Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 513 New York Film Circle

  Ronald still underestimated the number of people Shirley MacLean had offended. After she got the actress, every time she was interviewed and attended a party, she kept her mouth shut about her past life and aliens, UFOs, and soon lost her friends.

   It seems that the Oscar curse will not let a victim go because of his unprecedented confidence in his acceptance speech.

"Ronald, you promised me that you must come." Maclean's 50th birthday banquet could never be deserted without anyone in the circle to come to support her. She called Ronald and asked him to come to attend. . "

   "I Will", Ronald is preparing for a post-release tour of "Breakdance." Minahan contacted cinemas and disco nightclubs in major cities across the country, and the three leading actors will perform breakdance throughout the entire process to promote the film.

   And Ronald only needs to attend meetings in several big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It's time to jump a few times.

   "Where is your banquet?"

   "The Spotlight Club in New York."

   "Huh?" Ronald couldn't think of Shirley MacLean's "fame". He had to avoid Hollywood and run to New York for a banquet before he could find enough celebrities to attend.

   Well, even if I go home and see my aunt. Ronald also wanted to meet people in the film industry over there.

  The day before McLean's birthday, Ronald flew back to New York. Had a nice dinner with Aunt and Donna.

   Donna finally applied to MIT and chose this university with a strong atmosphere of engineers. Although the acceptance rate here is higher than Harvard and Yale, the average SAT score of students is better.

   Ronald promised Donna that he would send her to MIT in the fall semester.

   On the second night, Ronald put on his handmade suit and came to The Limelight on Sixth Avenue. It just opened at the end of last year. It was originally a church and was converted into a nightclub.

   As a disco and rock music-based nightclub, combined with the interior of the church, it is an indescribable strange feeling.

   Ronald found that the people in the film industry who came here did not know much. Although he studied at New York University's Imperial College, he didn't have much contact with the so-called New York film circle. Most of the filmmakers here like to make art films, and the budgets are lower than Ronald's exploitative films.

   A lot of times it's a few thousand dollars, and you get on with a 16mm camera. Of course, they don't care much about the box office, but more about winning an award or two at any film festival.

   "Ronald", Shirley MacLean herself stood up and welcomed Ronald to her fiftieth birthday.

   "Happy birthday, Shirley", Ronald kissed the actress.

  "I'll introduce you to the people of the New York film industry", Shirley MacLean is grateful to Ronald for coming.

  "This is old Robert Downey", Shirley first introduced a director with sideburns, "He is about to shoot his first Hollywood work, which is invested by MGM/United Artists."

   "Oh, is Downey Jr. your son? I've seen him in Hollywood." Ronald recalled that there was also a Robert Downey who had auditioned for "Longwei Kid".

   "It's my son", Old Downey is still very proud of this talented actor son.

   "This is Andre from the Soviet Union." The second guest introduced by McLean was Andrei Konchalovsky, a film director who defected from the Union.

  "Good luck meeting!" Ronald knew the name. He did a lot of screenwriting work for Tarkovsky. He was also a director.

   "Hello, I heard Shirley say you're a director too?" Konchalovsky is a tall man with good English and a little Russian accent.

   "Yes, I'm a Hollywood exploiter."

   "Andre," Shirley MacLean secretly told Konchalovsky about Ronald's background, the director of a blockbuster film that was about to take off.

   "Ha, I came to America to make the movies I want to make. You know, there are always restrictions..." Konchalovsky chatted with Ronald immediately.

   "Are you filming in Hollywood now?" Ronald asked.

   "I've made my first feature film in America right now, but no distributor is willing to release it yet."

   "What movie is it?" Ronald thought it was a bit strange, such a famous director would definitely be interested when he came here.

   "Maria's Lovers," Konchalovsky replied, starring Natasha Kinski.

   "Oh," Ronald nodded, Kinski was indeed an actor favored by European directors. After Coppola's "Old Love, New Love" failed completely at the box office, she probably did not get along well in America, and could not receive the script of the mainstream big production.

   "Natasha, Natasha!" Konchalovsky shouted, turning to the other side, "Meet the young Cossacks in Hollywood."

   This movie Konchalovsky was still in her dinner with Kinski, and she took a fancy to her. She strongly persuaded Konchalovsky to make it first, and she herself was willing to take a pay cut to play the heroine Maria.

   "Hi, Natasha," Ronald smiled and hugged Natasha Kinski, and in her surprised eyes, replied to Konchalovsky, "We've known each other for a long time."

   "That's great, Natasha is also the facilitator of this film, just in time to chat with him, can it be released in America."

"You...have control over the distribution channel now?" Natasha Kinski looked at Ronald, the boy who took the audition for himself, has now climbed to the upper echelons of Hollywood, even Konchalov Skye wants to please him to sell movies.

"Misunderstanding, I'm just a director who makes exploitative films." Ronald humbly said that releasing a film is not something he can handle. At the most, he can tell Minahan to let him see if it's worth releasing. .

"Can I exchange a business card with you? I found a friend to invest in this movie. It is a good movie that reflects the destruction of human nature and love by war. Ivan came back from the battlefield of World War II with mental trauma. , to marry his lover Maria, but not humane...

  ...In the end, Ivan killed Clarence, who had an affair with Maria, and adopted Maria's illegitimate child. In the end, love overcame the trauma of the war, and the two were able to live together again. "

   "No problem," Ronald and Natasha Kinski exchange business cards. Kinski's friend invested a lot of money, and now there is no publisher willing to release, she is also a little panic.

   But did these people start filming without finding distribution channels in advance? The ideas of these Europeans are really different from Hollywood. And the plot of this movie... um... only Europeans will like it.

   "Well, I'll be in Los Angeles next month, and we'll meet and chat at that time." Natasha Kinski looked and looked at Ronald. It's been less than two years, how has it changed so much?

  Ronald turned around again. Many people in the New York film industry can talk about it. If you catch him, you don't care about your identity, just chat. But they can't get much money. The film industry is not big in New York, and many directors and actors at the bottom are short of opportunities.

  "Dangdangdang..." A bell rang, a big cake was pushed out, Shirley MacLean gave a short speech to everyone, and she blew out the candles in the song of everyone wishing you a happy birthday.

   "Congratulations!" Ronald stepped forward and kissed Shirley goodbye.

   "Don't go, why isn't there a girl you like here? I think you and Natasha had a good talk."

   "We've known each other for a long time. I've taken audition photos for her before." Ronald smiled.

   "That's right, she doesn't have a big Hollywood production now, and she strikes out." Shirley MacLean hinted, "Do you have plans for your next movie? I think you may have a fate in your previous life."

   "Not yet, I have two movies coming out this summer, so it all depends on the outcome."

   "Ha, don't you like European beauties? Come on, let me introduce you to an American beauty."

Shirley MacLean pulled Ronald and didn't let him retire early, I'll introduce you to another beauty, "This is another heroine of Coppola, Dangdang... the new age of Grace Kelly, Diane Lane."

   "Why are you here?" Ronald looked at Diane's big eyes, stunned.

   "I came with Bert, thank you Ms. McLean, Ronald and I are old acquaintances, and his sister is a good friend of mine."

   "Ahahaha...Then I won't bother you." Shirley went to greet the other guests.

   "Do you really want to be unhappy?" Ronald saw Diane wearing a blue shirt and black skirt, and the whole person looked mature and beautiful. It's just the cotton club style with some residual makeup, which looks a bit classical.

  Diane had actually seen Ronald long ago, but she was always with Papa Bert. Now that Bert went to drink and chat with the others, she came over.

   "Nothing", Diane stroked her hair.

   "Tell me, what happened?" Ronald thought she had something to do, so he pulled Diane aside and questioned.

   It turns out that Diane's film "The Streets of Rage" has been delayed again. The "Cotton Club", which had just finished filming, was under great pressure again. Even Orion Pictures was forced to issue a statement, saying that even if the "Cotton Club" failed at the box office, it would not affect the company's cash flow.

  Although there is still a chance for the film to be released, the producers and distributors have said this, obviously they are not optimistic about Coppola's finished film.

  Ronald twitched his fingers in his heart, "Betta", "Rage Street", "Cotton Club", Diane was obviously afraid that, like Natasha Kinski, he would strike out and be abandoned by the mainstream Hollywood.

   "It's alright, I think your anger looks good on the street." Ronald quickly comforted him and touched Diane's head.

   "You just don't like the Cotton Club", Diane heard the implication. It seems that Ronnie still likes his appearance in "Streets of Rage". Raised his hand and hit Ronald twice.

   "But Rage Street hasn't been cut out yet". Diane was troubled again.

   "Huh? It's been packed for almost a year, right?" Ronald was surprised. The filming of "Street of Rage" was almost finished this time last year, and only a set of shots were taken later, so why hasn't it been edited yet?

   "I heard that the story couldn't be connected. They thought of a lot of ways, but they couldn't make a complete story."

"Don't worry, you won't be asked to act. I think you are a very good actor." Ronald suddenly felt that Diane was very miserable. Her father Burt's film selection idea was still too old. Prospective directors and producers don't seem to be very useful now.

   "I'm not worried. If it's a big deal, I'll quit the film industry. Anyway, I've earned more than two million over the years, and Bert helped me keep it in my bank account. It doesn't matter if I don't work in the future."

"Don't say that, you were born to be an actress, a new generation of Grace Kelly. If you don't act, America's film industry will lose a lot." Ronald heard another girl who wanted to quit the film industry say this, Encourage each other immediately.

  Different from Brooke Shields, Diane has really cultivated her outstanding acting skills since she was a child. It would be a big loss if she didn't act in the movie.

   "Diane", Bert came over with a red face drinking from the side, and he went home with his daughter.

  "Bert", Ronald hugged him, "Are you all right? I'll take you back."

   "Okay, thanks," Bert agreed, drinking a little too much.

When    arrived at the house, Bert let his daughter in first, and Diane went back to living with him during this time.

"Ronald, I made a mistake, didn't listen to you, and asked Diane to play Tom Cruise's 'Crazy Boys', and now I'm having problems with a few of my picks, hey, maybe it's me I'm getting old and I can't keep up with the times. In the future, Di An will make her own decision about the selection of films.

   If there is any opportunity in the future, please don't forget her.

   Vomit…”

   Ronald quickly patted Bert on the back to make him vomit a little better.

   "Don't worry, Diane's acting skills are well developed by you, I will take care of her when I have the right opportunity."

   (end of this chapter)