As the fast-talking Lao Liu walked out of the theater, he still felt dizzy and disoriented.
Although I went to see this movie expecting to thoroughly criticize "Happy Street" and capitalize on its popularity, by the middle of the story, the fast-talking Lao Liu vaguely realized that this opportunity might not be so easy to come by.
As a commercial film, *Happy Street* is an extremely, exceptionally, and remarkably successful film. It is exceptionally well-made, with virtually no dragging or dull moments. Regardless of one's post-viewing thoughts, it at least ensured a highly enjoyable viewing experience.
Audiences aren't stupid. The quality of the film speaks for itself. He stubbornly insists that "Happy Street" is bad. He's made a killing on this kind of online traffic, but what about the next one?
Reputation can be controversial, but it can't be used as toilet paper!
Fast-talking Lao Liu was filled with worry. He couldn't bring himself to curse, and praising him felt like he was paying extra (after all, the shady CEO of Qingping Entertainment hadn't given him a single penny). He was in so much pain, like Huang Feizhang carrying an iron gate, wishing it would slam down and give him a good whack...
"Mommy, Mommy, I want that!"
The familiar shrill voice rang out again, startling Old Liu. It was that family of five again! Why was this little boy's spirit haunting them? He kept calling out wherever they went.
Just as the fast-talking Lao Liu was about to leave, he casually glanced in the direction of the sound and was startled.
Like many cinemas, the one Lao Liu (a nickname) visited also had a convenience store and vending machine. It was stocked with ridiculously expensive snacks and drinks. On the vending machine, there was a large box filled with giant lollipops—the kind with rainbow colors and concentric rings. A pretty-looking candy that's sickeningly sweet after just a few bites.
The cinema that the fast-talking Lao Liu visited was clearly poorly managed; these giant lollipops had been unsold for years and were already covered in a thin layer of dust.
However, now, the area in front of that big box is crowded with chattering children, arguing and clamoring for their parents to buy them candy!
The mechanical voices announcing "50 yuan received via Alipay" and "50 yuan received via WeChat" echoed one after another, leaving the fast-talking Lao Liu dumbfounded.
This piece of candy, which would take half a year to finish, costs fifty yuan. In Lao Liu's eyes, it's simply a waste of money. But it's the Lunar New Year, and everyone is in a joyful mood. Surprisingly, quite a few parents happily bought it for their children!
Fast-talking Lao Liu watched as the little boy who had just been crying and begging to see "The Story of the Lantern" happily unwrapped his lollipop and licked it all over. After making the candy sticky, he casually picked up a poster given away by the cinema and stuck it on the lollipop.
The little boy held up a lollipop, and the poster rose with the lollipop, revealing a row of big white teeth that fluttered in the wind on the lollipop.
"Charge out! Charge out! Charge out!"
A little boy's high-pitched, childish voice rang out in the theater, accompanied by joyful dashes and leaps. This scene, comparable to a children's cult classic, made Lao Liu's eyelids twitch. Inspired by the little boy, several other children followed suit, Ye Chu's face flashing across the theater lobby.
The Spring Festival film season is chaotic enough, but with a few kids running, jumping, and screaming, it was just too much to bear. Fast-talking Lao Liu, completely bewildered by the noise, started to feel a throbbing headache again…
If all else fails, let's try criticizing "Happy Street" from a different angle—say, criticize the audience for their low quality... This ridiculous idea was immediately dismissed by the quick-witted Lao Liu. Criticizing a movie is fine, but criticizing the audience is the first step a film critic takes towards their grave.
Fast-talking Lao Liu had a terrible headache. Sitting in the front row with his neck craned back to watch the movie was too uncomfortable; years of sitting had given him severe cervical spondylosis. Poor blood circulation made his head ache. He complained a bit about why he had to force himself to buy a front-row ticket. Was that phone really that fun?
The fast-talking Lao Liu sat down on a chair in the cinema lobby, rubbing his neck as he observed with interest the reactions of the audience members leaving the theater.
On the left side of the corridor are Halls 1 to 5, which screen "Happiness Street" and "The Story of Dengdeng". On the right side of the corridor are Halls 6 to 8, as well as two special halls and one VIP hall, which screen "Floating Flower Palace" and "Don't Touch My Dad".
After watching for a while, the fast-talking Lao Liu quickly noticed the difference between the audience on both sides of the corridor.
Most of the audience members who emerged from the left side of the corridor looked satisfied, some even excited. Many had tears in their eyes. The younger generation was the most noticeable, with couples and friends chatting excitedly in small groups.
Fast-talking Lao Liu pricked up his ears and heard several keywords: "Ye Chu", "rules", "explosion", "happiness", and "lights".
The group emerging from the right side of the corridor behaved rather indifferently. They didn't react with exaggerated gestures like yawning or cursing; they were simply more "ordinary." In short, just ordinary spectators.
After watching for a while, the fast-talking Lao Liu slowly stopped rubbing his neck. As a film critic, he certainly knew what this phenomenon meant.
The fast-talking Lao Liu glanced sideways at the floor-to-ceiling poster stand on the right side of the theater, where huge posters for the two films, "Floating Flower Palace" and "Don't Touch My Dad," were displayed.
The poster for "Floating Flower Palace" features a magnificent palace as its main element, with the lead actors Zhang Fengjin and Yao Lan dressed in splendid attire, standing back to back. True to its title, the poster exudes an air of extravagance and luxury. The poster for "Don't Touch My Dad," on the other hand, is a classic comedy poster. Li Shuang, the leading lady of Happy Potato Chips, wears a sexy Republic-era cheongsam, revealing her long, slender, and fair legs, surrounded by a large group of men of all ages. The scene is both comical and strangely familiar, as if it has been seen on countless posters before.
After the adrenaline rush of "Happy Street," looking at the poster for "Don't Touch My Dad," the fast-talking Lao Liu felt an inexplicable calm and numbness.
The four-person couple who had just been queuing in front of Lao Liu walked past him, the four young people excitedly discussing, "It was really worth it! Next time we can go to an IMAX theater..."
The world is about to change.
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