AOL executives quibbled that AOL, as an industry leader, had successfully avoided the risk of declining advertising costs that its competitors were suffering. In addition, the advantages of the two companies are concentrated, and the subscribers are concentrated, which can fully resist market changes.

Even at the merger celebration party at AOL, there were many people who exchanged news from one person to another, and this kind of scorching behavior made the executives of the new company extremely depressed.

Finally, Jerry Levine, the CEO of the new company, said aggressively, "AOL is outstanding, unlike other online advertising vectors. This sentence ended the merger celebration party.

The undercurrent of merger celebration parties seems to mirror the current situation of Warner in the AOL era, and the bloated giant Goliath seems to be in chaos before the war starts.

"Hehe, it's already started. Sid put down the latest New York Times, and the headline on the front page was the establishment of AOL Time Warner, the new company not only merged into one in terms of corporate system, but also replaced the two old companies on the New York Stock Exchange with the new AOL Time Warner shares.

"Why, you don't seem nervous?" asked Old Man Charles, sitting across from Sid, curiously.

"The bigger Goliath is, the more clumsy it becomes when it's time to kill it. Sid smiled faintly, "And everyone likes to expand, expand their financial resources and expand their power, which is understandable." But in the eyes of doctors, the endless self-expanding cells are called cancer. ”

"Wow, Sid, you're so philosophical, so wise. Old man Charles laughed jokingly.

"You're philosophical, your whole family is philosophical. Sid rolled his eyes and complained.

After laughing, Old Man Charles couldn't help but get serious: "Seriously, you don't have any targeted countermeasures? ”

"So, let's put it that way," Sid explained, spreading his hands, "Time Warner was originally formed by the merger of Hollywood's Warner Bros. Group and Ted Turner's Times News Group in 1990. ”

"In just ten years, although Time Warner has become the largest and most profitable group in Hollywood on the surface, it is no news that there are many mountains within the company. ”

"If they can certainly play a group effect in a smooth situation, then let alone our fire lion, even if it is several other major media groups, they dare not provoke them casually. ”

"But, now they're merging with AOL, an Internet operator in a completely different industry, or rather, being acquired by the other party. Although financially, there is a saying that it is too big to fail. However, this has never been the case for the average industry. ”

"If it's too bloated, it's inefficient, unresponsive, and costly. Besides, we can also start offline from the United States. ”

"AOL?" asked Old Man Charles curiously.

"Not bad, AOL. Sid smiled slyly, "They're the ones who control AOL at the moment, and the brain circuits of Silicon Valley people are different from those Hollywood guys at Time Warner." If we take advantage of this, we might as well be able to make AOL work for us. ”

"Really, fake?" said Old Man Charles looked at Sid in disbelief.

"Well, let's give it a try. Sid shrugged lightly.

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Just when everyone was watching the nascent Hollywood giant AOL Time Warner's every move, this year's Oscar nominations were finally broadcast on television.

Under the announcement of the new dean of the college, under the previous pressure and undercurrents, after Sid angrily scolded the paparazzi, "Juno" still won the nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay, four awards.

This can't help but make the Fire Lion and Endeavour Elite Agency breathe a sigh of relief, and Sid has also been successfully shortlisted for the Oscar for three consecutive years, and Lindsay has also been nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress for the first time, which can't help but make Xiao Nizi happily excited for a while.

Although Sid has been shortlisted for three years in a row, making him the undisputed leader among new directors. But the biggest highlights of this year's Oscars are not on him.

Produced by DreamWorks and directed by Ridley Scott, the epic masterpiece "Gladiator" has been unbeatable at the box office and word-of-mouth since it was released in the second half of last year.

This is also the third spring of Ridley Scott's career in the new millennium, after "Alien" and "Blade Runner" in the 80s, and "Flowers of the End" in the 90s.

And "Gladiator" also won 12 nominations including Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscar nomination ceremony, becoming the film with the most nominations at this Oscar.

In addition to Ridley Scott, before Sid's appearance, the most valued new director in Hollywood, Steven Soderbergh, known as the "Hollywood Golden Boy".

After years of hibernation, this time he was nominated for the Oscars with "Never Compromise" starring Julia Roberts and "Drug Network" starring Michael Douglas.

This is also a rare situation in which Steven Soderbergh alone has two nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. Not to mention, the two films also occupy the nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, respectively.

Oscar's love for this golden boy director seems to be unparalleled and unmatched.

In addition, for example, top actress Julia Roberts, after "Pretty Woman", was finally nominated for an Oscar again after ten years.

And Russell Crowe was nominated for an Oscar for two consecutive years after last year.

Will these rising superstars be able to win the favor of the Academy of Cars and fulfill their Oscar dreams?

At the same time, in addition to these films from Europe and the United States, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" from across the ocean, although it started late, was just released in North America at the end of December last year, but it is menacing.

This American-style Chinese martial arts film, directed by "Hollywood newcomer" Ang Lee, who has been quiet for more than ten years, was nominated for 10 awards including Best Foreign Language Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture.

This posture is even better than "Beautiful Life" a few years ago.

This can be regarded as the first time since the new millennium that Chinese films have stepped on the center of the world stage.

In addition, this year's Oscars are very, very "rare", with the absence of the Weinstein brothers.