Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 1415 Hollywood Director
"My dear fellow Americans, I speak to you tonight to inform you of the Iraqi government's attack on America and how we have just retaliated against them.

In the past period of time, the Kuwaiti government uncovered a bomb attack against America. This attack was directly aimed at the former President George who was visiting Kuwait. After the Kuwaiti security department arrested 16 suspects, I ordered the FBI and CIA to conduct a thorough investigation...

They wanted to assassinate a former president because he had punished their country while in office. This is undoubtedly a terrorist act. I immediately met with our allies and made a decision. Just a few hours ago, we used advanced weapons to bomb those who planned this attack in Baghdad. This is also to reduce the casualties of innocent people. I would like to thank our military and intelligence and investigation agencies..."

"Oh, that's amazing..." Diane raised his fist and waved it in the air happily, "How dare you try to assassinate our commander-in-chief..."

Ronald was also at home, watching the evening news with Diane. After some investigation, President William attacked the Iraqi General Intelligence Agency. According to the news, the Tomahawk cruise missiles were used, which were very advanced and accurate, and destroyed the Iraqi officials who planned the attack on the former president in one fell swoop.

Although there were some reports that the Kuwaiti trial of the alleged bomber was incomplete, there were many beatings and torture, and Iraq also released news that nine innocent people died in the airstrike, but the American people don't care about these things at all.

Anyway, that madman in Iraq just overestimated his own capabilities. Old George let him go back then, but he is still fearless and wants to assassinate our former commander-in-chief. Is it just because he blew up all your elite troops?

This feeling makes ordinary people feel good. As for other details, such as who organized the terrorist attack and whether innocent Iraqis were killed, they are not very important. What is important is that America won again!
"It looks like a movie plot..." Ronald also thought that this news was a bit sci-fi. Just a few years ago, who would have thought that by pressing a few buttons in the Pentagon, thousands of miles away in Baghdad, the intelligence agency of another sovereign country would be bombed into rubble? After the end of the Cold War, America's military advantage was indeed formidable.

"By the way, your new look has been in a movie...it's Schwarzenegger's last action hero..." Ronald remembered what Gubel said when he called him and gave Diane a surprise.

"Oh, really? Why do I remember that they still used the old opening?" Diane also took the time to watch the movie, but she clearly didn't see her image there?
"It's not in the original movie. It's for use in the videotapes, and before and after other videotapes, and for trailer advertising."

Ronald also laughed. It seemed that Gubel couldn't wait to please Ronald. His performance this year was not very good at all. The most urgent task was to attribute these movies to his own achievements.

"Oh, really?" Diane was also excited. She wondered what the effect would be after the special effects processing on the photos taken last time.

Seeing how happy she was, Ronald immediately took out a videotape and showed it to Diane.

This is the video version of the trailer for "The Last Action Hero". A torch emits an infinite light, and then the camera quickly pulls away to see Diane holding the torch, dressed as an ancient Greek goddess, under the brilliant clouds, as solemn and dignified as the Statue of Liberty, the whole person is shining, and with the accompaniment of the familiar Columbia opening music, the screen turns black.

Then there is a little kid sitting in the cinema, excitedly watching the scenes on the screen. His face is shining like the opening credits of Diane. To be honest, this movie is indeed a gift to action movie fans. The whole movie is full of nostalgia and reluctance to part with the genre of action movies.

This is a movie within a movie. The movie that Danny is watching is a non-existent movie series called Jack Slater starring Schwarzenegger. This is the latest one, Jack Slater IV.

In the movie within the movie, the opening of Jack Slater IV is still the boss's, a woman dressed like in the last century, holding a torch. There is no camera movement, no soundtrack, the whole person looks very dull, not as exciting as the new opening.

Ronald's special effects team did a really good job, so much so that the picky Gubel immediately decided to completely replace the old version in the new movie.

"No, I've seen it in the cinema before. Arnold's acting is pretty good. When I filmed with him before, I didn't expect him to have such a sense of humor. It turns out that he is much better at comedy than Sylvester Stallone."

Diane smiled and turned off the VCR. She felt unhappy when she saw the name of the character played by Schwarzenegger. She found a reason to turn it off so that she could turn it off.

"Yeah, he can even complain about his Planet Hollywood business in the movie. He really has a spirit of self-deprecation." Ronald didn't react yet and just thought Diane didn't want to watch it.

Planet Hollywood, a restaurant chain funded by Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone, is now attracting many children to dine there. There are many characters from Hollywood movies there.

Although the turnover is good, the licensing fees for those images are not low. Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, for the sake of business, always mention this restaurant wherever there are reporters to advertise their business, making many people in Hollywood avoid them.

Because of this, they were not well received by the screenwriters and received fewer scripts. When they had free time, they would go to restaurants to sign autographs for children to attract customers. If you take all this into account, it is hard to say whether they made a profit or a loss.

"Are you going to New York this time, or will you come back after the premiere?" In the bedroom, Diane helped Ronald pack his luggage. This was one of Diane's favorite things to do back then. She always felt that if she prepared neat and clean clothes for Ronald, he would come back when the clothes were used up.

I don't know where this feeling came from. At this time, Diane's behavior was not much different from those full-time housewives in America. She didn't look like a famous Hollywood actress at all.

"I don't know. Next we have to go to London to attend the royal premiere of Jurassic Park. I promised Steven to help him contact Princess Diana. Maybe we will leave from the East Coast." Ronald said guiltily. By then, Helen Slater would be expecting a baby, so he prepared an excuse and would stay in New York.

Diane was unhappy, twisted her body a few times, and slapped Ronald's clothes.

"Hehe, do you want to go with me? We'll meet in London... uh, or New York?" Ronald saw that Diane was unhappy and sensed something was wrong, so he immediately tried to remedy the situation.

"Well, I'm not going. It's such a long journey, and I won't see little Roger for a long time. In fact... as long as you talk to me, it will be fine. I feel a little unhappy that you decided the itinerary without asking me if I want to go."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it..." Ronald apologized quickly...

……

"Hahaha, so many people came to the premiere in New York. It seems that everyone really loves watching this sugar-coated trap..."

A few days later, at the premiere in New York, Tom Cruise was beaming with joy. In addition to the $32 million it earned over the long weekend, the box office was also very high during the week, with single-theater box office fluctuating around $10,000.

By the time of its premiere in New York, the box office had exceeded 50 million US dollars in less than a week. Tom Cruise's magic really works.

"That's for sure..." Ronald agreed with a smile. There was nothing wrong with what Cruise said. The overall quality of the movie was just a B Cinema Score. The reason it became a hit movie was really because of Tom Cruise's face, which made female audiences go to see him even if the movie itself was not good.

"The old feeling is back, Ronald. I remember Top Gun was like this back then, hahahaha, as long as you are the director and I am the lead actor, there is nothing wrong with it."

"It's almost the same if you remove me as the director, Tom. You are a guarantee of box office success now." Ronald said modestly.

"Not all the movies I star in are big hits..." Tom Cruise was also helplessly modest. The movies he starred in with his wife Nicole Kidman were not big hits. This is strange, because the movies he starred in with his ex-girlfriends were often big hits. When he was with his ex-wife Mimi Rogers, many projects fell through.

The movies Nicole Kidman made when he and Nicole Kidman were still in love were good at the box office, but the movies they made after they became friends were box office disasters. It seems that he really needs to be in that kind of uncertain relationship to stimulate his screen charm?

"Tomahawk cruise missiles destroyed the Iraqi General Intelligence Directorate. Sixteen missiles hit the target. How do you feel? Do you have any idea of ​​making a sequel to Top Gun?" Paula Wagner also came this time. She was very uncomfortable with Cruise's decision to star in Interview with the Vampire. This ambiguous movie might destroy Cruise's screen charm. It would be better if Ronald could get him to star in another movie.

"no……"

“I can’t shoot…”

Ronald and Cruz said in unison.

"This is a Tomahawk cruise missile, launched from a warship, not an airplane." Ronald explained that this plot is not easy to adapt into a movie. In addition, the audience's taste has drifted. Now, when a movie like Top Gun is shown, not many audiences on the East and West Coasts like to see a big plane with the Stars and Stripes flying to bomb others like in the past.

After all, even though the attempted assassination of former President George H.W. Bush was a serious act, there was a reporter named Seymour Hersh who criticized the FBI for fabricating some of the investigation results. He is a reporter for The New Yorker and a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter.

This is a far cry from the Cold War era, when the entire nation supported the president's strong retaliation against disrespect for America, even though only a few years have passed.

"Was it launched from a ship? I thought it was launched from a fighter jet..." Paula Wagner was not interested in such weapons and things like that, so she kept silent when she heard that it was launched from a warship.

After all, the shocking effects of a warship firing missiles and a fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier are completely different. The box office of Steve Siegel's "Ascension" fully illustrates this point.

……

"Oh, you're amazing. Both of your movies are in the top five!"

Helen Slater was pregnant and drinking a nutritional drink prepared by Ronald in the apartment he bought for her. She was a little edematous due to the upcoming delivery, and the special nurses and doctors had taken measures. Ronald, who had been a father once, now had more experience.

"Haha, you can't calculate it that way. One movie made just over 70 million, another one was close to 60 million, and Steven (Spielberg) made Jurassic Park, which has now exceeded 230 million."

"That's different. I still think your movies are the best. The plot of Sugar Coated Trap is so good, full of crime, love, affair, espionage, adventure, family, so many elements can be integrated so well. I think in Hollywood, besides you, only Sidney Pollack can do it."

Helen still had a look of admiration on her face. She really liked this kind of profound movie the most. The New York film critics also said that the movie was well made, and especially praised Tom Cruise's acting skills for his rapid improvement under Ronald's training.

"Ronald, the contract has been signed, a total of $800,000..." As he was speaking, Ronald's lawyer Lindsay Doll came over. She helped Ronald buy Helen Hayes's house from her adopted son at a price higher than the market price.

"This house has a nice view and looks familiar." Helen Slater took a look at it and felt that it was very much to her liking.

"My dear, I heard that Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, as well as Fitzgerald who wrote The Great Gatsby, have all lived here. This house also has its own name, called Pretty Penny."

"Oh, no wonder. I've seen a photo of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy before, and it seemed to be this white house halfway up the hill. Honey, can I go take a look?"

There seemed to be love flowing out of Helen's eyes. She brought herself into the role of Katharine Hepburn, and Ronald was his Spencer Tracy. (Spencer Tracy was married, but he and Katharine Hepburn had a long-term relationship.)
"Now, wait... later?" Ronald's scalp felt a little numb.

"It's okay. The nurses and doctors you hired for me are very good. I just feel a little discomfort in my lower limbs sometimes. Let's take a car and take a look there..." Helen Slater's mind was full of the stories of Hepburn and Tracy.

"Uh, okay..."

There was no choice, so Ronald had to ask the driver, Little Bud, to slow down and drive slowly.

“It’s really beautiful here.”

This old Victorian-style house has an all-white exterior. The column structure is beautifully decorated, and the back door is right on the hillside, leading directly to the second-floor bedroom, where you can overlook the Hudson River. The front door is one floor lower than the back door, and it is very impressive. There is also a side door on the west side, where there is a lawn and a swimming pool. It is similar to the structure of the White House.

"what……"

Just as Helen was about to go in, she noticed termites flying out. The house had been in disrepair for more than sixty years, and the floor had been eaten by termites.

"Let's go. It looks like we need to do some major surgery here. We need to replace the floor, air conditioner and everything else." Ronald said, looking at the water stains on the wall left by the air conditioner. At least a central air conditioning system needs to be installed.

"Okay, I'll take note of it." Lawyer Lindsay Doll wrote down Ronald's request in her notebook and rolled her eyes. This guy is indeed a Hollywood director. He would give a big house to a lover, while those bankers on Wall Street would at most give an apartment.