Chapter 66: Ratings

White Films' positioning was understood by others. The third movie was still a comedy, with a bit more investment, and had some elements of an action movie.

It's quite amusing, really. Beverly Hills Cop was an R-rated film historically, belonging to the action genre.

The film ratings were quite interesting. It wasn't that those under 17 couldn't watch an R-rated film; they just needed parental supervision. If you had a responsible parent, fine, but if not, who knows how to interpret it?

Yet, with White Films, externally it was seen as a comedy. William White was at a loss. According to the Writers Guild's records, it was clearly an action movie. Why did it become a comedy?

Film censorship was strict during this era; even Police Academy almost turned into an R-rated movie.

There were always critics. In this era in America, some people questioned movie ratings, feeling that films with such low taste should definitely be R-rated.

White Films wasn't interested in responding to such criticisms and chose to ignore them.

This was a decision by William White. Such people only get more excited the more they're argued with. They aim to gain attention. Ignoring them is the best response. This rating system wasn't something he set; the critics could complain to whoever they wanted.

Once the rating system was in place, it was executed quite well, much like the jury system. It wasn't decided by an individual.

Even so, future films would be scrutinized more closely. Thankfully, Home Alone had no major issues. If someone dared to label it R-rated, they'd be mocked worldwide.

Beverly Hills Cop was different; relationships between men and women weren't necessary inspection criteria. As long as details weren't explicit, things were fine.

There was more focus on gunfire and violence. Too dark a scene was considered unhealthy, and most criminal behaviors couldn't be portrayed. Negative depictions were not allowed.

As time progressed, these standards relaxed yearly. By today's standards, making Detective Conan into a movie would definitely be R-rated.

William White would never touch such a genre of comics. What if some fool tried to imitate it?

It would be incitement to crime, and could lead to a lawsuit. With the jury system, there's a 60% chance of losing such a case.

It's no joke. There are many crazies; no one knows when they might snap.

In overly developed economic countries, such people exist. Just look at the missing persons in Los Angeles; many bad guys will never be caught.

...

Eddie Murphy's first starring role made him understandably excited. A million-dollar fee was enough to make him happy.

White Films' profit-sharing was quite unique. It was based on salaries, unheard of in Hollywood. Only big shots had profit shares; failures got daily wages and were sent packing once shooting was done.

This profit-sharing applied only to North America. Beyond that, it wasn't the actors' concern. That was the boss's share; otherwise, who would invest in making movies?

William White's actions undoubtedly raised actors' salaries, irking other film companies.

William White wasn't foolish. He was a director and writer too, so he had a share in the profits. The company was the company, and personal affairs were separate.

He certainly wouldn't deliberately inflate his value, as it wasn't necessary. Personal income tax was fierce, and evasion was impossible.

Eddie Murphy loved the role. William White explained it clearly. He needed strong contrast. The stronger the contrast, the more successful the movie.

While filming Police Academy, Eddie was still a bit clueless. By this movie, he fully understood.

He now knew why that movie was a hit. These strong contrasts were what thrilled the audience, giving them a strong sense of involvement.

...

The success of a movie or novel pivots on audience immersion. The stronger it is, the better the response.

This boils down to immersion. 

Beverly Hills Cop was really an action crime investigation film with a cliched plot. It succeeded by throwing a lone wolf among sheep.

The challenge was the lead role. If Stallone played it, he'd turn it into a Los Angeles version of First Blood.

Explosive scenes were one thing, but fabricating wildly was another.

Los Angeles got a bad rep. After shows like 24, many people viewed it as a criminal haven.

In truth, its crime rate was one of the best in the States. Unfortunately, being home to Hollywood, car chases and shootouts dominated public perception of it.

Detroit and Chicago were wilder places. Curiously, Houston had a good crime record.

Frankly, it was a bizarre situation. Houston had the highest gun ownership rates among major cities in the US, yet had good public safety with no rampant gunfire.

Society had more good people than bad. In Houston, all the good folks had guns, so the bad guys had to keep low profiles.

It was documented that a seventy-year-old granny knocked down four crooks with a .38, injuring two.

Houston criminals picked easy targets, unexpectedly unable to handle them. They nearly met their maker; dying like that would've been tragic.

Every time gun control was mentioned, people referenced Texas. Though there's some truth, it's a bit far-fetched.

Texas had historical reasons. They treated guns seriously, seeing them as mere tools. With wolves roaming the outskirts, you'd need a gun to live outside the city.

...

In this reimagined Beverly Hills Cop, unnecessary violence was reduced, and the storyline became more reasonable.

The original timeline never explained why the main character had to come from Detroit to LA. Avenging a friend was a flimsy excuse. Cross-jurisdictional cases were FBI business.

Federal agents did just that. American laws varied by state, so they intervened in cross-region or federal law violations. Murdering and crossing regions obviously required FBI involvement. This plot hole had to be fixed; otherwise, sequels couldn't continue.

*****

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