Exploiting Hollywood 1980

After reshooting the scenes of "A Few Good Men", Tom Cruise returned to Memphis to shoot "The Sugar Coated Trap".

Although Ronald felt that his condition was affected and his over-exerting acting style was rising again. But the other staff members did not feel the subtle difference.

After the adjustment, Cruise resumed his new performance mode. When watching the sample film within two days, seeing Ronald and Paula's smiles more and more, Tom Cruise himself felt that he had made great progress.

As an actor, when watching the sample film just after filming, he did not have much feeling about the quality of his performance. First, people always beautify themselves, and second, the sample film has not been edited. Most of the time, only the director who knows the whole picture of the film can have an accurate sense of the scale of the performance.

Tom Cruise's restrained performance made Ronald feel good, and Ronald felt good, and his words and deeds gave Tom Cruise more confidence. After the fifth week of filming, the whole crew saw that this movie would be a movie in which Tom Cruise's acting skills would be improved and might be praised by critics.

This is a rare thing for a star who is famous for his good looks. Cruise was in a good mood and gave gifts to important members of the crew, especially the photographers, lighting, props, costumes and other important people. They all gave Seiko mechanical watches with a good reputation in America. They also ordered takeout every now and then. The famous fried chicken and barbecue in Memphis and other southern delicacies made the whole crew very happy.

"If you want to invite, you should invite more during the last few days of filming here. You won't be able to afford it when you arrive in the Cayman Islands..." Ronald joked with Tom Cruise. The Cayman Islands is a high-end tourist destination and the cost of traveling in Hawaii is much higher.

At the weekend, everyone had the best barbecue. All kinds of equipment and costumes were packed and boxed, waiting to board the plane to Grand Cayman. There is an airport there, and it is not particularly troublesome to transfer equipment.

However, the cost of living and eating is many times that of Memphis. Ronald asked the production director of the crew to be more careful and let some people go there to unpack first. When the crew goes there, they can start shooting immediately.

…

“It really makes people feel comfortable here…”

When the crew moved to the Cayman Islands to film, Helen Slater also arrived at Grand Cayman as scheduled. This is the largest island in the archipelago, with many diving and flying tourism projects, which is convenient for the crew to shoot the corresponding scenes.

Ronald wore a linen shirt, khaki shorts, and a khaki fisherman's hat. Helen wore a white linen shirt and the best scenery of Seven Mile Beach.

This is mainly the business scope of the Royal Cayman Cruise Line, and Ronald's movie is equivalent to a product placement advertisement for them. This company mainly attracts upper-middle-class tourists in America, so it reached an agreement with the crew.

While the technicians were unpacking and preparing, and the actors had not arrived yet, Ronald and Helen stayed in the best hotel here, Grand Cayman Hyatt for two days.

“Yes, the climate and scenery here are really relaxing…” Ronald also likes this place very much. Not many people know the two of them. They can enjoy the beach like ordinary people with sunglasses.

“Mr. Li, Ms. Slater, the plane is ready…” A pilot named Bill Booth came over and invited them to his sea sightseeing plane.

"Okay, let's do it."

This Bill Booth was also the actor who played the pilot when the crew was shooting the seaplane scene. This person was actually introduced by Tom Cruise. He and Cruise met at the skydiving school when they were studying for a pilot's license.

Ronald was more confident in his flying skills, and the safety of the seaplane was relatively high, so he and Helen circled over the beach for half an hour.

"Oh, the sea water here is really unforgettable..." Helen started shouting as soon as she got on the plane. As a girl who grew up in Long Island, New York, vacationing with her beloved in such a high-end beach resort is a dream since her teenage years.

"Yeah, this shot will be very good..." Ronald was still holding the director's viewfinder, not forgetting to take care of his work, and looked at Helen next to him very much.

"I love it here. It would be great if I could come here for vacation with my children in the future..." Back in the executive suite of the Hyatt Hotel, Helen was still admiring the scenery. While looking at the concept photos of the framing taken by Ronald with a disposable imaging camera, she secretly observed Ronald's reaction.

"Honey, I thought you wouldn't mention this?" Ronald moved some photos around, trying to string the shots together in his mind.

"Oh, honey, that's not what I meant. I just meant the conceptual child. I remembered that my parents took me to the beach on Long Island when I was a child... You know what I mean..." Helen got nervous when she heard Ronald's tone, and explained a little incoherently.

Ronald raised his head. He had actually already thought about having a child with Helen. He smiled, put the photo down, stood up and wanted to hug her.

"Ding Dong, Ding Dong..." At this moment, the doorbell rang...

"I'll go open the door..." Helen was a little afraid of what Ronald would answer this question, so she stood up and hurried to open the door.

"Is this Mr. Li? I was introduced by the general manager of Royal Cayman Cruises. I knew you were here, so I took the liberty to disturb you..."

The person who came was an old man who looked like a British gentleman. He was wearing formal attire in the tropics, a short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and a British hard hat. He took off his hat in salute to Ronald.

"Who are you?" Ronald shook hands with him. Helen saw the situation and went to prepare coffee.

"Let me introduce myself, I am the Governor of the Cayman Islands, Michael Edward" His Excellency John Gore, and Mr. Thomas Jefferson, the Chief Minister of the Cabinet, are here to discuss a small detail in the filming of the movie with you... "

"Please take a seat..." Ronald could tell something about the Cayman Islands from the names of the two people he mentioned. The Governor is a typically British name, while the Chief Minister is an Aboriginal named after an American founding father.

"That's right. I know from Royal Cruise Lines Cayman that the movie you shot involves some plots about rich Americans coming here to open companies, laundering money and evading taxes..."

"Hey, hey, hey..." Ronald stopped him immediately upon hearing this, "My movie is an adaptation of America's novel. The creation of the novel is protected by the First Amendment, including our film creation... …”

"Of course, of course, I also admire the measures taken by the founding fathers of your country to protect the rights of citizens..." The visitors echoed one after another. He also came prepared and asked Ronald for help. if.

Like the backgrounds of the Governor and Chief Minister, the economy and politics of the Cayman Islands represent this tendency towards partition.

The ownership belongs to the British Empire, and the governor and high judges are sent from Britain. However, the personnel representing the middle and lower-class civil servants and the legal system are mainly composed of local indigenous mixed-race people, descendants of white immigrants, and a small number of black people.

Tourism is not the largest industry in the Cayman Islands. The real source of income is mainly income from the independent overseas company system under the Commonwealth system, which is the so-called tax haven.

However, Britain nominally does not want the Cayman Islands to bear this name, because it will attract cross-border investigations by America's notorious government agencies. The damage to the economy is significant.

Novels are only a niche media in today's world, and now the main channel for the public to obtain information is film and television works. Such a movie starring Tom Cruise will undoubtedly arouse many people to watch and discuss it in North America and the world. At that time, the Cayman Islands will undoubtedly benefit from this largest advertisement.

But if those members of Congress hear such rumors and start investigations by the IRS, FBI, etc., it will not be a good thing for the Cayman Islands.

"So how does the Chief Minister want me to deal with this problem?" Ronald knew as soon as he heard this that he came with a solution, not a question.

"We hope that in the credits at the end of the film, we can clarify that the Cayman Islands is a country with laws, and express our gratitude to the Governor and government ministers..." The old man handed over a note with a handwritten sentence on it.

Ronald looked at a piece of paper handed over by the other party, which contained their prepared statement:

“The producers would like to thank the Cayman Islands Government and the Honorable Governor Michael Gore for their cooperation during the production of this film and acknowledge that the Cayman Islands has strict anti-drug and anti-money laundering laws, which are strictly enforced.

"Of course, it's easy to do." Ronald put the note in his notebook and agreed. And ask the other party what agreement needs to be signed.

"We very much respect the credibility of you and Tom Cruise, so the agreement will be drafted by the lawyers. In addition, to express our gratitude, we also invite you to visit the Governor's Mansion..."

It seems that this person has rich experience. Not only did he achieve his goal, he also wanted to trick the creators into going to the Governor's Mansion to take a photo or something, which would also bring some benefits to the Governor and the ministers.

Ronald declined because he was busy with filming, and the other party politely stopped pestering him.

"Oh, Ronny, you are so powerful, you can be on an equal footing with nobles like the Governor..." Helen hugged Ronald's arm and began to admire him again.

"Ha, this governor has no real power..." Ronald thought to himself. The title of the governor is just an OBE. In fact, in the film industry, there are many senior directors who have achieved this. Not counting True nobility.

Helen automatically regarded this as Ronald's modesty. Can he be an ordinary person who can associate with heads of state from several countries?

"Hmm..." Ronald looked at Helen's adoring blue eyes and was very emotional, so he kissed her.

"I'll get it..." Helen couldn't bear it anymore and hurriedly looked for something.

"Stop it...don't you want a child?"

"Oh, Ronald..."

Helen shivered with joy, and her whole body felt hot from being held. She had been feeling a little excited in the past two days, but Ronald's words made her whole body excited.

"My idea is this. After you get pregnant, you will suspend your acting career, and then go to Europe or East Asia for a vacation. After the child is born, you will use it in the name of adoption... but I can't give you and the child a formal identity. you……"

After finishing, Ronald hugged Helen, who was still red-skinned, and told her about his arrangements. The first thing he said was Michelle Pfeiffer's method.

"Don't say that. Giving me a child is my greatest gift... Mmm..." Helen happily hugged Ronald and kissed him again.

...

"A!"

The first day of filming in the Cayman Islands was Jerry Weintraub's part. He played a fat American symbol who spoke very "directly". In the end, he was persuaded by Mitch, played by Tom Cruise, to open a tax avoidance company in the Cayman Islands with the help of this law firm.

"Cut!" Ronald saw that Weintraub was still a little nervous, so he quickly stopped and helped him relax. This guy just didn't know how to shoot in front of the camera. After Ronald explained the situation, he pretended that the camera didn't exist, and the temperament of the gangster tycoon quickly revealed.

"Thank you, Susan... How did I act? Ronald." Weintraub's lover Susan also came to the Cayman Islands and took care of Weintraub during her vacation. The bankruptcy crisis of the previous year hurt him a lot, and he seemed to have aged five years.

Fortunately, with the help of Ronald, Weintraub has overcome the financial crisis. As long as the new The Karate Kid can sell well, the cash flow can be continued. This will give him time to sell some movie library assets to get his finances back on track.

"You acted very well, but of course there is still a gap compared to Robert." Ronald told the truth. Weintraub was acting completely in his true colors, but after all, he was an amateur. Compared with Robert Duvall, a character actor who specializes in playing impressive supporting roles, he was suppressed in all aspects. It was just that the plot required him to look okay.

"Really? I feel that with my temperament, is it more suitable to play a decent businessman?"

"What impressed people in this play are all kinds of villains. If you want to play a decent one, you can only play an old lawyer who died in a diving accident..."

"Ha, that's right, I'm not very decent, right, Susan?" Weintraub laughed at himself. He lived with his friend's daughter Susan before he divorced his wife. He couldn't be called a decent person.

"Shame on you..." Ronald also reflected on himself secretly, but true love is like this. Weintraub's lover and wife can still have dinner and reunion under the same roof on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays, and they have become family and friends.

Ronald was about to imagine the scene of Diane, Helen and himself having dinner together, with their children next to them, and he immediately felt something was wrong. Suddenly, Helen played the role of "The Evil Husband" in the movie, wearing a strange duck mask, kidnapping the rich wife and extorting money; and Diane played the role of a rock singer in the past, punching the man who didn't respect her.

Forget it, the times have changed, and Diane can turn a blind eye to tolerate his reunion with Helen. He is not lucky enough to enjoy the traditional values ​​of the old Hollywood style of Weintraub.