Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 797 The Secret Premiere of Success

  Diane's father, Bert, called Ronald to thank him after learning about it.

   "Ronald, I thank you!

  Diane has not listened to me for a long time. I made a promise with her before not to take on roles that affect her image before she became a star. Such as strippers, call girls, etc. We had an agreement at the time, but now I can't control her. "

   "Hi..." Ronald scratched his head, this was a mess. As if he really stopped Diane from making those scenes because of Burt's request.

"Actually, let Diane decide some things by herself, otherwise she will hate you or me." Ronald thought for a while and replied, "This time, the producer actually made a bad film, in order to improve some At the box office, I deliberately deceived Diane, and I came forward to stop it."

   "Also... I don't understand Hollywood at all now, please help her... Diane is a good actor."

  Bert's old experience drawn from history and experience received a huge impact in the 1980s.

   Famous directors can become popular actors, which is no longer an iron rule. He won a lot of cooperation opportunities with famous directors for Diane, such as several films with Francis Coppola. Not only did it not allow Diane to successfully enter the front line, but because of this, two blockbuster movies that looked very exploitative plots were rejected... "The Good Boys Are Crazy", and "The Mermaid".

   Do not play negative or childish roles, and it is no longer an iron rule for female stars to want to be popular. The two call girls that Diane rejected later, and the animated mermaid characters, starring Rebecca De Mornay and Daryl Hannah respectively, are now more famous in Hollywood than they are younger. Diane Lane is tall.

  Luck may have replaced regularity as the biggest factor for success in the 1980s when the audience structure was changing rapidly.

   Put this aside for now, Ronald has more to deal with. The soundtrack of "Dancing Hot" has been made and is ready to be sent to the factory for pressing.

   But Weintraub has left the record industry, and the record company he introduced is offering expensive offers. Jimmy Reiner, who was in charge of record production, came to Ronald to complain.

"This price is too expensive, and it's not lower than the market price. MGM doesn't take Weintraub seriously now. He used to work with Columbia Pictures, and he still has some contacts at Columbia Records, but now they have a relationship with Wentraub. Traub also didn’t cooperate, making no sense to give face to an outgoing MGM president. We didn’t get an internal price.”

   "Why is the price quoted to me so expensive? Is it the same price when they work with a record company?" Ronald took the cost table given by Jimmy Reiner and felt that something was not right.

   If you make it at this unit price, the gross profit is too low. These gross profits have to be distributed to retail channels, so the estimated sales volume is such that it is good to not lose money.

   "Maybe it's not because they bully us as newcomers, or it's just because we don't have connections. The record factory doesn't care about this, and will take orders when they have them.

  The problem is that the record company has a large and stable production volume, and the cost of a single production can be kept very low. Our production volume, larger factories will not accept it, and it will be finished in half a day after the start of construction, which is not enough to replace the mold. ' Jimmy Reiner explained.

"Wait, let me find contacts. Even if we don't make money this time, we have to learn a little about publishing soundtracks for movies." Ronald made up his mind, and if the movie could sell well, he was very optimistic that there would be a lot of people. Will buy records to go back and learn to dance this hot dance.

   "If someone is willing to help, we can actually enter the queue at the record factory. Many best-selling records need to be switched for a long time between the productions, and the free time can be used to cut the queue to make our records."

   "Okay, I'm going to meet MJ in the near future anyway to see if his manager Dario can help."

"You know him? Well, he has a lot of connections. It would be best if he would help. When can we decide?" Jimmy Reiner became interested. The boss, even though he was a director, also knew a lot of big names in the recording industry. ah.

   "Don't worry, I'm going to go to the premiere of Universal's new film 'The Secret of Success' first. Another film of mine, MJ, will be called to watch the rough cut, and I'll make a request together at that time."

  Let Jimmy Reiner stay calm, MJ is busy with the launch of his new album now, it is not easy to find him. Or take the rough cut sample of "Boys Rent Girls" and talk to him once and for all.

   It's time for Universal release, the premiere of "Secrets of Success," starring Michael J. Fox and Helen Slater.

"Helen, why can't you come to the premiere? This is a movie in which you are the protagonist. Universal has put a lot of effort into promoting it, and the premiere of the 'Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Theatre' in Beverly Hills is contracted by Universal. Why didn't you come? It was Michael (J Fox) who called me and I found out."

  If Helen does not attend, Universal will ask Fox, who is busy shooting TV series, to save the scene in order to avoid the embarrassment of not attending the premiere.

   "Well, I was in New York with Helen (Hunt), and several other like-minded actors. It was a pleasure to chat about acting and drama. Is this kind of distribution and marketing really so important?"

   "Hey..." Ronald thought Helen Slater was a little childish and cute.

"Universal has high expectations for this movie, and the premiere also chose the best cinema in Beverly Hills. There will be many movie stars because they are close to home, so they will all come to attend. You don't always expect to have the opportunity to have a chance with old-fashioned movies. Celebrities exchange acting skills? Isn't this a good opportunity?"

  Ronald knew Helen's hobbies and deliberately said that.

   "Huh? You're right. I'll go buy a ticket now, anyway, I just happen to miss you a little bit."

   "Don't worry about it, I'll let people handle the air tickets and hotels."

  Helen's environment on Broadway in New York during this period is like a duck to water.

   There are so many actors who don't have the chance, but like to talk rhetorically. Helen has acted in a hit movie such as "There Are Evil Husbands", and she stands out among those people. Everyone praises her around her. She is very happy to chat about the drama, and she almost didn't want to come to the premiere.

   Although it was not stipulated in the contract that Helen must attend the premiere, actors who can actively cooperate with the announcement will definitely be valued by the studio. And is there a better chance for a young actress who wants to make her own film to be able to socialize with some big-name stars?

  Helen is still the same and doesn't like to wear branded or designer dresses. She casually wore a leather jacket and overalls and trousers to the premiere.

   However, the natural beauty is to take advantage of it, so there is also a masculine style to wear casually.

  Ronald has always attached great importance to this kind of marketing occasion, wearing a navy-style jacket with a dark blue double-brand bronze button and light-colored trousers, which has a wonderful sense of cooperation with Helen's blue-collar dress.

  Universal spent a lot of money to rent a movie theater belonging to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is very close to the luxury residential area of ​​Beverly Hills and is a place where stars often come to watch movies. This time, I have invited many veteran stars in the mansion.

  Cameron and Gail, as Ronald's friends, also showed up and chatted with Ronald. For the time being, the two of them did not have the idea of ​​​​going into the production of the new film, but wanted to go further in special effects. Especially the computer-generated special effects that have recently begun to emerge.

  Ronald chatted with Cameron for a while, but he didn't quite understand what he said. He would have to wait until he made some eyebrows before looking at the real thing to know more.

   Ronald also met many familiar faces, including many big-name stars who lived nearby and came to attend.

  Especially the popular rock star Bruce Springsteen, also brought his wife Julie Phillips, driving two roadsters to join in the fun.

  Springsteen got out of the car and was surrounded by fans, frantically asking for autographs.

  Julie Phillips is also a movie actress, although not as famous as her husband, there are fans who want her autograph.

   Ronald and Helen were pushed aside by the crowd and observed the situation.

   "It's still more famous as a rock star", Helen is also comparing the popularity of famous celebrity couples.

   "Not necessarily, Julie Phillips's achievements in the film industry are not comparable to Springsteen's influence in the rock circle." Ronald replied.

   "Ronald!" Two beauties got up and down from the sports car behind. The one named Ronald was Bruce's sister, Pamela Springsteen. She made a cameo appearance in Ronald's first directorial work, Fast Tempo, and dated Sean Penn, but was impressed by Ronald.

   "Pamela, is this?" Ronald looked at a brunette beauty who arrived with her, looking a little familiar.

   "Don't you know? In my brother's MV, the audience who was invited to the stage to sing rock with him..."

   "Oh", Ronald remembered, the little girl in the MV is now following the Springsteen family to find opportunities.

   "Hello, my name is Courteney, Courteney Cox..."

   "Hello, let's go in." Ronald hurriedly invited them in to watch a movie.

Helen put her arm around Ronald's arm and said happily in his ear, "You've made a wise decision to call me in for the premiere, so many great acting masters of the golden age. That's Tamar Hough. Well, that's..."

  Helen ordered a lot to come to the scene, wearing the name of a classic old man and old lady. For them, the premiere is a very solemn occasion, and the clothes are as appropriate as possible.

   Ronald didn't really recognize these old stars as well as Helen, but he just felt familiar. Some of these old stars came to the premiere because of Michael J. Fox's face. Many stars go to TV shows once they pass their peak, and now Fox is the most popular TV star.

   "Look, that's Carl Rayner."

   "Who?" Ronald saw a bald old man with a straight suit, red tie and light-colored trousers, which was similar to his appearance.

   "Carl Reiner, haven't you seen his 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'?"

  Helen mentioned two TV dramas that were popular in the United States in the 1970s. The latter was a spin-off of the former. It was strange to put the real names of the starring actors in the names of the TV dramas, which was a special marketing method in the 1970s.

   "I'm going to chat with him", Helen saw the acting idol in her heart and went over to chat with the old gentleman first.

   "Ronald, here I am."

   Ronald was stopped by Bannon, who managed to squeeze through the Springsteen fan base.

  Bannon ran back from Arizona with the finished film negatives, just developed the dailies for editing, and then roughly cut a version, and ran to Ronald. He was anxious to use the copy to get Michael Jackson's approval.

  "Can'tBuyMeLove" is a great marketing tool for the movie. When the audience hears the name of the movie, they will think of the Beatles song. This saves a lot of marketing costs.

   In addition to the fact that the name is easier to spread, and the name of the song is used as the name of the movie, then the plot of the movie will be understood by the audience who hear it immediately, which saves a lot of things.

  Bannon understands the huge opportunities in it very well. After finding Ronald, he started chattering about how well the movie was shot, how the two leading actors' performances matched, and what strategies should be adopted to talk to MJ.

   "You're so nervous, MJ has already promised to watch the demo, he's so busy releasing a new record, he can find time to watch our movie, doesn't it explain something?" Ronald laughed.

   "You're right, you're amazing, you're the best. It's God's will that I see you in Tokyo, we're destined for something big..."

   "Wait...I just happen to have something to ask you." Ronald waved his hand to stop Bannon from boasting. He saw that Helen and the old gentleman named Carl Rayner were chatting happily, laughing from time to time, just in time to ask Bannon's cousin Donna's wish.

"Job opportunities on Wall Street? Your cousin? Is she Yale or Harvard? Oh, MIT," Bannon was a little surprised when he heard Ronald's question, "MIT is okay, MIT graduates are better able to handle high work pressure, and they can also can perform well.

   But why doesn't she work in Hollywood and go to Wall Street? It's so tense in there, everyone's strings are so tight. I don't think Wall Street is for a college girl, and if I had a daughter, I wouldn't want him to go to Wall Street. "

   "Why?" Ronald also turned around and asked in surprise.

"Let me put it this way," Bannon gestured with his hand, "every one of us on Wall Street has a place for a note on the desk, and it says on the phone that the secretary answers the person you need to call back. .

   There will be more than a dozen notes in that place every day. Of course, you don't have time for everyone to come back, and you always pick from the top down what you think is the most urgent. Likewise, a note with your name and phone number on someone else's desk.

  If you've made a big project recently, you're the one who will give priority to other people's reply. If you don't make a project, your call will be put on the back.

   If for three to six weeks, you don't make a project that will catch the attention of the rest of Wall Street, your name will be left at the bottom of the stack of notes, waiting to be cleaned up by the secretary.

   If you don't come back for the next three months, your name won't be left by the secretary on his boss's desk. Then, you just disappear from Wall Street, so everyone's stressed out. "

   Ronald frowned. I definitely don't want Donna to enter such a place where the competition is so fierce that it cuts the throat. "Is there any kind of office on Wall Street? Don't you have to be so tense every day to fight? For example, researching corporate financial statements or something."

   "You must be joking. Everyone on Wall Street is a trader. What's the use of reading reports? Everyone pays attention to news. Those who have news make money, and the others can only follow behind to eat..."

   "Hey..." Ronald didn't expect that Wall Street was a place like Hollywood, where everything was done for competition.

   Donna is full of yearning for Wall Street, and Aunt Karen will be sad if she encounters this situation.

   But America is a place that respects the free choice of individuals. If she is not allowed to pursue her dreams, she will feel setbacks herself, and it is Donna herself who is sad.

   "Forget it, I'll think about what to do." Ronald waved his hand.

"Don't, don't, Ronald, wait. I remember leaving Wall Street and hearing about someone over there on Long Island using a different approach to investing in the financial markets. He didn't need more people there on Wall Street. It's not easy to get in, and you need to have a background in physics, mathematics, or philosophy."

   "Oh, my cousin Donna is from the physics department."

   "I'll ask someone and write her a letter of recommendation." Bannon now has to hold Ronald tightly and is willing to help with anything.

   "Okay, let's go in." Ronald saw the old man Carl Rayner, who was making Helen laugh, and hurried forward with Bannon.

   "Ronald, I like watching your movies very much." Although Carl Rayner is in his sixties, he is personable and speaks nicely.

   "Mr. Rainer, I also like your work very much."

   "Hahaha, my early stand-up comedies are hard to find. You probably meant my 'Dick Van Dyke Show', 'Mary Tyler Moore Show'."

   "Ah, yes, I don't know much about your early work. But the American people have watched those two TV series."

  The two chatted while walking, Helen listening beside.

  Carl Rayner lives next door, he is a big name invited by Universal. The old gentleman is extraordinary, not only a stand-up comedian, but also a film actor, stage actor, screenwriter, and director. In the early 1970s, TV comedy was pioneered.

   By the end of the 1970s, he had returned to the movies, and the current comedy star, Steve Martin, was discovered by him and became famous by starring in the films he directed.

  Karl Rayner was born in 1922, but at this age, he is still very close to the preferences of the people. His 1984 film "All of Me" also grossed close to $40 million at the box office.

   This is much wiser to look at than the old producer in Diane's film, who was still obsessed with past glories.

   Ronald respected such an old artist who has always been close to the audience's preferences, and quickly asked him the secret of making movies that young people like to watch at this age.

   "I'm actually outdated too. This script is not very good, but Steve Martin's performance saved the movie." Carl Reiner is more blunt, bluntly saying that the film has felt powerless, and the actor's performance was successful.

   This mentality of being able to face reality may be one of the secrets of his success.

  Helen and Gao Xing were able to communicate with old stars in the industry and talked a lot about acting skills. He also said that he wanted to make a movie that reflected urban women, and asked the old gentleman for advice.

"You have to understand, my dear, I'm getting old," Carl Reiner seemed very happy to be so respected by the two popular directors and actors, "Ronald is the one who understands movies now. My grandson We are all his Top Gun fans. You should ask him."

   "He? He makes movies full of male hormones..." Helen looked at Ronald with a smile, not believing that he could make a movie with a female protagonist.

   "Uh..." Ronald shrugged, showing helplessness.

Carl Reiner looked at the two funny and laughed even more happily, "I haven't been so happy for a long time. My sons and daughters are in the show business and rarely come to see me. I am very happy to be with you today. You two great Hollywood talent chatting."

  Carl Rayner is a family of performers, his children are all working hard in Hollywood and the music world. Rob, Anne, and Lucas, among the three children, the eldest son Rob is the most promising. Is an actor and director.

   Last year's "StandByMe," a low-budget kid's film that hit the box office, was directed by his eldest son, Rob.

   "My eldest daughter-in-law, er... The former eldest daughter-in-law is Penny Marshall, an actress from a family of acting, who won the Golden Globe Award, and is still trying to direct a movie.

  It’s a pity that young people today can’t be like me. I and his mother, Isdale, have been in a good relationship since we got married in 1943. "

  The old gentleman came alone, and the wife was at home waiting for him to go back for supper. When he was happy, he talked a lot.

   "Modern people are different. The diversity of beliefs and social relationships makes it difficult for them to end at the same time." Helen said, comforting the old man, and glanced at Ronald.

  Ronald touched his nose and changed the subject, "Mr. Rainer, how do you keep the vitality of a young man?"

   "Directors have their own methods. I play tennis a lot, and I sponsor and participate in a charity tennis tournament named after myself every year. It also attracts many retired tennis stars to participate."

   Ronald couldn't help feeling that this old man was a model of living and understanding. In Hollywood, Broadway, and TV, they were all mixed up, and he did his best in everything. After exercising after retirement, you can also create a charity event named after your own name.

  Helen was very happy, like accompanying her grandfather, holding Karl Reiner's arm all the time and chatting. Ronald was a little bored around.

Carl Reiner glanced at Ronald, knowing that the young man was a little uncomfortable seeing his female companion talking with him, and he told a joke: "One of the great challenges of retirement is how to deal with the previous effortless effort. thing.

  This morning, I also saw my neighbor George Burns (a director who is 80 years old and once directed Brooke Shields), going out with two hot girls.

   I asked him, at the age of 80, how can he be so energetic? "

  Carl Reiner was a comedian who did George Burns, "Ahem...you know, Carl, wanting to do that at eighty...like..."

   Then Rayner looked down at Ronald and Helen mysteriously and said, "Have you ever played pool with a soft rope as a cue?"

   "Pfft...hahahaha..." Ronald and Helen both burst out laughing. Helen turned her hands around and pulled Ronald on his shoulders.

   "It would be nice to watch a movie with a wise old man," thought Ronald.

   "Wow wow wow..." The audience's applause sounded at the end of the movie.

  The backbone of this movie is a Wall Street business war story, and Michael J. Fox's performance is excellent. Helen is a bit lacking, but as a vase, responsible for the beauty inside, this simple task is done very well.

   Maybe because of the height difference with Fox, the last kiss scene between the two was a bit fake. I don't know how many pieces of wood were placed underneath and how deep the hole was to be adjusted.

   But for Ronald, it's also a good thing. He bowed his head to Helen, imitating the posture on the screen, and gave Helen a deep kiss. Helen was lying in her arms and kissed together 180 degrees opposite Ronald's head.

  "When can we meet Michael Jackson", Bannon found an opportunity and came to destroy the atmosphere again.

Reluctantly, Ronald separated his lips from Helen, held her hand in hand, and said angrily to Bannon, "It will be arranged. You said that this movie's acquisition of Wall Street's business war, how did it perform? It's true. ?"

"It's true in principle. In the face of a hostile takeover, if there are old New York bankers to help, it's not difficult to buy the other party in turn. But the roles played by Fox and Helen are unlikely to get Wall Street banks. recognized by the home.

   Their attitude towards business is too naive..."

   "Cough cough..." Ronald indicated that he didn't really want him to express his opinion.

   "Of course, this is a love story, Helen's performance is wonderful, and the business war is just a background story..."

  Bannon turned around immediately and began to blow the performances of the two protagonists in the movie.

   "Listen... Mr. Bannon turned out to be a banker, and he recognized my performance..." Helen was very happy to be recognized by people in the same profession in the real world.

  Eh, Ronald turned his head and made a weird face at Bannon.

   "Don't worry, I've contacted MJ's manager, Dario, and we'll meet him with a copy when he's free after the production of the new album."

   (end of this chapter)