Chapter 354 - The Pinnacle of Violent Aesthetics (Part Two)

The article referred to the violent scenes in the movie as "the ultimate in blood-soaked beauty, a frenzied celebration of extreme brutality."

"She (Laila Moran) used her miraculous directing techniques to portray the revenge journey of a bride who lost her husband and child at her wedding. The gushing blood and flying flesh throughout the film relentlessly emphasized the deliciousness of this revenge feast."

"The film seamlessly combines Eastern martial arts with Japanese swordsmanship and presents a foreign ambiance that adds an incredible charm to the movie."

The critic from "Entertainer" seemed to praise every single aspect of the film, portraying it as unrivaled in every way.

Laila couldn't help but smile at the excessive praise in the article. She felt like they were portraying her not as a director but as a cinematic deity.

Setting aside her own media reviews, she sifted through the more objective film reviews. She discovered that the evaluations were quite favorable, especially regarding the filmmaking techniques, tone, and lighting.

She graciously accepted their praise, as she believed that making this film had allowed her to master many things she hadn't before. In the language of fantasy novels, she had leveled up. It was as if a heavy stone that had been weighing on her heart had been removed, leaving her with a sense of clarity.

As for reviews from critics like Cooper and other articles that were hostile towards her, she had no interest in reading them. She wasn't a masochist; why read something that criticized her?

While she was reading the newspapers, Demi knocked on the door and entered.

Seeing that Demi's expression was somewhat unfavorable, Laila put down the newspaper and looked at her curiously. "What's the matter?"

Demi hesitated for a moment before saying, "We received the box office results from last night."

Laila raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't the performance good?"

"It's not that it wasn't good..." Demi hesitated. She didn't know how to break the news because she knew her boss disliked failure. But the results they had received...

Laila smiled, already guessing what Demi wanted to say. "Is it that last night's box office for 'The 13th Warrior' was higher than ours?"

"You already knew?" Demi looked surprised. She had just received the information and rushed in, not expecting her boss to be aware already.

Laila shook her head. "I didn't know. But do I need to guess any further when I see your expression? If it were the opposite result, you wouldn't be making this face."

Demi awkwardly lowered her head. "You guessed correctly. The box office for our premiere from 8 PM to 12 AM last night was 4.87 million, while 'The 13th Warrior' made 7.35 million." Although it was only a few hours of box office performance, the film's first day typically set the tone for its future results. Given the current situation, it wasn't exactly a promising start.

Laila nodded. "It's okay; it's just the first day."

She wasn't surprised at all by this outcome. Her film was primarily an action film with a female lead, a genre that didn't have the same draw as the action film on the other side, which had a significant budget and a star-studded cast.

On her side, the female lead was relatively unknown, having only played minor and inconspicuous roles, and the most famous actor, Roy, only had a brief role as a character who got killed in the film. Apart from her being the director, there wasn't much else to attract the audience's attention.

But on Faiza's side, it was different. They had a top-tier lineup of actors, a solid script, and a director with a proven track record. Moreover, their storyline was more mainstream. If she were in their shoes, she might also be more interested in their film.

However, a film wasn't something that could be dismissed with a single blow. She recalled when she directed "Blair Witch," which initially didn't perform well at the box office, but with word of mouth and positive reviews, it eventually became a box office hit.

Laila believed that if the film was good enough, the audience would be willing to try different styles of movies.

She didn't take it too seriously, but on Faiza's side, they were celebrating with champagne.

"I knew it! We will win!" Faiza, in high spirits, even deigned to pour a glass of champagne for Faaris.

"Well done! Faaris, continue to increase the promotional budget. I want the whole world to know that this film is in theaters, and I want everyone who wants to go to the movies to choose our film without hesitation!"

Faaris didn't touch the champagne; instead, he spoke expressionlessly, "The promotional plan has already been in progress. But I think you might be celebrating a bit too early. Many film critics in today's newspapers praised their film, and I believe that with the release of those reviews, many people will be willing to give it a try."

"So what? It's just a movie made with a few tens of millions. Even if it's good, how good can it be?" Faiza did not doubt that their investment, which was several times larger than the other side's, would lead to success. "After their fans' box office contributions run out, there won't be much to support them! A female-led action film? Haha, it's simply laughable!"

Faaris agreed with this perspective. In his view, women should be more gentle and adorable. Someone like Miss Laila was already quite unusual. He couldn't even imagine how a woman who swung fists would act in those ridiculous action films. Even in famous action films like James Bond, the female lead merely had to dress up nicely and portray emotions alongside the male lead, without needing to fight themselves.

"By the way, go call that Cooper person and continue to have him write negative reviews," Faiza instructed, recalling the critic who had accepted their monetary incentives. "Not only him, make him mobilize his fellow critics to write together. The worse, the better. It's just money, right? Pay them as much as they want, and let them use negative reviews to turn that woman's film into the worst film in history!"

"You don't need to worry about that; he's already done a great job." Faaris casually placed a newspaper on her desk, which was from "The New York Post," where Cooper was based.

Cooper, who was staunchly opposed to Laila, was one of the few critics who dared to accept their offers, as no one wanted to become a thorn in Moran Group's side. Understanding this, Cooper had chosen to boldly follow the path of criticizing Laila. His review in today's newspaper once again clearly stated his position.

"Ugly Bloodshed, Twisted Brutality, Sinful Cinema" – that was the title of his article.