TBF, Mags, you have been doing a lot of the heavylifting for the quest, so this will be in good hands.
To be clear to everyone, this is just me burning out on imagination of the quest, since my muse has been hitting me over the head a lot with so many different ideas that I just can't find myself too interested in this.
I'll still hang out here, though, since this still does have a sepcial place in my heart.
I'd like to thank you all for making this a wonderful experience while it lasted.
I'd also like to thank @Magoose, @Fluffy_serpent, and @Martin Noctis for doing so much to help prepare and write this quest. I couldn't have done it without you all.
Since the movie is about Bruce deciding between the paths of vengeance and justice, maybe you can show how Bruce was already leaning towards justice as he works with Lucius early in the film for urban development, charity and creating jobs in Gotham from Wayne Enterprises to address the continual "Batman doesn't do real effective stuff with his wealth". It establishes a foundation that Bruce was always meant to be a hero who stands for justice and he just needed that extra push to be that way as Batman. Lucius as Thomas' friend can provide additional insight on the Thomas-Maroni relationship and play off of Alfred in regards to that. Plus we have a classic Lucius scene of presenting Bruce with his new gadgets and upgrades to fight with as Batman to help sell toys in his crusade.
The Surealness of a Good Time for Some. Turn 60 (August 1978)
The Surealness of a Good Time for Some. Turn 59 (August 1978)
You and Carrie were both looking at the books you had prepared to begin reading to Mary when you turned on the TV. "What are you doing?" Carrie asked. "You said you were going to help me?"
"I am." You said with a small smile on your face cropping up. "My pile is all done and stocked in her room."
Carrie frowned. "Yeah, but I can't lift mine."
You frowned, standing up, and not only lifted Carrie up with one arm but also picked up almost every single book she was trying to carry over to Mary's room.
Carrie then screamed. "Hey no fair!"
"I mean, if you wanted it to be fair, you should have asked." You placed the books down on the floor outside the room and held her in both arms, and held her close to you as you scooped her below the door frame and placed her down in the chair, and Mary cheered as you entered.
"But Mary doesn't seem to mind? She seems to enjoy it."
Mary continued to giggle in delight as she clapped.
"See."
Your wife then pouted. Before whispering to Mary. "You traitor."
Mary laughed before you embraced Carrie, who just laughed at it. "You win."
And you both laughed at it.
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You have 10 actions.
The Batman Production (Currently in Preproduction):
[]Look at the Script: You want to look at the Script, and make changes, or rather, prevent Colombia from changing it. DC: 50
-[]If you want to change the script, write in below.
[]Stop them From Doing Something: You looked at the script writers… and realized what they were doing. "What the hell are you all doing to the script, we agreed on this!" DC: 30
Lucasfilms Unlimited Actions:
[]The First Day of Star Wars: You and George were finally back together now, and you were honestly kinda surprised who he brought in. "Bruce, meet Lawrence, he's the screenwriter I brought in to write it. So heres the first draft." DC: 0
[]Tomino needs Help: "O'Brian San… I need your help with the meeting with the Tv people." DC: ???
[]Covering Our Ass: You are going, to be honest, you look at Evans and the briefcase of money you prepared. "I want you to take ten million… consider it a severance package. I don't want you to be here ever again." DC: ???
[]The Media Blitz of Conan The Barbarian: You are looking at the media list that Mike put up. "Alright, who's first?" He said. (Linetail what you want to do next) DC: ???
[]Investing in the Future: You want to Spend some of that money you made into the company and make the whole thing better DC: ??? (Linetail what you want to invest in, and how much money you want to invest in it)
[]Look for Investors: Not that you need the money now, but maybe you can get people on board with this idea you have. DC: ???
[]Distributing Deals: Since you have a Distribution Company, or rather, are one… You can meet the major movie theater companies and strike a Deal with them. Even when you had really nothing to offer them. DC: ???
[]Importing Foreign Films: So… you may have a way to get some films showing in American Theaters. Maybe you can go to other foreign film industries and… well, ask to distribute their films. Sure many of those foreign film companies never expected an American company to distribute their films in the US… but maybe you can get money without producing them. (Linetail where you try to get films from, and if there are any specific films, line tail them below) DC: ???
[]The Ideas of Industry: This action is meant for a write-in to act as a sort of Idea machine for the company. You must detail what you want to do below this action. This action can be taken multiple times.
Personal Actions:
[]A Plan for the Future: Carrie was sitting next to you. And she asked what you wanted to do. DC: 0 (Write in below what you want to do in the next five years)
[]Family Time: So you were going to read Mary something. DC: 30
[]Fighting the Champ: Ali is waiting. You are going to beat him. DC: ???
[]Say something to Ali: You want to humiliate him. You want him to see just how much better you are than him.
-[]Write in what you say to him.
[]Your Rival: Arnold Schwarzenegger. You have no idea who this guy is… also, why does he want to rival you. Also, what the fuck is he doing, going around saying you are the only reason that things got so weird? Whatever that means. DC: 30
[]Game Shows: You want to go on a Game show, you are sure that Lucille might get you in on one of them. DC: 40
[]A Well-Known Fan: So some really famous person is a fan of yours. Maybe you'll learn who they actually are. DC???
[] Learn to play an instrument: You want to learn how to play something DC: 80 (You have no idea what the hell you are doing.)
[]Investments: You want to invest your hard-earned cash into something that you feel will be a good return on investment. And as well as diversify your assets DC: 0 (Linetail what you wish to invest in below this action, and the amount of money you want to invest in)
[]The O'Riely Foundation Lobbying: You want California to help the men who have given nearly everything and more to this country. DC: ??? (Linetail how much money you want to throw at it, and what you want from the State)
[]A Charitable Heart: You want to invest your newfound wealth. Maybe even save some lives while you are at it. (Linetail what you wish to invest in below this action, and the amount of money you want to donate in)
[]Pray: It had been a long time since you went to Mass. You wish for the Lord to give you strength. DC: ???
[]Action Directing: It seems the town has been talking about how much of a beast you are at just being a stunt person. In fact, they knew you were a student of Bruce Lee. And they think you know how to stage and block a fight? Maybe you can DC? ???
[] Do auditions(Movies and TV Shows): You are going to go to some of the casting calls that are in the place where you can find work in. DC: 20(Possibility of only getting a commercial or TV show job, or extra work in a low-budget film)
[]Modeling (High Fashion): So you got a call from a photographer in LA, some no name. But that no name works for Gucci. And he wants you on their next lineup of products. And he needs you to model for him. Which is great… one problem, you have no idea what the hell you are doing. DC: 60
[]Modeling (Advertisements): Thankfully another Call Came in, one from an ad firm. They need you to have some pictures taken so that they are used for saner things. Like selling cars, or ice cream. DC: 40
[]Workout: A Healthy Mind and a Healthy Body are Key to having a good life, and you have been slacking as of late. Time to hit the workout and discipline, and perhaps, see things differently. DC: 30 Reward: You work out and feel better.
[] Ask Clint if you can act in a movie of his: You know you want to see if you can act opposite him, for a good time. DC: 40 (Clint wants to work with you.)
[] Gophering, and other signs of stuff: You want to try and learn how work behind the camera works, and what better way than being a gopher. DC: 50 (You have no idea what the hell they were doing, and you have no idea either)
[] Take a walk: Dad always said that the best ways to get inspiration are by walking, talking, and being open-minded. So you'll try that. DC: 10 (You are just going for a walk, what could be really said?)
[]Pitching for Money: So Miss Ball has decided to offer anyone who comes up with a good pitch for a show tens of thousands of dollars. Time to see if you can cash in DC: ??? (Write in Pitch for the CBS Suits to see)
[] Register in a theater: There are quite a few theater troops that are looking for some seasonal help for some play's that the regulars could not get to. Perhaps you can work there for a while. DC: 40 (Everyone wants to be famous here in Hollywood.)
[] Go to a bar or something to make jokes: You wanted to try some comedy, perhaps you can try. even with your shit timing. DC: 40 (Your Lack of comedy chops is going to be something that will bite you.)
[] Practice writing: You want to write something, maybe even a script. At least to learn the craft. DC: 20 (You try your hand at screenwriting, and maybe get something that is worth a damn.)
[]Calling You're Parents: You are going to call your parents and see what they want. DC: 10
[] Research stuff, see if anything piques your interest: You may have graduated High School as a kid, but you never stopped trying to learn. DC: 15 (Write-in what you want to learn about below)
AN: enjoy.
Plan format...
Also, I know things are weird, but other people asked to do the sidestory.
[]Covering Our Ass: You are going, to be honest, you look at Evans and the briefcase of money you prepared. "I want you to take ten million… consider it a severance package. I don't want you to be here ever again." DC: ???
[]Your Rival: Arnold Schwarzenegger. You have no idea who this guy is… also, why does he want to rival you. Also, what the fuck is he doing, going around saying you are the only reason that things got so weird? Whatever that means. DC: 30
wait a second... how's he know we are the reason the timeline changed so much? Does this Arnold remember the original timeline?
Well, we need to stop the writers from ruining the script so we're taking that option. We also need to get rid of Evans so of course he's out. We need to meet the scriptwriter for Star Wars and help with characterization like before. Tomino needs our help, and of course we need to take the options with our family and Carrie.
I do want us to try to appear in Columbo, so perhaps we can reach out to them, and we do need to fight Ali as well. Humilliation is not necessary, and the 5 year plan can wait for now. Also we should get in contact with George Miller and see if he needs a distributor for Mad Max.
It starts as a flying visit to the Stunt studio you set up in memory of Bruce Lee and in particular a visit to Linda Lee his widow, the one Running the stunt school and your sort of extra Mum, especally while you where in Hong Kong. The Executives are being far too conservative with Batman and the action sequences. It won't sell and more importantly it won't allow you to push the medium. If you can round up some of the performers here you can prove to the executives you are right, that Batman can follow the more recent comics and you can update his move set and help Batman evolve with he times. That it will be a fitting tribute to Bruce Lee and a personal joke on how you met him and his accusation that you were trying to be Batman and solve problems with your fists is beside the point.
Entering the main hall, you see a boxing ring has been set up and a Dark-skinned man is instructing two fighters in the ring while the rest of the stunt performers watch. You pause for a moment and observe. The man is focused and seems to be directing the fighters on how Ali's Rope A Dope technique works, your preparation for the fight have seen you pull the move apart and you think you have a counter. The way the Dark-skinned boxer is pulling the move apart with simple words and directions leave you impressed. He has real insight and a gift for teaching. You shake yourself and continue looking for Linda.
You eventually find her on the top floor in her office and she rises to greet you with a big smile on her face.
"Bruce good to see you. How have you been? You are looking well."
"Not bad Linda but I have a bit of a favor to ask."
A more guarded look crosses her face as she replies, "of course, what do you need Bruce?"
"A bunch of talented stunt performers who can learn a Jeet Kune Do movie routine quickly. I have a bunch of studio heads to impress so they give me room to make the movie the way I want."
She gestures downstairs to you and you follow as you continue the conversation. Her concern colors her next question "Are there there Problems at Lucasfilm?"
"No." you reply "No everything is fine there. I just picked up a little work outside the studio."
She raises and eyebrow and lets you continue.
"Kathleen Kennedy, a producer at Colombia came to me with a Batman script and a dream about making a movie." Your expression darkens. "She is also being taken advantage of and having her work stolen, being dismissed as a coffee girl when her contributions are so much mrothan that. It is not fair. She needed someone in her corner."
Linda laughs slightly. "So You are wading into a fight again to protect a girl. Well Bruce is not around anymore so I guess its up to me to patch you up if you need it"
You grin "It was worth it. Beyond getting the girl safe that fight led to me being on your front porch my first real role. it also led to finding out about the fun that is action movies acting and I met some of the most amazing people." you pause and continue "Kathleen has passion and wants to make art" you admit "Even if she doesn't have a good sense of what makes art."
Linda laughs as you make it back to the main hall. The boxing mentoring is over, and the students are doing some mat work under some instructors you vaguely recognize as regulars. The Black Gentleman has put his coat and hat back on and is packing his bag, face still away from you.
"New instructor?" you ask as you pass behind him as he seems to focus on putting things carefully away.
Linda brushes your inquiry off. "A volunteer offering some training with the current Boxing Mania. I don't know if he will stick around but I am happy to have him."
You nodded in acceptance of the explanation. "Yeah the fight with Ali seems to be really Blowing up in the media at the moment. I just want to get it over with."
The Black Man freezes behind you clearly still in earshot. Linda stops walking and turns to face you and glances towards him clearly wanting him to hear the answers to her next questions.
"So, the fights not important? Just a Cash grab for an Rich White man?" the expression on her face does not match the severe tone of her voice.
"The prize is not a factor for fighting Ali. Its his Bullying and belittling of anyone else's achievements. It's the Lies and slander on good people's characters. It's that he is believed when he makes these claims." You catch yourself getting wound up and stop to take a breath. "Bruce Lee respected him as a fighter and as an Activist but from what he has been doing lately he does not deserve to be able to call himself The Greatest. I intend to beat him and prove that. Maby that will give him a wake-up call and have him consider who his words hurt and offer some apologies. Maby not. But if Ali is demonstrably wrong about me then who else is he wrong about?"
"Is that the reason you are here today then Bruce? Looking for fighters to help you prepare for the match?"
"No. I want Stuntmen for a demonstration. To persuade Bullying executives that A producer deserves respect even if she is a Woman, to prove a studio head gambling on creativity and storytelling will make better movies than one focused on profits. and I want to show off Bruces Martial arts to the world."
"That's it? You haven't heard a rumor I have access to Exotic secrets and secret trainers to help you get ready for Ali?"
You laugh "While I won't say no if you manage to conjure them up I suspect the exotic secrets that you currently hold that I am most interested in today are how to get small children to eat broccoli. You had Brandon and Shannon Cleaning their plates without trouble long before I got invited to any meals."
Linda seems satisfied with the exchange and gestures you to start moving again. "Well as it turns out I can help you with some stunt performers now. If you want to come back in a few days for dinner I will be happy to see what Exotic secrets I can reveal to you."
As you walk away the Black instructor straightens up and closes his bag before walking away slowly seemingly thinking on what he overheard. As you start to make your pitch to the students realize you never did see that man's face clearly. You brush it off you trust Linda, if it is important, she will tell you. Either way your current focus is Batman. Ali can wait.
The second half is not working and this feels like a good stopping point to at least get some story in before the fight. @Magoose you run a entertaining quest and I am Grateful, it just sometime runs too fast for me.
I am implying the Black boxing instructor is Joe Frazier, a man whom I feel deserves a heck of a lot more recognition than he ever got.
Fun fact. He briefly appeared in Rocky as himself.
International Box Office: $68,000,000
Lucasfilm Unlimited Profits: $34,000,000
It's been a while since you've released a Godzilla movie, much of your previous attention being set on space movies, or those involving Mifune Toshiro in order to boost sales of Star Wars, and take advantage of the newest craze sweeping the country. And it seemed to work well so far, the earnings gained, the appreciation for Japanese film, and the accolades received from Directors always came in droves after seeing once more what the East had to offer...so long as it was good of course...
The War in Space still haunts your dreams to this day...why, why was such a bad movie made?
Okay...breaking down from that little fugue, going back to the basics seemed like a good way to clean that previous stinker of a movie out of your palate. Mike even seemed somewhat excited at once more working on promoting the King of Monsters for the big screen once more, the posters igniting the hype train for the confrontation between Godzilla and its mechanical counterpart, a match for the ages to show once and for all if Godzilla truly deserves its title, or the new contender will rise to the occasion to finally dethrone him.
And in the end...well, you liked the movie, but the audience's reaction seemed to be pretty "meh" for the moment. If you didn't know any better, you'd think they're getting tired of seeing giant monsters fighting each other...but that's just ridiculous! Who would ever get tired of seeing Godzilla fight giant monsters! The story itself is simple; aliens create a giant mechanical version of Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, in an effort to destroy Japan. The mechanical creature nearly defeats Godzilla until the hero enlists the help of a fellow Kaiju, the dog-like King Seesar, to defeat the new bionic beast. Simple in theory, perfectly executed in practice. There is actual tension when Mechagodzilla defeats Godzilla for the first time (and you do feel sorry when you see the impostor defeating Godzilla's ally Anguirus as well) but it doesn't make it all sad and mopey, still retaining its campy and fun structure. Hell, the aliens are revealed to be gorilla-like creatures for crying out loud!
And yet, the story wasn't just a rehash of the others, but an actual original plotline that kept you on the edge of your seat. It helped that Toho decided to bring some of their best actors for this entry, and the jazzy tone of the soundtrack makes it interesting if nothing else. You can see why the critics just praised this movie to hell and back, this seems to you the most experimental take on the Godzilla formula that you've seen since they decided to make it more fun and campier from the original movies.
And yet it's not without its flaws; the disguises were just not that good, at times feeling like the aliens were just castoffs from Planet of the Apes, the special effects for their bases and disguises were clearly done cheaply to make more budget for the impressive Kaiju fights. The human plot, a thriller about aliens secretly invading and looking to infiltrate society and looking for a way to defeat mankind has been done and overused in these films so many times that you could recite the entire thing by memory already, plus it's not that good of a plot either.
But where they really shine is in the most important aspect of the film; the monsters. Anguirus fight with Mechagodzilla is very physical, ripping Anguirus' jaws apart and all, showing a more visceral take than previous less violent takes. Mechagodzilla is just... there are no words as you could only look in awe as he, and all his weapons, are brought to life fantastically. Godzilla is still the suit from Godzilla Vs. Megalon but that doesn't take away from the sheer awe at his might one does when facing such a behemoth. The battle between Godzilla and its impostor was spectacular and fun, going to bloody levels never before seen in a Godzilla film so far, with the King of Monsters taking quite a beating. And then there's King Seeser who...is a decent monster. Okay, he's not that bad, but after seeing the fights between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla then everything else is just a disappointment. Not to mention that the final battle is supposed to be a rematch, not a tag battle.
Yet for all that you've expounded in praise, people just don't seem to be rushing to see the movie. Oh sure, they go and enjoy the film, tell their friends, but there's hardly any sense of excitement like one would expect. Instead of anticipation it's more like something they've started taking for granted instead of it becoming an event like previous entries. Heck, you've made more money than previous Godzilla movies, so why is it that you feel that it could have been better?
Critics seem to disagree as they find the newest entry something wholly original and fresh, perhaps a good step above from previous films which could become something respectable, like the Lone Wolf and Cub films, in the future (Wait...don't you still have one more of those to release?). You don't know what to think there. What's next, are they going to suggest making a Kaiju movie where the main focus will be on the human side and interaction while the monsters are only shown sporadically and with poor lightning?
That's just crazy!
Overall, Toho is pleased with the profits, though they don't see much of a future for the Godzilla films despite them. They've also heard of the lukewarm response in America despite the lump of money they've earned, and have mentioned that it may have been a good call to stop making the films after 75'. Despite it all, you've received calls from young and eager producers asking you to greenlight the next entry as soon as possible. They think that a good enough showing, combined with this one, could give enough of an argument to once more restart production of more Godzilla films, and this time they plan to make them right.
Since the movie is about Bruce deciding between the paths of vengeance and justice, maybe you can show how Bruce was already leaning towards justice as he works with Lucius early in the film for urban development, charity and creating jobs in Gotham from Wayne Enterprises to address the continual "Batman doesn't do real effective stuff with his wealth". It establishes a foundation that Bruce was always meant to be a hero who stands for justice and he just needed that extra push to be that way as Batman. Lucius as Thomas' friend can provide additional insight on the Thomas-Maroni relationship and play off of Alfred in regards to that. Plus we have a classic Lucius scene of presenting Bruce with his new gadgets and upgrades to fight with as Batman to help sell toys in his crusade.
Lucius Fox: An executive from Wayne Enterprises who usually works with Bruce when ti comes to charity and Urban developement for Gotham. An inquisitive and creative man, he finds Bruce's secret identity, and offers his aid by showing him the old weapons designs back when the company dealt with the military. With some funding on his side, Lucius now helps in designing non-lethal weapons, as well as vehicles, for the Batman to take the fight to his enemies.
Sorry for making you have to do something, but hey, I'm not exactly known for just not updateing when I can.
Here is a Reward:
[]Something Special is coming (Unknown Effect)
[]I have a good idea. (Linda Lee looks at some of the words she wrote, and then smiled.)
[]Thanks Bruce for Everything (Unknown Effect)
Quick question @Magoose, have Mary and George Jr(or George III if I remember correctly) met yet? I want to do that Rugrats animated pitch and omake I talked about but I'd like to wait for when it actually makes sense to do so, which requires them to have met.
Quick question @Magoose, have Mary and George Jr(or George III if I remember correctly) met yet? I want to do that Rugrats animated pitch and omake I talked about but I'd like to wait for when it actually makes sense to do so, which requires them to have met.
