Chapter 17

"Hi, Duke. It's been a long time since I saw you."

The petite blonde reached out to him, and Duke shook it gently, "Nami, you look so beautiful today."

This is an independent theater near Century City. The trial screening of "Speed ​​of Life" was chosen here, probably because it came earlier. When Duke walked into the lounge prepared for the crew, only Naomi was inside. · Watts alone.

Not only fans and critics will participate in the screening, but there will also be some entertainment media reporters. There will definitely be a media event afterwards. Actors like Naomi Watts who are not the main members of the crew can appear here, believe her The agent must have spent a lot of money.

"Fox is really saving to the extreme."

After saying hello, sitting on two adjacent chairs, Naomi Watts said to Duke, "They even arranged the media and movie fans together."

"It is still unknown whether the film will be profitable,"

This is a normal practice in Hollywood, and Duke is not dissatisfied, "Twentieth Century Fox will definitely be cautious? 　.

"Have you heard, Duke." She suddenly changed into a mysterious tone, and moved closer. "Listen to Nancy...oh, Nancy is my agent. Twentieth Century Fox's internal complaints "Life and Death" is highly rated. It is said that Townsend Rothman, the director of the publishing department, thinks it has the potential to sell."

"I hope so." Duke shrugged slightly.

The two said few words, Uma Thurman, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hober and others walked in one after another. Their relationship with Duke was much estranged. Both parties simply greeted and waited. The preview will begin.

Before long, Robin Grande personally came to inform that Duke and others walked into the screening hall together.

The theater is not big, it only has more than 300 seats. The first few rows are basically entertainment media reporters and film critics. Most of them come from small and medium-sized and local media, such as the three major newspapers, several major weekly magazines, and professional magazines. The reporters and top film critics of the company will not participate in the preview of such unknown films.

To put it simply, the level of media and film critics participating in the screening is often closely related to the investment and popularity of the film. Twentieth Century Fox will not rashly open a large budget and invite the top people in the industry, even if it is invited. , They may not come, and Fox's petty profits for "Life and Death" will not attract them.

The film needs the media and film critics to cheer. Twentieth Century Fox also has a series of related arrangements, but the media public relations work is mainly placed after the trial screening. During the film screening, Fox pays more attention to the feedback of the fans behind.

Twentieth Century Fox invited more than 250 ordinary fans, covering the range of 17 to 45 years old. This is also the potential main consumer group of "Life and Death", and they will directly reflect the market acceptance of the film.

Harry Dunn is an observer of Twentieth Century Fox, scattered among the fans with a dozen other colleagues. They will use their eyes and pens in their hands to record the audience's reactions during the screening.

"Is there anyone here?"

Two young white men, about twenty years old, came over, pointed to the seat on the right of Harry Dunn and asked, "Can you give me a hand?"

Dunn closed his feet and looked up as they walked by. The two men were holding Coke and popcorn. They obviously regarded the screening as a normal entertainment and leisure. After sitting down, no one murmured. Keep talking.

"Jones..." said Allen, who was sitting on the left side and with short brown hair. "Have you heard of this movie? Have you heard of the director or starring?"

"I only know Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman, the director is the same as the movie title, it is the first time I have seen it."

The blond young man said, "I have always been more concerned about the dynamics of Hollywood. I have never seen the work of this director called Duke Rosenberg before."

"Maybe it will be a bad movie." Allen was a little worried. "I regret it now, Jones."

"Hey, this is a free movie that only requires filling out a questionnaire."

The man named Jones deliberately increased his tone on 'free', handed the popcorn over, and said, "Just treat it as passing the time."

Hearing these words, Dunn smiled. Today's ordinary audience is like this. It is really hard to get interested in films that lack big-name celebrities and well-known directors and do not promote bombing.

There are more and more fans in the back row. From the disturbing sounds around, Dunn can hear that there are few fans who are really interested in "Life and Death". If the film still reacts like this after the screening, then "Life and Death" "Speed" is not worth the resources invested by 20th Century Fox at all.

"it has started!"

When the big screen was lit, I don't know who reminded me that the noise around me was quiet a lot, but the sounds of drinking Coke, chewing popcorn, and whispering did not disappear at all, and most of the audience's attention was not on the screen.

"My Coke is iced."

Jones was obviously only interested in eating and drinking. He asked Allen, "Where's yours?"

"I don't have mine, I'll give it to you."

After changing to Jones' big glass of Coke, Allen took a big sip, grabbed a few popcorns and threw them in his mouth, "The popcorn in this theater..."

When he was only half talking, he shut up, his eyes stopped on the big screen...

Jones next to him also made almost the same reaction. As a veteran movie fan with a long experience of watching movies, he was immediately attracted by the exciting and exciting beginning of the subject.

"Boom..."

The sound of explosions in a small area seemed unusually thrilling. The elevator quickly fell down, and the scene frequently switched between the elevator and the frightened faces of passengers. Jones's relaxed heart immediately became tense, and he subconsciously touched his seat, as if I am worried that it will become an elevator.

From this moment on, his heart was completely pulled, and he kept mentioning it in his throat, especially in the deafening explosion, when the hero was lifted by the air wave, he felt his heart was shattered. .

"Oh, God..."

"He won't die?"

A lot of exclamation and worry sounded nearby, because the film entered a short buffer plot, Jones regained his senses a little, "This...this is the beginning of top action movies, right?"

"This director seems to have a good hand..." Allen had forgotten popcorn and Coke a long time ago. "Why do I feel that no matter which scene I am in, I am the most dangerous character in the film?"

"The sense of substitution, this is the sense of substitution."

Compared to his peers, Jones is obviously more researched on film techniques, "I also have the same feeling. The director uses a lot of first-view shots and uses..."

"Hey, the villain is not dead!"

Before he finished speaking, Jones turned to the movie screen again, "Couldn't there be any conspiracy again?"

"To shut up!"

Allen suspected that his companion's voice disturbed him, "It is very rude to influence others to watch movies."

Turning his head very reluctantly, Jones just wanted to stare at Alan, but he heard another earth-shattering explosion. His eyes flashed back to the screen, and he saw a sudden explosion of flames from a driving bus. The inside rushed out, breaking through the layers of steel barriers, and seemed to be sweeping toward the self outside the big screen, and it was unstoppable.

The flames from the explosion almost covered the entire screen, and the roof of the bus was blown into the air, tumbled down, and smashed another car into scrap iron. The broken window glass was like scattered flowers. Splash...

The picture quickly switched back to the actor's perspective. Jones was a little relieved, but the throbbing heart in the chest showed no tendency to slow down, and the blood seemed to boil when it was driving.

Obviously, Jones' body is secreting a lot of adrenaline.

As a professional observer, Dunn did his best to resist the desire to concentrate on watching the film, so that he can drive the audience to a climax from the beginning, and after a proper buffering, he keeps making the audience cheer for the film. I know how long I haven't seen it.

He also wants to be an ordinary audience around him, watching movies and not caring about other things, but he can't. He has to support his family and must complete his work.

The pen in the hand slides quickly on the record book every once in a while to record the true reactions of the audience around you. Among them are those who don't care before the film starts, after the screening, they return to quiet enough to watch attentively, and worry about the characters and plot in the film. and many more.

He witnessed the audience panicking, tangling, boiling, moving and joyful along with the development of the film.

"Jones, I can't help it."

Suddenly, Dunn heard a slightly trembling voice on the right side, and another trembling voice responded, "I can't help it."

The speakers are naturally Alan and Jones, because they drank a lot of Coke at the beginning, they had already felt a clear urge to pee, but they didn't want to miss the film's insatiable plot, and they have been fighting until now.

"Shall we go to the toilet?" They glanced at each other and made a decision, "As fast as possible, fast!"

"Please let...please let..."

After hearing what he said earlier, Dunn quickly retracted his feet, and the two young men with their legs passed quickly, probably because of their awkward posture. Dunn unconsciously followed after the light from his eyes.

The two people entering the aisle, seemingly not wanting to miss any plot of the movie, turned to the bathroom facing the screen!

"This..."

Dunn was a little surprised. He had been in this profession for several years and he had seen this situation for the first time!

Slowly regaining his gaze, Dunn no longer cares about the film being shown on the big screen, and with the help of some dim light, his gaze swept across the surrounding audience very solemnly.

Those viewers forgot to drink Coke, forgot to eat popcorn, and forgot to whisper. They just sat with their heads up, and even their posture remained motionless. They showed their greatest enthusiasm for "Life and Death"!