Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Agent Richard knocked on Ronald's door on time at noon the next day, neither early nor late.

Ronald opened the door in his pajamas, took a pile of newspapers and magazines from Richard, and pointed to the coffee and various breakfasts on the dining car for Richard to eat first. Today he woke up unusually late.

"There are no reports against you or Moonlight Sultry. There is no claim that the two award presenters deliberately missed your nomination. We can continue to observe for a while, and I will pay attention to all reports every day."

Richard took a piece of toast, sat down and ate it.

Ronald poured him a glass of orange juice and mixed in some bacon and baked beans. I took the newspapers and magazines and read them. This year's Oscars, including live and recorded broadcasts, are said to be watched by 1 billion viewers around the world. So all newspapers and magazines published special reports the next day.

All the headlines were reports that "The Last Emperor" had bagged nine nominations. The photos of Michael Douglas as Best Actor and Cher as Best Actress occupied the second and third attention.

The photo of the two holding Oscar statuettes appeared in the bottom half of many newspapers.

Richard marked every report in which Ronald appeared. Ronald looked around. They were all photos taken when he won the award. He had no special comments.

The sun shines in through the window and shines on the "Hollywood Report" in his hand. Ronald can't help but wonder, is he nervous? Yesterday was a...coincidence?

I put down the "Hollywood Report" and picked up a "Variety" magazine. These are two of the most authoritative media outlets in Los Angeles reporting on the Hollywood entertainment industry. Variety Show is a magazine that is published every weekend. There is also a newspaper version published every day called "Daily Variety Show".

There was a huge post-it note on the magazine. Ronald opened it and couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Honey, who's here?" Diane poked her head out of the bathroom with a towel on her face. He heard Ronald's hearty laughter. The worried Ronnie from last night was gone. The ever-optimistic one was gone. Ronald came back again, which made her mood better.

"It's Richard. After you blow dry your hair, come and have breakfast together."

"How much did Cher spend?" Ronald turned to the page of Variety magazine and asked Richard with a smile.

Cher contacted Variety overnight and added a full page of ads before the Oscar special issue went to print today.

There is only one bold line of title above:

"Thank you to Ronald Lee, the director of 'Moonlight'. I didn't thank him at the awards night. His guidance during the filming helped me complete the most important work of my career.

Thank you also to screenwriter Patrick Shanley, the lovely Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis, Vincent Gardenia..."

"The usual genuine advertising for variety shows is about fifteen thousand dollars. For today's time slot, plus the expediting fee, including the favors she called on, we can't do it so quickly for less than thirty thousand dollars."

"I have to call her..." Ronald felt that the $30,000 apology and thanks were very sincere and worthy of him calling and joking with Cher immediately.

Richard went to call Cher's manager, Diane put on her bathrobe and went out to have brunch, and the two happily fed each other on the sofa.

"Ring ring ring ring..." Ten minutes later, Xue'er's phone called.

"You watched the variety show, right? I'm sorry, Ronald. I was so nervous last night that I forgot to thank you and Shanley, and all the cast and crew. I have a lot of interviews to do after yesterday's ceremony , when I finally finished the marathon, you had already left."

"That's why it's important to prepare a small note, hahaha... But I don't have a chance to use mine. Congratulations, Xueer." Ronald laughed.

"Yes, the cost of not preparing this note is quite high." Xueer felt half relieved when she heard that Ronald seemed to have no more grudges. The manager gave me inspiration last night and came up with this trick on the spur of the moment. Fortunately, the editor-in-chief of Variety Magazine liked such drama and agreed to adjust the layout at the last minute, leaving himself a channel to apologize immediately.

It was in this way that he immediately took out a full-page advertisement in the most famous media to apologize, without leaving any grudge against Ronald and the rest of the crew. Everyone thought that Xueer was just nervous. Her mind suddenly went blank on stage and she didn't know what she said.

The two laughed and chatted for a while. In addition to the apology, Variety also had an adjacent section that comprehensively reviewed Cher's acting career and her "infamous" see-through dress history. It did add a lot of popularity to her, and some young fans and fans also got to know her.

Cher unexpectedly won the Best Actress award this time, which also brought a turn for the better to her singing career. The new label boss, Cher's former boyfriend David Geffen, saw this as a sign that Cher was back at the center of the pop culture scene.

David Geffen also thought of asking big-name singers such as Joan Bon Jovi and Michael Bolton, who are affiliated with the company, to compose new songs for her new album. In short, Cher's singing career has unexpectedly rejuvenated.

"I will invite you to the spago for dinner tonight, Ronald, and I also want to apologize to you in person. After all, you are the one who gave me all these new opportunities."

Cher finally invited Ronald to have dinner at Spago, a favorite restaurant among Hollywood stars. Chef Wolfgang Puck was willing to host the new movie queen and gave her an extra seat.

"I'll go..." Ronald didn't like the food in this restaurant very much, but it was the favorite restaurant of all the stars. It seemed that if you couldn't get a table without making a reservation in advance, you couldn't be considered a first-line star.

After the call, Ronald continued to watch Variety's report on last night's Oscars.

Sure enough, just as Ronald thought, there were many criticisms of the host Chase's low-brow hosting style. Especially taking off his pants in front of Paul Newman, who has a high status in Hollywood, really made these film critics uncomfortable.

"It's a mixed blessing to invite all the comedians to save the day during the awards ceremony. Honestly, I think Billy Crystal should have been the host, at least we wouldn't have to endure a host who picks his nose to amuse himself.

Chevy Chase's hosting was too boring, as was Robin Williams, who was the presenter. Watching these two people make fun of each other was as boring as watching George Sr. and Michael Dukakis run for president.

God, please let Al Gore from Tennessee and Dole from Kansas win the race. Watching the debate between George Sr. and Dukakis would make people sleepy."

Why is it the presidential election again?

Ronald stopped and went to the bedroom to call Douglas Jr.

"Is there a problem with George's election? I saw a magazine complaining that his campaign speech was as boring as last night's Oscars?"

"Ah, Ronald, it's okay. Recently, former Secretary of State Alexander Haig jumped out to endorse Dole, so there were some problems in Iowa, and he temporarily fell behind Senator Dole of Kansas.

Fortunately, with Roger Ailes hosting and your new campaign ads, George won the first place in the New Hampshire primary. On Super Tuesday, he is expected to defeat all competitors in one fell swoop and get the endorsement of the current president."

"Why hasn't the current president Ronald endorsed George yet?" Ronald asked in surprise.

"You know, the two ladies have deep conflicts, and the president has some knots in his heart. You have been busy with your film career recently, so I didn't tell you much. By the way, I heard that something went wrong with your house renovation project?" Douglas asked.

"You know, I just like Chinese-style garden architecture and want to replicate a small one on Staten Island. But the 'beep...' in the New York Parks Department is giving me trouble. I'm not free now, so I have to stop working temporarily."

"When I have time, I'll ask you what's going on and who should handle this matter. I suspect you've been involved in New York's local politics." Douglas Jr. said a few words. New York's local politics is more complicated than any other city. In addition to the Donkey Party and the Elephant Party, there are also strong Conservative and Liberal parties.

Stern, the director of the Parks Department nicknamed "Star Exploration", is determined to make a difference in the local political arena. A Hollywood director like Ronald is a good target for him to gain some popularity among voters.

】

Please ask Douglas Jr. to pay attention to getting himself out of trouble. Ronald took a rest and went to dinner with Diane in the evening.

"Ms. Queen is waiting for you." The new queen has many privileges. At the entrance of Spago Restaurant, the usher gave Ronald special treatment and took him directly to the party to eat.

The actors of the crew gathered together again. Ronald, screenwriter Shanley, Olympia Dukakis, and Vincent Gardenia, the two actors who played Cher's parents, were still in Los Angeles. Everyone wore their partners to the restaurant. This was a small private party.

Cher apologized to everyone in person one by one, and also presented a gift of apology, a bagel made by her boyfriend himself.

Everyone also saw the full page of apology, and did not care about Cher's mistake. As for career, several people present were nominated. Nominations and awards are not so different in helping careers. So they can still chat together.

Only Nicolas Cage did not get a nomination, but he is also quite satisfied with his career. The new girlfriend he brought is a blonde who looks a bit familiar.

"I am a fan of your movies, Director Ronald. I can do this business thanks to you." The actress named Amy Dolenz was very excited to see Ronald.

"Why? I don't remember directing you?" Ronald just thought she looked a bit like Brooke Shields, the model of blondes, but he didn't have an impression.

"I made a guest appearance in two episodes of Growing Pains. Because your The Karate Kid is a hot seller, the TV director wanted a girl who knows karate. I was chosen because I practiced karate."

"I'm glad to help you." Ronald didn't expect that he had changed the fate of some people in many ways.

"Mr. Li, this is Romanee-Conti from 1985, one of the best red wines in our restaurant. If you think it's good, I'll open it for you."

As the few of them were chatting happily, a waiter came over and showed Ronald a bottle of red wine in a big-bellied bottle.

Ronald looked at Cher. The wine was very expensive, and 1985 was said to be a very good year. He hadn't tasted it either. Did Cher spend so much money to apologize today?

"I didn't order it. Did I make a mistake...?" Cher was at a loss.

"This is a gift from Mr. Gibson, Mr. Li." The waiter pointed to another table behind him, where the star of Lethal Weapon, the Australian superstar Mel Gibson, was. Seeing Ronald looking over, he raised his hand to signal.

After receiving the expensive gift, Ronald of course went to express his gratitude. Mel Gibson and his wife came to dine together. He had met Ronald at Stallone's party before, but this time Ronald was nominated for Best Director, and Gibson wanted to get to know him better.

Ronald's movies are all commercial first, and the box office is good, but recently, while taking into account the commercial premise, the tendency of artistry and reflecting the major issues of the times has become more and more obvious. Mel Gibson really wants to cooperate with Ronald in a movie, and also get an Oscar nomination.

But it's too early to say this now. Mel Gibson smiled and told Ronald some gossip.

For example, at the award ceremony last night, Jeremy Thomas, the producer of the "Last Emperor" crew, and Bertolucci, the director and producer, were both late and left early.

It is said that in order to make this movie, Jeremy Thomas borrowed money and divided the investment amount into small portions and sold it to many wealthy people in the Hollywood and British circles. Before the award ceremony, "The Last Emperor" was released for more than ten weeks, and the box office did not enter the top five in the United States for a single weekend.

During the awards ceremony last night, many creditors were waiting to intercept the two at the door and demand their money on the spot. If they don't give an explanation, it will be a bad look if they are filmed by the news media.

Unexpectedly, Jeremy Thomas had stood higher and thought further than them. He sneaked into the venue after the second half of the awards ceremony. The camera lens did not capture him until the Best Picture was presented.

The creditors who heard the news wanted to intercept them at the subsequent press conference, but Jeremy Thomas slipped out of the side door of the venue first, leaving Bertolucci to take the blame.

However, Bertolucci is a famous director, and he is not the one who is mainly responsible for financing. The creditors can't force him too much, so there is no scandal.

But Bertolucci also has a way to deal with it. "The Last Emperor", one of the nine nominations, has aroused a lot of heat and curiosity in America through last night's live broadcast. Everyone wants to see what kind of story this movie about the last emperor of China shot by Italians that conquered Hollywood is about.

The creditors heard Bertolucci recount a long list of examples in Hollywood history where the box office rose with the Oscars, and decided to give Jeremy Thomas, the liar, another chance.

"Ronald, it's a pity that you didn't win last night. I think you should have won the last two awards."

The speaker was Sean Young, who presented the awards with Nicolas Cage last night. Ronald has now become a big shot that all the stars want to make friends with. Three or four actors came up to chat with Ronald during a meal, trying to leave a good impression on Ronald.

Especially this time, "Moonlight Temptation" won two major awards in a row, the Best Actress and the Best Supporting Actress. Ronald's reputation for being good at photographing women spread like wildfire, and many actresses saw him as if they saw a shining jewel.

"It's a great honor to be nominated," Ronald responded carefully. Sean Young is a little crazy, and it's not good to say such things in public if someone with ulterior motives hears it.

Diane also had a problem with Sean Young's V-neck dress with a wide opening. This bitch must have done it on purpose, sticking herself to Ronald's arm in a demonstrative manner.

"Remember to find me if there is a chance to cooperate with me," Sean Young twisted her waist twice and turned back. Her figure was really great, and her walking posture made people feel happy involuntarily.

But Ronald didn't look at her for long. Cage told him that this woman was a little crazy and sometimes messed up on the set. When she presented the awards yesterday, she took the initiative to improvise and poorly imitated Billy Crystal. It almost made Cage, who was presenting the awards together, embarrassed.

It was really nice to be praised by Hollywood stars like this. Ronald enjoyed a sip of expensive red wine until he saw a hateful face.

"Hey, Ronald, Nick, Mel, you are all here..."

The black man who came over was the one who fooled Ronald last night. When he presented the best film at the end, he forgot to mention the nomination for Moonlight, which almost made the audience all over the world mistakenly think that it was Ronald's award presenter, Eddie Murphy.

Eddie Murphy was originally an ordinary comedian. He once worked with Ronald's partner Joel Silver in a 24-hour movie and made his debut as an action comedy. He is so popular now because Stallone rejected the opinion of Michael Ovitz, the president of CAA, and did not play "Beverly Hills Cop", which made Eddie Murphy, the biggest black actor who can get the salary of Hollywood's top male actors.

He came over and greeted everyone as if nothing had happened. He always thinks that he is the greatest male star in Hollywood. If it weren't for the skin color problem, he would have become the first.

Ronald took a look at this self-familiar arrogant maniac and thought this was a good opportunity to test him.

"Eddie, what happened last night?" Ronald stood up and deliberately approached Eddie Murphy, slightly invading the safe distance of Hollywood stars, making the other party feel a little uncomfortable, and then stopped at that distance.

"Hey, man, be entertaining. That's a joke. You know, there's no script for the award show. We just need enough time..." Eddie Murphy was very slick. He immediately used a joke to evade the question.

"Well..." Ronald sneered and tilted his head, motioning him to go to the side to talk alone.

Eddie Murphy couldn't ignore this provocation. He snorted and followed over, saying that he was not afraid of any challenge from white people.

"First of all, I don't like you talking to me like this. After Dr. King's civil rights movement... black people now..."

Eddie Murphy wanted to save face, so he poked Ronald's chest with his hand and began to tell this white man about the history of discrimination and oppression of black people. He was a big star in Hollywood, so he shouldn't look at black people with the old eyes of the 1930s.

"Don't talk nonsense like that. I just want to ask you what happened last night? There are only two of us here, you can be frank." Ronald looked at his flashing eyes and turned into the confidence of a star. He knew that this guy was very likely to do it on purpose last night. As he said that, he approached Eddie Murphy again, and his nose was almost touching his face.

"Hey..." Feeling that his space was invaded, Eddie Murphy began to reach out again, trying to keep his distance.

Ronald grabbed the back of his neck with a wrestling move, and held his fingers tightly with his other hand, then made an intimate move that seemed like old friends, turned back and smiled at others, as if two old friends were chatting about something.

"There are only two of us here, you can tell me the truth," Ronald put his hands hard, Eddie Murphy felt a little pain, and tried to get rid of it but was held tightly.

"Hey, brother, someone told me that you are unfair to black people, so I just want to play a little joke on you."

"Unfair? Are you kidding?" Ronald thought to himself that I am very good to black actors, and I give them quotas fairly.

"That person told me that your new film, the one called Working Girl, has no black main characters."

"Then it's a Wall Street movie, and there aren't many black people working there?" Ronald was amused by this logic.

"Hey, you can't say that, we black people have been discriminated against for decades, you should reflect our success more... We are not worse than you..."

Then you should protest to Wall Street and ask them to give more jobs to black people. Ronald thought to himself, what kind of idea is this?

"I say, the person who told you this, didn't he tell you that I shot the most famous contemporary black musical - Breakdance? J is also my good friend, you can ask him if I discriminate against black people?"

"What? Did you shoot Breakdance? Walder? I like it very much..." After Eddie Murphy became famous, he was surrounded by invitations from big studios, and he really didn't know much about low-cost breakdance.

After becoming a big star, he drank every day, got drunk until the evening, and was accompanied by all kinds of beauties. Eddie Murphy was easily provoked. Today, when he heard Ronald mention that J was his friend, he believed it. If he could invite J to guest-star in breakdance, he must not be the kind of white person who disrespects black people.

The two smiled again, this time for real. They walked back with laughter.

"Who is the Jew who said bad things about me to you?" Ronald suddenly asked with a smile as he was about to walk back to the table.

"Hey, I can't say that. You know this kind of thing. I won't spread this kind of rumor. I got to know you today. If someone says you discriminate against black people in the future, I will help you clarify it. You are a good friend of us black people."

"Of course... good friend." Ronald bumped fists with him.