Hollywood Domination Chapter 65: The New Yorker position
With the singing of Roxy and Wilma, the film came to an end, and the guests at the premiere applauded enthusiastically for the filming. Although the mentality of watching movies is not the same, for most audiences, this is a pretty good movie. There are no obvious shortcomings in sound and light effects, plot rhythm, and actors' performances. It can even be said that there are many bright spots. drama, but the complex plot is explained very clearly. For general audiences, they are very happy to watch, but what professionals see is the complex editing and shooting techniques that are almost dazzling. Rob took a complicated film with complicated techniques, but turned it into a complex film. Jane, did not cause any hindrance while watching. As a newcomer in the world of directors, his outstanding performance has made many people secretly exclaim astonishment, and even envy and envy Weinstein's vision - there is no doubt that "Chicago" will be a big player in this awards season. For Weinstein, who is skilled in award operations, this year seems destined to be another bumper year.
After the screening, the director took the stage to speak as usual. As soon as Rob walked to the front of the screen, the audience spontaneously gave him a long applause, which also made Rob glow.
"It's really not easy to make this film." Before the release, the words said are generally brief and will not spoil the mood of watching the movie. Now is the time to summarize. Rob looked at the crew with relief, "But from Harvey to Catherine, Renee, Richard, and all the colleagues in the film crew, they all gave me great support and strength. I know that my temper sometimes makes people feel uncomfortable. Can't take it."
There was good-natured laughter from the camera crew, and Catherine shouted, "Rob, we love you!"
"Thank you, thank you." Rob pulled Catherine, Renee, and Richard to the front of the curtain. Harvey waved his hands and refused to go on stage. , the vague unhappiness during the filming seems to have been forgotten by everyone, whether it was the starring group who doubted Rob at the time, or Rob who was very concerned about it at the time, have now read this article and really become good friends.
Amid the last burst of applause, the premiere ended, the audience gradually dispersed, and some maverick film critics also left first-generally, in Hollywood, film critics and film circles will maintain a certain delicate boundary , In order not to affect the freedom and independence of reviews, many well-known film critics will not participate in these after parties with rich benefits, or receive gifts from film producers.
However, as a well-known film critic with his own TV show, Roger Ebert and the circle are more closely intersected. Although he has not been in good health since the late 1990s, but tonight is In high spirits, he and his partner, Richard Rope, a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, attended the premiere party.
A film critic of his status will of course be looked at differently by the high-level executives. Even Harvey Weinstein would greet him with a glass of wine. very important.
"Roger."
"Harvey."
The two hugged, and Harvey put aside the cigar he was dangling from his mouth—Roger had been suffering from throat problems, and had just undergone surgery earlier this year, so he might not be able to smell the smoke yet. "So, what do you think?"
"I think Miramax could even turn a profit on this movie." Roger didn't hold back on his praise, and Harvey beamed brightly.
In order to catch up with the final limit of Oscar nominations, the release time of "Chicago" was directly selected two days before the application deadline. For award-winning films, they do not seek to recover the full cost at the box office, but take the long-term copyright route. ——Different from general commercial blockbusters, literary films and biographical films are movies with large investment and small output. Although the total investment is not large, it is generally difficult to deduct the investment, publicity and public relations expenses from the box office.
But this is not to say that no one will make this kind of film. The mentality of the filmmakers who cast this kind of film is to spread the risk. For example, Miramax is more inclined to use 100 million US dollars to make seven or eight literary films. , choose good staffing as much as possible within the budget, and then as long as one of the seven or eight films is a masterpiece and can rush to the award, then it will make money. As for other films, as long as they are not too bad, it is impossible to get a point I can't even get the money back. In this way, after five or six years, the 100 million yuan may be completely earned back, and it will also bring a lot of follow-up profits. Although in the end I may earn only 50 to 60 million when I take 100 million, but the victory is stable. From the probability point of view, there is almost no possibility of losing money on such an investment, but what about making a big commercial production with 100 million? If it is a bad movie, the 100 million yuan will basically be lost.
In addition to the four major film production companies with large businesses, more small and medium-sized film producers consider risk diversification and prefer a long flow of water, so you can still see "The Pianist" and "Chicago" continuously on the market. In fact, the entire Oscar ecosystem is composed of such films. Literary and artistic films hope to win Oscars to make money, and Oscar also hopes to have more literary and artistic films, so as to ensure the artistry of the awards. Like Miramax, they are an important part of this ecosystem. They are very experienced in grasping the rules of this circle, and they can always take the freshest piece of cake.
However, because of this route, the cost of movies produced by Miramax is very slow, and the books may still be at a loss in the first two or three years. Public relations funds account for a larger proportion than commercial films. "Chicago" invested 40 million yuan, and public relations and public relations may cost 40 million yuan. The cost is very close to that of the same type of musical "Moulin Rouge" in 2001. "Moulin Rouge" invested 50 million yuan and got a lot of nominations, but in the end it only won two technical awards. Sales are difficult to ask for a price, and the profit prospect is not very clear. Now Roger said that he is optimistic about the box office profit of "Chicago", which is tantamount to predicting that "Chicago" will have a domestic box office of over 100 million, double that of "Moulin Rouge". ——If the box office can make a profit, the pressure on Miramax will be much less, and there will be more budget for public relations. As long as the Oscar can reach the grand prize, the "Chicago" project will be a very successful investment. If it is an Oscar-winning film, the follow-up copyright sales are completely another world. Multi-national TV stations will come to buy copyrights, and the domestic sales will be better, and the sales of audio-visual products such as DVDs will also increase significantly.
"Roger, your words may be worth millions of dollars." The premiere received positive feedback, and Harvey must have more confidence in winning the award. "This year Miramax should be the main director of the film "Chicago" , you put it that way, I don’t feel embarrassed if I don’t add some budget.”
Roger laughed, "It's worth it, Harvey, you know I've always admired your eye for people, "Chicago" is of course a treasure, we all admit that, but moving musicals to The big screen is not that simple, you know, "Moulin Rouge" is original after all, and you can find Rob is the key to the success of the whole thing."
It is very difficult to adapt classic musicals because of the relationship between Zhuyu and Yuqian.
"I'm also very proud of this." Harvey admitted without humility, "Rob is the keyman of the whole plan. Of course, Catherine and Renee are also good enough, but you know, choosing Renee Ni also took a certain risk. Her acting skills are fine, but her singing and dancing skills are worrying. If Rob is not optimistic, I may not nod to use her."
"It seems that the artistic vision is in the same line." Roger laughed, "You discovered Rob, and Rob discovered Jennifer—Jennifer Jefferson. I think her performance is quite bright. Tonight, she is more like the center of the audience."
"That's because Rob and the others are still being interviewed." Harvey's eyes also fell to the corner of the venue, where many guests from all walks of life attended the premiere, and Jennifer Jefferson's blonde hair stood out among the crowd. Glittering, looks extremely dazzling. "But it is undeniable that this is a very good girl. It is a pity that she is rushing to shoot "Pirates of the Caribbean" now, otherwise I would be happy to bring her in the follow-up promotion of "Chicago."
"Ah, so you plan to bring her to the Oscars?" Roger poured his glass at Harvey, "Maybe by this time next year, I will hear the news of the birth of another Weinstein girl .However, haven’t you finished the big project you prepared in 2003?”
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" that Jenny fought for before was an A-level production, but the phenomenon that the heroine was vacant until the filming started was rare. Most of the projects had confirmed the director and male and female lead candidates at the beginning of filming. It can even be said that many projects were born at such a dinner party with a change of mind and a few words by the head of the family. For a new actor, many times it is not her choice to star in a movie, but what movies she can find that does not have a starring role.
Harvey shook his head, smiled and said nothing, Roger became interested instead, ""Cold Mountain", "Kill Bill", "BJ's Single Diary 2", "Jersey Girl", "Talking About Love" , Dancing"...well, I guess, it's not "Jersey Girl" or "Talk and Dance"? That girl has potential, whether it's "Jersey Girl" or "Talk and Dance" It is enough to do it.”
Harvey just laughed, but didn't respond much, until he found that Roger was showing a lot of reluctance, and then replied inscrutablely, "You are still too indifferent to the marketing methods of movies, old man, Of course I would like to take her to the Oscars, that would be good for the box office of "Chicago."
Of course Roger could hear the implication: But Harvey did not invite Jennifer Jefferson to play the leading role.
He was a little confused—the eyes were as sharp as Roger's, even if it was only a few minutes of the scene, it was enough for him to see Jennifer's strength, combined with the impression Jennifer gave him at the party, Roger could easily Conclusion: This is a young actress with superb acting skills, with a very good appearance, able to control a role that is almost completely opposite to her own temperament, and most importantly, she has an indescribable but indispensable rule of superstars feel.
Roger believes that the entertainment industry is an industry that requires extremely high talent. Even if the starting point, appearance, acting skills, and resources are all similar, but because of the existence of this illusory superstar temperament, it is very likely that the two people will be in the entertainment industry. At the beginning, it seems that they are on par, but in the end, the audience will only remember the one with superstar temperament. As for the other person, it is hard to say where she lost. Just like "Moulin Rouge", the director Baz Luhrmann is as big as he is. He even said that he is more accomplished than Rob Marshall in the field of musicals. The comparison between "Moulin Rouge" and "Chicago" seems to be hard to distinguish It is a temporary choice, but Roger has a feeling that "Chicago" is going to survive the waves of time than "Moulin Rouge", and achieve a higher status than "Moulin Rouge" in the classic hall of musicals.
Who do you say this is because of? Undoubtedly, because of Keyman Rob Marshall. Most of the time, the movies are all about Keyman, and Roger thinks that Jennifer Jefferson showed Keyman's temperament in the movie. He also thought that Harvey Weinstein, who has always been a good judge of people, would never let go of the opportunity to cuddle in his arms, but he didn't expect that Harvey's reaction could be described as cold.
One is a film critic and the other is a major producer. Their occupations determine that the two can only be friends of gentlemen. Although Roger was puzzled, he didn't continue to ask, but raised his glass to Harvey. Turned around and continued to socialize among the industry crowd.
It wasn't until the party was over, when he and his old partner boarded the car back to the hotel, that Roger got some industry gossip from Richard.
"Jennifer's team's publicity strategy has angered Renee's team," Richard told the inside story of Harvey's choice, "Of course, Jennifer is a very talented actor, but Renee The relationship with Miramax is still in the honeymoon period. The cooperation of "Cold Mountain" and "BJ's Diary" is very pleasant. "Chicago" originally planned to give her an award, but because of the publicity of Jennifer's team, Renee The performance in "Chicago" is obviously cast a shadow. I am afraid it will be difficult to win the favor of this year's Oscar judges. As a producer, Harvey must of course maximize his interests. Anyway, the 'Roxie' controversy has been heated up. , he will definitely use it to drive the box office, but it is not necessary to say how good Harvey thinks of Jennifer. "Cold Mountain" and "BJ's Diary 2" are all big projects after Miramax, if Renee This time, it will be a success after the screening, and the box office of the two films will be more guaranteed, but Renee may only be able to count on "Cold Mountain" now."
"Oh?" Roger is also a film critic who has been immersed in the film industry for many years. It is impossible for him to be surprised by this kind of interest turmoil. I asked with interest, "So, in the 'Roxie Controversy', are you on Jennifer's side?"
"I wouldn't say I'm jumping to conclusions right now, but I'll admit in my review that Jennifer Jefferson dominated the cinema during her time," said Richard. "Officially, I I want to draw conclusions after seeing Jennifer's Roxie, but I know many of my Broadway peers have already sided with Jennifer. Roger, what do you think?"
They all live in Chicago all the year round, but because they have their own TV programs and are columnists with a lot of income, it is not a big deal to fly to New York to watch the show.
"When will we see Jennifer's Roxie?" Roger asked back. "You know, the topic is also time-sensitive, Richard. If it is half a year later, I don't want to have an argument that no one continues to care about." Fly all the way to New York."
"I asked Jennifer, and she said that her contract with Broadway has not been fulfilled, and she will return to Broadway to continue her stage after filming." Richard calculated, "It should be done before December 10th. Back to Broadway."
December 10 is the release date of "Chicago", and there is still more than a month before now. During this period, film critics will release their own evaluations one after another. Generally speaking, they will be invited to participate in the premiere Li's film critics and producers have a relatively good relationship, and it is unlikely that there will be no film reviews after watching the film.
"Then let's write a newspaper film review for "Chicago" first. If you feel the need to say something after watching the musical, you can publish a review, and we can also discuss this interesting topic in the show." Roger Already have a general idea, "But I remember that the box office of the "Chicago" musical is extremely hot, Richard, we'd better make a few calls to our friends on Broadway now."
"It seems that you are also looking forward to Jennifer Jefferson." Richard smiled and took out his mobile phone, "No problem, it is already midnight in New York now, I will contact you tomorrow when we come together Let's hope we don't become IE browsers in this craze, old friend."
Both he and Roger are Internet trendsetters. Although Roger is old, his interest in these things is no less than that of young people. He has his own personal blog and website, so Richard’s interest in this There are no barriers to understanding jokes.
"It doesn't matter how fast or slow the point of view is, the decisive factor is the quality of the article itself." Roger was not worried about this, he chuckled and said calmly, "Compared with New Yorkers, we are destined to be a step behind, and even We're all too slow compared to those fashion bloggers. Chances are the earliest articles will come out tomorrow, but who decides who's the best Roxie? God knows, Richard, only we."
Richard also smiled, "Roger, you are too polite, you don't have to bring me, it should be said that only you can."
As the only film critic who has won the Pulitzer Prize and has a long-lived TV program and a registered trademark, Roger does have this confidence. It can even be said that his views can indeed dominate to a certain extent. The trend of public opinion in the industry. Because of this, he was very cautious about his views. If he hadn't seen Jennifer's performance, he would rather not express his opinion than take advantage of the excitement.
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Roger's prediction was not wrong. Just the day after the premiere, influential media such as "The New Yorker", "New York Post", and "New York Times" published their columnists. 's movie reviews. Different from "Variety Show", "Hollywood Life", and "Hollywood Reporter", these drama critics and film critics have focused on the "Roxie Controversy" and almost all adopted "OurRoxieisbetter" Type title.
"There is no doubt that Renée Zellweger is an excellent actress, and she seems to be dominating this era, but we cannot but objectively say that Jennifer Jefferson has more outstanding talents than her . . . " said Ben Brantley in his column titled "Indeed, Our Roxieis better."
Jennifer's big fan Patrie is even more fanatical, directly declaring, "This is a very good movie, well done, Rob! But the only regret is that you didn't choose Jennifer Jefferson to play Rock Hee's guts were only given to Kitty. So, Los Angeles lost, New York won, and Broadway got a very good Roxy."
The title of his film review is also very gunpowder, "Hollywoodlose, Broadwaywin".
The rest of the New York film critics have different opinions, and they also have mixed opinions on the changes in "Chicago", but their opinions on the Roxie issue are almost unified. Can't fault it, but Jennifer Jefferson's Roxie is better, more exciting, and best of all she's a live act, while Renee's performance is retouched in post.
"If Jennifer was cast as Roxie in the movie, then we can have no hesitation that her performance will be a hit, and her Kitty totally exemplifies that. But putting Renee on Broadway? I don't know, maybe, Renee needs a good Broadway musical to prove herself."
"In the contest between film art and musical theater, I, a pure Broadway person, of course have some biases, but I think my review is very fair tonight. Jennifer's Roxie does win."
When everyone has a voice, this point is very convincing. Many critics have yet to comment, but gossip magazines have been quick to catch up, and they are the first to reveal why they are slow to respond: Critics are flooding the Shubert Theater with requests for tickets to Jennifer's performance as Roxie. The Burt Theater was therefore overwhelmed.
This in itself is enough to hint at the critics' leanings - if Renee's performance is good enough and Jennifer's performance is disappointing, they would have made a statement, wouldn't they?
There is no one who does not like to read gossip. When fashion bloggers come to stir up their legs, this topic has begun to become the focus of national attention—or entertainment sensitive people: the rising star Jennifer Jeffer Confident and arrogant, Sen challenged the star of the acting school, Renee Zellweger. Although he did not grab the role in the movie version of "Chicago", he found a new way to defeat Renee on Broadway. It is said that the two have already formed a hatred in the film crew. There have been countless intriguing stories between Renee and Jennifer, so Jennifer will target Renee in this way...
The newly filmed "Pirates of the Caribbean" appeared in the mouths of more and more passers-by. For the first time, Jon's classmates began to discuss with her the purchase of tickets for the musical "Chicago", and of course the preview of the upcoming movie version. In New York, a city with a large ticket warehouse, "Chicago" has more attention than Los Angeles. Both movies and musicals have become popular in an instant. After all, not every ordinary person can judge whose photography skills are better, but Without exception, they are all very confident and enthusiastic that they can judge whose Roxie is stronger.
As this wave of gossip became more and more popular, Jenny's popularity also ushered in its first explosion.
The author has something to say: Note: 1 Roger Ebert is also a real person, basically a film critic mentioned in every American entertainment article in the early 21st century, because his influence is indeed too great. Unfortunately, he has been dead for some time. If you are interested, you can Baidu him.
2 "Cold Mountain", "Kill Bill", "BJ's Diary 2", "Jersey Girl", "Talk about Love, Dance"-these films are Miramax in 2003 and 2004 Produced, you can see the level of Miramax.
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Sorry, I've been waiting for a long time. I went out to do some errands in the afternoon and met an old friend I haven't seen for a long time. He took me to dinner directly. I didn't see it in the past. It's an old acquaintance I haven't seen for a long time. Holding white wine, they drank it to pieces...