Public appearance

On Wednesday, March 18th, both "Basic Instinct" and "Final Analysis" chose this day for their premieres, which was not a common occurrence in 1992. This was a time when the film industry was slowly rising in the early 1990s, before the 21st century when North American box office records were consistently being broken. On average, only twenty films were shown in North American theaters each week, and a movie breaking the $100 million threshold in North America was a huge success, with no problem ranking in the top ten on the year-end box office chart.

Therefore, in such a situation, having two films with investments of $32 million and $49 million premiering simultaneously made it a rare and exciting event for major theaters, especially during the lackluster spring season.

"Basic Instinct" and "Final Analysis" could both be considered thrillers, suspense, erotics, and crime films. During their planning stages, neither film was widely regarded as promising because the thriller/crime genre had peaked with "The Silence of the Lambs" the previous year, and similar films had sprung up like mushrooms, but none of them had achieved outstanding results. Now with two films premiering the audience naturally had reason to be skeptical.

Therefore, the simultaneous premieres of these two movies, which were not highly regarded, could be considered a narrow and brave competition and easily focused people's attention on this week.

The so-called premiere is actually part of movie promotion. During the premiere, the film's director and creative personnel usually attend and interact with the audience. Media reporters can also conduct interviews with the cast and crew in real-time. It is more like a centralized promotion and sales event, hoping to attract more attention to the film.

After the event, the first group of audience can enter the theater with their tickets to watch the movie. However, since premiere tickets are limited, it is more like a test screening for journalists, film critics, and loyal audiences. After the movie ends, film critics and audiences will write the first batch of film reviews, which will heat up the movie's upcoming release. The second batch of reviews will not come out until after the movie is officially released.

Generally, a movie will hold its official release on Friday and strive for box office success during the first weekend. However, premieres are held on Tuesday or Wednesday. The premiere is an occasion that carries various tasks, such as interacting with fans, dealing with the media, and exploring audience feedback.

Of course, a grand premiere itself is a gimmick, such as the global simultaneous premiere ceremony for the "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" series. It is a crucial part of box office marketing, which has evolved beyond the meaning of a regular premiere and has become the first step in commercial tactics.

The Fox Theater on Hollywood Boulevard was the most historically significant theater in Los Angeles. Built in 1928, it could accommodate 5,000 spectators. Located in the most prestigious, safest, and most fashionable area of Los Angeles, many Hollywood movie premieres were held here.

Since this was not Hugo's own movie, he had no reason to deliberately delay his appearance. The invitation letter that Paul Junger Witt gave to Hugo stated that the premiere was at 8 pm. According to tradition, 8 pm should be the time the premiere begins, so it would be polite for guests to arrive half an hour early. In order to avoid colliding with the main cast, Hugo chose to arrive at the Fox Theater at 7:15.

At this time, the sky in Los Angeles had not yet completely darkened, but the sunset had burned out leaving only a little tail in the horizon. From afar, Hugo could see the neon lights of the Fox Theater flashing continuously. A deep blue canopy was set up at the entrance of the theater, obviously to prevent unexpected rain. The red carpet not only extended from the entrance of the theater, but also covered at least fifty yards on both sides of the street, presenting a red "T"-shaped platform like a fashion runway.

The two sides of the red carpet were already filled with crowds. Roughly estimated, there were at least two hundred people on the scene, not only professional journalists and film critics, but also loyal fans who came specifically to attend the premiere. This noisy scene was something Hugo had never experienced before.

Of course, during his ten years in the Glory or Death, he had experienced occasions with thousands of spectators, but that was different. He knew that there were still his four partners fighting together on stage, and the serenity in his heart was incomparable. But today, he was going to walk the red carpet alone, facing the gaze of journalists and fans from the film circle, which reminded Hugo of the night of the Golden Raspberry Awards. However, everything was too chaotic and blurry that day, and Hugo didn't have much clear memory, so he couldn't be of much help.

The rented black ceremonial car stopped at the entrance of the Fox Theater, and Hugo took a deep breath, looking at Joseph, "Are you not getting out of the car with me?"

"If it's your work, I'll go down with you, but today you're also a guest..." Joseph smiled. When he took over Hugo, the premiere of "Hudson Hawk" had already ended, so he had never stepped on a premiere red carpet before, and he couldn't help feeling excited.

Listening to the cheering and excitement of the fans outside, although these voices were not directed at Hugo, it still made him nervous unconsciously. Seeing Hugo's tense expression, Joseph became even more joyful, "Good luck!" Joseph was also very curious. After the Golden Raspberry Awards, this was the first time Hugo appeared in a public occasion. What would it be like?

Looking at Joseph's expression, Hugo didn't have the energy to argue with him. He tidied up his clothes and let Joseph check him again. After confirming that there were no mistakes, Hugo didn't hesitate any longer and opened the car door and walked out.

As it was still early and the climax of the premiere was still some time away, everyone knew that the guests who appeared at this time were all invited guests. There were all kinds of guests, including some ordinary people, so people's expectations for invited guests were not high, and they were absent-mindedly brewing their spirits for the real climax.

When they saw someone getting out of the ceremonial car, most people just looked towards the street subconsciously, and then they saw a handsome young man appear before their eyes.

His six-foot height blocked the last ray of sunlight in the sky behind him. His well-proportioned figure sculpted a perfect arc in the light and shadow. A set of charcoal gray suit clearly outlined his body shape. The wool and cashmere blend fabric was understated and elegant, and elevated the delicate feeling of the classic men's double-breasted suit to the extreme. With the silky dark fabric, the subtle difference in light between the different fabrics expressed simplicity and fashion. The smooth shoulder line, collarless suit, and crisp straight hem boldly reduced the weight and seriousness of the suit to a minimum, and instead magnified the youth and energetic vitality to the greatest extent.

The black shirt and shiny leather shoes complemented each other, skillfully transitioning from the bright charcoal gray to the calm black, forming a visual difference but not too obvious, and finally matched with a black plain tie. The extraordinary apex of the streamlined cut, every detail was clearly visible in the residual red light of the sunset. Whether it was the exquisite agate buttons and small standing collar design on the shirt, or the casual feel of the cuff folds extending from the slightly short cuffs of the suit, they created a distinct modern image.

His handsome face could clearly showcase the lines of his eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips, projecting a soft shadow in the slowly sinking night, allowing the soft lines of his features to give birth to a warm glow. His dark golden hair appeared somewhat transparent under the light, and the hair wax captured the slight curve of his hair in a casual but orderly manner, presenting a beautiful shape.

A shallow curve appeared at the corner of his rosy lips, and the warm light shimmering in his eyes slowly rippled in this curve, warming people's hearts and illuminating the night in an instant.

Hugo Lancaster!

At this moment, almost everyone was stunned by the handsome appearance of the young man in front of them. His low-key, elegant, and concise style collided with his warm, sunny, and casual demeanor. The whole suit walked between solemnity and leisure, and the mix and match was just right. This kind of dress seemed similar to the suits worn by most male actors in the early 1990s, but it was also different. Overall, there was nothing particularly special, but the effect of the ready-to-wear clothes worn on Hugo was amazing, making it impossible for people to close their mouths.

The hustle and bustle on the red carpet seemed to be frozen at this moment, and merged with the amber eyes of Hugo, leaving a mark of time. The last bit of sunshine in the sky suddenly disappeared on the horizon, and all the surrounding light disappeared. The black night poured down in an instant but stopped above the brightly lit Fox Theater. Hugo, standing at the end of the red carpet, merged perfectly with the surrounding light.

"Hugo!" Someone shouted first, waking up everyone's attention. Everyone immediately realized that the person in front of them was not an ordinary person, but a real artist and guest, and also a well-known face. At this moment, the scene immediately became restless, but no one shouted loudly, because Hugo was not yet a highly popular actor at this time, just a familiar face with a topic. But the cry of "Hugo" scattered around, and the low murmurs were endless.

"Wow, he's really a handsome young man."

"He left me speechless. Do you remember what movie he starred in? I want to see it."

"He wasn't that impressive in "Dead Poets Society". The current inexperienced young man has an irresistible charm."

"My heart was beating so fast just now. Did you see his eyes? They're really adorable!"

These suppressed and excited conversations filled the ears of the crowd, but a bleak voice came from the entrance of the red carpet, "I'm a man, I'm not interested in Hugo..." It instantly paused the surrounding voices for a second, and then about six or seven people uttered a "tch" sound in unison, expressing their contempt, which had a comical effect.