I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 386 Bell, you big-eyed, thick-browed guy, you actually betrayed us?
"You killed my dog, now!"

"I will avenge it!"

As Killer Dragon spoke in a deep and aggressive voice, his words, even without the accompanying visuals, still sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Here, Chen Jin's portrayal of the dragon conveys a very menacing expression.

Everyone in front of the big screen felt a chill run down their spines, as if they were truly facing the accusation of a "god of death".

After nearly half an hour of setup and necessary exposition, the film is now truly revealing its captivating aspects.

No one spoke or talked anymore; everyone was clearly captivated by the scene before them, even though it was just a rough cut.

They all wanted to see how a retired top assassin would use his abilities to exact revenge, bit by bit!
Even if the opponent is very strong.

He is the gangster ruler who controls this city.

boom! boom! boom!
With a gun in one hand, Chen Jin swiftly dodged and leaped, simultaneously knocking down opponents who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

His figure was like that of a real assassin, and he wielded the gun with flair.

This was a classic battle in the church.

After being rescued by his rival and partner, the dragon is forced to fight its way out.

The combination of bullets and punches, both at close and long range, certainly gave Bale and his teammates a good laugh.

Action movies can be filmed like this?!

It's worth noting that in the past, Hollywood movies have always followed a formulaic approach to action, transitioning from shooting to hand-to-hand combat. It's either a rapid-fire gunfight or a series of brutal punches.

They wouldn't say that shooting and fighting took place simultaneously.

First, the action actors lack the ability; second, the skill level of the action choreographer is questionable.

But what Chen Jin is showing now is a set of action routines that Sun Nuo, Chen Jin, Chad, and others specially tailored for the protagonist after discussion.

It fits the character design of the Dragon Slayer.

It's also a very classic "gun-fu" move from "John Wick"!
The game seamlessly blends gunfights with close-quarters combat. For example, right now, as Long fires guns with both hands in the church corridor, he knocks down multiple enemies with kicks and elbows. His movements are as fluid as a dance, combining power and beauty.

But it's very realistic, without any exaggeration or exceeding the normal level of human combat.

Everything seemed like something a human could do.

Many fighting games, even those in China, are exaggerated. Some are portrayed as invincible, while others are depicted as having cheat codes like Rambo.

This movie shows great respect for the audience's intelligence.

Moreover, Chen Jin's fighting skills are truly outstanding.

This is more complex and violent than the original John Wick action movie; Keanu is, after all, 50 years old. Although he does 90% of the action himself, you can't expect a 50-year-old to maintain the same level of performance as someone in their 20s.

Chen Jin's set of movements was clearly more elegant and unrestrained, and also cool and pretentious.

Killing one person in three steps, taking down an opponent with a single shot—the movements are complex and varied… transcending the fragmented rhythm of traditional action films, giving the battles greater dramatic tension.

This is a revolutionary visual combat style.

"..."

Bale was watching intently, and of course he's done action movies too; but Batman really... was so fake.

He's a superhero, so the fight scenes sometimes use a lot of special effects.

But the dragon in front of me is a living, breathing human being.

A killer driven to a path of revenge uses his skills to kill the final villain.

Therefore, the plot doesn't portray the protagonist as mindless, capable of single-handedly defeating the entire gang. He also gets injured and captured. The comment about killing the dog was directed at the gang leader, Vig Tarasov.

Long Shuangquan was no match for four hands, but his original companions saved him.

If the previous 1 vs 35 fight in the dark dwelling was just a warm-up, then this scene in the church is definitely a classic example of violent aesthetics.

Chen Jin fought her way through the encirclement and stood in front of Vig once again.

He didn't kill him, but instead asked him for clues about his son... Every wrong has its perpetrator, and he only wanted to kill the other man's son.

This fits his persona as an assassin.

The final result, of course, is Dragon vs. Vig!

In the pouring rain, Vig was beaten to the ground by the dragon like a dead dog.

He drove back to his house and crashed into the steps... The film echoes this, which can be considered a kind of editing.

A retired assassin, after experiencing the murder of his deceased wife's beloved dog and a series of hardships and torments, embarks on a path of revenge that he can no longer tolerate!
"Awesome! Cool~~~"

Affleck, who sat next to Bale without missing a single scene and didn't even go to the bathroom, was the first to exhale.

Hearty.

Even after seeing the final outcome, there's still a satisfying feeling of retaliating against the opponent.

A true popcorn action blockbuster.

Several of Bale's bros looked at Chen Jin differently after watching this rough cut.

If before it was because of the other party's Venice Film Festival Best Actor award and because of Bale's influence, then now... it's because I'm impressed by Chen Jin's kung fu in this movie.

A completely novel fighting style.

Not to mention them, it seems like Hollywood... doesn't have any actors like this yet.

He's young, physically fit, and a good actor.

"A man's movie!"

Michael Costigan clapped his hands, looking at Chen Jin with admiration: "It seems many of your Chinese actors know kung fu?"

"Neither!"

"I should say that all the Chinese male actors you know know kung fu!"

"Ha ha!"

That's true; in fact, foreigners love watching this kind of flashy stuff.

They consider both Jackie Chan and Jet Li as kung fu stars, but in reality, only Jet Li is truly skilled; Jackie Chan relies more on brute force.

"It's very different!"

Costigan shrugged incredulously: "It's very different from the action movies I've watched before, even those Chinese kung fu movies, which I've actually seen!"

This is certainly not an exaggeration, and the perspective of professionals is definitely different from that of ordinary viewers.

He produced Li An's "Lust, Caution," so he clearly has some understanding of China.

For example, the DVD of Li An's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has always been kept at Costigan's house.

Most domestic kung fu films are actually quite exaggerated and lack a fixed style; but this film, "Killer: Dragon," is more realistic throughout and features a kind of aesthetically pleasing approach to violence.

Even without rendering or post-production color grading, the overall tone is gloomy and dark, belonging to the category of B-movie noir.

It's about giving people a sense of high-quality, impressive quality at first glance.

This shot itself is very artistic.

"This movie is Chan's directorial debut!"

Bell felt it necessary to talk to a few bros, so he invited Costigan and the others up to watch a rough cut of the film, just telling them it was an unfinished movie.

Didn't say much.

Even Michael Costigan never imagined that Chen Jin was the director of this film.

He at most believed that this was a film that Chen Jin herself had invested in.

Just like many filmmakers in the industry, they find a director and producer, and then buy a script on the market, which becomes the template for filming.

"Are you the director?"

Even Woody Harrelson, who is usually quite reserved, looked up in surprise.

"Yes, it's my first time making a movie, so I don't know how it will turn out. I'd like to ask Christy for his feedback!"

"This is the first cut!"

Chen Jin is still very humble.

But as shrewd as Bale was, he clearly knew this was a great opportunity to promote the film. In fact, *Killer Dragon* was quite a surprise to him.

Honestly, from what Chen Jin said on the phone, Bell felt it was a half-finished product, so he lowered his expectations.

He came to observe with the intention of finding the best aspects.

I didn't expect the finished product to be so excellent.

He watched it carefully from beginning to end, and he really felt that this movie would definitely be a hit if it were released.

Since that's the case, we definitely need to give Chen Jin a good shout-out.

"Strictly speaking, this movie is equivalent to Chan's own child!"

"He and his team completed the script, produced the film, directed the film, starred in the film, and edited the film!"

This is not an exaggeration.

Chen Jin really did handle so many jobs all by herself.

But no one believed him when he said it, so Bell added a team because he also felt that Chen Jin must have a team.

"It's unbelievable..."

"Is this really just the first version? I feel it's already quite complete!"

Kostigan said with a laugh.

He didn't really believe Bale's words, but he wouldn't call him out on it. Instead, he became extremely interested in the movie in front of him.

No producer doesn't want to make money.

Movies are just a money-making tool for Hollywood, as long as someone feels they have value.

He knew very well that Chen Jin was an outsider.

This movie is clearly tailor-made for Hollywood. Apart from a few of the main actors who are of Asian descent, the rest of the cast and crew are distinctly Western; from the actors to the sets and the behind-the-scenes crew!
"The main story is in my mind!"

"So the editing was a bit fast..."

Chen Jin smiled, and Woody Harrelson agreed, saying, "Actually, I think the same thing as Michael. If this version is released, it should have a big impact. The action scenes are very fresh!"

"I like the main character!"

Harrison laughed and slapped his colleague Affleck's thigh: "You, buddy, I feel like when you look at a dragon, your whole body is leaning forward!"

"Haha, I really admire Chan's skills; he can film action scenes so well!"

"Believe me, your work definitely has a market!"

"..."

Several of the bros were praising the movie, which might be genuine or just flattery.

They certainly didn't have the same ideas as Costigan; they were speaking from the perspective of an actor and an audience member, and considering that the other party was Bale's friend, they spoke their true feelings.

In their view, although the market prospects of Chen Jin's work are uncertain, it is definitely a masterpiece.

The group was clearly having a heated discussion, except for Costigan, who would only occasionally chime in with a comment.

Ultimately, the group even started discussing the restaurant.

After they parted ways, chatting and laughing, and returned to their rooms, Bell secretly asked Costigan, "Michael, do you think Chan's work has a market in North America?"

When actors say they'll become popular and their products will sell like hotcakes, you can just take it with a grain of salt.

Even if this work is really good.

However, there are many factors that affect box office performance, and a good movie is not guaranteed to make money. Actors only need to focus on filming, while the specific operations of the release actually depend on the judgments of "professionals" such as producers and distributors.

"There is definitely a market for it!"

"Is Chan going to act like an independent producer, or will it partner with a North American film studio for distribution?"

Costigan asked indirectly.

Bell glanced at Chen Jin, clearly knowing that Costigan was also eyeing Killer Dragon.

"Not ready yet!"

"My original plan was to release it in China first, and then—"

"no! no! no!"

Before Chen Jin could finish speaking, Costigan frantically started gesturing: "Please don't do that, really! You can totally participate in Sundance or Toronto. I think a lot of distributors will contact you!"

"North America and China are not in conflict, so selling the distribution rights would be a huge loss!"

That's true. After saying that, Costigan added, "Of course, if you want to sell it to me, I have no objection, hahaha!"

"But my last movie sold for a high price..."

"..."

Costigan's smile vanished instantly.

Is it because you don't like to smile?
Chen Jin understood Costigan's meaning, of course. He clearly thought that Chen Jin wanted to sell well in China and get a good price in North America.

But in reality, even if it becomes a huge hit in China, it won't fetch a good price in North America.

Few Chinese films make money in North America.

"Jinling" was indeed influenced by many factors, but the main reason was that it won the Golden Bear at Berlin.

Westerners have a biased view of this award, and with Bale starring, Zhang Yimou's contribution is only a small part, while Chen Jin's contribution is almost negligible.

That's how awkward it is.

"Which one?"

Costigan persisted, asking again.

"The Flower of War, the Chinese film starring Christian Bale!"

"Oh shit, this movie is yours too?"

Costigan felt he needed to change some of his views.

"Of course!"

Bell laughed, feeling that his cooperation with Chen Jin was seamless.

"Michael, it's my fault. I didn't explain Chan's background to you properly!"

As he spoke, he lavishly praised Chen Jin and the Science of Film to Costigan, and Costigan's gaze immediately changed.

If you had a magnifying glass, you could see the extreme change in his gaze before and after looking at Chen Jin.

"Oh God, you...you said you're the founder of that...the film company that broke box office records in China?"

"Damn it, Chris, you should have told me about this sooner!"

Costigan complained to Bell in utter frustration.

"It's not too late to introduce it now!"

Bell shrugged coldly.

"I think we can cooperate!"

This time, Costigan looked at Chen Jin very seriously and even took the initiative to extend his hand to Chen Jin.

Clearly, in some respects, white people can change their minds faster than turning the pages of a book.

After mentioning the electronics industry and "Nanjing", Costigan indeed began to take it seriously.

"..."

Bell, standing to the side, gave Chen Jin a wink, with an expression that said, "My buddy's doing a great job." Chen Jin gave him a look that said, "You'll understand."

You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, have actually betrayed us for a movie?!

All I can say is that Bear Grylls is human too.

Now he and Chen Jin are practically tied together by "Hong Kong Trip," and the more people they can bring in, the more beneficial it will be for their next film.

The more influence Chen Jin has in Hollywood, the higher the probability of this project succeeding!

(End of this chapter)