A reader reports: "I was in attendance for "An evening with Harvey Weinstein" at the Learning Annex this evening. Actually it was an immense ballroom at the New York Sheraton. The ballroom was full of aspiring bad actors and aspiring bad
directors. Additionally a clutch of people from Flushing, Queens came out to cheer on their home town boy. In fact many found it impossible not to yell out assorted Flushing related messages during the interview."

"Harvey was interviewed by Janet Maslin of the New York Times. She started off with tough questions such as "Why do people think you are the devil", etc, etc. Harvey became rather incensed by these questions and bemoaned the intrusion of the press on the creative process of making films. Maslin dropped the hard line pretty quickly and the gush fest proceeded however Harvey returned to his disdain for the media numerous times. At one point Harvey mentioned that he knew "hot the media really works" due to his involvement with Talk Magazine and exposure to Tina Brown. Although he stated that Tina Brown was "beyond credibility" that she would often require reporters to produce the "News Bomb" when assigned an interview. Harvey's assertion is that he is always someone's "News Bomb".

The truly notable moments of the evening occurred when questions were opened to the unwashed masses. It appeared as though 500 people came with screenplays under their arms and no one seemed self conscious about pitching their idea in front of 499 sets of rolled eyes and moans. One question was asked about why there was not more cultural diversity in Miramax's slate of films. Harvey became incensed and mentioned that his film CITY OF GOD was in "Puerto-Geese" - it is a Brazilian film developed and produced by Miramax and that this was an indication of cultural diversity. Furthering his cause Harvey mentioned that Rob Marshall did not want Queen Latifah but that Harvey stood his ground and insisted on her highness. I have always felt that defending yourself as "culturally diverse" generally reinforces the image that you are anything but, Harvey could have benefited from the advice.

It was an amusing evening, with one of the most powerful men in entertainment pelted with questions from the least powerful people in entertainment."