America gains both fame and fortune

Chapter 325: Rumors
In a luxurious club in Beverly Hills, the screening of "The Departed" had just ended and everyone went into the spacious entertainment hall. The crew had already prepared exquisite meals and fine wines to make everyone attending the screening feel at home.

Martin shuttled back and forth, trying hard to make his presence felt in front of his peers, critics and well-known journalists, so as to leave as much impression as possible on them.

The Rita Baker team, jointly funded by Louise and Kelly, has dispersed throughout the venue to carry out more professional lobbying.

Not to mention Martin, a newcomer who has only been in the industry for three years, even Scorsese, a big-name director with forty years of experience, is doing something similar.

Public relations, in the eyes of the academy, is a sign of due respect and a determination to compete.

However, the white old men, whose average age is 62, are particularly pretentious, and their excessive public relations efforts can easily lead to them being judged as just competing for awards for their own sake.

It takes a lot of thought to strike the right balance.

The film screening ended with the guests returning with great satisfaction.

As the sponsor of the film-pulling party, Coca-Cola prepared a suitable small gift for everyone.

The crew relaxed, exhaustion written all over their faces.

Martin felt ten times more exhausted than Heidi Klum's two-day bachelorette party.

Scorsese, who was standing next to him, looked hopeless as he thought that he still had more than two months to go.

Among the people present, only Nicholson, holding three little golden men, looked relaxed.

It was like watching a group of monkeys performing a show.

Holding three little golden men in his hands, he is so calm.

Martin glanced at the other two members of the Asshole Trio and invited Scorsese: "Director, there is a special way that can make people completely relax and restore their spirits."

Scorsese said, “Don’t mess with that.”

Leonardo understood what he meant: "The three of us don't touch those things."

Martin said: "We have no sympathy with gambling and drugs!"

Nicholson said: "How could we possibly cheat you?"

Scorsese responded: "Let's go."

Martin took three people, got into an inconspicuous car from the underground parking lot, and headed straight for the nightclub.

The Face Gang has a new member.

As the wheels rolled past, Scorsese's fatigue disappeared and he was instantly refreshed.

"How was it?" Martin asked.

Scorsese gave a thumbs up and praised: "It turns out that you use this healthy way to refresh yourself, and the effect is pretty good!"

"Life is meant to be enjoyed." Nicholson said in high spirits: "Like you, you work so hard, all for your children and ex-wife."

Martin and Leonardo didn't say anything, but they took it as a warning.

But everyone has different ideas. Scorsese enjoys it so much that he is even preparing to create a seventh one through test tubes.

…………

In the City of Angels under the cover of night, there is no telling how many secret activities are going on.

In another strip bar, seven dancers came out of the VIP room. The feet of three of them were wrinkled and white, as if they had been soaked in water for too long.

Quentin pulled out a tissue, wiped his mouth, and said, "It's not easy to accomplish something. Isn't sabotage your specialty?"

The fat on Harvey's face trembled. "You're right. If I want to win an Oscar this awards season, I have to try my best. I'm not sure yet, but destruction is much easier than construction. Besides, Martin Davis' weakness is right here, and it's an objective factor that can't be eliminated."

Peter swallowed his saliva that tasted like feet and said, "It's such a simple thing."

Harvey smiled without saying anything, acting like a big boss.

This confidence is built on many successful battle examples.

During the 98 awards season, Saving Private Ryan was the most popular film. When it came to the crucial moment of voting, the whole city of Los Angeles was full of negative news about the soldier. Many British and American veterans of World War II stood up and attacked the film through the media for its serious misrepresentation of facts. However, the film promoted by Harvey had the last laugh.

A classic case of Shakespeare defeating the Soldier, one that Oscar will never forget.

Of course, the veterans don’t have so much leisure time to automatically jump out and pay attention to the Oscars.

In 03, Chicago competed with The Pianist. The latter's director, Polanski, was full of scandals. Harvey didn't have to put in much effort to make people remember the past.

There was also a less successful attack, which was to attack Nash, the prototype of "A Beautiful Mind", for being anti-Semitic, which could be a death sentence in Hollywood and even the American entertainment industry, but the attack went too far and had mediocre results.

Harvey looked at Brad Pitt and said, "You have someone coming over, when will they be here?"

“Right away,” Pete said.

Harvey waved his hand gently: "Since you want to do it, don't hesitate, just do it boldly." He laughed: "Just do it according to what we agreed. You are enemies, it's no big deal."

Thinking of Jolie and Aniston, and "The Assassination of Jake Lavine", which has been suppressed by Warner Bros. and has not yet determined its release date, Pitt got up and left the private room without hesitation. He waited for a while in the lobby and met Richard, the editor-in-chief of "Empire" magazine.

It was too messy here, so the two went to a nearby bar.

Richard sat in the booth and said bluntly: "Big star, what do you want to talk to me about?" The two sides often cooperated, so Peter didn't waste any words and said directly: "No big deal, just some news."

Richard asked, "About whom?"

Pitt weighed his words carefully and said, "Have you noticed that most of the media in Los Angeles are now singing praises for Martin Davis, saying how great he is, as if the Best Supporting Actor award he had chosen is his."

Richard knew better: "From what I heard, he was just vying for the nomination."

Pitt added: "From the release of House of Wax, Martin has only been in Hollywood for a little over two years. He is a 25-year-old actor, but he has already been paid tens of millions of dollars and is ready to win an Oscar. Tom Cruise was only at this level back then. There are so many veterans who have worked hard for many years and are still lining up. What does he compare to?"

"It's really a good topic." Richard understood that expressing different opinions amidst a lot of praise can easily attract people's attention.

At the same time, the reporter of "American Rumors" received a news clue and immediately rushed to the newspaper office to work overtime overnight.

…………

the next morning.

Martin came back from his morning run and was eating breakfast.

Thomas' call came in: "Look at the American rumors, there are reports about you."

Martin said this, and Bruce went to the mailbox at the door, took out a lot of newspapers, and found the American rumors among them.

The newspaper published a piece of news in a prominent position on the second page.

Martin looked it over carefully.

"According to reliable sources, when the famous movie star Martin Davis was still a rising star in Atlanta, he had conflicts with local gangs and drug dealers. The relationship was extremely complicated and they had many disputes. The details are confusing. According to his old neighbor in Marietta, Martin once shot and injured someone..."

Martin pushed to Bruce: "I know my past very well."

Bruce read it quickly and said, "These people who write are really talented. Everything they wrote is true."

Martin nodded: "The truth without the beginning or the end."

He did have conflicts with gangs and drug dealers, and had shot and injured people, but they were all self-defense.

But reading this report, it's easy to get the impression that he's one of those bastards, and he shot people...

Bruce asked, "Do you want to send a lawyer's letter?"

Martin shook his head: "It's no use."

It's December now, and the news like this that appears at this time is very targeted.

Bruce said, "A competitor?"

"It's possible." Although it was news in the gossip newspaper, Martin still took it seriously. He took out his cell phone and called Thomas: "I'll come to see you."

The two went out and drove to Century City. Martin called Jessica again and asked her to pay attention to the developments on the Internet.

Jessica said: "There is no relevant information on the Internet at the moment."

All the way to Century City, as soon as Thomas entered his office, he handed Martin the latest issue of Empire: "It should be a premeditated and planned action."

Martin took it and the magazine had already turned to the page with the relevant report.

"In the currently released film The Departed, Martin Davis's role has been highly praised, but he still looks immature in front of veteran actors like Nicholson. We can understand this. Since the premiere of House of Wax, when Martin Davis officially appeared on the big screen, he has only been in this industry for two years. He is just a new actor and certainly cannot compare with many veteran actors who have worked hard for many years..."

Bruce was next to Martin and watched it as well.

"It seems that what he said is all true." He savored it carefully, and felt that something was wrong: "There is another meaning between the lines."

Thomas said directly: "This report clearly tells everyone that Martin is a newcomer with very little experience and has only been in the industry for more than two years."

Martin continued: "The average age of the Oscar judges is as high as 62 years old. Most of them have worked hard for many years before they have a certain status. Why was Tom Cruise rejected as a milk smell? It's too easy to become famous, and it's too easy to make a lot of money."

Thomas said: "The senior members of the academy have never liked this type of actor..."

He pointed out a reality: "From the nomination list to the winning of the Oscars for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, it has always been the world of middle-aged and older men."

Martin knew this and said, "Spreading rumors at a critical time... No, these are not rumors at all, but objective realities that are directed at me."

These were also his weak points, and his opponents seized upon them and stabbed him hard.

Bruce asked, "How big of an impact?"

"The rumors in the United States are not so bad, after all, they are gossip media." Thomas said: "The influence of the empire is relatively large."

Martin thought for a moment and said, "Let's move the interview forward."

He then said to Bruce: "Contact Atlanta and Jody. I remember Jody went to work for TMZ."

Thomas reminded: "It's better to find out who is pushing it behind the scenes."

Martin looked at the Empire magazine and remembered that the author of Neverending had worked here for many years.

(End of this chapter)