The only sun in Huayu

The audience at the Shenyang roadshow was incredibly enthusiastic.

The online frenzy surrounding "Lost in Thailand" was no less intense than the offline phenomenon.

Shen Shandeng's name is reaching unprecedented heights.

Sina and Sohu's entertainment headlines crowned this cultural carnival with the most straightforward and lyrical titles.

[A Miracle on the Road: 200 Million in Nine Days!]

[Shen Shandeng creates another box office miracle!]

[The incredible comeback of low-to-medium budget comedies!]

Shen Shandeng rakes in 200 million in nine days! "Lost in Thailand" crushes "Kung Fu Panda"!

[A Spring Festival travel miracle! Shen Shandeng's "Lost in Thailand" achieves box office success, aiming for 300 million!]

[The first show of the summer! Shen Shandeng shows you what "real comedy" is!]

The editors, well-versed in the art of generating traffic, took the box office victory to a new level, turning it into a one-sided massacre of Hollywood.

It accurately captures the simple desire of the people for a cultural victory.

The largest discussion forum is Baidu Tieba.

Discussion threads about "Lost in Thailand" quickly filled up on Tianya, Douban, Mtime, and various movie forums.

The "weirdos" in the movie quickly became a popular term on online forums.

Compared to its predecessor, it became a popular term many years earlier.

Originally, it referred to a unique and beautiful flower, and is often used as a metaphor for something precious and unusual, or something outstanding.

With the popularity of the movie "Lost in Thailand", it has become a tool for making fun of unconventional behavior.

Aside from that, there was a lot of discussion about the film itself.

"Hahaha! That scene of him drinking milk on the plane cracked me up! How did Wang Baoqiang manage to make it look so natural?"

"The scene with the female con artist was amazing! I thought it was just another cliché of finding excuses for the con artist, but it had one twist after another! Director Shen is awesome!"

"Am I the only one who noticed the foreshadowing of that police badge? When it was revealed, I got goosebumps! The script is so solid!"

"Well said! These damn swindlers and scum deserve this fate! It's so satisfying to watch!"

The film's relentless criticism of swindlers and its exposure of hypocrisy resonated with many viewers who had been deceived by swindlers or people around them.

"If Niu Geng takes that IOU to labor arbitration, will he be able to get his money back in reality?"

There has also been discussion about whether Wang Baoqiang could get a result by taking the IOU to labor arbitration.

Of course, there are also some excellent long reviews that analyze various details of the film.

These discussions have long since transcended simple comedic moments, delving into plot structure, social significance, and legal details.

This means that "Lost in Thailand" is not only successful in terms of humor, but also has a very solid plot.

Movies have gradually become a social phenomenon, and have even influenced reality in turn.

And in the deeper layers, in the more specialized areas.

The shockwaves triggered by "Lost in Thailand" are quietly changing the industry's perception and landscape.

The latest issue of Movie View magazine, unusually, dedicates a five-page feature to disregarding all celebrity gossip and meticulously dissecting "Lost in Thailand" purely from the perspective of the film's language.

The article focuses on analyzing that touching elementary school play.

"The camera cuts in from the warm morning light inside the classroom, capturing a close-up of Li Chenggong's shocked and solemn expression. It's not just simple emotion, but a deeper kind of enlightenment and respect, as if struck by some enormous force."

"Then the camera steadily pulls back, penetrating the bright window frame, gazing at the blurry yet incredibly determined backs of the soldiers walking away in the wind and snow outside the window."

"Finally, the camera slowly rises with an almost sacred smoothness, passing over the rooftops, turning the wind and snow and pine and bamboo forests into the background, and freezing the bright five-star red flag that is still proudly fluttering in the center of the picture."

"Director Shen Shandeng uses a series of exquisite shots to seamlessly connect the individual emotions in a small space, the collective power of the large environment, and symbolic symbols of home and country, constructing an emotional loop that is full of security and sublimity, from the micro to the macro, from the individual to the collective."

"The suspense surrounding the appearance of the armed police ultimately leads to a sense of reassurance and reverence, which transcends simple imitation and can be considered an excellent example of the localization of Hitchcockian suspense aesthetics."

The larger portion of the feature is dedicated to the film's cleverly hidden dual timeline structure.

"On the surface, the film is a linear narrative of the chaotic journey during the 08 Spring Festival travel rush, but in reality, the director has laid a complete 'ex-wife storyline' from 07 through Li Chenggong's memories, clothing details, the reality of time, and the revelation of the final mystery."

"This storyline reveals the truth that Li Chenggong's marriage had long since broken down and his family existed in name only. The current predicament is not the reason for his 'loss of family,' but rather the catalyst and testing ground for his 'reclaiming of family.'"

"This kind of dramatic structure, which cleverly interweaves a character's backstory with their present journey and ultimately converges to reveal the theme, is neat, rigorous, and precisely emotionally grounded. It is usually only boldly used in art films that pursue narrative depth and high completion." "But Shen Shandeng has effortlessly incorporated it into a lighthearted comedy. What's even more amazing is that ordinary viewers don't perceive any 'viewing threshold' at all while enjoying hearty laughter. Instead, they gain a doubled emotional satisfaction of 'I see' at the end."

"This ability to fully utilize superb skills to serve popular narratives is what Chinese film directors lack most today."

China Film Report, in its authoritative industry commentary section, quoted an article by an associate professor from the Department of Management at Beijing Film Academy, offering a more incisive perspective.

"We have long been trapped in a binary fallacy: commercial films please the audience but lack artistry, while art films pursue auteur expression but deviate from the market."

"The success of 'Lost in Thailand,' especially its high level of professional cinematography and dramatic structure, reveals the hypocrisy of this perception."

"It offers a more advanced answer: the highest level of artistic skill should be used to serve the audience more precisely and profoundly, rather than becoming a barrier that alienates the audience and pretends to be profound."

"When a film can simultaneously possess exquisite cinematic language, rigorous dramatic structure, and the broadest audience resonance, should we re-examine the definition of 'art'?"

"Is it only criticism, obscurity, tearing apart, and incomprehensibility that deserve to be called art? From the grand historical narrative of 'The Eunuch' to the meticulous script of 'Lost in Thailand,' Shen Shandeng is launching a 'silent revolution' in film art standards with a series of successful works."

"At the heart of this transformation lies only one thing: the audience is the ultimate and sole judge of artistic value."

This article, like a heavy stone thrown into a deep pool, stirred up huge waves in the hearts of academics and many young directors.

Many creators who were once bound by the Western discourse system of "art films = highbrow > commercial films = vulgar" have fallen into deep reflection.

Film speaks for itself; film has more power than Shen Shandeng's art theories!

at the same time.

The huge success of "Lost in Thailand" has made Shen Shandeng's name known beyond the entertainment industry, becoming a broader social phenomenon.

Shen Shandeng's success has sparked a wide-ranging discussion about educational models and paths to success.

It was already present in "The Eunuch," but its success with "Lost in Thailand" truly ignited its popularity.

One group of experts regards Shen Shandeng as a classic example of "knowledge changing destiny".

"Shen Shandeng's success proves the importance of systematic education! He did not drop out of school or take shortcuts! He studied civil engineering at China University of Petroleum, where he received rigorous training in engineering thinking. Then, with his extraordinary perseverance and talent, he was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy to pursue a master's degree, perfectly combining theoretical logic with artistic sensibility."

"His success is the result of years of hard work and dedication, and it is the most powerful evidence that reading is useful!"

Another group of opponents tried to pour cold water on the idea, writing in newspaper columns that Shen Shandeng's success was largely accidental and unrepeatable.

however.

No matter how much the experts argue, these analyses seem weak and ineffective to countless ordinary college students and young entrepreneurs.

What they saw was that Shen Shandeng, despite not having a distinguished family background, was able to win astonishing wealth and respect through his talent and wisdom.

Of course, what truly ignited everything was the label of "billionaire".

A well-known business weekly, famous for its in-depth reporting, has given its latest cover to Shen Shandeng.

The black cover features a close-up of Shen Shandeng at the premiere event, exuding youthful energy but with a calm gaze.

The title is incredibly impactful.

[Becoming a millionaire in a year! Unveiling the secrets of director Shen Shandeng, the youngest billionaire]

The author of the article, like a seasoned financial detective, combined limited public information with numerous anonymous sources within the industry to conduct a wealth projection.

"According to cross-verification by multiple sources close to the project, the final box office of 'The Eunuch' was 4.3 million RMB. Based on its unique profit-sharing model, director Shen Shandeng and his holding companies will enjoy more than 30% of the net profits."

"This item alone, after deducting all costs, has already brought in more than 3000 million RMB."

"And for the film 'Lost in Thailand,' which is currently creating a miracle, Shen Shandeng himself holds more than 70% of the investment share."

"Based on the current box office figures of over 200 million yuan in nine days and industry predictions that the final box office will exceed 300 million yuan, his personal box office share from this film will be as high as 60 to 70 million yuan!"

"This does not even include the already overwhelming sales of television and online copyrights, as well as the additional advertising placement fees from numerous brands."

"This means that, with just two films, this director, who is only in his early twenties, has become a super-rich man with a net worth of over 100 million yuan in just one year."

"More importantly, his wealth accumulation is entirely based on thorough market success. Every penny was generated through the voluntary 'votes' of the audience. It is a true 'self-made' story, far more valuable than any capital speculation or family inheritance."

The weekly magazine went on to analyze the turmoil in the entire film industry.

"It is worth noting that since the beginning of 2008, several films, including 'Lost in Thailand,' 'CJ7,' 'Kung Fu Dunk,' the imported film 'Kung Fu Panda,' and the co-production 'The Forbidden Kingdom,' have grossed over 100 million yuan at the box office."

"Industry insiders are optimistic that after the Lunar New Year film season, the number of films grossing over 100 million yuan throughout the year may approach or even reach ten."

"This means that the film industry, which used to be a 'money-burning business,' is now showing amazing and sustainable profitability."

"It seems that Shen Shandeng's previous prediction that 'the Chinese film market could reach a scale of hundreds of billions in the future' is showing a surprising possibility." (End of this chapter)