Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Cannon Pictures changed hands, and Ronald's old friend Minahan was out. According to Hollywood practice, executives' resignations are generally announced six months later. This is to fit the Hollywood workflow, and the resigning executives must complete the projects at hand before leaving.

Minahan has signed Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren to star in the large-scale science fiction action film "Cyb", which has already started filming. So for the time being, he still retains the title of Cannon, and Italian Giancarlo Parretti is only acting in Hollywood as a shareholder for the time being.

However, this northern Italian is not someone who can wait patiently for half a year. He began to call himself the president and chairman of Cannon in Hollywood, and enthusiastically held many parties, going out everywhere to hunt Hollywood female stars.

Many of Cannon's actual businesses are managed by Minahan's cousin Yoram, who is very dissatisfied with Ronald standing on Minahan's side in the conflict between the two. Seeing that the overseas distribution channels of Daydream were about to face unforeseen risks, the management team of Daydream united to warn Ronald and asked him to continue to look for new overseas distribution channels. Otherwise, Daydream's low-cost film strategy would be crippled.

"Okay, what countermeasures do you have? Is there anything you want me to do?" Ronald looked at Michelle Cannold, Dolly Bernstine who had just finished the acquisition of the cinema, and David Simkins who was in charge of production. He knew that they would definitely have to do the work themselves.

The three looked at each other and looked at Dolly Bernstine. Ronald has always been kind to women, and she is easy to talk to.

"We want you to go to Cannes."

"Why?" Ronald looked puzzled. This year, Daydream also had a movie participating in the Cannes Film Festival, but it was a non-competitive screening. It was "The King of Fighters" starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Brooke Shields, purely to sell the movie.

"After Menahan was driven away, we immediately increased our marketing investment in Cannes. Now we just need a famous person to stand on the stage and attract attention."

"Why don't you let Brooke go?" Ronald didn't want to move. Flying across the Atlantic, going to the United States, and then participating in various activities intensively, it was really tiring, and it wasn't like he had a movie to participate in.

"Miss Brooke Shields is now busy accepting various advertising endorsements. We have also cooperated with her in several TV commercials. Her mother wants to buy back the sealed movie "Brenda Starr" from the distributor two years ago and re-release it, but I heard that there is still a shortfall of $200,000."

"Oh..." Ronald knew that the heroine of this movie, Brenda Starr, was a character like Superman's girlfriend Lois, a beautiful reporter who specializes in revealing secrets in the newspaper. In fact, this role is quite suitable for Brooke's transformation.

"Her current value is still relatively high, and our TV commercials will increase her salary." Ronald mentioned that since Brooke still wanted to be an actor, he would help her.

"And Brooke's charm in Europe is not as good as her charm in America and Japan. So we still want you to go. Compared with beautiful women, the Chinese prefer talented men."

"Hahaha..." Ronald was very comfortable with Bernstein's flattery, so let's go. Just treat it as my vacation in China.

Nicita learned about Ronald's journey and quickly asked Richard to accompany him throughout the journey. The agent is inside America, and there are people from CAA to help keep an eye on it. It is difficult for competitors like WA to steal customers. But in Europe, there must be someone to keep an eye on their two most important customers.

"Do you want to take the Concorde?" Richard is now Ronald's personal assistant.

"No, we rent a business jet, and my colleagues can also rest better." Ronald still thinks the Concorde is too noisy. Such an expensive ticket is more crowded than the economy class of ordinary flights.

"Limato called you, please call back." Richard said again.

"Please answer it."

"Hi, Ronald, I heard you're going to Cannes?" The person on the other end of the phone was WA's famous agent Limato, and Richard had to monitor the whole process to feel at ease.

"Yeah, how is the progress?"

"Yes, Michelle (Pfeiffer) is filming in Paris. She told me that she is reading the script of "Steel Magnolias" every day and is fascinated by it. Can you visit the crew in Paris after you are done with your work? She wants to talk to you about the plan to play Steel Magnolias."

"Oh? That's great, I'll arrange it."

Richard smiled beside him. Limato didn't say anything extra, but when he arrived in Paris, he had to follow him. It would be troublesome if Limato secretly flew to Paris and persuaded Ronald to change jobs.

Seeing that the agent's contract was about to expire next year, and Ronald had no intention of starting negotiations, Niceta and him both made up their minds to serve Ronald well, even if they reduced the dividend ratio in the future, they had to keep this big Buddha.

"By the way, you are helping me with something. I am in Los Angeles and I also want to buy a big house. Not in the mountains, but close to downtown Beverly, with good privacy. I don't care too much about the price. Be careful not to let others know that I am interested in buying a house."

"No problem. Beverly Hills Park is going to develop a new luxury residential area. Ovitz has a good relationship with their developer."

Ronald only has two apartments in Los Angeles, which are not comfortable enough. Especially for occasions that require privacy, apartments are always not enough. Even for parties, he has to borrow a big house. A new record dividend has arrived, which is not much less than the last time. Apart from buying Coca-Cola stocks, Ronald really doesn't know how to spend money. It's better to buy a house, similar to the one on Fifth Avenue in New York, as a home.

The problem of not having a suitable place to live in Los Angeles has recently become prominent. Especially the beautiful Kim Basinger has finished filming a movie and formally proposed to date him. The two chatted happily on the phone, but when she heard that Ronald was staying in a hotel in Los Angeles, she laughed so hard that she lost her temper, which made Ronald a little embarrassed.

Basinger said that he would go to her house to watch the unedited film of "Love You 9 1/2 Weeks", and then he would ask Ronald more about editing.

"No, you really asked me about editing?" When he came to Kim Basinger's big house, Ronald saw her setting up a projector. Basinger, who was dressed very casually, put away her sexiness and seemed to be really interested in technical issues.

She was wearing a dark blue silk coat, bending over and fiddling with the projector, as if she couldn't find the switch to start the projection.

Ronald sat on the sofa, looking at it with anger in his heart, why hasn't it been done yet? He stood up directly, stood behind Basinger, put his hands around her, gently stuck the film head on the film reel, then closed the film box and pressed the projection switch next to it.

Kim Basinger turned back and smiled, shook her hair, and the wavy blonde hair brushed Ronald's face, gently pushing Ronald away, leaving a little space. When she looked at him seductively, Ronald felt that her naturally charming eyes might not be so coquettish behind them, and there were some serious ingredients.

It was just captured by the film, which made people think about it involuntarily.

"Are you really going to teach her editing?" Ronald felt that he was going to set a record.

"Do you know? In fact, the film we shot is enough to cut the length of three or four movies." Kim Basinger pulled the curtains, then jumped over quickly, curled up on the sofa, like a sexy Persian cat.

"Really?" Ronald looked at the dimmed lights in the room, and the last ray of sunlight that came through the curtains just happened to shine on Basinger. This projector is designed for wealthy families and can play 35 film in the large living room.

Ronald had seen the movie a long time ago. It was about a female manager of a gallery who was spotted by a banker on Wall Street after her divorce. He used various psychological control techniques to firmly control the heroine played by Basinger.

In the end, because she loved the hero, the female character played by Basinger gave up all her self-esteem and tried various extraordinary behaviors one by one according to the requirements of the hero.

The hero was played by Mickey Rourke. This actor is quite masculine, but he is not tall. Although it can't be seen in the movie, Ronald knew that when the two were filming against each other, the camera was always avoiding them appearing in the middle ground at the same time.

Black stockings, leather goods, flirting with fruits, women dressed as men, and wanton indulgence on the balcony, all kinds of extraordinary behaviors unfolded one by one. The unedited film Basinger bought was much more than the publicly released version. In the released version, the heroine breaks free from the man's control and returns to normal life. The original script is actually the opposite, a dark ending that sinks into desire.

Ronald felt very uncomfortable watching it, especially since the heroine was right next to him.

"What do you think if, I mean if, you want to edit it into a long version, how would you do it?" Basinger was still asking about the editing.

"E on, you acted like this, no matter how you edit it, all the men in America will buy tickets to see it."

Ronald hugged Basinger, pressed his hands into his arms, and kissed him.

"Hmm..." Basinger's nose made a loud sound, she let go of her hands and hugged Ronald tightly. Such a handsome and strong man is exactly what she has dreamed of. And the most important thing in Hollywood is strength.

She left one foot on the sofa, and the other foot took the initiative to rub Ronald's body.

Ronald was furious, and he lifted her up with a force.

"Oh..." Kim Basinger stretched out her throat and gave a satisfied encouragement. The man hugged him tightly, and a wave of heat radiated from his young body, directly ironing his lonely heart.

Basinger's hands were weak, and she could only respond to Ronald's passionate kiss. The dark blue coat was made of silk, and it was kneaded and spread silently...

Ronald reached inside with both hands, and it turned out to be extremely thin stockings. He didn't notice it in the dimly lit room. Moving up, it was a lace garter...

Understanding Basinger's intentions, Ronald untied the silk belt on his coat, and blindfolded her like the plot in the movie.

Thinking of the shots on the film that she would watch when she was lonely, Kim Basinger's face turned red,

"Hmm..." Because of the square syndrome, she had to insist on filming "My Stepmother is an Alien", and Basinger felt more relaxed than ever. She hugged Ronald and didn't let go, and shed tears for no reason.

"Will you come to see me again?" Basinger initially wanted to have a quickie in exchange for more resources, but the psychological security and deep physical release made her feel a huge sense of loss. She wondered if she would ever be able to relive this wonderful feeling again.

"Of course..." Ronald hugged Basinger tightly. This woman was actually very passionate and dedicated to her performance. She was a little childish only for some little girls. Maybe her appearance was too consistent with everyone's stereotypes, so she had to act. A sexy and charming bad woman, the contrast between the inside and outside was so great that she was squeezed to the point of psychological collapse.

"Can you teach me how to edit?" Basinger curled up in Ronald's arms again. This woman is very interesting. She really wants to learn a little bit about editing. If an actress knows more, she will know how to keep a few seconds of close-ups on the screen.

"Hahaha, look here... Mickey can't appear in the mid-shot with you at the same time, otherwise your height will be exposed. You have to put more effort into expressing emotions when taking over-the-shoulder shots..."

Ronald actually gave her a few words of advice. Saying this, he seemed to have stepped on something.

"Ah... don't look, don't look..." Kim Basinger gently hit Ronald with her hand, and then quickly kicked the torn cloth on the floor under the bed on the other side of the carpet, "Ah..." She covered her face with her hands and lay on top of Ronald, not wanting him to see her.

The beautiful woman's mental state is still a bit strange.

"Ah..." Don't look at it, "Ah..." Basinger felt the vitality of the enthusiastic young director again and let out waves of exclamations.

…

"This time, when you go to Cannes, you have some old friends to meet. The Russian-born director Andrei Konchalovsky is directing a stage play in Paris, and he will also go to Cannes to participate in the film festival. Another German woman Natasha Kinski is a judge of the competition section of this Cannes Film Festival. Through her colleagues in the European branch of CAA, she proposed to meet you and there are many film buyers who have interacted with you..."

On the plane the next day, Richard pulled out his schedule. This time try to arrange as many old friends for Ronald as possible so that Limato can take advantage of him.

"Okay, meet you all... I'm mainly here to support them," Ronald said, pointing to Cannold and Bernstine behind them. They are the protagonists of this trip and the main force in exploring the European market.

Yesterday's pleasant and sustained exercise restored Ronald's body's hormone balance. He slept soundly on the plane. The engine noise of the business jet was relatively light, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

"You mean there's no difference between what you're pretending and what's real? Can't men tell the difference?" There was a close-up shot of a man and a woman eating in a restaurant. The man was comedian Billy Crystal, whom Ronald knew.

The scene in "Can't Tell" cuts to the other side, which is Meg Ryan, who plays the wife of the guide Goose in "Top Gun" directed by Ronald.

"Well...well..." Meg Ryan began to make a low voice and brushed her long blond hair.

"Huh?" Ronald was confused. This voice and expression were very familiar to him. Kim Basinger was like this last afternoon and night before she finally broke out.

But the scene of this scene is in a hotel. What is Meg Ryan going to play?

"Are you okay?" Billy Crystal noticed something was wrong with the other party and thought she was sick.

"Uh...ah..." Meg Ryan continued.

Billy Crystal got it, the heroine played by Meg Ryan, and this was a fake show for him on set. He was a little embarrassed and looked around.

"Ah...ah...God, yes, yes..." Meg Ryan screamed louder and louder, and began to slam the table with her hands.

The entire restaurant turned to watch her perform.

"Well...well..." Meg Ryan stopped, and then gave Billy Crystal a wink to show that it was no problem to pretend.

The surroundings were very quiet, leaving only the sound of knives and forks touching plates. Everyone was embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

Only the old lady across the aisle said to the waiter who came to take the order, "I want a dish that she can eat..."

"Yeah..." Ronald was extremely surprised. Are all beautiful women so good at pretending? One afternoon and one night yesterday, was Kim Basinger real or just pretending?

"Mr. Li...Mr. Li, Ronald..." A stewardess called Ronald's name softly. Paris was almost here, and Ronald was still sleeping soundly, with drool drooling from the corner of his mouth.

"Ah...are you real or just pretending?" Ronald yelled and woke up from his chair. The seat belt prevented him from falling off the chair he had placed on it.

"Ah, this is the training of our Pan Atlantic Business Jet Company. When waking up customers, you must speak softly. I am not pretending, sir." The stewardess explained to him.

"Ah, that's what, thank you. I fell asleep." Ronald apologized quietly, and then said, "Please bring me a glass of lemonade, I'm thirsty."

"What kind of movie is this? It stars Billy Crystal. Isn't this part in the script of Nora Ephron? But the casting of the male and female protagonists is a bit similar. When did Meg Ryan act so well? ?" Ronald thought to himself.

"Ronald, are you awake? We will arrive in Paris soon, and director Andrei Konchalovsky will come to pick him up." Richard saw that he was awake and immediately read him the rest of the itinerary.

"Oh, what else are you going to do next?" Ronald slept soundly and was feeling energetic now.

"If you are not tired, Konchalovsky has arranged a salon to welcome you. Many actors from his play will also go to Cannes and want to meet you."

"Okay, no problem." Ronald admired Konchalovsky's "Runaway Train" back then. The Russian style of heaviness and grandeur made him like it as an artist. Maybe Konchalovsky will want to come to Hollywood to make a movie in the future, so he can talk to him.

"Andrei," Ronald hugged Konchalovsky warmly, "How have you been in Europe these years? Hollywood is lonely without you."

"Ronald," Konchalovsky also hugged this friend who recommended him to Menahan Golan and successfully directed two Hollywood movies, and then used Russian etiquette to kiss him three times on the cheek: "It's the same everywhere. Capitalists only think about the return on investment, and no one thinks about the artistry of the film."

"Ah, hahaha..." Ronald complained, "It's because your last movie "Duet in Spring" had big stars like Julie Andrews (the heroine of The Sound of Music) and von Sydow (an all-round actor who can play in Bergman's The Virgin Spring, Woody Allen's Hannah and His Sisters, and the commercial film The Great Escape), but the box office didn't even exceed $10,000!

"How is Menahan now? Didn't he come with you this time? Where's Eric Roberts? I haven't heard from them for a long time. "Konchalovsky asked all the old friends he had worked with in "Runaway Train".

"It's a long story," said Minahan. Eric Roberts, an actor who was once nominated for an Oscar, has slipped rapidly in recent years and no one wants him to act in movies anymore.

"Ha...where are my manners?" Konchalovsky knew that the two old friends might have some problems, so he quickly took Ronald's hand and walked out.

"I am now directing Chekhov's famous work "The Seagull" at the Odeon Theater in Paris. Unlike Hollywood, the critics here respect theater directors more. If I want to direct a movie, I have to get good reviews here first."

"You have succeeded in being able to perform The Seagull at the Odeon. "Ronald also looked at the Paris travel guide on the plane. The Odéon Theatre was built in 1782, and the plays of Hugo and Dumas were premiered here.

"Let me introduce you, this is the heroine of The Seagull, Juliette Binoche," Konchalovsky pointed to a young and beautiful lady outside and introduced Ronald.

"I know you, I saw Therese in your new work "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" on Walter (Murch)'s editing table."

Ronald recognized the actress with a high nose and the temperament of a hair country beauty.

"Nice to meet you too." Binoche smiled and came forward to hug Ronald with hair country etiquette.

"Um, shall we go first?" Ronald was a little regretful. The box office of that movie was not good. He had seen many nude shots of Juliette Binoche on the Murch editing table. Doesn't this opening remark seem a bit too urgent?

No matter, this is hair country anyway.