Chapter 79: What's Going On?
[Chapter 79: What's Going On?]
It was the fourth week since the release of Paranormal Activity. The film had grossed an impressive $48.34 million across 2,312 theaters in the United States. Its North American box office total reached $114.93 million, making it the sixth film in 1992 to surpass the $100 million mark in the North American region. This feat also meant that the film's box office return saw a staggering multiplier of over 5,500 times its original budget.
Paranormal Activity held onto the top spot at the box office, consistently outperforming typical summer blockbusters. Even new releases, such as Single White Female and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, failed to shake its position.
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Despite the strong ticket sales, the movie faced a barrage of negative media coverage during its run. Fans had accused Guess Pictures of false advertising, claiming that the film was marketed as a documentary when it clearly was not. One viewer expressed feeling fooled and sought a refund. This incident escalated to the Los Angeles County court. Although the fans lost the case, the negative impact on the film's reputation was significant. Paranormal Activity became associated with labels like "false advertising" and "money grab."
Meanwhile, during an interview, Robert Downey Jr. publicly stated that he hadn't seen Paranormal Activity but had heard from friends that it was a subpar film unworthy of a theater visit. He recommended movies like A Few Good Men featuring Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman's Hero, and Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, emphasizing that those were the films a sensible person should see.
Almost simultaneously, Academy Award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman mentioned the film during his promotional tour for his latest project. He acknowledged having seen Link's first film, Buried, which he found somewhat intriguing. However, he dismissed Paranormal Activity as a mere gimmick film lacking depth or artistic merit. He lamented that Link, a promising young director, seemed to have taken a wrong turn.
Hollywood's well-known movie critic Sean Soph also took to the Los Angeles Times to advocate for stricter regulations. He called on the MPAA and the North American Theater Owners to closely scrutinize films screened in U.S. theaters, arguing that allowing low-quality films too much screening time would harm the box office performance of high-caliber films. Poor sales for well-made films would dampen the spirits of cast and crew and dissuade investment in quality projects, threatening the industry's future. He warned that the rise in box office success for a film like Paranormal Activity could lead to the industry's decline.
What a big hat.
Following the publication, over thirty media outlets picked up Sean Soph's story, and other filmmakers echoed his sentiments, agreeing that the MPAA needed to put more oversight into films shown in theaters.
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In the wake of all this commentary, the reputation of Paranormal Activity took a severe hit, contributing to a noticeable drop in its box office performance during the fourth week after its release. However, amidst the criticism from figures like Downey Jr., Hoffman, and Soph, some advocates emerged to defend the film.
Prominent critic Will Roger wrote an article in The Hollywood Reporter, disputing Soph's views. He articulated what constitutes a good movie versus a bad one. According to Roger, films praised by professionals and those that garnered awards are undoubtedly good. Equally, films that resonate with audiences are considered successful.
So, was Paranormal Activity a good film? Roger unequivocally answered yes. He pointed out that Link's bold cinematic approach through the lens of a documentary style enriched the film, making it more intense and immersive compared to traditional horror films. He asserted that Link's innovation was inspiring for his peers and showed that one could produce a quality film with minimal investment.
Moreover, Roger emphasized that sticking rigidly to outdated methods would inevitably lead to a decline within the industry. The spirit of innovation and exploration was essential for the growth of cinema, and filmmakers willing to pioneer new styles represented the future of the industry.
From an entertainment perspective, Paranormal Activity had grossed $115 million after four weeks, with nearly 15 million viewers having seen the film. Roger questioned whether a film that so many enjoyed could be labeled bad.
At the close of his article, Roger underscored Link's talent as a young director willing to take risks. He insisted that industry veterans should embrace and support such talents rather than stifle their growth with malicious criticism.
The continuous disparagement of emerging directors and new filmmaking styles could only lead to the industry's decline. Roger's article resonated within the community, garnering support from several like-minded individuals, which led to a trickle of more positive comments in the media. However, these voices were far less prominent than the loud criticisms.
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"Link, it's week four. Should we arrange for the suspect to speak out?" Jon Gordon asked in the office.
"Let's wait a bit. Right now, Paranormal Activity is still generating buzz in the media, and the drop in box office hasn't been significant. Let's give it another week; we can plan for the suspect to speak next week." Link replied, sorting through the documents in front of him.
"Sure thing. But with all this negative press, your reputation in the industry is taking a hit. Continuing to promote through the suspect might worsen your public perception. The box office performance for Paranormal Activity is currently exceptional and surpasses expectations. I suggest we be cautious with this promotional strategy," Gordon advised.
"Don't worry. As a director, the film speaks for itself. As long as I can keep making films that are both critically and commercially successful, I won't be concerned with my reputation. Remember, our goal at Guess Pictures at this stage is to make money, find every way to push the film out there and maximize our box office returns. As for artistic integrity and reputation, we can think about that later."
"Got it, Link." Gordon nodded as he left.
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Link continued to browse through the papers. As Gordon noted, with Paranormal Activity performing well at the box office, there were many negative portrayals of Link and his film in the media, labeling it as low-quality work and branding Link as the archetypal director of bad films. Some critics even referred to him as the "second Ed Wood," drawing parallels between the two.
Ed Wood was a notorious B-movie director active from the 1950s to the 1970s, famously helming what many deemed the worst film in history, Plan 9 from Outer Space. In fact, three of the ten worst films ever listed on IMDb could be attributed to Ed Wood. Like Link, Wood was a multifaceted filmmaker encompassing directing, acting, producing, writing, and independent film company management.
These critics took the opportunity to couple Link with Ed Wood, attempting to firmly affix the "bad film director" label on him, a clear act of malice.
But for now, Link focused on the film's promotional campaign, dismissing the negative comments.
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On Monday, The Hollywood Reporter published an article featuring a photo of Robert Downey Jr. appearing frightened while watching Paranormal Activity. This expose effectively contradicted Downey's claims of never having seen the film, painting him as untrustworthy.
As for Hoffman and the others, the film's soaring box office numbers only intensified their frustrations. Link continued his oversight at the production company, determined to squeeze every last bit of box office potential out of Paranormal Activity, aiming to silence the critics.
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