100 Films and a Funeral (2007)

• 76%
• 2007
• Documentary
• Michael McNamara
• Carlo Rota
• Michael Kuhn
• Stephen Woolley

This documentary covers the life and death of London-based Polygram Filmed Entertainment, responsible for such noted hit films of the 1990s as Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and The Usual Suspects (1995). Headed by Michael Kuhn, the approach was to copy the record industry format of sponsoring several labels producing distinct type of entertainment with their own talent. Kuhn was a hands-off, understanding that it was those in the film industry who new how to make the films. Notable successes led to ever greater expansion but two events led to the studio's ultimate demise. The first was a change of leadership at the parent company Philips where a new CEO was not supportive of the business (which he said was not a business, but a gamble). The second was their attempt to establish themselves in Hollywood where the risks of failure grew exponentially. The entire entertainment division was eventually sold to the Canadian liquor giant Seagram's and the film division sold by them to Universal.