Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Raging Bull" was released, Martin Scorsese asked the teaching assistant to give everyone movie tickets in class, "I'm sorry I missed a lot of classes this year because of this movie, please tell me how you feel after you watch it. how?"

In order to catch up with this year's Academy Awards and make up for the length of time needed to enter the awards, "Raging Bull" opened in art theaters across the country in the last two weeks of 1980.

"Does it look good?" Ronald asked Li Ang and Spike Li, who had gone to see it. The three students surnamed Li hit it off and they always sat together to discuss movies.

"Art classic, this is probably the best Scorsese and Bobby De Niro movie ever made," Spike said.

"Yes, it tells about the life of Italian-born boxing champion Jack LaMotta. The boxing scenes are very exciting, and the camera scheduling is unparalleled. It may be the best boxing scene in history." Li Ang said about the movie, and his spoken English also It got better a little and said a longer sentence.

"Oh?" Ronald raised his eyebrows, and he couldn't miss it. "I want to take my cousin to see what you said."

"That's probably not suitable."

"Why? Because it's an R-rated film?"

"Not only is the boxing scene a little bloody, but it's black and white, and kids don't like it."

Black and white? Ronald thought, Scorsese can really play.

"Ronald, this may really be the voice of my swan. After that, it will be difficult for me to make movies in Hollywood. I plan to go to Italy with Isabella later. Some people in Europe like my movies, maybe I You can also apply for government funding and make some art films.”

Scorsese saw Ronald, who came to express his gratitude, and said a few more words to him.

"I've been writing the script six weeks ago and haven't seen your work, Marty. Why so pessimistic? But I've heard quite a few film critics in New York swearing good things about your new film."

"United Art isn't spending any money on the marketing of the movie, Ronald. They're going through a change at the top, with president Andy Albeck being fired from the parent company and replaced by an accountant from the parent company Pan Am, who would only settle accounts.

This time, Angry Bull can only be screened in 180 art theaters, and if it can't make some achievements at the Oscars, the total box office will not be very good.

And there are rumors in the circle that United Arts' parent company, Pan American, intends to sell United Arts as a whole. Hollywood's last major artist-led studio is about to... ugh. "

"Why, because Paradise Tickets failed?

"The production cost of 44 million,

The box office was less than one million in more than a month after its release.

Pan Am has long been dissatisfied with the management of United Arts, especially the two films "Midnight Cowboy" and "Barry's Last Tango". Despite Pan Am's objection, United Arts insisted not to cut out the controversial scenes, and was rated X by MPAA .

After that, Pan Am removed the words under the title of Pan Am Corporation under the title of United Arts, and fired several executives who insisted on artistic principles, and they went to establish a new company Orion Pictures.

Although President Andy Albeck was ridiculed for being a salesman, Lianmei under his rule had four films last year, Rocky 2,007: The Iron King's Breakthrough Space City, Manhattan, and The Black Horse, all of which achieved box office success. , but who knew Cimino could overspend the original budget of 6 million 'Heaven's Gate' so much?

Pan Am has long since lost the idea of ​​using United Arts for publicity, and the failure of Heaven's Gate has completely lost their patience..."

"If Hollywood has taught me anything? It's that you have to keep making money to stay in this business. I've had two films in a row without making money, and it's hard to convince producers to invest in my films." Scorsese concluded. arrive.

"Hey, it's all made by Heaven's Gate..." Ronald sighed.

The three-hour-and-forty-minute "Heaven's Gate" was met with rave reviews, especially by veteran New York Times film critic Vincent Camby, who likened it to "being forced to walk around your living room four times in a circle." hours", even viciously said that the fat boy Michael Cimino sold his soul to the devil Mephisto in "The Deer Hunter", and now Mephisto is coming to collect the bill.

Of course, Ronald doesn't think the critics are right. Heaven's Gate is bad, but Deer Hunter is not so good.

"Yeah, did you know? United Arts is going to withdraw the release of 'Heaven's Gate' and edit it again."

"Ah? What is this operation?"

"Michael Cimino signed a letter in the newspaper, asking United Art to let him withdraw the three-hour and forty-minute version, re-edit it into two and a half hours, and re-release it next year."

"So United Art agreed?" Ronald thought for a while, and felt that United Art agreed to withdraw the released film, which was a bit stupid. The new president may be unfamiliar with the film, which will only lead to more fierce criticism from film critics, "Look, we were right, the director admitted that he was wrong, and has to redo the cut. Then they will pounce more fiercely."

"Otherwise? If you don't agree, Michael Cimino has all the more reason to say that United Artists ruined his movie, after all, he's an Oscar winner for best director."

Ronald thought of Martin Scorsese, who had not yet been nominated for an Oscar for best director. His "Taxi Driver" was critically acclaimed, earning a Golden Globe and a Directors Guild nomination for best director, but no Oscar nomination.

"But Cimino's films are hard to edit, aren't they?" Ronald said.

Michael Cimino is the kind of director who is good at creating atmosphere. It is difficult for his films to cut out the excess film. It seems that it is wrong to cut no matter which section, and can only keep the long narrative.

"This is where he is smart. The directors and artists in the film industry are always suppressed by the producers, forcing them to cut short films. Cimino took advantage of this, and now there are people in the film industry talking about whether it is a joint venture or not. Art's new president forced Cimino to cut the film by a third."

"Obviously he asked for it himself, this fat guy is very cunning." Ronald thought to himself.

"I think you've also been nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes, Marty, will you go to the awards dinner?"

"I'm not going, Bobby De Niro is chasing the Best Actor award this awards season and I don't have a chance, United's finances are not going to allow me to do anything in awards season.

You know the tradition of the Golden Globes, they like the stars to be there, and this year there is a big star Robert Redford's directorial debut, and he will definitely go, so I don't need to go..."

"By the way, why did you say that too? Ronald. Has your script been nominated too?" Scorsese responded, asking if Ronald was nominated too.

"No, it's the best original song. I wrote the lyrics. I want to gain some insight." Ronald smiled.

"Good luck, young man."

The next day, Ronald went to the cinema to see Raging Bull. Sure enough, this black and white film is very powerful, and the use of black and white light and shadow is wonderful. Especially in the final ring, Jack LaMotta's last fight.

Scorsese used the magic of light and shadow to make the boxing champion's opponent strong and powerful. When the opponent was approaching, the light and shadow suddenly shrouded up, giving people a great sense of oppression. The audience seemed to be there, just like the black fighter with exploding muscles in the ring.

This kind of scene also fully expresses the old feeling of the old boxing champion Jack LaMotta.

The entire film is in black and white, except that Jack LaMotta himself shot with a family camera in color. This part of the family is warm and has a very documentary-like quality.

Contrary to the usual treatment, portions of the film's narrative are in black and white, while the referenced "pseudo-documentary" style footage is in color.

Ronald didn't know why Scorsese did it this way, maybe it was because Scorsese wanted to make a classic black and white movie like old Hollywood?

The level of cinematography in this film is not below those of old Hollywood classics. Ronald himself is a photographer. He knows that black and white photography and color photography are almost two kinds of art. Black and white photography has only one variable of grayscale. It relies entirely on light and shadow to create image effects and convey emotions to the audience.

Among the directors of this generation, only Scorsese and Peter Bogdanovich, who was involved in the murder of female model Stratten some time ago, can also direct black and white films.

Coincidentally, these two are also loyal fans of old Hollywood movies. Scorsese teaches classic film appreciation at New York University, and Bogdanovich has interviewed a series of old Hollywood directors, earning royalties for publishing books.

Only fans can make black and white films, a lost art in Hollywood.

While the entertainment media raved about the angry bull, they kept attacking Heaven's Gate.

Ronald turned on the TV and watched the entertainment news. There are interviews with passers-by viewers.

"The music is good and the photography is top notch, but the story is just terrible."

"I don't understand what the director is telling a story, a terrible movie."

"I think the movie needs to be edited well, to be honest."

Finally, a beautiful woman was interviewed, "I think the movie is too long and too boring. I think I'm going to fall asleep halfway through watching it."

"Look, it has nothing to do with me at all, it's just that Cimino's filming was too bad, and people dozed off." Ronald shouted at Donna and Diane Lane when he saw this.

The two little girls giggled and collapsed on the sofa. They had all heard of the origin of the nickname "Sleep Lo", because they were watching Michael Cimino's movies and yawning during interviews.

"Angry Bull, this weekend's box office is 649,000, ranking fourth, with an average box office of 3,600 US dollars per venue, and the total box office so far is 1.51 million..."

"Hey, have TV stations started broadcasting the box office rankings of movies now?" Ronald found the Hollywood Reporter and the Daily Variety from the table. Sure enough, the newspaper also opened a column, listing the film's weekly box office and total box office.

"Is this putting the director in the boxing ring and making them fight each other?" Ronald didn't quite like it.

"I think it's good. Film critics don't always tell the truth. I still look at the box office numbers before deciding which movie to watch. It's not easy to be deceived." Aunt Karen said. She was tidying up the living room, and it was almost New Year's Day.

Film review columns in the New York media gave Marty a high rating for "Raging Bull". Ronald browsed through several newspapers.

The New York Film Critics Circle awards announcement gave the Raging Bull a high rating, the bellwether of the Oscars.

At the upcoming New York Film Critics Circle Film Awards, Martin Ciccethes was nominated for Best Director, Robert De Niro was nominated for Best Actor, and Joe Pesci was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The awards in the film critic circle, as well as the Directors Guild Awards and Actors Guild Awards, will be awarded one after another from now until the Oscar nominations are announced.

The judges of these awards are highly overlapped with the judges of the Oscars, so they have the meaning of a weather vane. It looks like "Raging Bull" has a good chance of being nominated for an Oscar, or even winning.

And Scorsese and the two actors are of Italian descent, who are now very influential in the film industry. Thanks to Francis Coppola's The Godfather's first and second films, the films reflecting the life of Italian-Americans have sold well, and the influence of Italian-Americans in the film industry is also growing.