Josh Kramer, who worked as a film producer and financier and Amazon executive, died Nov. 27 in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 67.
Kramer started his career in entertainment in foreign sales for the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis. By pre-selling foreign movie rights, he became an integral member of the company, financing films such as “Manhunter” and “Blue Velvet.” He led the acquisition of the film rights for Madonna’s first concert film “Madonna: Truth or Dare” and later sold the film overseas.
Rachael Horovitz, who worked with him at De Laurentiis, remembered Kramer on his memorial site. “A concert pianist who helped right the Beastie Boys tourbus one night in Paris when rabid fans were tipping it over; a patient negotiator who cried reading J.D. Salinger. His contradictions made him.”
He joined forces with Thom Mount to form the Mount/Kramer Company in the early ’90s, producing Roman Polanski’s...
Kramer started his career in entertainment in foreign sales for the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis. By pre-selling foreign movie rights, he became an integral member of the company, financing films such as “Manhunter” and “Blue Velvet.” He led the acquisition of the film rights for Madonna’s first concert film “Madonna: Truth or Dare” and later sold the film overseas.
Rachael Horovitz, who worked with him at De Laurentiis, remembered Kramer on his memorial site. “A concert pianist who helped right the Beastie Boys tourbus one night in Paris when rabid fans were tipping it over; a patient negotiator who cried reading J.D. Salinger. His contradictions made him.”
He joined forces with Thom Mount to form the Mount/Kramer Company in the early ’90s, producing Roman Polanski’s...
- 12/19/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Josh Kramer, a veteran Hollywood executive who produced such films as Roman Polanski’s Death and the Maiden and Sidney Lumet’s Night Falls on Manhattan, has died following a stroke. He was 67.
Kramer died Nov. 27 surrounded by family and friends in Santa Monica, according to a representative. The producer, who was a graduate of the American School in London, earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, where he is said to have made a mark creating conceptual art pieces. He then went on to earn his Mba from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
He began his entertainment industry career by working in foreign sales for legendary Italian producer Dino de Laurentiis, specializing in international presales of films by such directors as Sam Raimi, Michael Cimino, Bruce Beresford and David Cronenberg. One such title he shepherded was the iconic documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare.
Kramer went on...
Kramer died Nov. 27 surrounded by family and friends in Santa Monica, according to a representative. The producer, who was a graduate of the American School in London, earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, where he is said to have made a mark creating conceptual art pieces. He then went on to earn his Mba from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
He began his entertainment industry career by working in foreign sales for legendary Italian producer Dino de Laurentiis, specializing in international presales of films by such directors as Sam Raimi, Michael Cimino, Bruce Beresford and David Cronenberg. One such title he shepherded was the iconic documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare.
Kramer went on...
- 12/19/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Josh Kramer, who produced Roman Polanski’s Death and the Maiden and Sidney Lumet’s Night Falls on Manhattan and later led sales for Capitol Films before becoming Head of Motion Picture Business Operations at Amazon Studios, has died. He was 67.
Kramer died November 27 in Santa Monica.
Born on May 17, 1956, he began his showbiz career working for the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis, pre-selling foreign movie rights that would help finance films including Manhunter, Blue Velvet and others. Kramer was instrumental in the success of the 1991 concert pic Madonna: Truth or Dare, leading the acquisition of the film rights and then selling the film overseas.
In the early 1990s, he teamed with Thom Mount to form the Mount/Kramer Company, which produced Death and the Maiden (1994) and Night Falls on Manhattan (1996).
He went on to become the head of sales for Capitol Films, later joining international acquisitions at MGM. In...
Kramer died November 27 in Santa Monica.
Born on May 17, 1956, he began his showbiz career working for the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis, pre-selling foreign movie rights that would help finance films including Manhunter, Blue Velvet and others. Kramer was instrumental in the success of the 1991 concert pic Madonna: Truth or Dare, leading the acquisition of the film rights and then selling the film overseas.
In the early 1990s, he teamed with Thom Mount to form the Mount/Kramer Company, which produced Death and the Maiden (1994) and Night Falls on Manhattan (1996).
He went on to become the head of sales for Capitol Films, later joining international acquisitions at MGM. In...
- 12/19/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Going into Sundance 2017, the hottest acquisition title was Michael Showalter’s “The Big Sick,” written by comedian-star Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon, based on their true-life cross-cultural romance, and produced by Judd Apatow. It promised all the elements you would want from a breakout Sundance movie: comedy, pathos, authenticity and two rising stars, Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan, along with Holly Hunter and Ray Romano as Emily’s parents.
Why not buy it sight unseen? “It was a movie you see at the Eccles and bid on, especially with a comedy,” said one bidder.
The movie turned out to be that rare creature: a hilarious and humane love story, not saccharine, that feels real.
A host of buyers, from A24 to Weinstein Co., attended the enthusiastic Eccles Friday premiere, after which the players with the deepest-pockets entered the bidding — Netflix, Open Road and others dropped out early when the numbers hit eight figures.
Why not buy it sight unseen? “It was a movie you see at the Eccles and bid on, especially with a comedy,” said one bidder.
The movie turned out to be that rare creature: a hilarious and humane love story, not saccharine, that feels real.
A host of buyers, from A24 to Weinstein Co., attended the enthusiastic Eccles Friday premiere, after which the players with the deepest-pockets entered the bidding — Netflix, Open Road and others dropped out early when the numbers hit eight figures.
- 1/23/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
A movie with a mission, Sidney Lumet's somber tale of a New York district attorney's rite of passage into the murky "gray areas" of law enforcement and the criminal justice system finds the veteran filmmaker rebounding after the sensationalistic "Guilty as Sin", but the Paramount Pictures release doesn't win its case even when it bends the rules and creates a tainted hero.
Opening on an off-weekend for big new releases, "Night Falls on Manhattan" has the director's rep and lead Andy Garcia to bolster its counterprogramming pitch.
It needs strong reviews and word-of-mouth to travel far, however, and the gritty reality is that moviegoers are likely to pass it up for less daunting alternatives.
Lumet has not so much adapted Robert Daley's 1993 novel "Tainted Evidence" as thrown it off a roof and picked up the resulting bits and pieces that interested him. Two major differences: The movie is more violent in the initial setup and the main character is no longer a woman.
A brief prologue introduces ex-cop Sean Casey (Garcia) in his new career as an assistant district attorney. It's a tough job and we're expected to bond with honest Casey in preparation for his trials to come.
Sean has no love life and not a lot of motivation beyond his desire to do the right thing.
Meanwhile, his father, Liam (Ian Holm), is a veteran detective with a longtime partner (James Gandolfini). When these two try to apprehend Harlem's biggest dope dealer (Shiek Mahmud-Bey), Liam and three other cops are gunned down in a bloody fiasco which leaves the suspect still on the loose.
The up-for-re-election D.A. (Ron Leibman) raises hell, but he's out-maneuvered by a "Commie shyster" lawyer (Richard Dreyfuss), who convinces the suspect to surrender.
A trial ensues and Sean is made the prosecutor against the wishes of a smarmy rival (Colm Feore) of the incumbent. In post-O.J. fashion, the buttons pushed are blatant stabs at a crumbling system in which the obviously guilty party is portrayed as a victim of a wide conspiracy involving "dirty cops."
Sean wins the case nonetheless, but its ramifications result in an Internal Affairs investigation that eventually zeroes in on Liam and his partner.
Upping the stakes and leaving believability behind, Sean is endorsed by Leibman's ailing character in the election -- and wins. He also collects a girlfriend in the person of Peggy (Lena Olin), a classy opponent in the camp of Dreyfuss' crusading realist.
But dark clouds of moral ambiguity and familial conflict loom. Our "pure" hero has a blood-soaked technical error to deal with and the choices he must make complete his education.
Ambitious but unconvincing, "Night Falls" does boast strong performances from all the principals except Olin, whose character is a sustained objection with no real depth.
Leibman and Holm play strongly realized characters, and the best scenes include these actors with Garcia in intimate, closed-door conferences.
Harking back to Lumet's best works -- "Serpico", "Dog Day Afternoon", "The Verdict" -- "Night Falls" is beautifully shot in naturalistic hues and shadows by David Watkin and makes good use of Big Apple locales.
Some expert cutting from Sam O'Steen helps in the many dramatic scenes, but overall the pacing is uneven and viewers not hooked into the story may find their attention wandering and suspension of disbelief wavering.
NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN
Paramount Pictures
Spelling Films presents
a Mount/Kramer production
A Sidney Lumet film
Writer-director Sidney Lumet
Producers Thom Mount, Josh Kramer
Based on a novel by Robert Daley
Co-producer John H. Starke
Director of photography David Watkin
Production designer Philip Rosenberg
Editor Sam O'Steen
Costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi
Music Mark Isham
Casting Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith,
Kerry Barden
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sean Casey Andy Garcia
Liam Casey Ian Holm
Joey Allegretto James Gandolfini
Peggy Lindstrom Lena Olin
Jordan Washington Shiek Mahmud-Bey
Elihu Harrison Colm Feore
Morgenstern Ron Leibman
Sam Vigoda Richard Dreyfuss
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Opening on an off-weekend for big new releases, "Night Falls on Manhattan" has the director's rep and lead Andy Garcia to bolster its counterprogramming pitch.
It needs strong reviews and word-of-mouth to travel far, however, and the gritty reality is that moviegoers are likely to pass it up for less daunting alternatives.
Lumet has not so much adapted Robert Daley's 1993 novel "Tainted Evidence" as thrown it off a roof and picked up the resulting bits and pieces that interested him. Two major differences: The movie is more violent in the initial setup and the main character is no longer a woman.
A brief prologue introduces ex-cop Sean Casey (Garcia) in his new career as an assistant district attorney. It's a tough job and we're expected to bond with honest Casey in preparation for his trials to come.
Sean has no love life and not a lot of motivation beyond his desire to do the right thing.
Meanwhile, his father, Liam (Ian Holm), is a veteran detective with a longtime partner (James Gandolfini). When these two try to apprehend Harlem's biggest dope dealer (Shiek Mahmud-Bey), Liam and three other cops are gunned down in a bloody fiasco which leaves the suspect still on the loose.
The up-for-re-election D.A. (Ron Leibman) raises hell, but he's out-maneuvered by a "Commie shyster" lawyer (Richard Dreyfuss), who convinces the suspect to surrender.
A trial ensues and Sean is made the prosecutor against the wishes of a smarmy rival (Colm Feore) of the incumbent. In post-O.J. fashion, the buttons pushed are blatant stabs at a crumbling system in which the obviously guilty party is portrayed as a victim of a wide conspiracy involving "dirty cops."
Sean wins the case nonetheless, but its ramifications result in an Internal Affairs investigation that eventually zeroes in on Liam and his partner.
Upping the stakes and leaving believability behind, Sean is endorsed by Leibman's ailing character in the election -- and wins. He also collects a girlfriend in the person of Peggy (Lena Olin), a classy opponent in the camp of Dreyfuss' crusading realist.
But dark clouds of moral ambiguity and familial conflict loom. Our "pure" hero has a blood-soaked technical error to deal with and the choices he must make complete his education.
Ambitious but unconvincing, "Night Falls" does boast strong performances from all the principals except Olin, whose character is a sustained objection with no real depth.
Leibman and Holm play strongly realized characters, and the best scenes include these actors with Garcia in intimate, closed-door conferences.
Harking back to Lumet's best works -- "Serpico", "Dog Day Afternoon", "The Verdict" -- "Night Falls" is beautifully shot in naturalistic hues and shadows by David Watkin and makes good use of Big Apple locales.
Some expert cutting from Sam O'Steen helps in the many dramatic scenes, but overall the pacing is uneven and viewers not hooked into the story may find their attention wandering and suspension of disbelief wavering.
NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN
Paramount Pictures
Spelling Films presents
a Mount/Kramer production
A Sidney Lumet film
Writer-director Sidney Lumet
Producers Thom Mount, Josh Kramer
Based on a novel by Robert Daley
Co-producer John H. Starke
Director of photography David Watkin
Production designer Philip Rosenberg
Editor Sam O'Steen
Costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi
Music Mark Isham
Casting Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith,
Kerry Barden
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sean Casey Andy Garcia
Liam Casey Ian Holm
Joey Allegretto James Gandolfini
Peggy Lindstrom Lena Olin
Jordan Washington Shiek Mahmud-Bey
Elihu Harrison Colm Feore
Morgenstern Ron Leibman
Sam Vigoda Richard Dreyfuss
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 5/12/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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