255. ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER 11/22 **#13**
http://www.agcwebpages.com/BLINDITEMS/2019/NOV.html
255. ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER 11/22 **#13**
https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2019/11/four-for-friday-he-stepped-in.html
He Stepped In: Back in the day there was a movie ("Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight"). Based on a long-running TV show ("Tales from the Crypt"), and not the only film based on this TV show although there weren't many after. The director was a B list director (Ernest Dickerson) who worked in a different capacity for an A list director (Spike Lee) beforehand. The star of the movie is a now an A-/B+ actress (Jada Pinkett) better known for the permanent A lister (Will Smith) she is married too then her acting. At that point, she was a barely known up and comer. At one point in the filming of the movie, one of the producers, who included a permanent A+ director and a couple of permanent A/A- directors, and then A+ list producer (Robert Zemeckis/Richard Donner/Joel Silver/Walter Hill), demanded the actress to do a nude scene that was not previously scripted and was not a part of the film just so they could have an excuse to see her naked. The actress refused and the director declined to film the scene, taking the actress's side, but the producers threatened the both of them, and pressured them to include the nude scene, even though it made no sense to the film. The lead actor of the film was actor (Billy Zane) who would eventually become a B-/C+ lister, at best, but was at the time a solid A- lister and rising. He would destroy his career with his next film ("The Phantom"), a leading role in a movie made before its time, but would eke out at least one more major role ("Titanic") with a permanent A+ director (James Cameron) before fading into direct to video obscurity. At the time, however, he had power and when he found out what was happening to the actress, he stepped in. He refused to film any more scenes until the producers left her alone. He even suggested a compromise scene that would suggest what the producers "wanted" without even including nudity. Because he was too important to the film, they couldn't say no, and the actress was spared doing the nude scene.