2006年VOA标准英语-Hollywood Studios Moving Away from Big Money St

By Ernest Leong
Washington, DC
01 September 2006
 
watch Hollywood Movie Stars

There's an old show business saying, "There's no such thing as bad publicity¹."  But some "A" list, or top tier, Hollywood movie stars have been getting a lot of negative press lately, and experts say they are paying the price. 

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"Mission:Impossible 3" -- M.I.3 for short -- had all the earmarks of a summer hit -- an action-packed story, special effects, and of course, a big-name star, Tom Cruise.  
 

Tom Cruise  
  
M.I.3 has grossed $393 million worldwide so far.  But Paramount² Pictures and parent company Viacom recently severed³ their 14-year business relationship with Cruise's production company. They claimed the returns from M.I.3 were disappointing.  Cruise says his company was planning to go on its own anyway.

Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone says Cruise's recent off-screen behavior kept some moviegoers away, costing his company approximately $150 million in additional revenue.  Redstone bluntly described the star's behavior as "creative suicide."

Empire Magazine previews editor Helen O'Harra explains the thinking behind casting big name stars in certain movies. "They [the movie stars] bring a lot of baggage to roles, they have built up a persona, a personality that the public wants to see in films."

Helen O'Harra  
  
An actor's emotional "baggage," when channeled creatively, can sometimes result in a big hit -- such as Johnny Depp's eccentric performance as a pirate captain in the two "Pirates of the Caribbean" films. 

It can also lead to costly⁴ off-screen behavior.  Experts believe Mel Gibson's recent drunk driving arrest and ensuing anti-Semitic tirade⁵ could adversely⁶ affect box office receipts for his new film "Apocalypto." It is due to be released later this year.  Some even say this incident may have destroyed Gibson's film career.

Moviegoers are influenced by publicity about movie stars  
  
Movie attendance and DVD sales have flattened⁷ in the last year.  Entertainment reporter J.D. Cargill says the unpredictability of a movie audience's tastes means studios may shy away from casting "A" list actors. Many big stars frequently demand a fee of millions of dollars and a percentage of the profits from their movies.

"There used to be this formula in Hollywood like, with the right scripts and the right name on the marquee, and the right director and you're going to have a hit no matter what," says Cargill. "But the truth is that's not the case anymore."

O'Harra believes special effects movies, such as "Superman Returns," do not necessarily require a big name actor to be a financial success.

"They [special effects movies] have not been star-driven so much as effects-driven.  They are driven by the fact that you can see these amazing, incredible huge spectacles, rather than whose face is on the poster."

Cruise recently announced a new business deal with a group of investors⁸ to develop new film projects.  His business partner last week suggested that hedge funds were eager to invest up to $100 million in their company.

Encouraging news, but the question remains⁹ -- given the high cost of filmmaking, is that enough to re-establish Cruise's business standing¹⁰ in Hollywood?

1 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

2 paramount   

a.最重要的，最高权力的

参考例句：

• My paramount object is to save the Union and destroy slavery.我的最高目标是拯救美国，摧毁奴隶制度。
• Nitrogen is of paramount importance to life on earth.氮对地球上的生命至关重要。

3 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 tirade   

n.冗长的攻击性演说

参考例句：

• Her tirade provoked a counterblast from her husband.她的长篇大论激起了她丈夫的强烈反对。
• He delivered a long tirade against the government.他发表了反政府的长篇演说。

6 adversely   

ad.有害地

参考例句：

• We commented adversely upon the imbecility of that message of telegraphic style. 我们对着这条电报式的愚蠢的留言发泄了一通不满。
• Widely fluctuating exchange rates may adversely affect international trade. 浮动幅度很大的汇率可能会对国际贸易产生有害的影响。

7 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

8 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。