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.
... We could poach Hayao Miyazaki early. He already has works attributed to him and a movie coming up: Lupin the Third (1971, 1972) and The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) respectively. If we can track down and poach the three founders of Studio Ghibli early on? LOTS of profit and cultural impact that we can leverage.
Edit: The only one that we will really have to track down and give a chance to is Toshio Suzuki, his first work was Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind in 1984.
... We could poach Hayao Miyazaki early. He already has works attributed to him and a movie coming up: Lupin the Third (1971, 1972) and The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) respectively. If we can track down and poach the three founders of Studio Ghibli early on? LOTS of profit and cultural impact that we can leverage.
Fine then, then we go talk to Academy Productions and see about either buying the rights/studio wholesale or for adaptation/English dub of Space Battleship Yamato. It's run in Japan is winding down [IRL ended in 1983 with the Movie: Final Yamato. It didn't get resurrected until 2009 IRL.]
Can we buy Sunrise like Disney bought Pixar? I don't want to risk them going away and leaving us to pound sand sinds ' exclusivity ' contracts are worth jack in this world. BTW can we sue Toho for violating our contract or is that a no go.
As much as their contract stated for five years, Mike Kinda...
well didn't break numerous laws, otherwise, he would have been deported, but he did do things that are frowned upon in Japan, especially preventing Toho from doing what they wanted in Aquireing Sunrise. Which they viewed as a breach of contract.
but considering that if Toho bought out Sunrise, there would be a legal quagmire on Gundam's the likes of which that would make Harmony Golds Stranglehold of Macross look tame.
And while we have money, Toho has near infinite resources that we don't have, even with Star Wars Money, and the Lucasfilm's legendary Legal team.
Basically Mike was very lucky. But our true friends will remember.
Halloween Directed by: John Carpenter
Written by: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Produced by: Debra Hill, Ron Miller
Production Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Distribution: Buena Vista Distribution
Starring: Christopher Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles, Nancy Loomis
Film Quality: D100 + 200 => 276
Audience Reaction: D100 + 150 => 240
Critics: D100 + 150 => 218
Budget: $1 Million Domestic Profits: $178,707,048
International Profits: $168,176,037
Total Gross: $346,883,085
When you were a kid your favorite family activity was going to the movies. There was just something so pure and cherished about sharing the experience with your parents and sisters, the excitement and hype of the trip, the shared view of the action, and then some bonding on the way back and a meal over how great and bad the movie was. It was also something special when save for your mother, all of you had some level of dreams, passion and love for the art of cinema, so when you watched and discussed movies it was like a secret that you all were privy to, the one activity that all the O'Brians could relate and engage in with understanding and fun.
When you moved to Hollywood you had accepted that those fond adventures were likely to remain a childhood memory, the only time you actually had an O'Brian movie trip was going with Cat and Gavin to see The Godfather. The death of the O'Brian movie night would be cemented when Cat moved to Ireland, Gavin to San Francisco and your parents stayed in New York.
Fortunately, the family movie nights were not truly dead, just put on pause until you built a new one. Instead of taking the Subway or walking to a theater, your journey was conducted in a limousine on the way to a Hollywood premiere with Carrie snuggling into your side while Debbie and Todd conversed across from you, both wearing smiles at the sight of you and Carrie being so affectionate with one another. Sure you could do without the media vultures and the necessity of wearing a nice suit just to see a movie, but these nights where it was just the four of you was a treasured experience you wouldn't trade, the O'Brian-Reynolds movie nights.
"So guys, how are you going to celebrate Mary's first Halloween?" Todd asked.
You hugged Carrie and planted a kiss on her head before responding, the two of you sharing an excited look over the plans for your little girl, "Well I've got a half day for filming Batman so I'll come home and make the girls a late lunch. After that we're going to play a special really long session of Princess and the Dragon with costumes Carrie made for all of us."
"You should come over and see Todd, I made Mary this adorable green and purple onesie with a little tail and dragon's head hat. The other day when I put it on Mary she had the time of her life just crawling around the house and roaring at us and the pets, waving her little arms like she was flying."
Debbie gushed over the mental image while Todd gave a laugh, "Gonna be Fairy King Bruce in full Shakesperean regalia?" Todd teased.
You shook your head while Carrie gave Todd a mean yet playful stare. "It's more like if I was a Star Wars royal character who just happened to be wearing colorful fairy wings. Would rather be dressed as Batman, but it's what Mary wants and so she shall receive."
"And we all know how Mary is gonna react when her daddy refuses to wear the wings." Carrie teased, with everyone laughing over the reminder of the circumstances behind Mary's first word. Ever since that day you knew one thing was for sure about your daughter. When Mary wanted you to wear the Fairy Wings, she fucking wanted her Daddy to wear fairy wings!
"After dinner we'll watch some Charlie Brown and Carrie and I will give out some candy to the neighborhood kids. You gonna join us Mom?" You asked Debbie.
"I'd be happy to come and be whatever Mary wants me for the adventure. But, I was invited to a costume party hosted by Elizabeth. I won't be leaving until eight so plenty of time to be with you two if you don't mind." Debbie apologized.
Carrie waved it off, "It's fine, Mary will be tired or in bed by then so you won't be missing much."
"I'm gonna be party hopping with some of the guys on campus. Might drop by and say hi to my favorite niece, but I'll be at USC til morning." Todd informed.
"Engaging in responsible recreational behavior I hope?" Debbie sternly warned, shared by a serious stare from you. Todd had thankfully never repeated anything close to the incident with his DUI friend, but there was always a chance to make more mistakes.
"Yeah mom, I'm gonna be the designated driver and we're gonna stay at Dusty's place. Not like I'm going to any of the frat parties, just the club ones." Todd answered, receiving a satisfied nod from Debbie.
"If you're not busy the Saturday before, Bruce and I are throwing a D&D costume party with our friends." Carrie offered to which Todd raised an intrigued eyebrow, "Basically it's gonna be a fun session where everyone plays as the costumes they dress up and we roll the dice for the setting and just have a silly time." Carrie explained.
"Sounds neat, I'm down so long as none of my profs give me a workload." Todd could usually be counted upon as the loyal Wizard, someone who was loyal and dependable in combat but always found a way to drive sessions to insanity through rule sharking and bending the limits of the scenario with creative choices and actions.
You smiled softly at the ongoing exchange, O'Brian movie nights may have been in the past, but O'Brian-Reynolds movie nights took their place rather nicely and gave you just as many fond memories.
When you arrived, the media had swarmed like a flock of bees to honey at the sight of one of America's most iconic and believed families coming to the premiere. You and Carrie exited first, with the fans that were present going ecstatic at "Han and Leia" making another iconic entrance dressed in regal fashion. It was annoying dealing with the lights and screams, but at the very least the attention had a benefit in taking the spotlight away from Debbie and Todd and allow them to enter mostly unbothered.
You and Carrie strutted through the red carpet, feeling hundreds of eyes upon you and going through the motions of smiling, posing for the cameras, and engaging in brief interviews and autograph signings for journalists and fans respectively. When you attended the Hardcore premiere alone due to Carrie being under the weather, you had an epiphany. Attending a premiere on your own was something you found to be an exhausting experience as you were used as a prop for media scum to write a spicy story about the Goose. But with Carrie, nights that were obligations transformed into magical and fun events.
The two of you played well off of each other, always holding each others hands as you trekked down the red carpet. Carrie kept the feelings of anger towards the media at bay and helped you remain your best self in the public eye. You acted as a towering blanket of security to help deal with the crowds and Carrie's mental anxiety. You both hated dealing with the messy aspects of stardom, but together you powered through it and made the burden into a shared joy.
For while the public had known by now that Bruce O'Brian hated the press, they had no idea that Carrie O'Brian held a similar level of disdain, mostly for the invasive photographers as she always hated having her picture taken by anyone not a friend or family. Yet no one could see that or any discomfort right now, just Carrie O'Brian the shining princess of Hollywood moving with grace and playing to the crowds with regality in perfection because to Carrie it was a game meant to be overcome and she played masterfully. People always reacted in disbelief when you said that Carrie was stronger than you, the guy who beat Muhammad Ali in a knockout. But while you were superior in strength and athletics, Carrie would always be stronger in character and internal strength, one of the things you admired most about her.
Before you entered into the Chinse Theater with Debbie and Todd having rejoined you two, Carrie was ambushed by an excited hug, "Oh my God, you guys came!" Shouted in excitement the star of the film Jamie Lee Curtis as she hugged Carrie fiercely who returned it, with intrigued photographers trying to snap as many pictures of the encounter as they could.
"Of course we'd come, you were there for Some Nights, no way in hell I was going to miss your film debut." Carrie answered. Jamie's mother, the famous Janet Leigh then greeted the family with Debbie moving in for a hug similar to their daughters.
How exactly did this sisterhood of mother-daughter stars happen? Well when Debbie returned from New York, she metaphorically cleaned house with regards to her social circle where she tossed out toxic parasites, strengthened ties with good and close friends like Clint, and ventured to forge new friendships. One such new tie was with Janet Leigh, the two icons meeting in a charity event and instantly hitting it off and becoming fast friends with the scream queen.
Wanting to help her kids make new friends, Debbie arranged for Carrie and Todd to meet with Janet's daughters Kelly and Jamie Lee. Kelly didn't click with Carrie and Todd but both Fishers had gotten along greatly with Jamie who eerily had almost identical history as she was also the daughter of famous actors with a deadbeat dad who abandoned the family and pretended she and her sister didn't exist. Through common background and Jamie being a really fun and extroverted person, the three became close and by proxy you became friends with Jamie who attended the Some Nights premiere and your wedding.
Overall Jamie was a fun and nice person to be around and you were happy she was going to get a big film debut.
Jamie then reached for a hug from you which you reciprocated, "So Batman, Gotham's streets don't need protecting tonight?" Jamie joked.
You rolled your eyes, laughing at the little quip, "Well as bad of a history as I may have with movie theaters, all the rogues are locked at Arkham and Superman can watch over the city for tonight." You said, inserting a small inside joke of Christopher Reeve's cameo.
"How's the little munchkin doing?" Jamie asked of Mary.
"She's fine, having a nice night with her Uncle Robin." Carrie informed to which Jamie playfully groaned.
"I can't believe you would trust your daughter to that backstabbing bard." Jamie joked, referring a recent D&D incident where Robin had ventured into a castle with Jamie's character and Robin suggested to head into a dungeon to investigate, only to make Jamie go in at first where she set off a trap and almost died were it not for John's timely archery intervention.
What followed was a cascade of poor rolls for Robin which almost all happened to target poor Jamie who as perhaps the second most enthusiastic player below you did not take to the bad luck well.
"So you excited for your debut? Sorry it wasn't a Lucasfilms one." You asked.
"That's alright, didn't think I'd follow mom's footsteps for my first with a slasher, but it was a fun time and a real learning experience. You know, if I had to describe it, I guess I would say it was kind of like what you told me about American Graffiti." Jamie said.
"Really?" You asked in concern. As great as the film was, the stressful blitz was not something you'd wish on anyone.
"Oh it's not like we were rushed on purpose and Disney was supportive from the beginning, just very fast paced and ton of night scenes with a lot of us pitching in for production. Kind of a rough process but there was some nice bonding and I think we came out with something great. Oh and Todd, John actually used your Steadicam for large portions of the movie, especially in a lot of important scenes."
"Huh, neat." Todd commented. Not exactly something new as what started with Rocky's famous stairs scene saw Hollywood adopt the Steadicam for more ambitious shots in a multitude of movies, but it was nice to see people appreciate Todd's work and it becoming critical to the evolution of filmmaking.
You continued to talk with Jamie and her mother for a few minutes then headed inside where there was some more mingling with a lot of Hollywood stars, all invited from a very persistent Disney campaign to have a packed red carpet to raise publicity from the film. You were about to head into the movie theater when you caught Roy Disney and Ron Miller trying and failing to be subtly watching you, both you and the cousins engaging in a brief staring contest before you turned to Carrie.
Your wife had noticed the exchange and gave a soft giggle, "Duty calls?" She coyly asked.
"Yeah." You said with a sigh. "Mind escorting Carrie to her seat?" You requested to Todd.
"Sure." Carrie then tiptoed and gave you a brief kiss on the lips before wrapping her arm around Todd's and heading in.
As you walked over, you had to remind yourself that Disney was no longer the enemy but a friend...or at least a strategic ally. Apparently Sony buying UA had spooked Hollywood enough for Mike to call for a business lunch with Roy and Alan, and from there the DLC Entente was born. While the three of you were still competitors, there had since been ongoing dialogue over the distribution, marketing and casting of the films with ongoing dialogue to keep each other aware of any big plays. At the same time, there was a concentrated campaign waged by all three to keep Universal in check and contain Sony from bastardizing the rest of Hollywood and launching a Japanese corporate invasion.
Had you not come tonight to support Jaime, you would have come to see what the hell got Mike so spooked that he moved Dracula from its mid-October release to November. It was a decision that baffled everyone in Lucasfilms and you almost used your ownership privileges with George to push for an October release. Then Mike explained that it was a necessity to pay Disney back for their support in Dawn of the Dead and give some ammunition for future concessions while Dracula could hopefully soften the performance of Universal's Napoleon. Also, Ron Miller had invited Mike to Disney for a special viewing of Halloween, and he was scared by the movie both literally and in a business sense that he feared that Dracula could outright bomb if it performed against Halloween.
With both this and War of the Worlds it was clear that Disney was no longer the same company and you had to investigate.
Falling on your Bruce Wayne charisma and swagger you sought to present yourself not as the brash and angry Goose, but a cool and confident genius, multi-millionaire, family man, philanthropist that was Bruce O'Brian.
"Gentlemen, fine night for a Disney horror film isn't it?" You say, hopefully it came across more as playful and less mocking.
You reached out with your hand and shook Roy's, who seemed like the quiet man he was at the Warner partition, but with a new fire under his eyes. "Bruce. Halloween wasn't my first choice for our highlight live action film, but everything turned out great, and I think Uncle Walt would have approved in spirit. Have you ever met my cousin?" Roy introduced.
"Ron Miller, President of the Walt Disney Company." Ron greeted. While you had met Roy a handful of times, this was your first time meeting Ron directly.
"Bruce O'Brian, Co-owner of Lucasfilms, Batman." You say in return, the two man being confused for a second before remembering your current project.
"Have to say I was surprised that Alan and that Kennedy girl convinced you to wear the cape. Any chance you would be willing to star in Disney film? Live action or animated?" Ron enticed.
Last year you would have laughed at the idea, but after working with Columbia and surprisingly having a good time, you weren't entirely opposed to a co-production. "Perhaps sometime in the future, but I can't promise anything for the short term. I've got to direct Star Wars and there's a couple of personal projects I want to do in-company along with aiding in other productions with our Directors. I'll keep the offer in mind however and leave an open door, whether it's for personal involvement or something greater like ILM or a co-production." You diplomatically say.
Both men nodded in respect, "Been watching Gundam for the past two months. Hell of a show, guess only the makers of Star Wars can copy it." Roy complimented.
"Thank you, but it's not so much that we copied Star Wars, we just paid homage in spirit with Tomino creating a powerful story of the struggles of war and human understanding, that with Don Bluth's artistic touch helped us across the finish line. Although I could say something similar for War of the Worlds. Both my parents were amazed at how the movie turned out to be superior to the original radio broadcast." You say.
Roy looked rather proud at that, "Well it wouldn't have come to life without Star Wars, I guess both Worlds and Gundam have that to think. All this competition aside, I'm thankful to Chuck and your Tomino for helping people to wake up and realize that animation can be great art, and there's a lot of beauty and wonder in the medium that can be just as good as all of these new classics and blockbusters."
"Couldn't agree more." You said with a smile. As annoying as it was to have a rival to Dreamworks, in a way it was good that you wouldn't be alone in helping to push the medium to greatness and a little bit of friendly competition would breed innovation and a constant push for excellence. "If you two don't mind me asking, why the push for horror with Black Hole and now Halloween. Is Disney gonna pivot to the genre for the live action?"
Roy seemed a bit unsure while Ron smiled confidently, "We'll still be producing some good scares but that's not gonna be all or the focus. After all, Lucasfilms doesn't have to just make space movies?" Ron said, with you nodding in concession. "I met John a couple of years ago and he really helped to open my eyes to our full potential with movies, the course we should have been taking, making movies to explore interesting concepts and bring to life what can be written. Black Hole and Halloween just happened to work best with horror, but we'll be looking to diversify and experiment with our new mission."
"What kind of mission?" You ask.
"To honor Uncle Walt's dream and make the movies he couldn't." Roy answered, Ron nodding in agreement with a look of pride in his eyes.
After a couple of minutes of polite small talk, you walked away from the Disney duo you felt a heavy bump on your right side. Swiftly turning around, arms firmly center and fists forming as a defensive reflex. Who you came face to face with wasn't a threat, but a startled middle-aged Englishman, someone who you had only met once four years ago and then shortly after disappeared over childish objections to pay. The man who would have been Obi-wan, Christopher Lee.
"Bruce." Christopher greeted in what sounded like a tone of apprehension done in a diplomatic and neutral manner.
You commanded your body to relax before people got the wrong idea of you picking fights with a British icon and took a few seconds to size up Christopher Lee. You never held a grudge against the man for ditching Star Wars as everything ended well with Toshiro Mifune winning an Oscar, but the bizarre memory of him ditching the role always felt like a strange affair. Sure you and George only had American Graffiti to your name, but you weren't that raw and untested, and the rest of Hollywood had seemed eager for a part at the time.
"Christopher. How have you been?" You politely asked, offering a handshake which he returned.
"Rather fine, thank you for asking." Christopher responded, seemingly at a loss of words for a few seconds before he gave you an apologetic look, "I know it's rather rude to say this after so many years, but I'm...sorry for how childish I had acted for Star Wars. You and George had been more than fair in negotiations and I did not give you the respect that you deserved as filmmakers. I was going through some intense personal affairs at the time, and for some reason I mistakenly believed that I was not being rewarded with the full value of the project, and it would lead to a troubled production. So I quit in the belief that it was just another science-fiction project, and in doing so perhaps made the biggest mistake of my life." Christopher confessed, something that perhaps most of the world agreed with.
At the man's sincerity you offered a kindly smile, "It's okay, nothing to apologize for. George and I never held it against you, it just happens sometimes in the business. I actually turned down the chance to appear on Columbo twice." You confessed, with Christopher's eyes bulging at the information.
You really did want to show and give a great performance, but things didn't line up with Lucille and Linda both needing you. The former was regrettable as you had a rough time with the Director for a forgettable supernatural crime show in return for a favor you would never cash in, but the latter was something you would always be proud of, both for the performance and helping Linda.
"Well at least my foolishness lead to Obi-wan being played by a true master of the arts in mister Mifune, an Oscar well deserved." Christopher sincerely complimented.
You had a feeling that for decades from now there would be a grand debate on if Lee or Mifune was more deserving, but you personally felt everything alright and Obi-wan was played by the Samurai he was meant to.
"I'll be sure to to tell him that next time I talk with him. If you don't mind my asking though, why did you chose to be in Halloween?" You asked.
When you saw Christopher in the Halloween trailer you were shocked beyond belief. Halloween had a budget of one million so there was no way that Christopher got an equal pay check to his Star Wars offer unless Disney was extremely generous with box office receipts. What made Halloween more worthy than Star Wars?
At that Christopher gave a sly smile, "Well, at first I was also against being casted, but I had a strong gut feeling that if I refused, I would have made a mistake as great as Star Wars. It turned out that I would have been right. So at least if anything, missing out on Obi-wan pushed me to work in this gem.
After a couple more words of pleasantries, you left to join Carrie and Todd, all the while a sense of foreboding and dread filling you. A mistake as great as turning down Star Wars, was Halloween that good?
As it turns out yes, yes it was.
Star Wars was still the undisputed greatest movie, but Halloween in return was the greatest Horror movie and perhaps a contender for top 10 films in history. It was so good and scary that it made Dawn of the Dead look like a 50's schlocky horror movie, and that had been a film that had been dubbed last year as the scariest movie ever and the perfect zombie film!
When you were in the midst of Batman's production and starting pre-production for Empire Strikes Back, it was good to receive a reminder from Halloween how even the most simple of premises can stand as equal in storytelling potential. Halloween was about a slasher named Michael Myers, who as a young boy killed his older sister in a deranged murder on Halloween night. 15 years later, Michael escapes from his sanitarium on the eve of being sent to prison to return home, and in the process finds a new target to focus his evil on in Laurie Stroad and her friends. Now Laurie must survive the night against a slasher who presents himself as the Boogeyman come to life with only Michael's Doctor, one Samuel Loomis truly aware of his darkness and rushing to stop Michael before it's too late.
What made Halloween truly iconic was its cinematography, with the camera in a way being its own protagonist and the star of the show. John Carpenter had amazing talent and skill with the camera that rivaled George, and admittedly in some sections even surpassed him. The greatest example is the brilliant opening one-shot of Michael stalking his sister and then killing him through a vicious rage, with the audience being shocked that the killer is no man but a mere boy. It was a sequence that would likely go down in cinematic history for its artistry and iconic dread through the first person perspective. Absolutely perfect technique, and you really wished that the film had came out a year before so you could copy some of Carpenter's style for Batman.
The cinematography continued to be a domineering factor to Halloween's brilliance through the intense stocking shots and the wide tracking views of Michael and the cast that created a deep sense of paranoia and suspicion for the audience, causing them to always be uneasy and fearful of what was to come, never letting their guard down. There wasn't any cheap tricks to get a fright out of the viewer, it was all natural atmosphere and scenic composition with an imposing figure in Michael Myers who inspired deep horror similar to the Mansons even though most of the movie til the final third act was quiet. Most impressive were Michael's first person shots, getting some really chilling footage of Michael out on the hunt, all the while enhanced by an intense techno-theme that would just never quit.
It was a good thing the camerawork was godly as the rest of the technical and production aspects were rather standard for a horror film, but that's where the script and characters came in to truly elevate Halloween to a masterpiece. The beauty of Halloween was that Michael Myers wasn't some over the top and comically evil villain, rather he was a silent stalker and a sheer force of nature that was more of a demon in man's flesh than any true man. It really enhanced Michael into a similar tier of evil as Darth Vader. But whereas Vader was the grandest of fantasy villains as the dark lord of the Sith, Michael was simply a force who was just there, something akin to a tornado or flood that our heroes couldn't avoid and just had to do their best to survive against the odds, which made the conflict all the more tragic that such a beast was beset on a collection of teens who in spite of their flaws were just normal people trying to enjoy a normal Halloween night.
Every member of the small cast gave excellent performances that helped to seal the film's greatness. Michael was played by complete acting novice Nick Castle, delivering a stellar performance in pantomime and blocking equal to David Prowse as Vader, and perhaps better in that Castle wasn't aided by the iconic voice of James Earl Jones yet he gave the same imposing and terrifying performance, elevating Michael to a behemoth akin to a silent Frankenstein that was so scary that even you had fears of taking him on. Christopher Lee showed how he could have been a worthy Obi-wan through a great performance as Doctor Loomis, really selling to the audience the threat of Michael through his fear and severity and then fighting against fate and time to save the town before it was too late and Michael was loose.
Interestingly, the rest of the cast played roles that could be described as very vanilla and mundane. There wasn't the grandness of a Lucasfilms Sci-Fi fantasy work or the iconic larger than life personalities one could see in Rocky or American Graffiti. Everyone was just normal suburban teens and children whose characters were people you could have known in real life. Everyone for the most part played to this part, and yet the normalness and relatability of the cast perhaps elevated their standing and made them so critical to the story. They were just normal people caught up in the insane nightmare of Michael Myers, and their natural chemistry with each others and reaction to the horror of the masked boogeyman drove home the terror to the viewers.
Fortunately, Jamie had a rather great performance even if she was limited by the script to be a flat character until her confrontation with Michael. Laurie Strode was a bookish wallflower of an everywoman who had to rise to the occasion to defend herself and her young charges after coming under paranoia from Michael's stalking. She was someone who any young woman could have been, and in spite of the circumstances she rose to the occasion and fought back as bravely as she could, in the process creating someone as inspiring as Princess Leia even though Laurie wasn't an adventuring rebel space princess. Jamie showed continuous talent in her performance that rivaled Carrie and had a hell of a scream. Hopefully you could find a great role for her in a Lucasfilms project soon.
Overall Halloween was a brilliant slasher film that took the best elements of its predecessors and created a terrifying masterpiece that was so simple and perfect. Sure Disney would have a great success on its hands, but if Halloween helped to advance horror to a new level then you would welcome the competition. And maybe you would use it as inspiration for the next wave of Lucasfilms horror projects.
Also you were happy that everything was wrapped up nicely and Loomis got to exact justice on Michael and Laurie and the kids were safe. Mike Myers was surely a terrifying figure, but not even a hulk of a man like him can.....
-wait where's the body...WHERE'S THE BODY?!
You and much of the audience who were in the midst of sitting up and ready to leave stood in absolute horror as the camera panned back to where Michael landed off of the window, only to see absolutely no sign of a corpse or even blood with Michael completely disappearing. The movie was supposed to end, Laurie and Loomis won, what was going on?!
Thus everyone in the theater sat back in total shock and horror as the theme song started playing, cutting to many of the familiar settings as Michael starts breathing again and his raspy breath gets louder and louder with the film's final shot settling on his old home.
"HE'S STILL ALIVE?!" You jumped shouted in total horror and alarm just as the credits started rolling. How the hell was that possible? Michael was stabbed in the artery in the neck, stabbed multiple times with a knife, and was shot and thrown off a balcony. How was this man still alive? What the hell kind of freak of Satan was he?
It was then that you awkwardly realized that you had outright shouted in the middle of a theater with all eyes looking towards you. Feeling heavily embarrassed, you sinked deeply into your chair as the audience, composing of some of Hollywood's most famous celebrities, shared a great laugh at how the mighty Goose was given a great fright and had such an emotional reaction, though you had only expressed what everyone was probably thinking.
You waited in quiet bashfulness and didn't move until the theater was almost empty, with Carrie giving you loving comfort and assuring you that you didn't make a fool of yourself and it was nothing. Oh well, at least Jamie had a good time and seemed to be starting a very lucrative film career, with her coming over and giving you and the rest of the family thanks for support.
On the way out you briefly met John Carpenter who thanked you for such a roaring endorsement and was happy that his film was as powerful as he had hoped it to be. Thankfully for the next few months the moment would remain a secret of Hollywood as talking of your reaction would spoil the ending, but after New Year's the tale of how John Carpenter had spooked the Goose spread across the world and would for many years be one of Halloween's most entertaining trivia details.
It was obvious that Halloween was going to be a massive success, yet the performance had exceeded all of your wildest expectations and then some. Halloween was a smash Blockbuster hit equal in popularity and audience love as a Lucasfilms blockbuster. Everyone who went to see it had a great time with lots of fun thrills and scares, and as word spread in the week after the premiere, Halloween day saw practically half of America go down to the movie theaters in costumes to see Halloween with pretty much every theater showing the horror film on nonstop. The reaction was just as strong overseas with people from all over the world sharing the same fear of Michael Myers. What was most disturbing was how it dominated the Japanese Box Office in large thanks to Disney negotiating a distribution deal with Toho behind your back. Some friends huh?
Critics were in high praise, dubbing Halloween as the greatest horror film of all time, far surpassing the likes of Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Dead films, doing for the genre what Star Wars did for space. John Carpenter was highly praised as a breakout director which many saw as a worthy peer of the Lucasfilms Directors. Christopher Lee's performance was deemed a return to form and people were praising Jaime as the next Carrie with your wife certainly not minding to pass the torch to her friend.
Lastly is the most important part of Halloween, the impact to Disney, and oh boy was the company certainly going to rise to new heights after this. Gone were the days were Disney was treated as a dying kids company only good for theme park fun. Now Disney was treated as a legitimate peer to Lucasfilms and Universal and 1978 was agreed to be a stellar comeback year with the company making a billion dollars in War of the Worlds, Black Hole and Halloween. All three were very mature and terrifying thrillers that dealt with apocalyptic war, space disasters and a serial killer. It was a total departure from the family friend brand of princesses and talking animals and the public loved it and congratulated Disney for keeping up with the times and evolving as a company.
Okay, what the hell kind of bullshit is this? Any time Lucasfilms pushes the envelope and makes very mature stories that tread new ground you get hounded and harassed by the Moralists as satanists but when Disney does it they are praised as geniuses and visionary artists? What kind of bullshit double standard is this? Why did you get punished and the House of Mouse didn't?
Regardless, it's clear that Disney is no longer just a family friendly company and they're now open to making any and all types of films. While Disney was not magically Lucasfilms level quality as most of their live action films were mediocre to decent, they had the capacity to make Blockbusters that deviated from the usual Disney formula, and that idea of an unpredictable Disney who wasn't afraid to take risks and tell mature stories was something that scared Hollywood to its core.
So where did that leave the company for the future? Well in spite of Black Hole's underwhelming box office returns and being basically forgotten by the public a few week's after its release, it was undeniable that the bold gambit of Roy Disney had succeeded and the man was praised as the second coming of his Uncle.
In a way it was becoming literal as around Christmastime, Roy would become the host of the Wonderful World of Disney with the anthology show heavily resembling the format of Walt's run but with a mix of late night style presentation in a PG format. Roy didn't have the confidence and showmanship of Walt, but what he did have was a humble and honest sincerity that came across as genuine and relatable with his soft-spoken demeanor and similar appearance to Walt making the public view him as a mix of Mr. Rogers with Walt Disney. The show was a ratings success and you personally saw how engaging it was when one day you caught Mary engaging in high treason as she watched Roy with high fascination and joy as she sat on Carrie's lap who gave you a sheepish and apologetic look.
From what Mike's spies have said, Roy's hold on the company as CEO has been confirmed and a permanent power arrangement has been set for the near future. Within the Disney board room, the Disney-Miller alliance reigned supreme with Roy as CEO and Ron as President. Roy would primarily handle public relations and animation where Chuck Jones had a relatively free hand while Ron was dedicated to revamping Disney's live action and making sure every film was up to the same quality as Halloween. Donn Tatum served as head of park management and expansion and Card Walker remained as Chairman as lead of the conservatives to keep the Disney's in check and focus on finance.
A lot of Disney fans were fearful that the House of Mouse had gone full adult, but Roy made a public promise that they were still the home of Mickey and friends and they weren't going to throw out the magic anytime soon. It's just that instead of being a purely children's company, they were going to be a family company, marketed towards all ages and members of the family from young to old so that everyone can find their own Disney magic, which just so happens to include more mature films like Black Hole and Halloween.
In regards to Disney animation, up until Gundam they were mainly focused on the Looney Tunes and a fun adaptation called The Fox and the Hound. But after Gundam, Chuck got a practical blank check to try and keep the studio's leadership over Dreamworks and anything and everything was being brainstormed within the company thanks to War of the Worlds precedent. As for live action, you had no idea what the hell was going on there but what was guaranteed was that John Carpenter had two more films and the board was eager for a Halloween 2 given the open ended nature of Halloween's ending with Michael still being alive.
1976 may have been the year of Lucasfilms but 1978 was going to be the year of Disney. It was now clear to you more than ever that Old Hollywood was dead and everyone had adapted to the Strike and death of Warner Bros and was now more than ready to fight Lucasfilms head on as a worthy foe. It made you heavily grateful that you, Mike and Tomino had forged new friendships and strategic partnerships with Disney, Columbia and Paramount as otherwise you might have been ganged up upon like Napoleon in the Coalition Wars. Still, at the same time part of you welcomes the challenge and is eager to show the world that Lucasfilms is still the King of Movies. Just like the fire in your belly with boxing, you were going to kick ass and make damn good movies.
As much as their contract stated for five years, Mike Kinda...
well didn't break numerous laws, otherwise, he would have been deported, but he did do things that are frowned upon in Japan, especially preventing Toho from doing what they wanted in Aquireing Sunrise. Which they viewed as a breach of contract.
I don't care about the Japenees legal courts. Our deal was with distrubution in the US ,thus making it an issue with an american juristiction. So if Disney or someone tries to distribute a Toho movie in the US we can file an injuction and sue in an American court.
I don't care about the Japenees legal courts. Our deal was with distrubution in the US ,thus making it an issue with an american juristiction. So if Disney or someone tries to distribute a Toho movie in the US we can file an injuction and sue in an American court.
Peter Falk: Calm down Romania, more Columbo episodes will be coming home soon, please don't start a war and topple your government. Brian de Palma: FUCK COMMUNISM! Romania belongs to the Romanians! Remember Vlad! Drive those sons of bitches out of the country and impale their corpses!
Peter Falk: Calm down Romania, more Columbo episodes will be coming home soon, please don't start a war and topple your government. Brian de Palma: FUCK COMMUNISM! Romania belongs to the Romanians! Remember Vlad! Drive those sons of bitches out of the country and impale their corpses!
Now we really have the communist attention since now our movies CAN stop revolutions by Causing revolutions that can end Communism that was made By a Revolution
Most likely not, IF we're succesfull we can deny them acces to the lucretive american market ,so the best we can do is limit future profit untill our contract expires because good luck collecting fines and dues fom a foreign company on the other side of the world. And to do that we need to sue in Japan but good luck finding a court that will rule in favour of a foreign corperation against it's own.
So @Magoose how the world reacting to Romania starting a revolution over a movie to topple their communist leaders must of really cause the Cold War to heat up more
Also, if your wondering why I put that there, its simple.
Someone asked why I was not putting any more culture rolls on other films, and why they did not seem to affect the rest of the world when they clearly should.
If Toho is a wash, maybe now's the time to start distributing Indian movies. Maybe we can make a deal with Yash Raj Films, one of the most famous Bollywood film companies.
It's been so long since I last read Dune: Messiah, that when I re-read it I was actually surprised about how much about it I had forgotten! I mean, I still remembered the general details, and the direction of the plot, but the scenes with Farouk had lost its luster and meaning until I read them again. And Paul...oh Paul, it had been so long that I had forgotten how much you had changed! I mean, I understand that by this time you had been suffering from constant visions showing horrible futures, and you were trying to find a way out of the current situation where you, as Emperor, had to deal with a violent Jihad that had already Sanitized (genocide) over 90 planets, killed over 61 billion people, terrorized the entire Empire, and had a cult that justified it by doing it in your name, not to mention trying to help the Fremen and getting shitted on by going against "tradition", which led to you taking more and more tyrannical decisions while behaving more and more like an asshole...
Not that he's a villain of course, but more of a tragic Anti-Hero who is trying his best, but has clearly been marked by the whole trauma of the destruction of his family, the reasonability's foisted on him, the utter powerlessness he has despite being the Emperor, not to mention the visions of the future showing him no other path but the one he's currently in (unless he wants humanity to be destroyed) despite his best efforts, and trying to keep the Empire together through it all, as well as conspiracies at every turn from even his closest followers, as he does not even know who he can trust to be himself around, making him just wanting to give it all up and live his own life away from it all, yet knowing he can't.
...Jesus, Paul needs a hug.
But overall, the novel was quite good. it was quite a subversion that just works perfectly as a commentary on the dangers of giving all decision-making power to a single charismatic individual rather than just work using your best judgement and making mistakes on your own. The ideas of Messiah's and new religions, and how easily they can turn from revolutions for the common good into zealotry and oppression unless properly controlled...which in the end is more easily said than done. The characters are also fascinating; from Irulan showing both her desires and abilities, as well as how it can all be brought down. To Farouk, a former follower turned traitor who yearns for the old ways in the midst of a changing world. And not to forget Korba, a man so zealous for Muad'Dib and the new religion that he's willing to kill him in order to make him a martyr of said religion, all for the sake of dogma.
And the conversation...my God this book is chock full of both talks, debates, conversation between the characters that explore so much of the universe, philosophy, intrigue, self-discovery...the list goes on and on! They really delve into, reveal and develop sides of every character that make you relate to them, or at the very least understand where they're coming from.
God, I could speak about this novel forever, but I think that it's best we move on to the Pitch. So, I give you:
Movie Pitch: Messiah of Dune GENRE: Drama/Science Fiction SUBGENRE: Thriller/Political
FORMAT: Movie
Set Up: Based on Frank Herbert novel Dune: Messiah published in 1969. The story tells of Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides after his rise to power and his enemies lie dead or overthrown. However, years after, his triumph is undermined due to a string of failures in diplomacy, as well as philosophical paradoxes due to Paul's ever increasing erratic nature, a cruel and callous bent, as well as visions of a catastrophic future due to his actions. Among his followers, there is opposition between the conservatives and the religious who have deified him and launched a violent Jihad in his name through the Universe, killing billions. And finally, a group from the previous power block seeks to bring things back to rights, conspiring to have him killed.
Executive Producer: Bruce O'Brian Director: Martin Scorsese Composer: Maurice Jarre
Paul I Atreides, the Mentat Emperor: Predominantly known as Muad'Dib, he is the first Kwisatz Haderach, the last Duke of House Atreides, the first and founding Emperor of the Atreides Empire, and the supreme religious leader of the Fremen as the accepted Mahdi. Despite his titles and power, Paul is tormented by visions of a future too terrible to contemplate, as well as a present of war and destruction which will become his legacy. And yet, he still has to endure it no matter how much he hates it. Paul can be kind and warm to those he cares, while also cruel and callous to others, yet also feel sorry for them, wondering if there really is no better path.
Played By: Keanu Reeves Alternate: Johnny Depp
Alia Atreides/Alia of the Knife: Paul's sister, also known as Saint Alia of the Knife, and the posthumous daughter of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica, born on the planet Arrakis. Because of her mother drinking The Water of Life when Alia was just a Fetus, she gained all the memories of her mother and beyond, making her very susceptible to Abomination. Though unusually knowledgeable for her age, she's still a teenager, prone to everything that comes with her age. She has shown a disgust for the sycophants, religious zealots and pilgrims, while also feeling attraction to the Ghola of Duncan Idaho.
Played By: Helen Slater Alternate: Winona Ryder
Chani Kynes: She's the Fremen bound concubine of Paul, also known by her intimate name Sihaya (meaning Desert Spring). A previous fighter for the Fremen, though she's since retired from it, Chani puts great values in the Fremen traditions and customs, always advocating for them when in counsel meetings. She serves as Paul's sanctuary, helping him in the moments when he loses himself in his prescience, going so far as to try and suggest he sleeps with Irulan when she feels she can give him no heirs. Eventually she gives birth to Paul's sons; Leto Atreides II the Younger, and Ghanima Atreides, after a harrowing experience, passing away in the end.
Played By: Michelle Pfeiffer Alternate: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Stilgar: One of Paul's former commanders of the Fedaykin, and now Minister of State in his council. Stilgar is a deep believer of Muad'Dib, a man steep deep in the Fremen traditions, who is not afraid to speak against Paul when he believes it's necessary. He aided Paul during his reign as Emperor to create deals with the different organizations, though his hatred for the Spacing Guild never disappeared. At the end, with the many different conspiracies against Paul's reign are defeated, and Paul leaves into the desert, he remains with Alia to aid Paul's children rule...though he goes against orders and kills Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Korba the Panegyrist and Guild Steersman Edric.
Played By: Raul Julia Alternate: Omar Shariff
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam: She's a wise Truthsayer who sees all-too clearly what humanity is capable of. A member of the mysterious Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, and a member of the conspiracy against the reign of Paul Atreides. Presumably, the purpose of the conspiracy was because of the chaos and war in the Empire unleashed by Muad'Dib's Jihad, but in reality it was so that they could once more regain the power they had lost with Paul's full control of the Spice Melange. She also conspires with Princess Irulan so that Chani may not have Paul's heirs, desiring that any of his sons are not contaminated by the genetics of the Fremen.
Played By: Eva Marie Saint Alternate: Faye Dunaway
Space Guild Steersman Edric: He was a Navigator in the Spacing Guild. Due to his relative power within the Guild, and his ability to elude Paul's prescience abilities, he was a principal conspirator in a failed plot to kill him and end the Atreides Empire. However, the group's plot was discovered and revealed to Paul by his Fremen friend and faithful follower Otheym. After Paul was blinded by a stone burner and disappeared into the desert, Edric was killed by Stilgar, along with all the participants of the Conspiracy orchestrated by the Bene Gesserit, the Bene Tleilax, the Spacing Guild, Fremen detractors and Princess Consort Irulan Corrino.
Played By: Michael Jackson Alternate: Robin Williams
Princess Consort Irulan: She was the eldest daughter of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, and Anirul, a Bene Gesserit of Hidden Rank. A proud, intelligent woman. She was also the wife, in title only, of Emperor Paul Atreides, with her jealousy and resentment driving her to secretly drug Chani with dangerous contraceptives so that she would not produce his heirs. This caused Chani to die after giving birth to twins. This, along with Paul's apparent death, led her to dedicate herself to House Atreides and aiding the new heirs and becoming their guardian. Irulan spent her remaining years studying and documenting all the events that came to pass since House Atreides took control of Arrakis.
Played By: Linda Hamilton Alternate: Daryl Hannah
Scytale The Face-Dancer/Lichna: He was a Face Dancer of the Bene Tleilax, who represented them in the plot to destroy the royal family with the gift of Hayt, the ghola of Duncan Idaho. Scytale impersonated Lichna, coming to the emperor as her to arrange his own collection of the secret Tleilaxu Master Bijaz, who was instrumental in reawakening Hayt's memories as Duncan by getting him to attempt and fail to kill Paul, which had been his true plan all along. Scytale threatened Paul's children in order to make a Ghola of Chani and blackmail Paul through her, but was killed by Paul with the help of his newborn son, Leto II the Younger.
Played By: Matthew Broderick/Elizabeth Shue Alternate: Richard Dawson/Daphne Zuniga
Hayt (Duncan Idaho): A Ghola created by the Tleilaxu Masters using the genetic material of Duncan Idaho and given to Emperor Paul in an attempt to have him killed when a sound and/or pronunciation is given. His ability with the blade remains, and part of his memories, but he's been trained as a Mentat and used said abilities in service of Paul, as well as developing a love for Alia Atreides. Paul and Hayt knew the reason for him being given to his service, yet Paul still accepted him due to the connection with Duncan, and to let the conspiracy continue. When the time came to kill Paul, his previous memories reawoke, making him Duncan Idaho once more.
Played By: Bruce O'Brian Alternate: Sylvester Stallone
Master Bijaz: He was a Tleilaxu Master and a prescient dwarf, who was immune to others' prescience. He spoke cryptically in riddles and rhymes. He was bought by Otheym during Muad'Dib's Jihad, who believed that the Bene Tleilax had "thrown him away", and was given to Paul as a means of acquiring the names of the conspirators, with his hidden purpose being to control the ghola of Duncan Idaho. Hayt was ordered to question him, but all of Bijaz's answers were as his usual manner of speaking. He implanted the command to kill the emperor, using the secret whistling language of the Bene Tleilax. He was killed by Duncan Idaho when he tried making a deal with Paul to make him a ghola of Chani.
Played By: Warwick Davis Alternate: Davis Rappaport
High Priest Korba the Panegyrist: He is a Fremen from Sietch Tabr, and he began his rise to power as one of the original Fedaykin who Paul trained in the Weirding Way during the Desert War. After the Battle of Arrakeen, Korba was given the title of Panegyrist, becoming an important member of Paul's Qizarate (His religious organization) and rose to the additional title of High Priest. Korba turned against Paul, becoming embroiled in a conspiracy to martyr the emperor, a conspiracy whose leading instigators also included Princess Irulan Corrino, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Spacing Guild Steersman Edric, and Scytale, a Face Dancer. He was killed by Stilgar after Paul left to wander the desert.
Played By: Antonio Banderas Alternate: Robert Beltram
Otheym: He is a renowned Fremen fighter and a devoted follower of Paul Atreides who reached the rank of Fedaykin Commander during the Jihad. He eventually retired and had a family, among whom was Lichta.
Played By: Edward James Olmos Alternate: Morgan Freeman
Harah: A devoted Servant and friend of Chani. Harah was Jamis' wife who, in Fremen tradition, became Muad'Dib's servant after Jamis' death. She grieved Chani's death, and dedicated herself to serving her children.
Played By: Bonnie Bedelia
Ziarenko Javid: A Fremen from a notorious Water-Stealer Sietch who nonetheless joined the Qizarate and served with passion and distinction. He led the arrest of the Reverend Mother as she hid in a Spacing Guild ship above Arrakis.
Played By: Emilio Estevez
Farouk: Former Fedaykin commander who retired. His son is blind, thus he got Lichta addicted to Semuta to marry his son. He was killed by Scytale before the same took her identity.
Played By: Desmond Llewelyn
Princess Wensicia: She's the daughter of the former Emperor; Shaddam IV Corrino. She was exiled to Selusa Secundus with the rest of her family and husband, as she looks over and waits for the right opportunity to strike back.
Played By: Talisa Soto
A.N.: Well...this one was actually both harder and easier than expected. Harder because re-reading Dune: Messiah makes me aware of so many little things which can make or break the movie, as well as the inner intricacies of the characters which I had not revisited in so long. Easier because, nevertheless, the book is a delight to read, and immersing oneself into the world of Arrakis with the many political/religious factions and analyzing their different make ups (not to mention seeing our previous characters trying to make sense of this brand-new world) is an experience that no one could say no to. Hopefully Frank Herbert likes it when we make it.
It Seems We're Playing With the Big Boys now Turn 63 Results (Octobor-November 1978)
-[X]No (Stupid) Cuts: You are going to the editors and put a goddamn foot down. If only to prevent… a Five Date Fiasco. DC: 30 Rolled:D100 => 92+50=142
It came with many things. There was something that was honestly what you expected.
You had shot one of the best films… in your mind, of the decade. And that was going against Star Wars… But that was you. And most of the company are quite appalled… at the sheer violence that the fight scenes that were shown.
As well as the more… mature and even smart storytelling. They wanted to censor the fights, to avoid the R Rating.
They didn't understand the detective story and wanted to cut it entirely, making it a more adventure story… or worse.
But the biggest thing was cutting a lot of the more suggestive scenes between Gordon and Sarah… which were vital to not only the plot but also the story.
So you did the only thing that was needed. You told them that you wouldn't mind the censorship to the fights, because you were going to shoot them again in darkness, Not only would it add to the Batman…
It would also be a great way to avoid the R Rating. And you got to keep the most important plots of Sarah and Gordon in without any cuts.
And they were happy with that.
Reward: You were able to prevent stupid editing decisions from idiots.
-[X]A Stupid idea that works: You looked at the fight scenes, then looked at numerous… camera positions. "So… I have a question… why not use the roofs to film over head?" DC: ??? Rolled:D100 + 50 => 129
You managed to do it, and now you want to do something incredible for the whole… Star Wars ideas that George has.
Reward: Increase film quality and other stuff.
Everyone is impressed by how you managed it.
Increase director skills at the end of production.
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-[X]Saving Kathleen: The Office was quiet when you heard the news. "Wow. you are fucking idiots." DC: ?? Rolled:D100 + 50 => 145
The news was simple. The idiots had decided that Kathleen had outlived her usefulness and that she was going to be removed from the production at the eleventh hour.
So you did the only thing that someone who, while not loyal, you were feeling a tang for the girl who was getting screwed by things out of her control.
And that was wrong.
"Wow. you are fucking idiots," you stated as you walked into the office room, where all the board members were. "If this is how you treat your friends, I shudder at how you treat your enemies?"
Everyone looked at you with surprise and fear. "But considering you are all idiots, that's to be expected. Kathleen Kennedy is no one to you, just some intern who somehow became a producer of two of the most important projects in this company's history. And you are throwing her away because… why?"
They all were silent, but Alan smiled. "Yes. Why indeed?" He then took a breath. "It can't be because of the very large producer profit credit that she has, which has stipulations that if she did wrongdoing… she would be immediately fired. Which she would never do, because nothing has happened to prevent that."
You smiled. "Indeed. And who would have to gain… except those that only see nothing but…money."
"I'm hoping that these rumors are exaggerated?" You asked.
"They are," Alan said. "Though there are a few that may find themselves without a job."
Reward: You accidentally helped Alan facilitate a coup of the idiot board members.
Unknown Effect.
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-[X]The Great Scenes of Robert Redford: You and Robert did not know each other that much, but you were happy that he was taking to this well. He just didn't really like the idea of being the villain… hopefully, you can change his tune. DC: 30 Rolled:D100 + 50 => 150
-[X]The Police are coming: You saw Lou and Stiers and honestly wondered how you could turn them into more… less… dammit what was the word, one note characters. DC: 20 Rolled: D100 + 50 => 62
It was quite strange how you both just hit it off as you both continued talking about Batman not as a story that you were adapting, but as a piece of fiction that deserved excellence from actors and directors… and people alike.
It was like adapting a story that was utterly whole… but needed. A Myth that needed to be transcribed for the annals of history.
And it was something Robert showed brilliantly. Somehow it made everyone better.
And Lou and Stiers were just great fun to be around.
Reward: +30 to SP and Chemistry to everyone. Robert gains an additional +50 to SP and Chemistry.
Lou and Stiers gain an additional +30 to SP and Chemistry.
Hot damn, Magoose Dice is very clearly a Batman fan because it's been extremely generous with high rolls and except for the Faye near failure passes on every action. We're definitely proving ourselves worthy of creating Empire and I think we may be in the process of making a Batman film better than all of OTL ones. Nolan and Reeves or any other Batman filmmakers after us are definitely going to have a high standard to meet. So excited to see how this ends up and how Superman is.
-[X]The Final Preparations: George was ready, and he gave you the script, the story and his notes. "What You've been busy, so I just uh… did some work for you." DC: ??? Rolled:D100 => 39
"We need to delay it by a month," George said. "The Ministry of Culture is… being uncooperative."
Failure: The final bit of location work will be delayed till next month.
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-[X]Tomino's Grand Ideas: Tomino and Ralph both had two differing takes… but both looked fantastic. DC: 30 Rolled:D100 => 18
Well, it looks like that there was… Well, not a huge argument, but one that clearly sent both men into a sense of not only… bitter nontalking mood…
But they both would not meet with you with the other till the other apologized… Oh shit.
Failure: Ralph and Tomino have both decided to meet with you because their pride was damaged.
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-[X]Mike what are you doing?: Mike looked at you with a shrug and a smile. "I couldn't resist." DC:??? Rolled:D100 => 1
"I saved out licensing with Sunrise, and Gundam." He said.
"I'm sensing a but." You stated as George just facepalmed.
He handed over a piece of paper, from Toho. "I'm guessing you can read this."
You looked at it, and paled. "You… You what?!"
"Well I did stop a hostile takeover from Toho… they just… didn't like that."
"Toho tried to take over Sunrise because of Gundam… and in doing so, we lost the Toho rights?!"
"It could have been worse." Mike said calmly.
George sighed. "He doesn't know about the Disney Angle."
"What Disney Angle?!" You asked.
"Disney tried to make a deal, same with Universal for Import rights. We no longer are the only ones with the pie."
"And we lost that control we had?"
"They were looking for more opportunities, and they… took it." Mike was furious. "Well, we at least have Gundam."
"And lost Toho."
Critical Failure: In Mikes's Attempt to save the Gundam and Sunrise connection, he discovered Toho was trying to buy them out. He was able to help Save Sunrise maintain their independence, and their friendship… at a great terrible cost…
The Loss of the exclusivity for the Distribution of Toho's Films.
As well as Universal and Disney building bridges.
(Damn, we almost lost everyone.)
Good on you Mike for salvaging this situation.
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-[X]The Blood Origin: Dracula is out. And time to see just how great a film Brian can do again. DC: 0 Rolled:D100 => 75+20=95
Brian may not have shown it in October… but damn, it didn't need Halloween.
Because it didn't need to be a horror movie…
It was a historical epic… that was also a horror movie.
(Continued in Dracula: Blood Origin)
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-[X]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: ???
--[X] Australia. Mad Max Rolled:D100 + 20 => 66
George Miller was surprised that you came to his film.
But you were going to give it the Lucasfilms Treatment.
Reward: Mad Max will release Next Year, as he is not finished doing the final edits.
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OOF. So painful that in return for a God-tier Batman film that we had to have our Lucasfilms rolls as a dump stat save for distribution. Tomino and Ralph are understandable but sad that two great minds are clashing, hopefully we can mediate this soon and keep the peace. That Toho roll is really sad after everything we've done for them and all the good times, but can be kind of expected since they got a lot of people in the Disney and Universal camp and I'm guessing Japanese conservatives feel they are under threat as tales of Lucasfilms and Dreamworks work culture are probably spreading to Japan and showing Japanese Corporatism is toxic nonsense. Me thinks that this may have played a role in the Ministry of Culture fighting back against location shooting.
Magoose, can we still distribute Toho films until 1980, it's just that there's a chance that Disney and Universal may distribute them first if we fail the roll?
If our relationship is down with Toho then we should move onto Toei. They got some of the greatest works in anime and we can distribute Galaxy Express 999 in both the television and anime series.
-[X]Brandon Needs to Graduate, Part 1: Brandon is not the best student. But by god, you were going to get him to graduate with top marks when you are done with him. Maybe you'll homeschool your kids if this goes well. DC: ??? Rolled:D100 => 78
Brandon was a little… intimidated by you being over him like a proctor. But hey. You were happy that he was happy despite his struggles.
And honestly, that was nice, because it was a struggle for you. "Brandon, you need to remember to carry the two."
"I know." He said.
"Then why didn't you carry the two?"
"Because you are annoying me." He stated.
"I know that it's part of my charm. But again, we need to do it right. You are going to get the top marks that your mother wants. I am going to help. so let's get through math and move along to history.
Reward: Brandon is starting to make progress, but he's yet to get further.
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-[X]There is Training: So Brandon, you have been taught by many of Bruce's Other students, well time to see if you're ready to learn from… you. DC:20/??? Rolled:D100 + 30 => 98 (Autopass)
Brandon however, took the training you had for almost everyone… and Brandon was pure prodigy.
He seemed to be taking the sparring and the exercise so well that it was amazing that he didn't really get involved in competitions.
However, he was going to be wonderful.
Reward: Brandon is slowly becoming his father's son, and is an absolute prodigy at martial arts.
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-[X]A Beautiful Night: Carrie walked forward with a new dress, and you realized what she wanted. "Carrie, as much as we want this, we should wait till after Star Wars." But it seems Carrie wasn't interested in that. "Well I was going to ask you to take me out to dinner, but if you want, I can-" DC: 0 Rolled:D100 + 40 => 133
Carrie was wearing one of her new dresses and it was one that, as always, hung to her figure, and made her look like the most beautiful woman in the world. And it was always brilliant to see.
If only you could see that she was… wanting something. "Like what you see?"
You raised an eyebrow. "I always do." Her face blushed as she looked away.
But you sat up and sighed. "Carrie as much as as you want this, we should wait a little longer-" Then Carrie frowned.
"Wait? Bruce My mom is watching over Mary tonight, we can do whatever we want."
You frowned. "Yes, but I need to prepare for tomorrow and George needs help with something."
Then Carrie just huffed. "I want to go out to dinner, I want to see that new restaurant that just opened."
Then your mind went blank. Then it seemed to reset. "Oh crap, I'm sorry, I just-"
"Oh I know, but you deserve this." She then walked over and kissed you. "And I want to have something nice, and give you a break from cooking."
You smiled. "As you wish my princess."
Reward: You and Carrie go out to have a night in the town. And it was a beautiful time. Though Carrie is teasing you that she came in like a beautiful angel… and immediately thought she was ready for baby making.
She is teasing you horribly.
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-[X]Brandon and Mary: Brandon looks at Mary and holds her. "Aw, she likes you." Rolled:D100 => 32 (autopass)
You looked at Mary and she was smiling at Brandon, as he held her close and she hugged him.
It was a wonderful thing.
Reward: Mary likes Brandon, and feels safe around him.
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-[X]The Lee Family come over to Dinner: Linda and Shannon are coming over. You are going to have to prepare. DC: 40 Rolled:D100 => 46
It wasn't much, but you had prepared something fun for everyone. It was a Tretip, with cheese on top, with asparagus and potatoes.
And it was wonderful.
Everyone loved it.
Reward: You had a wonderful time with Shannon and Linda coming over.
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At least we ended things with everything going right on the homefront. Reminder Magoose that next turn is December and Mary's first Christmas and birthday. Maybe she meets George this turn?
Definitely be down for Toonami as our cartoon channel, although if we buy Hanna-Barbera then I'd like for Cartoon Network to be our primary daytime cartoon channel and in the night time instead of Adult Swim it's just Toonami. Just really want Cartoon Cartoons and CN City to still be a thing.
Honestly would be down to crowning Napoleon VI as Emperor of the French. Dude is a Chad and war hero who fought for the French Foreign Legion and resistance against the Nazis despite being banned from living in France and was a successful businessman. War hero and decent gentleman, though you have to wonder just how shitty the 70's would be for France to demand a Bonpartist restoration. Guess De Gaulle would have gone mad with power only to be replaced by a Radical Left who ruined France with everything democratically possible.
Also, if your wondering why I put that there, its simple.
Someone asked why I was not putting any more culture rolls on other films, and why they did not seem to affect the rest of the world when they clearly should.
Hmmm...Let's think back on cultural impact of Lucasfilms movies:
Rocky: More beloved and integrated as part of the American heritage. Rocky is seen as an all-American hero as an embodiment of perserverance and the everydream. The 80s sees a huge sports and fitness craze, America becomes less obese. The world in general gets more passionate about sports.
Taxi Driver: More mainstream with lots of references in other forms of entertainment.
Carrie: Same as above, maybe early opposition to Religious Right and talks about bullying in school.
Josey Wales: More mainstream, Westerns might make a small resurgence in films and TV.
Toho films: Lone Wolf and Cub enters into American pop culture and is seen as a favorite and staple of the 70s. Otakus and Weaboos are born decades early. American Baby Boomers and Gen X have an extremely high opinion of Japan. Samurai stories both in straight depiction and homage become the new Western. Asian actors, especially Japanese are given more prominence.
Dawn of the Dead: Zombie films see a greater commercial spread in production, seen as jumpstart of modern horror.
Five Dates: Largely spreads popularity of Bruce and Carrie. Seen as one of the hallmarks in romance. Gradual shift in American romance stories to cover slice of life and a more natural approach to romantic storytelling.
THX 1138: Becomes mainstream and heavily referenced. Seen as the first modern dystopian movie. Increase in literary works exploring future totalitarianism.
American Graffiti: Increase globally in adoration and love of 50's culture. 50's Rock artists gain a resurgence in mainstream popularity, have lasting love to modern day like classic rock. Cruising culture sees a resurgence. Racing and NASCAR become more popular. Elvis living longer.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Inspires Star Trek Phase II. Alien and first contact movies see a greater focus on peaceful relations than just simple invasions. Greater optimism about future alien contact. Interest in playing with classic alien tropes. Increased interest and funding in space exploration.
Solomon Kane: Open Christian themes become more prevalent in films and shows, new wave of Christian media either in realistic and modern or fantasy settings is made. Continued rise and empowerment of the Religious Right. New genre of "Christian Fantasy" films either through Tolkein and Lewis like inspiration or direct portrayals like Solomon Kane are made. Solomon Kane becomes a household name. Great interest in Howard books who along with Conan becomes a mainstream and widely respected fantasy author.
Hardcore: Minimal immediate legacy. Might inspire some filmmakers to take critical looks at pornography and prostitution.
A Classical Tale: Mild increased interest in mythology.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam is a worldwide phenomena largely equivalent in cultural impact to OTL's Star Wars. Creates mecha genre as OTL. Many Japanese entertainment companies eager for collaborations with America. More diversity in television characters. Animation gains a jumpstart on being seen as a respectable medium with Gen X growing up with a similar level of love as young millenials and zoomers. Animation starts to become more serious and explore mature topics. Greater insistence on quality animation. Great changes at Disney and Hanna-Barbera. Robots and mecha become a popular topic in American entertainment. Military Science Fiction is popular. Greater use of space colonies in science fiction settings. Greater insistence on serialized cartoons and tv. Increased interest in space and robotics.
If our relationship is down with Toho then we should move onto Toei. They got some of the greatest works in anime and we can distribute Galaxy Express 999 in both the television and anime series.
