Chapter 134: How Is That Possible?

"There are no serial killers here."

A man suddenly appeared on stage, grabbing the puppet from the small bicycle. "His name is Billy, a puppet."

The audience was a bit stunned, not knowing who this new person was. They were certain that this person wasn't one of the main characters from the film.

"Could it be…" Daisy stared intently, "Could it be him?"

The stage lights brightened, clearly revealing the man's appearance and stature.

"But he looks…" Daisy frowned slightly, seeing the man on stage. He was completely different from what she had imagined.

The tall, sturdy figure stood like a palm tree, with a fair face marked by a few scars that added a rugged charm rather than a creepy vibe. A faint smile on his lips made him look particularly sunny.

What shocked Daisy the most was his age. He couldn't be more than thirty years old, could he? Maybe just in his twenties?

Since when had Hollywood seen such a young and outstanding director?

She shook her head, convincing herself that this wasn't the director, just an assistant or perhaps a staff member of the show.

A man in his early twenties directing a film that grossed tens of millions in North America, not a hype-driven film like "The Blair Witch Project," but one with genuinely high quality—how was that possible?

She shook her head again, thinking the director should look more like Jigsaw.

But the host Miranda's words left Daisy with her mouth agape.

"Let me introduce you," Miranda left her seat, walking towards Murphy, "this is Murphy Stanton, the director of 'Saw'."

Murphy waved at the audience, "Hello, everyone."

There was no applause, only a collective gasp of surprise, "Uh…"

Like Daisy, everyone, especially the fans of "Saw," couldn't believe Murphy was the director of such a film.

So young, how was it possible? That was the thought of most people.

Daisy stared at Murphy in shock, her mouth still wide open. Suddenly, she felt that having such a director was nice, at least he was easy on the eyes.

She loved the style of this director. If the director himself looked decent, it wouldn't hurt to admire him a bit.

Miranda could see the audience's confusion. After inviting Murphy to sit on the single sofa next to her, she immediately asked the four actors, "Is he really your director?"

Seth Rogen adjusted his glasses, "I assure you he is!"

James Franco nodded vigorously, "Yes."

Carey Mulligan glanced at Murphy, "It's him."

Jonah Hill, the most dramatic, loudly declared, "I swear, he's the one who hung me on barbed wire and made me into jerky!"

The audience burst into applause.

Daisy noticed that the three male actors were all quite humorous.

The applause grew louder, and all eyes were on Murphy. So he really was the director of "Saw"!

Miranda kept smiling. After the applause died down, she formally introduced, "This is Murphy Stanton, the director of 'Saw'."

"Genuine and authentic," Murphy quipped.

Quite the sense of humor! Daisy was the first to clap, and the audience followed with more applause.

"Congratulations, Murphy," Miranda acknowledged the show's purpose, "'Saw' has almost reached $30 million at the North American box office."

"Thank you," Murphy replied humbly, looking towards James Franco and the others, "It's the result of the entire crew's hard work. Without Jim and the team, there wouldn't be the 'Saw' we have today. I want to thank everyone in the crew."

"You sound like a very united team?" Miranda tilted her head slightly.

"Very united," Murphy said seriously, "We have a common goal and work hard towards it. We look forward and use our strength in one direction, working together to overcome all difficulties."

Miranda gestured towards the couch, deliberately asking, "Including them?"

"Everyone!" Murphy glanced at James Franco, who picked up the cue, "We're more like a family, really."

Such talk of unity, friendship, and mutual support is well-received in mainstream society worldwide.

Daisy joined the others in applauding again, feeling that this director not only looked good but also had a special charm.

The show continued, and thanks to the groundwork laid by the four actors, the conversation quickly shifted to "Saw," which was Murphy's main reason for appearing on the show.

"In the film, we see many very horrifying ideas," Miranda pointed to the Rack on the stage, "like this device, which is terrifying. How did you come up with it?"

Murphy thought for a moment, then smiled, "Many ideas in the movie come from our real lives. This Rack…"

He began to make up a story, "It's an idea that came to me after seeing some mechanical equipment."

Miranda didn't let it go and continued to ask, "Can you tell us about any other horror elements in the film that came from your real life?"

"For example, Seth's character Adam…" Murphy looked at Seth Rogen, who gave a sheepish smile, "The scene where Adam reaches into the toilet to retrieve something came from a real-life friend."

"Someone actually did that?" Miranda looked shocked.

Daisy and the others perked up, curious to know who could be so gross.

"When I was in prison," Murphy put on a reminiscing expression, "I briefly shared a cell with a guy who was in for drug possession. This guy somehow got his hands on some drugs. I secretly threw them into the toilet, and when his withdrawal kicked in, he rushed to the toilet and reached in. You know what prison conditions are like; the scene was…"

He shook his head and didn't continue.

Miranda exaggeratedly widened her eyes, covering her mouth as if truly disgusted.

These details were pre-arranged. Murphy knew his past would soon be dug up, so he might as well reveal it himself. After all, he couldn't deny the foolish things his predecessor had done.

But this event had indeed happened with the guy he had helped.

Thinking of him, Murphy wondered if he should visit the state prison to check on him.

He and Ross had promised to help each other quit drugs and get back on their feet before they were released.

"Wait…" Miranda raised a hand, seeming to have just realized, "You said in prison? You… have been in prison?"

"Yes," Murphy nodded, "When I was eighteen or nineteen, I caused a lot of trouble and made many mistakes, paying the price with my freedom. Later, I realized I needed to change, to stop drifting aimlessly, and then I cut ties with my past and started striving for the future."

In simpler terms, he depicted himself as the epitome of a reformed youth, a diamond in the rough.

"Why did you choose to become a director and make movies?" Miranda probed, "Was it a childhood dream?"

"No, before adulthood, my main concern was filling my stomach." Recalling his predecessor's memories, Murphy continued, "My mother thought I'd become a construction worker because my grades were awful but I was strong. My father wanted me to be a football player, thinking it would earn a lot of money for his future drinking and…"

Murphy deliberately paused, shrugged, "Basically, he wouldn't be short of money."

Miranda laughed, "You might have disappointed them."

"Maybe," Murphy forced a smile.

Daisy listened intently, finding this person more and more interesting.

"What was prison life like?" Miranda shifted the topic.

"Terrifying and tough. Sometimes movies don't exaggerate prison life," Murphy said seriously, "You lose more than just freedom there. You have to stay vigilant, as anyone could be your enemy…"

Smearing the federal government was always a popular topic for the public, media, and Hollywood. Murphy adhered to this principle, as it pleased the audience.

In his description, California's state prison was akin to hell.

"Do you know why I could come up with so many torture devices? They weren't created out of thin air," Murphy said without hesitation, "In prison, there are robbers, murderers, serial killers, and many other severe criminals who are very eager to talk about what they've done, especially their extremely cruel methods."

Miranda's lips trembled, "Those… those… are the sources of those horror scenes?"

"Yes!" Murphy nodded solemnly and pointed to his head, "There's a lot more gruesome stuff stored up here."

The show fell silent, everyone seemingly stunned by these revelations.

Daisy gently patted her chest. Prison really was a scary place.

How did he survive such a place? She was very curious about this, as he not only endured but also learned from the experience and achieved incredible success…

After a few more words, the prison topic ended. The show's purpose was to promote the film, so the conversation returned to "Saw."

Miranda asked, "To achieve such great success with your second film, do you have any secrets?"

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT