"Hey, Steven, the green screen Tinkerbell scene is finished? OK, do you want me to come and see it? Can you see it? Of course I want to see it... You want to use my special effects team to help with the keying work, no problem
, I asked them to go over and understand, understand, there are not many directors in Hollywood who do special effects, and we should help each other..."
While Ronald and George Jr. were chatting, Richard's call came in, and Spielberg wanted to talk to him about special effects.
When Ronald visited the set, he expressed his desire to learn about the post-production process. Due to Julia Roberts' delay, the special effects part of "Captain Hook" was about to be delayed in time for the screening, so Ronald
At the cost of joining the special effects team to help with some elementary work, I gained the opportunity to learn from Spielberg's special effects process.
"How is Julia's performance there? Is it okay? Just okay..."
Although Julia Roberts got through the collapse stage through Mahjong, her sudden fame still caused a lot of trouble in the crew. If a person becomes famous too fast, the crew will be very critical.
.
Two years ago, you were just a low-level actor like us, and now you are asking us to give you privileges. All kinds of problems are still emerging. Fortunately, Spielberg has experienced many battles, and as long as he doesn't throw it away
The shoes are already within his control.
"Then those girls throw their shoes at you?"
After making the phone call, little George laughed heartily on the sofa. He listened to Ronald briefly describe the accident on the set and expressed disbelief. "She must not be able to throw a baseball. If I do this, how can you hide?"
"
As he spoke, he picked up a few newspapers and rolled them into a ball, pretending to throw them over.
Ronald laughed. These high-level children are actually quite "innocent" and often behave like children. He said to little George,
"I'm telling you, I can't actually play baseball. Besides, it's just a shoe, and the flight path is even more unpredictable. At this time, I can only squat down and hide. Anyway, it's not like baseball to catch..." Ronald gestured twice.
"I see, your method is good..." Little George also imitated the action of crouching down twice to avoid, which is what he would do if he was attacked in the future.
After sending a few tickets to Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to little George and sending him off, Ronald continued to go about his business.
This time, the producer of "Raise the Red Lantern", Mr. Xiao Qiu of Era International, also came to New York. This film, which represented Hong Kong in the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, also got a screening opportunity at the New York Film Festival.
Of course, the more important thing is to have a long-term screening in the movie theater in Manhattan Chinatown, New York. The Chinese culture here is more well-known than other places. Many Jews like to go to Chinese restaurants to eat on Christmas, and many blacks and Latinos also like to go to Chinese restaurants for Christmas.
I really like watching martial arts movies in Hong Kong.
Coupled with the audience group having the highest cultural level, more people can understand Yimou's movie than anywhere else in the country.
"Why don't many of the audience in this show need to buy tickets? Just hang out your ID when you come in?" Xiao Qiu asked his translator Xiao Yan at the door of the "Raise the Red Lantern" film festival screening venue.
"This is a rule in the American film industry. As long as you are a film critic, whether you are a film critic for a major newspaper such as the New York Times or a film critic for a university magazine, you can watch the film for free. Use the ticket price in exchange for the film critic's review of the film.
Free publicity." Xiao Yan is very familiar with Mr. Xiao Qiu's ignorance. When he came to America, he was also curious about everything.
"Oh, then why don't you give them travel expenses? What if they say bad things? When we invite the media, how can we ensure that they say good things about the movie if we don't give them?" Xiao Qiu is always surprised by this kind of rule.
"This is America. The media is protected by the First Amendment and can publish film reviews freely." Xiao Yan was speechless to such country people. "Of course, you have to have confidence in the film to invite film critics on a large scale.
The key is to be selective about which media to invite."
"Well...I'll ask Director Luo then..." Mr. Xiao Qiu didn't believe what Xiao Yan said. But it's still a good idea to choose the media to invite. Those with good connections should only invite those who like this kind of movie. Those
Those who cause trouble will be beaten out.
Ronald didn't know what they were thinking and was introducing Yimou to several film critics from well-known media in New York and Washington. They were very interested in the director and asked many about the original novel and the use of color to express
Film mood and character approach.
Although his movies are subtitled, there are still many parts that are very difficult for film critics to understand. Fortunately, the strong colors will always reveal who is the good guy and who is the bad guy at the right time. When will the protagonist suffer?
When it comes to counterattack, it doesn't look very interesting.
"Good guy, I am more nervous to accept the questions from the film critics here than I am when I am filming a movie..." Yimou said to Yang Yanzi, who was his translator. There was a layer of white sweat underneath a suit that didn't fit well.
"Yimou..." Ronald couldn't stand it anymore, "When you're done here in New York, let Yanzi take you to the Red Gang Tailor in Chinatown to make two sets of handmade suits..."
Ronald gave Yang Yanzi a code and drew a circle up and down, which meant that everything, from underwear and shirts to socks and shoes, had to be replaced. It was also paired with a smart hairstyle. He would pay for it.
"Here, I get nervous when I wear a suit...can I stop wearing it?" Yimou wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.
"You must wear it. When the Oscars are presented, you will also wear a tuxedo..." Ronald looked at Miss Gong next to him. This time, he invited them all to participate in the movie's announcement just to make the critics mess with them.
A familiar face.
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! There is actually a big difference between the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the domestic awards. First of all, nominations require a lot of votes from film critics and film festival curators. Then they select
The taste is also different from other domestic film awards.
If Hollywood movies want to win awards, they must conform to mainstream movie narratives and American values. Overall, they must respect individual struggle, make small town youths successful, and give people hope for the American dream.
The story of the movie itself can whip up the dark side of society. Politicians and bureaucrats, as well as capitalist and business owners, can be bad guys. Only young people from simple small towns cannot be stereotyped.
But the opposite is true for foreign language films. The judges prefer films that are warm and reflect human nature. They cannot have too many cultural metaphors that American audiences cannot understand. For example, the "New Year" selected by the mainland, although the audience knows that it is a and
Christmas is a holiday similar to reunions, but they really can’t understand the story of a big family having all kinds of conflicts break out during the New Year. Why should we talk about these conflicts on a reunion holiday? It shouldn’t be there
Can conflicts be reconciled?
Therefore, it is difficult for extroverted Americans to understand the difficulty of Chinese people expressing their emotions directly between relatives.
"Raise the Red Lantern" is much better. Patriarchal oppression and confinement of women is a subject that Yimou has shot again and again. It is not that difficult for everyone to understand. Including his previous shots of "Red Sorghum" and "
"Ju Dou" actually didn't face much communication trouble in Europe or America.
"Hey, the rules in Hollywood are very strict. You see, they don't even do this during the Chinese New Year..."
"Ha, you kid, Director Luo is complimenting you. You will understand next spring..." Next to him was Director Wu, who came specially to meet his old friends. Seeing Yimou's honest face, he was speechless.
"You don't know, Director Luo's company has also invested in a Chinese-language film. The director's name is Ang Lee. It's going to the world. It's going to the Golden Horse Awards soon. It's going to Europe at the beginning of the year. It's waiting for more than a dozen film festivals.
"Turn around, don't complain..."
"That's not what I meant, Director Luo. I don't know how to do this. I'm afraid of embarrassing you..." Yimou quickly explained a few words. He can still understand who is really nice to him. Although this Oscar is better than the Berlin Golden Bear.
Where, he couldn't tell, and always felt that it was a bit of a fuss.
"You will get used to it after you come here a few times... Hahaha..." Ronald looked at Yimou with a grimace and told him to relax. Just follow the script Yang Yanzi prepared for him. It doesn't matter if he says it wrong.
Yang Yanzi can also make amends during translation.
Except for a small effort in the category of Best Foreign Language Film, Ronald had no competitors to make a big splash in other Oscar awards.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which was acquired by EMI Cannon, focused on releasing only "Thelma and Louise" this year. Now they are fully promoting the two heroines and director Ridley Scott.
"America's first road movie from a female perspective", "a masterpiece of female self-consciousness in Hollywood movies", the big hat is desperately put on the head of "Thelma and Louise".
Someone also contacted Roger Ebert and asked him to characterize this movie as a great road movie in his weekly film review. "Easy Rider", "Heroes" and "Rain Man" are classics of Hollywood road movies.
, this type of film can easily break new ground that no one has reached before. But in this "Thelma and Louise", the protagonist is replaced by a woman...
However, MGM's public relations offensive has also encountered counterattacks from unknown competitors. Some people believe that it is biased against men and has been severely criticized for portraying men in an overly negative manner.
The main reason is that not a single man in the film is a good guy, and his death is unsympathetic. But in male-dominated movies, all female characters are never treated as bad guys.
This attack was well recognized by the audience and judges who have watched it. Indeed, is this movie trying to be new and different, so it deliberately promotes gender conflicts between men and women? How can all the male characters be bad guys?
Because this accusation is particularly easy to understand, easy to understand, and easy to spread, it has spread widely in the Hollywood circle. It has caused tension between MGM and the producers. There is no way, more than half of the judges are men...
They rushed out to clarify that in this story, men don't really matter... they are seen as scenery that the two heroines see on the road. This is how female characters are treated in male road movies.
The film's female screenwriter, Carly Qualley, also had to explain herself. She wrote the script as a conscious effort to counter Hollywood's tendency to portray women as "nymphos, streetwalkers and nagging wives."
If those critics are threatened, that speaks volumes about their outdated values...
Another movie that launched a public relations offensive at this time was "Rambling Rose" starring Diane's friend Laura Dern.
Laura Dern played a slutty nanny in the movie. After unsuccessfully trying to seduce the male owner of the Hillier family, she turned to the young Hillier who was blocked from adolescence. After that, she became a famous slut in the town.
Young men from all over the town would come to Hillier's house to meet her.
In Ronald's opinion, the most powerful thing about this movie is that the hostess, Mrs. Hillier, is played by Laura Dern's mother, Diane Ladd.
The film's producer, Seven Arts, and its distributor, New Line, are not local companies in America. They have also invested a lot of resources in publicizing the Oscars. The biggest gimmick is the uncomfortable scene of a mother and daughter co-starring as a love rival.
place.
Roger Ebert obviously took advantage of it and praised the film lavishly in his weekly film review. However, the lackluster acting skills forced him to praise only conceptually.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! For example, "This movie is all about characters and plot, and contains some of the best performances of the year, especially the collective performances of the four main characters...
Very impressive..."
Ronald, who has returned home to Los Angeles, burst out laughing after reading this film review.
Is there any movie without characters and plot? This year's movie cannot be the outstanding performance of last year or next year, right? And in Hollywood now, no one is filming a one-man show, it must be a group performance?
Ebert also singled out Laura Dern for her performance: "No young actress working today can play the role of an emotionally starved late-teenager with such purity and wistfulness."
This makes people feel even more uncomfortable. Although Laura Dern is smaller than Diane, she is very tall. On the screen, she and the male protagonist Robert Duvall, who plays the opposite role, need to borrow angles to complete the scene.
However, looking at these two movies working so hard, maybe they are the ones denigrating each other's movies, right?
On the other hand, Ronald's "Silence of the Lambs" and "Other People's Money" were ignored by two distributors in the early Oscar review war. The release of the two films has not added anything at this time.
There was a public relations budget, and no one knew or understood the new trick of sending video tapes. The war did not affect Ronald.
However, Diane became a little nervous after seeing this situation, and quietly called her good friend Laura Dern to inquire about the situation.
"The crew will apply for me for Best Actress. This year, the competition is actually fierce. There are Bette Midler in "For Boys" and Annette Bening in "All About Us." Just look at these two movies that will be released in the next few weeks.
How is the situation? By the way, there are also 'Salma' and 'Louis' (the two heroines in Thelma and Louise, starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon respectively)..."
"It's quite intense..." Diane breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her good friend was so highly regarded by film critics that she applied for a supporting actress role.
"Why are you so concerned? Did you also declare it?" Laura Dern was really sensitive, and she immediately heard that there was something wrong in Diane's tone.
"I didn't. Ronnie only applied for Best Supporting Actress. My role wasn't enough... ugh..."
"Hahaha..." Laura Dern also laughed nervously, "Supporting actress, you have to face my mother. They applied for her as the best supporting actress."
"Um..." Ronald scratched his head a little after hearing the news that Diane came to tell him specifically.
On Diane's sixteenth birthday that year, on Johnny Carson's talk show, Carson changed her name to Diane Ladd because of Carson's carelessness.
The accident that happened on the girl's important birthday must have left a deep impression on her. Ronald believed that even if he didn't win the award this time, he must not lose to this actor. Otherwise, he would have a hard time in the future.