L.A confidencial

January 8.

Without much promotion, the detective and cop film premiered. Billy used his most decent resources to encourage people to attend—a nice poster in some of his adult comics, an advertisement that practically paid for itself. Sales always seemed to ensure that everyone at least knew that L.A. Confidential was just a few steps from the guild. But of course, the only thing that mattered was a promotional push during the Golden Globes. Arnon Milchan arranged a six-week calendar, and truthfully, in these times, even films on the brink of failure had the chance to play for a solid six weeks.

—Looks like we've got some time to do a few interviews,— Billy told Arnon Milchan, who was tasked with boosting the atmosphere. With a budget from Regency Agents and Lux Films, they were handling distribution. They just needed to break the $35 million mark—that was the film's production budget.

—I think we can get some things done during this window,— Billy added, shaking Arnon's hand. He could do a few interviews in the afternoons with certain media outlets, to speak a bit about his thoughts on the company. It was clear everyone was deeply committed. He was just playing a rough cop who beat people for money.

—I've worked around your schedule. Jim Wait booked two twenty-minute promos around noon, and it'd be great if you could join us—for one with Kim and one with Guy Pearce,— Arnon replied.

…

January 10

"I like this movie," thought Billy as he watched a solid '90s film, with all its flaws and highlights. From the unique lenswork to Danny DeVito's deft narration and his ever-fresh way of slipping into character, it all just worked.

—What do you think of the movie?— Billy asked Winona. She was there with her new circle of friends, now a kind of sisterhood between Sophie Marceau, Uma Thurman, Courtney Love, and Drew Barrymore. They were all watching Billy's new film, accompanied by Monica, and of course, Courtney Love's boyfriend, Ethan Hawke, who was particularly enchanted with the ever-magnetic Uma.

—Not bad at all,— Winona commented. —You acted well. It was a complete shift from your usual roles—rougher, dimmer, a bit brutal. You looked like a different person... it reminds me of a movie I saw a while ago, Chinatown.—

—That's a great film, but I think True Confessions has more in common with ours. It's closer in time, set in the late '40s into the '50s, and it's based on novels by John Gregory,— Ethan Hawke chimed in.

—It's got that old-school taste, like salt on your tongue, reminding me of mom's cooking when I'd sit and watch the classics,— Uma added, holding Ethan's arm.

Fortunately, they managed to leave the theater just in time to avoid being swarmed, though a few fans were already waiting outside. They tried to fill the theater with friends, even if the tickets cost around $4, just to preserve some privacy.

Photos from the night popped up online under the radar. Billy uploaded a few, tagging his new movie L.A. Confidential and appearing hand-in-hand with Monica, one of America's sweethearts. They were less than a minute from trending.

—Let's eat at that fancy new restaurant that's been all the buzz since last month,— Sophie Marceau said to Winona, which led the group to a high-end culinary spot.

The box office was hovering around $15 million, which was already a win for the first week. Or at least, that was the hope, especially once the Golden Globes buzz and Oscar nominations kicked in. Those were dominating the press at the moment. But if Billy managed to win any award, that alone would pull people into the theaters.

—We'll go shopping after,— Monica said, already tallying up what she needed for the new season. Even with free clothes coming her way, a few extra dresses were never out of the question.

…

January 12

An interview on ABC—a longtime rival Billy wasn't exactly fond of, mostly because it meant giving them even more fame. It made him sigh. He knew well how interests could clash, and how hard it was to row in the same direction. He had to watch his words carefully—one misstep and it could all be sabotage.

It wasn't just him there, of course. He was joined by Guy Pearce and Kim Basinger. Despite her limited screen time, Kim was adored—her sensual presence had earned her a kind of iconic beauty status in Hollywood.

—Welcome to 20/20. Tonight, we're joined by Billy Carson, Guy Pearce, and Kim Basinger—three of Hollywood's brightest stars—taking us behind the scenes of their new movie L.A. Confidential, a project that's already generating serious buzz. Barbara, over to you,— said Hugh Downs, his silver hair neatly combed to the side. He had all the poise of a seasoned gentleman—grace in both gesture and speech.

The camera shifted to Barbara, now seated in front of the three actors.

—Kim, always a pleasure to see you on screen... do you have any final thoughts for us about this film?— asked Barbara.

—That it doesn't ask you to look further than what's right in front of you. The film is intriguing from the start. On the surface, it's not confusing—it's just cops playing what seems to be the truth,— Kim said with a smile. Her red lips, featured prominently on the film's poster, were impossible to miss and instantly drew attention.

—Wow, that's deep.—

Kim laughed.

—It's not deep. Honestly, I felt sexy in some of those scenes, filming as a kind of muse. That's what gives a woman confidence. But Lynn Bracken used her beauty as leverage, and that made her vulnerable. Like a prisoner of her image.—

—That's not quite what we expected,— said Barbara, jotting notes as the camera rolled. —We were expecting something sultry, full of longing. But this role has its kind of darkness.—

—Well, Curtis Hanson was incredibly detail-oriented. He wanted every glance, every little gesture from Lynn to mean something. It was very collaborative. When I acted with Billy, it felt like a volcano was about to erupt—always still, always controlled, but full of pressure. It was strange, but powerful,— Kim responded.

—I'm impressed—this has been a big year for you. Between Jerry Maguire, A Time to Kill, The English Patient, and now L.A. Confidential, it's been intense,— Barbara said.

—This film is intense. Hollywood needs to revisit noir. I believe this will be a classic. It has all the drama a 1950s-set movie should have. Those touches... they're just not what you get in modern cinema. We're bridging the old and the new,— Billy added.

—It's true. Kim, this role is unlike anything you've done before. Tell us how you got into character,— Barbara prompted.

—I think the costume helped a lot. Corsets and high heels make you feel like a woman from the 50s—and they were torture. But the role had this deep sexual meaning. I drew inspiration from golden-age actresses like Veronica Lake—only with a darker edge,— Kim replied.

—It's a challenge. But let's not forget the serious, stoic guy who always has the right response,— Barbara said, turning the focus to a young Guy Pearce.

…

January 17

Billy's new series was something he'd been working on for a while. Fans had eagerly awaited the release of the first volume of Full Metal AAlchemistinspired by architectural styles from Italy, France, and Brittany, based on drawings Monica developed during her travels.

The first chapter of Full Metal was intriguing, layered with meaning and bursting with creative ideas. Thanks to constant exposure to series like Hunter x Hunter, Van Helsing, One Piece, and American comics, Billy had honed his ability to design complex settings. He had become a master of creating environments, each laced with a certain darkness.

A young boy flipped through the pages. On the last page, an ad for L.A. Confidential appeared, rated 17+. Alex was 16, but sneaking into the theater wasn't an issue—he just needed someone older to buy the tickets.

—Wanna go see it?— he asked his friend beside him, Peter.

—I don't think we're old enough.—

—My brother can get the tickets. Maybe we'll invite the Jennifer sisters too. Don't you wanna impress Ana?— Alex asked.

Peter nodded.

Alex looked back at his manga. He already felt the slow start was worth it—anything Billy Carson made was a work of art.

I'll take this one and the latest Bleach, it's already up to chapter 111.

....