movie, and while that's neither here nor there, the king of watching paint dry films should bit his tongue.

I have yet to see Cold Mountain, and I had planned to, but hearing these two jerkoffs makes me think I'll skip it. But every time I've seen a trailer, I can't help but think of the Gone With the Wind Musical in Irreconcrible Differences. Bloated excess designed to impress, but lacking heart.

"This....Civil War.....Ain't gonna get....ME DOWN!!!"

[Pants]

His logic is fundamentally flawed because several other best picture nominees were filmed overseas.

Cold Mountain was just a bad, bad movie. It stunk.

[TCG]

Originally posted by Groucho
Not to mention:

[b]Return of the King was shot in New Zealand
Lost in Translation was shot in Japan
Master and Commander was shot in Ecuador and Mexico
i was gonna post exactly this.

hmmm, those films werent discriminated against. CM was just not a very good movie. thats why, harv!

[TCG]

Originally posted by The Nature Boy
This must be a tongue in cheek interview because he can't be serious. The English Patient winning is the ultimate lifetime BJ to Minghella, who's just as bad propogating this "made in Europe" b.s. I LITERALLY have never met one person who liked that movie, and while that's neither here nor there, the king of watching paint dry films should bit his tongue.
"how could you not like the English Patient?"

"how about, it sucked."

"you see? this is what i'm talking about... enjoy, sack lunch."


sorry, couldnt resist, since we're on the topic.

[Skorp]

Originally posted by Pants
His logic is fundamentally flawed because several other best picture nominees were filmed overseas.
Hate to say it, but Harvey is not just blowing smoke on this. The L.A. Times actually had an article earlier this week about the flak that Cold Mountain has been taking in the film community over having been filmed overseas.

Yes, other nominees were filmed overseas, but that's not the issue. The issue is that Cold Mountain, an American Civil War picture, was. There is apparently some very real resentment over this.

Here's the article:
At first glance, "Cold Mountain" looks like a quintessential American story — a Civil War drama set in North Carolina filled with traditional U.S. mountain music. But the movie is being condemned in an Internet and e-mail campaign for hardly being American enough.

A number of unheralded show business veterans are blasting the Miramax film in a widespread electronic campaign that very well could be hurting the film both at the box office and in the Academy Awards. "Cold Mountain," which received seven Oscar nominations last Tuesday, also has been targeted by the cinematographers' union, which refused to host a December screening of the film because it wasn't made in the U.S.

Among "Cold Mountain's" e-mail critics is production designer Ann Champion, who worked steadily in Hollywood for 20 years until hundreds of movies and TV shows started saving money by relocating to Canada and other countries. Champion says she hasn't had health insurance for years and doesn't know how she'll pay her February mortgage. So when "Cold Mountain" fled its North Carolina setting to film in Romania, Champion finally had enough.

"I want the industry back here in America," says Champion, whose credits include "Cagney & Lacey" and "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." Even though Champion wasn't up for a "Cold Mountain" job, she was raised near where the fictional story takes place. "So it really became a personal thing," she says.

The debate over so-called runaway productions echoes the fray over numerous U.S. companies, from jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. to air conditioner manufacturer Carrier Corp., moving operations to distant lands to boost profits. There is growing resentment within working class Hollywood over a production exodus that many estimates say is costing the local economy billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs. Legislation aimed at blocking foreign production subsidies and boosting domestic rebates have yet to bear fruit.

"'Cold Mountain' is the culmination of a lot of frustration," says Gary Dunham, a camera assistant with 25 years experience who has forwarded an e-mail critical of the film to dozens of industry colleagues. "People are very, very angry. There really is no reason for [filming in Romania]. It's just greed."

The e-mail and Internet campaign has been propelled by the Film and Television Action Committee. The organization, whose leaders include Dunham and Champion, works to curtail runaway production through legislation, lobbying and education. Its website, www.ftacusa.org, currently features the article "What Americans Need to Know About 'Cold Mountain.' "

"You can send a message that these economic losses and artistic choices compromised in the name of saving money are not acceptable to Americans," the article says of the movie. "Do not contribute to 'Cold Mountain' profiting literally at your expense by buying a ticket."

The article, which includes addresses and fax numbers of the film's producers, also was forwarded to 5,000 people on the FTAC's mailing list, says the group's chairman, production designer Brent Swift. "And then other groups picked it up and forwarded it in an e-mail chain."

A similar article denouncing "Cold Mountain," from the United States of America Coalition of Film and Television Workers, has circulated via e-mail. The coalition is aimed at members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which governs many production jobs.

While it's impossible to quantify the impact the "Cold Mountain" campaign has had on the film's ticket sales or award chances, anecdotal evidence suggests the effort against the Nicole Kidman-Jude Law film has spread. Just before Christmas, Mark Levinson, "Cold Mountain's" dialogue replacement supervisor, was chatting with his Berkeley mail carrier.

"And somebody else on his route told him he wasn't seeing 'Cold Mountain' and was telling people they shouldn't see it because it was filmed outside the U.S.," Levinson says. Levinson, who has collaborated with "Cold Mountain" writer-director Anthony Minghella on three other features, called the filmmaker to relay the news. "He was pretty much speechless," Levinson says of Minghella's reaction.

Albert Berger, one of the film's producers, says he "really doesn't know" if the e-mail and the Internet movement has hurt the film or cost it a best picture Oscar nomination. "But it is upsetting to me," Berger says.

"We want more than anything to make movies here," Berger says from the Northern California set of the Richard Gere movie "Bee Season." "The real focus should be on how can the government make moviemaking here more affordable. Miramax went out on a limb to make this movie. We tried everything we could, but the movie would not have been made had we not gone to Romania."

Minghella and his production team scouted a number of locations both here and abroad before deciding to film much of the $80-million movie in Romania. Several factors prompted relocating overseas.

First, Minghella felt modern American development threatened his need for natural, sweeping 19th century vistas. Second, the director needed four seasons of weather, which was more likely in southeastern Europe. Third, moving overseas would save Miramax millions just as its financial partner on the film, MGM, was dropping out of the production. Within a few weeks, Romania's Carpathian Mountains had replaced North Carolina's Blue Ridge mountain range.

"Cold Mountain's" producers say they spent some $18 million during several weeks of filming in the United States. About half the film's actors are American, as are many of its crew members, Miramax says.

It's still not enough for the film's critics, who say such a distinctly American movie should have remained at home. "The producers of that movie betrayed us, and they treated us like manure," says director of photography George Dibie, president of the International Cinematographers Guild. Dibie says a variety of union workers offered to cut their "Cold Mountain" fees by as much as 30% to keep the production from going to Romania.

Miramax approached Dibie's ICG about a December "Cold Mountain" screening in which Oscar-winning cinematographer John Seale would answer questions from some 600 ICG members. Such screenings are common among many Hollywood unions in the weeks leading up to the Oscar nominations, and can help generate enthusiastic buzz and awards momentum. "They begged us to show it. We refused," says Dibie.

Those criticizing "Cold Mountain" make clear they are not upset by movies that film in other countries for artistic, rather than economic reasons. Consequently, they are not complaining about "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which was made in New Zealand, or "Lost in Translation," which was filmed in Japan.

But FTAC says it is about to launch a letter-writing campaign against director Ron Howard's "Cinderella Man," a movie about American boxer Jim Braddock that will film in Toronto later this year. "This is intolerable," an FTAC letter to Howard says. "Instead of promoting the great American film industry, you are participating in its destruction. Have you so much money and fame that you can turn your back on the people and the industry that gave you the opportunity to succeed?"

"Cinderella Man" producer Universal Pictures declined to comment.

Miramax says the real problem is that the U.S. government does not offer the same kind of rich economic incentives, which range from tax refunds to sale-leaseback deals, that make filming overseas so financially attractive.

"We take the runaway production issue seriously, and have been very active in lobbying for federal legislation to make us competitive for future productions," Miramax spokesman Matthew Hiltzik said.

"The thing that is most disturbing is that this has nothing to do with the film," says dialogue replacement supervisor Levinson. "Awards are either about quality or they are not."

As for Levinson's mail carrier, he eventually bought a "Cold Mountain" ticket. "He liked it," Levinson says. "Too bad he's not an awards voter."

[DRG]

He might as well just give up on Cold Mountain and change his spin to "But our name is on Master & Commander, and THAT got 10 nominations, including Best Picture!"

Frankly, he's lucky Miramax's streak lasted as long as it did. They managed to get the fluffy Chocolat in there in 2000 when All the Pretty Horses flunked with critics and audiences. And the very next year, Miramax snuck into the best picture race with the tiny In the Bedroom after their initial show pony The Shipping News failed to garner any buzz. Miramax usually has a contingency plan, but they put all their eggs in one basket this year... and it failed. The Human Stain was the next closest thing to an "Oscar-type film" they had this year. They probably would've been better off giving Kill Bill Vol. 1 a huge push than that one.

[Hokeyboy]

This is precisely why I will never see Michael Mann's Last of the Mohicans. What is supposedly colonial-era New York is actually modern-day South Carolina, and this kind of duplicity doesn't sit well with me.

And regarding Sack Lunch -- never seen it, but I really want to know how they got in that sack... Do you think they got shrunk down, or is it just a giant sack?

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally posted by DRG

Frankly, he's lucky Miramax's streak lasted as long as it did. They managed to get the fluffy Chocolat

This just happens to be one of the best films I saw in the last 5 years....not sure where are you heading with this comment :hscratch: Chocolat is anything but fluffy!!

[Neeb]

>>Weinstein also attacked what he called American "discrimination" against European films and cited an example of how few are seen in the United States.

"We believe in European quotas because European movies are discriminated against in America," Weinstein said. "The major networks in America have not shown one single European movie in 25 years." <<

Given Miramax's treatment of numerous Asian and European films (Shaolin Soccer, Hero, etc), this comment creates new levels of ironic hypocrisy never even dreamed of.

[Neeb]

>>What's next? They should just Blame Canada!<<

If that meant they would stop shooting in Toronto and calling it New York City, then I'm all for it.

[Pants]

If it's in the LA Times than the chances are pretty good that Weinstein himself pulled the strings to get the article in there. The Times is so enwraped with the H'wood scene you have to take everything you read in their Calander section with a grain of salt. It's like the gossip rag version of Variety. The Times is a whore publication. Don't read it.

[DRG]

Originally posted by pro-bassoonist
This just happens to be one of the best films I saw in the last 5 years....not sure where are you heading with this comment :hscratch: Chocolat is anything but fluffy!!

I enjoyed it as well, but I'm speaking of the general critical concensus... http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Chocolat-1103080/
Perhaps I should have used the word "lightweight" instead of fluffy. But my point is, the reviews are filled with remarks like "A reasonably uplifting Christmas cookie", "eye-candy", "charming and whimsical", "a pleasant enough diversion", etc. And those are the positive reviews (61% Fresh). This is the kind of stuff I'm talking about:

http://www.cinemarati.org/features/news021601.shtml
There's really only one entertainment news story this week: the Oscar nominations. And the story within the story that film buffs have been talking about is the fact that Chocolat -- considered by most critics to be at best enjoyable fluff and at worst an affront to all that is right and decent -- garnered so many nods, apparently at the expense of far worthier films, among them Almost Famous, Billy Elliot, and Requiem for a Dream.

http://www.washdiplomat.com/01-03/b4_03_01.html
It’s a credit to the marketing machinery at Miramax that landed multiple surprise Oscar nominations for the fluffy “Chocolat,” including a Best Actress nod for Binoche.

http://www.hsbr.net/columns/alf/20030209.01.hsbr
Last year the PGA nominated both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Shrek – Gosford Park and In The Bedroom replaced them. The year before, Billy Elliott was bumped in favour of Traffic, although, in a perfect example of how every rule has an exception, Almost Famous was also dropped, in favour of ultra-fluffy Chocolat.

[pro-bassoonist]

I see your point of reference....yet....there is a double standard in terms of passing judgment upon a film that gets mentioned in the links that you have posted for the following reason (s):

I am well aware of the status of approval that Chocolat has on rottentomatoes.com...yet the larger number of "reviews" that tag Chocolat as being "fluffy" do so in the context of criticizing Miramax and their Oscar strategy. Funny to say the least as there is more passion when speaking against Miramax than criticizing the merits of the film.

Second, half of the superlatives that the film is criticized with could easily be applied to say for example Almost Famous..."a pleasant enough diversion"...hypocritical comment to say the least...which fits perfectly the well-polished, sugary plot of Almost Famous (also a favorite of mine). With other words I find it rather inconsistent when critics criticize the same film for its lack of real message and value and hold it up against Hollywood standards when they look for exacty the same material reflected through the prism of their own "standards".

Last but not least...I can only laugh when the lion's share of criticism against a foreign film comes from domestic pundits spoiled by the fast-delivery, sugary, juggernaut industry Hollywood has fostered. Funny....the title Chocolat matches perfectly!!