Made in Hollywood

The long queue lined up from the east side of Nokia Plaza to the west side. Countless people crowded here, forming a peculiar landscape. Even so, people continued to join the queue. They were willing and even willing to wait in a long line. Because the DVD release of "The Two Towers" is right in front of us, the films that once spurred the full-scale movie craze can be bought back for collection by them.

Mixed in the line, Cunites stood on tiptoe and looked ahead. He came to Nokia Plaza to line up at 3 o'clock in the morning. He originally wanted to be in the top ten, but he did not even get in the top 100. Before he arrived, many people had gathered in Nokia Plaza, many of whom came to line up with tents.

"This is Duke's movie..."

Behind him, Jones who came together kept talking, "We should have come to line up yesterday evening. I can't wait."

"It's just more than a hundred people." Kunites's mentality is very stable, after all, he is also old, "It will be our turn soon."

He asked Jones, "Should we buy regular or luxurious suits?"

Without even thinking about it, Jones said, “Of course it’s a luxury suit. Have you forgotten that there is a special clip of “The Return of the King” in the luxury suit in the advertisement. In February, I can’t wait."

"I can't wait."

Cunites also wanted to know what kind of final chapter Duke would send after such wonderful two parts.

At 8:30, the video store on Nokia Plaza opened on time. After waiting for about 20 minutes, Jones and Cunites were put into the store in the third batch. They were like everyone who entered the store together. Go to see others. Going directly to the DVD counter of "Two Towers", each took a set of luxury suits worth $39.9 from the shelf.

After the checkout, he walked out of the video store, and Cunites looked into the distance. As the video store opened, the line did not shorten. Instead, it stretched longer.

This is the first day of the "Two Towers" DVD sales. I'm afraid it will sell an astronomical number again, right?

With this thought, Jones and Cunites got into the car and hurried home. They couldn't wait to see what "The Return of the King" looked like.

The black Chevrolet hurriedly left Nokia Plaza. Only ten minutes later, it stopped on Bruncott Avenue. Cunites did not go home, but walked into his home with Jones. Because it's closer, he can see what he wants to see earlier!

Turning on the TV, playing DVDs, and fast forwarding all the way, "The Return of the King" finally revealed its true colors.

A majestic white city stands on the mountain, even if its lens flashed in the first part, Jones and Cunites still opened their eyes wide, their eyes were all incredible. Minastiris should look like this.

The next moment, their mouths also opened wide. It was a panoramic view of the battlefield. The cavalry all over the mountains charged in a wedge shape, rushing towards the boundless orcs...

The cavalry charge in the Valley of the Helm is too great to increase, but compared to the camera in front of you, it really is nothing!

The camera swept across the orcs phalanx, half-orcs, trolls, and even mammoth giants. It is simply a huge collection of monsters, and people can't help but worry about whether humans can win? Can Baicheng hold it? How much courage must mankind muster to face such a catastrophe?

Then there was another scene of a war. The human army gathered in front of the black gate, and the black gate opened. The Mordor army came out and surrounded the humans...

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die..." Jones murmured, "I'm going to die! As long as I think that there will be nearly three months before I can see this movie, I'm really not as good as dead!"

As he said, Jones was preparing to replay, but was stopped by Cunites, "Don't watch it anymore, I will become like you again, God, I have never hoped that time will go as soon as I do now."

The two of them sat on the sofa and suddenly didn't know what to say. Although the video clip in the DVD was only a little over three minutes, it was so exciting. Faced with such an excitement, words could not describe it.

After a full five minutes, Jones suddenly became gritted his teeth, "Such a wonderful film, Oscar has only given seven nominations, it is too much!"

"What's even more exaggerated is that out of the seven nominations for "The Two Towers", I am afraid that only one or two consolation prizes can be won." Kunites also looked upset, "The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been discriminating against Duke. !"

"Curry..." Jones seemed to think of something, "If this Oscar Duke is still empty-handed, I think we should do something for him. He has dedicated so many wonderful movies to us, and every production is first All we consider are our needs, I think we..."

"Yes, that's it!" Kunites' eyes gradually brightened. "We can't speak up in the media, but we can call on more people to support Duke on the Internet."

"If Oscar refuses to recognize Duke after "The Return of the King", we call on people to protest and tear down the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences! They owe Duke!"

…………

"The college owes me?" Duke laughed. "They owe no one."

I stood up, walked around on the terrace, looked at the dark night sky and said, "At least the old men in the college think they don't owe anyone.

"This Oscar..." Ivanka asked.

Duke shrugged at her, "We will continue to accompany the run."

Although in the 2003 Oscar nominees luncheon held last week, "The Two Towers" won seven nominations including best picture, best sound, best director, best sound editing and best visual effects, but it is destined Still have to make soy sauce.

"That can only wait until next year?"

The sea breeze blowing over was a bit strong, and Ivanka stood up and took Duke's jacket and put it on him.

"Next year is the best opportunity." Duke tightened his clothes. "After next year, it will be difficult to get the best director, Golden Man."

His production style has been decided, it will not be the kind of director that the academy likes, or even the discriminated type.

Footsteps came from outside the terrace. Tina Fei walked in with a document and handed it directly to Duke. "Warner Bros. just faxed it. The first week of DVD sales statistics are available."

Ivanka looked interested, "How much?"

"The record is broken again!" Tina Fei said with a smile.

Duke opened it and looked at it. In the first week of the "Two Towers" DVD release, in North America alone, 6.1 million US$19.9 ordinary packages were sold, and more than 1.1 million US$39.9 luxury packages were sold. Cumulative sales in North America At $147.22 million, it easily surpassed the sales of $132.5 million in the first week of The Fellowship of the Ring.

"The movie is going to be released soon, right?"

Even a layman, Ivanka knew that DVDs were all released, and "The Two Towers" must have reached the end of the theater.

In fact, the enthusiasm of the film has basically dissipated. North America still maintains a total of about 400 theaters in major cities. To a certain extent, it is for Oscar nominations.

Now that the nomination list is announced, the film no longer needs to be screened.

It’s just that Duke didn’t expect that the final theater line lasted until the eve of the Oscars. The reason is simple. Many fans were attracted by DVDs and found that special effects and big scenes on the big screen and TV set totally two kinds of feelings. Many people chose to re-enter the theater and feel the impact of the vast epic again.

And even people with prejudices have to admit that neither "The Fellowship of the Ring" or "The Two Towers" are not fast-consuming popcorn movies.

One week before the Oscars ceremony, "The Two Towers" completely disappeared from the North American theaters. The North American box office finally stayed at $521.32 million. This is also the second film in the history of North American film that has a box office of more than $500 million.

In the overseas market, excluding a few small countries that bought out the film's screening rights, "The Two Towers" was basically down, with a global box office total of 1.312 billion U.S. dollars, successfully surpassing "The Fellowship of the Rings Expedition" and ranking No. The throne of two.

"The Two Towers" achieved great commercial success, but at the subsequent Oscars ceremony, it became one of the frustrated again. Even without the strong competitor of "Chicago", the film only received the best sound editing. And two comforting technical awards for the best visual effects.

However, Duke didn't care much, after all, it was just the second part.

"I said you won't win the prize."

As he walked out of the Kodak Theater, Duke met Roger Albert. More accurately, he seemed to be waiting for him deliberately at the exit. The most famous film critic in the United States, although his voice was very low, But he did not conceal his hostile attitude, "I won't be in this session, and I won't be in the next session."

Duke just smiled faintly, "That has to wait for the results next year."

Watching Duke leave without paying attention, Roger Albert didn't care about the eyes of others, walked out of the Kodak Theater, took out his mobile phone, dialed a few numbers, and then walked toward a cafe in the center of the highland. go with.

The cafe is not far away. After walking for less than ten minutes, Roger Albert pushed the door and entered. After searching a little, he saw several other famous film critics sitting together. They hurriedly went to sit together.

"We won again."

As a full-time film critic of The Hollywood Reporter, Todd McCarthy is in a good mood. He has been waiting for this day since someone moved their cake.

"We can't relax." David Denby is still more cautious. "Don't forget, next year is the key. If he succeeds next year, everything we have done in the past two years will become a joke."

"He won't succeed!" Roger Albert said categorically, "We do have less and less influence on commercial films, but this is the awards season and our last position!"

Everyone faintly led him, and Roger Albert said nonchalantly, "This Oscar is over, our work is not over yet, we can remind the college in advance what choice to make next year!" (To be continued. .)

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