Joe Medjuck

Joseph Medjuck or Joe Medjuck is a prominent film Producer and Columnist. He was born in Canada on 17th February 1943. He belonged to Fredericton, New Brunswick. He completed his high school education in Brunswick and joined McGill University and pursued BA Hons in English Literature. He was very inspired by his professors during his college days and was a part of the McGill film society.

Being a part of this society gave him a good exposure to the art of film-making. In those days it was not possible to watch film series which are not present in commercial theatres; his association with the society enabled him to observe as many series as possible. He used to prepare sound tracks and program notes to a few silent film series during his college days.

In early 60’s Universities had no film courses. Medjuck started indulging in book reading, and he felt it was a subject that can be self-taught. Later on, he shifted to Toronto for pursuing Master’s degree, and he took up a course with Marshall Mc Luhan, a famous theatre personality from those days. He took up the subject of literary criticism and also another parallel course on Culture and Technology. He did three more courses from Robertson Davies. Finally, he completed his MA thesis on John Osborne in 1966. During this period there was no film society in Toronto and Medjuck started one on his arrival.

He did other works those including receiving orders for films, reserving rooms for the screening of films and also worked for equipment setting. Besides this he was also involved in publicizing and promoting the films. He still kept writing Program notes for the McGill Film Society although. Peter Lebenshold, a friend of Medjuck from McGill Film Society started Take one magazine in 1966 and requested Medjuck to write for the magazine. Medjuck took great interest in that work and eventually become an Associates editor to the magazine after writing three issues. He continued to expand his work along with his PhD and continued to teach courses involving film in Extension department and at Innis College.

He was also asked to create an art course to replace the first year English course in the Toronto school of architecture. Eventually,he took up writing on films by the insistence of his friend Josef Skvorecky, a Czech writer. He completed his PhD from the Graduate Centre for the study of Drama in 1975. In 1979 he met Ivan Reitman Ivan Reitman is a big time producer and director i >> Read More... who invited Medjuck to Hollywood and asked him to be his “Director of Development”. Medjuck took a yearlong leave from his duties at the University of Toronto and worked along with Ivan Reitman. He extended his break for another year and finally resigned his job at the university before turning a producer to the film Ghostbusters. Medjuck has produced about 38 films till date and built up an outstanding career in Hollywood.

He gave most popular hits like Ghostbusters, Beethoven, Kindergarten Cop, No Strings Attached, up in the Air, Hitchcock and several other films.In television he produced cartoon shows the real Ghostbusters, Beethoven and Mummies alive as well as the Emmy-Nominated HBO film ‘The Late Shift.’ Medjuck is settled in Montecito, California with his wife Laurie Deans and his two children, daughter Enna Deans and son Avery Deans.