“Philadelphia Story’s CinemaScore is very polarizing. It scored very high on the east and west coasts. Not only did it reach an A rating, two-thirds of the audience members in the post-screening market survey card wrote more than one sentence of testimonials.
.
But the ratings in the Midwest and Deep South were terrible, only B or lower, and the box office potential was terrible. Cinema Score felt the need to give us a more detailed report rather than a simple score, and the official report would be delayed for a few days..."
"Understood. I have talked with Metavoy from TriStar Pictures. We will increase the number of distribution theaters on the east and west coasts and in big cities. Thank you, Michael."
A week after the premiere, Philadelphia Story was still only shown in limited theaters in Los Angeles and New York. First, it built up word-of-mouth among the audience, and then took advantage of the fact that it was hard to get tickets to do some marketing to potential audiences.
Just like some particularly popular restaurants, during peak dining hours, there will be queues at the door waiting for a table. People who see it nearby will know that this restaurant is particularly delicious.
Ronald and consultant Michael Gray discussed the next steps based on the feedback, then hung up the phone with Medavoy of TriStar Pictures to revise the release plan.
"What are you thinking about? Honey, I'm going to change clothes." Diane saw Ronald who was a little dazed after the phone call, and came over to touch his face. He didn't know what he was thinking about.
"It's okay, you go change clothes? Do you want me to help you?" Ronald woke up from his thoughts and made a joke on Diane.
"Oh? Oh, there's still an hour left. If you come to help me again, we'll be late. No, no." Diane was originally very excited, but when she saw the time, she hurried to the changing room to try on clothes.
Today is the premiere of Spielberg's "Schindler's List". When Ronald's "Philadelphia Story" premiered, Spielberg and his wife came to attend. According to human nature, he also wanted to reciprocate the favor and bring him with him.
The lady attended in formal attire, and it was because of her connections within the circle.
Diane went to change clothes, and Ronald was lost in thought again. He had just told Mike Medavoy on the phone that he would not go to the premiere of "Schindler's List" and that many Jews would not go either.
Although Medavoy is a liberal Jew and does not believe in Judaism, this movie tells the most tragic chapter in Jewish history and has a bit of a Jewish national epic feel.
This kind of experience in World War II, and the differences in Jewish beliefs, values, attitudes towards Israel, etc., will not affect their unity to watch this movie, right?
European Jews generally believe that no more films reflecting the Holocaust should be made, because any attempt to recreate this tragic experience cannot show one percent of the truth and is a kind of blasphemy.
But the Jews in America, who were thousands of miles apart during World War II, didn't feel that way. Why did the Jews in Hollywood secretly boycott the movie during the premiere?
Ronald, who couldn't figure it out, called Richard and asked him to pay attention to the news. This thing was a bit strange. It seemed to Spielberg that the road to the Oscar this time would not be smooth.
After making a few calls and resting for a while, Diane got dressed and walked out. She wore a navy blue jacket with high shoulder pads, a white shirt with a complicated collar, and a Ronaldinho jacket on her hand.
With the gift of Cartier bracelets and rings, plus a small bag, she can directly play the role of the female president of a listed company.
"Well, I feel very like a working girl today..."
"I feel like you are interested in this kind of dress..." Diane scratched Ronald's chin.
"There are still twenty minutes, right? Hmm..." Ronald held Diane's waist from behind, and then asked gently in Diane's ear from the back of her neck.
"oh……"
…
Little Bud drove very fast and managed to gain some time on the road. When they arrived at the premiere, almost all the celebrities had already entered the venue.
Ronald also wore a white shirt and a dark blue navy jacket with double-breasted copper buttons. His official attire was a bit elegant, which matched well with Diane's attire.
"Ronald..."
"Steven, Kate..."
From a distance, Ronald saw Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw at the door. The two of them were dressed particularly formally today. Spielberg wore a dark suit and a light gray suit.
Trousers and a conservative gray tie, as if attending a ceremony in a synagogue.
Kate Capshaw, the woman who changed her faith for Spielberg, is wearing Jewish elements from head to toe today. She wears a long skirt that covers her neck to her ankles. It is exactly the clothing requirements of orthodox Jews for women. Again
Coupled with a long necklace on the chest, the golden pendant is clearly a deformation of the Star of David.
"Welcome..." Spielberg's interest was obviously not high. I don't know whether it was because of the collective absence of Jewish people or because of the sad tone of the movie itself. He was unwilling to show a smile.
"I brought a handkerchief. The newspaper said that no one can watch the movie without being sad."
Spielberg finally showed a little smile on his face, and the corners of his bearded mouth seemed to be smiling, "Let's talk later and tell me what you really think."
"certainly……"
Ronald and Diane walked inside, and when he got closer, he looked around. There were some non-Jewish celebrities around him. For example, the Catholic Alec Baldwin and his newly married German wife Kim Basinger.
There are also several stars of "Schindler's List", Liam Neeson and his girlfriend Natasha Richardson, Ben Kingsley, and the villain Ralph Fiennes.
Ronald was looking for a seat in the aisle, and suddenly another guest came from behind.
"Pierce?"
"Ronald? I'm really lucky to meet you today, Diane... How many years have we not seen each other?"
The person who came was the TV star Pierce Brosnan, who had played the legendary role of Steele. He had previously acted with Diane in a Coca-Cola commercial. The woman next to him was an unknown actor. When he saw Brosnan, he was actually dating Diane.
Nader has a friendship and can’t wait to come up...
But Ronald didn't give her a chance. He just chatted with Brosnan for a few words before finding his seat and sitting down.
Ronald and Diane sat farther back. He looked at these handsome actors. Suddenly, a scene he had dreamed about on the plane came to his mind.
Those were two 007 movies, both starring Pierce Brosnan. The shot of the plane passing over the dam and then 007 jumping off the dam was impressive.
Alec Baldwin is handsome enough, and his wife Kim Basinger can also play the role of Bond girl. The couple's starring role is also a marketing stunt. However, there is no precedent for American to play James Bond before. American style
Handsome and British handsome are also quite different, and the audience can tell them intuitively.
Ralph Fiennes, his acting skills are very good, and he is handsome enough to play Bond, but his teeth are too messy. Britons are different from Americans. Their parents do not invest so much in their children's teeth.
Liam Neeson, the actor who plays Schindler, is actually quite qualified. He is tall and has the style of Roger Moore. And when he talks, walks, and sits, he has a concentration that makes people unconsciously look at him.
With his ability, playing the most famous spy in the world actually requires this kind of focusing temperament.
The last one is Pierce Brosnan. His handsomeness and temperament are completely qualified for 007. The only flaw is that his movements are not strong enough. Compared with Sean Connery and Roger Moore, his temperament does not have any
The kind of murderous intent that can kill someone with one punch.
Moreover, he is just a TV actor, and Liam Neeson has already played the leading role in Spielberg's movie. Not surprisingly, no one is very interested in supporting him, and investors estimate that choosing him would be a big risk.
.
Ronald suddenly smiled, although Her Majesty the Queen of Britain has mentioned it twice to herself, wanting to take over the 007 series and reshape the cultural image of Britain.
But after he inquired about it, the copyright of this film is now in pieces, which is very troublesome.
At the earliest time, the copyright of James Bond was owned by United Artists Pictures. The original author Ian Fleming handed over the adaptation rights to the producer Albert Broccoli. Later, United Artists was
MGM acquired it, and the copyright came to MGM. Albert Broccoli's adaptation rights were bound to Timothy Dalton's 007, and Dalton still had a film contract.
Things then descended into chaos. MGM merged with Minahan Golan's Cannon Pictures, and later with Italian financial speculator Giancarlo Parretti's EMI Entertainment. The rights to film fell to this Hollywood studio
He doesn't do anything, doesn't make any movies, and is only in the hands of international financial swindlers who only pick up female stars.
Giancarlo Parretti's wishful thinking was to use worthless EMI shares to acquire MGM's vast film library and the rights to film series with a long history such as 007. Then he would resell these valuable
Cut parts into pieces and sell them separately on the market to make money.
But MGM's original boss, the Armenian-born casino tycoon Kerkorian, was more cunning than him and left a big hole in the sales contract. After careful study by Giancarlo Paretti's lawyers, MGM's film
The library copyright is not included in the merger agreement.
As for the sale of 007, there are many potential buyers, and the bids are high enough, allowing Giancarlo Parretti to earn some cash, quickly escape from his shell, and run away.
However, as soon as the news of the sale came to light, producer Albert Broccoli, who had the authorization of the author's Fleming family and had signed a production and distribution agreement with United Artists, immediately found someone to sue MGM and Giancarlo.
·Paretti did not abide by the agreement. With Timothy Dalton still having one film contract left, the copyright of 007 should belong to Albert Broccoli's company.
Although Giancarlo Parretti, a big liar, quickly countersued, the verdict of the case was irrelevant. After the news of the sale was delayed by the lawsuit, his financial scam was soon exposed, in Europe and America.
Facing prosecution for financial fraud.
To make matters worse, the French bank Crédit Lyonnais, as the creditor, obtained the remaining valuable items of MGM before all 007 copyright claimants, including the 007 filming rights.
So far, the 007 movie has just climbed out of the pit of financial scams, and has been kicked into the pit of copyright disputes.
Ronald's team made an estimate for him. The James Bond movie may not come out again until Credit Lyonnais has tried all possibilities and found that it can't make money, and then it will come back and discuss it with producer Albert.
·Collaboration with Broccoli.
These bankers did not have a deep understanding of the entertainment industry, especially Hollywood. After they went through all the pitfalls in the market, they found that in the end they had to cooperate with the original producers to make some money back, which would take at least six months.
It's been a year.
Although in various urban legends, Hollywood accountants are able to trick Wall Street. But in the face of bankers' liquidation, in fact, there is nothing that people in Hollywood can do except wait.
The lights go down and the opening music from Schindler's List plays.
"Hey, is this a completely black and white interpretation?"
Ronald finished watching the beginning and found that there was no return to color as he expected. The entire movie was in black and white.
But then he thought about it, and realized that this was also a clever artistic treatment. It not only had the weight of a documentary, but also handled the tragic tone in such a way that the audience would feel heavy at first sight.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! This movie was actually shot in black and white film, developed, edited, and finally produced as a screening copy. It is different from the black and white tones simulated on color film.
The black area has richer levels, as if it were a thick black area in an oil painting, directly sticking to the audience's heart, making people feel depressed.
It was not until the middle of the film that Schindler saw a girl in a red coat walking slowly on the street during the liquidation of the Krakow Jewish Quarter. Only then did the audience feel relieved after having been in pain for a long time.
time.
This is one of the few places where there is color in this movie. And compared with the faint colors in those places, this red coat is very bright. The fate of the Jews in the movie is just like the emotions conveyed by the black and white film,
Doomed.
Only this little girl gave people a hope of life. But soon, the little girl was found to have been killed. This sympathy for the Jewish people and the hope that their fate would change for the better was quickly shattered.
.
The handling of suppressing the emotions first made the audience feel a little better, but they suffered another heavy blow. With a bang, there were some sobbing sounds. But the sobbing sounds were very low, and most of the audience were still in that uncomfortable state.
In a state where my soul is under heavy pressure, I can't even cry.
Schindler saw the little girl's body. From then on, he felt the call of humanity from a profit-seeking businessman, and began to actively seek some space for the Jews to escape.
At the beginning of the movie, the Jews lit candles during the Sabbath ceremony, but when the smoke dispersed, they faced the death camp. It was not until later that Schindler allowed the factory workers to also light candles on the Sabbath, and the picture once again showed a faint color
, means that the Jews in this place have become human beings again, instead of being driven, deprived, and executed like goods...
At the end of the movie, the fake documentary technique returned. Some actors and survivors put stones on Schindler's tombstone to show their respect (this is a Jewish custom). Liam Neeson, who played him in the end,
Two roses were laid down among the stones.
"How about it?"
After communicating with the audience, Spielberg went to the lounge to ask Ronald what he thought. As a Jew, he was actually very nervous about filming the epic of his own nation's suffering. In addition, no Jews came to the premiere.
…
"I would never shoot like this..." Ronald drank some Coke and had recovered from his heavy emotions, "But it's good for you to handle it this way, it's perfect..."
"You used perfect?" Spielberg didn't expect Ronald to use this adjective.
"Do you believe it? Critics and some Jewish social activists will definitely criticize you. But ordinary Jewish audiences will like it, and so will non-Jewish audiences. All of us self-respecting directors in Hollywood will be very