Chapter 13: The Role of Film Critics

Their attention was firmly captivated by the screen.

And for Kevin, that was already enough. If it could keep the audience engaged and prevent them from leaving, it proved that the movie wasn't a complete failure.

As for the allure of Jigsaw, Kevin knew that once they witnessed the final plot twist, the critics would firmly imprint the character of Jigsaw, this iconic figure in film history, in their minds.

Time flew by quickly during the screening, and everyone was immersed in the struggles of the protagonist, Adam.

The movie quickly came to an end.

The film critics began jotting down their thoughts in their notebooks.

However, Roger Ebert had nothing in his hands. He seemed to survey the room and eventually spotted the director, Kevin, slowly making his way towards him.

"So, you're the genius director, Steve Kevin. I'm Roger Ebert."

"Thank you for your praise. I'm Steve Kevin."

Roger Ebert looked at Kevin with interest and posed his question.

"How did you come up with a character like Jigsaw?"

Kevin had already prepared himself for this kind of question and naturally responded:

"I grew up in an orphanage. During my upbringing, I witnessed many elderly people passing away before my eyes."

"Most of them endured the torment of illness."

"At the same time, I also saw many of my classmates who didn't respect life. They indulged in sex and debauchery."

"Recklessly squandering their lives until illness came knocking, and then they deeply regretted it."

"That's why I created Jigsaw, a serial killer, in the film. But he isn't just killing for the sake of it."

"His purpose is to teach people to cherish their own lives. And in the movie, he also gives the characters like Adam a chance."

"They just didn't seize it."

"..."

Kevin spoke confidently, and Roger Ebert nodded repeatedly.

From the concept of this character, "Saw" has already surpassed the realm of ordinary movies.

It has its own thoughts embedded within it.

While evoking terror, it metaphorically urges people to cherish life. Without a doubt, it is a rare masterpiece.

After gathering enough information from Kevin, Roger Ebert decided that he would write a comprehensive review for "Saw" when he returned.

Such a good work should be seen by more people.

Dean, who was watching them talk so happily, was somewhat surprised. After all, Roger Ebert was known to be quite difficult to impress. The only thing movie studios could do was to spend money to keep him quiet. As for receiving his praise for a film, it had to be a genuine appreciation on his part.

To see this stubborn and money-averse old man chatting so happily with director Kevin was unexpected.

"Haha, Kevin, you truly are a genius," Roger Ebert praised Kevin once again before turning away.

Dean approached Kevin and asked, "Are you Roger Ebert's son?"

Kevin's face darkened. What did he mean by "his son"? Can't people watch their words?

"Don't misunderstand. It's been a long time since I've seen Roger Ebert being so friendly to someone. You saw it too; he's not exactly the most sociable person among film critics," Dean explained.

Kevin nodded. He had heard of Roger Ebert's reputation in his past life, but he only knew him as a famous film critic. However, in this era, film critics held significant influence.

It would be best not to offend these people without a good reason.

After answering his questions, Dean took Kevin to discuss the upcoming premiere with Shay.

As for the film critics and media representatives, they would be taken care of by others. Having received payment from New Line Cinema, they wouldn't dare to speak out of turn. They still maintained their professional ethics.

...

Seeing Kevin and Dean arrive, Shaye quickly waved them over.

On the table in front of them were schedule tickets, which detailed the information of previously released films and those about to be released.

"Terminator 2," "The Silence of the Lambs"...

These were films that had been playing for several months already. Kevin couldn't help but feel fortunate that during this October and even November, which were the off-peak season for the North American box office, there weren't any major competitors. And Halloween was just around the corner.

Based on the regular screening schedule, they could definitely wait until Halloween.

Every year, Halloween was a prime opportunity for horror films to be released.

However, they weren't the only ones taking advantage of Halloween. Other film studios wouldn't miss out either. Choosing Halloween meant they would have to compete fiercely with other films, as there were only so many movie theaters available. If you took more, others would have less. It was a matter of survival.

Was Shaye seeking his opinion?

Kevin guessed.

"The films currently playing aren't much of a threat, but with Halloween approaching, which is the prime time for horror films, the competition will be intense," Shay said directly.

"Kevin, I need you to promote the film at various major universities..."

"No problem," Kevin immediately agreed.

He wouldn't refuse this kind of publicity that would benefit the box office.

After agreeing, the next step naturally involved discussing the details.

They settled on promoting the film on the day before Christmas at the movie theater near Kevin's alma mater, the University of Southern California. Prior to that, they would engage in some pre-promotion activities.

...

The next day, Kevin woke up and bought a newspaper from the hotel's front desk before returning to his room to read the film reviews.

"The genius director's masterpiece, an outstanding film you absolutely cannot miss this Halloween. In this film, you can witness how Jigsaw punishes those who don't cherish life in the name of God..."

Kevin's face lit up as he read the positive review. It was a great start for the film's promotion. He felt a sense of validation for his work and was excited about the potential success of the movie.

"The most worth-watching horror film of the year, I guarantee it in my name. It will be as iconic as 'The Silence of the Lambs' released in February, if not more. You will definitely regret it if you don't watch it."

Kevin smiled faintly. 'The Silence of the Lambs' had an investment budget of around $1 million, much lower than his 'Saw' franchise. However, the marketing and promotion costs were probably similar.

Some people always believed that a good film would definitely have box office success, but Kevin considered it nonsense. Take 'The Shawshank Redemption,' for example. With an investment of $25 million, it barely recovered $16 million and only managed to turn the tide with word-of-mouth in the DVD market, slowly recouping its costs.

Kevin understood that box office success was not solely determined by the quality of the film, but also by various factors such as marketing, timing, and audience preferences.