Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 126 The Madness of Fat Boy Director Cimino
Kathryn Bigelow, is a tall woman, fully 6 feet tall (1.82 meters), with flowing blond hair.

She wore a white shirt, a suit and trousers, and a director's viewfinder hanging around her neck, giving her a heroic look.

"This is Willem Dafoe, I asked him to prepare my new film." Catherine introduced Ronald to the scheduled male lead of her new film.

"Hello, hello." Ronald shook hands with the two, "To be honest, I think you are more like an actor than a director." Ronald felt that Catherine Bigelow's face was under the light It presents a three-dimensional effect and is good material for being a movie star.

"I'm better at directing." Catherine Bigelow hates others to ignore her directing talent and only see her beauty.

"Sorry, that's not what I meant." Ronald could see that the blonde beauty in front of him also had the spirit of an independent woman, and liked to be praised for her professional ability.

"Ronnie, you don't know. Catherine not only got a master's degree in Columbia, but also taught there, teaching screenwriting." Little Douglas came over and gave Ronald a formal introduction to Catherine's background, "Last year she also filmed a movie. For short films, some Hollywood directors appreciate her."

"You're already a teacher at Columbia University?" Ronald looked at Catherine. The blond beauty looked more like a college student.

"I'm 29 years old. It's not strange to be a temporary substitute lecturer." Catherine Bigelow shook her hair.

"29? Are you sure it's not 19?" Ronald said.

"Hahaha, your friend is much more interesting than you, Doug." Catherine was very happy to be complimented.

"I would also like to watch your short film if I have a chance." Ronald felt that Douglas Jr. was very interested in Catherine, and probably invested a lot in Catherine. "What is your new film about?"

"It's a story about a gang member on a motorcycle who helps a young girl in a small southern town to avenge the murder of her father."

I didn't expect the plot of a beauty to make a movie, so retro and full of male hormones.

"William is the actor I booked, and now we are looking for investment for the film."

Ronald looked at Douglas Jr., it was one thing to spend thousands of dollars to subsidize the production of a short film, but to make a feature film was far beyond what he could sponsor.

"Sounds really good, sort of like a Roger Corman movie. Do you have the money?"

"No, no, I'm not making an exploitation film. I want to make a film with profound humanistic meaning." Catherine Bigelow began to talk about her aesthetic design of the film and the conflict in the plot.

Ronald was a little distracted when he heard it. If it is made into an exploitation film, someone may invest in it. If it adds a profound humanistic spirit, then the prospect of financing will not be very good.It's better to talk about how many exciting shots, violent gun battles, and motorcycle chase scenes.

But the actor she found is really unique.The actor, Willem Dafoe, had the face of a natural villain.Two gray eyes, coupled with an aquiline nose, and a mouthful of crooked teeth when he smiles, he looks like a sinister gang boss.

"So what are your financing ideas?" Ronald retracted his thoughts and asked Catherine the source of the filming funds.

"I will continue to try until the goddess of luck patronizes me." Catherine understands the difficulty of financing the first film of a new director.

"Tell me, how did you find a suitable actor like William?" Ronald shifted the topic to Willem Dafoe.

William is usually quite kind, but his smile spoils the atmosphere a bit, "I just came out of the Heaven's Gate crew, and it happened that Catherine asked me to talk about the new film, and I agreed after reading the script."

Isn't "Heaven's Gate" the best director of the last Oscar, the new film invested by United Artists, that fat guy Michael Cimino?

Ronald remembers seeing the news that the filming crew was starting up in April. It's already October and the filming hasn't finished yet?
"It took so long to make this film? What subject is it?"

"It's about the Johnson County War in the last century." Seeing that Ronald still doesn't understand, Willem Dafoe explained, "It's a war between local farmers and new immigrants. The director hopes to show a forgotten history of America. .”

"That's great, I'll soon see your performance on the big screen." Ronald said politely.

"Hahaha," Willem Dafoe and Catherine Bigelow laughed together, "No, William's part was cancelled, he was kicked out."

"Huh?" Ronald felt a little wrong, "Why do you seem to be very happy?"

"You don't know, Cimino is a lunatic. I'm very happy to finally be able to get out of that crazy crew and get paid." Willem Dafoe took a sip, and several people sat down to continue chatting.

Shaking the wine glass, Willem Dafoe seemed to be organizing his own language, "Cimino's requirements for details are already crazy. Every morning we start from the hotel at 4 am and drive 2 hours to the location for practice. Equestrianism and roller skating.”

"As for himself, at this time of day every day, he, the female production director, and the leading actress, Isabella Huppert, a native of China, are so excited in the room. It is said by the crew that they have to have a Coke in the morning before they can get up."

"He was very paranoid about the details. Because a street built was not wide enough, he ordered the antique wooden buildings on both sides of the street that cost more than 200 million dollars to be demolished and rebuilt. I just said, if the width is not enough, we can Just demolish one side of the house, and Cimino fired me on the spot."

"I spent several months learning the rules of cockfighting in the middle of the United States 100 years ago. I really fought a lot of chickens with the crew's zookeeper. I don't know how many of my poor cockfighting shots can be left by him. "

The more Ronald listened, the more he gloated, until he heard that Cimino was demolished and rebuilt because the scenery did not meet the requirements.United Artists is really rich. The 200 million US dollars for setting the scene alone is enough for him and Catherine Bigelow, and there is still a lot left for each of them to shoot a feature film.

"Does the production company let him waste like this?" Douglas Jr. was also a person who had a concept of 200 million dollars, and asked Ronald's question.

"Because he is the Oscar's best director?" Ronald guessed.

"No, neither is the Oscar for Best Director." Catherine Bigelow stayed in Los Angeles some time ago, had a lot of parties with many people in the industry, and knew some inside information.

"I met Milos Forman, the director of "Leap Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in Hollywood. His new film is also released by United Artists.

Since the executives of United Artists jointly left last year and founded the new company Orion, the new management appointed by Pan Am wanted to prove their ability, so they recruited Michael Cimino to direct the new film, and wanted to make this film into a 007 film. , a model of box office success like Rocky.

So they gave Cimino a lot of power, and Cimino is a successful power game player. In the game with the new management, he won the decision-making power of the heroine and more and more additional budgets.

In addition, the production manager on site is his little fan girl, who follows him in everything.I heard that the budget of Heaven's Gate has increased from the original 400 million US dollars to more than 3000 million US dollars.United Artists' cash is starting to be tight, and Milos Forman's next film has not received investment from United Artists, and is looking for a new producer. "

"A powerful newly-nominated Oscar for best director, and a weak manager who has just been promoted have to make achievements to become this crazy crew."

"Now the production crew is crazy. The day before I left, Cimino filmed a scene of whipping people with a whip, which was repeated for a full day. It has been filming for 7 months, and more than half of the plot has not been filmed. I think the actors are also suffering. It's time to rebel." Willem Dafoe added.

More than $3000 million?Plus interest, rounded up, isn't that 4000 million?Ronald understands the mentality of Catherine and William a little bit. Many people in the industry don't like Fat Cimino, and they are waiting to see his jokes.

"If this continues, the crew will lose control, right?" Ronald has no experience with this kind of big production, but he shouldn't just sit and watch this kind of thing happen when he comes to United Artists, "Why don't they fire Cimino and replace him?" What about a director finishing the filming?"

Douglas Jr. also nodded. He was raised by his family since he was a child. If he had encountered such a situation in other businesses, he should have stopped losses and changed coaches long ago.

"Who says they don't have the idea, the problem is that they can't find any famous director who is willing to pick up this mess."

"Milos Forman told me that United Artists had contacted him to rescue the scene, but he saw the samples shot by Cimino, all of which were lengthy shots, shot ten or twenty times, even if he took over, he couldn't help Using the previous film, his exact words were 'this shit only Cimino knows how to edit'."

Catherine Bigelow said.

"If I let you go, would you like to?"

"Of course I would, but it's a big deal to do it all over again. I'm so fast. I only shot the short film that Doug funded for 5 days."

"I heard that they are trying to convince the legendary British director, 'Lawrence of Arabia' director David Lean to take over, at the cost of United Artists investing in David Lean's next film 'Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian'. That The movie Mr. Lean has been planned for 3 years."

Several people sighed about "Heaven's Gate", especially the two young people who are aspiring to direct their careers, and they are all calculating how many movies they can make with 3000 million US dollars.

"The Grand Commander signed an executive order, allowing the deposed Persian King Pahlavi to enter the country to treat his illness." A person changed the TV channel and accidentally jumped to CBS News, which was broadcasting new news about Persia.

"When will Persia return to normal, and when will oil prices return to normal?" Someone began to complain loudly.

Several people looked at Catherine Bigelow's alumni, Persian student Amir.

"I don't know either. I heard that the Grand Ayatollah of the new regime has threatened to send the former King Pahlavi back to China for trial, otherwise he will launch a mobilization... I am very worried about the safety of my family. I hope that the Grand Ayatollah of America will The Commander grants his wishes."

"The commander of America will not accept this kind of threat." Ronald shook his head secretly.

　Yesterday, I had a meeting with the client until 1:[-] in the morning, which delayed the update in the afternoon.My deepest apologies to the readers.Will make it up today.

　
(End of this chapter)