Miramax Strongarms Chicago Fest

By Mike White

I think I just heard a collective groan from our loyal readers - oh no, not again! Yes, kids, here is yet another chapter in the book of the film of WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FOOLING. Unbelieveable as it is, it just keeps on going.

Way back around the time of the New York Underground Film Festival (see CdC #3 for the whole run down) I applied to the Chicago Underground Film Fest. Months went by and I heard nothing. I didn't want to be one of those film makers that used to call the Ann Arbor Film Festival to be coddled and assured that there film wasn't being shown not because it didn't arrive but because it sucked. I avoided calling for as long as possible but the date of the festival started creeping up on me so I eventually just had to do it!

I played phone tag with one of the organizers, Jay, for a while until I finally reached him one hot & humid summer night. I don't know whether to believe everything Jay had to say - since I had had such a horrible experience with the NYUFF - but the story was....

My video is not being officially shown at this year's fest for two reasons. 1) A week before my video arrived they received a call from the lawyers at Miramax inquiring about me and my video and wondering if the "clip licenses" were in effect. Huh? Guess I should find out myself what those are. The lawyers said that since they represented Miramax they could not advise the CUFF organizers whether or not to show the film but I guess they gave the textbook definition of a veiled threat.

Of course this all has to be a lie since I read in Premiere that Todd Phillips and Andrew Gurland were just making up the whole "Miramax is pressuring us" story - yeah, right. Hmmm... who should I believe; this guy who's being very open and honest with me or a couple of back-stabbing fucks? Tough call.

The other reason that they declined to show my video - as if legal repercussions weren't enough - is that my old pal Chris Gore - you remember him, don't you? The guy who was going to "rip shit up" with me and who hasn't returned my phone calls in over a year? He actually showed WHO DO YOU... at a conference at the CUFF last year. Way to go, Chris. I guess I should be kind of thankful but I don't know why I'm not.

Sure, some could point their fingers at the organizers of the CUFF and say they were wimpy and missed the free publicity opportunity of a lifetime but when you've got the film SONIC OUTLAWS at your fest which deals with the whole Negativeland Vs. U2 battle royale and shows how painful and expensive our legal system can be, I guess I could see their reasons to be skittish.

I don't know why Miramax are being stupid about the whole thing. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FOOLING has played other venues and festivals without much note in the past (Baltimore, Atlanta, Athens, Toronto, & Detroit) so why pick on CUFF? Is it the "Underground" aspect - that it'll find more of an audience at such a show? Or is this all just a sham? I don't know who or what to believe anymore.