Chapter 57: Scream
[Chapter 57: Scream]
When Quentin Tarantino shouted in fright, many in the audience reacted as well.
The female producers displayed their fear openly, covering their eyes with their hands, only daring to glance at the screen. Whenever they saw the door creak, they quickly ducked their heads to avoid looking. The male audience, aside from Quentin's yell, mostly frowned or tilted their heads slightly.
Those bold enough to cross their arms and watch unbothered, glanced over at Quentin with smirks or self-satisfied smiles when he yelled out. Their expressions, especially Quentin's, were expertly captured by the cameras set up on either side of the theater.
The crew was from Guess Pictures, the task of filming audience reactions was assigned by Link. He had a plan for promoting Paranormal Activity, favoring the idea of showcasing videos of audience reactions over traditional TV commercials. Viewers could determine if the movie was genuinely scary by simply watching the reactions, sidestepping the need for critiques or trailers.
After seeing those clips, others fell into the same curiosity trap about the film, prompting an urge to see it for themselves. It was one of Link's creative marketing strategies.
...
"Ah, Micah! Come here, quick!"
The sound system erupted as the female lead, Katie, screamed suddenly.
...
"Is the ghost coming? Ghosts during the day? Please, I won't be scared at all."
Quentin leaned back in his seat, squinting at the screen.
...
The male lead rushed into the bathroom with a camera, only to find -- a spider.
...
"What a gimmick. Can such trivialities really scare me?" Quentin smirked contemptuously.
"Don't you think the atmosphere has become increasingly intense in the room? Link was great at building tension in Buried, but this film excels even more. No gore, no horror props, no terrifying music -- just pure atmospheric tension. It's brilliant," Steven Soderbergh remarked.
"Absolutely, horror films back in the day relied heavily on makeup and music, but Link goes a different route. The visuals are clean, resembling our everyday lives. If this movie performs well, a lot of filmmakers will try to replicate it," Lawrence Bender added.
"You guys are jumping the gun; it's only been twenty minutes. For all we know, the second half could fall flat. Many horror films start strong and then tank. Let's hope Link doesn't do the same," someone cautioned.
"Be quiet; the ghost is here."
...
That night, the lead couple continued to sleep in bed.
Around 2 a.m., a haunting noise echoed from outside their bedroom door.
Quentin furrowed his brow, peeking side-eye at the screen. Instead of focusing on the darkened door, he kept his gaze on the sleeping couple, which eased some of the tension.
The female lead heard the strange sound and woke up, staring intently at the wall. The male lead soon followed, and they huddled together, whispering and glancing nervously toward the door.
Seeing that the couple was awake eased the audience's tension.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream came from the doorway, followed by a loud crash.
The couple screamed, "Ah!!!"
...
A few shrieks erupted from the audience.
"Is there something wrong with this movie?"
In the third row, Jerome Preston scratched his thick hair, slightly turning his head, afraid to gaze too long at the ominously ajar door on the screen.
"What do you mean, wrong?" the critic Will Roger asked.
"The visuals are ordinary; it's what we see every day. So why does it feel so unsettling on screen?" Jerome frowned.
"That's Link's brilliance. He shoots directly toward the open door, while normal people lock their doors tight before going to bed. Seeing the couple sleep with the door wide open instinctively raises our discomfort, like how obsessive-compulsive people feel about disorganized books. It's a psychological trigger that you can't ignore.
Link exploited this very smartly, especially with his use of a live broadcast format, doubling the effect of unease. Regardless of the camerawork, this setup is incredibly clever and innovative. Link truly is an imaginative director," Will said with seriousness.
...
On the 15th of the month, shortly after 1 a.m., the female lead got out of bed and stood at the foot, staring down at the male lead.
...
"Sleepwalking! This is sleepwalking; I've done this before and didn't remember a thing when waking up." A female producer gasped, covering her mouth.
"Katie must be possessed," someone questioned nervously.
"What's she planning to do?"
"Oh my God, do people really behave this way while sleepwalking?"
"Too creepy."
...
After standing at the foot of the bed for over two hours, the female lead turned and exited the bedroom.
The male lead woke up and went downstairs, seeking her out. As he prepared to grab a blanket from the living room, a sudden thud came from upstairs.
Startled, he grabbed the camera and rushed up the stairs only to find the television was on.
Fuzzy black-and-white static crackled across the screen.
Gathering his courage, he filmed inside the bedroom, searching for anything unusual and finding nothing.
As the camera swept back, he spotted the female lead with disheveled hair standing in the doorway.
...
"Ah!!"
A wave of gasps rippled through the theater.
"Holy crap! I've had enough!"
One female producer stood and started heading for the exit. When she reached the dimly lit aisle, she froze upon noticing others leaving, then joined them outside the screening room.
Five people left this time.
Only 53 remained.
...
"Boss, I told you earlier, this movie is too terrifying; it'll scare the audience in theaters. My guess was spot on, wasn't it?"
Lily tugged on his shirt.
"Spot on. The producers from Disney were among those leaving. They typically produce family-friendly films, and it's no surprise they would shy away from this one."
"What will happen if they all walk out?"
"Better yet; it means this movie is extremely frightening, and it will definitely perform well at the box office."
"You're always so optimistic."
Lily smoothed out his wrinkled shirt, standing behind him. She avoided looking at the screen in case she got scared.
...
"Ah!"
"Holy crap! What the hell is that?!"
"Damn it, that scared the life out of me!"
Suddenly, the theater erupted in a frenzy of screams as over ten audience members leaped from their seats, including Quentin and Jerome Preston.
"Richard, you okay? Do you need to take a heart pill?" someone from the front asked, noticing Richard Zanuck clutching his chest.
"I'm fine; this little scare doesn't faze me," Richard waved off, slowly exhaling.
"Don't push yourself too hard; it could lead to real trouble."
"Enough talk; watch the movie."
*****
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