[Chapter 665: Technology is the Most Important Thing]
Regarding the film about the assassination of Kennedy, JFK, that was pretty much it. It was a movie that didn't have much impact, so what could you really tear apart? As long as one side stopped responding, the others couldn't continue playing.
Hollywood didn't care about losers, and neither did America. Life was so dull that it indeed needed something positive. With all the talk about assassinations and flops, you all just wouldn't let it go.
The American attitude generally leaned towards not liking losers. As for The Silence of the Lambs, well, that was the triumph of a loser who made a comeback. It probably counted as one of the Americans' favorite plots.
After winning big at the Oscars, The Silence of the Lambs returned to theaters. That was quite rare for a movie that had already been released on videotape.
It seemed that the more than $1 million that had been thrown down before its release was likely to recover its investment. Although the company would still go bankrupt, those rights could still fetch a pretty penny.
...
When William White took over Marvel, this was the first movie based on a comic. Even though the Blade character was relatively obscure, it still attracted a fair amount of attention.
The U.S. believed that there was no discrimination here; everyone was playing the game in a relatively fair environment. However, there weren't many comic characters that featured black guys.
Blade was considered quite unconventional; not only did it feature a black lead, but he was also the hero. White Films kicked off with a relatively niche comic, and Hollywood naturally had its own interpretations.
Adapting comic books was different from adapting bestsellers. Although both faced criticism for not being true to the original, comics with their illustrations made actor selection and adaptations far more difficult.
If comic characters looked too generic, the movie would flop. If they were too distinctive, casting became a headache.
While others didn't know why this movie was being made, William White was very much aware. They said that the crying child always got candy. After the black community made a big scene, they benefited a lot. Now that everyone began to pander to the black community, the film Blade cleverly capitalized on the trend.
You couldn't afford not to pander; just take Los Angeles as an example. Don't even mention the Native Americans. If you add the Germans and other Europeans together, the total number does not exceed 30%.
[T/N: According to Chat GPT, population rough percentage breakdowns of ethnicities in current LA: Latino/Hispanic: ~48-50%, White (Non-Hispanic): ~28-30%, Asian: ~11-12%, Black or African American: ~9-10%, Mixed Race and Other: ~3-5%, Native American, Pacific Islander, and Other Minorities: <1%]
Ha, America was a nation of immigrants; the Anglo-Saxons were actually the minority in many big cities.
Well, if there weren't any significant disputes, it was best to tread lightly. If you pushed the black community too hard, something would definitely go wrong.
Letting black characters take the lead or even get nominated for the Oscars? You could rest assured that the old-timers at the Academy wouldn't want to stir up trouble at that point.
"Stan, don't get too excited. Seriously, for your health, you might want to skip the more thrilling parts," William White said, somewhat exasperated, facing the ever-energetic old man.
"Ha ha, William, it's no big deal; you don't know. I often make cameo appearances. I'm quite a regular in Hollywood movies."
William White looked at the old man in disbelief, thinking, 'Am I really that out of touch? You're practically the best supporting actor; what else do I not know?'
"Stan, you might be better suited for a career in Hollywood. Really, if you were younger, I'd personally write a script for you. As it stands, you might need to wait until I'm older before I could write something like that."
"Don't say that; The Bridges of Madison County was great. I really loved it."
Chortling, the old man with the mischievous demeanor made a group of girls laugh out loud.
"Ha ha, Stan, if I gave you the role of Robert Kincaid, do you know what would happen? Those women would swarm Marvel; unless the Hulk stepped in, no one could save you."
Wesley Snipes was bewildered; how could the William White production team be so different from the rumors? Man, were you guys kidding me about the set tyrants? I must have been misled.
Actually, this was all a sign of William White's growth. After all these years, he had learned how to tell those guys what to do. Plus, flying off the handle all the time didn't really fit his status.
Just his presence there was enough to put pressure on those guys. If he got any stricter, they'd definitely be at a loss for what to do.
"William, does this big camera of yours really film the trajectory of bullets?" Stan Lee asked curiously, looking at the massive camera in front of him. "Isn't it cool to slice through bullets like that?"
"You talking about that? It's actually a prototype; its design dates back to the 60s, invented by Morton Sutherland. Unfortunately, they were used for military purposes. This one is a test model from Bell Labs. I honestly have no idea what the results will be."
"Ugh, if this thing succeeds, I think future action films will definitely have a new gimmick."
"No way, Stan. The price of this thing is something I wouldn't even dare to mention. Nobody would buy it, and I can't sell it; it's simply a concept. It'll take years to turn it into an industrial use."
"Ah, that's such a pity; however, my comics could include that concept. By the way, what was that term? Bullet time. Yeah, that's it."
"Ha ha, I'll bet Spidey will be the fastest to adjust. Since time seems slow to him, bullets must feel that way too."
"Ha ha, right, right; I had the same thought. You get back to work; I need to write this down. You know, getting old means I forget a lot."
"Stan, my personal suggestion would be to watch the rough cut before making changes. That way you'll have a clear understanding."
Using such an expensive camera to shoot a movie was quite a hassle, even if the lab belonged to you.
What others thought didn't concern William White. The driving force behind advancements in computers was never about office software and databases. Those things demanded more stability.
It was the same in filmmaking; wasn't IMAX expensive?
Price played an important role in sales activities, but it wasn't the most crucial factor. As long as customers accepted your price, it wouldn't matter how high it was.
*****
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