Hunting in Hollywood

The three of them sat down on a sofa in the backstage area.

Brian De Palma continued the conversation, "Simon, Bob and I have been discussing this project recently. I understand that you want me to direct this film to make the plot more suspenseful. However, both Bob and I believe that while the theme of 'Indecent Proposal' is against mainstream morals, the core of the story should still be about love. If it's a romance, then it's completely out of my usual genre."

Hearing De Palma's polite refusal, Simon was disappointed but harbored no resentment.

After some thought, Simon found De Palma's analysis reasonable and replied, "If that's the case, I'll look for someone else. Besides, Brian, have you come across any other scripts that interest you lately?"

Brian De Palma revealed a bitter smile and shook his head, "Not at the moment, but I think I should return to the genres I'm familiar with."

In recent years, De Palma had directed two films, a Vietnam War-themed movie and a satirical comedy, both attempts to depart from his usual style, and both had ended in failure.

It was understandable why he would reject 'Indecent Proposal.'

Continuing down this unproductive path was secondary to the potential difficulty of securing good projects in the future.

"I'll keep an eye out for you," Simon assured, then turned to Robert Redford, "Bob, you're not uninterested in 'Indecent Proposal' too, are you?"

Robert Redford nodded, "I could give it a try."

"Then, I'll arrange a formal meeting as soon as possible."

As they spoke, other guests arrived to chat with Simon, and De Palma and Redford graciously excused themselves.

"Hi Cindy, long time no see."

Simon also stood up to greet Cindy Crawford, who was dressed in a low-cut black evening gown.

At his 20th birthday party, Simon had promised the four models who attended that they could cameo as Bruce Wayne's companions in 'Batman: The Beginning,' but due to plot reasons, it didn't pan out. This time, however, he managed to fulfill that promise for Cindy Crawford alone.

Hearing Simon's words, Cindy stepped forward for a hug and half-jokingly complained, "It really has been a long time, Simon. You're not easy to see."

Feeling the gentle embrace and the perfectly balanced scent of her perfume, Simon noticed she seemed to be without a male companion and asked with a smile, "Came alone?"

Cindy released Simon but maintained a closer than usual distance, looking up at him with shimmering eyes, "Yes, so Simon, can you take me back to the hotel later?"

"I'm afraid I have a phobia of hotels; I usually don't go within 50 feet of them."

Cindy's eyes danced playfully, and she boldly suggested, "Then, feel free to take me wherever you like."

Janet had recently started showing pregnancy signs and was suffering from severe morning sickness, hence her absence at the premiere. Simon had no intentions of not returning home that night, so he deftly changed the topic, "I remember you have a boyfriend, that, um, Richard Gere?"

Cindy didn't shy away from the truth, her expression tinged with regret, "We broke up last year."

Simon was somewhat surprised but quickly understood the situation.

Richard Gere, who rose to fame in 1982 with 'An Officer and a Gentleman,' had been on a downward trajectory in the late 1980s.

Originally, Richard Gere had returned to prominence with the 1990 hit 'Pretty Woman,' subsequently marrying Cindy Crawford after several years together, in a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Just as old habits die hard, as seen during the production of 'Die Hard,' where Bruce Willis married Demi Moore, American society, fundamentally conservative, does not favor leading men who are playboys off-screen.

For this reason, stars like Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sylvester Stallone, and even Tom Cruise, regardless of their private lives, would maintain a marriage as a form of 'political correctness' until this requirement gradually faded in the new millennium.

Richard Gere, although a charming gentleman on screen, was notorious off-screen for his relationships with numerous supermodels, much like Leonardo DiCaprio before him, who remained unmarried and favored only the most attractive and tall models well into his forties.

Now, having missed out on 'Pretty Woman' and lacking other successful films in recent years, even resorting to TV movies, the forty-something Richard Gere was thoroughly washed up.

As such, there was no longer a need to maintain any facade of 'political correctness.'

And Cindy Crawford, only 25 and at the height of her beauty and ambition, who had initially risen through her association with Richard Gere, would naturally not tie herself to a fading star any longer.

After flirting

 appropriately and seeing no reciprocation from Simon, Cindy shifted the conversation to her experience cameoing in 'Batman: The Dark Knight' and expressed a hope to try more roles in Hollywood.

Her assistant approached with her close friend Lisa Collins.

Noticing Simon's attention shift, Cindy stepped aside to give room but stayed nearby, politely nodding to Jennifer and the other women; she knew Simon's assistant well. Being mainly based in New York, she was also aware of how the Reubeldorf family, thanks to Simon, had become highly sought after in Manhattan in recent years.

"Simon, it's really hard to get a chance to see you."

Lisa Collins' slightly reproachful first words almost made Cindy laugh.

Simon gently hugged Lisa and responded with a smile, "Well, it seems I am indeed a hard man to meet."

After watching a Madonna concert last year where Simon made a guest appearance, Lisa had been eager to meet Simon in person again.

Unfortunately, she had never found the right opportunity.

No wonder, given that for the past year, besides a honeymoon trip, Simon had been constantly busy, traveling between cities almost every week, leaving little time for personal matters.

After a few more minutes of pleasantries, the staff came to inform them that the premiere was about to start, and everyone began to move into the auditorium.

The opening segment was simple: a speech by the host followed by the start of the movie screening.

Following the logos of the two production companies, the film opened with intense police sirens, transitioning to a high-speed highway scene.

The opening was a thrilling car chase.

Hollywood car chases have a long history, with most action films featuring at least one or two. However, in recent years, the most memorable had undoubtedly been the car chase during the climax of 'Batman: The Beginning.'

Thus, 'Batman: The Dark Knight' started by immediately evoking memories of the exhilarating and stunning chase from the first film among viewers who had seen it a year and a half earlier on the big screen.

Despite being just the opening, the brief car chase did not disappoint.

Facing reckless heavy firepower from car criminals, the Gotham police were severely suppressed and suffered heavy losses.

As all eyes were on the scene, the Batplane appeared, using its cannons to destroy several thug vehicles. Batman then deployed the same tactic Catwoman used in the first installment, riding the Batcycle that descended from the automatically flying Batplane, heading towards a heavily guarded armored truck.

This opening sequence was meticulously designed to ignite passion for the film from the start.

The choice of a car chase and the detail of Batman descending from the sky on his Batcycle were carefully considered to resonate with viewers who remembered the stunning scenes from the first installment.

Following this, an intense confrontation ensued, with Batman eliminating all the thug vehicles. The Batcycle turned sharply, heading back towards the heavy truck it had just passed.

The audience's hearts were racing.

Seeing the bloodthirsty and crazed look in the truck driver's eyes, they wondered what Batman was planning. Could he possibly be thinking of a suicide mission with the truck and then, 'The End'? Of course not.

As the two vastly different-sized vehicles made contact, the Batcycle suddenly dipped down, passing under the truck while cables shot from the cycle embedded themselves in the truck's front.

What was this maneuver for?

Using a few hundred-pound Batcycle to stop a several-ton heavy truck seemed unrealistic.

If there were audience members with experiences like Simon's, they might immediately recall a scene from Nolan's version of 'Batman: The Dark Knight.'

However, this version's sequence was even more spectacular.

Instead of winding around a roadside lamppost as in the original, the Batcycle quickly came to a halt.

The cable connecting the truck and the Batcycle continued to extend. Batman pressed a button on the Batcycle and then launched a grappling hook towards a roadside billboard.

In the middle of the road, the Batcycle transformed, its huge wheels tilting down like two giant screws embedding into the ground, while eight grappling hooks shot out from the cycle, anchoring to the roadside fences and lampposts like a web.

With a heart-stopping tensioning sound, the unstoppable behemoth of a truck suddenly came to a halt.

Then, under immense force, the huge body of the truck flipped 180 degrees.

Boom—

"Wow…"

"That's so cool!"

Applause and various exclamations filled the hall immediately.

Filmmakers sitting near Simon, once again amazed that a movie could be shot this way, realized that this was all about money.

Most filmmakers, even if they could conceive of such scenes, simply couldn't afford to shoot them.

After the opening sequence and credits, the film officially began.

'The Dark Knight's' opening was still relevant to the main plot, not merely a flashy showcase like the James Bond films.

The film quickly revealed the cause of the opening sequence.

Both Gotham City police and Batman were investigating a weapons smuggling kingpin known

 as the Penguin. As Gotham media reported on Batman's heroic deeds, another rising star in Gotham's political scene began to gain attention—Harvey Dent, a district attorney vocally committed to incarcerating all criminals in Gotham.

As media coverage increased, Batman and Harvey Dent were gradually dubbed 'The Dark Knight' and 'The Light Knight' respectively.

Meanwhile, as the heir to the Wayne family, Bruce Wayne also had to face some minor life disturbances.

Unable to connect with Bruce Wayne in the previous film, Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, left the Wayne family butler, Alfred, continually arranging various matchmaking events for Wayne. This subplot continued from the first installment, thus providing most of the comedic relief.

Cindy Crawford cameoed as one of Bruce Wayne's blind dates.

In the film, of course, she didn't appear as a supermodel but as a career-focused woman pressed by her family into dating. She was straightforward and greatly admired Batman, dismissing Bruce Wayne as a frivolous playboy who had merely inherited his family's fortune.

After a minor act of valor in front of Wayne, sensing Wayne's 'retreat' during the incident, she held him in even lower regard.

After a pretentious exchange, Cindy's character quickly dumped Wayne.

Of course, following a well-rounded plot, the situation would inevitably turn around. During a major battle, Batman unexpectedly saved Cindy's character, who began to suspect Batman's identity, sensing something familiar, though she never fully realized it.

Back to the main story.

Batman and Harvey Dent, through several tacit collaborations, inflicted heavy losses on the Penguin.

During a court session, a crazed Penguin ordered his men to throw acid at Harvey Dent in the courtroom, disfiguring half of his face.

As a fundamentally strong-willed person, faced with rejection and pity from those around him after the incident, Harvey Dent gradually turned to extremism.

In a bid to avenge the Penguin's atrocities, Batman violently destroyed the Penguin's lair, sending a horde of thugs to the hospital.

An extreme Harvey Dent placed a bomb in the hospital where the Penguin's men were gathered, and in an explosion that destroyed the entire building, he announced the birth of 'Two-Face.'

Yes.

This sequence again took inspiration from Nolan's 'The Dark Knight,' where the Joker blew up a hospital, but this time the antagonist was Two-Face.

The Penguin was still at large.

Batman had to contend with two major villains.

Realizing Batman's obstruction to his 'justice,' Harvey Dent allied with the Penguin, secretly planning to eliminate both the Penguin and Batman, as he stubbornly believed he was the true embodiment of justice and that neither the Penguin nor Batman should exist in Gotham.

Coincidentally, the Penguin was attempting to smuggle a dirty bomb capable of destroying a city.

A continuously thwarted Two-Face, driven to further madness, came to believe that all of Gotham, which had abandoned him, should no longer exist.

Thus, Gotham faced an unprecedented threat of destruction.

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