Miramax Can't Win With 'Buffalo Soldiers'

Posted Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 12:21 PM Central

by John Couture

Miramax is stuck with the hot potato. Literally hours after acquiring the star-studded Buffalo Soldiers soon after its premiere at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival, it was forced to shelf the movie following the events of September 11th.

The movie, with its portrayal of corrupt U.S. Army soldiers making money running an arms and drug smuggling ring in Berlin before the collapse of the Wall, has been criticized as being anti-American. But this criticism has been so dramatic as it was yesterday at the Sundance Film Festival.

Following its out-of-competition screening, a female audience member became irate at the blatant anti-Americanism and decided to vocalize her displeasure during the Q&A. Not satisfied with the answer, the woman tossed a plastic water container at the screen and stormed out of the theater.

The bottle apparently didn't make it to its intended target, instead landing square on the head of star Anna Paquin, who was not terribly injured.

Mirmax is still planning a March 28th theatrical release for the movie.