American Entertainment 1982

After hearing Tommy's words, Wolf's facial muscles were a little out of control and twisted. He opened his hands and moved his eyes from Tommy to Sophia's face, hoping that Sophia could translate for him:

What does it mean to bypass BT TV station and prepare a new TV network again?

"I'm sorry I can't help you, Wolfe, Tommy... No one knows the structure of Tommy's brain and what's going on inside, even me." Sophia shrugged apologetically and said to Wolfe.

"I misunderstood the meaning of that sentence, right?" Wolfe barely digested Tommy's sentence again, then showed a clear expression, and laughed a little self-deprecatingly: "Actually, Tommy , you mean to start a second channel, a second channel on the BT network, right?"

"No, it's a separate one, another one that has nothing to do with BT, and it's CNN." Tommy looked at Wolfe again and explained.

Wolfe opened his mouth. Although he didn't make a sound, both Sophia and Tommy could tell from the shape of their mouths that Wolfe probably wanted to say WTF.

"A TV network that needs to lease satellites and then make money through subscription fees? And it's a TV news network?" Wolfe looked at Tommy in disbelief, and doubts popped out of his mouth uncertainly.

"Yes." Tommy nodded, "That's it."

"Tommy, you can find your own life value by starting a TV station, but there is no need to burn the banknotes, or in other words, investing in the establishment of a satellite TV news network, it is better to burn the money, at least that way." I can appreciate the visual beauty brought by fireworks." Wolf exhaled:

"Who made you think that? Earl Rush? I'm about to talk to him! I can't watch him take my friend's hard-earned money with all kinds of crappy investment circles!"

Wolfe was really angry. In his opinion, it was definitely someone fooling Tommy, wanting to get Tommy to invest his money, and then trying to find a way to take away Tommy's banknotes in various ways. The most likely , that is, Earl Rush, CEO of BT Television, that damned black lawyer.

Tommy immediately explained: "No, it has nothing to do with Earl, it's my own idea, Wolfe, it has nothing to do with anyone else. The experience of starting BT has taught me what is really lacking in the TV industry, and it has also made me realize what is lacking in the TV industry." I found that my previous thinking was one-sided and insufficient, and now I finally know what to do to prove my worth."

"What do you think you should do?" Wolfe suppressed his anger and asked Tommy.

"Witness." Tommy said to him with a bright smile.

Wolf froze slightly: "Witness?"

"That's right, sending all the big future moments of this world into Americans' living rooms via satellite, they may not be able to experience those important moments that change history but are thousands of miles away, but I can let them sit on their sofas Witness it with your own eyes." Tommy expressed his thoughts in an almost pious tone.

This sentence made Wolff firmly believe that the vulgar style of BT TV has absolutely nothing to do with Tommy. It must be caused by Earl Rush, a mercenary lawyer.

This is the Tommy Hawke he knew, just like at the beginning, this young man had invited himself to join BT with clear eyes, and set up a TV station needed by the black community, so that black people can improve themselves and change themselves through BT programs , thereby reversing the stereotyped image of black people.

"Uh...Frankly speaking, at a certain moment after you finished that sentence, I had the idea of ​​coming back." Wolf was moved and said to Tommy with a smile:

"Your dream is great, but the investment is amazing. It is not a traditional TV network like BT, and it is not a traditional TV industry. In the entire United States, there is only one cable news network, CNN. It has been on the air for eight years. The founder, Turner, has been crazy for the past two years. Selling assets, looking for investment, you know, three years ago, he had the ambition to buy MGM with 1.5 billion. In just three years, MGM was split by him and sold for 1 billion. He only kept Film library, established TNT movie channel with film library, trying to make money through paid movie channels to maintain its own cable TV network, CNN has let all TV people see clearly in the past eight years, news does not make money, on the contrary, it consumes money, If it wasn't for Turner Jr.'s advertising business and several sports teams that are still profitable, and he hasn't completely defeated Murdoch, he would have shut down CNN a long time ago."

"What's the conflict between him and Murdoch?" Tommy asked curiously when he heard Wolfe's words.

He knew that the bosses of the three major TV networks all hated Murdoch, how much did they hate? At the TV Industry Practitioners Conference held by the FCC in Washington, as the oldest TV network in the United States, Grant Tick, the president of NBC Television Network, walked to the rostrum in public and patted the American flag on the wall of the rostrum and the three major The program schedule of the TV network did not say anything sympathetic to the FOX people sitting in the audience:

"I, and we, will not prevent the emergence of the fourth TV network in this land. With the development of the times and the needs of the audience, it will be born sooner or later, but we believe that it will definitely not be based on selling lies , the one started by Australians who porn for a living."

The reason why the three major TV networks have such hatred for FOX and Murdoch is not because Murdoch poached a large number of elite talents from the three major TV networks at high prices. Normally, if the other party pays more, it is very normal for his subordinates to resign.

The real reason is that this bastard from Australia is unruly. He acquired the 21st Century Fox film company while forming the FOX TV network, which made Murdoch's identity, in addition to being a TV person, also a movie People, before the TV network started broadcasting, Murdoch's 21st Century Fox Film Company, in conjunction with other large film companies, arranged to lobby the company to pass a restrictive bill for TV and movies in Congress. This is what makes the three major TV networks hate the key of.

TV movies are movies that are filmed by the TV network itself, and will only be broadcast on their own TV network, and will not be released in theaters. The main reason for making this kind of TV movie is that the TV network does not want to buy a movie company at a large price in order to save costs. Movies, because often this business of buying movies is a packaged behavior.

For example, if a TV network wants to buy the right to broadcast "Jaws" on TV, it is not because "Jaws" has a high box office that the TV network can buy it at a high price and show it on its own TV station, but it is paying a high price. You have to spend a lot of money to buy dozens of bad movies at the same time as buying this hit movie, so that the studio will sell you.

Murdoch showed his favor to the Republican Party, and joined forces with film companies to lobby Congress, and finally the U.S. Congress successfully passed the relevant restriction bill, so the restriction bill announced that in order to allow the public to continue to enjoy movie art in movie theaters, the film industry will not decline. Those who do not face the risk of unemployment. After the bill takes effect, major TV networks and TV stations need to apply for licenses to shoot TV movies, and the number of licenses is limited each year, depending on the shooting plans of major Hollywood film companies.

That is to say, the three major TV networks were tricked by Murdoch before FOX started broadcasting, and the film industry succeeded in laying eggs again.

And Murdoch's own FOX television network is not worried about licenses, because he bought the 21st Century Fox film company in advance and has a movie library of thousands of movies.

As we all know, the American TV industry has been cheated by the film industry many times. The two sides have been fighting each other for many years on the issue of letting the American people spend their money on TV or movie tickets. The TV industry has set up another set of obstacles. The three major TV networks can't wait to buy an atomic bomb and completely wipe out the FOX TV headquarters in the United States.

However, Ted Turner also has a grudge against Murdoch. This is the first time Tommy has heard of this, because strictly speaking, Ted’s CNN does not compete with the three major TV networks and FOX. is free, and his CNN is a cable premium channel, there is no intersection at all

"Murdoch is a cheapskate who can't afford to lose. Turner likes sailing, and Murdoch likes it too. The two sides faced each other in a sailing race in Australia. When the sailboats sponsored by the two faced each other, the boat sponsored by Turner was always ahead. That was Australia, Murdoch's territory, so another sailing boat sponsored by Murdoch that had no chance of winning the championship suddenly crashed into Turner's boat, causing Turner's boat to run aground and withdraw from the race. , Turner directly poured Murdoch a glass of red wine, if the bodyguards on both sides did not pull the two of them away, Turner might directly break Murdoch's spine with a back kick, he is a fan of American wrestling." Wolfe said to Tommy introduced the conflict between the two.

"This game sounds really sportsmanlike and gentlemanly." Tommy responded with a smile.

Wolfe sighed, turned the topic back, and said to Tommy seriously: "The point is, the rich Turner can no longer sustain the losses of a cable pay news network like CNN, Tommy."

"Loss is not your concern, Wolfe, I don't like to let money taint it when talking about dreams." Tommy lightly stopped Wolff's dissuasion, but continued to describe his dream:

"The three major TV networks have almost cut off all overseas reporter stations. Today's international news acquisition methods are all to buy news image materials from major news agencies. The three major TV networks buy the same photos or videos, but News anchors and commentators are different. What does this mean? It means that there is no TV station in the United States that can truly report those important news in a timely manner, and what news the three major TV networks buy determines that American audiences know what is happening in the world. To put it bluntly, if the Soviet Union disintegrates, the three major TV networks will not buy this news from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters or TASS because the news price is too high, or vice versa, if one day, Those news agencies refuse to sell the news to these TV stations in the United States, so American audiences will never get the news on TV.”

"Do you want the American people to live in a world where they can't witness history? Maybe they don't care what's happening on the other side of the world, but if they want to know one day, because of our news network, he just needs to turn on the TV , open our channel, you can easily see it.”

"This is the testimony."

"This is the freedom and right that God has given them."

Tommy said in a moving tone.

Wolfe remained silent. As an ideal TV practitioner, it is absolutely impossible to refuse the temptation to let the audience witness history.

"I'll give you two months to hand over to SBG, bid farewell, and then prepare to start a life journey of suffocating dreams, Wolf." Tommy jumped off the desk and patted Wolf on the shoulder:

"Such a great cause, I can't do it alone, so I'm not asking you to think about it, I'm calling you back on behalf of the American people to do the right thing."

He walked to the door and opened the door, and said to Wolfe, who still pursed his lips and did not respond: "As for the financial problem you are worried about, I will help you solve it now."

After finishing speaking, Tommy walked out of the room, leaving only Sophia who had time to appreciate Wolfe's expression, and Wolfe Tucker who hadn't recovered from Tommy's suffocating and fiery dream.

...

Tommy ate a hamburger at the KFC opposite the company, and then instead of asking Page to help him drive, he rarely drove the car that was parked in the company garage most of the time.

It was a birthday present Ottilia gave Tommy for his birthday last year, a black '82 Pontiac Firebird GTA.

Of course, Ottilia's gift is not ordinary. This 82-year-old Pontiac Firebird is not a common style seen on the street, but a perfect replica of NBC's popular sci-fi drama series "Knight Rider" a few years ago. The protagonist's smart car KITT is perfect because Tommy is driving this car at this time, and he will drive directly to Universal Studios to replace the prototype show car in the exhibition hall without anyone noticing.

After Otilia bought a new car, she found George Barris, who refitted KITT for "Knight Knight". Cars, many celebrities would ask him to help modify their cars, and his quotations are also very interesting. How much does it cost to buy a new car? How much does it cost to ask him to modify.

For Tommy's birthday, Otilia asked him to help him make a perfect replica of a KITT.

So Tommy’s car is extremely stylish, needless to say the functions of one-button convertible and one-button hatchback, even the sci-fi interior and steering wheel in the TV series are presented as they are.

Tommy even had Martin try to play a car thief, and the result was that Martin got into the car and didn't know how to drive the car, couldn't find the key slot, and didn't know where to disassemble it to hardwire it to start.

And once it is started, the dashboard-sized screen and various buttons will light up immediately, giving people the feeling of driving a small alien spaceship.

It’s natural to be cool, but Tommy seldom drives it out because the light pollution is too serious. Generally, he only drives it when he needs to stimulate the rich guy. This is one of Tommy’s few possessions that can stimulate the other party. .

Yes, he was going to see the rich Stephen now.

The guy was out in the afternoon sun drinking a cold beer as he drove up to his Los Angeles apartment.

"Just show it off, Tommy, you'll lose the fun soon. I've asked George Barris to modify three cars for me." Stephen heard the roar of the car engine, opened his eyes and glanced at the Tommy, who got out of the car, said lazily.

Tommy looked around and didn't see the new girlfriend that the other party had caught recently, so he asked curiously, "Where's your new girlfriend?"

"Go to Paris to participate in the French Open, and accompany my parents to Paris for a vacation." Stephen patted the empty space beside him: "I called you more than a dozen times in the morning, are you finally willing to come to see me?"

Tommy came over and lay down, adjusted the angle to avoid direct sunlight from shining his eyes: "Well, frankly, I forgot that you called me. The TV station just started broadcasting, and I was in a hurry."

"I've finished two movie scripts, Tommy, and I'm going to shoot them." Stephen took out a beer from the ice bucket, handed it to Tommy, and said seriously.

Tommy took it over and asked in a tentative tone, "I guess you're not stupid enough to trick me into investing in your movie?"

He knew that Stephen had always had a movie dream, but being a friend is okay, let him use the money to pay for Stephen's dream, absolutely no discussion, this guy's dream is more suffocating than Tommy's dream, Tommy's dream can make money, But Stephen's movie dream seems more like throwing banknotes into the water.

"A romantic comedy, my own original script, called "My Underage Husband", the kind of romantic comedy popular in Hollywood in the past two years, between a beautiful woman and an underage boy, from mutual hostility to mutual understanding , and then to acquaintance, love, meeting resistance, conflicts but finally living together happily.” Stephen talked about the general plot of the script he wrote, and when he was happy, his eyebrows danced and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Brother, forgive me for not believing in love, so I ask a practical question, that is, if you don't pay for it yourself, have you found a company in Hollywood that is willing to invest and set up a project to start filming?" Tommy opened the beer with a corkscrew, He took a sip into his mouth, and thoughtfully poured cold water on his brother's head.

Stephen seems to have gotten used to Tommy's venomous tongue: "Many film company producers thought the script was great after reading it, but the financial pressure has been a bit heavy recently."

"When I don't want to spend money, I will also use this reason to reject the other party, so what they say is what I want to say. In fact, my financial pressure has been a bit heavy recently. Stephen, I will pay the bill and help you get the highest night from your wife. How about a little actress worth 20,000 yuan to spend the whole night with you, and you give up on convincing me to invest in your movie?" Tommy laughed.

Stephen flicked a cigar to Tommy, cursing, "Thank you for your straightforwardness and generosity, idiot."

"You're welcome," said Tommy.

"I'm seriously talking to you about my dream, Tommy, you know, I've always had a movie dream, and I've been trying to write sequel scripts for cartoon movies since I was eleven years old." Stephen gestured and kicked the soup Mi, said dissatisfied.

This is true. Stephen liked to create follow-up stories for the cartoons he had watched since he was very young. He also contributed to comic companies and sent his own cartoon stories. This great screenwriter.

Tommy looked at Stephen and joked: "You wrote the screenplay yourself, and you invested in finding a director to shoot the comedy movie "Married to the Ancestor". If I remember correctly, you invited the well-known young director John Hughes to be the director. You got Rob Lowe and Linda Kozlowski in the lead roles, the whole movie cost you 12 million, how much at the box office, Stephen, say it out loud, the movie you put your heart and soul into How much is the box office of the movie?"

"Art can't be measured by money alone, understand? A vulgar poor ghost." Stephen said dissatisfied.

Seeing that Stephen didn't say it himself, Tommy said it for him: "It's only 17 million, that's John Hughes who turned stone into gold, a "Breakfast Club" with a cost of 1 million, won 50 million A genius director at the box office, you were almost scolded by critics for this film, so you suffered from depression and jumped off the building."

"That's because the director didn't really understand the emotions conveyed in my script. Everyone will miss the time, not to mention that I now understand that this kind of problem should be avoided." Stephen defended.

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief: "I'm glad you realized the problem of avoiding spending money indiscriminately, Stephen, I..."

"The way to avoid it is to be the director myself and shoot my own script." Stephen interrupted Tommy and gave the answer excitedly.

Tommy seemed to be choked by the neck, staring at Stephen for a long time before speaking: "This is your fucking way to avoid problems? Going into battle to be the director yourself?"

"That's right, I guarantee that I can understand the emotional transmission in my script and present them perfectly on the screen." Stephen stared at Tommy with flickering eyes: "Isn't it the best solution?"

"A talented director who earned 50 million box office with 1 million dollars was almost sent to the rooftop to commit suicide by you. After this incident, your reflection is that the director is too rubbish, so it's not a problem with the script?" Tommy said with a broken expression:

"Dude, where did you learn this way of reflection? So, the romantic comedy you mentioned just now, are you planning to be a screenwriter, director, and investor yourself? Dude, which Hollywood actress would think that you believe in love and can make good love stories piece?"

Stephen shook his head, and explained very quickly: "No, no, it's not that romantic comedy. I just said that I created two scripts, and there is another one called "Missing Action", which tells the story of a summer camp. That All the leaders of the country were missing, and there was an actor named Tommy who led his summer camp members and saved the country. You heard it, it was our experience back then, and I finally worked hard and took the time to adapt it into a script. "

"Otherwise, let's talk about romantic comedies, Stephen." Tommy looked at Stephen and said frantically:

"Isn't it good to just hide those memories selfishly in our minds? Why adapt it into a horror story with hot eyes in exchange for the audience's scolding?"

Stephen ignored Tommy's words, and introduced himself excitedly: "I think this time I will direct it myself, and the cost of the whole movie will be slightly higher, about 18 million to 20 million."

"I'll give you 20 million privately, in exchange for you to let go of the fond memories of the CS gang. Just by the name of this movie, I know I'm not interested in buying a ticket to see it." Tommy rubbed his face in despair, and said weakly.

Stephen looked at Tommy seriously: "I will be very attentive, Tommy, I am not joking, and I have sent invitations to everyone in CS, including Ottilia, please come to Los Angeles to participate in the actor audition for your role, by Everyone decides which actor will play themselves, except for Dennis who couldn't make it here because of overseas service, everyone feels happy, eager to try, and encourages me, except you, an idiot, who has been persistently pouring cold water on me."

"Well, in order not to become the most disappointing person in your mind, what do I need to do?"

Like magic, Stephen took out a thick stack of actor information from under the seat: "This is the information of the actors who are listed as candidates, and the top stack is the actor who plays Tommy."

"Who the hell cares about the looks of a poor guy? I care more about which actors are selected for the role of my wife Ottilia." Tommy smiled and flipped through the actors' profiles, skipped over his own role, and looked up those female characters. Actor profile.

"That experience was very important to my life. If I didn't know you, I wouldn't be as cheerful as I am now. Therefore, I will take it very seriously and reproduce our story on the screen. Those experiences are like what happened in the Yesterday, I remembered every little thing, and I..."

Before he could chatter and continue to express his determination, Tommy suddenly took out one of the documents and interrupted him: "This document shows the actress who wants to audition for the role of Zoe, the shrew. Can you get in touch?"

"Of course, there should be a contact number. What's the matter, she attracted you?" Stephen took the information and glanced at the attached art photos and life photos: "Wow, it's black hair, have you changed your taste?"

"According to the information, this girl named Sandra Bullock's hometown is Arlington, Virginia. She has settled in Germany with her parents and is proficient in German. Her mother is a well-known German opera artist..." Tommy's eyes flashed no worse than Stephen said in his mouth when he talked about the excited light of his movie dream.

"When you sleep with an actress, do you have to do this kind of complicated background check every time? How? Make sure you don't sleep with black people?" Stephen couldn't understand why Tommy was so concerned about an actress' family situation at this moment.

Tommy came back to his senses and said with a smile to Stephen: "God has cared for me. In fact, I came here to let you use a sum of money to invest in the TV business, but now, I think Stephen, your dream has moved me. , I am willing to suffocate for your dreams, you said just now, how much does this movie cost?"

"Thirty million? Or more? It depends on how seductive this woman is to you." Stephen noticed Tommy's excitement, and said a little funny beside him.

Tommy nodded: "This woman is indeed very attractive to me."

"I don't think she's as pretty as Otilia, Tommy." Stephen disagreed with Tommy's statement that this woman was very attractive.

Tommy didn't deny it: "Of course, there are few women who are more beautiful than Otilia. I don't want to marry her, but I just want to find a chance to know her father."

"Her father? So, are you going to sleep with her or her father?" Stephen asked, looking at Tommy strangely.

Tommy put a sip of beer into his mouth: "If I remember correctly, there is a name recorded in a certain issue of SSD, a well-known alumnus of SSD West Point Military Academy Branch, Mr. Wilson Bullock, a native of Arlington, Virginia, graduated from West Point Military Academy, served in the US Army's military base in West Germany, married a German opera singer during this period, and had two daughters. According to the girl's resume, I suspect that this girl named Sandra is Wilson- One of Mr. Bullock's daughters."

"If she is the other party's daughter, then what are the characteristics that attract you?" Stephen curled his lips and said angrily: "You can't just invest in my dream once? Dreams, aren't dreams more charming than banknotes?" ?”

Tommy looked at Stephen: "Wilson Bullock, previously served as the assistant chief of staff at the U.S. Army Material Command, after retiring, he turned into a logistics contractor of the U.S. Army Material Command, contracting mail and mail for all overseas U.S. Army military bases." Courier service."

"You want to get to know him because you are planning to dabble in this kind of military contractor business?" Stephen sighed in despair.

Tommy smiled at Stephen and said: "Maybe in the future, but for now, if we can get to know each other and reach some cooperation, I think the news network can save a lot of trouble when developing international news business. For example, if Germany does not Agree to let us do an exclusive report, and we can let the American soldiers who help defend Germany talk to them about what is meant by American mutual help."

"Is it okay to talk about your dreams? Don't always put business first every time you chat." Stephen gestured his middle finger at him and said in disgust.

Tommy nodded: "OK, OK, let's talk about your fiery dream. As the producer, director, and screenwriter of the biggest bad movie of the year, what is your dream?"

"F*ckYou, Tommy." Stephen cursed after hearing Tommy's ridicule.

Tommy seriously dissuaded: "I'm sorry, I can't do anything about this dream, Stephen, because I'm not a gay like you, change your dream."