Kevin Smith: I’m Crushed to See Miramax Pass

By Kevin Smith

TheWrap asked filmmaker Kevin Smith about the closure on Thursday of Miramax after 31 years. He wrote the following in response:

I was never a brand-name whore in my life, except when it came to indie film. And from the moment I knew I wanted to be in film, there was one label I wanted on my ass: Miramax.

Nothing got between me and my Miramax. They were the gold standard. They were the Edmonton Oilers, circa Gretzky; and for a few seasons, I skated for a dynasty team that raised the Cup multiple times, year after year.

What Harvey and Bob built from scratch resembled an old studio star-factory; but this time, the stars were the filmmakers. It was a gang (of New York), and like any good gang, it was dripping with street cred. Just being a part of that gang sent a message: I run with rebels.

But Miramax wasn’t just a bad-boy clubhouse, it was a 20th century Olympus: throw a can of Diet Coke and you hit a modern-day deity. And for one brief, shining moment, it was an age of magic and wonders.

I’m crushed to see it pass into history, because I owe everything I have to Miramax. Without them, I’d still be a New Jersey convenience store register jockey. In practice, not just in my head.

“The Wrap” also featured a nice retrospective piece on the studio this week. With such an amazing catalog of titles, it’s clear that Miramax has had quite an impact on the type of films we’re enjoying today. In addition to Kevin’s work, could you imagine never having enjoyed the films of the amazing Quentin Tarantino? How ’bout “Swingers”? “Good Will Hunting”?

We’re sad to see you go, Miramax. We’ll leave you with a Harvey Weinstein quote from Carpetbagger’s article on the end of the era:

“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. Miramax has some brilliant people working within the organization and I know they will go on to do great things in the industry.”