Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 809 Full Preheating
In the last week of July, "Superman IV-Peaceful Mission", under the attention of tens of millions of comic fans and movie fans, was finally released.Cannon claims to have spent 4000 million to create a blockbuster with super special effects, and won the...

A scolding sound.

Although Prince Charles and Princess Diana were invited to attend the royal premiere in London, the film was really poorly shot, especially the special effects part.In the end, Cannon obviously didn't invest money in the special effects screen. In the decisive battle between Superman and the villain, the two fat boys looked like paper men in the air, without any sense of three-dimensionality.

Christopher Reeve, who played Superman, ruined the series and his own career when it was revealed that he cursed at a friend with a cannonball.

However, in order to improve some box office results, the actors of the movie still have to appear on various talk shows.Today it's the turn of Margot Kidd, who plays Louise, on Texas film critic, old lady Bobby Wygant's show.

The old lady will take time to come to Los Angeles every month, record all the talk shows related to the next movie at one time, and play them slowly after returning home.She found a big room in the Hilton Hotel, took an assistant and a cameraman with her, and started queuing up to interview the stars of various movies.

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

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

Ronald once saw him outside Demi Moore's apartment, begging her not to break up, and there was some innocence in this man.

"Oh my god, it's really bad. I happened to be in New York two weeks before the release and I met Christopher Reeve and he told me not to give any hope, Minahan Golan and Yola Gobrows There was no money to do the special effects, and this movie was worse than the special effects of the first one 9 years ago."

It really is too pure.

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 in their hearts.The reason why they have to be stubborn and shout for bad movies in the media is due to the particularity of the movie business.

Every movie is a new product development.Whether the audience likes it and whether the director can achieve the goal is unknown.

After it was shot, 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 lure more audiences into the cinema to make up for some losses.

Of course, they can't say that the movie is very good without conscience, so that they will lose their trust in front of the audience. The audience has a good memory on such things, and they will write down the nonsense actors in their small books.

Therefore, more often, they will be like Margot Kidd, the actress who plays the heroine Louise who is being interviewed by Barbie, neither saying good nor bad, and going around in circles to say some interesting details .

"Well, movies are not comics. It's impossible to draw two people exactly the same with one stroke of a pen. It's been nine years since Chris and I played Superman and Lois together for the first time. So we used Another approach is deduction.

After so many years, Superman and Louise must love each other more and become 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……"

Listen to the interview with Margot Kidd, and look at Jon Claire who is very active in spreading gossip about himself... Hey, I still need to practice.

"Puchi..." Standing next to Ronald was the second female lead, Cynthia Rhodes, who was going to be interviewed by Barbie Wygant later, and couldn't help laughing when she saw the stupid Jon Claire.

"Hey..." Jon Claire touched his head. Cynthia Rhodes was also a tall, fair, mature woman with a lot of temperament, which made him a little embarrassed.

"You and Christopher (Reeve) have worked together on the fourth Superman, what do you think of working with him?" Bobby Wygant's question came out again.

"It's almost time for us..." Ronald nodded to Cynthia Rhodes, and cut off the conversation with Jon Claire. This guy is not strict, and he might slip something in front of other people.

Hearing Barbie Waigant inside, repeating the question just now, this is changing the camera position and re-recording the scene of her questioning.

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

When Mitch Kanter arrived in Northern Ireland, he quickly got in touch with the military police there and released Jennifer Gray on bail.His boyfriend, Matthew Brodick, was released on bail by another prominent New York lawyer.

After the two lawyers discussed in Belfast, they reached a consensus to change the crime of "dangerous driving causing death" to "careless driving." Even if you are convicted, you don't have to serve a real sentence. .There is a high probability that it can be solved with fines and probation.

The gendarmerie has the transcripts of the investigation of the two parties after they woke up, and there are contents that are more unfavorable to the two young American men.

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

In order to prevent this evidence from being accepted by the court, the two barristers tried 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 a concussion, people will have blurred memories, and even under the deliberate guidance of some people, they will think that some of the things they said are what they really experienced.

Obtaining collateral signs from a famous brain doctor in Northern Ireland, the two quickly overturned this testimony.

Matthew Brodick corrected himself, saying he woke up in the hospital with no memory of why he had both broken legs, a collapsed lung and a pneumothorax.

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

This way of denying has aroused the anger of the victim's family.This kind of trick was exposed in the local media, and this kind of lawyer instigated to fabricate evidence was described as a "mocking of justice".It aroused great dissatisfaction among the local people.

For a while, the investigation and follow-up fell into a temporary deadlock.Jennifer Gray also cannot leave Northern Ireland.Her father, Joel Gray, had flown to Belfast to stay with the children with Brodick's mother, Patricia Brodick, a famous New York painter and socialite.

Ronald also had a phone call with attorney Mitch Kanter yesterday, asking if Jennifer Gray was safe to return to America, how she was doing, and whether she would be in time for the premiere of Dirty Dancing.

Kanter said on the phone that his physical condition is still optimistic.Jennifer Gray's neck injury is not fake, she now has to wear a special collar to walk around.The doctor said it would take a week to take it off.

The case is now at an impasse, and the military police department in Northern Ireland is unwilling to let a reckless young man like Matthew Brodick escape easily. They use the reports of the local media and the opposition of the public to create a big waves.

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

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

Still, Kanter had good news.

Matthew Brodick's father, the late James Brodick, was an actor.But his mother, Patricia, née Bio, was the head of a New York Jewish family.Her father was the president of a famous advertising company in the 30s.

This line of Jews, the Ashkenazi Jews, spoke Yiddish.It turned out that there were a large number of Jews 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 old mother mobilized her family's powerful network and contacted the New York State Senator, Daniel Patrick Moynihan of the Donkey Party.

Senator Moynihan is no small matter. He has been an aide to the commander-in-chief since the Kennedy period, and later served as the ambassador to the United Nations, taking over the position of the current deputy commander-in-chief.All in all, this is a senator with a strong network.

Moynihan is not Jewish, but behind him is to represent the interests of Ashkenazi Jews in eastern America.He once made a speech that was very partial to Israel, defending the Palestine-Israel issue.

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

The Senate Intelligence Committee is a very powerful committee. Now the United Kingdom of Britain, and Northern Ireland, are asking America on the issue of the Republican Army.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 she has the charm of a mature woman.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 interview between the two began, and Ronald looked at Cynthia Rhodes at the door, and couldn't help but think of what she said to himself last night.

Received Cynthia, who came to replace Jennifer Gray to attend various announcement occasions, and Ronald spent a very romantic night with her, whom he had not seen for a long time.

Cynthia was just the type Ronald liked, with a dancer's body and the softness of a Southern girl.The two lingered for a long time, and finally collapsed exhausted on the "California King"-sized hotel bed.

This size was much larger than the average king size, and it was just right for Ronald's tall stature, and it was effortless for him and Cynthia to lie down.

Ronald was very grateful to Cynthia for coming to the rescue from his hometown of Nashville, and he didn't care about any compensation issues, nor did he care about the fact that this opportunity to appear in the media originally belonged 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, but it is rare that he is well taken care of by his female companion.

Ronald couldn't help thinking about it, and wanted to spend some time with Cynthia. No matter whether she wanted more resources or more money, he could satisfy her.Getting along with the big sister and the little sister is indeed a different feeling.

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

Cynthia touched his face and spoke ahead of time, "I don't think you will consider marrying me, do you?"

"Uh..." Ronald was taken aback for a moment.

"Stop it, I know what you mean," Cynthia smiled, "I've always liked you, ever since you saved me from Stallone's brother, but I'm a girl who grew up in a small southern town, and my My parents were devout Christians. They raised me 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 at once." Ronald could only say that he couldn't digest it, and getting married or being a formal girlfriend seemed a bit troublesome.

"It's okay, but I also have a suitor, although he is younger than you. He is six years younger than me. He is a singer. I am considering whether to agree to his pursuit. He seems to be serious."

"We are more than six years apart from you. Could it be your age gap?" Seeing that Cynthia regarded him as a bosom friend and shared some emotional problems, Ronald cheered up and helped her analyze it from a male perspective.

"I also hesitated for this reason. I am still young now, but what about ten years later? 20 years? 25 years? American women age very quickly..."

"Don't think so, you were born in dancing, anyone who sees you will have to subtract 5-8 years of age first."

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

"Uh..." Ronald choked suddenly, "As a director and producer, of course I don't mind having an extra singer at 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 did you think of the 'Dirty Dancing' filming process?" asked Barbie Wygant, bringing Ronald back to the present.

"Director Ronald is fantastic, his aesthetic and rhythmic choreography is top notch, we all remember 'Breakdance' right..."

"Ah, yes, breakdancing is still fresh in people's memory. I don't know if the dirty dance this time will also set off a dance trend."

"I don't know, but Ortega, our backup dancer, is very strict with us. He has to dance continuously every day, from morning to night, which makes me have a mental block to dancing. Maybe next, as a girl from Nashville, I should try to be a singer."

……

Another week later, the box office of Superman IV fell off a cliff, and there were rave reviews in the media, and half of the box office had already dropped.

Not to mention the newly released "007 Dead by Daylight", even the recently released biography film La Bamba, which reflects the early death of the rock prodigy Rich Valens, fell to the 1937 grandpa movie " Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" went behind.

"There will be a lot of guests at the premiere in New York, Patrick Schwitz and his wife, Cynthia Rhodes and her male partner Richard Marks are all confirmed to attend, as well as a group of female stars from the New York Film Critics Association Will come too, dancing in turn with Schwytz. And you with Helen Slater."

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

"Here in Los Angeles, we don't have enough stars to invite, so it depends on you."

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

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

Cruise seemed to love his wife and Scientology auditor so much that even his agent, Paula Wagner, and Ronald didn't tell him.Finished the ceremony secretly.

Ronald and Wagner didn't know about his marriage until they read the newspapers, and they were so angry that they called to complain.Wagner quarreled with Tom angrily, warning him not to make such an important decision in private in the future.

Ronald always thought that Tom Cruise would find himself as the best man, so he got married secretly.Even if it's a private ceremony, if you don't invite other people, it doesn't hinder you from finding your best friend.Even Spielberg found himself to witness the marriage.

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

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

"Great, anyone else?"

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

After all, it was Ronald who paid for the production and released the first movie himself. These good friends all agreed to come and support him, adding another interview gimmick for the media, all of which helped Ronald increase the box office.

Cameron hasn't seen him for a few days, and I heard that he is now researching new technologies.

And Columbus's first film did well at the box office. Although it did not beat the classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", which is also a Disney re-screening, it is also expected to last four or five weeks in the cinema. It seems hopeful to pay back.

Once the director has a blockbuster movie, the future will be easier.

"And my former boss and teacher, Roger Coleman and his wife will also come. He said he will help me figure out whether this movie can 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 film at a low cost, and operated the distribution business by himself.

Coleman said that he is very good at watching the box office trend of the movie from the premiere, and will give him a forecast when the time comes.

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

"Diane, I invited Diane Lane. She needs exposure just like me." Ronald knew that Diane's new film will be released in September, and now he also needs some media space.In the spirit of helping each other, she was invited to attend the premiere in Los Angeles.

"How's Jennifer (Grey) doing? Can I make it to the premiere in Los Angeles?"

Cannold is determining the protagonist's itinerary.

"She had just been brought back from Northern Ireland by his father Joel, and the neck protector would take a few days to get off, and Joel asked my assistant director, Emil, to intercede for me, saying that his daughter would only go to the premiere in New York. I agree."

"Poor Jennifer, she missed so many opportunities to show up for nothing."

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

Senator Moynihan of the Donkey Party in New York really had extraordinary deterrence. After he came forward to write the letter, the military police in Northern Ireland immediately granted bail to the two young actors.

Then after some "investigation", the accident that night was also characterized as careless driving, and the two could return to America without waiting for investigation in Belfast.

That night, Matthew Brodick's mother chartered a plane and let her son lie on the hospital bed and fly back to New York, where he received further treatment.

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

Ronald also had no way to settle accounts with her. Without the heroine's announcement, it was always weird, and he didn't know how much the effect would be discounted.

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

Another thing that bothered Ronald was the poor sales of the film's soundtrack after it was released.This kind of old songs from the 60s and [-]s, reassembled and published albums, unless it is a selection album of a record company, generally no one releases it like this.

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

Fortunately, they didn't have too many records, so they wouldn't lose too much.

Ronald felt that the first daydream movie that was produced and distributed throughout the whole process should just focus on the box office of the movie. Everyone has no experience and made a mess.As long as they can make some money at the box office, it's a good start.

"How much do you think we can make? How much box office will it have in the first weekend?" Michelle Cannoldgui is the distribution director of Daydream Films, but has no experience in releasing theater movies.Before that, he was only in charge of distributing videotapes.He also began to look forward to the results of his first work.

I have been busy for half a year, and now there are female film critics chasing after me, isn't it a bad comparison?
"It's hard to say, box office forecasting is a delicate art. The box office depends on how many weeks we can play in theaters.

On the one hand, our evaluation is good, and many viewers may come here attracted by it.On the other hand, it depends on their word-of-mouth after watching it, which depends on the Cinema Score score on the day of release.Their score is quite reliable for predicting audience reputation. "

"It's just that the price is a bit expensive." Kannold whispered.

All kinds of accidents have consumed a lot of the original reserve fund.Next, if the box office is satisfactory and additional marketing is required, then Douglas Jr. will be required to invest additionally.

If the box office is not satisfactory, then no additional budget will be added, and the partnership will be broken up.

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 new job.

"No, our film reviews are so good, the premiere will be a success, and the box office will definitely be good." Cannold knocked on the wooden table with his hand, clearing the ominous thoughts from his mind.

"It also depends on the strength of the competitors that will be released at the same time." Ronald clicked his tongue.

The performance of the new version of 007 was not good, and the box office declined rapidly.30% drop every week.

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

The weekend before "Dirty Dancing" is released, the main new film is Orion's search for Kevin Costner, the suspense film "No Way Out" starring Sean Young, and Minahan Golan produced two blockbusters, "Masters of the Universe".

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

Ronald looked at the film schedule, and silently recited the Chinese mantra he learned in Xujiahui watching art films, "The cloud follows the dragon, the wind follows the tiger, the Taishang Laojun is as anxious as a law..."

(End of this chapter)