明星塌房后,待播作品只能砸手里?苹果也栽了……
#英文外刊#
这两年,明星“塌房”的新闻屡屡霸屏社交媒体。而明星人设崩塌后,随之而来的,就是代言解约、作品下架、待播综艺也要打码处理。最近,苹果公司的一部新片也面临着同样的问题。影片主演威尔·史密斯因今年奥斯卡掌掴主持人而名声大跌,将这部冲奥力作也置于进退两难的境地。这部电影面临着怎样的问题?苹果公司将如何处置这部影片?一起来听今天的讲解。
Apple Shot an Oscar Contender Starring Will Smith. That Was Before the Slap.
苹果公司拍了一部威尔·史密斯主演的“冲奥”影片,当然,是在“掌掴事件”发生之前。
Apple has a Will Smith problem.
苹果公司手里握着威尔·史密斯这个烫手山芋。
Mr. Smith is the star of "Emancipation," a film set during the Civil War era that Apple envisioned as a surefire Oscar contender when it wrapped filming earlier this year. But that was before Mr. Smith slapped the comedian Chris Rock.
史密斯是电影《解放黑奴》的主演。这部电影以美国内战为时代背景,在今年早些时候完成了拍摄。当时,苹果公司把它视为一部“冲奥”力作。但在史密斯掌掴喜剧演员克里斯·洛克(Chris Rock)之后,一切都不一样了。
Now Apple finds itself left with a $120 million unreleased awards-style movie featuring a star no longer welcome at the biggest award show of them all, and a big question: Can the film, even if it succeeds artistically, overcome the baggage that now accompanies Mr. Smith?
现在,苹果公司发现,这部耗资1.2亿美元制作的影片,原本是获奖“潜力股”,但却因为主演被业内最重要的颁奖典礼拒之门外,还没上映就砸在手里了。而且他们还面临着一个巨大的疑问:就算这部电影是一部艺术佳作,但它真能摆脱史密斯身上背负的舆论包袱吗?
There is no easy answer. Audiences could be turned off by Mr. Smith's presence, perhaps taking some gloss off the well-polished Apple brand. Or they could respond positively to the film, prompting an Oscar campaign, which could then upset members of the academy.
这个问题不是轻易就能给出答案的。观众可能会因为史密斯出演而大倒胃口,这也许会损害到苹果公司精心打造的品牌声誉;或者,观众也有可能对影片反响热烈,这就能为该片冲击奥斯卡造势,但又可能会引起学院成员的不满。(译者注:“学院”全称为“美国电影与科学学院”,也就是奥斯卡主办方。)
Stephen Gilula, the former co-chief executive of Fox Searchlight, said in an interview, "Regardless of the quality of the movie, there's a very high risk that the film will not get judged on its pure merit. It puts it into a very untenable context.福克斯探照灯影业(Fox Searchlight) 的前CEO斯蒂芬·吉鲁拉(Stephen Gilula) 在接受采访时表示:“无论这部电影质量如何,它都很可能无法单纯就其本身的价值而得到评价,这就让影片的处境变得极为艰难了。”
Those familiar with Apple's thinking believe that even if it chooses to release "Emancipation" this year, it will not feature the film in its retail outlets like it did for "CODA," which in March became the first movie from a streaming service to win best picture. That achievement, of course, was overshadowed by the controversy involving Mr. Smith.
熟知苹果公司商业思路的人认为,即使苹果选择在今年上映《解放黑奴》,也不会像对电影《健听女孩》一样,在自家零售店大肆推广。今年三月,《健听女孩》成了第一部斩获奥斯卡最佳影片的流媒体平台发行电影。当然,这项难得的成就也被史密斯引发的争议盖过了风头。
生词好句
1.contender
英 [kənˈtendə] 美 [kənˈtendər]
n. 竞争者,角逐者
拓展:
a strong contender for the gold medal 金牌的有力争夺者
2.star
英 [stɑːr] 美 [stɑːr]
v. (电影、戏剧等)由…主演(feature)
3.slap
英 [slæp] 美 [slæp]
n. 打,拍;v. (用手掌)打,拍
拓展:
a slap in the face 一记耳光;(引申)侮辱,打击
It was a real slap in the face for him when she refused to go out to dinner with him.
她拒绝跟他出去吃饭,这让他特别丢面子。
4.Emancipation
《解放黑奴》
拓展:
《解放黑奴》根据真实故事改编而成,讲述了内战期间一个奴隶逃往北方,最终加入了联邦军的故事。
5.envision something as something
想象......是......,预计......会成为......
6.surefire
英 [ˈʃɔːfaɪə] 美 [ˈʃʊrfaɪr]
adj. 必定成功的(certain to succeed)
拓展:
The song is a surefire hit with children.
这首歌肯定能圈粉不少小朋友。
7.wrap filming
完成拍摄,杀青
8.feature
英 [ˈfiːtʃə] 美 [ˈfiːtʃər]
v. 以……为特色,由……主演;n. 特色
9.baggage
英 [ˈbæɡɪdʒ] 美 [ˈbæɡɪdʒ]
n. (美式)行李;(引申)思想包袱,先入之见,固有看法(the beliefs and feelings that you have which influence how you think and behave)
拓展:
luggage n. (英式)行李
He’s carrying a lot of emotional baggage.
他背负了很多感情包袱。
10.turn somebody off
使......厌烦,使......失去兴趣(to make sb feel bored or not interested)
拓展:
The professor’s boring lectures really turned me off.
教授枯燥的讲解让我兴趣全无。
turn somebody on 使......产生兴趣
11.take the gloss off something
使……失去光彩,使……黯然失色
拓展:
gloss n. 光亮,光泽
lip gloss 唇彩,唇蜜
12.prompt
英 [prɒmpt] 美 [prɑːmpt]
v. 促使,导致,引起(to cause something to happen)
拓展:
prompt an outcry 激起强烈抗议
prompt speculation 引发猜测
13.the academy
美国电影与科学学院(the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
拓展:
美国电影与科学学院即奥斯卡金像奖主办方,所以奥斯卡金像奖也叫学院奖(Academy Awards)。
14.merit
英 [ˈmerɪt] 美 [ˈmerɪt]
n. (值得赞扬的)优点,长处
拓展:
a film lacking any artistic merit 一部毫无艺术价值的电影
15.untenable
英 [ʌnˈtenəbl] 美 [ʌnˈtenəbl]
adj. 难以捍卫的,不堪一击的
拓展:
untenable position/context 处境艰难
The scandal put him in an untenable position and he was forced to resign.
这桩丑闻让他处境尴尬,只得被迫辞职。
16.CODA
《健听女孩》(Children of Deaf Adults的缩写)
拓展:
《健听女孩》展现了一个在特殊环境下成长的女孩所遭受的种种困难、选择与和解。影片在第94届奥斯卡金像奖颁奖典礼上三提三中,拿下最佳影片、最佳男配角、最佳改编剧本三项大奖。是第一部拿下奥斯卡最佳影片的流媒体平台电影。
17.streaming service
流媒体平台
拓展:
theatre n. 院线
18.be overshadowed by…
被……抢了风头