Exploiting Hollywood 1980

The Kansas Film Critics Association Award is actually presented in Missouri. This is because there is a city called Kansas City at the border of Kansas and Missouri. And this Kansas City in Missouri has a respected mayor, Bartow, who knows that in order to revitalize the economy, the radiation of the city must be expanded.

He not only supported the Kansas Film Critics Association, the second to present film awards after New York State, but also moved a football team from Dallas, which later became the AFL powerhouse Kansas Chiefs.

This made the city quickly surpass the neighboring Kansas City in Kansas (the two cities have the same name) and became the largest city in the Midwest after Cleveland and Omaha.

Now, this is the first center of the arts industry and professional sports in the Midwest. The coaching center of the university professional sports league and the copy distribution center of Hollywood in the Midwest are all built here.

Ronald came here to attend the award ceremony, and another purpose was to establish his own distribution office and welcome the opening ceremony of an old cinema acquired by Daydream after renovation.

"It's shocking, people here really like to watch movies..." Michelle Cannold, who was daydreaming, said to Ronald in the lounge after the movie "Beauty and the Beast" was shown in the cinema.

The folk customs in the Midwest are relatively conservative. Unlike big cities like New York and Los Angeles, people in many places still regard watching movies as a fashionable form of entertainment.

This place is a bit like the small town in Hollywood movies, which has been preserved as a whole to this day and was opened only thirty or forty years later.

Young people either want to play professional basketball or football, or want to get a job in the federal government to bring honor to their family. The movies they like are not the entertainment-oriented exploitation films since the 1980s, but the movies like "The Silence of the Lambs" that explore religious justice and bring evil murderers to justice, and the movies like "Other People's Money" that the American entrepreneurial spirit finally wins. It can even be traditional fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast. Only the assassination of JFK or those movies against the Vietnam War have no market here.

And these audiences have one thing in common. They rarely went to formal movie theaters to watch movies before, and they preferred cheap movie theaters like drive-in theaters.

As the economy improved in the 1980s and Kansas City and its surrounding areas recovered, the audience's preference for movies here was largely hindered by the backward and outdated cinema facilities.

"This is a good business, but we can't do it..." Ronald understood what Cannold meant. He wanted to expand the business of the acquired cinemas from the East Coast and the West Coast to the middle.

But this is too idealistic.

"Why can't it be done?"

"Where can I find so many cinema management talents willing to work here?"

"That's right..."

If a person takes a plane from Los Angeles to New York, he chooses a window seat and looks down. When the weather is good, he can see the urban clusters of Los Angeles and the Bay Area during takeoff. Then it is Las Vegas, the holy land of gamblers in the United States.

Before landing, there are dense old thirteen states urban clusters, ancient industrial clusters and new industrial clusters, such as IT, pharmaceuticals, etc., and there are also scattered Ivy League campuses.

But for most of the journey in the middle,

to do cinema business in these places, you must have suitable operators. Because the population density is very low, unlike the East and West Coasts where there are many talented people and people can move for work.

Doing business here is impossible without finding local people to cooperate. So although there are business opportunities, because there are no talents, Daydream is better off guarding the competitive regions and Chinatown to build its own cinema chain.

…

The Kansas Film Critics Association awards were presented, and Ronald's film "The Silence of the Lambs" still won the Best Actress and Best Actor. The film critics here have very good vision. Jonathan Demme also won the Best Director and Best Film. He accepted the award on behalf of Anthony Hopkins who was not in the United States.

He was very happy to win the award. Before working for Roger Corman, Demme was actually a film critic, also registered in Miami, a city not on the East and West Coasts. He came to accept an award with a long history and not related to Hollywood and New York this time, which made him feel like meeting an old friend who had not seen him for many years.

Ronald gave him all the interview opportunities, and he and Helen Slater secretly went out to visit the NFL and college basketball museums in Kansas City. The two wore sunglasses and baseball caps, and they were not too worried about being recognized in this city. They really relived the feeling of their youth in a very pleasant way.

"Hello... Don Juan..."

Unexpectedly, in a hotel in Kansas City, Ronald met Michelle Pfeiffer, who had just rescued him at the Golden Globe Awards.

Just now, when the two relaxed their vigilance in the lobby and kissed and hugged like a couple, they were seen by Michelle Pfeiffer who also lived here.

"Oh, do you live here too?" Ronald deliberately lived in a newly built hotel near the suburbs of the city, separated from the main group. Unexpectedly, Pfeiffer also lived here alone.

"I never thought you would become a man with a lover..." Michelle Pfeiffer also wore a baseball cap and sunglasses, but her cat-like face still betrayed her.

"I always thought you would become the top female star in Hollywood." Ronald laughed.

Michelle Pfeiffer's shortlisted film this time is the romance film "Modern Love Story (Frankie and Johnny?)" directed by Garry Marshall, who stars with Al Pacino and has just directed the romantic comedy "Pretty Woman".

She was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy at the Golden Globe Awards, and received awards for her performance from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. This time he is also one of the popular candidates for Best Actor.

However, the Oscar for male and female acting does not distinguish between comedy and drama, so her chances are not high. The reason why it is so popular this time is because her movie is different from ordinary romantic movies.

To be precise, under the guise of love, this movie actually reflects a profound social problem in America, the problem of leftover men and women in big cities who are disappointed in love.

In the rapid economic development and urbanization in the 1980s, not everyone was a winner.

There are many young men and women from small towns who come to big cities with dreams, but in the end they fail. But I can't go back to my hometown. In a big city, because of my limited knowledge and ability, I can only do some low-level jobs, not as good as serving in restaurants.

It is impossible to buy a house, love is a luxury, and even dreams are becoming increasingly elusive in the years of working at the bottom.

This is actually the same as the social problems caused by the influx of many last generation of baby boomers into cities ten years ago. It's just that when these people are in their thirties, the young gangsters they once were have become middle-aged people in small towns who can't go back now.

"Come on, have a drink with me..." Michelle Pfeiffer invited Ronald to the bar for a chat.

"I still have to..."

"Your lover won't wait long. I really just want to buy you a drink. We haven't seen each other for many years... You won't force me to spill the beans to my friends, right?"

Ronald saw that Pfeiffer really had something going on, so he called Helen and accompanied her to the bar on the executive floor to chat.

"Sometimes I regret it when I think about it. I should have married you back then. Although I may not necessarily become a star, if you just become a screenwriter, we will definitely live a happy life." Michelle Pfeiffer took off her glasses , with a very tired look on his face.

"We all know this is impossible..." Ronald didn't know what to say.

"Yeah, now I can't find a suitable marriage partner. Divorce may also be a wrong decision for me. I always make a lot of wrong decisions, then hide myself and wait for everyone to forget before I come out."

"Don't be ridiculous. Anyone who wants to marry you can line up from Beverly Hills to the Golden Gate Bridge. Catwoman...hehehe..."

Michelle Pfeiffer is now at the peak of her career success, and audiences have selectively forgotten about her and John Marr

Kovich cheated on the set. Starring in Jonathan Demme's "Married to the Mob" marked the progress of her acting skills. This time in the Batman sequel, replacing the unlucky Sean Young as Catwoman also marked the rise of her commercial status.

It is no exaggeration to say that such a woman is the goddess of millions of American men.

"Hey, you may have forgotten that I am already a thirty-four-year-old woman... This movie is a true portrayal of me..."

Michelle Pfeiffer put down her mask in front of Ronald, revealed her heart, took a sip of whiskey and said quietly.

"That was a movie...well..." Ronald suddenly remembered that his past with her happened ten years ago. So, really, Pfeiffer is thirty-four?

"At my age, it's hard to find an age-appropriate marriage partner in Hollywood or elsewhere. I don't want to marry an old man... so I just want to have a child of my own. Can you help me?"

"ah?"

"I just want to borrow your seeds, whether it's natural or artificial, it doesn't matter. I think your seeds are good, and my children will definitely be very smart in the future..." Michelle Pfeiffer smoothed her hair.

"This... don't joke about this. If you want to have a baby alone, you can ask for help from a seed bank. I know that many elite women in New York do this..."

"Hey, eight out of ten people who go there to donate are arrogant. I don't want to have such a child. I've done all the research and you are the most suitable. You are married and we are familiar with each other. I can Give our children a good education. We will sign an agreement in the future and we will not let you have any problems...

Besides, you're not one to keep your integrity, right? Think about it, consider it, and let's make an appointment then. I still prefer natural methods..."

Michelle Pfeiffer reached out and touched Ronald, and instantly the long-lasting memories between the two came back.

"Ahem...I'm leaving first." Ronald, who never expected to receive such a request, quickly left this place of right and wrong.

According to Michelle Pfeiffer, this arrangement was very common in old Hollywood. When the actress could not be made public for some reason, it was often arranged for the actress to take a break from acting for a period of time before announcing to the public that she had "adopted" a child. In this way, you can be legally and publicly prepared, and you can also enjoy family happiness.

Ronald only thought that this kind of thing was too exaggerated. He did not reply to Pfeiffer, ended his trip in Kansas City, and returned to New York for two weeks.

"Oh, Director Luo, we have made good arrangements here, thank you..." Xiao Yu and Lao Xi visited the set and have arrived in New York to prepare for filming. They thanked Ronald profusely for coming to inquire about their lives.

"That's good. I hope you get used to it. If you have any questions, you can talk to Yanzi directly..." Ronald still values ​​the two Chinese actors very much. Director Wang Ying has great ambitions for this film, to make Chinese culture officially appear in the mainstream society in America.

Ronald also has ambitions and hopes to expand the territory of Chinese-language and Chinese-language films in Hollywood. This is something that no one except him has the ability to do. In the future, if there are people in America who watch Chinese films exclusively, this part of the market will be exclusive to them.

Kung Fu movies in Hong Kong have a large audience among blacks and lower-class white people, and Ronald has also stabilized the market by selling old movie tapes. However, Chinese movies have not yet had much influence among the upper classes, and some people who know about them are also looking for novelties.

If there can be some feedback from mainstream society, then we can truly take root in this multicultural society.

"Oh, Director Luo, I wish you a happy new year..."

At this time, another Chinese actor whom Ronald was familiar with also came to visit. Xiao Jiang, the star of Red Sorghum and later the actor who won the Berlin honor for his birth year, also came to Ronald to pay New Year's greetings through Xiao Yan and Yang Yanzi.

"Oh, thank you..." Ronald took a large gift bag, which contained various Beijing snacks, as well as folk paper-cuts and facial makeup, which made him quite happy. You can put it at home to decorate your Chinese study room.

"I'm in West Berlin, now called

Berlin, thanks to the care of Director Luo. This is the most friendly Hollywood boss to us Chinese. You all should be smart. "Xiao Jiang proudly taught a few Chinese people of all shapes and sizes behind them.

"Why do you have such long hair?" Ronald noticed that Xiao Jiang now had long hair, which was very different from the image of his friend who came down the mountain in his year of birth.

"Hey, I'm playing a cellist...artistic..." Xiao Jiang said proudly. This is our director Zheng, this is artist Xiao Feng, this is our buddy in New York..."

"You have a movie face, why are you acting in a TV series?" Ronald frowned. Isn't this a downgrade?

"This is all Xiao Feng's fault. His scripts are very good. I was fascinated by the story about the editorial department with Director Zheng. I forgot that the kitchen was still cooking and the pots were burned out. Isn't it wrong? I had a chance to act in a movie, so I agreed to them..."

"Okay, as long as you're happy with it..." When Ronald heard this, he knew that the film market over there had collapsed drastically. Apart from the fact that his goal was to go to European film festivals to win award-winning films, there might really be no projects suitable for him.

"Hey hey hey, what about that, Director Luo, we are looking for a house to film in New York this time, see if we can..." Xiao Jiang said while rubbing his hands.

"Which house of mine do you like? Tell me..." Ronald knew as soon as he saw him that he wanted to take advantage of the location.

"I heard that the house where the Godfather movie was filmed is now in your name?"

"What the hell, are you waiting for me here? Talk to Yang Yanzi. I'll give it to you for free, but you can't do any damage to the set. What kind of tape and set are you using? Go call Xiao Yan..." Luo Nader gave him a slap on the back and agreed.

As long as these people can use Daydream's set tape and don't mess around, I can treat it as charity for the domestic film and television industry.

"Brother Jiang, you are still awesome. For such a big-name director, you can borrow money whenever you want without paying..." Everyone in the crew looked at Xiao Jiang, a little confused. Why does it matter that he can live in New York?

"You don't understand. Old Americans also care about face. They like the quintessence of Chinese culture, Peking opera, and paper-cutting. Director Luo is a famous China expert. I call it what he likes. Let's go to Stanton. Island, the godfather's house... I said, how do we get there?"

The fat man they called to the crew stroked his messy beard and said, "Take the ferry... Have you not seen Director Luo's Working Girl?"

…

"The nominees for Best Picture at this year's Oscars are..."

Ronald still ran to his apartment on Fifth Avenue to enjoy the world of two people with Helen. It just so happens that the live broadcast of this year's Oscar nominations has also begun.

"The Silence of the Lambs, produced by Ronald Lee, Prince of Waves, produced by Barbra Streisand...Beauty and the Beast..."

"Ouch!"

When it was announced that the animated film Beauty and the Beast was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, the audience screamed. It seems that the popularity of this movie is indeed extraordinary...