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       #Post#: 27444--------------------------------------------------
       Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax Sundance, & the Rise of Ind
       ependent Film (2004)
       By: Chiprocks1 Date: April 4, 2014, 10:02 am
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       [center]Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise
       of Independent Film
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       Reading Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise
       of Independent Film was a chore to get through at times. It's
       very rare that I ever have to renew a book because I need more
       time to get through the pages and this had nothing to do with
       the book being nearly 500 pages long, but everything to do with
       it's structure. I originally dove into this book thinking that
       it would be all about Harvey Weinstein and Miramax. It is and it
       isn't. It's really about the landscape of Independent film
       making and how Sundance came to be and how Miramax, or more to
       the point, how Harvey pretty much hijacked the institution to
       make a name and a company for himself at the expense of pretty
       much everyone in his path, especially the Independent film
       makers that he touted as being "family".
       Whether you have read about Harvey, seen interviews or just
       heard tales of the man secondhand, you already know what a
       colossal douche nozzle the guy is. But you really only know half
       the story. He's a prick as well. He is the personality that I
       would never associate with and I would never tolerate the sh*t
       that he throws at his employees and everyone else that just
       happens to be caught in his wake. These particular accounts as
       presented in the book are fascinating to read, but the book as a
       whole does leave a lot to be desired. The author tries to make
       it a Robert Redford Vs. Harvey Weinstein showdown. The problem
       is, anything regarding Redford disappears for long stretches at
       a time that it never really takes flight and seems
       inconsequential in the broader picture. Also, there are so many
       other stories being told with other players that you have never
       heard of that it takes away from the guts (pun intended) of
       Harvey's story.
       If it's not Harvey's story that is being told, you will of
       course enjoy the ones involving Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith,
       Matt Damon and Ben Affleck recounting their war stories of
       having to deal with Harvey Scissorhands and what they had to go
       though to get their movies (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Clerks,
       Mallrats, Goodwill Hunting) released. Fun stuff. Even though
       it's a sluggish read at times, I still think this is a book
       worth checking out just for their perspectives on the man and
       the myth.
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