America 1987

Chapter 44 Photos

Damn, why did I have to ask that? David thought to himself, somewhat annoyed. He really didn't know the answer to that.

When he was in bed, he was always focused on the area below his neck, the part that his mother wouldn't let him write on, and he didn't even notice the faint scar on the side of his neck.

"Excuse me, I shouldn't have asked that," David quickly changed the subject. "Female celebrities, Cathy, which Hollywood actress do you like the most?" "Jane Harlow," Catherine answered without hesitation. "I like Jane Harlow the most."

Yes, she was a female star during Hollywood's Golden Age, and it's said she had a relationship with Howard Hughes.

She was hailed as Hollywood's first sex symbol and was apparently Marilyn Monroe's idol. However, she eventually passed away at the young age of 26 due to prolonged exposure to chemicals such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide caused by long-term hair dyeing.

Catherine wasn't lying when she said she admired Jane Harlow the most; at a Halloween charity gala in 19, she dressed up as Jane Harlow from the 1933 film "The Dinner Party".

"Why? Do you want to be a sexy idol like her?"

David asked with a puzzled look, because he clearly remembered that in the original timeline, Catherine disliked being called a "pretty face" the most.

"Of course not. Just because I like her doesn't mean I have to feel the same way."

Catherine shook her head. "In fact, I also admire queen-like stars like Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sophia Loren. The legendary actresses of the Golden Age are basically my idols. My room in London is filled with portraits of stars from that era."

There are many different academic interpretations regarding the definition of the "Golden Age of Hollywood".

In a narrow sense, the golden age refers to the period from the rise of sound films in the early 1930s until the end of World War II; in a broader sense, it refers to the period between 1930 and 1960.

This concept gradually took shape in the mid-to-late 20th century, so it wasn't beyond his expectations that Catherine could use the word.

It's understandable that someone born in the 60s would have a nostalgic view of this era, just like how those born in the 80s and 90s in my previous life had a nostalgic view of Hong Kong films.

but……

"See? I wasn't wrong, was I, Cathy?" David smiled and turned to look at Catherine sitting next to him. The TV was playing the interview she had just been interviewed with. "Isn't it easier for you to open up when there's a camera pointed at you?"

Catherine, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, was about to say something when she noticed the other person's meaningful smile and realized the true meaning of his words. She rolled her eyes and said...

"Don't even think about it, David. Sitting on the bed like that for your interview is already my limit. After you finish watching it, you have to give me the videotape and a backup, understand?"

"OK, OK," David said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll do whatever you say."

"It seems there's still a long way to go," David thought to himself. "I really don't know how Teacher Chen managed to do it back then. He's probably still in elementary school now, otherwise he might be able to ask him for advice."

In this era, videotapes were mainly viewed through home video recorders—that is, the videotapes were inserted into the video recorder and connected to a television via AV or RF cables for playback.

Unlike the digital age, it requires a series of physical operations such as manual insertion, rewinding, and removal, giving it a strong mechanical feel.

"By the way, who's this Nicole Kidman?" After watching the videotape, Catherine flipped through the movie credits. "Are there even people like her in Hollywood?"

"She's not from Hollywood."

David pulled out Nicole's photo, which the production company of "Over the Horizon" had included with the script when mailing it to him, so he could judge whether he was satisfied with the casting. "Oh, an Australian actress."

"It's from Australia," Catherine said, taking the photo with some suspicion. "Don't you use Hollywood ones?"

"My script has a rather bold subject matter,"

David had anticipated this question, so he had prepared his answer in advance.

"The topics involved are somewhat sensitive, and most Hollywood agents would never allow their artists to take on such roles."

This statement is true, but not entirely true.

It's true because in the original timeline, when Steven Soderbergh was casting, most Hollywood actresses did decline the role due to issues with the script's subject matter.

In the end, they could only cast Andy McDowell—a relatively unknown actress who had just started out, had only made one film, and wasn't very successful—as the female lead.

It's not entirely true because, unlike Soderbergh, who was relatively unknown and directing his first feature film, David was a top-tier commercial film director who had just finished a box office hit and was very likely to win the 87 box office crown.

If he were to offer Hollywood's top actresses a role in "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" at that time, they would certainly be willing to take the risk.

However, Catherine, who had just finished reading the script, clearly did not notice this.

That explanation makes perfect sense.

But Catherine still pointed to Nicole's photo on the table and asked, "And what about her? Why did you choose this Australian for the role?"

Completely different from the "Hollywood cold white-skinned ceiling" in the public's impression of later generations.

In the photo, Nicole Kidman is tall and slender, with a head of fluffy, messy, reddish-brown curly hair. Her skin is dark red with obvious tan lines, and her baby fat has not yet faded, her cheeks are chubby, and her facial features are well-defined but lack refinement.

Its physique is like a "bamboo pole," lacking curves, and its overall appearance exudes the rugged energy of the Australian countryside, rather than the meticulous craftsmanship of Hollywood, giving people a sense of unpolished immaturity and clumsiness.

The term "beauty" was hardly applicable to Nicole at this time, so Catherine, who had become even more radiant after being pampered by David, didn't take her seriously and was unaware of her threat.

“Mature,” David replied. “Don’t you think she looks very mature?”

"Hmm, she does look a bit mature. If it weren't for her birth date written on the back, I wouldn't believe that she's only two years older than me."

How could she not be mature? She's a woman who could stand next to "Dr. Grant," who was born in 46, and play a married couple without looking out of place, David thought to himself. It seems that skin color can indeed hide one's age to some extent.

Think back to the 03 film "Dogville," where 36-year-old Nicole Kidman played a 20-year-old runaway girl, and there was absolutely no sense of incongruity. One can't help but marvel that "fair skin can not only cover up a hundred flaws, but also a hundred signs of aging."

"That's perfect," David said, leaning back on the sofa. "Anne is a 'kind-looking and well-mannered' housewife, probably around thirty years old. If we cast a twenty-year-old actress to play the role well, wouldn't that make me seem even better at choosing a partner?"