Boxoffice-September.1989

wc were very much like Nick Coiiklin,
Michael Douglas's character in the mo-
\ic Just like Conklin had to learn from
th(' experience, we had to learn. We had
t(i learn the cultural differences, we had
til learn to bow, we had to leam to take
our time, and we had to leam that [in
Japan], 'Yes' means 'No,' 'No' means
'Maybe,' and 'Maybe' means 'Never.' We
were initially frustrated and angry, just
as Conklin is frustrated and angiy, but
we began to respect them. We learned
that our way was not the only way."
Jaffe even goes so far as to say that
the inflexibility of their hosts almost
helped. "In a way, it is teiTific for a producer,
because you know that you are
just because you're losing light in the
Land of the Rising Sun.
Testing: One, Two, Three
Interviewed separately — Jaffe from
his office in New York, Lansing in their
sumptuous wood-paneled Paramount
headquarters which once belonged to
Howard Hughes — their recounting of
the production of "Black Rain" differs
only on one point: why the movie, after
being highlighted as one of the potential
hits of the summer, was moved to a September
22 release date. Jaffe says simply
that the movie was always dragging a
bit behind schedule, beginning with a
pre-production phase that was shut
down for five months due to the Writers
Guild strike and continuing through the
arduous Japan shoot. Production finally
ended around Eastc^r, and it was deemed
impossible to meet the originally-announced
August 1 1 release date.
Lansing, on the other hand, says that
the decision to move the picture was
based purely on Paramount 's belief that
the summer market was too crowded,
and the decision that "Black Rain" belonged
in the fall along with more serious
works.
"But we would have been fine [if we
had stayed vnth the August release
date]," she says.
Either way, the added month allowed
the team extra time with post-production,
and to focus on what they believe
to be an invaluable filmmaking tool:
audience testing. It is now common
knowledge that the finale of "Fatal
Attraction" was reshot and changed
going to finish on time. Somehow the
director has got to finish all of his work.
If you are booked on a location on Tuesday,
you have got to get everything on
Tuesday, because you are not going to
drastically when test audiences rebelled
at the original ending (in which Glenn
get back in on Wednesday."
In other words, expect no sympathy
Close killed herself and framed Michael
Douglas), and Jaffe also reveals that
market testing helped to shape the
Producers Jatfe and Lansing found themselves i
element as their lead character.
entire feel of "The Accused." Although
some filmmakers have been very vocal
in their opposition to what they see as a
crass commercial intrusion into their
artistic rights, Jaffe and Lansing stand
by audience testing.
"What I liken it to is opening a play
out of town," says Lansing, who points
out that Hollywood has always shaped
its films based on test screenings. "You
try it out and you're shocked to find out
that the second act doesn't work. So
then you realize that you have made a
mistake and you rewrite it, either by
taking something out or putting something
back in.
"I have never understood why anyone
would resist seeing if their message is
being communicated. How dare we be
so arrogant as to ignore what an au-
dience is consistently telling us? If I
have made a movie that is trying to get a
message across and the audience isn't
getting that message, why wouldn't I try
and communicate it better?"
"We are very fortunate to be in business
with Paramount, because they believe
in this process," Jaffe concurs.
"They say, 'If you are learning from
your previews and you have a way to
make the movie better, then do it.' As
opposed to saying, 'Just give us the picture,
we have to make a release date.'"
These Boom Times
Both producers have been in the
industry for a number of years — before
joining forces, Jaffe was the producer of
such hits as "The Bad News Bears" and
"Kramer Vs. Kramer" and Lansing was
president of production for 20th Century
Fox — and both are awed by the
current boxoffice explosion that will no
doubt make 1989 the highest-grossing
year in history. They have seen peak
years in Hollywood before, but both feel
that this boom period is different.
"I think it is unbelievable," Jaffe says.
"I grew up in this industry, and for
many, many, many decades people
were under the impression that there
was a finite number of dollars that could
be generated at the boxoffice. But now,
nothing is tnie anymore. When you
have a picture like 'Batman,' it's rewriting
everybody's thinking. Now you
know that those numbers are out
there."
Lansing credits the success to an
encouraging new sophistication on the
part of both studios and audiences. "I
think that movies have never been better
or more eclectic. I have the best
weekends going to the movies now," she
says. "You can have popcorn movies,
you can have serious movies, and they
are all working.
"When I first started producing there
was a rash of youth-oriented movies. Six
or seven years ago you couldn't get a
movie made unless it was about an 18-
year-old coming of age, because the theory
was that only kids wanted to see
movies," she says, recalling that bleak
post-"Porky's" era. "But then the industry
evolved and it culminated in things
like 'Fatal Attraction,' which was a serious
adult movie, and 'The Accused,'
which was a movie that you wouldn't
have thought would appeal to a general
audience. So now when you go to a studio,
trying to get them to make your
movie, they will never tell you that there
is no audience for your film. You just
can't say that anymore.
"I think that the industry has never
been better," she concludes with that
spark and enthusiasm for which she is
well-known. "I'm proud to be in this
business, and I'm proud that we're making
the movies that we're making."
^
September, 1989 11