America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Chapter 180: Chapter 180 Champion

The film premiere received rave reviews, and a word-of-mouth marketing campaign was launched by the cast and Warner Bros. that very evening.

Early the next day, from print media to internet sites, there was a chorus of praise for "The Hills Have Eyes."

"After 'Scream,' 'The Hills Have Eyes' is Wes Craven's best horror film!"

It's a pity it's not a series; otherwise, it would have been hailed as the best in the series time and again under the influence of Martin.

In this regard, only Craven could be the talking point.

Variety, Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter, and Los Angeles Times, among others, all offered positive acclaims.

The Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating opened the day after the premiere, soaring to 78% fresh.

On the MTC website, the average score given by media professionals was 68.

This is a horror movie!

The media reviews may not be explosive, but they're certainly above average.

The accolades primarily focused on the combination of horror and action, as well as the performance of the lead actor, Martin.

"With only a man, a dog, and a baseball bat, Martin Davis fully embodies the rage that a husband and father can unleash in extreme pain!"

Another media outlet wrote, "In the second half of the film, Martin Davis is crazier than a serial killer, but he warms the heart, isn't this how a real man should be?"

Even gossip papers like "US Rumors" commented humorously, "American moviegoers and travelers are tortured by various psychopaths, trembling with fear daily. This time Martin Davis stood up, with his splendid performance, he vented for everyone. Normal people finally stood up in a horror slasher movie, instead of being infuriatingly braindead!"

Kenneth Turan from "Los Angeles Times" had high praise for Martin's acting.

"The young Martin Davis perfectly portrayed the transformation from a good man to an avenger in the throes of anger. He vividly expressed the transition from extreme pain and sadness to angry revenge, making his subsequent vengeance feel justified; his twisted expressions and bloody massacre were not off-putting, instead, they earned cheers."

"A father rescuing his child from a den of evil probably looks like this, and Martin Davis delivered a classic performance."

Most of the voices in the media were positive.

On internet movie sites like IMDb, there was no shortage of praise.

"Martin was so cool, the dad he played is so brave; I wish my dad was like him."

"It is proven, do not mess with a dad who has courage, guts, strategy, and skills."

"To rescue his child, no amount of psychopathic killers is too many for Martin to kill!"

"It's a horror movie, but Martin, with his twisted performance, tells everyone what familial and tender love is."

The company in charge of viral marketing, taking on a new job, started boosting the online reputation of "The Hills Have Eyes."

The next day, Martin visited the set of "Flirting Scholar," continuously generating new gossip.

There were even articles in gossip papers and websites swearing that Martin would soon propose to Annie, even revealing his proposal plans.

The website previously recoded to be linked with "The Hills Have Eyes" released a video of the audience at the premiere cheering wildly for Martin.

This easily led to the assumption that the film must be thrilling, as it excited moviegoers so much.

Many websites and entertainment blogs also posted videos claimed to be taken by a movie fan, showing hundreds of viewers clamoring to buy tickets for "The Hills Have Eyes" again.

All this was transmitted to the North American public through media networks far and wide.

Because the film had a quality foundation, Warner Bros. marketed it in such a way; otherwise, it would suffer backlash after the public release.

Following the premiere, Martin was busy as the first weekend of February approached; he and Annie appeared together at the Super Bowl.

This cunning man, whenever the game was paused or there was another interruption, would take the opportunity to kiss Annie.

He frequently put on a show of deep kissing, flaunting affection while furiously asserting his presence.

Even before halftime, Annie felt her lips burning and said in a low voice, "Martin, you're too passionate today."

Martin looked at Annie affectionately, "I want everyone to know how deeply I love you!"

Annie, ignoring the pain in her lips, moved in for another kiss with Martin, and they appeared on TV screens once again.

During the halftime break, in addition to the traditional performances, there was also the important commercial time. Since the success of "Independence Day" in utilizing Super Bowl ads in 1997, Super Bowl commercials have become a staple for Hollywood movies.

Martin saw ads for two films related to him, "The Hills Have Eyes" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

The latter could allow Angelina Jolie to make a comeback and thus boost "Wanted Order."

With insufficient personal appeal, it's inevitable to ride on the momentum of others.

By the last quarter of the game, Annie's lips were not just burning but swollen with pain.

Martin, feeling sorry for Annie, stopped kissing her in the final quarter.

Mainly because there were too many already, he guessed the director wouldn't give them more airtime.

In fact, by the third quarter of the game, the director in the control room was cursing, "This shameless couple, are they here to watch the game or to hog our cameras? Don't give them any more airtime! Not a single shot!"

It was a consensus in the control room that the Hollywood stars were far too shameless!

With a close-up, they could clearly see that the woman's mouth was swollen from kisses, and she still moved in proactively.

What's so good about that Martin Davis? Annie-Hathaway has no regard for her own face.

After the Super Bowl, Martin took Annie back to Los Angeles, followed the crew tirelessly for promotions, mainly visiting New York and Chicago, participating in local radio, TV shows, and roadshows.

In addition, Warner Bros. announced that "The Hills Have Eyes" would compete in this year's Saturn Awards and Teen Choice Awards.

The latter was founded in 1999 and its influence among teenagers has been gradually increasing.

"The Hills Have Eyes" will apply for the Best Horror Scene in a movie.

When Martin returned to Los Angeles, there was only one day left before the film's wide release.

Alexander Aga had specifically arranged to meet him and Craven for a relaxing night out at a club.

The trio shook off the paparazzi and entered their usual strip club through the back door, picking out the right dancers and heading to the VIP room on the second floor.

Since the tips were generous, the three dancers went specially to clean up.

When the car headlights illuminated their faces, Martin and the others were particularly clear-headed, their minds especially active.

Aga stuffed in the tips and washed his face with the car headlights, saying, "Finally, we can relax a bit."

Martin gave him the middle finger and said, "What's there to be scared of? In the worst case, I'll go back to France and film 'Woodpecker'."

Aga asked, "You want me to be the male lead?"

Craven said, "Martin has a lot of experience; in 'Zombie Dancer,' he partnered with the Queen of Sacred Valley in a dance through the sky."

"Right, I've seen that." Aga was curious, "Did you guys..."

Martin cut him off abruptly, "Please, I'm an actor with professional integrity, good character. Acting is just acting."

"He's got Annie now, he doesn't look at those things anymore." Aga stuffed in another tip, the headlights washed his face squeaky clean. He said, "We have competitors, also in the horror thriller genre."

Martin had already looked over the film release schedule, "Are you talking about 'The Haunting' distributed by Mubao Pictures? Buddy, don't worry, we've got Craven on our side!"

Craven chimed in, "The key is this weekend; next weekend it's Valentine's Day season."

Before his face was washed by the tip Martin stuffed in, he said, "By then Will Smith's 'Everyone's Enemy of Love' is coming out."

Aga asked, "With such different genres, the audiences are different, right?"

Martin was about to speak, but before he could finish, the face-washing machine pressed down, turning his words into unintelligible murmurs.

After his face wash, he said, "The current Will Smith appeals to men and women, young and old alike."

Craven got his mouth blocked directly by the headlights and couldn't speak.

After Aga had his face washed, he said, "First week's box office is very important."

Craven spat out the headlight, "North American box office accounts for more than a third."

Martin said, "Warner Bros.' capability in distribution is not something Mubao can compare with."

With the movie going wide tomorrow, the three called it a night before ten, and this time not only Martin, but also Aga and Craven didn't take anyone with them.

Bruce was waiting in the car at the back door, Martin got in the car, and they headed back to North Hollywood together.

Martin said, "You could've gone up, but you didn't."

Bruce looked professional, "I have to secure your exit strategy." He then asked, "The media is fiercely hyping the rumor that you're about to propose to Annie, has she not asked you about it?"

"A person of high quality like myself, once I propose, it's serious business," Martin said as if it were true, "Don't you think Antonio lives particularly carefree?"

Bruce cut to the chase, "If you want to be a jerk, just say so, don't bring the chubby landlord into this."

Martin thought for a bit, "Let's drag it out a little longer."

Bruce asked, "She did make the first move to confess to you. What if she pressures you to take a stand? Are you going to be that jerk?"

"No, I'm definitely not that jerk," Martin declared firmly. "Don't initiate, don't promise... so, I can't be the one to initiate a breakup either."

Bruce thought the guy in the passenger seat should be thrown into hell, Satan wouldn't even take him, "What do you want to do?"

Martin considered seriously, "Old Cloth, as a good man, it's only fair to give the lady a test of love."

Bruce said, "Don't call me for your dirty deeds."

Martin sighed, "Kim and her sister..."

Bruce chose to compromise.

The so-called test would certainly have to wait; after all, the film was about to officially premiere.

On Thursday afternoon at four o'clock, "The Hills Have Eyes" had its early screenings in 3,280 theaters across North America.

In Martin's blog and fan groups, led by Rachel, diehard fans were calling on supporters to go see it whenever they could, and the response was massive.

Fans, even if they couldn't afford food, would sleep on the streets just to buy tickets to support the film.

Ordinary viewers, influenced by the promotion and marketing, also chose this film en masse.

Out of the two big films opening that week, most people chose "The Hills Have Eyes" first.

The early screenings grossed a whopping 4.25 million US dollars!

That was nearly double the 2.28 million US dollars for "The Haunting."

On the following Friday, "The Hills Have Eyes" unsurprisingly took the opening day box office crown with a gross of 10.51 million US dollars.

After the first weekend, the movie topped the North American box office chart with 34.15 million US dollars!

The second place was less than 20 million US dollars.