Chapter 166: Louise's Misfortunes

The cinema had only a handful of viewers.

Bruce observed the film playing, absentmindedly grabbing popcorn and crunching it noisily.

Martin picked up his Coke and took a sip.

Onscreen, Alexander led the Greek coalition forces to form a Macedonian troops and engage in battle with the Persian army.

Epic films like this one often hinged on their war scenes.

The criteria for a good movie varied among viewers.

For studios, the primary standard was profitability.

Bruce couldn't stomach the sight of the gory scenes involving glass dogs and remarked, "I need some fresh air; I'm heading out."

Martin wasn't too engrossed in the film either, agreeing, "Let's go."

The two got up and made their way out of the theater.

Martin noticed that some others were leaving as well, more than a quarter of the audience.

It wasn't a good sign for any movie.

Martin couldn't recall the film from his previous life except for Angelina Jolie's presence, and it seemed the movie left no lasting impression on him.

Exiting the theater, they walked toward the parking lot.

Bruce commented, "I watched the King Arthur DVD, and it was much more interesting than this."

Martin contemplated, "Perhaps because King Arthur was critically panned but commercially successful, whereas this one leans more toward the artistic side?"

Bruce shrugged, "Maybe. If I had known it would be this boring, I might not have watched it I find Kin behind more interesting than watching this type of bad movies with you."

Martin inquired, "kim? You mean menthol oil?"

Bruce chuckled, "Kim applied a bit, and he was in agony, almost ended up in the hospital after an extended bath. And now you're suggesting I put it there!"

Martin warned, "Don't mess around; there are LAPD officers around. Be careful about getting frisked." He joked, "Kim using menthol oil became a global sensation."

Bruce responded with a middle finger, "You're quite the pervert!"

They got into the car and headed back to their apartment.

Martin felt a bit concerned and called Louise, "Hey, what are you up to?"

Louise replied softly, "Just spending time with the family. How about you?"

Martin had a lot on his mind, "Just got out of the theater with Bruce."

Louise understood why Martin called, "I heard the movie's response wasn't great, but it's okay."

"I won't bother you then," Martin hung up voluntarily.

In the passenger seat, he deepened his contemplation, focusing on human relationships.

Bruce accelerated the car and asked, "Do you think this movie will flop?"

Martin concisely stated, "When over a quarter of the audience leaves the theater, that usually says something."

"Are you worried about Louise Meyer?" Bruce quipped, "Man, when did you grow a conscience? I thought you left it in Atlanta."

Martin commented, "She's a multi-millionaire; I don't need to worry."

Bruce teased, "Are you up to no good again?"

Martin was enigmatic, "The Hills Have Eyes is heavily invested in this film, and I'm concerned that their bad luck might persist."

Bruce recalled something, "Robert's shipment of coke arrived a few days ago, and I rented a warehouse to store it. Some of it is at the studio; you can grab a can."

He joked, "Expired Coke, with an everlasting aftertaste."

Martin shook his head and remained silent.

In Brentwood, a prestigious affluent neighborhood in Los Angeles, Louise stood by the window, pocketed her phone, and gazed at the distant Los Angeles skyline.

The fate of the movie "Alexander the Great" had been determined long before its release.

The only uncertainty was how severe its failure would be.

Martin had called at this hour to inquire about the situation, and Louise sighed, "I still have some conscience."

Footsteps approached from behind, and a woman in her fifties joined Louise, asking, "Dear, is something troubling you about work?"

Louise turned and smiled, "It's work-related; don't worry, Mom, I can handle it."

Mrs. Meyer nodded gently, not pressing for details, "Just remember, no matter what happens, your father and I will always be your support."

"I know..." Louise linked her arm with her mother's, "Let's have a drink."

Mrs. Meyer playfully cautioned, "You've been drinking more frequently; do I need to take you to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting?"

Louise reassured her, "It's not that serious; I just have a drink now and then to unwind."

Mother and daughter arrived at the home bar, where they opened a bottle of low-alcohol liqueur.

Mrs. Meyer inquired, "Is this project not going well?"

Louise took a slow sip of her drink, "I anticipate losing all the profits we made this year."

In the business world, making both profits and losses was commonplace, and Mrs. Meyer, who had her fair share of ups and downs, advised, "Since graduating from the University of Southern California, your career and life have gone smoothly. Encountering setbacks isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Louise's expression nearly crumbled as she contemplated, "Mom, do you want me to hit rock bottom hard?"

Mrs. Meyer, refraining from touching her wine glass, responded thoughtfully, "I may not grasp the grand scheme of things, but during your failures, you'll discover who truly stands by you, who can weather the storms with you, and who might abandon you when things get tough."

Louise gently set her wine glass down and pondered deeply.

Mrs. Meyer, on the other hand, picked up her wine and took a slow sip.

After the full release of "Alexander the Great" in North America, Martin anxiously monitored the film's reception in the market.

Some films, despite negative reviews, could recover their budgets over time.

But this film's reception was disastrous. It garnered negative reviews from film critics, viewers, and industry media alike. Its IMDb score was a mere 5.6, and Rotten Tomatoes rated it at a dismal 16%.

Naturally, "Alexander the Great" only grossed $13.69 million during its opening weekend in North America.

The film's production budget was a disclosed $155 million.

Its poor performance was even more severe than that of "King Arthur" and "Van Helsing."

It was, without a doubt, the first box office catastrophe of Hollywood in 2004.

The failure of an A-level production often had far-reaching consequences.

---

In Sherman Oaks, within a villa situated on the southern hillside, Louise sat at the lobby bar. She uncorked a bottle of whiskey, poured a glass, and downed it in one go.

Her personal cell phone began to ring at this moment, and it was Martin calling.

Louise inquired, "Is something wrong?"

Martin asked, "What are you up to?"

Louise replied, "We're in a meeting right now, so please don't disturb me."

Martin acknowledged, "You're busy; take your time. Just send me a message."

As Louise placed her phone down, her office phone rang.

She answered, "This is Louise Meyer."

"Hi, Louise, it's Fairman." The person on the other end spoke courteously, "My Zero Degree Foundation had participated in your fundraising efforts, and the funds were invested in Pacific Pictures through batches to partake in Hollywood's film investment platters. The foundation is now facing difficulties and cannot fulfill the second and third-phase investments, let alone the first-phase investment..."

Louise knew exactly what he meant, "Don't worry; I'll fulfill the first-phase investment within the contract period, and the promised interest dividends will be returned to you."

Fairman chuckled softly, "That would be best. I will consider participating in your film investments again when the right opportunity arises."

Louise tossed her phone onto the bar and poured another drink, continuing to drown her sorrows.

Even though she had prepared herself mentally, the film's brutal failure still took her by surprise.

Within minutes, her business phone rang again. It was yet another foundation seeking to withdraw its investment.

Similar to Relativity Entertainment Media, which had been established with Wall Street funds, Louise's Pacific Pictures raised funds from foundations and other investors to invest in Hollywood film platters, with the aim of making a profit.

The key difference was that Louise would invest her own money as well.

The projects portfolio that delivered profits or only required the return of invested capital typically attracted a constant stream of investors.

It was entirely normal for investors to pull out their capital and cancel partnerships after such a disastrous failure.

When people encountered such situations, how could they possibly feel joy?

Louise continued drinking one glass after another, emptying a bottle of 40-proof whiskey in no time.

Her personal cell phone rang again, and it was a call from Kelly Gray.

Louise's face darkened as she answered and played along, "Kelly, are you planning to desert me?"

Kelly let out a light laugh, "You pervert! I'd love to abandon you, but I want to see you fail a few more times."

Louise rewarded her with a sly promise, "Just wait until next time. I'll have Martin not only livestream the opening but also the closing."

Kelly, her voice dripping with anticipation, responded, "Aren't you and that bad boy preparing for a new movie, planning to shoot it in Atlanta? When you come over, I'll prepare a special surprise for you."

Louise replied with eagerness, "I absolutely adore surprises."

With that, both women ended the call without further ado. Louise then stood up, grabbed another bottle of wine, and continued her drinking spree.

The problems could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, she would at least get drunk.

Louise consumed several more glasses of wine. Just as she reached for another, Mary, the housekeeper, suddenly approached and stopped her.

"You've had enough; no more for you," Mary advised, concern etched across her face. "Your body can't handle much more."

Louise, appearing surprisingly sober, responded, "I haven't had too much; this is just a bit. I know my limit, I'm fine."

Mary persisted, "Let me help you upstairs to rest."

"I'm really fine," Louise insisted, waving her off. She leaned in and whispered a few words to Mary.

Mary hurried away to the hall.

Louise refilled her wine and continued to drink.

Mary, using the hall phone, dialed Martin's number.

Martin answered, "Louise?"

Mary identified herself, "I'm Mary, Louise's housekeeper."

Martin found a quiet spot and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Mr. Davis, if you have the time, please come over and try to persuade her," Mary pleaded earnestly. "Louise has been drinking since this morning. More than a dozen companies and foundations have called to terminate their cooperation with Pacific Pictures. Pacific Pictures may not survive the demands for full divestment, and this would be a massive blow to Louise..."

She paused momentarily, her voice trembling, "More calls are coming in. I'm concerned something might happen to her, but I can't convince her."

Mary waited anxiously for a response from the other end.