Good Machine
Good Machine Productions was an American independent film production, film distribution, and foreign sales company started in the early 1990 by its co-founders and producers, Ted Hope and James Schamus. David Linde joined as a partner in the late 1990s and also started the international sales company Good Machine International. They sold the company to Universal Pictures, where it was then merged with USA Films and Universal Focus to create Focus Features. Hope, along with the heads of production development and business affairs ( Anthony Bregman, Anne Carey, and Diana Victor) then went on to form the independent production company This Is That Productions. Schamus and Linde became co-presidents of Focus Features. In 2001, the Museum of Modern Art celebrated the tenth anniversary of Good Machine's work, commemorating their support of international and domestic filmmakers. Background Good Machine was involved in production and/or distribution of a number of films, including A ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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This Is That Productions
This Is That Productions (also known as This is that corporation) was one of the leading independent feature film production companies. Established in 2002, and based in New York City, the company was founded and fully owned by Ted Hope, Anne Carey, Anthony Bregman, and Diana Victor. The four partners previously worked together at the groundbreaking Good Machine, which Ted Hope co-founded in 1991.Macaulay, Scott"Indie Film is Alive,"''Filmmaker Magazine'' (Sep. 14, 2017). The partners at This Is That were responsible for over fifty feature films. In addition to their seven Academy Award nominations their films received eighteen Independent Spirit Award nominations. Three of their films won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. History In 1981, Hope and Carey met on their first day as undergrad transfer student's to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts; Carey later came on board Good Machine. In 1999, Diana Victor came to run Business Affairs at Good Machine; she has w ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Independent Film
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 some cases, distributed by major companies). Independent films are sometimes distinguishable by their content and style and the way in which the filmmakers' personal artistic vision is realized. Usually, but not always, independent films are made with considerably lower budgets than major studio films. It is not unusual for well-known actors who are cast in independent features to take substantial pay cuts for a variety of reasons: if they truly believe in the message of the film; they feel indebted to filmmaker for a career break; their career is otherwise stalled or they feel unable to manage a larger commitment to a studio film; the film offers an opportunity to showcase a talent that hasn't gained traction in the studio system; or s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Diana Victor
Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), formerly Lady Diana Spencer, was an activist, philanthropist, and member of the British royal family Places and jurisdictions Africa * Diana (see), a town and commune in Souk Ahras Province in north-eastern Algeria * Diana's Peak, the highest point on the island of Saint Helena * Diana Region, a region in Madagascar * Diana Veteranorum, an ancient city, former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see in Algeria Americas * Diana, New York, a town in Lewis County, New York, United States * Diana, Saskatchewan, a ghost town in Canada Asia * Diana, Iraq, a town in Iraqi Kurdistan Europe * Diana (Rozvadov), an almost abandoned settlement in the Czech Republic * Diana, Silesian Voivodeship, a village in south Poland * Diana ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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 Universal Pictures (then a division of the Seagram Company) bought a majority stake in October Films in 1997. Universal then sold its shares to Barry Diller in 1999, who renamed the company USA Films and merged it with Gramercy Pictures. Vivendi then acquired USA Films, who in 2002 acquired Good Machine and merged it with USA Films, forming Focus Features. Filmography 1990s 2000s Distributor * '' Rebro Adama'' (1990) (1992) * '' Tous les matins du monde'' (1991) (1992) * '' Two Mikes Don't Make a Wright'' (1992) (1993) * ''Un coeur en hiver'' (1992) (1993) * '' Bad Behaviour'' (1993) * ''The War Room'' (1993) * ''Dellamorte Dellamore'' (1994) (1996) * '' Le Colonel Chabert'' (1994) * '' Moving the Mountain'' (1994) (1995) * '' Pao Da Shua ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Wedding Banquet
''The Wedding Banquet'' is a 1993 romantic comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Ang Lee. The story concerns a gay Taiwanese immigrant man (played by Winston Chao, in his film debut) who marries a mainland Chinese woman (May Chin) to placate his parents (Gua Ah-leh and Lung Sihung) and get her a green card. His plan backfires when his parents arrive in the United States to plan his wedding banquet and he has to hide the truth of his gay partner ( Mitchell Lichtenstein). It was a co-production of Lee's Good Machine production company, and the Taiwanese Central Motion Picture Corporation. Lee’s second feature film and his first to get a theatrical release in the United States, ''The Wedding Banquet'' premiered at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Bear. It was both a critical and commercial success, becoming the most profitable film of 1993 and won five Golden Horse Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. It received Oscar a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Safe (1995 Film)
A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal (such as steel) or formed out of plastic through blow molding. Bank teller safes typically are secured to the counter, have a slit opening for dropping valuables into the safe without opening it, and a time-delay combination lock to foil thieves. One significant distinction between types of safes is whether the safe is secured to a wall or structure or if it can be moved around. A less secure version (only suitable for petty cash) is usually called a cash-box. History The first known safe dates back to the 13th century BC and was found in the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses II. It was made of wood and consisted of a locking system resembling the modern pin tumbler lock. In the 16th century, blacksmiths in souther ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Happiness (1998 Film)
''Happiness'' is a 1998 American black comedy-drama film written and directed by Todd Solondz, that portrays the lives of three sisters, their families, and those around them. The film was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival for "its bold tracking of controversial contemporary themes, richly-layered subtext, and remarkable fluidity of visual style," and the cast received the National Board of Review award for best ensemble performance. The film spawned the pseudosequel '' Life During Wartime'', which premiered at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. Plot Trish Maplewood, the eldest Jordan sister, is a housewife who lives an upper middle class life. She is married to psychiatrist Bill Maplewood and has three children. Trish is unaware of Bill's secret life: he is a pedophile who is obsessed with 11-year-old Johnny Grasso, a classmate of their son, Billy. When Johnny comes to the Jordan house for a sleepover, Bill drugs and rapes him. Later, Bill learns that an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Todd Solondz
Todd Solondz (; born October 15, 1959) is an American filmmaker and playwright known for his style of dark, socially conscious satire. Solondz's work has received critical acclaim for its commentary on the "dark underbelly of middle class American suburbia," a reflection of his own background in New Jersey. His work includes ''Welcome to the Dollhouse'' (1995), ''Happiness'' (1998), ''Storytelling'' (2001), ''Palindromes'' (2004), '' Life During Wartime'' (2009), ''Dark Horse'' (2011), and '' Wiener-Dog'' (2016). Biography Solondz was born in Newark, New Jersey. He wrote several screenplays while working as a delivery boy for the Writers Guild of America. Solondz earned his undergraduate degree in English from Yale and attended New York University's Master of Fine Arts program in film and television, but did not complete a degree. During the early 1990s, Solondz worked as a teacher of English as a second language to Russian immigrants in New York City and described the experienc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Brothers McMullen
''The Brothers McMullen'' is a 1995 American comedy-drama film written, directed, produced by, and starring Edward Burns. It deals with the lives of the three Irish Catholic McMullen brothers from Long Island, New York, over three months, as they grapple with basic ideas and values—love, sex, marriage, religion and family—in the 1990s. It was the first Fox Searchlight film. Plot The film begins with Finbar "Barry" McMullen standing at the grave of his recently deceased father, along with his mother, who tells him that she's returning to her native Ireland to be with Finbar O'Shaughnessy (after whom Barry is named), her sweetheart of long ago. She tells Barry that while she gave Barry's father 35 of the best years of her life, she's going to start living life her way with Finbar O'Shaughnessy, the man she really loves. Jack has purchased their parents' home and lives in it with his wife Molly. Jack is torn between his love for Molly and his lust for Ann, a former roma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Edward Burns
Edward Fitzgerald Burns (born January 29, 1968) is an American actor, producer, writer, and director best known for appearing in several films including ''Saving Private Ryan'' (1998), ''15 Minutes'' (2001), '' Life or Something Like It'' (2002), ''Confidence'' (2003), ''A Sound of Thunder'' (2005), ''The Holiday'' (2006), '' The Groomsmen'' (2006), '' One Missed Call'' (2008), '' 27 Dresses'' (2008), ''Man on a Ledge'' (2012), '' Friends with Kids'' (2012), and '' Alex Cross'' (2012). Burns directed movies such as '' The Brothers McMullen'' (1995), '' She's the One'' (1996), '' Sidewalks of New York'' (2001), '' Purple Violets'' (2007), and '' The Fitzgerald Family Christmas'' (2012). He also starred as Bugsy Siegel in the TNT crime drama series '' Mob City'' and as Terry Muldoon in TNT's '' Public Morals''. Early life Burns was born in Woodside, Queens, New York, the son of Molly (née McKenna), a federal agency manager, and Edward J. Burns, a public relations spokesman a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Flirt (1995 Film)
''Flirt'' is a 1995 drama film written and directed by Hal Hartley and produced by Good Machine. Introduction The story takes place in New York, Berlin and Tokyo, with each segment using the same dialogue. In New York, Bill struggles to decide whether he has a future with Emily, while attempting to restrain Walter, the angry husband of a woman he thinks he might be in love with. In Berlin, Dwight has a similar experience with his lover, while the events that befall Miho in Tokyo take a more dramatic turn. Cast * Martin Donovan as Walter * Dwight Ewell as Dwight * Geno Lechner as Greta * Parker Posey as Emily * Bill Sage as Bill * Miho Nikaido as Miho * Hal Hartley as Hal * Toshizo Fujiwara as Ozu * Peter Fitz as The Doctor * Chikako Hara as Yuki * Liana Pai as Woman at Phone Booth * Harold Perrineau, Jr. as Man #1 * Maria Schrader as Girl In Phone Booth * José Zúñiga as Driver * Hannah Sullivan as Margaret * Michael Imperioli Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hal Hartley
Hal Hartley (born November 3, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer and composer who became a key figure in the American independent film movement of the 1980s and '90s. He is best known for his films ''The Unbelievable Truth (film), The Unbelievable Truth'', ''Trust (1990 film), Trust'', ''Simple Men'', ''Amateur (1994 film), Amateur'' and ''Henry Fool'', which are notable for deadpan humour and offbeat characters quoting philosophical dialogue. His films provided a career launch for a number of actors, including Adrienne Shelly, Edie Falco, James Urbaniak, Martin Donovan, Karen Sillas and Elina Löwensohn. Hartley frequently scores his own films using his pseudonym Ned Rifle, and his soundtracks regularly feature music by indie rock acts Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo and PJ Harvey. Early life Hartley was born in Lindenhurst, New York, Lindenhurst on southern Long Island, New York (state), New York, the son of an ironworker. Hartley had an early i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |