This director is vindictive.

Chapter 262 Chen Mo Brand Anti-counterfeiting Labels – You Can Trust Them!

On the first and second days of the Lunar New Year, although the box office of "Detective Chinatown 3" benefited from the reputation and popularity accumulated by the previous two films, as well as the strong publicity, so both the number of screenings and the box office were the highest in the Spring Festival season so far, the word-of-mouth plummeted like crazy.

From an initial score of over 7, it dropped directly to below 6, which is a failing grade.

The comments section exploded.

“全剧136分钟：110分钟的跑路+15分钟的父女故事10分钟的推理+1分钟的广告。”

"Chen Mo, I was wrong. I used to think you were hypocritical, but now I realize you're still hypocritical. You call such a terrible movie a successful commercial film? I'm going to get you in trouble!"

"Anyone who came up with a plot like this—a young and beautiful mother being violated by a homeless man in front of her child for a bowl of noodles—must have something wrong with their head! Yes, Chen Sicheng, I'm talking about you!"

"After watching 'Detective Chinatown 3,' I finally understood—Chen Mo's line, 'Don't watch it as a mystery,' was a lifesaver! This movie is basically a 'Tokyo tourism promotional video + a hodgepodge of advertisements,' and the mystery part is like 'the murderer's face is written all over your head, but the director insists you guess for two hours.' If Chen Mo had been harsher with his criticism, I might have saved the money for this ticket!"

"When Chen Mo praised 'Detective Chinatown 3' as a 'successful commercial film,' but warned me not to watch it as a mystery, I almost unfollowed him. Now I'm kneeling back to apologize! This 'success' is clearly ironic! The most meticulously crafted logic in the entire film is 'how to cram in more advertisements.' The moment the Q organization was revealed, I could almost hear Chen Mo sneer off-screen: 'See, what did I tell you?'"

"Chen Mo is still too gentle! 'Detective Chinatown 3' doesn't even deserve to be called a movie! It's basically a 'compilation of Wang Baoqiang's greasy performance + Liu Haoran's photo album + the director's self-indulgent performance.' Even the CG of the Q organization's appearance at the end would make Red-Haired Ghost say, 'Don't try to pass yourself off as a 5-cent special effect!' #ChenMo's rating elasticity? No, it's the audience's blood pressure elasticity!#"

Is "Detective Chinatown 3" really so bad that it's completely worthless?
In Chen Mo's opinion, that's not true at all. His previous statement about "successful commercial films" wasn't just empty talk.

From a commercial perspective, a sequel film made like this has comedic elements and grand scenes. Although the plot is indeed simple and the murderer is practically written on his face, if you don't consider it a mystery film, it shouldn't be rated below six points.

But the problem is that the gap is too big.

The promotion for "Detective Chinatown 3" began before the pandemic last year, and it can be said that many netizens were looking forward to this movie at that time.

If this movie had been released as scheduled last year, people would probably have been able to give it a more objective evaluation.

But a year has passed, and the anticipation has been heightened, as evidenced by the increased pre-sale box office figures.

As a result, during the film's promotion, various aspects were emphasized as mystery and suspense, which whetted everyone's appetite.

But after the movie was released, all the viewers who were looking forward to it realized that they had been completely fooled!
One netizen's comment perfectly encapsulates the sentiments of countless viewers who gave negative reviews.

"Last January, to prepare for 'Detective Chinatown 3,' I not only watched the entire 'Detective Chinatown' web series, but also rewatched 'Detective Chinatown 1' and 'Detective Chinatown 2.' However, 'Detective Chinatown 3' was postponed to this year's Spring Festival release. So, a few days ago, I rewatched the first two movies and watched the web series again. Finally, the long-awaited 'Detective Chinatown 3' arrived, and my first reaction after watching the movie was: 'I waited three years, and this is what you show me?'"

The more disappointed people are with "Detective Chinatown 3", the more they feel apologetic and admiring towards Chen Mo, the first person to speak the "truth".

You could say that before, people criticized Chen Mo for being "double-standard" and a "two-faced capitalist," but now, after watching his three movies, the praise has become incredibly intense.

As mentioned earlier, although online film review websites such as Douban and Mtime have been criticized by many for their ratings being no longer reliable,

But in reality?

It's actually quite valuable for reference!

At the very least, a movie with a particularly high rating may not actually be that good, but it is certainly not a terrible movie either.

Similarly, a movie with a rating below 6 or 5 is definitely not a good movie.

Once the number of ratings increases, the ratings themselves become a valuable reference.

What about now?
You could say that Chen Mo was being hypocritical before, using his reputation and credibility built up over many years to market and promote "Hi, Mom".

They are two-faced capitalists, and their credibility has been shattered.

But can Chen Mo control everyone's true feelings?

At least, those ratings from hundreds of thousands of people online weren't manipulated by Chen Mo, were they?
"Where are the people who criticized Chen Mo for double standards back then? Now, 'Detective Chinatown 3' has a rating of 5.8, and 'Li Huanying' has an 8.1. It proves that he was just telling the truth in advance! He takes a heavy hit against bad movies ('Detective Chinatown 3') and gives objective evaluations to flawed movies ('Li Huanying'). That's called professionalism, not double standards!"

"Thanks to Chen Mo for subtly reminding us of the poor quality of 'A Writer's Odyssey' by saying 'it needs to be watched twice,' and for using the high emotional intelligence of 'commercial film' to imply the lackluster quality of 'Detective Chinatown 3.' I suggest adding a security tag to his film review: 'If you are angry after watching the film, please review my review for warning.'"

"He really is amazing, I'm so happy. As expected, Chen Mo, the trendsetter for movie viewing, is as reliable as ever. I'm truly impressed this time."

As the reviews of several films released during the Spring Festival season came in, hashtags such as #ChenMoTheProphet# and #OweChenMoAnApology# trended on social media.

The blogger @MovieMicroscope, who previously created the "double standard meme," publicly apologized: "Chen Mo does indeed owe an apology this time, because the data doesn't lie—Chen Mo's evaluations of the three films highly match the final audience reviews. The so-called 'double standard' is just that some people don't understand industry jargon: 'cinematic language' = novice director, 'tearjerker' = box office hit."

Here's a prediction: tomorrow, the third day of the Lunar New Year, is very likely to be the turning point for Spring Festival films!

Even film critics who had previously slammed Chen Mo have changed their tune: "It must be admitted that Chen Mo's 'emotional value theory' accurately predicted the reputation of 'Hi, Mom.' When the audience votes with their feet, those critics who stubbornly clung to 'film art' have become another kind of 'let them eat cake'."

Although "Detective Chinatown 3" is currently a box office success but not a critical success, while "Hi, Mom" ​​is a critical success but not a box office success (its screenings and box office are not as good as "Detective Chinatown 3"), in fact, the word-of-mouth and attendance rates in the first two days have already shown a clear shift.

As for "A Writer's Odyssey," it's not that important anymore. After all, when the eldest and second eldest brothers fight, the third brother is usually the first to be defeated.

Ning Hao and Lu Yang were probably crying their eyes out in the bathroom.

Originally, you see, "Detective Chinatown 3" was supposed to be the uncrowned king of this year's Spring Festival film season.

Other films broke all sorts of pre-sale records, but the reputation of "Detective Chinatown 3" deteriorated too quickly. It could have been an opportunity for other films, but unfortunately, you can't take advantage of opportunities!
At this time, "Hi, Mom" ​​didn't actually have the same high reputation as "Dying to Survive," but it still managed to be the best among the worst. During this year's Spring Festival season, it had the best reputation and the highest rating.

However, what many people didn't expect, even Chen Mo, was...

This wave of public opinion reversed for Chen Mo, causing hashtags like #OweChenMoAnApology# to trend on social media.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, public opinion shifted dramatically.

What? Detective Chinatown 3 is a critical flop?
What? The logic in "A Writer's Odyssey" is touching?

What? "Hi, Mom" ​​achieved a box office comeback with sincerity?

No, none of those! That's right, none of them.

Because the third day of the Lunar New Year is February 14th! That's Valentine's Day!

This year's Valentine's Day seems no different from the past, but for movie fans and young couples, it is exceptionally different.

Because this year's Valentine's Day is particularly special, the promotional video for Chen Mo and Jing Tian's "Phoenix Brings Auspiciousness" classical wedding is about to be released!

This promotional video, which was previously criticized by many as "exploiting consumers," has surprisingly become the most watched film this Valentine's Day.

The trending topic #OweChenMoAnApology# even reminded many people of the time when they "owed Stephen Chow a movie ticket".

The saying goes, "love me, love my dog," and many movie fans and netizens have previously mocked Chen Mo for his double standards to varying degrees.

But the reality check came so quickly that they actually felt somewhat "guilty"!
This guilt quickly transformed into a different kind of compensatory consumption.

A netizen posted a picture of a movie ticket for "The Phoenix's Auspiciousness" under the trending hashtag #OweChenMoAnApology#, with the caption: "The collapse of 'Detective Chinatown 3' made me realize that he's the one who dares to speak the truth. Consider this ticket a payment for my 'idiocy tax,' and also a way to support a truly dedicated work! #ThePhoenix'sAuspiciousnessWillBeABestSuccess#"
This post quickly triggered a chain reaction, with the comment section instantly flooded with posts about "the same kind of atonement-style ticket purchase":
"I've already bought a ticket +1. Chen Mo's film review helped us avoid 'Detective Chinatown 3,' and I'm supporting his sincerity with my movie ticket money!"

"I initially thought wedding documentaries couldn't be that good, but compared to 'Tokyo parkour + commercials,' I choose to trust Chen Mo's aesthetic sense!"

Interestingly, driven by these netizens with a "compensation mentality," the hashtag #PhoenixAuspiciousnessWillBePopular# inexplicably trended on social media.

The young couples were already planning a unique "check-in ceremony" for Valentine's Day this year, which goes without saying.

As a result, once this topic became a trending topic, even people who weren't originally planning to check it out started coming to join in the fun.

Cao Yu is one of them. To be honest, as a single guy, he usually wouldn't go to the movies to torture himself on Valentine's Day.

After all, it's common knowledge that single people have absolutely no rights on holidays like Valentine's Day!

He usually doesn't even go out on days like this.

But he made an exception for Valentine's Day this year.

Of course, the main reason is that he saw many people posting pictures of their tickets, which were only for singles. Look, so many single people are going to see the "wedding documentary" in groups, so there's no awkwardness, right?

As for how you knew they were single?
Need I say more? If someone posts a movie ticket on Valentine's Day and it's a single ticket, they're definitely single!

However, just to be on the safe side, he still bought a ticket for noon.

When he arrived at the cinema, he was surprised to find that, despite it being noon, the quietest time of day, there were surprisingly a lot of people checking tickets.

Most of the people there were single, but there were also couples, though some, like him, came to the movie alone.

Sometimes, fate is truly wondrous.

Although Cao Yu had a little bit of anticipation when she came, what was she anticipating?
I dream of meeting a beautiful woman at the movie theater on Valentine's Day, discussing the film together, and then naturally falling in love.

Of course, this kind of longing is no different from daydreaming.

So-called romantic encounters are something only found in novels.

However, to his utter surprise, the scene he had been dreaming of actually came to life today.

"Cao Yu?" Cao Yu had just sat down when a familiar, yet slightly surprised, voice suddenly rang out.

"Lin Ying?" Cao Yu turned around with some surprise.

He truly hadn't expected to run into the other person here.

Yes, the two know each other!
And the last time we met was also at the movie theater, the movie was "The Eight Hundred"!
Unfortunately, the date didn't go well, and the reason was still Cao Yu's own fault.

He studied history, so he tends to be quite meticulous and historically accurate when it comes to films and television shows on this subject.

He and Lin Ying met through an introduction; it was their first date, but he ruined it.

Mainly, men, when they encounter something they are good at, always like to show it off like a peacock spreading its tail feathers.

He has a habit of making thorough preparations before watching movies, especially those with historical themes.

Learn about that period of history beforehand.

Then they become quite serious when watching movies and like to offer their opinions.

That time was no exception. He wanted to show off his erudition to the girl, but she just wanted to enjoy a movie.

When someone cried their eyes out during the scene where they bit the telephone line to deliver it, he not only didn't comfort them but also scoffed and criticized the plot as absurd.

The result can be imagined.

Imagine this: people are moved to tears by the story, and you're the one making sarcastic remarks, saying that the plot is treating the audience like idiots.

Who are you cursing?
How good will the girl's impression of him be?

The person needed tissues, but you handed them a research paper instead.

While others were crying their eyes out watching "The Eight Hundred," he sneered from the side: "Telephone lines? Ha, such a thing never existed in history! And this part of the plot is just treating the audience like idiots—the girl hadn't even wiped away her tears before his 'rigor' drenched her in a cold sweat."

It's fair to say that Cao Yu's defeat in this battle was even more devastating than that at Sihang Warehouse.

Even his old friends couldn't help but criticize him after they found out about this, saying he was a hopeless straight man!

So the result is self-evident. After all, who can stand being called an idiot or a moron on the spot?
Therefore, after that one time, nothing more happened. Later, he tried to ask her out, but she always turned him down with various excuses.

Clearly, for a girl, not giving you a cold shoulder on the spot is already a sign of high manners, right? You want to keep asking her out? What, you want to be insulted a second time after being insulted once?
"What a coincidence! You're alone?" The two said almost simultaneously.

The two then looked at each other and smiled. Time can heal some things. Although that date wasn't very pleasant, so much time has passed, it should all be forgotten by now, shouldn't it?
So when Cao Yu saw Lin Ying's charming and beautiful smile, his heart was stirred once again.

After all, the girl was quite good in every way, and he actually liked her a lot. Unfortunately, he just couldn't control his mouth. Looking back, if he hadn't been so impulsive and had handled it differently, maybe the two of them would be watching this movie together right now.

"How have you been lately? Why did you suddenly decide to watch this documentary?" Lin Ying asked curiously.

She actually had some feelings for Cao Yu, but that experience wasn't very good. He was good-looking and had a good job, but why did he have a mouth?

Moreover, this documentary is about weddings. It's not really a big deal for couples, but if someone watches it alone, it seems like girls might be more interested.

"I'm fine, I'm just curious and want to see what ancient weddings are like. What about you?" Cao Yu said.

“I’m a woman, isn’t it normal for a woman to dream of a special wedding?” Lin Ying said naturally.

Cao Yu nodded. That made sense. Compared to men, women obviously value wedding ceremonies more.

However, I was secretly delighted. Could this be considered a match made in heaven?

Of course he wanted to continue this relationship!

Therefore, Cao Yu secretly warned himself that he must not make the same mistakes as before, given this golden opportunity!

Also, he really hopes that Chen Mo can be more reliable and not mess things up too much, otherwise he's afraid he won't be able to resist messing things up in front of the girl again.

As the audience gradually entered the venue, Cao Yu was surprised to find that although it was clearly a "documentary", the venue was almost full.

Unfortunately, almost everyone sitting around us was a couple.

The atmosphere was absolutely perfect! Cao Yu, you absolutely must seize this opportunity! Whether you can win the heart of your sweetheart and find your other half depends on today.

Normally, going to the movies on Valentine's Day is just asking for trouble for single people, but today Cao Yu is incredibly grateful to these couples who are showing off their love and making single people feel envious.

After all, the atmosphere was absolutely amazing.

Under the light, he could vaguely see a blush on Lin Ying's face.

Clearly, she was also affected by this atmosphere.

Just then, she turned her head and their eyes met, then she shyly looked away.

In this atmosphere where the air was filled with the sour smell of love—oh, no, the fragrant aroma—the lights dimmed.

This film, which broke box office records for documentaries in pre-sales, is finally about to unveil its mystery.

(End of this chapter)