Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"This is very unusual, Ronald. Generally speaking, the MPAA rarely overturns previous classification decisions. This must be someone targeting us." After receiving the news, two producers, Lin Sen and Azoff, rushed to the editing room. Show your support to Ronald and discuss a solution.

"The MPAA's rating description is very clear. They received a joint letter of protest from many industry insiders, so they re-examined the rating decision.

This time they 'carefully' discovered that there were frontal and full-body exposure shots, which did not meet the R-rated regulations. As long as we reprocess the footage, it can be submitted for review again.

If you're lucky, you can get R-level again. "

Ronald spoke slowly, calling up a frontal shot of Jennifer Jason Leigh and Robert Romanus on the editing table. It took a lot of effort to make it.

"Good luck?" Agent Richard was also by his side and asked Ronald.

CAA found out about the X-rated movie, and Richard stayed with Ronald throughout the day, buying him food and helping with some chores.

At this time, he was worried that Ronald would be under too much pressure. Since X-rated films began to be classified as such, they are generally considered to be adult films by audiences.

If it hadn't been revised, Ronald would have kissed goodbye to his dream of a box-office success with his first movie.

"Have you forgotten? At that time, Zeffirelli's 'Endless Love', starring Brooke Shields, was submitted for review because it was PolyGram. It was reviewed five times in total before the X rating was removed and it got an R."

"You have a good mentality, Ronald. This is not a problem of your editing level at all, but of Mount, the bastard, who has connected many old stubborns in Universal's top management to cause trouble."

Producer Lin Sen knew very well that the film he produced was involved in a high-level struggle and was used as a stick by the two presidents to attack each other.

The box office of "Alien" has broken many records. The number of theaters where it was released has increased from more than 1,100 to more than 1,300. The calls for more copies are still coming from the front. Come.

Tom Mount opposed ET's project establishment and filming. If he didn't catch a point to fight back, he would be kicked out the day ET successfully completed the first round of screenings.

Of course, a CEO of a major studio would still hold a golden parachute even if he was laid off. Millions, tens of millions of dollars in severance pay, plus investment in opening a production company of their own, and finally signing a film underwriting and distribution agreement with their new company for more than five years.

There are too many bad things in the film industry, and these hush money payments have become industry management. Mount is no exception.

"We will unite and fight against those old diehards. They are all old men who had great success before the 1950s. They have no understanding of today's film market. They don't know what kind of movies can attract audiences."

As a producer for the MCA faction, Azoff was firmly in Sheinberg's shoes.

"Yes, Mr. Spielberg will also speak for you." Richard also agreed.

"But what are you going to do about this censorship opinion, Ronald?" Lin Sen is still a director, even though the box office failed. But he knew that this specific review opinion was not easy to bypass.

It must be honestly revised, coupled with the efforts of Sheinberg's faction within Universal, to publicize the MPAA, in order to regain the letter R.

"Reshooting is impossible. The male lead Romanus has found a new job and started filming a TV series. And Jennifer is in mourning. Now calling her to shoot an explicit scene is equivalent to giving Mount the opportunity to exploit Jewish girls. "Truth."

Ronald said softly, twisting the control knob of the editing table in his hand and watching this piece of film repeatedly.

One of Tom Mount's excuses for connecting old diehards is that he took advantage of Jennifer Jason Leigh's eagerness to debut and forced him to take off his clothes and make a teen exploitation film.

Now that Vic Morrow has suffered a violent death, he must stand up for his daughter. We cannot let a young director do such a thing to a beautiful Jewish girl who is as precious as a treasure, the future Barbra Streisand. Originally, there were not many beautiful girls from this ethnic group.

"What should we do? Cut it?" producer Azoff asked.

"I have considered that the advantage of doing this is of course that it can pass the MPAA review immediately, but this is the core of the two characters Stacey and scalper Mike. If they are cut, these two characters will not be established."

"Relax, you will always find a way." Producer Lin Sen came over and poured Ronald a glass of water. "We went to have a meeting with CAA's Niceta and Ovitz, and we joined forces with Steven, who is now popular, to counter them at a higher level.

Make sure that this modification of yours will not be messed with again. Steven is grateful that you fought back against Landis and didn't let him spread the rumor that Steven was there. "

Ronald took the water and nodded. Continuing to look at the footage at the editing table, "Close the door for me, Richard, I need to concentrate."

No matter how the two producers discussed it with the people at CAA. No matter how they took advantage of Spielberg's ET sales and the advantage brought to Sheinberg, they tried every means to counter Mount's offense.

Ronald is still fighting in the editing room. He watched this scene over and over again, and finally came up with something for him.

The MPAA's reexamination opinion clearly stated the reasons for the X rating. This scene shows high school students having sex, and they have frontal nudity from top to bottom.

Although this shot was shot to show the tension and loss of control of Stacey and Mike. After watching it, the audience will only feel a fear of young men and women tasting the forbidden fruit. They will never have the idea of ​​yearning.

But the rules are the rules. After being collectively complained, the MPAA cannot turn a blind eye to the movies of the seven major companies such as Universal as usual.

Just like Spielberg's previous work "The Lost Ark of the Covenant", there are obviously many violent scenes, gun battles, sword fights, etc., because it was distributed by Paramount, produced by Lucas, and directed by Spielberg, it was randomly given a PG rating.

PG is the level that parents are recommended to accompany, so that those children can watch Harrison Ford shoot down the villain chief with one shot, be chased by a big stone ball and almost die, and kiss a woman passionately. In order to save the box office of American movies, the MPAA is actually not so strict in front of the seven major studios.

So the problem now is that Ronald has to give an explanation to the MPAA, an explanation that "I have made sincere changes according to your review." Then look at Sheinberg's.

The MPAA clearly stated which parts did not meet the rating. The main problem of being rated X is that the male and female protagonists are completely naked. In fact, as long as the lower half of the picture can be deleted, the X rating can be avoided.

The problem is that deleting part of the picture inside a certain shot in this way cannot be consistent with the original film. The audience will notice that the frame of the deleted picture suddenly jumps and then becomes smaller, and thus realize what the director has done, and it is difficult not to be out of the play.

Reshooting the scenes of the male and female protagonists is also an option, but it is difficult for the actors to find the original feeling. This scene was shot by the two actors after the scene was cleared with a feeling of gain and loss, which just fits the mood of the characters.

It would be great if this part of the film could be cut off from the off-duty part of the picture, and then re-exposed and combined with the original film. In this way, the picture that the audience sees is like a crop of the original camera frame, and then enlarged back to the original frame, and the audience will not feel that the picture is wrong.

"Huh? I think I have seen a machine that can achieve this function somewhere." Ronald seemed to have a hint of inspiration in his mind, but he didn't catch it. He stood up and turned around anxiously.

"What's wrong with you, Ronald?" Richard, his agent who was with him in the editing room, looked at him, thinking that he was too anxious. "If it doesn't work, we CAA will come forward to help you invite the actors back to reshoot, and we can say that it was an extra shot taken at that time."

"No, reshooting cannot reproduce the actor's performance." After more than two months of Coppola's instructions, Ronald was very clear that he did not have much experience in directing actors when shooting "Fast Pace". This shot happened to be one of the few shots that were shot well by accident.

"I'm just thinking of a machine that can help me solve the problem of picture editing. I must have seen this machine somewhere, but I can't remember what it is called."

"Do you have any impression? I can help you think."

"I seem to be with Roger Corman. But not at New Century Productions."

"Was there anyone else at the time?"

"I seem to remember Johnny Carson's voice."

"Johnny Carson? Were you watching the Tonight Show with Corman?"

"No, there should be someone next to me."

"Oh, it's the cultural counselor of the Soviet Union Embassy. Can you help me find it? At last year's Oscars, there was a technical award given to the inventor of a machine. What was the name of that machine?"

Richard immediately called the CAA mailroom and found the list of winners of last year's Oscars.

"That device is called an optical printer."

"Yes, it's called an optical printer."

Ronald remembered the name and immediately found producer Lin Sen to coordinate the rental of a film optical printer for editing.

"First, make a copy of this part of the film, then cut out Mike's lower body shot in proportion for each frame, and finally use a film optical printer to copy it to the original size, and finally replace this part of the film."

Ronald told the film editor and special effects worker his requirements in the film editing room of Universal.

"Your idea is good, it's hard for you to think of cutting it this way."

The special effects worker smiled bitterly. The original intention of this machine was to make the special effects composite shot of the TIE fighter fighting the X-wing fighter in "Star Wars". Now it is used to cut out the sensitive parts of an actor.

"Hahaha, I can't help it." Ronald laughed.

The new film that was replaced was re-edited in. Universal remade a copy as quickly as possible and sent it to the MPAA for re-examination.

At the same time, Sheinberg also received a call from Spielberg, asking him to escort Ronald's film this time, get the MPAA's R rating, and release it on time.

"This kid has helped me again. Landis is like a mad dog now, biting whoever he catches. We can no longer indulge him and Tom Mount to cause trouble. I heard that he has gathered a group of old Universal employees to write a joint letter and complain everywhere. What do they want to do?"

"Steven, the National Day weekend is coming soon, and ET is at a critical moment. The box office is expected to exceed 100 million soon. We are stepping up the printing of copies, and it is possible to increase the number of theaters to 1,500 next week.

According to this momentum, ET's box office is likely to surpass your friend George's "Star Wars A New Hope", making you the highest-grossing single-film film in America again.

At this time, it's best not to cause trouble. As for Mount, I already have a plan to deal with him. "

Spielberg was silent for a while, "I don't want Ronald to be hurt. He is a very good film director. If his first film fails at the box office, I'm afraid he will lose confidence.

Remember? Sidney. When I was shooting Jaws, I was overdue and over budget. If it weren't for your support..."

"I understand, Steven." Sheenberg didn't expect Spielberg to have such a high opinion of Ronald, "I will try my best to ensure that his movie is released on schedule."

"It just so happens that all major studios are transforming to shoot youth movies. Disney's "The Texas Man" and Paramount's "Grease II" are all part of this trend. This is also good, just in time to see the quality of this Ronald director." Sheenberg said to himself after hanging up the phone.