Chapter 44: Dedication to Art
[Chapter 44: Dedication to Art]
After wrapping up their tasks, Link and Monica continued filming.
Bang~bang~bang~bang~
On the night of the thirteenth day, Monica was jolted awake by a noise from downstairs. She sat up in bed.
"What's going on?"
"I think I heard something."
"What did you hear?"
"There was a loud bang."
"A bang? Where from?"
"It seems like it was downstairs."
Both of them sat up in bed, straining to listen for any sounds outside. The room fell silent for about six seconds.
Then, suddenly, a terrifying roar echoed from the living room, followed by a loud crash that seemed to shake the entire house.
The two of them screamed in shock.
While filming this scene, to achieve a thrilling effect, they planned to enhance the roar and the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground in post-production to make the scare factor even more intense.
...
"Cut! Let's do it again. We didn't capture enough of that horror vibe."
"Alright!"
"Chris, one more time."
Link grabbed the walkie-talkie, giving instructions.
The second take went better.
...
"Link, I think the scariest part of the script is right here. Not locking the door at night? I wouldn't be able to sleep even without a ghost around."
Monica pointed at the open door.
"The character has to capture the noise from outside the house, so the door can't be shut. Also, the camera should focus on the dark hallway outside the door. When viewers watch, they'll be glued to that shadowy entrance, always on edge, which creates a strong sense of immersion and unease."
"I get it. I just wanted to say that your design is brilliant. This film is going to be spectacular."
Monica hugged his arm and stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss.
...
Link and Monica got out of bed, camera in hand, and filmed the scenes downstairs.
As strange sounds resonated from below, the two went down into the pitch darkness where the chandelier in the living room swayed back and forth.
"Chris, lessen the swinging a bit. We shouldn't have any noise. Pull the curtains shut; we can't let any sunlight in."
"Got it!"
After Chris adjusted things, they resumed filming downstairs.
----
"Damn it! Those paparazzi are worthless; they still haven't figured out where Link is filming."
In Hollywood's The Viper Room bar, Robert Downey Jr. said while smoking a joint.
"Nothing unusual. When Link shot Buried, I heard the location was in his apartment. This new film is also a small production; it probably only has a few actors, with filming done at home. It wouldn't be easy for the paparazzi to track it down."
Kiefer Sutherland leaned back on the couch, his arm around a revealingly dressed stripper.
...
At 27, Kiefer was the child of renowned Hollywood actor Donald Sutherland and his second wife.
Donald had been in the business since the 60s and had starred in over a hundred films, with notable works like M*A*S*H, Kelly's Heroes and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Kiefer, having entered the industry as a teenager thanks to his parents' connections, had starred in over thirty films as either the lead or in significant roles.
This included Spielberg's first season of Amazing Stories, and the romantic crime film starring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken, titled At Close Range.
He had also co-starred with River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton in the adventure film Stand By Me, and with Robert Downey Jr. and Winona Ryder in the war film 1969, among others; he had excellent resources in Hollywood.
This year he appeared alongside Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in the suspense crime thriller A Few Good Men, playing the third lead.
While he wasn't as famous as Robert Downey Jr., Kiefer was among the top ten stars of the new generation in Hollywood. His girlfriend was Julia Roberts, who had shot to fame the previous year with Pretty Woman.
They were considered one of Hollywood's most popular celebrity couples, with tabloids regularly featuring news about them.
Kiefer and Robert had known each other for a long time.
They had worked together in the 1988 film 1969. Kiefer's daughter with his ex-wife was named Sarah Judith, inspired by Robert Downey Jr.'s ex-girlfriend, Sarah Jessica Parker.
Their friendship had always been strong.
...
"Damn, I really don't understand how that bastard, a mere extra, managed to make a film, and how a movie like Buried could pull in millions. Audiences today have no taste."
Robert said angrily.
"Well, he's just lucky. He's in the right place at the right time, like Gerard Damiano's Deep Throat, Spielberg's Jaws, Stallone's Rocky. Once that wave passes, he'll be back to playing little roles."
"Let's hope you're right."
"Don't worry, no one stays lucky forever. This film is a small production; it didn't hire any big stars, so it's destined not to perform well at the box office. We can just wait for its release and watch it fail."
Kiefer patted his friend on the shoulder.
After Buried's success, Robert's mood worsened day by day.
Although Chaplin received good reviews, it didn't perform well at the box office. Buried crossed $60 million worldwide this week, while Chaplin struggled at just $14.02 million, and it did not even recover the investment cost.
This left Robert feeling disgruntled.
Kiefer was also irritated.
His frustration stemmed from promoting Chaplin as part of CAA and praising the film, with numerous media outlets covering their endorsements.
Originally, they thought that with their high-profile support, Chaplin would easily out-earn a small film like Buried, which only cost $20,000.
But it didn't happen.
In North American and overseas box office metrics, Chaplin was overwhelmingly beaten by Buried.
This only served to make them look like losers supporting a low-budget film, akin to a bunch of clowns.
What was even more infuriating was that if they had lost to A-list stars like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, they would have shrugged it off.
But this time, they fell short against a relatively unknown director.
Losing to someone like him was an absolute embarrassment.
...
Ding-a-ling!
Robert's phone rang, and after answering and hanging up, he wore a puzzled expression.
"What's up?"
"Breaking news! Link is casting for the male lead in his new movie."
"Didn't he start filming already? Why is he just now looking for a leading man?"
"Ha! A rookie director from the slums, his crew is probably a makeshift bunch. It's understandable to look for a lead after filming has begun."
"Yeah, exactly, he's just a mess. I bet this film will be awful."
"No need to bet, a director with his level can't produce a decent movie."
Moments later, the two of them, enjoying their custom cigarettes in a booth, erupted into laughter, tears streaming down their faces.
*****
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