Chapter 161: The Awards
[Chapter 161: The Awards]
While the crew was filming in New York, Lily called to inform them that their film, Paranormal Activity, had won the award for Best Horror Film at the 19th Saturn Awards the previous day.
The Saturn Awards were presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, founded in 1972 and held annually. The purpose of these awards was to recognize and promote outstanding science fiction and horror films and television productions from the past year, including innovative and groundbreaking works. The nominations and eventual winners were typically beloved by fans, showcasing influential films and filmmakers.
Paranormal Activity and Buried had both made waves the previous year, earning Link six nominations including Best Horror Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor for his lead. This year, the biggest winner at the Saturn Awards was Francis Ford Coppola's film, Bram Stoker's Dracula, which secured eight nominations and ultimately took home four awards, including Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Costume Design. Link congratulated Coppola through Sofia.
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In the morning, the crew continued filming scenes depicting the unexpected deaths of various characters. Among the seven survivors, Tod was the first to die, followed by supporting character Terry, then teacher Valerie Lewton, followed by Billy and finally Carter.
After Terry's accident, Alex was inspired by the news report and recalled that in his dream, when the plane exploded, Tod and Terry died first, just as they had in the current scenario. This led him to speculate that the Grim Reaper's killing pattern might follow a specific order. It seemed that there was a sequence to who died first and who died later; it wouldn't be random.
Upon discovering this pattern, Alex began to form a plan to disrupt the Grim Reaper's arrangements in an attempt to save himself. He shared his insights with the remaining survivors, yet they refused to believe him, which resulted in another tragic accident involving teacher Lewton.
Originally, Carter was supposed to be the fourth death, but due to Alex's interventions, Billy ended up being decapitated by a piece of metal flung from a train, dying ahead of schedule. The fifth death was meant to be the lead character, Clear, but at the last moment, the male lead intervened and saved her. Initially, they believed they had successfully interrupted the Grim Reaper's plan and escaped death.
However, when they returned to Paris for a trip, Carter was fatally struck by a falling sign. The deaths were intricately designed, showcasing Link's high standards for filming as well as his stringent expectations from the actors, resulting in a slow filming process.
...
For nearly two months, Link took the crew through various locations including New York, New Jersey, and Toronto, Canada, before finally returning to Los Angeles in early June to shoot the opening plane crash and additional fragmented scenes.
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As June rolled in, the North American film market was gearing up for the summer blockbusters. This year's standout was undoubtedly Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg. Released at the end of May, it earned an astonishing $81.71 million in its opening week, setting records for both North American film openings and week-one box office revenue. Within three weeks, it grossed over $200 million, marking the fastest film to reach that milestone in North America.
Overseas, Jurassic Park's earnings also soared past $200 million within just two weeks after its release. Current total earnings stood at $413 million, with expectations of surpassing $800 million.
The second spot at the box office went to Indecent Proposal, starring Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, and Robert Redford. Released on April 23, the film had a North American gross of $106 million, accumulating over $200 million worldwide.
Third place was claimed by Sylvester Stallone's Cliffhanger, which debuted in mid-May and, influenced by Jurassic Park, had only grossed around $84 million at the North American box office, against a production budget of $65 million.
Also, Robert Downey Jr. starred in Heart and Souls, released at the end of April, with North American earnings of $16.58 million, totaling $28.09 million globally.
The Blair Witch Project, which released in late February, finished its North American run with a final gross of $158 million and an overseas total of $131 million, projecting a rough global box office around $300 million.
In addition to the current hits, other popular films like Sleepless in Seattle, Last Action Hero, The Fugitive, In the Line of Fire, and Free Willy lined up for the summer screening slate.
...
"Jurassic Park is incredible! It's only been out for less than three weeks, and it's already hit over $400 million. It looks like it's going to cross the $900 million mark!"
"Universal is raking it in this time, and Spielberg is cashing in big as well."
"The outstanding part is the CGI technology that brought the dinosaurs to life so realistically. It looks real! This kind of tech is going to be widely adopted, and for us directors, it means we have to learn to harness new technology for filmmaking, or we'll be left behind in a few years."
At a bar in Beverly Hills, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez, and newcomer Richard Linklater were engaged in conversation.
"Hey everyone, good afternoon!"
Link arrived late, wearing a baseball cap, a loose shirt, and blue jeans. Among the attendees, a few were familiar faces to Quentin, while he had met Linklater at the last gathering; he was a friend of Soderbergh and had made a cameo in Soderbergh's film, Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
"Link, why are you so late? We agreed on five o'clock, and here you are!" Quentin complained.
"It's only 4:58! I'm not late; I'm actually two minutes early," Link pointed at his watch.
"We're here to hang out, drink, and chat; isn't it good to arrive early?"
"My movie's not finished yet; how can I have time to come out and play? Is Pulp Fiction done?"
Pulp Fiction started its production before his film and had taken more than three months to shoot.
"It's about 90% done; just a bit left. By the way, I'm saving a part for you. When can you come to the set?" Quentin grinned mischievously.
"I can't right now; I still have three weeks of shooting left, and editing will take an additional two weeks. Can I come next month?"
"No way, the film is in its final stage, and delaying even a day will waste a lot of money. You've got to carve out one or two days for us."
"Why not get someone else? Alright, I can spare a day this weekend. I hope you don't run into problems when I'm shooting."
Link chuckled and joined the group for drinks and conversation.
...
Due to the recent success of Jurassic Park, the impressive dinosaur effects had left audiences and filmmakers alike in awe, making the film a hot topic within the industry.
Some marveled at the film's box office numbers, convinced it would break global box office records. Others envied Universal and Spielberg for making substantial profits through the movie and its related merchandise.
There were many who were astounded by the movie's groundbreaking use of CGI technology. This computer-generated imagery, or CGI, was a computerized technique to create realistic images and impressive virtual worlds, useful across various fields like film, television, animation, and gaming.
Given that CGI was still a relatively new technology, its popularity soared thanks to Jurassic Park's success. Many upcoming films were keen to incorporate this technology. Link intended to use CGI in his own production of Final Destination to enhance its visual appeal, recognizing it as a valuable marketing point in its promotion.
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