Chapter 728 You Take the Blame
Friday, August 9th.
After picking up his girlfriend from get off work, Zhang Chenguang drove to the nearby Wanda Plaza.
After the two finished their meal, the girlfriend wanted to go shopping in the mall, while Zhang Chenguang suggested going to the movies.
"Are there any good new movies coming out recently?"
"Shanghai Fortress premiered today. It's said to be the Chinese sci-fi masterpiece that will take over from The Wandering Earth!"
Seeing his girlfriend Xiaoli's lack of interest, Zhang Chenguang quickly said, "It's starring Lu Han. Didn't you like him before?"
"I liked him for a while, but I stopped following him after he officially announced his relationship."
After hesitating for a moment and seeing her boyfriend's anxious expression, Xiaoli nodded.
"Well, since you want to see it, go ahead!"
"Wife, you are the best!" Zhang Chenguang looked happy.
He is a science fiction fan and loves watching science fiction movies the most.
But in the past, if you wanted to watch science fiction movies, you could only watch Hollywood ones, such as "The Matrix", "Interstellar", and "Avatar".
Hollywood's science fiction films are indeed well-made, and there are many excellent ones. However, as a Chinese, Zhang Chenguang still has certain expectations for his country's science fiction films.
However, over the years, this expectation has been exhausted by a series of bad domestic science fiction films, until the release of "The Wandering Earth" this year.
If you are not a true science fiction fan and do not like movies, you really cannot understand the shock that "The Wandering Earth" has brought to Chinese science fiction movie audiences after its release.
The quality of this film is only average in Hollywood terms, but it was made by Chinese people, and in comparison, it has raised the level of domestic science fiction films by more than one level.
[The Wandering Earth] is truly worthy of the pride of movie fans, and everyone is now full of confidence in domestic science fiction films.
The phrase "opening the door to Chinese science fiction films" is not just talk, most people think so.
Now, after half a year, "Shanghai Fortress" is released, and many science fiction movie fans are eager to watch it. Everyone is looking forward to this another domestic science fiction masterpiece that is said to take over from "The Wandering Earth".
Zhang Chenguang is one of the huge number of science fiction movie fans.
Pleased with his girlfriend's understanding, Zhang Chenguang quickly took her to the Wanda Cinema on the top floor.
It's Friday night and there are quite a few people watching movies.
He queued up to buy movie tickets, drinks and popcorn.
Not long after, the two followed the crowd into the theater.
"This movie is showing today for the first time, right? It doesn't look very crowded. I remember when you took me to see The Wandering Earth, the theater was packed."
After sitting down, Xiaoli looked around.
"The attendance rate is about half, which is not a small number. Lu Han's appeal is still not comparable to Gu Wei's.
As long as the quality of the film is good, there will be no shortage of people watching it later."
About 5 minutes after the two of them sat down, the lights in the theater dimmed and the movie began.
[Shanghai Fortress] lasted less than two hours. At the beginning, Zhang Chenguang was very much looking forward to it. However, when the leading actors appeared at the beginning of the movie, Lu Han's thick bangs and the plastic-textured special effects disappointed him and he had a bad feeling.
…
"Hubby, wake up, the movie is over!"
"Huh? It's over? Let's go then." The lights in the theater were all on, and subtitles were scrolling on the big screen. Zhang Chenguang, who had fallen asleep halfway through, also opened his eyes.
His girlfriend Xiaoli looked at him with amusement.
"It was you who asked me to come over to watch a movie, and you chose the movie, but you're sleeping here."
Zhang Chenguang wiped his lips to make sure he didn't drool while sleeping, and said awkwardly, "I didn't expect this movie to be so boring, it's just terrible!
What happened in the end? The aliens were destroyed, right? "
"It was destroyed. The heroine played by Shu Qi died. Lu Han shouted "Fire at me," and then the giant cannon fired and destroyed the alien warship."
Xiaoli briefly summarized the second half of the plot.
"Lu Han yelled, 'Fire at me?'"
Xiaoli thought about it and laughed. The heroine died, and the hero turned his grief into strength to save the world. It was originally a very passionate and exciting plot, but it was always a bit funny in the movie.
Zhang Chenguang shook his head, stood up and walked out with his girlfriend. The two of them could still hear other people talking about the movie. Most of the audience left the theater cursing.
Zhang Chenguang was also angry. After sending his girlfriend home, he turned on his computer first when he got home.
To be honest, the internet is flooded with criticism of Shanghai Fortress.
["The Wandering Earth" shows us the hope of Chinese science fiction films, and "Shanghai Fortress" shows us the desire to make money! ]
[As for science fiction films, it basically collects all the mistakes that Chinese science fiction can make; as for romance films, it has the self-awareness to not even dare to be released during the Qixi Festival.]
[People who have been to the cinema advise everyone not to come. Watching pirated movies is a waste of time. Seeing so many people criticizing me makes me feel relieved!]
If The Wandering Earth is a pioneer in Chinese science fiction films, then Shanghai Fortress is just a speculator riding on the hype, a looter beside a truck.
[The plot is boring and is not driven by story details and logic. It relies heavily on narration and rough and awkward lines. The special effects and music are of very low taste!
No matter how bad the film is, it is still a waste of talent to choose Lu Han as the male lead for this kind of subject matter. Shu Qi is also completely unsuitable for the role. There is no excitement or tension at all. It feels like shooting an MV.
Shu Qi and Lu Han don't have any CP feeling at all. They're like a female teacher and a child. There's no spark between men and women. Their relationship seems a bit immoral no matter how you look at it.
If I hadn't watched The Wandering Earth first, I would have given this drama a 3, but after watching it, I can only give this movie a 1. The difference is not just a little bit, the contrast is too strong!
【.】
"Damn, I should have read the reviews online before deciding whether to watch it. I was careless. Who could have imagined that it would be so bad after being advertised so well?"
Zhang Chenguang complained, then logged into his account and gave a one-star review. Although he hadn't finished watching the movie, he still had a lot to say.
[Shanghai Fortress] was a complete failure.
This domestic science fiction masterpiece, which was promoted enthusiastically before its release, only managed to break the 100 million yuan box office mark after three days of release, and was followed by an overwhelming amount of negative reviews on the Internet.
After Douban started to score, it only had a score of 3.8.
However, this is not the end. A week after the movie was released, the score dropped to 2.9, which is on the same level as the epic bad movie "Pure Mind Chasing Dreams in Show Business" (2.2).
The film's total box office barely broke 100 million yuan after three days of release. Faced with such a pitiful box office and negative online reviews, director Teng Huatao apologized on Weibo on August 11th, saying, "I have caused investors to lose money. As a director, I have an unshirkable responsibility."
On the 12th, screenwriter Jiang Nan also apologized on Weibo, saying: "I apologize to those friends who didn't like the movie. I failed to live up to your expectations."
However, it was of no use. In the following week, the total box office of "Shanghai Fortress" closed at 112 million yuan. The nearly 63% drop in box office on Monday meant that the box office of this newly released movie was about to come to an end.
On the 15th, director Teng Huatao said in an interview with the media, "I used Lu Han wrongly, in a genre that was not suitable for him."
These words once again brought Lu Han, who has recently been controversial because of his movies, to the forefront of public opinion.
Lu Han, who had already been criticized, felt like the target of public criticism for a while, as if the filming of "Shanghai Fortress" was entirely Lu Han's fault.
"You won't respond?"
In a basketball hall in the capital, Deng Chao, Chen He, Gu Wei, Lu Han and others played basketball for a while and then sat on chairs nearby to rest.
Gu Wei has been promoting "Eastern Palace" with Meng Ziyi these days. As soon as he returned to the capital, he received a call from Deng Chao asking him to play basketball.
"What's there to respond to? My acting was indeed not good.
"As the lead actor, if the movie is a big hit, I can reap the money and honor. Now that it's a flop, naturally I have to take the blame." Lu Han was sweating profusely. He drank a sip of water and then poured it over his head. He shook his head without a trace of expression on his face. Obviously, he was not as open-minded as he said.
Gu Wei nodded and said, "Xiaolu, you have one biggest advantage over other young male stars!"
"What?"
"You are more self-aware than they are."
After Gu Wei finished speaking, he saw Lu Han looking at him with resentment on his face. Deng Chao and Chen He spat out the water they had just drunk and laughed.
"I'll take it as a compliment."
"Haha, of course I'm praising you.
【Shanghai Fortress】I watched it, your acting is really not that good.
However, the failure of the movie is mainly the director's fault. As an actor, it is the director who decides how you, as an actor, should perform and what effect you will get.
The director has already given the actor a shot, what else can he do?
I remember when we were filming "The Great Wall", director Zhang Yimou said in an interview: There are no actors who can't act, only incompetent directors.
In comparison, Teng Huatao is too petty.
When making a movie, they think of borrowing your traffic, and when they mess up the movie, they put the blame on you.
Now the media outside are fanning the flames and pointing the spearhead of public opinion at you. In fact, people who are knowledgeable in the industry know what is going on.
I remember that Teng Huatao started out as a TV director and later switched to film. Now that he's messed up such a big project, it's unlikely he'll get another chance to direct a film."
"Gu Wei is right. Teng Huatao messed up a big production worth over 300 million yuan. He himself is not a well-known director like Director Zhang. It will be difficult for him to direct movies in the future. Investors will not believe in him."
Deng Chao wiped the sweat off his face and joined in the conversation.
He is also a director. Last month's movie "Galaxy Tutorial" finally grossed over 800 million yuan. Although it was not a big hit, it still made money.
"But if you take the blame for this, Xiaolu, you might not get the chance to make a movie again."
"It doesn't matter. I'm not a professional actor anyway. If I'm not filming, I can still sing and record variety shows with Brother Chao and the others. Being a star is just a job. If I don't do well, the worst that can happen is I'll just give up." Lu Han became open-minded at this time.
"Hahaha, Xiaolu, if you think like that, you'll be invincible. Once you have the thought of playing badly, you'll suddenly feel like the world is wide open.
The popularity you’ve accumulated may be enough for you to live on for the rest of your life.” Gu Wei smiled and patted his shoulder.
"I have no choice. If every drama I make becomes a hit like you, I would also want to keep acting." Lu Han shrugged.
"Come on, I'll treat you after we play ball. Let's have a drink to comfort your wounded heart!" Gu Wei took the responsibility.
"That's great! I love it most when someone treats me!" Chen He said with a smile.
"Don't you need to report this to your family first?"
"What do I have to report? You don't know my status in the family!" Chen He raised his thumbs up as if he was the boss.
"Ahem~ I have to make a phone call. Don't you know that your sister Li has given me a lot of Chinese medicine recently, saying it's good for my health. I don't know if I can drink alcohol?" Deng Chao was very tempted when he heard Gu Wei say that he would treat him to a drink, but when he thought of the one at home, he couldn't agree immediately.
Chen He looked at Deng Chao with a smirk on his face and said in a feminine voice, "Da Lang, take your medicine!"
"Go to hell!" Deng Chao pushed him with a smile.
"Hahaha"
On August 20, Gu Wei flew to Hengdian to prepare to start filming "Joy of Life".
He was not alone, Tian Xiwei was also on the plane.
“How’s the preparation going?
[Joy of Life] is our company's key TV drama project this year. Although the role "Fan Ruoruo" played by you, Xiaotian, is a supporting actress, your role is no less than that of the female lead.
And the character design is even better. If I act well, I won’t become an instant star, but I can definitely become familiar to the audience.”
"I read the original novel twice and read the script three times, and I have some ideas about the characters."
Tian Xiwei sat opposite Gu Wei, wearing a sky blue knee-length skirt and a pair of white sneakers. She had a pair of big watery eyes under her air bangs, and looked very cute.
"Oh? Tell me about it."
When the casting for [Joy of Life] started, Gu Wei also considered whether to ask the original Song Yi to play Fan Ruoruo, but he felt that Tian Xiwei's image was also suitable.
Although Xiaotian is still an 18th-tier star and has no fame at all, Gu Wei's script does not require the fame of others. If there is a suitable opportunity, he will of course give it to his own family.
Oda leaned forward with the script in his hand.
“Fan Ruoruo is a character full of contradictions.
In the eyes of the people in Beijing, she is the most talented woman in the capital, smart and clever, and highly praised.
However, in front of Fan Xian, she turned into a silly and cute little sister, who seemed to have completely lost her IQ.
No matter when and where, as long as Fan Xian needs her, she will transform into a "super brick" without hesitation, devoting everything to him, and never backing down even when facing powerful opponents.
I feel that this is where the charm of this character comes from.
Outside, she's a cool and talented woman, but next to Fan Xian, she's a little fangirl who adores her brother. As long as she can play this contrast well, she should be able to grasp the essence of the character."
Tian Xiwei is aware of the company's emphasis on "Joy of Life". She also knows how hard it is to have the opportunity to work with Gu Wei on a film, so she put a lot of effort into the script and characters.
[Wei Ming Tian Xia] These young female artists who signed contracts later all knew each other.
Tian Xiwei is good friends with Jiang Peiyao, and Meng Ziyi has a good relationship with Zhou Ye. Now that "Eastern Palace" is a big hit, Meng Ziyi has become famous.
As far as Tian Xiwei knew, Zhou Ye also collaborated with his boss to shoot a movie, which would be released in the second half of the year.
They are all about the same age, and they are all female artists from the same company. She is also anxious and wants to improve herself so much!
After listening to Tian Xiwei's analysis of the character, Gu Wei nodded in agreement.
"That's a good analysis. Your understanding of the role is fine. It all depends on how you perform during filming.
Being able to think clearly is important, but being able to act out your thoughts is the real skill!"
"Boss, don't worry, I will definitely perform well!"
Tian Xiwei patted his chest and assured Gu Wei that the situation had been resolved.
"Um
By the way, are you about to graduate?"
"After this summer vacation, I will be a senior in college and graduate next year!" Tian Xiwei is a student majoring in acting at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. She was only a freshman when she signed with Weiming Tianxia.
"You're almost graduating, so you have plenty of time. You've played a lot of supporting roles in the past two years. Once Joy of Life is finished filming, I'll have the company arrange a female lead role for you!"
He decided to follow Meng Ziyi's previous path, playing supporting roles while in school to hone his acting skills and become familiar to the public, and then arrange for the leading role when he is about to graduate.
"Thank you, thank you, boss!"
Tian Xiwei's little face was so beaming that if they weren't on the plane, she would have jumped up and cheered.
(End of this chapter)
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