independent movie
An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, in ...
distribution company that was founded by Tom Skouras in 1983. The company distributed more than 200 movies between 1983 and 1995, including notable films as '' Blood Simple'', ''
My Life as a Dog
''My Life as a Dog'' ( sv, Mitt liv som hund) is a Swedish drama film which was released to cinemas in Sweden on 12 December 1985, directed by Lasse Hallström. It is based on the second novel of a semi-autobiographical trilogy by Reidar Jönsson ...
'', ''
The Comfort of Strangers
''The Comfort of Strangers'' is a 1981 novel by British writer Ian McEwan. It is his second novel, and is set in an unnamed city (though the detailed description strongly suggests Venice). Harold Pinter adapted it as a screenplay for a film d ...
'' and ''
Apartment Zero
''Apartment Zero'', also known as ''Conviviendo con la muerte'' (Spanish: Living with Death),
In 1985, after two years as a foreign sales firm, Skouras Pictures decided to expand onto U.S. distribution, which by 1986, Pamela Pricking, who was an executive at Skouras Pictures, and sales director Sigrid Ann Davison, will represent a dozen of films at the MIFED Film Festival, and decided that Skouras Pictures is looking for bigger films, particularly in regional countries like
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
.
In 1986, Kelly Neal joined Skouras Pictures as president of its domestic distribution. Also that year, Skouras made a reedited version of ''
Shadey
''Shadey'' is a 1985 British comedy film directed by Philip Saville and starring Antony Sher, Billie Whitelaw and Patrick Macnee. The screenplay concerns a man with clairvoyant qualities who is recruited by British intelligence for a secret missi ...
'', which received negative reception. Briefly, in the late 1980s, independent film executive Jeff Lipsky joined Skouras Pictures as head of acquisitions, marketing and distribution before he quit to start
October Films
October Films was a major U.S. independent film production company and distributor founded in 1991 by Bingham Ray and Jeff Lipsky as a means of distributing the 1990 film '' Life Is Sweet''.
A series of mergers and acquisitions began when Un ...
. In 1991, the company refused to attend the Cannes, among smallest studios.
On July 9, 1990, the company had inked a distribution pact with
Paramount Home Video
Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global.
The division oversees PPC's home entertainme ...
to release their exclusive home video distribution of titles on videocassette. In 1992, it launched a home video distribution Skouras Home Video, with Paramount themselves serving as distributor. In 1993, it distributed the controversial Shannon Tweed erotic thriller '' Cold Sweat'', which had a short-lived theatrical release before going to home video.
In 1995, Skouras Pictures decided to end film distribution, following some scrambling after an attempt to make the company public. In 2000, Skouras Pictures was relaunched with the acquisition of the independent arthouse film ''The Truth About Tully'', and has plans to release their six titles annually.
See also
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Fox Theatre (St. Louis)
The Fox Theatre, a former movie palace, is a performing arts center located at 527 N. Grand Boulevard (St. Louis), Grand Blvd. in St. Louis, Missouri. Also known as "The Fabulous Fox", it is situated in the arts district of the Grand Center, St. ...