[Chapter 33: The Greater Fool.]
Last Time on Chapter 032 of [From Shadows To The Spotlight] —
Alex's smile widened. "That means a lot, Richard. Thank you."
Richard waved him off, though there was a glimmer of affection in his eyes. "Just don't make me regret it, kid."
Alex laughed, raising his glass. "I won't."
Richard raised his own glass, clinking it against Alex's. For all his gruffness, there was no mistaking the pride in his gaze as he looked at the man he had come to think of as family.
Now Continuing —
The clink of their glasses echoed softly in the cozy, low-lit corner of the café. The sound settled into the backdrop of quiet conversation and muted jazz humming through the bar's speakers.
Alex took a sip of his drink, savoring the smoky burn as he leaned back against the booth. Across from him, Richard remained still, his eyes narrowed as if appraising Alex not just as a filmmaker but as the young man he'd watched grow over the years.
"You remind me of someone," Richard said finally, breaking the comfortable silence.
Alex tilted his head, intrigued. "Oh? Who?"
Richard let out a low chuckle, the kind that seemed to come from deep within his chest. "Me, when I was younger. Same damn fire in the belly, same head full of ideas too big for your own good."
"Just that the difference is, I learned the hard way just how sharp this industry's teeth are."
Alex smiled, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. "And yet, here you are. Still standing."
"Barely," Richard muttered, though there was no bitterness in his voice. His gaze drifted past Alex, landing on the distant memories etched into the walls of the bar.
"You know, when I started, I thought I'd make films that would change the world. Be the next Fellini or Godard. Kubrick and I used to talk about that back when we were kids trying to prove ourselves."
"You did more than prove yourself," Alex said, his tone reverent. "Your storyboards shaped some of the greatest films ever made. Half of Kubrick's early career wouldn't exist without your edits."
Richard waved the compliment off with a gruff scoff. "Editing reels in a dark room until your eyes bleed isn't exactly glamorous. And don't think I don't know what you're doing, buttering me up."
Alex laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Guilty as charged. But seriously, Richard, you've always been the kind of artist I admire and have tried to emulate the most."
"And kind is that?"
"The kind that puts their craft above their own ego."
For a moment, Richard said nothing. Then, with a sigh, he leaned back and looked Alex square in the eye as he questioned the young man before him.
"Is that why you've remained in the shadows for so long? You took only minimal credit, never gave interviews, or even appeared in front of the public or media despite being the one who—"
"If your name didn't show up in the post credits, no one would even know that you were the one who was behind it all."
"Which is why I'm going to say this. You've got that same drive, that hunger to create something bigger than yourself. But you're putting a hell of a lot on the line with this Marvel thing."
"And I'm not just talking about money—I'm talking about your name, your reputation, but most important of all your legacy."
"I know," Alex replied, his voice calm but resolute. "And I've thought about that. But my legacy isn't just about the kinds of movies I make—it's about the stories I tell and the people I reach through them."
"It's about making that one person in the movie theater forget about all the problems in their life and just find joy in the story that I'm telling them."
"Like you found in New Hope?"
"In a way, that movie did give me a new hope for my life."
"Richard, comic books might not have the prestige of a Kubrick or a Bergman, but they have heart. The stories they tell might look corny or whimsical at first glance but also move hearts and are universal in nature."
Richard studied him, his expression inscrutable. "You've got the heart; I'll give you that. But heart doesn't pay the bills. It doesn't shut the mouths of critics, who'll call you a sellout the moment you step into mainstream success."
Alex took a moment to respond, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Do you remember the first time we met?" he asked suddenly.
Richard raised an eyebrow. "You mean when you barged into my office with that absurd idea for a horror anthology series?"
"That's the one," Alex said with a grin. "I was twenty-five, an amateur writer, and convinced I was the next Wes Craven. And you… well, you told me my script was crap."
"Because it was," Richard said, deadpan. "But unlike the rest, you were willing to listen. You didn't storm out or try to argue. You asked questions; you wanted to learn."
"That's why I took a chance on you. If I remember correctly, you didn't give up on it and made the Book of Horrors."
"I don't give up that easy, and I'll never forget the help and guidance you provided me with." Alex said, his tone earnest.
"You taught me more in those first few weeks about storyboarding, scriptwriting, and editing than I'd learned in the first few years of scraping by on film sets."
"You didn't just show me the craft—you showed me how to survive in this business, and I'll always be grateful for that."
Richard's expression softened, though his voice remained gruff. "You've come a long way since then; I'll give you that. But surviving and thriving are two different beasts. This Marvel thing—if you pull it off, it'll be revolutionary. But if you fail…"
"I know the stakes," Alex interrupted gently. "And I'm ready for them. This isn't just about making a splash, Richard. If this works out, then MONARCH will become infinitely more influential and more powerful than ever before."
"The studio still has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to dethrone the Big Six and surpass them to establish itself in a league of its own."
"You aren't joking." Richard hadn't asked it as a question, even though his retort had framed it as one.
"I am not." Alex replied seriously, "I know that sounds like a pipe dream, but so was me telling you that I will be a billionaire before I hit my 40s in this very booth."
"Why do you want MONARCH to be so powerful?" Richard wanted to know the reason that had driven his pupil to such extremes.
"Because only through power will we have the ability to dictate the industry's next move, we will finally be able to bring change to its archaic practices."
"To shed light on the predators that hide in its darkness and finally clean the filth that has penetrated so deep into all the different parts of this industry."
"Filth.. no-one wants to even acknowledge that's there. My mother taught me that if you want to fix something, you need to first admit that it is broken."
"Hollywood is broken, Richard, and that's a fact. And if we don't do something to fix it, then this industry is on a timer that will eventually run out in a few decades at best. Probably around 2020 to 2025."
"I agree, but Alex.. You're talking about fixing an entire goddamn industry.. It's too big of a burden for one man to carry alone."
"Don't worry, I won't be the one to carry it; that will be done by you and everyone that's with me at Studio MONARCH."
"But you'll be the one to bear the responsibility; it all goes to shit."
"A burden I am willing to carry, happily even, for I am the greater fool."
"I feel like 'greater fool' has a deeper meaning."
"It does.. The "Greater Fool" is actually an economic theory or term; it refers to a patsy [1]."
[1] Patsy: a person who is easily taken advantage of, especially by being cheated or blamed for something.
"Basically, for the rest of us to profit in the market, we need a greater fool, someone who will buy long and sell short. An idiot whom the people." Alex pointed to himself and then the other patrons around them, "can take advantage of to get ahead."
"The Greater Fool is someone with the perfect blend of self-delusion and ego to think that he can succeed where others have failed. Most people spend their life trying not to be the greater fool." Alex explained with a mocking, self-deprecating smile as he looked down at his glass.
"And you, my boy, stepped right up to the plate." Richard finished, and Alex only nodded with his grin on his face that grew a bit more forlorn and despondent.
Alex only rarely ever drank, as it brought bad memories to his mind most of the time, but tonight those thoughts were far away from his mind. And instead he found himself contemplating if what he was doing would be worth it or even feasible.
His plan was to recreate the same magic they did with Jurassic Park 1, for every movie and TV show that will eventually form the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It was a daunting task, and most people would even call it a feat nearly impossible to accomplish and not dare to even try. But thankfully, he wasn't most people; he was a fool with a dream, and he didn't care if others considered it impossible or if it even truly was.
He remembered a phrase, "The fool did not know what he was trying to achieve was impossible. So he just went ahead and did it."
Richard remained silent, while Alex was mired in his thoughts, warring between self-doubt and fear. He was contemplating the word Alex used to describe the person who is a greater fool.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized how, in the end, it had been the Greater Fools that had shaped the world around them.
He decided to point this out to his protégé and bolster his confidence.
"But you know something, Alex?"
"Hmm?"
"This whole indust- no.. this whole country was made by greater fools. People who believed in something bigger than themselves and gave it their all to achieve it."
"Thank you." Alex quietly said and drank the last sip of his glass, when Richard leaned forward to pour him another. He shook his head as he wanted to be cognizant for this conversation.
"Alex, I don't care if I'm starting to sound like a broken record. But I need to hear it from you. Why? Why do you want to change Hollywood so badly?"
Alex remained still for a few seconds, with a far-off look on his face as he blankly stared at his glass. "Forty Seven."
"What's that?" Richard spoke softly, as if afraid to startle Alex from his trip down the memory lane.
"The amount of story ideas Michael and I worked on together and pitched to the film studios. Now I won't say all of them were Oscar-level polished scripts."
"But we genuinely had some great ideas in them, ideas that I'm finally making into films and TV shows after we built MONARCH."
"Stories that eventually led us to create movies and TV shows like -- Forrest Gump, Black Bird, The Mandalorian, Book of Horrors, Green Mile, Dexter, Lucifer and Shawshank."
"Shawshank was a flop though, right?" Richard questioned, as he felt it was odd that Alex included it along with the others because, from a studio executive's perspective, that movie could only be classified as a disaster.
"It was.. the studio lost nearly 29 million dollars on Shawshank, and that's after we pulled all the stops on trying to monetize it." Alex frankly admitted, though he didn't have a hint of regret on his face.
He then casually explained his take and opinion of the film, one that only served to reinforce the idea in Richard's mind as to why there was a long line of directors and creatives who wanted to work with the now renowned studio.
"But does that make it a bad movie? Absolutely not; personally, I think it was simply ahead of its time."
"Probably an error on the market research department that made the conclusion that it was a good year for a prison break drama film."
"Do I regret making it?"
"Not even for a second. It's some of the best cinema I've ever experienced, and you said it best yourself, "Mark my words, Alex, this film will become a cult classic"."
"And it definitely will be a classic." Richard said, again, confident in his assessment.
"I know, I know." Alex replied with a sly smirk.
"When my plans for MONARCH are finally achieved, it will allow us to create a space where storytellers can thrive. It will be a place where true artists don't have to compromise their values or their vision to get a chance... to get their work seen."
"But most of all, it will fulfill the dream that I once shared with Michael. That's why I need this to work—not for me, but for everyone who'll come after."
For a moment, Richard said nothing. Then he sighed, shaking his head. "You really are a damn fool."
"I know, but I'm your damn fool," Alex quipped with a wink.
Richard let out a bark of laughter filled with a familiar warmth; the sound and the emotion in it were surprising even to himself. "That you are, kid. That you are." And for once, he spoke unabashedly.
They sat in companionable silence for a while; the weight of their conversation was still lingering, but it wasn't oppressive or stifling. Finally, Richard spoke again; his tone was quieter this time.
"You know, you should really do something about that old man of yours. I'm telling you now they'll use him to come after you as he is a sore spot."
Alex stiffened slightly at the mention of his father, but he didn't look away. He then started chuckling darkly in return, "That is if he doesn't come after me or my family trying to shamelessly stake a claim on whatever I've achieved."
"But he's not worth thinking about," he said after a pause. "I'm not who I am because of him. I'm who I am in spite of him."
"And you should be damn proud of that," Richard said firmly. "But don't forget—pride's a double-edged sword. It keeps you standing when the world's against you, sure."
"But it can also blind you to the people trying to help or those that could be a threat."
Alex nodded, his gaze steady. "I'll keep that in mind."
"You'd better," Richard replied. "Because, like it or not, I'm not going anywhere. You want to build this empire of yours? Fine. I'll back you up. But don't expect me to go easy on you."
Alex's grin returned, warm and unguarded. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Richard now poured him another glass, and Alex didn't stop him this time as they both raised their glass once more, a faint smile tugging at the corners of their lips. "To Greater fools and dreamers."
"To the stories that make us believe," Alex replied, clinking his glass against Richard's.
In that moment, the two men—one at the height of his ambition, the other a master in the twilight of his career—shared a rare understanding. It wasn't just about movies or legacies.
It was about the connection between teacher and student, father figure and son, artist and dreamer. And for Richard, it was enough to know that his faith in Alex had not been misplaced.
— To be Continued...
{2,582 words}
{TRL: So, I've introduced another Named Character into the story. I hope you guys liked Richard Warren. He will serve a mentor figure to Alex in this story and he has a wide array of contacts to help Alex out in a pinch on the creative side of things.
Anyways, this is the new Hollywood story that has been bouncing around in my head. I really need to get this out, so here's another chapter.
Also would you like to read ahead? You can do so for free up to 3 chapters ahead of the public release on my Patreon page as Free Member.
Yes, free. If you're interested you'll find the link in the Author's thoughts section or just google TheRamenLord and Patreon.
If you like my work and would like to support me then by becoming a paid member you read from 10 to 20 chapters ahead of the public release depending on tier you purchase.