Chapter 121: Dollars and Film Reviews

"The destruction of New York and Los Angeles was like a domino effect, with flames spreading, vehicles flipping, and buildings collapsing, the entire world crumbling in a sea of red fire, especially when the White House and the Empire State Building exploded into fragments from top to bottom, I felt the whole theater shaking."

Employees at the Los Angeles branch of APP Research Consulting were destined to spend a busy weekend as they collected first-hand feedback from theaters after the midnight screenings.

"When the pilot flew the plane towards the alien spaceship in a suicidal attempt to protect his family, I was in tears!"

"A grand alien invasion and an epic counterattack by Earth, this is an excellent and exciting sci-fi blockbuster!"

"The film did not disappoint; I was shocked during the scenes of cities across America being bombarded! It proves that Duke Rosenberg's films are indeed worth the anticipation!"

"The plot was tight, the scenes were magnificent, and the concept of energy shields was very interesting; nuclear strikes were ineffective, and the idea of using a computer virus to cripple the alien spaceship was truly creative!"

At a theater near Beverly Hills, James collected almost all positive reviews; the audience from the midnight screening rated the film highly, especially praising the explosion scenes and the final showdown.

Although there were a few comments like, "the plot is too simple, with some flaws," and "there's nothing else noteworthy apart from the special effects," these opinions were in the minority, hardly even accounting for one in twenty of those he randomly surveyed.

After distributing gifts and collecting questionnaires, James also received the midnight screening statistics from the cooperating theater. This cinema had four films opening for the midnight show, and all the others were direct competitors to "Independence Day." From the audience distribution, it was evident that these competitors were clearly inferior.

Among the audience at this theater for the midnight show, 91% chose "Independence Day," while the other three films had to share the remaining 9% of the audience!

After gathering the questionnaires and materials, James headed back to the company, where there was a larger range of statistics and more detailed work to do. He needed to promptly report back to Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox after dawn.

For employees of the research consulting company, having no rest time on the day of a major North American release was routine; working through the early hours was typical.

And many of the people they surveyed found it hard to sleep as well.

After saying goodbye to Allen and Jones, Kunitz returned to his single apartment, took a shower, and lay in bed but couldn't seem to fall asleep. The collapsed Empire State Building, the exploding White House, and the toppled Statue of Liberty kept flashing through his mind. The extreme excitement he felt in the theater was quickly reawakened, making his body feel as if it were back in a state of adrenaline rush.

The evil visage of the aliens and their desire to destroy humanity occasionally sent chills down his spine. When he looked out the window, he couldn't help but fantasize about whether extraterrestrial visitors could truly come to destroy Earth.

Moreover, the film also brought excitement; at the moment humanity faced annihilation, America and its leaders bravely took on their responsibilities, leading the world to victory. The heroic American soldiers were practically the guardians of the world.

At one moment, Kunitz even had the thought of enlisting in the military...

Jim from Chicago, having just come out of the midnight screening, rushed to the already closed ticket booth, demanding to buy tickets for tomorrow. Many others followed suit, prompting the theater to temporarily reopen the ticketing system to accommodate the excited fans.

Having secured three tickets, Jim returned home and woke his sleeping brother and sister, excitedly recounting how amazing "Independence Day" was...

Dante from Pittsburgh, along with his friends, went straight to the bar after watching the midnight show, discussing the film's highlights over ice-cold beers, attracting attention from many around them. Several people inquired and drunkenly promised they would head to the theater the next day to see the movie where the American president fights aliens in "Independence Day"!

For many, it was destined to be a sleepless night, especially for the professional film critics rushing to write reviews after watching the film.

In a studio near Chicago, Roger Ebert was not the only one unable to sleep; his agent had also rushed over, seemingly with extremely important news.

"I've received two offers of $500,000."

The agent sat across from Roger Ebert at his desk, speaking in a flat tone as if this were a routine occurrence, "About 'Independence Day'!"

"Oh..." Roger put away his pen, looked up, and adjusted his glasses, "From Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox?"

"They have no relationship with the production or distribution companies." The agent didn't make Roger wait, saying directly, "They are from two different PR firms, and they want you to provide some critical opinions in your review of 'Independence Day.'"

Although the agent spoke very ambiguously, Roger understood perfectly well that the other side wanted him to smear "Independence Day" to affect the film's reputation and subsequently its box office.

This situation had become far too common over the past decade. He had done it many times, but as a leader in the industry, he wouldn't overly tarnish films that received professional acclaim for the sake of his image and reputation.

Of course, certain commercially heavy films that were already not well-received by professionals certainly did not fall within his concerns.

"Who specifically are they?" Roger asked.

"It should be a star from CAA," the agent thought for a moment and said, "If I guess correctly, one is Sean Connery, and the other is also a first-tier star from CAA."

"We actually don't need to consider that," the agent shook his head, "Every director or star rises by stepping on the interests of many; some want Duke Rosenberg to succeed for their benefit, while others naturally want him to fail, to bring him down."

"And your opinion?" Roger Ebert didn't immediately agree.

The agent understood his client's mindset; although he was extremely tempted by the $1 million, he still wanted to appear high-minded.

"Film reviews play a guiding role in the entire movie industry and can prevent films from becoming too commercial, leading to a lack of artistic and humanistic care. Films like 'Independence Day,' which compile all the vulgar elements of summer blockbusters, should be the target of criticism from the film review community! Roger, you are a leader in film criticism and have the responsibility and obligation to remind Hollywood!"

This statement sounded very righteous, as if it were considering the entire film industry.

"What about Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox?" This was Roger Ebert's main concern.

"They didn't invite critics as per convention, breaking the tacit agreement between the two industries." The agent seemed not to care much about these two Hollywood giants, "It's certain that 'Independence Day' is not a film that the critics will like. Why shouldn't we just say the truth? I'm sure other critics will make the same choice."

Roger Ebert nodded slightly; since they hadn't sent out press kits, judging by what he knew about his peers, there probably wouldn't be many who would sing praises for "Independence Day."

"Roger, the review program you host belongs to Disney's TV station, and you still have support from the Chicago Sun-Times. Why worry about Warner and Fox?"

The agent stood up, having noticed that Roger clearly didn't want to let a million dollars slip through his fingers. "If Warner and Fox really did go insane and ban you from theaters, that would be a huge honor for critics, and you could even leverage that to pursue the Pulitzer Prize again!"

The pen that had just been put away returned to Roger Ebert's hand. He lightly tapped his chin, and the agent revealed an enlightened expression, turning to leave the studio. Under the starlight of the dark night sky, he dialed two numbers in Los Angeles consecutively, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

Though not as famous as entertainment agents, his income was still considerable. He knew the earning potential of the one in the studio and the greed hidden beneath that glorious reputation!

One hundred thousand dollars was already more than his client's normal income for a year; it was strange not to be tempted, especially since this kind of thing was not one or two times.

As Chicago's night deepened, and the dawn began to break over New York's skyline, David Dunby sat in his study on the Upper East Side, nearing the end of a film review.

His mood wasn't too good. Today, he had been surrounded by a bunch of fans who bombarded him with words, making the title of film critic utterly ineffective. If he hadn't actively apologized to those who took offense to his comments on "Independence Day" and its fans, he likely would have had a hard time escaping.

The resentment and neglect he felt naturally fell on the film reviews.

This was not just a result from the cinema; even when he returned to his apartment, he received a call that slightly improved his mood—a call offering him $250,000, which was not an insignificant amount to him, especially since he had planned to criticize "Independence Day" as a terrible film!

As for anything else, David Dunby didn't care at all. Reviews from the New Yorker had always been known for their sharpness, and since neither the distributors nor the producers had offered him a PR budget, why should he hold back?

He wasn't like the top vampire Roger Ebert, who not only had income from his TV show but also always churned out reviews of old films to fleece nostalgic fans; his main income came from his columns, and this $250,000 was indeed very, very tempting.

Professional ethics? Working for money is the most basic professional ethics in the film review industry.

Just as David Denby was thinking this, a group of top professional film critics in North America, including Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times and Todd McCarthy of the Hollywood Reporter, were all considering the story of dollars and film reviews.

...

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