Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 809 Warm up

   In the last week of July, "Superman IV-Peace Mission" was finally released in the eyes of millions of comic book fans and movie fans. Cannon is known as a super special effects blockbuster that cost 40 million to build, and won...

   A screeching sound.

  Although it premiered at the Royal House in London and invited Prince Charles and Princess Diana to participate, the film was really poorly shot, especially the special effects. In the end, Cannon obviously didn't invest any money in the special effects screen. The decisive battle between Superman and the villain, the two fat boys were like paper people in the air, without a hint of three-dimensionality.

  Superman's actor Christopher Reeve was exposed to swear at his friends cannonball ruined the series and his career.

   However, the actors of the film, in order to raise some box office results, still have to go to various interview shows. Today's turn is Louise's Margot Kidder, on the Texas film critic, old lady Barbie Wygant's show.

  The old lady will take time to come to Los Angeles once a month to record the next movie-related talk shows at one time, and play them slowly after going back. She found a large room at the Hilton Hotel, and with an assistant and a cameraman, she started lining up to interview the stars of various movies.

Ronald's "Dancing Hot" is a small production, but he has a good personal relationship with the old lady, so this time Barbie Wygant specially added a stop to Ronald after recording the interview of "Superman IV" , let the actors of "Spicy Dancing" be interviewed.

   "Is it really as bad as the reviews say? I haven't watched it yet." Ronald was resting outside the room, waiting for his turn. He asked a young actor, Jon Clair, what he thought of Superman IV. He plays the villain Luthor's nephew, Luthor Jr.

   Ronald once saw him outside Demi Moore's apartment, crying and begging the other party not to break up, this person still has some innocence.

"Oh my gosh, it's really bad. I happened to be in New York two weeks before the release and met Christopher Reeve and he told me to give me no hope, Minahan Golan and Yola Gobles I ran out of money for special effects, and this movie was worse than the special effects of the first film nine years ago."

   Really is too innocent.

   Ronald thought to himself. The movie was shot and released. Whether it is a bad movie or not, most of the main creators know it. The reason for being stubborn and cheering for bad movies in the media is due to the particularity of the business of movies.

  Each movie is a brand new product development. Whether the audience likes it or not, and whether the director can achieve the goal, is unknown.

After    was filmed, the director, editor, and producer saw the whole film and knew it was a bad film, but the audience didn’t know it. No matter how the main creator is, at this time, he can only speak hard, hoping to trick more audiences into the cinema to watch and make up for some losses.

   Of course, they can’t say that the movie is very good in their conscience, so they will lose their trust in front of the audience. The audience has a good memory on this kind of thing, and will write a note for the nonsense actors in the small book.

So, more often, they will be like Margot Kidd, who is being interviewed by Barbie, the heroine Louise, and say neither good nor bad, and say some interesting details in circles .

"Well, movies aren't comics, and it's impossible to draw two people exactly the same in one stroke. It was nine years ago that Chris and I played Superman and Lois together for the first time. So we used Another method is deduction.

After so many years, Superman and Louise must love each other more and be better friends. Just like a couple who have been married for many years, they have a deep understanding of each other and are dissatisfied with certain things, but they still love each other deeply. other side…"

   Listening to the interview with Margot Kidd, and then look at Jon Claire, who is very enthusiastic about gossip about himself... Hey, it still needs experience.

   "Pfft..." Standing next to Ronald was Cynthia Rhodes, the second female lead who was about to be interviewed by Barbie Wygant. Seeing the dumbfounded Jon Claire, he couldn't help laughing.

   "Hey..." Jon Claire touched his head, and Cynthia Rhodes was also a tall, white, and temperamental mature woman, which made him a little embarrassed.

   "You and Christopher (Reeve) have already collaborated on the fourth Superman, what do you think of your cooperation with him?" Barbie Wygant's question came out again.

   "We're almost there..." Ronald nodded to Cynthia Rhodes and cut off the conversation with Jon Claire. This guy was lax, and he might have leaked something in front of others.

   Hearing Barbie Wygant inside, repeating the question just now, this is to change the position of the camera and re-record the picture of her questioning.

   The reason why Cynthia Rhodes, the second female lead, came to be interviewed today is because the heroine Jennifer Gray, who was originally scheduled to be interviewed, has not played yet.

  Mitch Kantor arrived in Northern Ireland and quickly got in touch with the gendarmerie over there and released Jennifer Grey on bail. His boyfriend, Matthew Brodick, was released on bail by another prominent New York lawyer.

After consultation in Belfast, the two lawyers reached a consensus that the charge of this matter should be changed from "dangerous driving causing death" to "careless driving." In this way, even if you are convicted, you don't have to serve a real sentence. . There is a high probability that it can be resolved with fines and probation.

   The military police have a transcript of the investigation of the two parties after they woke up, and there are contents that are relatively unfavorable to the two young Americans.

  Broddick and Gray both said that they had an argument before driving, which is good evidence for the prosecution.

   In order to prevent this evidence from being admissible in court, the two barristers did their best and finally let them find the flaws in the evidence. Both young people have been diagnosed with concussions, and as we all know, after concussions, people will have blurred memories, and even under the deliberate guidance of some people, they will think that some of the things they say are what they have really experienced.

   got a side note from a famous brain doctor in Northern Ireland, and the two quickly overturned this testimony.

   Matthew Broddick changed his tune, saying that after waking up in the hospital, he remembered nothing, had no idea why he had broken legs, a collapsed lung and a pneumothorax.

  Jennifer Gray also changed her tune, saying that she was wearing a seat belt and caused a whiplash-like injury to her neck after the collision. The collision on the headrest and front window caused a concussion and a spinal injury to the neck. Can't remember anything.

   This way of denial aroused the anger of the victim's family. Expose the trick in the local media and call this lawyer's instigation to fabricate evidence "a mockery of justice." It caused great dissatisfaction among the local people.

   For a time, the investigation and follow-up came to a temporary stalemate. Jennifer Gray cannot leave Northern Ireland either. Her father, Joel Gray, had flown to Belfast to stay with Brodick's mother, Patricia Brodick, a famous New York painter and socialite.

  Ronald also had a phone call with lawyer Mitch Kanter yesterday, asking if Jennifer Gray could return to America safely, how well she was, and whether she could make it to the premiere of "Dancing Hot".

   Kanter said on the phone that his health was still optimistic. Jennifer Gray's neck injury isn't fake and she now has to wear a special collar to walk around. The doctor said it would take a week to remove it.

The case is now at an impasse. The gendarmerie in Northern Ireland is reluctant to let reckless young people like Matthew Brodick escape easily. They used local media reports and public opposition to make a big deal out of it. waves.

   Although the two young people have been released on bail, they cannot leave the hospital. When they go out, they will encounter demonstrators with signs of "fairness" and throw eggs at them.

  Northern Ireland is full of chaos all the year round. The uncle of the British Crown Prince Charles, the first generation of Lord Mountbatten, was assassinated by the people of Northern Ireland. The demonstrations by the people here are very worrying. The parents of the two young people want to let them return to America as soon as possible.

   But Kanter still had good news.

   Matthew Brodick's father was the late James Brodick, an actor. But his mother Patricia, née Bio, was the head of New York's Jewish family. Her father was the president of a famous advertising agency in the thirties.

   This group of Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, speak Yiddish. It turned out that there were a large number in Germany and Poland, and it was also the Jewish group that gained a lot of money and power in America after the war.

   Matthew Brodick's mother, launched a strong network of connections in her family, and contacted the New York State Senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan of the Donkey Party.

   This Senator Moynihan is no trivial matter. He has been the chief's staff since Kennedy's time, and later served as ambassador to the United Nations, replacing the current deputy commander. In short, this is a senator with strong connections.

  Moneyhan was not Jewish, but behind him was the interests of Ashkenazi Jews in eastern America. He once delivered speeches that were very partial to Israel and defended the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

According to Matthew Brodick's mother, Moynihan has written letters to the government of the United Kingdom, as well as the local government of Northern Ireland, as a state senator from New York and a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, demanding the release of the two young men. people.

The    Senate Intelligence Committee is a very powerful committee, and now the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland, are appealing to America on the issue of the IRA. Presumably Senator Moynihan's letter will settle the matter and allow the two actors to return home.

   "Then I went in?" Cynthia Rhodes combed her hair into a bun today, no longer hanging down like a girl, and had a mature woman's charm. Coupled with the outstanding temperament of her dancer background, it is no wonder that Jon Claire's eyes are straight.

   "Cynthia, glad we met again."

   "Nice to meet you too, Barbie."

   The exclusive interview between the two began. Ronald looked at Cynthia Rhodes at the door and couldn't help thinking of what she said to himself last night.

   received Cynthia, who came to replace Jennifer Gray at various publicity occasions, Ronald and she, who had not seen her for a long time, spent a very romantic night.

  Cynthia is exactly the type Ronald likes, with a dancer figure and the tenderness of a southern girl. The two lingered for a long time, and finally both collapsed exhausted on the "King of California" size hotel bed.

   This size is much larger than the average king size, just right for Ronald's big tall man, and he and Cynthia lie down effortlessly.

  Ronald thanked Cynthia for coming from his hometown of Nashville to save the game. He didn't care about any remuneration issues, nor did he care that the chance to appear in the media turned out to belong to the heroine Gray.

   And Cynthia Rhodes is more than three years older than herself, very mature and understanding. This makes Ronald very happy. He usually has to take care of his female companion, and it is rare that he is well taken care of by the female companion.

   Ronald couldn't help but think about it. He wanted to get along with Cynthia for a while. Whether she wanted more resources or more money, he could be satisfied. Getting along with the big sister and the little sister is really different.

   Ronald turned his head and saw Cynthia's blushing face and the corner of her smiling mouth, and was about to speak.

  Cynthia touched his face and said in advance, "I think, you won't consider marrying me, will you?"

   "Uh..." Ronald was stunned for a moment.

"Don't say it, I understand what you mean", Cynthia smiled, "I have always liked you, since you saved me from Stallone's brother, but I am a girl who grew up in a small southern town, my My parents are devout Christians. They taught me to grow up to be a southern lady.

   So, I don't want to start a relationship that doesn't work out. "

   "I don't know, it's too much for me all of a sudden." Ronald had to say that he couldn't digest it. It seemed a little troublesome to get married or be an official girlfriend.

   "It doesn't matter, but I also have a suitor, although he is younger than you. He is six years younger than me, and he is a singer. I am considering whether to agree to his pursuit. He seems to be serious."

   "I'm more than six years apart from you, is there an age gap between you?" Ronald saw that Cynthia regarded himself as a close friend and shared some emotional issues, so he cheered up and helped her analyze it from a male perspective.

   "I'm also hesitant for this reason. I'm still young now, but what about ten years later? Twenty years? Twenty-five years? American women are getting old very quickly..."

   "Don't think like that, you are a dancer. Anyone who sees you must first subtract the age of 5-8 years old."

   "Hahaha... You really can talk. You don't mind if I bring him as a male companion for this premiere in New York?"

   "Uh..." Ronald choked suddenly, "Of course as a director and producer I don't mind having an additional singer come to the premiere, but as a man, I do."

   "Hahaha... You can't be my boyfriend." Cynthia hugged her, but she was an ideal bed partner.

  …

   "Cynthia, what do you think of the filming process of 'Dancing Hot'?" Barbie Wygant's question brought Ronald back to the present.

   "Director Ronald is great, his aesthetic and rhythmic grasp of the dance is top-notch, we all remember 'breakdance' right..."

   "Ah, yes, breakdance is still fresh in memory. I wonder if this hot dance will also set off a dance trend."

"I don't know, but our back-up dancer Ortega was very strict with us, dancing continuously every day, from morning to night, which made me have a mental barrier to dancing. Maybe next, as a Nashville girl, I should try to be a singer."

  …

   After another week, the box office of Superman IV fell off a cliff, and there were a lot of bad reviews in the media, and half of the box office was lost.

Not to mention the newly released "007 Dead by Daylight", even the just-released LaBamba, a biographical film about the untimely rock wizard Richie Valens, has not been played, and it fell to the 1937 grandfather's film "Snow White". The Princess and the Seven Dwarfs".

"The New York premiere will have a number of guests, Patrick Schwytz and his wife, Cynthia Rhodes and her boyfriend Richard Marcos are all confirmed to attend, as well as a group of women from the New York Film Critics Association. Come and dance with Schwytz in turn. And you're here with Helen Slater."

   Michelle Cannold, who is in charge of distribution, is constantly confirming the release schedule of the film.

   "In Los Angeles, we don't have enough stars to invite, so it's up to you."

   "I found Tom Cruise, and he promised to come with his new wife, Mimi Rogers." Ronald also launched all his contacts.

  Mimi Rogers asked Cruise to hold a very small, very private wedding ceremony because of his belief in Scientology.

   Cruise seemed to love his wife and Scientology auditor so much that he didn't even tell his agent Paula Wagner and Ronald. The ceremony was completed sneakily.

   Ronald and Wagner only read the newspapers to know the news of his marriage, so they called to complain. Wagner angrily quarreled with Tom, warning him not to make such a big decision on his own in the future.

  Ronald always thought that Tom Cruise would find him as his best man, and ended up getting married so secretly. Even if it's a private ceremony, don't invite others, and don't get in the way of finding your best friend. Even Spielberg found himself a witness.

   But Nisita advised him not to be too angry, "This is just his first wedding. Hollywood people never attend the first wedding. You still have a chance to be the best man."

  Tom Cruise knew that he was wrong, and immediately agreed to attend the premiere of Ronald's new film after returning from his honeymoon with his new wife.

   "Great, anyone else?"

   "Michael Douglas will come. There are many other directors, and I don't actually have too many stars. Cameron and Gale will participate, and Chris Columbus, the director of The Nanny Adventures, will also come."

   After all, it was Ronald’s first film that was produced and released at his own expense. These good friends all agreed to come and join in, adding another interview gimmick to the media, all of which were helping Ronald boost the box office.

  Cameron has not seen for a long time, I heard that he is now researching new technologies.

   And Columbus's first movie box office was good, although it did not beat the classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" that was also re-screened by Disney, it is also expected to stay in the theater for four or five weeks, and it seems promising to return.

  The director has a blockbuster movie, and the road will be easier in the future.

   "And my former boss and teacher, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Coleman, will come. He said he'd help me figure out if the movie could make money."

   Ronald laughed and asked Cannold to add Coleman's name. The old man was very happy when he heard that he learned his method, made a musical at a low cost, and operated the distribution and other business by himself.

  Colman said that he is good at seeing the box office trends of movies from the premiere, and will give him a prediction when the time comes.

   "Where's your girlfriend at the Los Angeles premiere?"

   "Diane, I hired Diane Lane. She, like me, needs exposure." Ronald knew that Diane's new film was coming out in September and needed some media space now. In the spirit of everyone helping each other, I invited her to the premiere in Los Angeles.

   "How is Jennifer (Grey)? Can you attend the premiere in Los Angeles?"

  Cannold is determining the protagonist's itinerary.

"She had just been picked up from Northern Ireland by his father Joel, and the neck protection was still a few days away, and Joel asked my assistant director, Emile, to intercede and tell her to only go to the premiere in New York. I promise."

   "Poor Jennifer, she lost so many chances to show up out of thin air."

   "Then what should I do? I can't let him put the TV around his neck, right?" Ronald said angrily.

   New York's Donkey Party Senator Moynihan's intimidating power is indeed extraordinary. After he came forward to write a letter, the military police in Northern Ireland immediately agreed to bail the two young actors.

   Then after some "investigation", the accident that night was also characterized as careless driving, and the two did not need to wait for an investigation in Belfast and could return to America.

   That night, Matthew Brodick's mother chartered a plane and let her son fly back to New York in a hospital bed, where he will receive further treatment.

  Jennifer Gray also returned to New York. When she called Ronald, her mental state was still not stable. The car accident and the investigation scared her a little, and she cried a little miserably on the phone.

  Ronald couldn't find her to settle accounts. It was always weird without the heroine's announcement, and he didn't know how much the effect would be discounted.

   But speaking of which, Gray was also a victim in this matter, and Ronald couldn't ask for much.

   Another thing that bothered Ronald was that after the soundtrack of the movie was released, sales were poor. This kind of old songs of the 1950s and 1960s, reassembled and published records, unless they are the best albums of the record company, generally not many people make it like this.

  's theme song "The Time of My Life", and "She's Like the Wind", composed by Patrick Schwytz himself, failed to hit the charts. After the DJ played, there were no waves.

   Fortunately, there are not too many records for the record, so the loss will not be too great.

  Ronald felt that the first film produced and distributed by Daydream should just focus on the box office. Everyone had no experience and made a mess. As long as you can make some money at the box office, even if you can open the door.

   "How much do you think we can make? How much will the box office be in the first weekend?" Michelle Cannold, the distribution director of Daydream Pictures, actually has no experience in theatrical releases. Previously, it was just in charge of releasing videotapes. He also began to look forward to the results of his first work.

   I've been busy for half a year, and now there are female film critics in pursuit, so it won't be too bad, right?

   "It's hard to say, movie box office forecasting is a delicate art. The box office depends on how many weeks we can show in theaters.

   On the one hand, our evaluation is good, and many audiences may come here. On the other hand, it depends on their word of mouth after watching it, which depends on the score of CinemaScore on the day of release. Their scores are quite reliable for predicting audience reputation. "

   "It's just a little expensive." Cannold whispered.

   Various unexpected events have consumed a lot of the original reserve fund. Next, if the box office is satisfactory and additional marketing is needed, then Douglas Jr. will make additional investments.

  If the box office is unsatisfactory, then no additional budget will be added, and the group will be disbanded.

   It is estimated that Daydream Company cannot afford to fail at the box office. Ronald can continue to be a director, but he will have to find a job again.

   "No, our film reviews are so good, the premiere will be a success, and the box office will be good." Cannold tapped on the wooden table with his hands to clear the unlucky thoughts out of his mind.

   "We also need to see how strong the competitors who will be released at the same time will be." Ronald tutted.

  The new version of 007 did not perform well, and the box office declined rapidly. 30% drop every week.

   is not as good as Robocop, and Ronald's "Love Is Not For Sale" has become a nail in the box office list.

The weekend when "Dancing Hot" was released, the main new film was that Orion recruited Kevin Costner, and the suspense film "NoWay Out" starring Sean Young, and Minahan Go Lan produced the "Mastersoft the Universe" two blockbusters.

   "Although you are all my friends, I still want to curse your movie servants!"

   Ronald looked at the schedule, and silently recited the Chinese mantra he learned from watching art films in Xujiahui, "The cloud follows the dragon, the wind follows the tiger, and the old gentleman is in a hurry..."

   (end of this chapter)