Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 787 I am also anti-war

  Joining the Producer Alliance will be done soon. Ronald commissioned Eddie Cohen, the general manager of Daydream Pictures, to attend the first meeting of negotiations over a videotape dividend.

   "Our daydream was the first time to attend this alliance meeting, and I mainly went with my ears." Eddie came back from the meeting, met Ronald and started reporting.

   "The dominant force in this alliance is still the seven major studios, plus Orion, Carrocco, Heimdell, and De Laurentiis, several medium-sized studios with membership in the film association MPAA.

   They have the main say in the content of the negotiation. President Nick Conte, who was a lawyer, is mainly a candidate for negotiation. He will make a negotiating posture based on the opinions of these members.

  Basically, the current attitude of the Producers Union is not to escalate the matter, and the two-year strike situation in the early 1980s appeared. "

   "Then do they want to recognize the ratio of the remaining dividends?" Ronald continued to ask about the details of the meeting after listening.

"Actually, from my observations," Eddie took a sip of the coffee Ronald handed him, "the big seven producers are using the remaining dividends to stop the actors and directors' mouths. This dividend is With a fixed small proportion, the payment period is also delayed to more than one year.

  For them, after admitting it, they can use this rule to block...stars and directors...hey hey..."

   "To block the excuse of the star and the director to ask for a separate share ratio?" Ronald's dual identity still made Eddie a little bit unable to convert. So he simply said it himself.

"Yes, that's it. Celebrities are also actors, and the directors who made blockbuster films are also directors. Anyway, in the long run, the trend of giving some surplus to the three major unions is unstoppable. It is better to admit it earlier and let their ordinary actors, and Those stars in their heads bit each other."

   "These capitalists... Actually, it's not a big problem to give some points to the actors. Making a movie is a matter of luck. I make a lot of money and give some of it to the co-creators. I don't think it's a problem.

  Many actors are famous, or won Oscars, and they go to make a bunch of bad movies. In fact, there are also reasons why the previous contracts were unreasonable, and they lowered their artistic standards for the sake of money. "

   Ronald has been in the line for a long time, and he also has a certain understanding of the Oscar curse. Before becoming famous, actors didn't earn much money, and it was not easy to become popular. It's human nature to hurry up and make more money for bad movies while the audience remembers them.

  For example, Stallone, he must also want to make another "Rocky" or "First Blood", which is a deep and blockbuster movie. But he couldn't stop his wife, Bridget Nelson, from buying a mansion in the most expensive location in Beverly Hills.

   And Brigitte Nelson also starred in the smashing action comedy, the sequel to "The Beverly Hills Detective." This movie was abandoned by Stallone, but it was a huge hit.

   Stallone, an Italian, was very upset about this kind of offense to his self-esteem, but his own movie "Flying Over the Peak" failed at the box office and was released in four weeks. He had to buy all kinds of expensive jewelry and clothes to maintain his male status in his family.

The    entertainment newspaper has almost weekly stories about the new toy the couple has purchased.

   If it wasn't for Minahan Golan, who paid him far more than ordinary male stars, Stallone himself would have lost his dignity at home.

   "If it is so generously distributed to the main creators, maybe one or two movies are okay, but even those medium-sized studios produce about ten movies a year. Profits from many blockbuster movies will be used to subsidize those who are even and losing money."

   Eddie also makes sense. The family has a big business, if you open a hole, I am afraid that everyone will want to share the money in the future. Hollywood's already very fragile financial balance is now likely to be disrupted.

   "Yes, but to make money from the movies I invest in, I still have to give a little to the actors, as well as the screenwriters and directors of photography."

   "I have no objection to this, we are daydreaming, and now we are trying to make some name in the industry. As long as you don't disclose the size of the dividend."

   Eddie is very clear about the current status of Daydream Pictures in the industry. It is a small company that shoots low-cost exploitative films. Only with the rumors that actors and main creators make big money can they attract good actors.

"Nick Conte, president of the Producers Union, is very interested in you. He asked me to bring you a message. If you go to the directors' union party, I hope you can bring a message to their president, Franklin Schaffner. talk."

   "Tell me? I'm not a traitor." Ronald thought that Conte wanted him to privately negotiate with the president of the Directors Guild.

   "Traitors are the most hateful. You can't do this kind of thing. I learned in school when I was a child that bats are neither birds nor beasts, and both sides are despised." Ronald frowned against Eddie's idea.

   "Hey? Is there such an article? Why can't I remember it." Eddie raised his eyebrows, "I didn't ask you to be the intermediary for the negotiation between the two sides in private. It was really a sentence."

   "Oh? What?"

   "Conte hopes that the director union can start negotiations with the producer union as soon as possible.

  The cooperation agreement between the Producers Union and the three major artist unions will expire next year. If we can talk earlier, everyone will have more room.

  Conte said, you can say this sentence in front of the members, so as to avoid suspicion. "

   "That's fine." Ronald nodded, speaking in such an upright manner was a matter of mutual benefit.

   Anyway, there are not many directors and producers in Hollywood who have both identities. He is younger than Spielberg, so he should run errands.

  …

   "Because both parties are members, I won't participate in your closed-door meeting. I'm just helping the Producers Union express an attitude that they hope to start negotiations as soon as possible."

   A few days later, Ronald found a high-end hair country restaurant and invited the old directors who came to the directors' union meeting.

  This restaurant is of good grade, the food is delicious, and the wine is imported from Bordeaux. More importantly, the waiters here are all dressed in dresses and bow ties, and the decoration is also very old-school. Just for the nostalgia of these old men.

   "You're very nice, Ronald. You might have made a good apprentice if you had been born in our day."

  An old director took out a napkin and wiped off the food that was on his body.

   "Don't brag, the movies you directed are not as good as the box office of a movie for young people."

   "Can that be the same? It's all to blame for Nixon's abolition of the gold standard. Our box office at that time, if inflation is included, is actually not bad now."

   "That's right, plus inflation, the movies I watched back then were better at the box office than they are now. After all, there were no TV dramas at that time." Ronald flattered a few old men.

   "You are not only like a director in the golden age, but you also act like a director." The old man put on his dentures, "Didn't you date Brooke Shields before? We did it with popular female stars at that time."

   "You old guy, stop bragging in front of young people."

   "How am I bragging? Grace Kelly and I, hi hi..."

   "Grace, which director here hasn't slept? On the set...that is, she is strict and doesn't publicize very much. Unlike Katharine Hepburn, who likes to use the most vulgar swearing at directors who have an affair with her."

  Ronald broke into a sweat, this is all an ancient secret. I don't know how much is true and how much is bragging.

   "Speaking of which, who was the best girl at that time?"

   Several old men thought about it for a long time, but they couldn't argue. Some people said that it was John Ford. When he was not shooting movies, he always changed female partners.

   Some people think that it was Lubitsch, who also sang every night when he was making a movie, and finally died of a heart attack in the woman's bed.

   "Billy, who are you talking about?" a director asked an old man who was sitting at the table, not participating in the discussion. He was wearing a plaid suit with a scarlet kerchief on his chest and tortoiseshell glasses, and was slowly tasting red wine.

   "Who else, Orson?"

   "Hey... it's really him." Everyone was amazed that the deceased Orson Welles was not only posted by Rita Hayworth, a **** woman in Hollywood at the time, but also had a deep love and righteousness. For Orson Welles to return to Hollywood, he cut his long hair to play a role. It also offended the studio.

   None of the directors discussed earlier has such a beautiful woman who sacrificed her acting career for him.

   "Billy, in fact, you're not bad. Audrey will be here after marrying you. You still have so many beautiful women outside, and she's dead set on you."

   "Yes, yes, you are also amazing." The old men began to tease the old man named Billy.

"Mr. Wilder, do you have any secrets for this hand? Can you teach it?" When Ronald heard it, the man who had photographed classic business cards such as "Peachy Apartment", "Passionate Like Fire" and "Sunset Boulevard" Director Billy Wilder has that kind of ability. Quickly half flattering, half seriously asking him.

   "It's actually very simple. Audrey is a smart woman. It's my luck that I met him."

   Ronald nodded. Does this mean that his wife doesn't mind?

   "Besides, you'd better find those tricks or stand-ins, not popular stars."

   Well, that means don't let the status of the lover make the wife feel threatened. This old man has a set of theories, and he doesn't know whether it is reliable or not.

   "Of course, the most important thing is not to let them know of each other's existence." Billy Wilder slowly said his most important secret.

   "Hahaha..." Ronald picked up the glass and toasted everyone. This is good, how can it be so easy to do.

  The old men are very satisfied. The level of today's banquets can be compared to those of the past.

"This year's Oscar nominations are coming out soon. It is not convenient for us to nominate your Top Gun. Will there be a new movie next year? If it's not so much selling popcorn, we can vote for you and let your agent run it. It's possible to get the to the Best Director nomination."

  Billy Wilder is an old man who lives very well. After he finished eating, he quietly chatted with Ronald about Oscar.

"Next year, I have a film with MGM, called 'Moonlight Sultry'. It's a drama, about a middle-aged love story, maybe it suits Oscar's taste?" Ronald also lowered his voice, quietly Ask the elders for advice.

   "Spicy Dance" didn't have the help of major studios, and it was also a commercial film for the box office, which might not suit Oscar's taste.

   "Oscar nominations need to be voted by people in the same union. We old men like to watch old-fashioned dramas, and you may be able to secure a nomination if you make the agent work hard.

   In this industry, to convince producers and other star actors, in fact, only one nomination is enough. "

   Ronald quickly expressed his thanks. Dropped Billy Wilder in a limousine in person to his house in Beverly Hills.

   "You're interesting, you can call me later." Billy Wilder was satisfied with the respect shown by Ronald. He lacks the respect of the producers right now.

  Ronald felt that this method was good, and he could learn a lot of skills from the old directors.

   He then found Franklin Schaffner, the new president of the Directors Guild, and said that he could sponsor more union activities in the future.

  …

   A few days later, the nominations for the 59th Academy Awards were officially announced.

  The importance that TV stations place on the Oscars is incomparable with the perfunctory treatment of the Golden Globes.

   Even the list of nominations was announced, and it was broadcast on TV.

   "Best Picture Nominee, Field Platoon, Hannah Sisters, A Room With a View, Children of God Out of Favor..."

  Ronald and Nisita and Richard, two agents, sat together in CAA's office to watch the nominations announced.

   "How many nominations are there for these films? How concentrated?"

   "There are eight nominations in the field, and they are all five awards." Richard took a table to record.

   "Oliver Stone, Woody Allen, and David Lynch of Blue Velvet for best director."

"How can this old pervert be nominated?" Ronald was not too bad for a film that simply reacted to the wickedness of humanity and the large-scale **** scenes of his girlfriend Isabella Rossellini. understand.

   "Critics love his mysteries." Nisita explained why. Some film critics are not only qualified to vote, but also drive the aesthetic trend in the circle.

   "Best Actor for Paul Newman for Money, William Hurt for Children of God, and James Wood for El Salvador."

   "Are both Oliver Stone films getting major nominations?" Ronald was deeply envious, and he wrote and directed the film that reflected the war in El Salvador.

"Best actress nominees are Sissy Spacek, Jane Fonda, Katherine Turner, whom Peggy Sue is getting married, and Sigourney Weaver for the Alien sequel, and the last nominee is Mary Matlin as the deaf girl..."

   "The competition for the best actress this year is fierce... Two have won the actress, and two have won the nomination."

   Ronald is happy for his friend Cameron, his film finally got a nomination for five major awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor/Actress).

But it's my turn to be miserable. There are only two movie theme songs, Top Gun's "Take My Breath" and "Longwei Kid 2"'s "Glory of Love", which won two nominations. .

   As for the other films that I have participated in, Crocodile Dundee won the best original screenplay, and the others failed, even the makeup, special effects, editing, these technical awards were not nominated.

   "Paula..." Nisita was calling his wife, and her client Tom Cruise didn't do well either.

   Needless to say, the male protagonist of "Top Gun", those members of the Actors Guild can't vote for a young freshman who is playing volleyball shirtless on the beach and arguing in the bathroom wearing a bath towel.

   Even the "The Color of Money" co-starring with Paul Newman, which he had high hopes for, was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

   This is an insurance measure that he negotiated with Paula and other brokers. In order to increase the probability of nomination, instead of selecting the male lead, he chose a supporting male role with less competition.

The results of it? It was really bad luck that I met two actors from "Field Platoon", Tom Bellinger and Willem Dafoe, who were nominated for Best Supporting Actor, a double bang.

   In particular, Tom Bellinger was one of the candidates for the leading role in "Top Gun", and he gave up popcorn to play a arrogant sergeant in the Vietnam War. Sure enough, he got the expected nomination for the award.

   In this project, there are also British actor Michael Caine who played "Hannah Sisters", and Dennis Hope, the supporting role in the basketball movie "Hot Coach Lawn Soldier".

   These are all old actors who have been famous in the film industry since the 1960s. Tom Cruise competed, but did not get the nomination.

   "Tom was frustrated... He said he would continue working with the famous director."

  Nisita told Ronald about the situation over there. After learning that he was not nominated for an Oscar again, Tom Cruise seemed to have lost his temper and screamed at home in a bit of hysteria.

   Fortunately, his girlfriend, Mimi Rogers, was present, soothed him immediately, and took the Scientology Auditor to audit him until he calmed down.

   "Is this nomination so important to him?" Ronald was a little puzzled. Tom Cruise doesn't need Oscar's affirmation, and he is also the next-generation head male star.

   "It's very important to him, he needs an award." Nisita knew what Cruise was thinking. The impact of dyslexia on him, in fact, technically, with Cruise's status, can already be solved by hiring professionals.

   More important is the psychological aspect. He is particularly eager for the outside world, especially professionals, to affirm his acting skills.

   Ronald is not too obsessed with awards. Anyway, he shoots all exploitative films, so he didn’t give up hope at the beginning.

  …

   "Tom, Tom... Can you say a word about losing the Oscar nomination?"

   "I have nothing to say, the judges have their own standards." Tom Cruise and his girlfriend Mimi were coming out of Scientology's technology center.

  Mimi said that there are more professional Scientology executives who will audit him so that he can understand the real reason for losing the Oscar. Sure enough, after the hypnosis and counseling of David Miscavige, the successor appointed by the founder, Cruise has become much calmer.

   "Tom Bellinger said he was nominated because his film Field Platoon was anti-war and your Top Gun was pro-military. What do you think about that?"

   This question irritated Cruise again, and he made real profits, but lost the award.

  Tom Cruise turned to look at the reporter, took off his sunglasses, "I'm also anti-war!"

   "Ah..." The reporters found that Cruise seemed to have a deep heart for this award.

   "Tom, what do you mean, you regret being in Ronald's Top Gun and want to be in Oliver Stone's Field Platoon?"

   "No, I didn't say that. As an individual, I am anti-war."

   "Then will you still act in films that support the military in the future? For example, a Top Gun sequel?"

   "No, no, I always support the anti-war position. This movie is about heroes, not support for war..."

  Mimi Rogers saw that Tom was provoked and a little angry, and quickly came up and pulled Tom into the car.

   "Tom Cruise says he doesn't plan to shoot a Top Gun sequel because of anti-war reasons...CBS Los Angeles has you covered."

   The next day, Ronald was watching TV at home and accidentally discovered that the media was reporting that Cruise had unexpectedly stated that he was not going to participate in the sequel to Top Gun.

"Does he regret it and wants to be in an anti-war movie like the Oscar-nominated field platoon?" Chris Columbus, a young director who was visiting Ronald, bluntly pointed out to Ronald. Ruth's tendencies.

   "It can't be analyzed so simply. The field platoon is actually a very complicated story, adapted from the background of Oliver Stone's own experience in Vietnam.

It's hard to say that this is an anti-war or pro-military movie. There are villains like Sergeant Barnes played by Bellinger in the US military, and Sergeant Elias played by Willem Dafoe with a sense of justice. nice guy.

   Besides, who doesn't want to win an Oscar? "

  Ronald was trying to excuse Cruise, but he was actually a little grumpy in his heart. What is this? Although he can't nominate him for best actor, he has star status that actors like Bellinger could never get in their dreams, and the favor of thousands of fans.

  It's hard to say, if Bellinger has a chance, does he want to exchange with Cruise?

   bell bell bell bell…

  The phone ringing reminds me.

   "Ronald? I'm Tom, I'm calling you to say sorry, I wanted to come by myself, but Mimi said that it's not convenient for me to go out now, and it would be more troublesome if I was seen by reporters.

   That interview, when I was in a bad mood, the reporter chased after me and asked, and I blurted out. It doesn't mean anything else.

  Mimi said that I still need to go to Scientology's technology center for more audits, so that these alien creatures... In short, the negative emotions are resolved. When things calm down, I will come to the door and apologize to you. "

   Ronald felt a lot more comfortable, and Cruise still respected himself.

   "It's okay, you're a big star now, and you're very busy. We have a chance to go to Paula and Rick and talk again."

   "Okay, now Mr. Michael Ovitz wants me to star in a movie. He said that there is a good chance of being nominated for an Oscar. I have already explained to him that my first choice is for you to be the director."

   (end of this chapter)