Perfect Life

Wednesday, July 25, 2004.

On the fourth day of the release of "The Matrix", Zhou Baoshan temporarily changed his route after finishing his promotion in Japan, and flew directly from Japan to Los Angeles, USA.

There, he will officially begin his North American promotional tour following a one-day contingency training in dealing with the media - although he received some level of English training before and during the filming of "The Matrix," the Very bad, but fortunately, this time he passed, the focus that needs to be shown is Chinese Kung Fu.

As for He Yingyu, after finishing the publicity in South Korea, he continued to set off for Southeast Asia according to the original plan for a six-day publicity.

Then, He Yingyu will fly to the United States to join Zhou Baoshan, and will continue to stay in North America for a few days before leaving for Europe for promotion.

In short, their schedules are full, and the global influence of "The Matrix" is gradually expanding.

…………

On the same day, Shuntian Prefecture.

Lu Ping didn't bring any escorts, and went to the cinema where he often went to watch movies in a low-key manner. Sunglasses and a sun hat were not bad, and he covered his head and face as tightly as possible.

He didn't want to be known that he took the initiative to go to the cinema to watch "The Matrix".

It would be even worse if it was known to reporters.

Although in front of the public, he and Li Qian have never had any obvious conflict, and they have never been close, and even have competition caused by each other's schedule conflicts, but at least on the bright side, in the media From the reporters' point of view, the relationship between the two is still going well.

However, he knew in his heart that even if the two walked across from each other, they would not say hello.

At least he knew he would never!

And in his opinion, Li Qian's feelings about himself will not be any better!

The two are rivals twice.

Lu Lingxi, Qin Jingjing.

Therefore, it would be a shame for me if I ran to see "The Matrix" being discovered and reported by reporters - Li Qian would be overjoyed!

However, the domestic box office of more than 180 million yuan in the first two days of the week, the North American box office exceeded 50 million US dollars in the first week, sitting on the top of the North American weekly box office chart, and it only took a few days to capture the entire network. The overwhelming good reputation made Lu Ping really curious about this movie.

So he endured it several times, but in the end he couldn't hold back. He wanted to come and see what kind of movie this is, to be touted so well on the Internet, and to be able to get it in North America. High box office - it is said that this is the best sci-fi movie in China, and even one of the best sci-fi movies in the world so far. Lu Ping will not believe what he says: Chinese people can make good sci-fi movies. ?

Is it good without that soil? It's good not to have that cultural gene!

Therefore, he was dissatisfied and disdainful in his heart, but it was difficult to suppress his curiosity, so he decided to come to the theater to see it. After reading it, I have my own judgment in my heart, so I can refute those strange remarks one by one with a sneer - at the level of "The Matrix", have the face to brag? If it wasn't because Li Qian was too famous and was too good at hyping up the show, would this movie have become so popular?

However, he came here with the mentality of finding faults, and felt that once he had finished watching it, he would definitely be able to approve it to the fullest, but after walking to the cinema, he found that there was a queue.

In the crowd of Wuyang Wuyang lined up in the cinema, no one would notice who the other people were.

He felt that he had come early enough, it was only a quarter past eight.

Moreover, today is Wednesday, a working day!

In the usual days, the cinema is often empty, but today, where did so many people come from? Don't have to work?

Lu Ping knew the manager of this movie theater. After all, this is where he often goes to watch movies, and he is a famous movie director. The movie theater even invited him to sign it. So, of course, he can get the ticket with just one phone call.

However, he was reluctant to do so because he didn't want anyone to know that he was watching The Matrix, including of course the manager of the movie theater.

So he could only follow to the tail of the team and start lining up to buy tickets.

The time spent queuing was unbelievable. He also deliberately looked up and carefully looked at the timetable for filming on the big screen that was newly erected this year. Looking at the performances, "The Matrix" was in this large-scale cinema with eight halls. Simultaneous screening in all halls!

Take a closer look, Wu Han's "Laughing Heroes", Guo Yulong's "Beacon Fire", and Zhao Meicheng's "Blood", as well as several other Hollywood movies, and a domestic movie just released on Monday, so many movies All in all, I only got 15 platoons in the whole day!

Eight halls, theoretically speaking, it is no problem to have more than 60 games a day and nearly 70 games.

Adding all the other films together, we only got 15 screenings!

And "The Matrix" itself, got more than 50 games!

This is crazy!

When "Life and Death" was the most popular, it didn't get this level of filming rate here. Last year, "Once Upon a Time" was popular enough, but it, including "Big Shots" and the like, he came here. Look, they haven't gotten such a terrifying film rate!

You know, this is a big movie theater with eight auditoriums, they are not like the smaller movie theaters with one or two or two or three auditoriums.

Because those small movie theaters have limited screening resources, once they find that a certain movie is popular, in order to grab more audiences and grab the box office, they often dare to squeeze other movies in the same period directly into one day and give a lineup, even if the box office is not good at that time. Well, they dared to release them temporarily, and put all the freed-up screening resources into the movies that were popular and sold at the time!

And here, there are eight screening halls. Under normal circumstances, the most popular films get 50% to 60% of the box office here, and they have reached the top! In order to take into account the viewing needs of more audiences, even if a movie is hot, they have to ensure the screening of other movies at the same time-because some people like to watch unpopular movies, and those people are often particularly loyal. For movie theaters, the viewing needs of people who usually come during the off-season are of course something they have to take care of.

But now, this large movie theater is actually doing the same thing as a small one-room movie theater with only one auditorium, and the style is completely out of style-to put it simply, they actually gave the movie "The Matrix" nearly 80% of the film arrangement! And all other movies were suppressed by them to the point that they could only be regarded as "still showing"!

Lu Ping was inexplicably shocked.

He's not one of those old clichés.

When he loved movies, entered the film academy and started his own film career, the commercialization of the domestic film market had already developed vigorously, so when he was still in school, he often paid attention to the trends of the outside film circle and various analysis reports. , it is already the truth that even commercial movie box office is king.

Therefore, after starting to make movies, even if he has artistic pursuits in his heart, he insists that his movies must make certain inclinations, concessions and sacrifices towards commercialization.

In short, he will never be fooled by those old artists to make those pure literary films.

He doesn't make films that don't make money.

Of course, the graduation work when he was in school was an exception. At that time, he knew very well that, as an ordinary film academy graduate, if he wanted to surpass many people, he had to do things that others were afraid to do. , Build your reputation first!

Therefore, there is that pure literary film that loses money, "Old Town"!

It was all purposeful and deliberate. But by no means is he a "good seedling" who makes art films, as the old artists and professors praised.

Even if he is a good seedling, he will not be stupid enough to struggle to make art films.

A movie that can make money is a good movie!

This is justice in the minds of the vast majority of filmmakers of their generation.

Therefore, in the face of such a large-scale inclination of "The Matrix" by the cinema, although he was extremely shocked and did not understand, it seemed that he was full of dissatisfaction and urgently needed to vent, but he was very clear in his heart— - It has nothing to do with everything else, but only one thing: whether the tickets sell well or not!

After waiting in line for more than 20 minutes, it was finally his turn.

He moved forward with the team, while lowering the brim of his hat, but he began to hear this conversation again and again in his ears—

"Two copies of The Matrix."

"The morning and noon tickets for "The Matrix" have been sold out. Do you want to play at 2:45 in the afternoon?"

"Yes, two!"

"OK, just a second."

"I want six hackers."

"The tickets for the morning and noon sessions of "The Matrix" have been sold out, and the session at 3:10 in the afternoon, do you want it?"

"want."

"..."

Finally, it was Lu Ping's turn, but he already felt a little numb.

Without waiting for the conductor to speak, he said directly, "I want one for the 3:25 pm session."

"The Matrix, right?"

"right."

After buying the tickets, I walked out of the line and looked at the time. It was not even 9 am.

There are still six hours before the show he bought the ticket for.

Holding the movie ticket in his hand, Lu Ping pursed his lips and couldn't help looking at it again and again.

…………

At three o'clock in the afternoon, he came to the cinema on time again.

At 3:18, the official ticket check came in.

At about the same time, in another cinema in Shuntian Prefecture, the famous 200 million director Wu Han was also taking a movie ticket from his assistant, joined the crowd alone, and walked into the screening room.

Unlike Lu Ping, who is currently idle, his movie "The Laughing Hero" is still in theaters, and although the box office is not a big hit, it is definitely not bad.

It's just not comparable to the box office of a series of phenomenal films of Minghu Culture.

At this time, he was also surprised by the box office of "The Matrix" in the first week, so he took time out and decided to go to the cinema to see the film for himself - when "The Matrix" held its premiere, he was leading the team. Publicity in the field, so I didn't have time to come back to participate.

And the reason why he went to see it at this time is that his psychology is probably similar to that of Lu Ping.

The box office of this movie is too strong, and at the same time, the word of mouth is really good, and what is even more awesome is that its box office in North America and Japan are actually so good.

To be honest, everyone makes movies, and they are all successful directors. You, Li Qian, are more popular, handsome, well-written and sung, very investment-minded, have more women than us, and even make movies better than us, even if you just come up with a screenwriting work, it can sell well. I agree, but to say that you are so arrogant at the moment... it's... not so good, right?

So, not convinced.

Even, it was originally unconvincing.

I'm also a talented person, and I've made it all the way since graduating from the film school! Maybe you are indeed very powerful, but I don't think you are really that much better than me!

Not convinced!

Your first movie was a big hit all over the country, the second movie was able to fight against Master Qin, and even though you were defeated, the third movie swept Berlin and earned more than 500 million at the box office. The two films you produced have also sold more than 500 million dollars. You made an animated film and actually earned more than 500 million US dollars at the global box office. Now, you have actually played a sci-fi movie, and it was released at the same time as the global release. big sale!

Not convinced!

Then go check it out.

And this time, I almost went with a magnifying glass.

Known as the most outstanding student in the history of Suncheon Film Academy, we were all trampled by him.

It claims to be the existence that crushes Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters, so of course it has to withstand all kinds of nitpicks.

On the first day of its release, the domestic box office exceeded 100 million US dollars, the global box office exceeded 100 million US dollars, and the domestic box office exceeded 180 million US dollars in two days, and the North American box office was 50 million US dollars.

I'll go and see, to "learn" some.

Ten minutes later, the corners of Lu Ping's mouth were slightly raised. Although he was extremely surprised, he also had a hint of disdain: Is this the case with science fiction movies? Xuanzhi and Xuan?

Twenty minutes later, Wu Han's brows were tightly wrinkled, and his mind was running at high speed with the plot of the movie, speculating about the sci-fi worldview that the movie might sell.

Thirty minutes later, Lu Ping frowned, feeling faintly, um, he did have some tricks in handling the first thirty minutes. As a commercial film, his storytelling is still very successful. And especially the handling of color and mirroring, which is completely opposite to that of "Red Sorghum", completely different polarities!

This power is indeed not weak.

After an hour, the two almost stopped the criticism in their hearts~www.wuxiaspot.com~ and put more energy into the plot of the movie.

Although they are a film director and a very good storyteller, they can vaguely guess the next general plot, but I have to say that the world structure of this film is established and can be justified. . In this new world structure, all the old-fashioned stories and old-fashioned methods seem to have a new look.

Moreover, the outcome of the story can be guessed, but how to achieve this, how to tell the story in a reasonable and unexpected way, is still a huge suspense, even they can't guess.

Then, the movie is over.

Less than ten minutes apart, Lu Ping and Wu Han, the two brothers of Li Qian, two influential and well-known directors in today's Chinese film industry, walked out of the cinema in silence.

Feeling a little gloomy.

So the brim is pressed lower.

It wasn't until he got into his car that Wu Han finally sighed in a low voice, "It's awesome!"

In the same way, after walking back to his home and locking himself in the study, Lu Ping sighed helplessly after being silent for a long time.

"awesome!"

***

I knew that as soon as I reached this climax, there would be more voices scolding me for watering.

Otherwise, you all put it away first, save it and watch it later?

Killing me is only 200 catties of meat, the level is so high, other tricks can't be changed!

Maybe put it aside and watch it again, when the dead end of "slow update" is avoided, it will look good again?

Be logical: if you don’t follow updates, it will look good, and you won’t feel watery, then, does it mean that I don’t actually irrigate, but the update is slow?

But I really can't write fast, what's wrong with it?

in hair...