Chapter 61: Footage

[Chapter 61: Footage]

Knock, knock, knock!

"Hey, boss, we got the footage from the preview screening. After editing, we kept forty-three minutes of material. Check it out."

"Sure!"

Once the staff left, Link grabbed the tape and slid it into the VCR to watch the captured footage from the screening.

...

From start to finish, the film played scenes of Andrew Reiner and thirteen others shouting "bad movie" and storming out of their seats.

There were female producers shouting "my god," shielding their eyes and unable to watch, while others were so frightened they left midway through.

The standout performer, without a doubt, was Quentin Tarantino.

This towering figure, nearly six foot three with a fierce demeanor, screamed in terror as he watched. He frequently shielded his eyes, turned his head away, and clutched the arms of Steven Soderbergh and Lawrence Bender beside him.

As the screening reached a particularly chilling moment, Quentin leapt onto Lawrence's seat, holding onto his arm for dear life.

...

"Ha!"

A familiar laugh broke out, and Link recognized Lily's scent wafting through the air.

"Quentin is just too funny! A guy that big, and yet such a scaredy-cat."

"Definitely amusing."

When the film ended, the lights in the screening room came up, and Quentin finally released his grip on Lawrence. His blue jeans were soaked.

"Is it really that terrifying?" he asked, still shaken.

Lily laughed, her cheeks turning crimson.

"There were people who couldn't even keep their eyes open halfway through! I mean, would you say that's scary?"

"It's different for a woman. It's normal for women to be scared of horror movies."

"Alright, that excuse is somewhat reasonable."

Besides Quentin Tarantino, Richard Zanuck, Scott Rudin, Jerome Preston, and other producers from various film companies also displayed palpable fear while watching the film.

Some flinched, shielded their faces, and squinted their eyes, despite being seasoned veterans who had watched countless horror films. Yet, even they were visibly shaken by Paranormal Activity, subconsciously making amusing gestures in response to the scares.

If regular audience members had been there, their reactions would have been even more exaggerated.

This served as testament to the fact that Paranormal Activity was well-crafted.

The system's reviews were rather objective.

"Link, what are you filming all this for? What's the purpose?"

"It's for a good reason. You'll see later," Link replied.

...

Link picked up the phone and called Quentin, eager to see what he was up to.

"I'm at home. Link, is there something wrong with your movie? The aftermath is too intense! I swear I feel like my apartment is filled with ghosts. Wait, I feel something behind me... Fuck, Roger, what are you doing standing behind me? Are you trying to scare me to death?"

The line turned chaotic for over a minute before Quentin continued, "Link, why are you calling me?"

"I need your help."

"What is it?"

"It's not something I can explain over the phone. Are you at your apartment? Do you have a VCR? I've got a tape I'd like you to see."

"A horror tape?"

"No, a comedy tape."

"You can swing by in the afternoon. I'm throwing a party at my place tonight."

"How about I come by tomorrow? The party will be too loud. I have some work I want to discuss with you."

"Alright, how about tomorrow morning? No, wait - come over after noon. I'm worried that I'll be too hungover to get up."

"Okay! See you tomorrow!"

...

Link hung up the phone and replayed the footage.

Then, he called the production staff, instructing them to cut the segment where Quentin nearly wet his pants.

He couldn't let Quentin see that.

If he did, it would surely humiliate him.

"Are you really planning to get Quentin to agree to screen that footage publicly?" Lily blinked, chuckling.

"I'm going to give it a shot."

"That's going to be tough. No one wants to embarrass themselves publicly, especially Quentin as a public figure. He has his pride too."

"Let's just try for now. If he doesn't agree, I'll think of another way. Our promotional strategy goes beyond just this one."

"It feels complicated. When I used to think about movies, I thought making a good film and sending it to theaters was all there was to it. After working in the industry for a while, I've realized that distributing a film involves countless tasks. Making a great film is just the first step; actually getting it to screen is the real challenge. It's tougher than I imagined."

"It's not that difficult either. Our company is just starting up - we need manpower and funds, and we have to handle a lot ourselves. Once the company grows and we have a professional marketing team, we can just hand off the finished film to them. Our workload will be drastically reduced, and then it'll be easier."

"You're right; as the old saying goes, the first step is always the hardest. But Link, you're doing an amazing job - both as a director and a company owner. No one's doing it better than you."

Lily gazed at him earnestly, her eyes sparkling with admiration, appreciation, love, care, and affection, almost creating a sense of enchantment that made his heart flutter.

"You're also doing fantastic, whether as my assistant or as Cici's mom. You handle everything so well, Lily. You really are great!"

Link gave her a thumbs up.

Upon hearing his compliments, Lily's memories flickered back to her early difficult days. Her eyes began to glaze over with emotion, resembling cherry blossoms at dawn.

They shimmered with tears, and she quickly turned her head to wipe her eyes, throwing him a glare.

"Who asked you to praise me? Why are you complimenting me out of the blue?"

"Just saying what's on my mind. You truly are incredible."

"I am not talking to you anymore."

Lily grabbed the folder in her hand and slammed it down onto the table, huffing as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, storming out of the office.

---

The next day at noon, Link arrived at Quentin's apartment in Beverly Hills with the newly edited tape.

Beverly Hills was divided into three distinct sections based on current real estate prices.

There was the flat area south of Santa Monica.

This included Wilshire Boulevard, where the prices were more affordable, ranging from $800,000 to $3 million at the high end -- but there weren't many of those.

This area was also the most densely populated part of Beverly Hills, accounting for over 60%.

The mid-range area was located between Santa Monica Boulevard to the north and Sunset Boulevard to the south, characterized by luxurious homes, where prices tended to hover around $1 million.

In the hills north of Sunset Boulevard, including Bel Air and Holmby Hills, prices soared even higher and were concentrated with Beverly's top-tier mansions.

Quentin's apartment was located in the mid-range area of Roxbury, near Century City.

This place was livelier than Wilshire Boulevard, filled with bars and nightlife, making it easy to meet women.

"Hey, Link! you're here," Quentin greeted, dressed in pajamas and slippers, his eyes still hazy, his hair a disheveled mess.

His living room was even messier.

There were fruit peels, scraps, and wine bottles scattered everywhere, and lingerie draped over the sofa.

The air was thick with the smell of alcohol.

"Looks like I missed quite the party," Link remarked.

"Ha! You have no idea! Last night we had fourteen people here, nine of them hot chicks. It was amazing! You should have come over yesterday; oh wait, I forgot about your stunning girlfriend, Monica. Ugh, Monica is such a sexy beauty."

Quentin nonchalantly tossed aside some of the lingerie on the sofa.

Link, unfazed by the mess, found a spot that was relatively clear and sat down.

*****

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