Chapter 255: Shut Up

[Chapter 255: Shut Up]

The premiere started promptly at seven o'clock. After interacting with the fans, the official showing of the film, The Others, commenced.

As usual, it began with Virginia's slightly hoarse storytelling voice. As the plot unfolded, the fog gradually lifted. When Virginia's character, Grace, pushed open the door that revealed all the truths, Eric heard a clear gasp from the audience.

The credits slowly came up, and as the lights turned on, the cinema was filled with the sound of sporadic applause, reminiscent of sparks igniting a haystack. Within five seconds, it erupted into a thunderous applause that lasted over a minute.

...

"This was definitely one of the best horror stories I had seen in years. Though the plot was straightforward and lacked the flashy Hollywood effects, the eerie atmosphere lingered in my mind throughout. Eric Williams, after conquering entirely different audiences with Home Alone, Pretty Woman, and Running Out of Time, extended his 'magic touch' into the world of horror films, which was truly astonishing."

"It had a breathtaking conclusion, allowing viewers to escape reality for over an hour, only to be jolted back to stark reality with an unexpected twist that sent chills down our spines."

"It's an incredible film. In an era where we usually relied on excessive blood and nauseating special effects to build horror, The Others undoubtedly stood out as a smart horror film. It didn't use those conventional techniques but still managed to evoke screams."

"It was a supernatural thriller that relied on an unnerving tension throughout the plot, rather than blood and violence. Virginia Madsen's performance was striking. This beautiful actress, who launched her career in David Fincher's Dune, seemed to finally find her place in Hollywood after years of searching. I hope she continues to bring us even better films. Well, I admit it's tough to surpass The Others, but as long as she delivers similarly excellent movies, I believe audiences will be satisfied."

"Thoroughly immersed in tension and a sense of foreboding is almost a cliche in horror films. Yet this movie had neither peculiar masked killers nor abrupt kitchen-cutting violence, nor bloody, brutal confrontations. But it kept viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. No one knew what was happening, but everyone was eager to find out. When that final door swung open, it finally brought clarity to us all who had broken out in a cold sweat."

The day after the premiere, various newspapers such as the New York Post, Newsweek, New York Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the Chicago Tribune published positive reviews of The Others. Many noted that the most frequently used word among critics was 'creepy.'

Audience members, especially horror film enthusiasts, eagerly anticipated the release on November 1st.

...

Simultaneously, Eric's remarks on the red carpet understandably stirred up quite a controversy. Hollywood Online published a piece by George Norse overnight.

"...Perhaps after a few successful films, Eric Williams has become so inflated that he forgets he is merely human, not a deity. To boast in front of numerous fans that The Others was exceptional enough to disregard any release schedule is arrogance that even Steven Spielberg or George Lucas wouldn't dare speak lightly.

Coming from a youth still under twenty, it was an incredibly outlandish statement. Furthermore, while I wasn't present to view the film, sources from the screening revealed that The Others was far from being as excellent as Eric claimed; in fact, it was miles apart from the quality of his previous films.

The sets were crude and simplistic, and the movie kept misleading the audience. The plot crawled along, and after an hour of dragging on, the unexpected conclusion hardly brought any surprise for an audience that was already drowsy.

I would like to see Eric Williams personally come forward to explain how a film that was so painfully drawn out could claim to 'disregard scheduling.'"

While many papers refrained from openly criticizing The Others out of respect for Disney's influence, they still ridiculed Eric's comment about 'disregarding scheduling.' In just two or three days, 'disregarding scheduling' turned into a popular joke.

...

The three major television networks, which had a rocky relationship with Eric due to Friends, seized every opportunity to mock him regarding this topic.

On a daytime talk show on NBC, forty-something host Bonnie Goldwyn did not sit comfortably behind his desk as usual. Instead, he made the audience wait a few seconds before slowly descending into his chair on a wire, comically adorned with a pair of quirky miniature angel wings. When asked about his unusual entrance, he humorously attributed it to his newfound 'gravity-defying' ability, poking fun at Eric's so-called theory of 'disregarding scheduling.'

...

Despite the uproar, and even with Jeffrey's advice for Eric to clarify his statements, Eric turned a deaf ear to it.

On November 1, Wednesday, The Others officially premiered in 1,700 theaters.

With all eyes on it, the next day the box office results came in, showing only $3.1 million for its opening day. Media outlets wasted no time celebrating, pointing out that since Eric Williams had failed to 'disregard weekdays,' claiming to disregard scheduling was nothing short of wishful thinking.

However, following rough estimates, the film brought in $3.9 million on Thursday. Over the weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, The Others netted $6.3 million, $7.1 million, and $6.4 million respectively. By the end of five days of detailed accounting, the total box office reached $27.19 million, silencing all doubters.

A first-week box office of over $27 million was an impressive achievement, even during any competitive release period.

*****

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