Chapter 86
After hearing Xue Mi's prediction, everyone fell silent.
Even the director, who was extremely superstitious about his boss's fortune,... well... didn't know how to respond.
I have some fantasies, but I feel that these fantasies are too unrealistic.
Could it be that... the boss actually calculated it?
"What? Fortune telling?" Xue Mi shook her head. "I was just talking nonsense. I think this number is quite auspicious."
Everyone laughed and soon forgot about this little episode.
In the afternoon, the pre-sale curve was indeed much faster than in the morning, especially when it got closer to the opening, the speed was even faster.
It’s this speed… isn’t it a bit too fast?
The guy who had come up with the data model before started thinking about other models this time. The more he thought about it, the more wrong it seemed.
"Director, something is wrong. If we continue with the current trend, I'm afraid we will have a chance to reach 300 million." The data guy said tremblingly, his voice full of lack of confidence.
Song Zhiyan directly picked up the foam props next to him and hit him hard: "Three hundred million is not a good thing, what's wrong with it? You are the only one who hopes that the box office will be low all day long, right?"
The data guy scratched his head embarrassedly and explained repeatedly that he had said the wrong thing.
But even though he had made the most optimistic estimate, the actual trend of this curve was still faster than he expected.
By around four o'clock in the afternoon, the target was no longer 300 million, but 380 million.
The problem is that the movie hasn’t officially been released yet. After it’s released at 6 p.m., there may be another wave of price increases.
Song Zhiyan looked at the prediction curve drawn by the data guy, and then glanced at the number that Xue Mi had written on the small blackboard before.
Could it be that the boss is... right again?
At 6 pm, the first group of audiences officially entered the venue, and the main members of the crew, including the director, main creators, and main actors, had also arrived at the industry premiere of the film.
I just hope to get better feedback on the scene - 5②4⑨０819贰 - even a community veteran like Song Zhiyan couldn't help but take a deep breath nervously and shook his cold hands before going out.
When thinking about the holiday tomorrow, many people no longer focus on work in the afternoon.
A few young colleagues in the office were chatting and laughing, and mentioned that a comedy film was released today. They thought the director’s last movie was pretty good, so they made an appointment to go down and watch the first showing.
However, when they went to buy the movie tickets, they were surprised to find that the good seats for the first show at the nearby cinema were almost all taken. If they wanted to buy a slightly more comfortable seat, they could only wait for the show at around seven o'clock.
"Then just buy that one, we can have dinner together." Another colleague said with a smile.
An older colleague nearby was very envious of these free-spirited young people, but unfortunately she had to rush home to pick up her children and had no time to participate in these activities.
As soon as it was time to get off work, a few people slipped away according to the time. They first had a recently popular meal at a nearby shopping mall. Unfortunately, compared with the fancy buyer shows on the Internet, the buyer shows were really unremarkable. Rather than calling it an Internet celebrity meal, it would be more appropriate to call it a weight loss meal.
Everyone felt that the meal was not very enjoyable, and they were not so excited about the upcoming movie.
One of the girls was bored and scrolling through her phone for a while. Suddenly, she looked up and said to her companion, "This movie seems to have a very good reputation!"
"Did a big V praise him? Or were there any comments saying that he was crying and laughing? Maybe they were internet trolls hired by the movie," said another girl.
In this world today, no one is very sincere. Whether it's internet celebrity meals that package themselves as delicious, or various movie promotions, they are all similar routines. She has long been tired of it.
Having said that, even though I’m tired of it, I’ll still be fooled. For example, this internet celebrity restaurant is another landmine that I fell into.
Unexpectedly, the girl who was browsing her phone shook her head and said, "No, it's because no one commented on it that I think this movie should be good?"
Everyone:? ? ?
"Think about it," the girl explained her unique theory seriously, "The first show of this movie starts at 6 o'clock, right? It's been more than half an hour since then, but I looked online and there wasn't a single real person with a cell phone out to chat online. The only few accounts that left messages, I clicked on them and saw they were from trolls. Do you know what this means?"
"What does it mean?" Someone immediately responded cooperatively.
"It means that this movie should be quite exciting. Everyone is watching the movie seriously. Naturally, no one takes out their phones to browse the Internet." The woman said confidently.
It seems to make some sense...
After she said that, everyone's expectations were raised a lot.
At the same time, the crew members were still worried.
Starting from the first premiere, the group sat in their seats. Not far away sat a serious-looking film critic, and next to the critic sat a very famous young actor.
Behind Song Zhiyan sat his colleague, but his resume was much more experienced than his and he had filmed many more movies.
As the movie started, laughter soon broke out in the theater, and it seemed that everyone was quite satisfied with the movie.
However, satisfaction within the industry cannot be completely equated with satisfaction from the audience. As a typical commercial comedy film, what Song Zhiyan wants to hear more is feedback from real audiences.
He had already watched the movie in front of him countless times, so he couldn't concentrate at all at this moment. He just kept checking his phone to see what the reviews were online.
But half an hour passed, and after scrolling through the pages, I didn't see even a few reviews. It really made me feel so nervous, and I couldn't describe how I felt.
"Director, do you think this is a bad thing or a good thing?" The data guy was also brushing it secretly. He had never studied this area before, so he asked nervously at this time.
Song Zhiyan glared at him, asking how he knew.
Although he has made several movies before, they were all bad movies that received a lot of criticism. His last movie did well, but it seems that it is not like today. After so much time, there is not even a decent review.
Either it was really boring, so boring that the audience didn't bother to say anything, or it was because there was no interesting part in the whole show that resulted in this silence.
But looking at the current state of the venue, it shouldn’t be too boring, right?
To be honest, Song Zhiyan was not sure either.
At 7:10, the group of young people were finally able to check in and enter the show they had purchased.
"Wait, who of you wants milk tea and popcorn? I always feel empty inside if I don't eat these when I come to the cinema." said a girl.
"I'll buy a cup of yogurt too. I feel a little uncomfortable after eating just now, so I'll use this to fill my stomach." another one said.
After a while, a group of girls came into the cinema holding drinks and popcorn.
As soon as they entered, they found that there were so many people.
When I booked the tickets just now, there didn’t seem to be so many people, but now, more than half of the cinema is full - and there are still about 10 minutes before the actual screening!
Soon, several people found their seats, sat down and chatted, some checked their phones. At this time, the topics about this movie on several platforms were still very quiet, but looking at the crowded crowd around them, there was always a particularly disconcerting feeling.
Not to mention these ordinary audiences, even the crew members now feel it is very uncomfortable.
The box office kept rising, but there were very few reviews, as if the wildly rising box office numbers were simply fake.
But there is also a lot of good news.
"My friend at the cinema said that the audience in the first premiere theater was laughing like crazy, and the effect should be good. The cinema manager is preparing to add two more screenings." A girl from the publicity and promotion team whispered to the director.
"A theater manager I know said the same thing. He said that judging by the audience's reaction, he thinks this movie should be a hit."
Indirect good news came one after another, but at this time, Song Zhiyan had no time to be happy about these. Instead, he slowly walked to the front and began to interact with the audience as one of the main creators.
He himself did not expect that the first famous old director who stood up to speak would start by praising Song Zhiyan with all his heart, praising him so much that even this thick-skinned and tough young director, who was best at pestering Jin for funding, could not help but blush.
The next few speakers were all familiar faces in the industry, and they all praised the company highly, and their words were particularly sincere. Song Zhiyan couldn't help but ask the publicity and promotion department if they had done any special public relations before to achieve the current effect.
However, when a film critic seriously wanted to discuss with Song Zhiyan the tragic background beneath the comedy core, he was instantly silenced.
tragedy? When did he film the tragedy? This movie is hilarious from beginning to end. Is this person thinking too much? !
As a result, that person talked a lot, discussing the rise and fall of the old street with the director, and then talked about the plight of young people today. The tone he raised was so high that the director, who only wanted to make a comedy movie and didn't think so much about it, didn't know what to say at all.
He couldn't say anything, so he just let Miaomiao take over.
As the screenwriter of this movie, maybe she could have something in common with the other party?
Miaomiao was actually also very confused.
When she wrote this script, she really didn't think too much about it. She just wanted to write a simple little story. Later, she met Song Zhiyan, and the two of them added more jokes and comedy to the story. But she never thought that she would be accused of such a big crime...
After all, this is just a simple comedy movie, there is not so much to analyze.
The young female screenwriter stood in the center of the stage, looking like a puppy that had wandered in. After racking her brains, she finally responded with a few words and sent away the film critic who was trying to get to the bottom of the matter.
But unexpectedly, just after one group was driven away, another group came. Then more than one person in the industry said that they did see a humanistic core in this movie that far exceeded ordinary commercial comedies. The unique charm of human nature was also fully displayed in this movie. It's a pity that the director and screenwriter were also confused, and they even suspected that they and these people were not watching the same movie at all.
After hearing the critics' lengthy analyses, Miaomiao glanced secretly at the director, who also looked back at her with a bewildered expression.
Come to think of it…did they really consider something like this when they were filming that scene?
Although they felt that these people were just overthinking, but since one person said so and two people continued to say so, Miaomiao and Song Zhiyan finally couldn't help but suspect that what they said might be true.
This feeling is a bit like a great writer seeing his own article on the test paper, but he can't answer any of the questions on the test paper...
It was so embarrassing that I wanted to turn around and run, but unfortunately, I was pinned down and couldn't run away.
After the premiere, both of them felt like they had been skinned.
It would be fine if I just scraped the skin, but I even started to doubt my life and felt that there was something wrong with my brain. Otherwise, how could I not appreciate the points that people in the industry talked about?
"Speaking of which..." Miaomiao finally came to a realization, "After this film is analyzed like this, could it be that it is no longer a commercial film but has become an art film?"
Miaomiao is not averse to art films.
After all, her last film was a very successful art film.
But the problem is that this is clearly a commercial comedy through and through, and it has never pursued awards but rather box office success.
If you calculate it this way, if a commercial comedy collapses into an art film, does that mean that the box office will also collapse on a large scale?
Come to think of it, it was all her fault as the scriptwriter... Miaomiao subconsciously took all the responsibility on herself, frowned, and sighed uncomfortably.
She knew that she was not good at writing about this kind of subject matter at all.
Song Zhiyan was relatively calm, and even took the time to use an empty paper tube to gently hit this idiot who was always indulged in self-pity.
"Don't talk nonsense. Have you ever seen an art film that made over 300 million yuan in its first box office? Besides, even if it's an art film, so what? Our reputation is not bad, and the box office is so good. What are you worried about?"
“There were some art films that grossed 300 million yuan on the first day, but they all collapsed afterwards.” The data guy interrupted again in a particularly ignorant manner.
Then he was glared at by the director again.
What’s wrong with these people in the crew? Why are they so troublesome? The director couldn't help but sigh sadly.
Then, he couldn't help but be misled by the data guy who always said pessimistic words, and began to worry whether his movie would follow the nightmare curve of starting high and ending low...
Because the industry premiere starts half an hour earlier than the usual shows, even though we chatted for a while after the screening, by the time this one was over, the other screenings had just finished one after another.
Song Zhiyan and several other crew members were busy opening their phones and starting checking the news again.
Logically speaking, the first show should have been over in most places, but there is still silence on the Internet.
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.
This was like pouring a bucket of cold water on several people's heads. The joy of being praised just now suddenly felt like it was just polite words within the industry.
Or is it really the legendary art film trend of collapse from the beginning?
As a result, in the next minute, the originally deserted topic forum was flooded with hundreds of comments in an instant.
"It's so good! Go watch it! It's definitely worth the money!"
"I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt, and I haven't recovered yet."
"This director is so awesome. I haven't seen such a funny and non-awkward comedy movie in a long time. It's really good!"
“I’m going to call all my friends to come and see it!”
At this moment, almost all the comments were 5-star positive ones. I glanced over and didn’t even see any negative comments.
The sudden ups and downs made Song Zhiyan feel that he could not bear it anymore.
However, even though his heart was pounding, he couldn't help but look at the reviews on various platforms with great joy, feeling very happy.
At this time, the box office growth curve rose rapidly again, with the growth rate twice that of the previous period.
The rave reviews obviously greatly boosted box office sales, and word of mouth spread from one person to ten people, and from ten to a hundred people, and it exploded in an instant.
The theater where the girls who were eating popcorn and drinking milk tea were sitting was already 90% full, with only a few seats in the corners left unsold.
The lights in the hall finally went out, and a familiar dragon logo first flew out on the screen, followed by the logo of Westwind Media: a simple fish-shaped pattern.
It looks just like a dried salted fish.
The girl who was eating popcorn couldn't help but laugh softly: even the pair of dead fish eyes were clearly drawn.
This company really has a funny vibe to it—she thought.
Then the name of the movie finally appeared on the screen: "Two Little Guess".
To be honest, it looks more like a romantic comedy movie.
As a staunch fan of comedy films, she actually doesn't really like films mixed with love. Especially this kind of film, no matter how light-hearted and interesting it is in the beginning, when the hero and heroine are together, the feeling is gone, and only the hero and heroine are left in love, and then there is a happy ending at the end, which seems particularly mediocre and boring.
However, she liked the director's previous movie so much that the girl decided to give this movie a chance to see how it turned out.
The movie opens with a fast-paced sequence of shots, capturing the unique atmosphere of an old street in a big city that is half tense and half leisurely.
The story unfolds quickly: the hero and heroine both live on this small street. Not only do their doors face each other, they were even born in the same year and month. They can meet on each other's balconies when they come out of their respective rooms.
It's a pity that these two people are not naturally compatible. Although their parents think that the two children are quite destined to be together, unfortunately for them, this is the bad karma they accumulated in their previous lives. Not beating each other up in this life is already the greatest tolerance they can show to each other.
The rhythm of the movie is as usual, brisk and lively. The two young men playing and fighting along the way also contributed a lot of laughs. Basically, the laughter in the cinema never stopped from 5 minutes after the movie started.
The main plot of this movie is that the old street is going to be demolished. The two enemies are fighting each other madly, while also trying to negotiate with the demolition team for better conditions.
The most important thing is that the two of them had been fed up with each other for a long time. This time when they were dividing the house again, they were unwilling to continue being neighbors no matter what. So when the parents of both sides were choosing houses, they tried all kinds of sabotage and used all means to achieve their goal.
Neighborhoods, workplace, and demolition are all related, and each scene string together endless laughter. It just so happens that it looks like something happening around you, so familiar and funny that you can't stop laughing.
It is indeed different from ordinary romantic comedies. Specifically, if it were a romance movie, the hero and heroine's inner feelings, as well as the changes in their feelings towards each other, should be portrayed very delicately. Then, because of a small unexpected incident, their inner understanding is confirmed, and finally they overcome numerous obstacles - some of which are set by themselves - and struggle to be together.
But this movie is different.
If I say it’s annoying, it’s really annoying!
The two protagonists, male and female, look like unfamiliar newcomers, but their acting skills are pretty good. They portray the two young people's disgust for each other, their eagerness to leave this old street as soon as possible, and their chaotic and miserable lives very vividly.
There are especially some details, such as oversleeping in the morning and rushing to work, and as a result, bad luck happens one after another and you can't stop at all, or you meet a terrible boss and secretly spit into his cup, but you are accidentally discovered by a colleague, and then the colleague also adds a sip of seasoning. This kind of point is particularly empathetic and makes people want to laugh.
Sure enough, it still has the familiar taste and the jokes are indeed authentic.
After seeing what happened next, those people basically stopped eating popcorn and drinking milk tea. After all, if you have food in your mouth, it is very easy to spit it out, which is really indecent.
Moreover, the movie has such a fast pace and so many funny moments. It would be a pity if you missed a part because you wanted to go to the bathroom.
The movie tickled the audience's funny bones all the way from beginning to end, with a small laugh every three minutes and a big laugh every five minutes. Even the staff outside couldn't help but walk in out of curiosity to see what the audience was laughing at. As a result, they couldn't leave and sat on the steps holding their stomachs, laughing even harder than the audience next to them.
Just by listening to these laughs, you can tell that the response to this movie will definitely not be bad.
At the end of the movie, most of the shops on the old street were closed, and many people began to move out.
The old street, which was once very popular, suddenly became deserted. The two young men, who were like fighting cocks, seemed to have lost their enthusiasm even in their daily bickering.
Of course, this is not because they suddenly have any different feelings for each other - the movie seems to have never considered developing in this direction from beginning to end.
In the last half hour, there is a small climax, which is about demolition and housing distribution.
There were some minor problems with the demolition, and some people even said that this area would not be demolished for at least the next two years.
Both of them were unhappy at the thought of having to see each other's ugly face for several more years. At this time, the male protagonist accidentally learned the reason why the demolition team suspended their work. After careful consideration, he thought that his mortal enemy had the same professional background and might be able to help.
The two young men who had been pecking at each other like fighting cocks finally worked together for once. This time, they finally united and started to trick others. The little laughs from before broke out again, making the audience feel the supreme pleasure again in this series of operations.
At the end of the movie, the two people finally got a satisfactory result and moved into the new house happily. However, as soon as they opened the balcony door and looked up, they saw each other's ugly face again.
Help! How come I met this guy again!
The movie ended abruptly here, causing the audience in the cinema to burst into laughter.
Although I haven't seen these two actors before, their acting skills are quite good. Their confused, helpless, and a little irritated expressions at the end are so relatable.
It feels like you finally changed jobs, only to find out afterwards that the new boss was the reason you resigned.
Where is justice!
Several girls were laughing so hard that they couldn't stop.
It's obvious that the male and female protagonists really dislike each other!
Strangely enough, this kind of CP is more desirable than the hard-eyed couple, and one even wants to force their heads together, which gives them a special kind of forced happiness.
The evil nature of human beings is so unreasonable!
"I originally thought they would have an affair, but looking at their expressions at the end, I guess they would rather eat a raw leg of lamb."
"Hehe, I want to see them eating lamb legs raw, and I also want to see them having sex."
"Hahaha, the hero and heroine are both so miserable. They thought they were finally free of each other, but when they opened the door, they found they were still facing each other. All their previous work was in vain."
Even though the movie was over and the long list of credits started, several people sat in their seats and couldn't stop chatting for a while.
After all, this movie is really funny. When people have a hearty laugh, the excitement is hard to suppress.
This is indeed a good movie, it makes people happy, how can it not be a good movie?
At this time, the cleaning uncle came in helplessly and said that there were no more Easter eggs and asked the audience to leave as soon as possible.
It was the same when the last show just ended. Everyone was sitting in their seats, chatting non-stop, and it took a lot of urging before the theater was slowly emptied.
A few girls looked at the popcorn and milk tea on the seats and said: Huh, they haven’t been touched at all!
In the end, I could only hold these things and leave the cinema almost as they were.
When they were walking out, the group saw that there were several other groups of people similar to them, holding popcorn that were still piled into small peaks, eating as they walked, laughing as they ate, their faces rosy and full of energy, as if they had just taken a very comfortable hot spring bath.
Even when they looked at each other, they were smiling and in a very good mood.
This is what it should be like after watching a good movie.
"I have seen three good movies produced by Westwind Media. I used to think this was a small, worthless company, but now it seems to have something going for it." At about the same time, a hardcore movie lover who had just come out of the cinema couldn't help but sigh to his friend.
"I used to think this company was unreliable," the friend said. "Have you heard about their benefits? They give us a holiday every other day. I have a classmate who joined this company. At first we thought the benefits were too bad and advised him not to go. But less than a year later, we are envious of him now."
Another person clicked his tongue and said, "Who wouldn't envy this? If I had this opportunity, I would definitely try my best to get in."
Giving out money and gifts are just small things. Giving people holidays is the most attractive point.
He couldn't help but touch his gradually moving upward hairline again and sighed sadly.
That's why they say young people are getting smarter and smarter. It took him many years to figure out things, but now these young people have already figured them out before they even start working.
The other person also sighed.
The two people talked about the subject matter of this movie again.
"At first I really thought it was a comedy romance, but I didn't expect it to end up like this. But I feel it was handled very delicately, and it all connected."
"I thought it was a movie for little girls," said the companion. "If it weren't for the fact that the director's last movie was really good, I wouldn't have thought of watching it."
After all, he hasn’t seen any particularly good movies of similar subject matter in China so far.
There are some similar excellent films abroad, but compared with those movies, "Two Little Hu Guess" almost completely abandons the emotional line and instead maximizes the comedy effect, which makes people laugh from beginning to end and cannot let go for a minute.
"Come to think of it, do you feel that the director's ambitions for this film are obviously greater than those for the previous one?" said the film critic.
Logically speaking, commercial comedy films only serve the box office. The depth of content and the intention are obviously much more superficial compared to ordinary films. This is also the reason why such films are generally difficult to be favored by judges in awards.
For example, the director’s previous comedy film, although ranked third at the box office that year, won almost no awards. Although fans were surprised, people who are familiar with the rules of the industry thought it was a natural thing.
But this movie, strangely enough, doesn't seem to have any desire to elevate itself, and is just lying flat the whole time, trying to poke the audience in laughter. But after laughing so hard, it always makes people unable to help but figure out something.
"This screenwriter seems to have written art films before. I was a little worried when I heard about this combination, fearing that it would produce something weird. Unexpectedly, these two people are quite compatible."
"This movie is really interesting. I want to watch it again. Do you want to watch it with me?" asked my companion.
"I've already bought the tickets in advance," the film critic waved his phone with a smug smile, "Unfortunately, there's only one show left tonight, why don't we go get a midnight snack first? I want to talk to you about this movie in detail."
It’s really strange to say, for ordinary comedy movies, you just stop laughing and you can’t remember too many plots. But this one is different. After laughing, it seems that there are still many topics you want to talk about.
My companion had the same idea and nodded in agreement.
The group of girls who came out of the cinema were also chatting. Some said they would find friends to watch the movie again, and some said they wanted to bring their parents to see the movie as well.
"I think my mother will definitely like it. She used to live on this old street, where the neighbors were noisy and bustling. It feels very similar."
"Yes, yes, I also think that old street is really interesting. It reminds me of my hometown. And that bald boss is really annoying. Do you think that Director Li next door is quite similar to the bald boss?"
Everyone couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh.
"This director's movies are really good. The dog in the last movie was so cute that it made me laugh to death. I didn't expect this one to be just as good."
"Really, that dog is so cute. I wanted to raise one, but it was too much trouble, so I didn't raise one," another girl sighed regretfully, "I also like that young lady, she's so cool and sassy. It's a pity that the other actors in that movie have done well, but that actress has never appeared in another role."
"You don't know yet, but she is actually a real young lady. It is said that she is the boss of West Wind Media and a super wealthy woman." Another friend happily shared gossip.
"Really? I had no idea!" A group of people couldn't help but exclaim.
For a while, a group of people once again fell into the yearning for the rich woman and could hardly extricate themselves.
After all, if you think about the young ladies in the movies, they actually live that way in real life, and it instantly feels more exciting!
However, if Xue Mi knew about this speculation, she would definitely deny it three times directly: I am not, I didn’t, you really misunderstood!
Although there might really be rich people who live like in the movies, it can't be Xue Mi.
After talking about the rich lady, the topic turned back to the two little Hu guesses about this movie.
"The two leading actors and actresses this time are pretty good. Although they are both new faces, they feel quite exciting. I decided to buy their shares for the time being and observe them."
Although in the movie, the two people's incompatibility is too obvious and they hardly look like they are in love, but they have a strong sense of couple inexplicably, which is easy to arouse the rebelliousness of the audience.
When these male and female protagonists interact offline, maybe...
In fact, the fight is still fierce.
The two young actors followed the director to the second audience meeting. This time, they were asked about their experience of working together and whether they had any special feelings for each other.
The two young people, one was still studying acting at the Film Academy, and the other was a graduate of the Drama Academy. They looked quite compatible. However, when they heard this question, they looked at each other and then immediately glanced away with disgust.
The meaning in his eyes is very clear: Who would want to have an affair with this guy? He is not crazy!
Although the later answer was full of official tone, when translated into human language, it means: Impossible, absolutely impossible.
Sure enough, in reality, it looks good~
The reporter smiled with a loving mother's smile and even thought that the rebelliousness of these two young people was particularly cute.
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