Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   "Oh, I see. It's okay, thank you anyway." Ronald hung up the phone.

   "Huh...and...?" Michelle Cannold, the distribution manager, looked at Ronald's face and asked cautiously.

   Seeing Ronald nod, general manager Eddie, publishing assistant Dolly Bernsteen, and the others let out another "Hey" in unison.

   But they knew that they couldn't complain about the boss Ronald. After saying "hey" for a while, they immediately shut up and began to pretend that they didn't care much about the failure.

   Ronald has made three phone calls from the office, to Ned Tanin of Paramount, Weintraub of MGM, and Joseph Farrow, vice president of Twentieth Century Fox.

   The three of them were very enthusiastic about Ronald, but when they heard about the mpaa's rating, they all said they couldn't help.

   The reason given by them is also very simple. The rating of mpaa is handled by a subordinate rating committee. In order to maintain objectivity, member film companies generally do not interfere with the ratings of copies sent by other film companies.

   "Ronald, this will take time. Let's do it in two steps. On the one hand, we will cut out some pictures and then send the comments again. On the other hand, we will find some people who have the right to speak out and speak for you."

  Nisita has been in the industry for the longest time, and he knows that it takes time and very careful detours to influence the rating agencies of mpaa. Ronald's calls were not immediately answered, which is actually quite normal.

"Yes, Rick is right. Even if they want to help you, they can't use their company's relationship to help a film from another company. I'll make an appointment with their secretary to see if I can take a break. Talk to them outside the company." Richard agreed immediately, then went to the next office and started making calls.

   "Okay, you can help me make an appointment with them." Ronald nodded.

   "Then I will inform Mr. Murch to deal with the low-scoring footage in the first rating opinion, and see if I can modify a version first." General Manager Eddie said he would also deal with the re-cut.

"Then let's go to contact the rating department of mpaa, talk to them again, and find out more about some being rated as r, whether there are other reasons. Those foul passages written on the documents are not necessarily the real reasons." Issuance Department Two of them also went to their office to contact them to send a comment again.

   Ronald sat in his chair and did not speak for a while. He didn't look angry or frustrated, but rather calm.

"However, calm on the outside does not necessarily mean that there is no frustration inside." Nisita was the last person to stay in Ronald's office. He knew that this young client had been smooth sailing, but encountered a minor setback by chance. It is admirable not to show it on the face.

  Ronald was very nice to his subordinates and never spoke to them condescendingly. Therefore, the employees have always liked this boss very much. The relationship that Ronald sought for this rating was useless. They didn't want to embarrass Ronald, so they chose to pretend they didn't hear these phone calls.

   A group of people in the office silently packed up their documents and things, and quietly backed out. They tried not to make any noise when they exited. As if afraid of disturbing Ronald, who was meditating behind his desk. …

  Nisita saw that all the subordinates had left, and came over to hold Ronald's shoulders again, "Relax, this is just a temporary retreat. I think you can handle it."

   "Close the door and lock it." Ronald suddenly spoke to Nisita, and then from lying on his back, he suddenly wanted to lean forward, moving his chair to the writing desk. Then he took out the key from his briefcase, opened a door with a safe at the bottom of the desk, and found something inside.

   "Uh, okay." Nisita felt that she still underestimated Ronald's concentration. This guy really doesn't take setbacks as a big deal. The relaxed and natural look just now is definitely not a pretense.

  After seeing the door closed, Ronald nodded, motioned Nisita to sit down with his eyes, then took out a hardcover address book from the drawer, Ronald started to turn it over, there was no contact information of several people in it.

   "I don't want other people to know about this contact, so I just leave you." Ronald found the phone number he needed and started to pick up the phone to dial.

   "Hello, is that Wendy? Hello, I'm Ronald, Ronald Lee. We met Mr. Jack Valenti when we went across the Pacific.

  Yes, yes, it was the director who filmed breakdance who first met him in Cannes.

  Is Mr. Valenti free? I've got a business with him... well, thank you, Wendy. "

  Ronald wrote down the scheduled meeting time in his notebook, and later tomorrow morning, he will go to the American Film Association, or mpaa (motionpictureassociationofamerica), to meet their president, Jack Valenti.

   "You know Jack Valentine?" Nisita jumped up from her chair when she heard the name.

"Yeah, I accompany him to the other side of the Pacific Ocean, he owes me a small favor, I'll go and talk to him." Ronald winked at Nisita, "Be careful of confidentiality, this is one of my trump cards. ."

  …

  The Motion Picture Association of America (mpaa) headquarters in Los Angeles, just off the Hollywood Walk of Fame and not far from Roger Coleman's New World.

  Jack Valenti has left the assistant position of Lyndon Johnson since 1966 and joined Hollywood as the president of this industry self-regulatory organization. This year is the twentieth year.

  During his tenure as president, Valenti did a lot of promotion and beneficial industry development for mpaa, and was known as the number one salesman in Hollywood.

  Jack Valenti's recent goal is to open up other movie markets around the world, especially in that ancient country across the Pacific. Ronald has a very good reputation there, and the delegation that he formed with Gregory Pike last time was highly praised there.

   For such a young director who can represent Hollywood and have a good relationship with the overseas film market, Jack Valenti did not hesitate to greet him at the gate.

   "Hi Ronald. You're still so vibrant, and seeing a young man like you always makes me feel old."

   "Ha, Mr. Valenti, I envy your energy. Last time you visited the Great Wall, you climbed faster than me."

   Ronald went up and shook hands and hugged Jack Valentine. …

   The president who has been entrenched in mpaa for 20 years is already 65 years old, and there are no wrinkles on his face. His hair was already gray, and it was meticulously combed.

  Valenti is Italian, and he is very enthusiastic about everyone. Nisita told Ronald that if he was not persuaded by the then Universal President to join the Film Association, his qualifications would be more than enough to be a politician.

   "This is a picture of the earliest film association. This man is the famous Hayes, the Hayes of the Hayes Code. At that time, the association was also called mppda, the film production and distributors association.

  After the war, the association hired Eric Johnson, the former Secretary of Commerce, and began to change its name to the Film Association (mpaa). This is Secretary Johnson. "

  Jack Valenti took Ronald to visit the historical exhibition of mpaa first. Many old photos have a feeling of witnessing history under the explanation of the current president.

"Ha, this is the photo of me being interviewed by reporters when I took office in 1966. At that time, Hollywood was seized by TV dramas, and many practitioners demanded to cancel the rigid terms of the Hayes Code and give creators more freedom. Let them make the movies they want to make.

   We switched to a grading system, giving parents sufficient information to disclose, the movie was rated R, in the end there are places that are not suitable for minors to watch alone. Then the pg-13 rating was introduced to give more space for some less outrageous shots..."

   Ronald kept echoing, Mr. President, the first major thing he has done since he took office is to loosen Hollywood, and then the New Hollywood movement will be technically possible. Otherwise, Roger Coleman's forerunner of the New Hollywood movement, "The Wingels," would not have been possible.

   There was no such thing as the beginnings of the New Hollywood movement that everyone later recognized, the "Easy Riders" that reflected the stories of fringe hippies, and the "hermaphroditic robbers" that featured Depression-era bank robbers as protagonists.

   "Thanks, Wendy."

   After visiting the history of mpaa, he sat in Jack Valenti's office and thanked Wendy, the secretary who served the coffee. Jack Valenti looked at Ronald and asked with piercing eyes:

   "So, Ronald, what's your business with me? Are you trying to sell movies across the Pacific? There's a quota of 10 a year."

   "Haha, no. My movie is not suitable for that. I'm here because a new movie made by my production company has encountered some problems in the mpaa rating, so I want to come to you and ask for details."

   "Huh..." Jack Valenti laughed dumbly, "I didn't expect you to have opened your own production company and started making your own movies. Is it your own investment? What's it called?"

   "dirtydag, a romantic comedy about a Jewish girl who falls in love with a dancer at a resort in the 1960s."

"This kind of thing, you should go through the dissent channel, fill out a form, you can apply for a re-rating." Jack Valenti said so, but still pressed the intercom, "Wendy, please put Rhona The German company... Daydream, the files for the ratings of Daydream's Hot Dance, sent to my office."  …

"What do you want? Ronald. We are old acquaintances. You can confess to me. Wherever you can help, I will help. But you want me to change my rating from r to pg-13. .

  I am just a manager hired by mpaa to hold the position of president, responsible to all Hollywood practitioners, film producers, distributors, theater owners, and movie audiences across the country. I have to be fair.

   I can only tell you where and what modifications to make to maximize your chances of getting the rating you want. "

When   Jack Valenti opened his mouth, he was worthy of being a sales master known as the number one salesman in Hollywood. Every word he said was watertight, and it made the other party feel good, as if Valenti was on his side and was the one who considered himself the most.

   "Fair, I just want a fair treatment, nothing else." Ronald heard the other party talking about fairness and quickly answered.

"Oh?" Just at this time, secretary Wendy brought in the documents of Hot Body Dance. Jack Valenti looked at Ronald with confidence and thought that he was rated r, but he was just being treated unfairly. made a little suspicious. He took out his reading glasses and began to read the document carefully.

   "You made the daughter of a Jewish surgeon in New York fall in love with a poor Irish dancer... Hahaha." Jack Valenti laughed, and he couldn't hold back when he saw the synopsis.

   "I think Hollywood directors and actors always have their own creative freedom, our First Amendment..."

   "Don't say it, I just want to see the expressions on the faces of those Jews." Jack Valentine didn't want to hear Ronald's age and his grandchildren preach the First Amendment.

"Mr. Valenti, you can look at those graded opinions, backside nudity, a little kissing, and some dance presentations, isn't that very normal pg-13 stuff in Hollywood? Some big studios, You can even get pg…”

Jack Valenti used his hand to stop Ronald from continuing to talk about the unfairness of the rating, "I will let people watch this movie again." He also felt that the rating of r was a bit too much, it seemed that those Jews were still quietly mpaa Manipulate hands and feet.

"Why did you come and tell me about this kind of thing. Your distributor should handle it for you, which distributor did you find? Ambassador Pictures? Or Orion? They are still newcomers in America, I will let them People care."

   "Uh... no, this is a self-released movie of my daydream."

"What?" Jack Valenti raised his head and glanced at Ronald in surprise, and quickly turned the document to the introduction on the first page. Sure enough, there was no Big Seven or any medium-sized company that had undertaken Ronald's distribution business. .

No wonder this young man is coming to complain, the distribution business is very risky, the introduction seems to be a movie for teenagers, and it is rated R. The new daydream company may even find a movie theater that is willing to show it. Fewer than a few.

"Mr. Valenti, I don't want to compare with the big seven released movies, like you said, the mid-sized distribution companies, like Orion, Ambassador Pictures, will not suffer such unfair treatment, what I want is also Just a relatively fair treat.”…

   "Tuk Tuk..." Jack Valenti tapped his fingers on the table several times.

"Ronald, we are good friends, you have helped me in Cannes and there, and provided me with a good weight for the market opening agreement negotiations that I was conducting at the time. So I will be honest with you and put all the The factors that affect the rating of your new film are all spread out on the table.”

   "Thank you, Mr. Valenti."

   "That's it, this year, three medium-sized production and distribution companies have just joined mpaa and become full members of the Motion Picture Association.

   They are the Ambassador Films I just mentioned, Orion Films, and a De Laurentiis Films. Before they become members, they are all subject to strict scrutiny on their ratings, after three to five years of…”

  Valenti was interrupted by Ronaldo before he finished speaking. Ronald raised the tone and volume, and gave Valenti a loud accusation:

   "What is this? The American Film Society, willing to favor that Neapolitan Dino de Laurentiis than to give me a fair deal to this American company?"

   "What happened to Naples?" Jack Valenti's anger at Ronald is a little unclear. So, does he discriminate against Italians? Nope? When I chatted with Coppola, he had a lot of praise for Ronald.

   "Dino is a villain. He found someone about my personal life and put my ex-girlfriend in the newspaper, which caused a bad influence. Several of them had boyfriends at the time, or were already married."

"Oh", Valenti understood the source of the young man's anger, it was a personal grudge, "Ronald, let's not talk about Dino, I'm just explaining the rating process to you, you can listen to me patiently. ?"

   "Of course, I'm sorry, Mr. Valenti. Please go on." Ronald immediately stopped his anger and changed into a sincere look of obeying his teachings.

   "This Ronald, his acting skills are also good." Jack Valentine suddenly felt a sense of sympathy.

  “Rating is a very complicated process, our experts have written a guidebook, but the regulations are always behind the endless imagination of the artist.

   A senior California judge once said, I don't know how to clearly judge that those movie pictures are X-rated, but let me see it and I will know.

   Do you understand what I mean? "

   "I understand, please continue, Mr. Valenti." Ronald looked very humble.

"For a newly established production company, the mpaa rating committee must have a process of mutual understanding. After three to five years, the number of films sent by the new company has accumulated to dozens, then we can establish some mutual understanding. We can also put it into the fast lane of ratings, and some of the pictures are for artistic storytelling, not purely sensory stimulation, teach bad children, you understand?"

"Yes, I know."

   "So when it comes to rating the first few films of the new company, our committee experts are a little bit stricter, because trust has not been built."

"I understand what you said, but I think, which rating a movie is suitable for, it should ultimately be viewed from the audience's point of view. These shots, Mr. Valenti, you can also adjust them, they are all for the plot narrative and emotions. Mobilization, we have nowhere, is for the sake of stimulation. …

   Besides, at the end of the movie, it is a very positive attitude towards life. Love and life, you have to decide by yourself, and bear the consequences of your decision.

   This kind of film, can't we teach our current teenage audience a little bit?

   In short, I think that it is very inappropriate for Hot Body Dance to be rated R. "

  "What's not right?" Jack Valentine wanted to laugh when he heard Ronald's angry look.

"I can point to a similar film, the maximum overdrive by De Laurentiis, where the horrific footage, as if it was intended to offend the audience, and the actors being shot in the eye with blades Blindness. This kind of violent film is rated R. Can two young men and women dance and hug and kiss as much as this?”

  Jack Valentine wanted to stop Ronald. He didn't want to discuss specific cases, but he couldn't hold up Ronald's anger, like a burst of machine guns.

"And that blue velvet, also produced by De Laurentiis, is so offensive to America, no, the common values ​​of mankind, it is also rated R-rated? Could it be that the ten-second-long frontal **** of kidnapping, **** and imprisonment, Also under the beautiful first love of young men and women, the flash of bare back is the same as the kiss scene that is enough? What kind of values ​​can you teach the audience who watched these two films?"

   "I can see that you have a sense of justice, Ronald." Jack Valenti said.

   "Uh..." Ronald scolded vigorously, and scolded several enemies who had personal grudges. Suddenly hearing this sentence, he felt a little shriveled. He's not himself an idealist like Henry Fonda, nor a defender of America's spirit like John Wayne, and it's not about money after all.

   "Uh...yes, I love our country. My grandfathers, great-grandfathers, died on the European battlefields of both world wars for America and world peace. They were all fighter pilots.

  So I cherish my life now, and if I can get away with a little success, I must promote this kind of values ​​of self-reliance, self-improvement, and let my grandfather and great-grandfather sacrifice their lives to protect things that are worthy of their efforts. "

   Ronald took the cold coffee and drank it. It was a bit far-fetched to ask him to move his ancestors out to endorse him, and his forehead was sweating.

   "Did your grandfather die in a fighter jet on the battlefield of World War II?" Jack Valentine didn't seem to find Ronald's far-fetched, but asked about Ronald's grandfather.

"Ah...oh...yes, my grandfather, James Lee, flew P47 fighter jets to **** the bomber groups that bombed the German-occupied areas of Europe, and his last mission was to cover the return of the bombers, and he attracted the German fighter jets by himself, Eventually disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean."

  Jack Valenti did not speak, and was silent for a long time.

   He got up and took out a bottle of fine whiskey and two glasses from the wine cabinet. Poured a glass for Ronald.

The two drank whiskey, and Jack Valenti said slowly, "I also served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. I flew a b-25 bomber and carried out more than 50 bombings. Task.…

  The situation with your grandfather, I have encountered it several times. I did have fighter pilots on missions out there, risking their lives to keep us out of the **** Germans' planes. "

  Jack Valenti hadn't talked about the past for a long time. He told some adventures and heroic stories of the past, and the two had a few drinks.

"Mr. Valenti, please help me, I'm just shooting a story that everyone moved, and I don't have any bad intentions. If there are any reasonable requirements in the rating of such a film, we can continue to revise it, but we can't spoil the whole film. The tone and narrative of the film…”

   Ronald saw that the emotional card was effective, and quickly struck the iron.

  Jack Valenti raised his hand to prevent Ronald from continuing to discuss the details, "Ask your issue manager to revise a new version according to the rating comments and send it back."

   "Mr. Valenti, I would like to ask. If we cut out that bare back lens as requested by MPAA, what is the probability of getting a pg-13 on the rating?"

   "If you prune according to the requirements of the association, some things can be arranged." Jack Valenti was still dripping.

   "Thank you then, Mr. Valenti." Ronald hurriedly helped pour a glass of wine and toasted Jack Valenti.

   "I'm also here for the American audience to be able to enjoy your new work, Ronald."

  Jack Valenti took a sip happily, "By the way, look at the introduction, this is the past of jfk?"

   "Yes, it's the story of the time when jfk was still in command and was not assassinated. At that time, everyone was full of ideals and hopes for the future. Apollo landing on the moon, Cuban missile crisis..."

"Well...you may not know, I was in Dallas when jfk was assassinated, and I was on Air Force One when Lyndon Johnson finally declared his inauguration in the presence of Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, Next to them..."

  …

  The two talked about the past again, and Ronald wanted to leave.

   "Ronald, we are friends, friends need to help each other, just so, I also have something to help you here."

   "What? I will try my best to do it."

   "Very well, you are going to the other side of the Pacific with me."

   "Huh?" Ronald didn't expect Jack Valentine to make this request.

   "Over there, there are still great doubts about opening up the film market. They hope to continue to communicate with us and introduce new technical equipment. On the other hand, they want to ensure the dominance."

   Ronald nodded, the ambitions of big countries and small countries are different, that country belongs to the country with the foundation of ambition.

   "Specifically, how can I help you?"

   "I heard you have a lighting equipment factory there, exporting equipment to America?"

   "Yes, with a machine that simulates the effect of lightning, the kind of long-arc halogen lamps that only they and the Solver Alliance can produce."

"If you can come with me as a representative of the American Film Association, the equipment manufacturer. Give them a world-class certification, and we will have a lot of initiative in negotiating with them. Always import equipment from America, it will bruise Their pride. If there's one device we have to import into them, it's the reciprocity of friends."  …

  Ronald counted his days, so he nodded and agreed, "Yes, but I can't stay for too long."

   "Very good, just stay with me and finish the meeting with them, then you can leave. It won't take more than a week"

   "No problem, I can also go to Xujiahui to meet old friends, it seems that Spielberg is also shooting a new movie there."

  …

   "Ronald, mpaa's rating committee, took the initiative to call us and asked us to send a second rating as soon as possible after modifying a few shots."

   When going to work on Monday, Michelle Cannold, the distribution manager, received a call from mpaa. He was a little unconvinced. There is such a thing, mpaa offered to revise and urged the second submission of the application.

   "Very well, Michelle, you have discussed with Mr. Walter Murch. After he said it's ok, you can submit it. I'm going abroad for a while, so please contact my agent if you have anything."

   "What a mysterious young man." Release manager Michelle Cannold put down the phone and chatted with Dolly Burnsteen about the ratings drama.

"I heard it," Dolly Burnsteen looked at no one left and right, and whispered to her boss Cannold in a low voice, "I heard a rumor that our boss Ronald, and the White House His first couple are related. His 'Top Gun' was also praised by the Grand Commander himself."

   "So that's how it is... No wonder."

   The staff of Daydream Pictures, from the general manager to the clerks below, were all surprised by this weird treatment. Amelica is like that, a competent boss that employees admire and feel proud to be in a good company with potential.

   are all kinds of rumors about Ronald's background, which tend to spread in the company.

   At this time, Ronald had already boarded the plane to the other side of the Pacific Ocean, and together with Jack Valenti, came to another continent to open up the Hollywood market.