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Chapter 401: He Is Too Terrifying
🕑 Added 2025-03-25 18:27:44 +0000 UTC"What? You want to quit our protest?"
At the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, Chris looked at Brad Miller with an incredulous gaze and reminded him, "Don't forget, Brad, you were the one who initiated this protest!"
"I'm worried the movie will ruin the original story," Brad Miller replied calmly, clearly not acting out of impulse. "I've seen the film, and while The Fellowship of the Ring has some changes, every scene in the movie is even more exciting than the original!"
He emphasized, "It turned the visuals of my imagination into reality!"
"Yeah! Yeah!" Pete agreed loudly. "The movie is unexpectedly good. Everyone should stop protesting, watch the movie first."
"No, I won't give up the protest!"
Thinking of the benefits he had received, chris insisted, "As a true fan of the book, we should protest any adaptation of The Lord of the Rings!"
The dispute among the leading figures soon reached the ears of others, many of whom were hardcore book fans, and many had been called to join by Brad Miller. Now that the leaders were wavering, they began to stir uneasily.
"Is the movie really that good?"
"Brad is a staunch anti-adaptation advocate, and he says it's outstanding…"
"We should probably go see it."
"Yeah, there's a midnight screening tonight. After we're done here, we can just buy tickets…"
Brad Miller vaguely knew some of Krish's intentions. Seeing that the disagreement wasn't being resolved, he simply said loudly, "I am officially withdrawing from the protest against The Lord of the Rings movie…"
"Me too!" Pete added.
The two exchanged a glance, and Miller continued, "I'm really sorry for causing everyone to waste so much time and energy with some stubborn old-fashioned ideas, but I must say, the movie is even more amazing than you can imagine!"
After speaking, he stopped lingering, and with Pete, returned to the Chinese Theater to watch the midnight show!
The crowd began to slowly disperse, with many people now curious, even following Brad Miller.
The large-scale protest organization was inevitably heading towards a split.
Some chose to leave, some chose to continue protesting, and others chose to head to the nearby cinema, eager to see just how amazing the film could be to change Brad Miller's stance, who had always been a hardliner.
At midnight Pacific Time, movie theaters from San Diego to Los Angeles and San Francisco were anything but quiet. On the contrary, they became particularly lively with the influx of fans.
At the Santa Clara Cinema near San Francisco Bay, Zhou Xin was busy in the shop, constantly offering suggestions to the owner.
"The midnight show is about to start, Boss Ke, based on my experience selling The Matrix merchandise, we should place the Duke-related products on the most prominent shelves!"
"George, you're right!" The young owner, Ke Peng, who was also of Chinese descent, looked through the shop window. "There are several large chain cinemas on this street, and our shop is conveniently located in the middle. If The Lord of the Rings' merchandise can sell like The Matrix did, this time…"
"Boss, I've been in the movie industry for years," Zhou Xin replied, directing the staff to arrange products while saying, "Duke's films bring not just box office revenue, but also huge sales for merchandise."
Last year, he had moved from the Santa Clara Cinema to this new gift shop in the San Francisco Bay area, where he was now the manager. Although it was a gift shop, it sold a lot of movie-related merchandise. For example, during the summer movie season, the owner Ke Peng managed to secure a large portion of The Lord of the Rings merchandise from tight supplies, thanks to his connection with a high-ranking official from Duke's studio.
Watching Zhou Xin direct the staff, the calm and confident Ke Peng had no worries about profits, despite this being the first time opening a store in San Francisco Bay. This area was known for being a gathering place for movie fans, and he had prepared far more The Lord of the Rings products than anyone else. He believed that as long as The Fellowship of the Ring could have the same impact as The Matrix, the store would undoubtedly make a huge profit!
As midnight approached, Ke Peng could see through the glass window that more and more people were entering the nearby cinemas, clearly heading to see the newly released The Fellowship of the Ring.
The roar of a powerful engine suddenly echoed as a black Maybach supercar stopped in front of the shop, and a man who looked somewhat similar to Ke Peng entered the store.
This was San Francisco, the largest Chinese community in the U.S., and from the man's attire and vehicle, it was clear he was wealthy.
He glanced at the busy shop and asked, "Still not closing this late?"
"Hey, Yang Ge!" Zhou Xin greeted him actively.
"Hello, George," Yang Ge waved at Zhou Xin, then turned to look at the shop owner.
Ke Peng helplessly said, "Don't you know there's a new movie from Duke being released tonight?"
Yang Ge shook his head.
Pointing to the shelves filled with The Lord of the Rings merchandise, Ke Peng said, "They're about to see a sales boom."
"Tonight?" Yang Ge clearly didn't believe it. "It's almost midnight, and this isn't a nightclub. How can there be a sales boom?"
"Aren't you going to chase after a movie star tonight?" Ke Peng asked. Seeing Yang Ge shake his head, he patted his shoulder. "I'm worried about not having enough hands, so stay and help out. Also, you can witness the Duke Rosenberg Effect!"
"Duke Rosenberg? Isn't he a film director…" Yang Ge started.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the midnight showings were just beginning. In some theaters in the Midwest, screenings were about to end.
At a chain cinema in downtown Chicago, Kirstan from the research company finished his work and was chatting with an NBC local reporter.
"If other cinemas had the same attendance rate as ours," he said to the reporter, "The Fellowship of the Ring will break the North American midnight box office record!"
"Who held the original midnight box office record?" The reporter asked curiously.
"Duke Rosenberg," Kirstan shrugged and smiled, "His The Matrix."
The reporter immediately showed a surprised expression. "Oh my God. He's terrifying!"
Kirstan shrugged, unfazed. He worked with movie statistics, so this kind of situation was no surprise.
Duke Rosenberg's films set records, and then his next film breaks those records—wasn't that normal?
The midnight screening had a high attendance rate? The reporter asked again.
Kirstan nodded slowly, "Very high. Though there was only one theater showing The Fellowship of the Ring, it has 422 seats, and 395 of them were sold!"
The reporter, who had only recently joined the station, couldn't help but widen her eyes. Such a high attendance rate for a midnight showing was truly extraordinary.
Of course, she knew that this was a famous theater in a bustling area, and it wasn't common across the board.
Still, it said a lot.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard. The reporter immediately stood up, signaling for her cameraman to follow her toward the exit. Kirstan grabbed a stack of questionnaires and followed them.
As they passed some incoming moviegoers, the reporter's face lit up with surprise, as if she had just won a prize.
She quickly approached. "Hello, Mr. Roger Ebert. I'm…"
After introducing herself, she immediately asked, "You just watched The Fellowship of the Ring, right? Can you give us your review?"
Roger Ebert, who had been somewhat ignored in recent years, took on the air of a top expert as he thought for a moment before saying, "The Fellowship of the Ring presents a Middle-Earth that doesn't exist in reality, but it's rather dull…"
"The Fellowship of the Ring is a wonderful, fantastical journey!"
The high-pitched, excited voice nearby interrupted Roger Ebert's words. It was a young fan, probably around twenty, who had just been surveyed by Kirstan. He clearly hadn't recovered from the movie's emotional impact. "I was completely immersed in the Middle-Earth created by the film. If possible, I'd love to experience that magical world in person!"
Roger Ebert furrowed his brows and looked over at the fan. In the past, his face had symbolized authority at film-related events in Chicago.
The young fan noticed his gaze, turned, and glared at him before taking the gift from Kirstan and leaving.
Ignoring, sometimes, was the worst harm!
But facing the camera, Roger Ebert had to maintain his composure and continue with his statement. "This is a mechanical work, filled with unnecessary special effects, and its narrative is rather mediocre, especially those tedious battle scenes…"
Before he could finish, another voice from a regular moviegoer interrupted, full of excitement. "This film is amazing! The special effects and scenes were dreamlike, I was completely lost in it. It's magical to the point that even Star Wars can't compare… Oh, and the fighting, every battle between good and evil was so intense, it made my blood boil. I've read the original, and the movie is far more exciting than the book!"
No matter how good Roger Ebert's demeanor was, his face began to darken.
The young reporter, seemingly oblivious, asked again, "Mr. Ebert, so you think this film is just average?"
"A very mediocre work."
Thinking of the earlier disregard and the director of the film, even Roger Ebert, despite his authority, couldn't avoid feeling a change in his mood. "This film is at best a C!"
"What? Our rating?"
Around Kirstan, a dozen young fans had gathered. They had obviously come together, and now they all spoke in unison, "We'd give it an A+!"
The young fans handed in their questionnaires, then saw the reporter's microphone and the camera behind her, and immediately crowded around, eager to be interviewed.
Their eyes were fixed on the reporter, seemingly oblivious to Roger Ebert, who was just a regular person.
Roger Ebert left the cinema with a very low rating, his face grim.
It was an unsettling night, with some in despair and others in delight.
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