Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Except for the special features of the movie itself (such as the place where the original story takes place), the premieres of most American movies will be held in Los Angeles or New York.

These two cities have large theaters suitable for premieres, and there are enough media to cover the premieres, which can increase the box office of the movie.

Ronald released his film for the first time and spent a long time choosing between two places. The advantage of Los Angeles is that it is convenient to invite celebrities, while the advantage of New York is that there are more national media. In order to have more audiences see the movie from media reports and be attracted to the cinema, Ronald decided...

One event is held in each of the two cities.

The most suitable cinema for premieres in Los Angeles is the Dome Theater, and the most suitable cinema in New York is the Ziegfeld Theater. Both have halls that can accommodate more than 2,000 people, as well as various facilities for premiere media and meetings.

But Ronald couldn't rent any of them. Not only can you rent it by paying money, but you also need to have the right connections and make reservations in advance.

Since Ronald temporarily postponed the release of "Dirty Dancing", he had to do the next best thing and find another theater to premiere.

Both Universal and Paramount reached out to let Ronald premiere in their theaters. But those theaters are generally newly built multi-hall systems without large screening rooms and media facilities.

In the end, it was Roger Corman who took the initiative to find the famous Twin Pictures in the industry and loaned Ronald the premiere of the Twin Theater in Los Angeles and New York.

As the name indicates, the Twin Theater is a twin theater composed of two screening rooms with a capacity of 1,000 people.

Ronald reserved two halls, one for premiere audiences and the other for subsequent general screenings. The twin theaters in both places have media facilities that can be used to receive reporters from all walks of life.

"The scale is very good. It looks like a premiere scale only for blockbusters from the seven major studios."

Jim Cameron marveled at Ronald's arrangement. As a small company, Daydream can produce such a large-scale premiere and invite so many media and celebrities to support it. I have to say that it is very admirable.

"I hope you and Gail like it." Ronald greeted the stars at the door. Next to him is Diane, wearing a long red dress, greeting Gale Hurd.

"Oh, Jim, Jim..." Gale, with short hair, increasingly showed the temperament of a professional female producer, "You should wish Ronald's movie a hit."

"My fault\

,"Cameron smiled and corrected his statement with Ronald.

"Man, this doesn't have to happen between us. Let me know what you think when the time comes." Ronald gave his old friend a questioning look. Why does Gale always seem to find fault with what you say?

"Yes, I'll give you my thoughts after reading it." Cameron made a look that said, "I'll talk to you later." He obediently walked over and stretched out his arm for Gale to take, and the two of them walked in.

"Huh..." Diane attended the premiere for the first time as the organizer's female companion. She stuck out her tongue and looked at Ronald.

"A bit tired?" Ronald stepped forward and asked. Wearing such a close-fitting skirt and high heels, greeting each guest, and posing for photos with them, it was no easy task for a once-rebellious girl like Diane.

"Oh, I'm starting to regret wearing these high heels. These high heels are simply murdering me." Diane supported Ronald and made a painful expression. In order to look suitable with Ronald, Diane spent a long time choosing last night before deciding to wear clothes that highlighted her figure and a pair of high shoes.

"I put a pair of your shoes in the lounge. The heel will be much more comfortable. You can rush in before there are too many people..." Ronald covered the eyes of others and whispered in Diane's ear. .

"Really? Thank you, Ronnie." Diane quickly ran into the lounge to change into comfortable shoes regardless of her appearance.

Ronald put on a professional smile again and continued to act as a hospitable host to the guests. In fact, the premiere was at night. In the dark background, the photographers and paparazzi of the big media could only turn on the flash to the maximum and shoot the upper body of the person, so that readers could recognize who it was. Whoever is done is done.

No one can take photos with layers and the beauty of clothes under such lighting conditions without the aid of lighting.

Diane's clothes and shoes were obviously overdressed and more suitable for a stage shrouded in professional lights like the Oscars.

But Ronald knew Diane's psychology, purely to play the role of his female companion. He just asked his assistant to secretly hide a pair of medium-heeled shoes in Diane's size in the break room so that she wouldn't have to work too hard.

After a while, Diane walked out wearing comfortable shoes. Her steps were much easier this time. I still don’t have much experience attending formal occasions, but fortunately, Brother Ronnie is well prepared.

Thinking of this, she walked forward with a smile and took Ronald's arm.

"Miss Lane." The person who was greeting Ronald was the manager of Cinema Market Research Company.

"Hi," Ronald turned around and gave Diane an encouraging smile, "Mr. Carlson is helping us test the general audience ratings of random theaters in five states across the country tonight. Tomorrow we will know what the audience thinks of this movie. How much I like the movie.”

"First thing tomorrow morning, I promise." The manager nodded to Diane and went in to prepare for the investigation.

"How many points will there be?" Diane secretly asked Ronald in a low voice.

"Romantic comedies generally don't get too high a rating, so I'd be happy with a B+. Hi Roger!"

"Hi, Ronald, I'm really happy today." Roger walked over slowly with Julie Coleman and his wife.

Ronald quickly joined Diane to take a group photo with the former boss and his wife who had been kind to him. "How does it feel?" Roger Coleman patted Ronald on the shoulder, and the two posed for the photographer.

"To be honest, I'm very nervous. Doing distribution with my own money is completely different from just being a director before. I'm still waiting for the box office forecast you give me?"

"Haha, relax and enjoy it slowly. I'll go watch a movie first." Roger Corman laughed, and Ronald also "enjoyed" this feeling of being a boss.

"Ronnie, the box office will be good, right?" Diane's hand slowly stroked Ronald's arm to relieve him. Unexpectedly, Ronald revealed his true feelings in front of his former boss, and he would be nervous, but he seemed to be quite calm.

"Yeah, but I don't have time to think about this now..." Ronald also let out a sigh of relief.

"Let me tell you, Jim and Gale were inside just now, and their voices were a bit loud, as if they were quarreling." Diane rarely saw Ronald showing a nervous side, and quickly told Ronald the gossip he just saw inside listen.

"Don't tell." Ronald pressed Diane hard on the waist. Cameron is indeed a bit abnormal. Gail may be under too much pressure from the producer. Under normal circumstances, she also treats her husband Cameron with the condescending attitude of some producers towards the director. This is not a good thing. Phenomenon.

"Hi Tom, Mimi, glad you could come."

"Ronald, Diane," Mimi Rogers grinned crookedly and came up to hug the two of them.

"Ronald, what can I say?" Tom Cruise's hair is a little longer, wearing a red bow tie, a red suit scarf, and his wife Mimi wearing a tight black dress dotted with white. The corsage outfit matches just right.

When Cruise saw Ronald, he was still a little embarrassed about not inviting him to the wedding.

"I wish you good luck. You have to say something nice to your fans for my movie." Ronald joked with him and then hugged Cruise tightly. "The wedding cake is still very good." tasty."

"Hahaha..." Cruise put his worries aside and took several photos with Ronald Diane. Then he pointed at Ronald and told all the reporters at the scene, "I like this guy's movies very much." You should all come and see the works and personal recommendations.”

"Tom, when will you collaborate with Ronald again next time?" The reporter was very considerate, the flashbulb clicked, and many reporters wanted to come up and ask questions.

"Today is the premiere of Ronald's movie. I will only answer questions about my good friend." Tom Cruise showed a charming smile and praised Ronald's new movie to reporters.

Diane watched from the side. When "The Kid" was filmed, Cruise was still a supporting actor and had much fewer scenes than Patrick Schwytz. Now he is a big star. Instead, Schwytz starred in " "Dirty Dancing" will also rely on Cruise to help persuade audiences to come to the theater to watch.

All these changes are brought about by the men around me.

"Here you go, Brother Ronnie." Diane took out a handkerchief from her small bag and handed it to Ronald, who was sweating a little because of nervousness and the flashlight.

"Oh, thank you." Ronald didn't expect Diane to be so careful, so he picked up the handkerchief and wiped it, "Am I too nervous?"

"Relax, your movie will definitely be liked by the audience."

"Hi, Ronald".

Here comes another celebrity couple, the Jewish Michael Douglas and his wife. Ronald hugged them each.

"Those film critics aren't giving you any more trouble, are they?" Douglas still had the task of conveying goodwill to Ronald.

"No, I'm glad they kept their mouth shut this time." Ronald still expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Welcome, Diandra," Ronald hugged Mrs. Douglas next, turning the unpleasant page away.

"I wish your movie will sell well. I heard it tells the story of the Kennedy era? I am very interested in the story of that period." Deandra Douglas is more than 10 years younger than her husband and is the daughter of an Australian diplomat. , but I am quite interested in Ronald’s movies.

"Diane, right? I met your father when I was in New York." Douglas hugged Diane again.

Celebrities have already arrived one after another. After Ronald finally took photos with Chris Columbus and his wife, the director of "Adventures in Nanny", he handed over the next reception task to Michelle Cannold. Enter the screening room 1 of the Twin Theater with Diane.

The structure of the Twin Theater is simple, like a double-yolked egg. In the middle is the ticketing hall, and at the back is the lounge. There are two passages on the left and right, leading to No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, two large screening halls that can accommodate a thousand people.

"Can Adventures in Babysitting still hold up?" Ronald asked Columbus on the way.

"Disney said it can probably hold on for another two weeks. The total box office will be more than 33 million, but not 35 million."

Columbus adjusted his glasses. He was satisfied with the results of his film debut.

"It's already very good. Today's teen romantic comedies can break even if they make over 30 million."

"To be honest, I'm very grateful for your help. This movie helped me regain my confidence. I originally thought that after working as a screenwriter for so many years, I had lost the ability to direct."

"Don't say that. This nanny adventure is very complete. I think someone will come to you to direct the second movie soon."

"We have a few scripts to discuss now." Columbus smiled. "Elizabeth called and asked me to bring them to you. She was a little disappointed that you didn't attend the premiere of Adventures in Babysitting."

"Don't mention it, I've been very busy these past two months." Ronald briefly told Columbus the messy things he encountered.

"How's the movie's box office expected?" Columbus was directing a movie for the first time, and he also had a taste of the warmth and warmth brought by the box office. Seeing Ronald say so many things that weren't going well, he became worried for him.

"My unified answer right now is that I don't know. Let's see the ratings of Cinema tomorrow."

"Your movie will definitely be a big hit. I won't attend the party after the premiere later. Monica and I found a nanny to take care of the children at home. I don't want to encounter the kind of situation played by Elizabeth Sue when we go back. "Columbus joked and sat down.

Michelle Cannold came in and went on stage to say some words. None of the leading actors came today, and most of the audience came to watch this movie because they were curious about the discussions about the JFK era in the newspapers. Others simply heard that Tom Cruise was coming.

Ronald sat in his seat, feeling nervous. Looking around, except for some celebrities who are fans of Cruise, most of them are middle-aged women.

"What's wrong with you? Are you okay?" Sitting next to him, watching Ronald untie his tie nervously, Diane couldn't help but hold Ronald's hand, but unexpectedly it was sweaty. I have never seen such a nervous Ronald.

Brother Ronnie has always been Diane's support in various crises. He is a capable person who can solve any trouble. To make his palms sweat like this, it seems to be a lot of pressure on him.

"It's okay, it's really hot today." Regardless of the low air conditioner in Hall 1 of the Twin Cinema, Ronald began to find reasons to avoid saying that he was nervous.

Can you not be nervous?

Originally, the target customers of this movie were teenage women aged 17-23. As a result, Pauline Carr cheered up, and female film critics began to make noises. Everyone discussed the background of the "Dirty Dancing" movie, the golden era of Kennedy in 1963.

As a result, a large proportion of the audience today were middle-aged women who came to reminisce.

These people don't look at all like an audience that would go crazy for sexy dance. Back then, "break dancing" mainly attracted teenagers and high school students.

When I think about the fact that I am photographing young girls having their first love, will the audience be as moved as teenagers if these are mothers and aunties?

"Are the critics trying too hard? Attracting the wrong audience?"

The more Ronald thought about it, the more frightened he became, "Why is the air conditioner turned on so low today? Dolly, Dolly!"

Ronald softly called Dolly Bernstine, the deputy manager of the circulation department.

Dolly ran over quickly and squatted next to Ronald's seat near the aisle. The overhead light on the ceiling had dimmed and the screening was about to start. Did Ronald find something wrong?

"Is the air conditioner in this theater broken? Why is it so hot? Go check it out?"

Ronald asked Dolly in a low voice.

"It's not broken. I think the air conditioner is turned on quite loudly."

"Ah, really, forget it."

Ronald took out the handkerchief Diane gave him again and wiped it on his forehead and neck.

"It doesn't seem like it. Maybe I'm not wearing a coat?" Dolly Bernstine gave Ronald a strange look and walked to the back seat muttering.

"Relax, Ronnie." Diane noticed something was wrong with Ronald and waved to call a waiter wearing a white suit and black tie. The Twin Theater attaches great importance to the premiere, and Ronald has given a sufficient budget. There are many waiters in the hall to serve VIPs at any time.

"Bring us a can of ice-cold Coke." Diane ordered the waiter.

"Come right away, ice-cold Coke."

The lamp on the base of the aisle glowed dimly, the other lights were turned off, the words "Daydream Pictures" appeared on the screen in red squiggles, and the movie began to show.

“Dong…dong dong…

Dong…dong dong…”

When the rhythm of Dirty Dancing picked up, Ronald in the later stage made the shots of the backup dancers showing off their style in the basement old. Now it looks like a faded old movie on the screen, which suddenly captivates the audience. My thoughts brought back the fiery era of 1963.

"Produced by Ronald V. Lee."

Ronald's was also printed on the screen with red squiggle subtitles.

The title of "Dirty Dancing" is also written in bright red cursive letters, and then the names of Patrick Schwytz, Jennifer Gray, and Cynthia Rhodes appear in sequence according to the size of the click.

"Your Coke, sir." The waiter quickly brought back a glass of Coke with ice on a tray with a straw inserted into it.

"Ah, thank you." Ronald took out a 20-dollar bill from his pocket and handed it over as a tip.

"Thank you, sir." The waiter stepped aside happily. Such generous guests are not common.

Ronald was upset and took two sips of Coke. He threw away the straw and drank heavily from the glass, biting the ice cubes at the bottom of the glass until they clicked.

It was so stressful.

Ronald looked around. In the newly renovated screening room, dim lights were installed in the aisles to guide the way. With the dim light, Ronald could clearly see the expressions of the surrounding audience.

His neck was twisting and turning. Those middle-aged viewers, unlike young people, would laugh out loud or even yell at their favorite plots in the movie. These people still have old-school movie-watching etiquette. Watch The screen was motionless, and I didn't know what they were thinking. Do they like it or not?

"It was the summer of 1963, and our family went to the Catskills for vacation... At that time, everyone called me Baby..."

Jennifer Gray's monologue in the voice-over brings the audience back to the scenes of that era.

"She is Jewish..." Ronald's sharp ears heard the voice of an audience member a few rows behind. When he turned around, the voice was gone again.

I'm sweating more. Do you like it or complain about it? These middle-aged viewers are still somewhat knowledgeable. They recognized this story of a Jewish girl through the name of the resort in the Borscht Belt and Jennifer Gray's nose.

Ronald began to feel restless again. He didn't know what these middle-aged viewers thought of the Jews back then. After all, in the not-too-distant past, Jews did not have a good reputation in society. They were all small shopkeepers engaged in such industries as grocery stores and laundry.

Moreover, Jews are known for their shrewdness, and many people there have been deceived, taken advantage of, etc. This is different from Italians opening bakeries or Chinese opening Chinese restaurants. Those industries at least provide delicious food, which can offset the dissatisfaction of many customers who are preoccupied.

"It seems that we did the right thing by not making the issue of Baby's ethnicity explicit, but by hiding it cleverly. I don't know what the audience will think when they see it." Ronald let out a sigh of relief, and the previous movie was released. It's not so painful, is it?

The movie continued to play, and soon came to the plot where Penny, played by Cynthia Rhodes, became pregnant and was flirted with and eventually abandoned by the hotel waiter. Baby performed surgery on her and asked her father for a large sum of money to help Penny. In the end, because this kind of surgery was illegal in many states at the time, he could only find a quack doctor for $500.

When Penny suffers from sequelae, Baby goes to ask his father, a surgeon, to clean up the mess.

"Oh, that's me. We don't have the right to perform surgeries. Some people have no choice but to find a hotel and let those doctors or nurses who make money and risk their lives use those dirty instruments to perform surgeries."

"Yeah, I still remember, I had a girlfriend who couldn't pay for it, so she used a wire hanger to do it. It was really miserable. It was really not easy to be a woman at that time, Luo v. Wade After the verdict came out, our life became better."

Ronald heard the whispers from the audience in the back again.

He started to sweat again. This plot was already controversial, and the original sponsors, those selling acne cream, withdrew their funding because of this plot. Now it is seen by these female viewers who are mothers.

Do they like their plot, or are they dissatisfied with it being filmed this way?

Middle-aged audiences also have trouble with middle-aged audiences, because they are too polite, stop talking and are unwilling to influence others.

"Waiter," Ronald waved to the waiter, "bring me another Coke with ice."

Ronald took off his tie, then tugged on the collar, breathing heavily.

"Sir, your Coke." This time a different waiter came to deliver the Coke. Ronald took the $20 and handed it to her as usual.

"Thank you, your movie is great." The waitress whispered, then took the Coke that Ronald had finished and pushed it aside.

"Finally someone said it looked good." Ronald curled his lips.

During a 100-minute movie, Ronald ordered four Cokes, and the waiters in the front row received generous tips. The legend of Ronald's generousness spreads in the Twin Theaters.

"Because, I have found the time of my life..."

In the last scene, Baby was lifted off the stage by the backup dancers, accelerated all the way, took off, and jumped on Johnny's head. Johnny held the baby up with both hands, lifted it up, and lifted it up again...

The audience and backup dancers in the movie started applauding.

There were also a few young people in the audience who looked like Tom Cruise fans. They clapped twice and then stopped when no one responded.

Ronald's heart sank. Among all the premieres of his films, this was the only one in which no audience applauded from beginning to end.

All the supporting characters on the screen started dancing. Penny hugged Dr. Houseman and thanked her. Baby's sister danced with Johnny's cousin. Mrs. Houseman also started dancing with her husband. Finally, the two old ladies put on their shawls. Throw it away, hold each other's hands and jump up.

The lights in Auditorium No. 1 began to turn on, and Ronald's heart sank again. Not a single member of the audience got up and danced along.

When "Break Dance" premiered in New York, there was also a large dance scene at the end. The audience jumped up on the spot and blocked the actors on the stage to prevent them from leaving.

Ronald braced himself, forced out a smile, and accompanied a few stars who came to enjoy the show, to the lounge next to him to prepare for interviews and parties after the premiere.

"It's great, the movie is great."

"It's really good. Your control of the dance scenes is top-notch."

The celebrities spoke with some sincere praise, congratulated Ronald one by one, and then went to the lounge between the No. 1 and No. 2 screening rooms nearby.

Ronald walked out of Screening Room 1, reluctant to go in. He asked a waiter for a cigarette and started smoking.

"Is it really a bad shot?", Ronald asked Diane.

"I think it's very good-looking, but the audience's reaction seems not to be enthusiastic." Diane held his hand and gently rubbed the palm of his hand, asking him not to be so stressed.

"Huh... maybe it was a mistake to invest on my own." Ronald took a puff of cigarette and reflected silently. This time, he invested all his wealth and two years of little Douglas' pocket money into it.

"Ronald," Roger Coleman walked over quickly, "Why are you here?"

"Let me see the audience's reaction." Ronald thought to himself. This was a window for him to observe the box office. Many audience members would chat about the movie while waiting in the bathroom. It was also a good place to get real feedback.

But this time, they didn't talk much.

On the other side, Cinema staff are looking for viewers who are willing to take the questionnaire and give them small gifts in exchange for the opportunity to take the questionnaire.

Many people did not take the questionnaire after going to the restroom, and waved their hands to reject the chocolates offered. One by one, they filed out of the No. 1 screening room and walked quickly along the direction of the door.

"Hey..." Ronald sighed, this reaction was really not good.

"You might be going to get rich, Ronald." Roger Coleman also watched them walk out, but his judgment was opposite to Ronald's.

"Why?" Ronald glanced at Coleman in surprise, not seeming to be sarcastic or comforting himself.

"Follow me and take a look..." Coleman didn't answer and pushed Ronald out.

Ronald pulled Diane and walked out.

I saw more and more viewers flocking out, and no one was willing to waste time taking Cinema’s questionnaire.

They exited Screening Room No. 1, and the flow of people split into two groups and gradually accelerated.

Ronald followed the crowd to the box office in the lobby.

"Give me another Dirty Dancing."

"I want two, too."

"Give me two. How many shows are there tonight? I want one for every show."

"Huh?" Ronald's mouth was wide open. Are these middle-aged female viewers going to the box office to buy a ticket before going in to watch it?

"You know what? Ronald, you may have won the Power Lottery jackpot." Coleman said next to him. He has seen a lot, having been producing since the 1950s and getting involved in distribution in the late 1960s.

One look at the format and I knew it was going to be a strong film. This kind of movie, which is watched by middle-aged women, housewives, and working women, can accumulate very high box office even without marketing. Those who watch the "Sound of Music" movie may rarely go to the cinema once a year, but once they like a movie, their enthusiasm for making friends is not comparable to that of young people.

Once the circle of housewives starts chatting on the phone about a movie, and professional women use the movie as a topic of conversation at work, and no one in the circle has watched it, then there is no room for discussion in the social circle.

"Where did the other half of the people go?" Diane asked from the side. The other half of the audience went straight out of the cinema without buying tickets, but their walking speed was not as fast as those who bought tickets to watch the next show. slow.

"Go and have a look." Ronald became more energetic and walked out with them hand in hand with Diane.

As soon as they left the cinema, they saw a record store on the corner. The audience walked straight in and walked out happily holding a record.

Within a few minutes, someone wrote on the blackboard at the door of the record store that the "Dirty Dancing" album was sold out today and was being replenished. If you need it, you can leave your name and phone number to make a reservation.

"Shxt!" Ronald yelled, "I have to call Jimmy Lehner and get it printed."

Please remember the first domain name of this book: . :