Good Machine Productions

Industry	Independent film
Founded	1990; 36 years ago (1990)
Founders	Ted Hope James Schamus
Defunct	2003; 23 years ago (2003)
Fate	Merged with USA Films and Universal Focus to formFocus Features
Successors	Focus Features This Is That Productions
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Products	Motion pictures
Parent	Universal Studios (2002–2003)
Divisions	Good Machine International

Good Machine Productions was an Americanindependentfilm production,film distribution, and foreign sales company started in the early 1990 by its co-founders and producers,Ted Hope andJames Schamus.David Linde joined as a partner in the late 1990s and also started the international sales company Good Machine International.^[1] They sold the company toUniversal Pictures,^[2] where it was then merged withUSA Films andUniversal Focus to createFocus Features.^[3] Hope, along with the heads of production development and business affairs (Anthony Bregman,Anne Carey, and Diana Victor) then went on to form the independent production companyThis Is That Productions. Schamus and Linde became co-presidents of Focus Features.^[4]

In 2001, theMuseum of Modern Art celebrated the tenth anniversary of Good Machine's work, commemorating their support of international and domestic filmmakers.^[5]

Good Machine was involved in production and/or distribution of a number of films, includingAng Lee'sThe Ice Storm andRide with the Devil;Hal Hartley projects such asFlirt (1995),Edward Burns'sThe Brothers McMullen,Todd Solondz'sHappiness, andTodd Field’sIn the Bedroom.^[6]

In 1997, it was announced that Good Machine would become the foreign sales agent of films produced and distributed byOctober Films, in order to acquire worldwide rights of the films.^[7] In 1998, it struck a deal withUniversal.^[8] Previously, the company had a one-time production deal with20th Century Fox, which was signed in 1996.^[9] It was dismantled in 2002, when it merged with Focus Features.^[10] In 2001, Good Machine struck a deal withRadar Pictures to finance and distribute their films for international releases.^[11] The deal was continued as Good Machine was absorbed into Focus.^[12]

In 2002, Good Machine was acquired byUniversal Pictures.^[2] James Schamus and David Linde remained with Universal, serving as co-presidents ofFocus Features.^[4]

Ted Hope chose to part with the company to form theThis is that Corporation^[13] (This Is That Productions) with Good Machine Director of DevelopmentAnne Carey, Director of ProductionAnthony Bregman, and Director of Business Affairs Diana Victor. Under the This Is That banner they produced films such asAdventureland,The Savages, andEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.^[14]

• The Hours and Times (1991) — US distribution
• Keep It for Yourself (1991) — co-produced with Allarts
• Pushing Hands (1991) ― co-produced with Central Motion Pictures
• Simple Men (1992) — co-produced withFine Line Features
• The Wedding Banquet (1993) ― co-produced with Central Motion Pictures
• Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) ― co-produced with Central Motion Pictures
• What Happened Was (1994) — co-produced withGenre Films
• The Brothers McMullen (1995) – co-produced with Videography Prods.
• Flirt (1995)
• Safe (1995) — co-produced withAmerican Playhouse andChannel Four Films
• She's the One (1996) — co-produced with Marlboro Road Gang Productions and South Fork Pictures
• Walking and Talking (1996) — co-produced withChannel Four Films,Zenith Productions,Pandora Film,PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Makido Films (France), Electric, and TEAM Communications Group
• Arresting Gena (1997) – co-produced with Kardana/Swinsky Films^[15]
• The Ice Storm (1997)
• The Myth of Fingerprints (1997) —Sony Pictures Classics
• Office Killer (1997) — co-produced with Strand, Kardana/Swinsky Films, and Good Fear
• The Sticky Fingers of Time (1997) – co-produced with Crystal Pictures^[16]
• Happiness (1998) — Good Machine Releasing
• No Looking Back (1998) — co-produced withPolygram Filmed Entertainment Group, Marlboro Road Gang, and South Fork Pictures
• Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (1998) — Good Machine International
• Bride of Chucky (1998) — Good Machine International^[17]
• The Last Days (1998) – Good Machine International; co-produced with October Films^[18]
• The Naked Man (1999) – Good Machine International^[18]
• The Lifestyle (1999) — co-produced with Swinging T Productions
• Ride with the Devil (1999) — co-produced withUSA Films
• The Muse (1999) – Good Machine International; co-produced with October Films^[18]
• Trick (1999) — co-produced withFine Line Features
• Three Seasons (1999) – Good Machine International; co-produced with October Films^[18]
• Cherry Falls (1999) – Good Machine International^[19]
• A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999) – Good Machine International^[20]
• This Year's Love (1999) – Good Machine International^[21]
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) — Good Machine International; co-produced withColumbia Pictures Film Production Asia, Asian Union Film & Entertainment,China Film Co-Productions Corporation, Edko Films, and Zoom Hunt Productions
• The Tao of Steve (2000) —Sony Pictures Classics
• The King Is Alive (2000) – Good Machine International; co-produced withNewmarket Capital Group^[22]
• Walk the Talk (2000) – Good Machine International^[23]
• Buffalo Soldiers (2001) — co-produced withFilmFour,Grosvenor Park Productions, andOdeon Film
• Human Nature (2001) — co-produced withStudioCanal
• In the Bedroom (2001) — co-produced with Eastern Standard Film Company and GreeneStreet Films
• Lovely & Amazing (2001) — co-produced with Blow Up Pictures
• The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) — co-produced withWorking Title Films,Gramercy Pictures,Mike Zoss Productions, andConstantin Film
• Series 7: The Contenders (2001) – Good Machine International; co-produced with Blow Up Pictures^[24]
• Storytelling (2001) — co-produced withKiller Films andNew Line Cinema
• Y tu mamá también (2001) — Good Machine International^[25]
• Adaptation (2002) — co-produced withColumbia Pictures,Intermedia, andPropaganda Films
• The Laramie Project (2002) — co-produced withHBO Films
• Talk to Her (2002) – co-produced withEl Deseo^[26]
• American Splendor (2003) — co-produced withFine Line Features,Dark Horse Entertainment, andHBO Films
• Hulk (2003) — co-produced withUniversal Pictures,Marvel Enterprises, andValhalla Motion Pictures
• Laurel Canyon (2003) – co-produced withSony Pictures Classics^[27]

• Contemporary Independent Film

• Film production companies of the United States
• Universal Pictures
• Companies disestablished in 2003
• Companies based in New York City
• American independent film studios
• Companies established in the 1990s
• International sales agents

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