Exploitation Hollywood 1980

"Huh?" Michelle Pfeiffer heard John Malkovich requesting Ronald not to spread the word about their relationship. She suddenly turned her head and raised her eyebrows, as if she didn't believe he would say that.

Her eyes were reddish and her lower lip was trembling a little. Then she stood up, nodded to Ronald, and ran quickly to the direction of her trailer.

"Michelle", John Malkovich heard the noise and quickly turned around to chase after him, leaving Ronald where he was.

It happened so suddenly, as if after a gust of wind, nothing was left. Ronald was left standing messily in the sun. After standing there for a while, Ronald reached out and touched the place where the two of them were sitting just now.

place, confirming that I was not dreaming.

"Shxt!" Ronald turned a few corners and came to the lounge where he was just now. He waved to Richard, "Let's go first and call Rick (Nisita) right away. It's urgent."

"John Malkovich has a bad reputation in the industry. I have many, many complaints about him." Niceta sighed on the phone after being woken up.

"Should we contact Michelle's agent Limato immediately..." Richard interjected. This matter was discovered by Ronald, but someone had already spread the gossip beforehand. It seems that it will be spread sooner or later.

, if you can't communicate with Michelle's agent in advance who handles financial business like her father, it will be a lot of trouble in the future.

After Pfeiffer's agent Limato learned the news, he flew to Paris on the Concorde and arrived at the set the next morning.

Ronald took Limato to the outside of Pfeiffer's trailer. Sitting at the door was John Malkovich. Ronald gave him a strange look. Didn't he mean that he himself was notorious for relationships between men and women?

Why does he seem so infatuated this time?

"Tuk tuk..." Ronald knocked on the door.

"Get out of here..." Michelle Pfeiffer yelled from inside.

"It's me, Ronald. And Mr. Limato."

Soon Pfeiffer opened the door, and Ronald let Ed Limato in. He stood aside and looked at John Malkovich who didn't know whether to go in or continue waiting.

"I mean it..." Malkovich didn't know why, but he actually defended himself to Ronald.

"Why don't you let her calm down? I don't think it's a good time now. You guys still have a movie to shoot." Ronald noticed that both of them were mentally disturbed and persuaded him to go back. Malkovich was in despair.

's gone back.

Limato and Michelle Pfeiffer talked for a long time and finally decided on the next course of action. John Malkovich was an irresponsible person, and Pfeiffer decided to end it completely. Fortunately, the scenes between the two

I've already taken some pictures, so it won't hinder me too much.

In addition, Limato used his influence in the agent circle (director Stephen Frears was a client of WMA) to either bribe or threaten several crew members who knew about it and issued a gag order.

After Limato finished chatting with Pfeiffer, he went to the hotel to make arrangements. When he saw Ronald still at the door of the car, he made a sad expression and pulled Ronald aside.

"Michelle's husband has... you understand. The movie 'Dangerous Liaisons' describes the story of a chaste lady who is deceived by the sweet talk of a playboy because her husband is not around. Michelle is too much

You are invested...go see her, she needs you at this time."

Ronald thought to himself, what do you mean you need me at this time? But the trailer door opened again, Michelle Pfeiffer was looking at him from behind, and Ronald had no choice but to get in the car.

He looked at Pfeiffer, not knowing what to say, and by some strange coincidence, Ronald said: "Can you still continue to act?... Well, I mean, you still have my movie 'Steel Mulan'."

Interested?"

"Pfft..." Michelle Pfeiffer laughed out loud. Ronald's words made her let go of her worries.

"Of course, I like this script very much. I invited you here just to talk to you about whether you can be the director?" Michelle Pfeiffer returned to normal.

"If you agree to star, then I will seriously consider it." Ronald is also thinking about it. Michelle Pfeiffer's box office appeal is very good, plus the new Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, and the film

After Shirley MacLean, this movie seems to be a bit radical. Now, is your reputation as a feminist film master firmly established?

The two had a friendly and tacit understanding and did not talk about anything unexpected. Ronald said goodbye, leaving Pfeiffer with a private space to settle the messy emotional dispute.

"Why did you come out so quickly?" Limato was in the lounge, communicating with Ronald's agent Richard.

The bad thing about this matter is that Pfeiffer and Malkovich's affair was discovered by Ronald. No matter how the two get along later, as long as there is leakage, Ronald's name will definitely be

Will be dragged out by the tabloid media.

As for such a large costume drama crew with hundreds of people, leaks are almost certain to happen.

Fortunately, the filming location is in the country, and Limato still has time. After he returns, he will mobilize the power of William Morris to take precautions with major media and some small reporters. Once any unfavorable news is released, he will immediately suppress it.

Although it is unlikely to be 100% restricted, it can be controlled within a certain range.

And Richard is most concerned about Ronald not being involved in this matter, especially the two protagonists of the affair. No one must make sure that Ronald's name is not mentioned. John Malkovich originally

As a client of CAA, it is easy to handle, but for Limato, both parties need to reach a tacit understanding.

The two had a good conversation, and Richard felt confident that he could help Ronald resolve the matter. Unless Ronald had other ideas?

Fortunately, Ronald had no idea, "I have finished talking with Michelle about the new film. She already liked the script, so it won't take long."

"Thank you," Limato didn't say much. After greeting Ronald, he went to make arrangements.

"Huh..." Ronald and Richard both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, "How could Michelle?" Ronald asked, realizing that it was not easy to discuss this kind of thing with his agent.

"Ed (Limato), you just had a chat with me." Richard didn't think there was any problem with this. In his opinion, for what Ronald wanted to know, he must find a way to find out the truth.

"Miss Pfeiffer has always performed well at the box office, but critics have not recognized her acting skills. It was not until she participated in Jonathan Demme's "Join the Gang" that Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave her a

A good review for her.

This is the progress and results she has achieved after years of continuous acting training. But the side effect is that she is now more and more likely to fall into roles and be unable to extricate herself."

"Method?" Ronald sighed. Sometimes it's like this. If you want to act well enough for critics to say good things, you have to give up something.

In fact, this kind of problem is not necessarily limited to Methodism. Movies shot abroad, with daily costumes and make-up, are immersed in this kind of plot. Actors are all sensitive people, and it is easy to get caught up in the situation and be distracted.

I don’t understand the difference between plot and life.

"Michelle's manager is her friend. Without immediate discovery and guidance, Limato will use some means to get rid of her this time and replace her with someone who can truly stand on the same line of interests as him."

Ronald nodded. It was clear that the manager's absence was to create opportunities for Pfeiffer. For actors, sometimes there are problems when managers are too obedient.

After finally finalizing the casting for the new film, Ronald felt that he was no longer interested in continuing his vacation in Paris. He wanted to go back to Cannes to meet up with his colleagues and pay more attention to the company's business. However, after talking to Richard

Before leaving the Palace of Versailles, he suddenly thought of something.

"Hey? Why didn't you see Annette (Bening) on ​​the set?"

Richard was a little stunned by the question and didn't know how to answer.

"I promised her back then to introduce her to an audition opportunity. Could it be that she didn't get it?" Ronald was a little unhappy. He had a good reputation for this kind of thing. He didn't want to agree to it in the future.

If you can't do it, your reputation will be ruined.

"No, it's not right, she has no role here." Ronald thought, but it was wrong. There are three main female characters in this movie, one played by Pfeiffer, a virgin, and one named Uma Thurman, a virgin.

, and there is also a bad woman played by Glenn Gross."

"No, she auditioned for another movie with the same theme. Orion is distributing it. It's both an adaptation of the stage play 'Dangerous Liaisons'. The filming of this one will be stepped up and will be released at the end of the year. That one is a two-time Best Director Oscar winner.

Directed by winner Milos Forman (Mozart and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest).”

"Oh, this...is really outrageous."

Ronald understood that this stage play was shown in London's West End and had copyright. However, the novel was written in the 18th century. No matter who got the copyright to adapt the stage play, the other party could say that it was adapted from the novel.

Moreover, these two movies are exactly two typical methods used by Hollywood to adapt masterpieces. This Warner Bros. movie tried its best to invite all kinds of stars to participate, and the other Orion movie was a famous director who carefully selected the most suitable actors rather than famous ones.

The biggest thing is, I really don’t know who will win at the box office.

However, no matter who it is, the box office will be lower than when only one movie is released.

It’s no wonder that the Writers Guild is still on strike. Producers are competing fiercely for scripts that have proven successful on Broadway. If they are not filmed, they will definitely suffer heavy losses next year. Failure to hit a blockbuster film may be

If executives are unlucky and no movies are released, then there is something wrong with their basic abilities.

However, with such cruel competition to the point of slit-throat fighting, Warner and Orion are at odds with each other. The career prospects of these executives are not very good. Ronald looked at Richard. If this fails at the box office, there will be no other

The reason is to shirk it. Both parties are filming the same script.

"Orion is in urgent need of blockbusters to prove that its finances are okay," Richard explained to Ronald. The company is a medium-sized producer and relies on one blockbuster after another to maintain the company's cash flow. They

The script development has been suspended for several months, and now there are many rumors in Hollywood that they also have problems.

So we need to find the right opportunity to show everyone that Orion is still strong. Otherwise, without such blockbuster films, it would be terrible if investors withdraw their investment.

Sometimes, it’s not that you really have a problem, but that the market and the industry think you have a problem.

"Which movie do you think will be more successful?" Richard was also curious and asked Ronald what the expert thought.

"Hey, I don't know, it's hard to say." Ronald didn't know how to predict.

…

Ronald returned to Cannes, and the film festival was already halfway through. Natasha Kinski had already begun discussing the Palme d'Or with other judges behind closed doors. This year's Cannes is a small year, and there are no blockbuster films.

.

Ronald watched several low-budget European B-level films made by Bernstine and Cannold, and was going back to test whether the video market was interested in European films. He felt satisfied.

There is also a movie that Ronald is familiar with that is shown in the past few days, which is "Blue Sea and Blue Sky" released by Weintraub's company and directed by Mao Guo. The scenery of this movie is beautiful, and the plot has a unique European weirdness.

He felt uncomfortable after watching the ending, as if the director was deliberately trying to make things difficult for the audience at the end. The hero did not have a happy reunion with the heroine, but dived into the deep sea by himself, not wanting to live anymore. The heroine was Hollywood actress Luo Luo

Zanna Arquette once had great hope of being promoted to a top female star.

However, the competition in Hollywood is too fierce, and it seems that Arquette's efforts to change the track in Europe will not be successful. The film did not enter the competition, and it is difficult to achieve box office results in America with such an anti-drama ending.

, her dream of returning to Hollywood is likely to be shattered.

Just when Ronald was thinking about his thoughts, he saw an actress with a Chinese face and wearing a cheongsam among the audience exiting in front. Isn't this the heroine in "Red Sorghum"?

"Hello, Miss Gong. I'm Ronald. Didn't Director Zhang come to Cannes this time?"

Ronald stepped forward to say hello. Although he was wearing a cheongsam, Gong Li's mainland temperament could be distinguished at a glance.

"Ah, Director Luo. Bonjour, ah, no, you are American, hello." Gong Li saw a foreigner who could speak Chinese and was very friendly.

"Hello, hello. Let's find a place to eat." Ronald knew that these actors did not earn much, so he wanted to treat them to something good. Prices in Cannes are very high during the film festival, so don't go back to eat later.

Instant noodles.

"Haha, okay." Sure enough, the Chinese were very happy when they heard that someone was inviting them to dinner.

"Yimou is in China, and someone wants to ask him to make a commercial film. In addition, this trip to Cannes was arranged by an agent from Hong Kong. The money is not much, and only one person can come. Last time Yimou won West Berlin, so

I’ll come this time.”

"Ah ha, commercial films are good. Director Zhang has a very high artistic aesthetic. If he can use the techniques of making auteur films in commercial films, he will definitely be successful." Ronald found it interesting. It seems that the filmmakers there

, is also embracing commercialization, which is a good thing for its own business. It also has more opportunities to sell copies.

"I wonder what the subject matter is?" Ronald was also curious about what type of commercial film Yimou would make. Judging from the first two films he starred in and directed, it may require innovation.

"It's about hijacking, you know? It's about a passenger plane being hijacked and then rescuing the hostages. I heard that a boss watched a Hollywood video and offered Yimou 90,000 yuan to make a similar film."

"Ah, it can't be..." Ronald felt bad. This plot sounded like it was directed by Minahan Golan.

"The name is Delta Force. I heard it was filmed in the desert of Israel. The actor also starred in a movie with Bruce Lee. His name is... well, his name is Royce."

"Uh...", Ronald facepalmed. Isn't Luo Lishi the Chinese name of Chuck Norris, the action star signed by Minahan?