Bob Weinstein

Like his older sibling Harvey, Miramax co-founder Bob Weinstein has an extended list of producer credits that reads like a greatest hits list of cinema from the 1990s and beyond. Unlike his more public-minded sibling, however, brother Bob has quietly... more

Like his older sibling Harvey, Miramax co-founder Bob Weinstein has an extended list of producer credits that reads like a greatest hits list of cinema from the 1990s and beyond. Unlike his more public-minded sibling, however, brother Bob has quietly minded the books of the enduring studio as the manager of Miramax's expenditures and revenue -- successfully building the company into one of the industry's largest and most powerful independent distributors. Serving as the perfect yin to his brother's yang, the harmonious balance of the Weinstein dynamic has helped to weather everything from the occasional controversy surrounding their films to frequent accusations of intimidation and questionable business tactics. Born a year after his older brother, the Queens native's stealthy business tact served the duo well when they founded Miramax after purchasing the film The Secret Policeman's Ball at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival. In the years that followed, the Weinsteins' fearless approach to acquiring controversial titles, combined with an acute understanding of the mechanics of the entertainment industry, found both their influence and selection of titles expanding at an unprecedented rate. In 1993, the company was purchased by Disney for 80 million dollars, with the understanding that both Bob and Harvey would remain in control of Miramax. If more adult-oriented films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and Scream (1996) found distributor Miramax and parent company Disney somewhat at odds from time to time, a steady inflow of profits (along with the releases of such benign omantic dramas and comedies as Muriel's Wedding [1994], Jane Eyre [1996] and Shakespeare in Love [1998]) found both parties flourishing and differences put aside. Things may have been a bit slow going in the mid-'90s, but a revitalization of their marketing strategies as the decade moved on found such films as Il Postino (1994) and The English Patient (1996) performing successfully at both the box office and the Oscars. In 1992, Bob also played a key role in forming Dimension Films, a Miramax offshoot that focused on producing such moderately budgeted action and horror efforts as From Dusk Till Dawn and Scream (both 1996). Four years later, the duo would sign seven-year deals with their parent company that ensured they would remain active in Miramax's creative output. With such undeniable box-office hits as Chicago (2002), Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003, directed by longtime Miramax devotee Quentin Tarantino), and Bad Santa (also 2003) to add to the brothers' list of success stories, it appeared as if the company would be churning out the hits for some time to come. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide less