Miramax honches feted in New York

To mark the 25th anniversary of Miramax, Quentin Tarantino chaired a public interview with founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein at the Museum of Modern Art in New York last weekend.

Most of the evening was devoted to the Weinsteins' early years in the film industry, and Variety reports that Tarantino "gleefully revisited" their first films: the progressive rock concert movie, Sensation: The Ultimate Experience, and the slasher picture, The Burning, which bore the credit "created by Harvey Weinstein".

Harvey recalled that Holly Hunter, an unknown actress at the time, travelled from Pittsburgh to read for a role in The Burning and impressively delivered a Shakespeare soliloquy - only to be informed that her one line in the movie would be, "There's the canoe!" Hunter later won an Oscar for The Piano, a Miramax release.

On the troubled recent negotiations between Miramax and parent company Disney, Harvey Weinstein declared: "We've delivered Disney a debt-free, $2 billion asset, despite all the arguing about profitability that's gone back and forth. And the response from the financial community has been incredible. I've never known what it's like to be a pretty girl. But now I have investment bankers showing up and saying, 'Here's a billion dollars'."

Lumet finally gets his Oscar

Having been nominated for five Oscars without ever winning, writer-director Sidney Lumet has been chosen to receive an honorary Oscar at the 77th Academy Awards on February 27th in recognition of his "brilliant services to screenwriters, performers and the art of the motion picture". Lumet, who is 80, earned a best director Oscar nomination in 1958 for his directing début, 12 Angry Men, and was nominated in that category again for Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982). He also shared a nomination for best adapted screenplay with Jay Presson Allen for Prince of the City (1981). Lumet's many other credits include Serpico, Murder On The Orient Express, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Running On Empty, Q&A, Equus, The Deadly Affair, The Group, The Hill, The Pawnbroker and The Fugitive Kind.

A formula for love

Warner Bros has optioned the film rights to a story with a most unlikely title for a Hollywood studio release. On the Nature of Human Romantic Interaction is based on a short story by MIT research scientist Karl Iagnemma. It appears in his story collection of the same name and deals with a young academic who tries to formulate a series of mathematical equations that will force his randy girlfriend to make a commitment to him. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are co-producing the film for Warner Bros through their production company, Plan B.

Sky goes Oscar crazy

Live coverage of the Oscars reverts from the BBC to Sky next year, when the ceremony will be carried on the Sky Movies subscription channel. One hopes that Sky will make more interesting use of the many ad breaks in the show than the BBC, which relied on Jonathan Ross swapping tired anecdotes and speculation with such luminaries as Alan Cumming and Amanda Donohue.

To promote the live telecast, Sky is planning a month of related coverage throughout February, with a season of Oscar-winning films on Sky Movies, coverage of the build-up to the event on Sky News, Hollywood-themed programming on Sky Travel and documentary tie-ins on the Biography Channel.

Extended highlights from the ceremony and other tie-in programming will be shown on Sky One.

Brosnan sans Bond

Pierce Brosnan is "taking some time off replenishing" now that James Bond is behind him. He is preparing several productions through his company, Irish Dream Time, including a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair, and looking forward to next month's Sundance festival première of The Matador, a black comedy in which he plays a hit man who has a nervous breakdown.

"It would have to come to an end at some time," he says of his 007 era. "It's best to go out this way - on top. They did me a favour. It's better than being yanked off the stage with a wooden leg."