Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Ronald didn't know that John Hughes fired Howard Deutch for telling him the unpleasant truth because he was jealous of his box office performance.

He had his own things to worry about.

The copies of "Ruthless People" have been printed and will be released at the end of June.

As a producer, Ronald didn't interfere with the filming of this movie with an investment of more than 10 million US dollars.

This first movie released by the newly established "Touchstone" of Disney, invested by the Screen Fund, is a comedy directed by the Jerry Zucker trio who created a billion-dollar movie box office. Ronald didn't think that his comedy talent could give any useful advice to the director team on the set.

So he just went to the crew for a day when the filming started, and by the way, he stood up for Helen Slater, who played the female kidnapper. In addition to letting everyone know that she was his person, he did not interfere with anything directed by Zucker.

Jerry Zucker is similar to himself in that they are both transfer students of Roger Corman Film University. He is also a director with a strong professional ethics in exploitation films, and can basically complete his creation within the budget and shooting plan.

So after that, Ronald simply asked Eddie, who was daydreaming, to watch the crew for a while, and then let it go.

Ronald felt that for a director like Jerry Zucker who knew exactly what he was doing, the most important job of a producer was to keep his promise, attract investment, and never interfere with artistic creation. The director's responsibility was to ensure that the shooting was completed within the planned time and not exceed the budget.

However, after Ronald participated in the last preview before the release, he fell into deep doubt about his so-called "producer concept".

The reaction to the preview was not very good.

The frequency and intensity of the audience's laughter are incomparable to the first two works of the Zach trio, "Airpne!" and "Secret!".

Especially his debut "Airpne!", which grossed 80 million US dollars. There were so many jokes that there was at least one in one minute, or even one every twenty seconds. There were so many parodies. Not only did the critics like it, but the audience also laughed from beginning to end, and many of them had abdominal muscle pain the next day.

But for this "The Evil Husband", the audience at the preview laughed restrainedly. When they laughed, they often smiled knowingly, not indulgently. And the interval between laughter was also very long, and some jokes often lagged for a few seconds before they reacted.

Ronald's brows began to tighten as he watched.

The rhythm of comedy is very important, much more important than that of ordinary movies. If a joke is not felt by the audience, it will not only affect this joke, but also the next one. You may still be thinking about the last joke. When you are about to find out what is funny, the next one has already come.

In this way, you often don't feel the two laughs.

In this "The Evil Husband", the phenomenon of delayed laughs frequently occurs. This is not a problem of the rhythm of one or two laughs, but there may be problems in the whole movie. The laughter that was originally 10 points in intensity may be disturbed by this rhythm and only 6 points.

Not only did Ronald frown, but when he saw that the audience around him did not laugh at the right time, he would sigh "tsk...tsk...".

Others did not hear it, but Helen Slater, who was sitting next to him and hugged his arm tightly, heard it clearly.

At first, she looked at Ronald and signaled him not to be so rude to watch movies. Later, she was also affected by Ronald and her face slowly fell.

At the end of the preview, Helen's face was pale, and her two big blue eyes seemed to start crying.

Ronald comforted her, "Don't worry, the audience's reaction is okay, maybe it will be a big hit when it is officially screened? My Top Gun also experienced the same situation. ”

This is Helen’s third movie that has been released in theaters. She played the leading role in the first two movies, but both failed at the box office. If this movie fails, she will be out of the game and say goodbye to her film career.

Even if you are the daughter of the president of the seven major studios, no one dares to use her in an important role in a big production.

Helen, who knew this well, leaned her head on Ronald’s shoulder and hugged him tightly.

Ronald felt that Helen in his arms was shaking slightly because of nervousness and fear. He didn’t know how to comfort her for a while, so he had to use his hands to slowly soothe her back.

She is very dedicated to her acting career, but this kind of thing can’t be forced. If Helen has something on her mind and triggers depression, Ronald doesn’t know what to do.

Her father Gerard entrusted his daughter to him, and he introduced her to roles. But the quality of the movie is really related to too many factors, and the box office is not as simple as hard work and rewards.

"Congratulations! "The male lead, Danny DeVito, is a short, balding comedian. He came over and held the hand of Bette Midler, the female comedian who played the kidnapped rich girl, and congratulated her.

"Thank you, you too."

Bette Midler is not good-looking, she is a little fat, and her main job is a singer. The movie she starred in before was also a biographical movie about a singer. This is her transition to comedy.

The two said congratulations, but the expressions on their faces told another terrible story.

"I'm done, what about you?"

"I'm done too."

Ronald watched all this silently from the side, and became more worried about everything.

This was the most uncomfortable preview he had ever attended. The audience was not in high spirits, and the actors all had doomsday expressions on their faces.

Danny DeVito had previously played a comedic supporting role in "Emerald" starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. This time, he was going to take advantage of Hollywood's top comedy director Jerry Zucker to move towards the leading role in one fell swoop.

This preview was frustrating, but he was still a gold medal supporting actor, and he could still play a small supporting role if he retreated. Soon he changed his face and started to build relationships with producer Ronald and director Zucker.

"I watched Top Gun, Ronald, it's really a masterpiece. When can I get in the cockpit of a fighter and fly a plane?"

Ronald had just comforted Helen and made her smile again. He was about to chat with Jerry Zucker, and he was a little impatient when he was interrupted by him.

"Danny, can you give Jerry and I some privacy?"

Ronald, who was not smiling, looked serious and a little scary.

"I was just joking, joking." Danny DeVito quickly backed away from the corner, leaving the space for the producer and director.

"What do you think, Jerry?" Ronald pulled Jerry Zucker together to talk about the reaction to the preview. He handed over a cigarette, and Zucker took it and lit it on Ronald's lighter. The two of them puffed and puffed for a while.

"I don't know, Ronald. I want to transform the comedy style in this movie. I will no longer insist on the rhythm of a big laugh every minute. This movie is actually a comedy in a serious way. We hope that the audience can find the absurdity and funny in the story itself, instead of us feeding them with verbal jokes. Do you understand?"

"I understand, I don't mean to interfere with your directing method." Ronald took an ashtray, held it in his hand, and let Jerry Zucker knock off the ash.

"I appreciate this. You are knowledgeable. I insisted on this transformation. We can't continue to produce such dense jokes. Transformation is a matter of time, otherwise the audience will get tired of this inexplicable sense of humor before we do.

David and Jim actually disagree with my decision. But artistic creation always takes risks. If we don't take this step, we will be eliminated by the audience if we stay where we are."

"Hey... I understand, I understand." Ronald also took a big puff of cigarette. It's not good to blame Jerry Zucker too much now. For the sake of artistic breakthrough, he even destroyed the iron triangle relationship between his brothers and buddies.

"I just want to ask you, what do you think of the box office prospects?" Ronald asked in a low voice. After all, he is the producer and is responsible for the box office of the entire movie.

"I can't say for sure. I heard that your preview of Top Gun wasn't well received. The preview of Unprecedented and Unrepeatable wasn't as good as the official release. If you think I need to make further changes, I will."

"I'm just a little surprised by those delayed jokes... Never mind, the copies have been made, and the cost of re-editing is too high. And I can't offer any useful suggestions. I believe in your artistic vision."

Ronald began to regret that he should have interfered with the progress of the filming more often. It seems that the trio had artistic disagreements during the filming. If they had intervened earlier, they might have been able to save some of the differences.

But it's redundant to say anything now, so let's keep the dignity of an artist.

"Ronald, thank you. But we may not lose. Those delayed jokes were deliberately designed by me. The humor of this movie is not so dense, so the audience has enough time to savor the absurdity and irony in the plot."

The two hugged each other tightly, as artists who understand each other.

"Wish us good luck." Jerry Zucker adjusted his glasses and said to Ronald.

"I really need good luck." Ronald replied.

If the box office fails, Ronald will have screwed Michael Eisner and the deputy commander's eldest son.

The touchstone of the first film that had just been released was about to suffer a serious failure. And the second phase of the Screen Fund failed in the first investment in George Jr., and he would be laughed at by those noble brothers for a long time.

Maybe he had to make a move again to make sure that the two friends who believed in him and suffered losses would not continue to lose money because of his mistakes as a producer.

The audience began to leave, and Ronald hurried to the bathroom to eavesdrop.

This time they did not discuss the plot of the movie or any memorable lines with each other, but talked about their own things.

Did they not make money in the economic recovery like the protagonist? How hateful those rich people are. They make money by stealing the ideas and creativity of talented people, and they don't give the poor people the rewards they deserve after they get rich.

It's very responsive, but is it good or bad?

Ronald touched his head and had no idea. He returned to the screening room, where Helen was still waiting for him.

Helen was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, with her hair tied casually behind her head, and she looked like an outstanding beauty.

“Where are we going?” She looked at Ronald with her big almond eyes.

Helen failed completely in her audition for "The Secret of Success." Director Herbert Ross found Kristy McNichol (Kristyichol) recommended by his close friend Barbra Streisand to play the heroine.

A large number of actresses are concentrated in the age group of 18 to 35. Without a good relationship, it is impossible to have the opportunity to star in a large-investment movie in the theater.

It was only after Helen was ruthlessly rejected in the second round of auditions that she deeply understood the importance of relationships. She had no choice but to make amends and hold on tightly to her only relationship, commercial film wizard Ronald.

Kristy McNicol's relationship is much deeper than her relationship with Herbert Ross. Herbert Ross was originally Streisand's choreographer, and most of the Broadway actors belonged to this circle.

And Kristy McNichol is not unknown. She was also a child star. In 1980, she starred in the hit comedy "Little Darlgs" with Tatum O'Neal, who was also a child star. ".

It's a pity that her appearance and acting skills are not as good as Tatum O'Neal and Jodie Foster, two actors with the same background as child stars, and have not had many opportunities.

But of the two competitors, one had no acting roles after graduating from Yale, and the other did not get a good teenage role and successfully transitioned. He just married American tennis player McEnroe last month and temporarily retired from the entertainment industry.

This opportunity fell on her head instead.

It seems that as long as you stay in the entertainment industry long enough, you still have a chance to get one or two big productions.

"I'm not going anywhere, just sit with me for a while." Ronald put his arm around Helen, and the two of them sat in the empty screening room.

"Let them show the movie again," Ronald told the Touchstone staff.

"Even if you fail, you still have to figure out where your shots are not going well." Ronald has always been persistent in professional matters.

The lights dimmed again, and only Ronald and Helen watched the movie from the beginning.

Helen plays a female kidnapper. Her and her husband's patented invention was stolen by a rich man's son-in-law played by Danny DeVito. After making a fortune themselves, they want to get back what they deserve by kidnapping the rich girl. Half a million patents.

"Tsk..." Ronald sighed when he saw the scene on the screen where Helen wore Huey and Dewey's duck mask and kidnapped the rich girl into her home.

It seems that any movie that has anything to do with Donald Duck's family has bad luck. Lucas' Howard the Duck has basically failed, and it has also implicated two Universal executives.

The pacing of the movie is a bit unlike a traditional Zack comedy. Helen's performance is particularly different from others. Pay attention to her performance this time, which made Ronald, who was used to watching classic Hollywood movies, feel a bit out of his element.

Then the rich girl was arrogant in the basement, and Helen played the role of a frustrated little daughter-in-law. Instead, she was conquered by the rich girl and did not dare to abuse the hostage too much, but fried steak for her.

"Tsk..." When Ronald heard her lines, she also gave people a strong stage accent, which was very dramatic.

Helen saw that every time she appeared, spoke, or made any physical movements, Ronald would make a tsk sound, and she was frightened.

"Did I really do such a bad job? What did Ronald want to say by leaving me here?"

She looked at the screen, and indeed the second time she watched it, she felt out of place with the others' relaxed acting style.

"Hmm..." Helen panicked, holding Ronald's arm and burying her head on his chest. She didn't dare to look at the screen anymore, and she didn't want Ronald to comment on her acting skills anymore.

"Did I ruin the whole movie? Woohoo..."

"Turn on the lights..." Ronald raised his hand and told the staff to pause the screening.

"Don't panic, honey. I think I've found the problem."

"Where?"

Helen, whose almond-shaped eyes were a little red and swollen from crying, looked at Ronald with tears in her eyes.

"When you were performing, were you listening to yourself talking?" Ronald called the staff and asked him to replay the clip of Helen talking.

"Me?" Helen looked at her performance on the screen and thought for a moment.

"Yes, I'm very nervous. Director Jerry Zucker is a well-known comedy director. I asked him for a lot of advice on the character's mentality, the highest task, and what tone should be used to perform."

"No wonder, every time you read your lines, you always pay attention to your tone, stress, and intonation, so that your lines are a little different from how normal people should speak."

"What does a normal person talk like?" Helen no longer dared to ignore Ronald's opinion. She also felt that there was a big gap between her performance and the other protagonists.

"When normal people speak, they always pay attention to what others say, rather than what they say. Maybe in the future, you should allocate more attention to your opponent's actors instead of thinking about how you should say your lines to fit the role."

"Is that so?" Helen was stunned for a moment. How could she not pay attention to such a simple thing?

"Yes, you have taken more acting classes than me. You should have heard that acting is about acting out reactions."

“Acting is acting out reactions.”

Helen Slater muttered to herself, then burst into laughter. The real trick is sometimes so simple, and was revealed by her lover's words. It's ridiculous that she has taken so many acting training courses.

She was surprised to find that she also had a few shots. She didn't pay too much attention to how she should act, but it seemed more natural.

Helen hugged Ronald tightly and gave him a kiss.

"I'm so stupid, Ronnie. It seems that you know more about acting than me. I will listen to you in the future."

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