Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Ronald still underestimated the number of people Shirley MacLaine had offended. After she won the Best Actress award, she kept talking about her past life, aliens, and UFOs in every interview and party, and soon she had no friends.

It seems that the Oscar curse will not let a victim go just because of an unprecedentedly confident acceptance speech.

"Ronald, you promised me, you must come." MacLaine's 50th birthday party couldn't be deserted without anyone in the circle to support her, so she called Ronald and asked him to come. "

"I will," Ronald was preparing for the post-release marketing tour of "Breakdancing". Minahan contacted movie theaters and disco nightclubs in major cities across the country, and the three leading actors would perform breakdancing throughout the whole process to promote the movie.

Ronald only had to attend the meet-and-greet events in several major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He would have to dance a few times at that time.

"Where is your party held?"

"At the Spotlight Club in New York."

"Ah? "Ronald had no idea that Shirley MacLaine's "reputation" had forced her to avoid Hollywood and go to New York to hold a party in order to find enough celebrities to attend.

Well, even if he went home to see his aunt, Ronald also wanted to meet the people in the film industry there.

The day before MacLaine's birthday, Ronald flew back to New York. He had a happy dinner with his aunt and Donna.

Donna finally applied to MIT and chose this university with a strong engineering atmosphere. Although the acceptance rate here is higher than Harvard and Yale, the average SAT score of students is better.

Ronald promised Donna that he would send her to MIT for enrollment in the fall semester.

The next night, Ronald put on his handmade suit and came to the Lilight Club on Sixth Avenue. It just opened at the end of last year. It was originally a church and was converted into a nightclub.

As a nightclub mainly featuring disco and rock music, it is combined with the interior of the church. , a strange feeling that can't be described.

Ronald found that he didn't know many people from the film industry who came here. Although he studied at the Tisch School of New York University, he didn't have much contact with the so-called New York film industry. Most of the filmmakers here like to make art films, and the budget is even lower than Ronald's exploitation films.

Many times, they only make a few thousand dollars with a 16mm camera. Of course, they don't care much about the box office, but more about winning one or two awards at some film festival.

"Ronald," Shirley MacLaine stood up in person to welcome Ronald to celebrate her 50th birthday.

"Happy birthday to you, Shirley," Ronald kissed the actress.

"Let me introduce you to the people in the New York film industry," Shirley MacLaine was very grateful that Ronald came.

"This is Robert Downey Jr." Shirley first introduced a director with sideburns, "He is about to shoot his first Hollywood work, which is invested by MGM/United Artists."

"Oh, is Downey Jr. your son? I have seen him in Hollywood. "Ronald remembered that Robert Downey was also one of the people who auditioned for "The Karate Kid".

"That's my son", old Downey was still very proud of his talented actor son.

"This is Andrei from the Soviet Union", McLean introduced the second guest, Andrei Konchalovsky, a film director who defected from the Union.

"Nice to meet you!" Ronald knew this name, he had done a lot of screenwriting work for Tarkovsky, and he was also a director, and had made the film "Uncle Vanya" adapted from Chekhov's famous novel.

"Hello, I heard from Shirley that you are also a director?" Konchalovsky is a tall man, with good English and a Russian accent.

"Yes, I make Hollywood exploitation films."

"Andrei", Shirley MacLean secretly told Konchalovsky about Ronald's background, this is a hit director who is about to take off.

"Ha, I came to America just to make the movies I want to make. You know, there are always various restrictions there..." Konchalovsky immediately started chatting with Ronald enthusiastically.

"Are you making a movie in Hollywood now?" Ronald asked.

"I have made my first feature film in America, but no distributor is willing to distribute it yet."

"What movie is it?" Ronald felt a little strange. Such a successful and famous director would definitely be interested here.

"Maria's Lovers", Konchalovsky replied, starring Nastassja Kinski.

"Oh", Ronald nodded. Kinski is indeed an actor that European directors like to use. After Coppola's "Old Love, New Love" completely failed at the box office, she probably did not do well in America and could not get scripts for mainstream productions.

"Natasha, Natasha!" Konchalovsky turned around and shouted to the other side, "Come and meet the young Cossacks in Hollywood. ”

Konchalovsky was attracted to this movie by her when she was having dinner with Kinski, and she tried her best to persuade Konchalovsky to shoot it first, and she was willing to take a pay cut to play the leading role of Maria.

“Hi, Natasha,” Ronald smiled and hugged Natasha Kinski, and in her surprised eyes, he replied to Konchalovsky, “We have known each other for a long time.”

"That's great. Natasha is also the promoter of this movie. We can just talk to him about whether it can be distributed in America."

"You...can control the distribution channels now?" Natasha Kinski looked at Ronald. The boy who took audition photos for himself back then has now climbed to the upper echelons of Hollywood. Even Konchalov Sky is trying to please him to sell the film.

"Misunderstanding, I'm just a director who makes exploitation films." Ronald said modestly. Distributing a movie is not something he can handle. The most he can do is talk to Minahan and let him see if it's worth releasing. .

"Can I exchange a business card with you? I asked a friend to invest part of this movie. It is a good movie that reflects the devastation of war on human nature and love. Ivan came back from the battlefield of World War II and suffered from mental trauma , marries his lover Maria, but cannot be humane...

...In the end, Ivan killed Clarence, who was having an affair with Maria, and adopted Maria's illegitimate son. In the end, love defeated the trauma of the war, and the two were able to live together again. "

"No problem," Ronald and Natasha Kinski exchanged business cards. Kinski's friend invested a lot of money, but now no publisher is willing to publish it, and she is a little panicked.

But do these people just start filming their movies without finding distribution channels in advance? The ideas of these Europeans are really different from those of Hollywood. And the plot of this movie...well...only Europeans will like it.

"Well, I will be in Los Angeles next month, and we will meet and chat then." Natasha Kinski looked at Ronald again and again. In less than two years, how could he have changed so much?

Ronald turned around again. Many people in the New York film industry are very good at saying that if you catch him, no matter his identity, just have a chat. But they can't get much money. The film industry is not big in New York, and many low-level directors and actors lack opportunities.

"Dang-dang-dang-dang..." A bell rang, a big cake was pushed out, Shirley MacLean gave a brief speech to everyone, and she blew out the candles as everyone sang happy birthday to you.

"Congratulations!" Ronald stepped forward and kissed Shirley goodbye.

"Don't go, why is there no girl you like here? I think you and Natasha are having a good conversation."

"We are old acquaintances. I have taken audition photos for her before." Ronald smiled.

"That's just right. She doesn't have a big Hollywood star now, so she's out." Shirley MacLean hinted, "Do you have plans for your next movie? I think you two may have been destined in a previous life."

"Not yet, I have two movies coming out this summer, so it all depends on the outcome."

"Ha, don't you like European beauties? Come, let me introduce you to an American beauty."

Shirley MacLean pulled Ronald to prevent him from leaving early, and I will introduce you to another beauty, "This is another heroine of Coppola, dangdang... the new era Grace Kelly, Diane Lane.”

"Why are you here?" Ronald looked at Diane's big eyes and was stunned.

"I came here with Bert, thank you Ms. McLean, Ronald and I are old acquaintances, and his sister is a good friend of mine."

"Ahahaha...Then I won't disturb you." Shirley went to greet other guests.

"Are you not happy?" Ronald saw Diane wearing a blue shirt and black skirt. She looked mature and beautiful. It’s just that the make-up still has some remnants of the Cotton Club style, which makes it look a bit classic.

Diane had actually seen Ronald a long time ago, but she had been with her father Bert. Now Bert went to drink and chat with other people, and she came over.

"Nothing," Diane flipped her hair.

"Tell me, what happened?" Ronald thought that something was wrong with her, so he pulled Diane aside and questioned her carefully.

It turns out that Diane's movie "Streets of Rage" has been postponed again. The just-finished "Cotton Club" has come under a lot of pressure. Even Orion Pictures was forced to issue a statement, saying that even if "Cotton Club" fails at the box office, it will not affect the company's cash flow.

Although there is still a chance before the movie is released, the producers and distributors are talking like this, which is obviously not optimistic about Coppola's finished film.

Ronald mentally pulled his fingers, "Betta Fish", "Rage Streets", "Cotton Club", Diane is obviously afraid of being like Natasha Kinski, striking out and being abandoned by the mainstream of Hollywood.

"It's okay, I think your angry street photos look great." Ronald comforted her quickly and touched Diane's head.

"You just don't like the Cotton Club," Diane read between the lines. It seems Ronnie still likes his appearance in "Streets of Rage." He raised his hand and hit Ronald twice.

"But Streets of Rage hasn't been cut out yet." Diane was troubled again.

"Ah? It's been packed for almost a year, right?" Ronald was surprised. The filming of "Streets of Rage" was almost finished at this time last year, and the subsequent scenes were just a set of reshoots. How come it hasn't been edited yet?

"I heard that the story couldn't be connected. They tried many ways but couldn't cut it into a complete story."

"Don't worry, you won't be asked to act. I think you are a very good actor." Ronald suddenly felt that Diane was so miserable. Her father Bert's idea of ​​​​selecting movies was still too old. Quasi-directors and producers don’t seem to be very useful now.

"I'm not worried. At worst, I can just quit the film industry. Anyway, I've made more than two million dollars over the years, and Bert has put it in my bank account. It doesn't matter if I don't work in the future."

"Don't say that. You are born to be an actress, the new generation of Grace Kelly. If you don't act, the American film industry will suffer a great loss." Ronald heard another girl who wanted to quit the film industry say this, and immediately encouraged her.

Unlike Brooke Shields, Diane has really developed extraordinary acting skills since she was a child. If she doesn't act in movies, it will be a big loss.

"Diane," Bert came over from the side with a red face from drinking, and he went home with his daughter.

"Bert," Ronald hugged him, "Are you okay? I'll take you home."

"Okay, thank you," Bert agreed. He drank a little too much.

When they got home, Bert let his daughter go in first. During this time, Diane returned to her old ways and lived with him.

"Ronald, I made a mistake. I didn't listen to you and let Diane play Tom Cruise's "Crazy Boys". Now the movies I selected have problems. Maybe I'm old and can't keep up with the times. Let Diane decide on her own when she chooses movies.

Please don't forget her if you have any opportunities in the future.

Ugh..."

Ronald patted Bert on the back to make him feel better.

"Don't worry, Diane's acting skills have been cultivated by you. I will take care of her when I have the right opportunity."