A truly entertaining letter to read but no doubt an infuriating one to receive.
UPDATE: The 'boring' interview in question has now been dug up by the folks at NPR. Listen here.
Transcript follows.
Transcript
MIRAMAX FILMS
August 23, 1988
Errol Morris
c/o The Mondrian Hotel
8440 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
Dear Errol:
Heard your NPR interview and you were boring. You couldn't have dragged me to see THE THIN BLUE LINE if my life depended on it.
It's time you start being a performer and understand the media.
Let's rehearse:
Q: What is this movie about?
A: It's a mystery that traces an injustice. It's scarier than NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. It's like a trip to the Twilight Zone. People have compared it to IN COLD BLOOD with humor.
Speak in short one sentence answers and don't go on with all the legalese. Talk about the movie as a movie and the effect it will have on the audience from an emotional point of view.
If you continue to be boring, I will hire an actor in New York to pretend that he's Errol Morris. If you have any casting suggestions, I'd appreciate that.
Keep it short and keep selling it because that's what's going to work for you, your career and the film.
Congratulations on all your good reviews. Let's make sure the movie is as successful.
Best Regards,
(Signed)
Harvey Weinstein
14 comments:
"Start each sentence with: "In a time when.."
That's really funny - thank you!
It's good general media advice, Harvey - but for an NPR audience??
Ironic that he gives Errol advice about being succinct when Morris' NY Times articles are some of the longest, most interesting articles I've read in recent memory. People like Errol don't work well in sound bites and that's quite all right.
wow, Weinstein really does comes off as an egregiously massive tosser here. you could basically boil his message down to "please make yourself more bland, like everyone else is".
doubly ignorant considering that before "The Thin Blue Line", most people knew Miramax by the name "who?"
cock.
Harvey, what a legend.
What a legume.
dope
one of my top ten favourite movies of all time
shut up harvey-succint enough for you?
Just listened to the interview... and it's not his fault, it's a boring presenter and bad editing. After the first 90 seconds of her bland two-dimensional voice, anyone who creates insightful movies would have realised, 'I'm screwed, all I can do is play along.' About three minutes in she nearly panics when he cuts across her, then she's flummoxed because he's made a point that wasn't in her list of questions. I've been there: you realise it's already a wasted effort and all you can do is hope anyone who's listening likes this kind of approach, so you try to step in time with it... Those interviews are the longest...
Perhaps Harvey isn't the right audience for this film. As an occasional NPR listener I preferred the first interview. As a Morris fan, I loved to hear him talk and explain his way of seeing. As a film goer, I was mesmerized by the film (and music). Harvey needs to know that not every art film has to be "Shakespeare in Love" to be a success or a joy to watch.
That's somewhat mean and funny
"...it's a boring presenter and bad editing. After the first 90 seconds of her bland two-dimensional voice..."
Are you kidding? Terry Gross is one of the best interviewers (and radio voices) working in the U.S. She gives people space to give real and thoughtful responses. She's been the hosting the interview show Fresh Air, from which this clip comes, since September 1975 and it's still running today.
I guess you and Harvey aren't the right audience.
Yep, he's booooring!
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