The only sun in Huayu

Chapter 175 I Want to Take the Beijing Film Academy Exam (14)

Haidian Theater.

Guo Fan held his girlfriend's hand as they squeezed into the slightly crowded ticket queue.

I couldn't help but look at the poster in the most conspicuous position in the lobby.

Xu Zheng's shiny bald head contrasts sharply with Wang Baoqiang's honest smile.

Below the four large characters “Lost in Thailand” is a slightly smaller but more appealing title: “A film directed by Shen Shandeng”.

My girlfriend muttered under her breath, her tone surprised, "So many people even on a weekday?"

"After all, it's Shen Shandeng."

Guo Fan responded calmly, though he was actually a little nervous inside.

He is a fan of Shen Shandeng. The grand historical narrative and spectacular special effects of "The Eunuch" and the confident cultural attitude shown by Shen Shandeng in the interview made him feel excited.

But is it a comedy? Or is it about the Spring Festival travel rush?
Guo Fan couldn't imagine what Shen Shandeng would be like when he directed a comedy, or whether he would be out of touch with reality.

"Um, let's not have too high expectations for the movie later."

As Guo Fan paid for the tickets, he subconsciously gave money to his girlfriend, and also to himself, to prepare himself mentally.

"This is Director Shen's first attempt at comedy, and it may just be a trial run. It might not necessarily be funny."

His girlfriend rolled her eyes at him and said, "I know, look how nervous you are. I think the trailer is interesting, as long as it's not too tragic or hateful."

After checking tickets and entering the theater, the occupancy rate was surprisingly over 60%.

The lights dimmed, and the dragon emblem flashed by.

The movie opens.

When Xu Zheng complained about the replica firearms made by his three "eccentric" employees, Qiao Shan, Chang Yuan, and Jia Ling, a few chuckles rang out on set.

Guo Fan's lips curved slightly; his rhythm was alright, and he still got straight to the point.

Followed by.

Wang Baoqiang's character, Niu Geng, shouts "What? What? I want money!" at the dairy farm boss. His stubborn and headstrong personality, combined with the humorous contrast to the international situation, makes the laughter more frequent.

Then came that iconic scene destined to be recorded in the history of comedy films.

At the airport security checkpoint, Niu Geng confronts the security officer played by Tang Yan.

"Why can't I bring this bottle of milk?"

"Sir, liquids are not allowed on the plane according to regulations."

"Or you can drink it now."

Wang Baoqiang's expression, his eyes, and that nonchalant seriousness.

The next second, he tilted his head back and started chugging down that big bottle of milk!

"puff!"

"Hahaha, holy crap!"

"Oh dear, this won't do!"

The entire theater exploded instantly, laughter erupting like a burst dam, almost lifting the roof off.

Guo Fan also laughed out loud, and his worries naturally dissipated and were thrown to the winds.

His girlfriend, who was standing next to him, was already laughing so hard she was leaning against his shoulder.

"Director Shen, you can direct anything!"

Guo Fan had only one thought in his mind.

Comedy is successful as long as it makes people happy!
Guo Fan has no worries about the integrity of the story; Shen Shandeng's vision is definitely up to par. His biggest concern is that the comedy will be made too serious.

The plot unfolds relentlessly, with jokes so frequent they leave you breathless.

Fan Bingbing, wearing a bright red cotton-padded jacket and speaking in a thick Shandong accent, was caught "caught in the act" while sleeping naked in a hotel room, grinding her teeth and farting. She went into the wrong room and was "caught in the act" with her lover.
The laughter in the theater never stopped.

However, when the female con artist played by Ma Li appears...

When the female swindler used the story of the "seriously ill orphan" to swindle all of Niu Geng's money, and then, when the ferry chased after them, she revealed her predicament, Guo Fan's smile froze slightly.

His heart skipped a beat.

No way?
To whitewash a fraudster by finding a seemingly tragic and malicious reason?
If Shen Shandeng also uses this approach, although it won't detract from the overall humor of the movie, it will still feel a bit cheap and formulaic.

After all, Shen Shandeng had just criticized "Lust, Caution" for finding humanity in traitors, and now he wanted to follow the same path?

Is this the ultimate fate of domestic directors?
A shadow fell over Guo Fan's heart.

On the screen.

Li Chenggong seemed to be moved as well, and took out more money.

Guo Fan's heart sank little by little, and he even dared not watch the emotional scene that was about to unfold.

But that's it.

"Mom, don't let them get away, Dad's back!"

The little boy shouted, and the scene suddenly changed!
Ma Li's tears instantly dried, and her expression changed in an instant, replaced by a smug, mischievous grin: "Haha! Fool!" Shen Teng and a group of his brothers surrounded them!
"My darn thing!"

In the movie, Shen Teng exclaimed "Holy crap!" In the theater, Guo Fan was also thinking "Holy crap!" and suddenly sat up straight with his eyes wide open.

Before he could even catch his breath, Niu Geng exploded and knocked everyone down. Shen Teng pulled out the fake police ID, his attitude instantly changed 180 degrees, and he and Ma Li started throwing a tantrum, yelling, "Oh my god, my knees!"

The foreshadowing of the bizarre employee making the realistic toys at the beginning, and Li Chenggong throwing fake guns and handcuffs to his subordinates and leaving behind fake documents before boarding the plane, all come true here!
The entire theater erupted in even louder laughter, but amidst the uproarious laughter, Guo Fan felt an unprecedented sense of awe!
This is a thrill that exceeds expectations – the feeling of having one's intelligence respected!

Shen Shandeng did not succumb to that hypocritical narrative of human nature!

Instead, it used a more playful and realistic approach to thoroughly expose the fraudsters' disguise!
"Good job!"

Guo Fan felt a surge of exhilaration welling up in his chest, and he almost shouted it out in the movie theater.

His admiration for Shen Shandeng instantly reached a new level.

However, the shock was not over yet.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Li Chenggong and Niu Geng encountered armed police officers who were taking a short break after fighting the snow disaster at an abandoned primary school.

The soldiers, wrapped in their military overcoats, lay down against the wall, their faces etched with exhaustion.

As they left, a montage of their chalk drawing encouraging the children to "study hard and serve the country" was displayed on the classroom blackboard.

At the leader's command, the soldiers silently stood up and quickly tidied themselves up.

The camera slowly pans in.

From inside the classroom, to Li Chenggong's shocked and solemn face, then zooming out to gaze at those blurry yet determined figures receding into the snow, finally the camera steadily rises and freezes on the bright five-star red flag still fluttering in the wind and snow.

"Hitchcockian zoom, no, it's an even more brilliant technique."

Guo Fan held his breath, goosebumps rising all over his body.

As an advertising professional with dreams of making movies, he understands a bit about cinematic language.

The camera work is so smooth, so amazing! It's calm and restrained yet brimming with an incredibly powerful, understated strength!
Absolutely artistic!
It reached an incredible height!
"That's amazing, really amazing."

Guo Fan murmured to himself, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement.

Beneath the comedic exterior lies such a profound core and such exquisite expression!
The revelation of the timeline at the end was incredibly shocking to him.

银幕上打出“07年2月16日”和“08年2月7日”两个字幕，两条时间线完美交织。

All the foreshadowing details from the beginning—the time on the electronic screen, Li Chenggong's clothes, and his description of the photograph—all came together in a dramatic fashion!
Like countless gunshots, they echoed in my mind!

Guo Fan felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, as if he were being electrocuted!
It turns out the shopping mall at the beginning was in 07! It turns out Li Chenggong was already divorced! It turns out this series of hilarious mishaps was not just a physical journey, but also a journey of spiritual redemption that transcends time and confronts past mistakes!

This narrative structure! This ambition!
The movie ended, and the lights came on.

Guo Fan was still immersed in the immense shock and excitement, unable to recover for a long time.

The surrounding area was filled with the lingering laughter and chatter of the audience.

"That's hilarious! Baoqiang is so funny! I never expected this!"

His girlfriend excitedly shook his arm and said, "Niu Geng is completely different from Sha Gen and Xu Sanduo!"

"Yeah, that's right," Guo Fan replied somewhat absentmindedly.

Stepping out of the cinema, the afternoon sun was a bit too bright.

Guo Fan could still hear the laughter in the theater, see the fluttering red flag, and feel the tremor brought by the narrative.

"This movie is sure to do well at the box office."

Guo Fan suddenly spoke up, his tone incredibly certain: "First, it's funny, and then its core is very powerful."

He stopped and looked at his girlfriend beside him, as if he had made some great decision.

"I've made up my mind. I'm going to take the entrance exam for the Beijing Film Academy and apply for a master's program in management."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes." Guo Fan said firmly, "I want to make movies. Movies like Shen Shandeng's."

At this moment, a seed called dream sprouts amidst the hilarious and shocking symphony of "Lost in Thailand".

UME Huaxing International Cinema.

The red carpet stretched directly from the entrance into the IMAX theater, adding even more excitement to the atmosphere than the premiere.

Shen Shandeng was dressed in a plain white T-shirt and jeans, but he was still the undisputed focus of the entire event.

Beside him, the beautiful and youthful Da Mimi held his arm, her smile as radiant as a flower.

Half a step back, Chen Hao, dressed in a lotus-root-colored long dress, exuded a gentle and graceful temperament, maintaining a perfect distance, with an impeccable smile.

Huang Xiaoming, on the other hand, was dressed in trendy clothes.

As for Xu Zheng, Wang Baoqiang, and Fan Bingbing's group, they were sent to Shanghai for a roadshow.

With the experience gained from "The Eunuch", the team behind "Lost in Thailand" was more at ease this time. Since there are fewer cinemas now, there is no need to visit too many cinemas; visiting two a day is enough.

Organizing events can boost visitor numbers without affecting the cinema's operations.

(End of this chapter)