Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 198 Flying all over the sky

"Do I have a chance to be a director?" Ronald returned to the car and told the main agent Richard about the meeting in detail.

"I can't say, judging by Robert Sternwood's historical decisions, you have a certain chance. Several movies he directed, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, all used rookie directors, or people with only one director experience. guide."

Richard checked out all the background information of Sterwood in advance, "Maybe we can ask Mr. Nisita or Mr. Ovitz to see if they can get you a chance to direct."

"I just listened to Mr. Ovitz's advice and didn't ask Mr. Sterwood face to face." Ronald said, "Ask him when I have time."

"They already have someone they like." Ovitz said to Ronald after making two phone calls in a few minutes.

"Sterwood means Zack Brothers, the directors of the new box office blockbuster 'Airplane!'. Their low-budget comedy for Paramount cost only $350 million, and the box office has already reached close to the cost. 20 times and still growing.”

"Brother Jerry Zucker," Ronald thought of Jerry Zucker and his two companions who wanted to run away from the New World to shoot at Paramount when filming "High School of Rock".If he hadn't wanted to leave, it would be impossible for him to sign the directors of the second group and obtain the qualification of the directors' union to join the industry.

"How do you know? Paramount's Katzenberg regrets it now, and only signed a contract with their Zucker Brothers director team for only one film. Now Paramount's higher priority is 'flying all over the sky' The sequel, so you might still have a chance."

"No, I only worked with Jerry Zucker in the same crew, and I haven't had much dealings with him." Ronald shook his head and smiled, envious of the Zack brothers who became famous in the first battle.

"You might as well go and watch this movie, it uses a parody method, parody was only a small-budget B-grade movie before, but I didn't expect it to be a big hit this time, their comedy talent is very high.

Romantic dramas are usually paired with comedy elements. Since Sterwood is his favorite, you should be able to get some inspiration? "

Ovitz was so close to saying that you might as well copy it.

Ronald smiled and agreed.

"Tomorrow I have arranged for you to meet Patricia Birch, the choreographer of Grease, to discuss the details. You have to pay attention, you did not get the screenwriting job for this movie, and Hollywood verbal promises are nothing. This meeting is what you have to face It's a test, she has already got the job of choreographing the sequel, it can be regarded as a kind of interview."

Thanks to Ovitz for taking the time to inquire for himself, Ronald found Richard Lovett again.

"Richard, can you get me Grease's script? I want to see it for reference. There's an interview tomorrow."

"I'm ready." Richard took out a script from the drawer, and on the cover was the name of the hit work two years ago: "Grease".

"I'll take you back to the Marriott Hotel." Richard took the key.

"I've got to see a movie, Richard. Mr. Ovitz said to show me 'Flying All Over The Sky', which is made by the producer's preferred director."

"Let me go with you. There is a multiplex theater in the shopping center near here. There are many movies and shows. There must be a show in a maximum of 20 minutes." When Richard Lovett saw Ronald's business, it might be Austrian. Weitz personally made the connection, or Nisita used his relationship to get it done, and he felt a sense of crisis in his heart.

He didn't want to lose this only customer, but now he didn't get business for him, he could only help Ronald with thoughtful service.In the past two days, he has made full preparations, studied Sterwood's background in detail, and prepared Grease's script in advance. It seems that Ronald is still satisfied with him.

The two came to the multiplex theater in the shopping mall. This kind of shopping malls gradually began to increase in America, replacing some traditional department stores.

After the civil rights movement, a large number of black and Latino immigrants entered the city center, where the law and order began to deteriorate rapidly, and the white-dominated middle class began to move to the suburbs.

Driving has become the main means of transportation for the middle class.It turns out that the large movie theaters that can be reached by public transportation are far away from the middle-class families who can afford movie tickets the most.It became the norm in the late 70s and early 80s to go to the movies by car.

Driving to the movie theater and not seeing the movie I wanted to see.This phenomenon is becoming more and more common in hall theaters with hundreds or thousands of halls.Movie theaters in shopping malls are gradually transitioning to a multiplex theater model.After driving to the shopping mall, you can eat and shop. Different movies are screened in multiple small halls in turn, and there is always something suitable to watch.

"Two [-]:[-]s are flying all over the sky." Ronald took the initiative to buy two.Thinking that the main broker is only one client, life must not be rich.

With some time left on the field, Ronalda Richard went to eat Pizza Hut pizza.The food quality of this chain brand is worse than Domino's, but the takeaway is not as good as Domino's.

"Have you seen the movie? What's it like to be a comedy that uses a lot of parody?" Ronald asked Richard what it was like to watch "Flying All Over the World."

"Have you seen the International Airport (Airport) in 1970?" Richard put down his knife and fork, and ate a piece of pizza with his hand like Ronald. The deconstruction and irony of the movie. The whole movie is full of low-level puns of homophonic words to make the audience laugh."

Homophonic stalk pun?Ronald was reminded of Brooke Shields' CK jeans ad, which was also based on this concept. "The people have already voted with their feet. It is said that the box office has broken 5000 million. If it is low, it will be low."

"That's right. For our agent, the high box office of client participation movies is a very good sign, which shows that they can charge high prices for the next movie." Richard echoed.

"I'm also working on your behalf for other script editing business. Now the fashion trend in Hollywood is changing. Warm family films are beginning to occupy the attention of major studios.

Pure musicals, with 'Xanadu' flopping at the box office, seem to be losing their charm.That's probably why Mr. Sternwood takes the rom-com component of 'Sons of Grease' so seriously. "

"Your opinion is very important, Richard, thank you." Ronald felt that this seemed to be the screenwriting direction that Sternwood liked, and the two walked into the screening hall.

"Hahaha..." The audience roared with laughter at the beginning of the film.

Ronald saw it, too, and the film opens with a parody of Spielberg's "Jaws."The white clouds all over the sky are like the sea, and the vertical tail of the plane is like a shark fin. Finally, the plane whizzes past the screen like a great white shark jumping out of the water.

The structure of the whole film imitates the "International Airport" ten years ago. The plane was in crisis, and then the crew managed to save the day. Even the heroine found a copycat version of Jean Seberg.

But what about the whole movie?There is no coherent plot trend, but a large-scale multi-person stand-up comedy (Stand-up comedy).The jokes are very dense, from beginning to end, but there is no connection between the jokes.

One joke comes out without thinking, then after ten seconds it turns to another joke, and then another...

After watching the whole movie, Ronald felt that he laughed many times, but he couldn't remember the plot at all. Only when someone mentioned a certain dialogue did he remember what kind of joke it was.

Anyway, this kind of comedy, Ronald himself would definitely not be able to write it.

Ronald told jokes to Brooke Shields, and this kind of joke not only requires a deep understanding of the audience's consensus, but also exaggerates it.Just like Spike's black jokes, if the audience is a white girl Brooke Shields, they can't understand the background of the joke and don't feel funny.

And there are a lot of time points to grasp. It is not funny to say a sentence earlier or later.Ronald's grammatical joke, probably just the timing of the most ridiculous line (Punch Line) was wrong, and it didn't make her laugh.

Thinking about it now, when Jerry Zucker was watching samples at New World Productions, his aggressive attitude towards himself may be the right time to find Punch Line.Jerry Zucker is a man who lives his life as a stand-up show, polishing his own jokes all the time.

Ronald didn't understand why Sterwood would appreciate this style of comedy, and wanted to hire Jerry Zucker to direct "Sons of Grease".

If Sterwood wants to make "Sons of Grease" a comedy of this style, Ronald has no choice but to tell him something else.

Ronald came out of the theater and saw that there was another "Xanadu" on the schedule.Ronald remembered that Sterwood didn't like the movie, maybe he could better understand the producer's thinking by reading the negative teaching materials.

The two bought tickets to enter the movie theater again, and watched "Xian Ledu".

This movie led by the ancient musical star Gene Kelly, who once played the classic musical "Singin in the Rain", is another extreme.

The rhythm of the whole film is relatively slow. Although there are not too many problems of singing and dancing when there is a disagreement, it also looks very boring.Ronald noticed that the audience dozed off.

In fact, the choreography of the whole movie has a lot of big scenes, and the songs are also very nice. Maybe the problem is that Gene Kelly's aesthetic is outdated.

He acted as a choreographer, and he choreographed a large section of roller skating dance and group dance. This kind of dance may be very worth seeing for the audience 30 years ago.

The choreography is just right, and the dancers can't connect for half a second. Many shots look like long shots with one shot to the end. Ronald estimates that it will take several weeks of rehearsal to be so proficient.

But today's young people appreciate the dance of one or two people, and they don't have strict requirements for technique, but for the precise expression of the dance's emotions on the characters.In the movie, the hero and heroine dance against each other, and the heroine dances solo, modern audiences obviously seem to accept it much more than the tap dance where dozens of people show off their skills.

Perhaps what Sterwood really meant was that "Flying All Over the Sky" was faster than "Xanadu"?

Lying on Marriott's big bed, Ronald thought that tomorrow, when he and choreographer Patricia Birch should emphasize the concept of rhythm.

(End of this chapter)