Rise To Stardom - Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Secret Weapon
#EpochOne and #BohemianDays were trending on TweetTalk!

Both for completely different reasons obviously.

While those whom had watched the action movie praised it with such hype and excitement, the others whom had watched the drama, bashed it left and right like a piñata with no mercy.

Some people even felt as if they had been scammed and they would never again in their lives, believe anything big Hollywood publications fed them anymore.

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CatsAreTheApex: Never in my life will I trust big movie reviewers from publications again. Going back to their reviews, it’s so obvious that they were all bought out.

HearMeOut: I thought the movie was really great! You guys are just badmouthing a good movie for no f**king reason!

ViolentlyViolent: @HearMeOut; I understand everyone’s entitled to their own opinions. Truly, I do. But seriously, I think you might need to bleach your eyes. Bleach your brains while you’re at it as well. Maybe then, you’ll understand why it has a potatometer of 48% and an audience rating of 50% on ‘Mashed Potatoes’.

FuriouslyFurious: What a fucking waste of my time! The movie was so boring I slept off midway. If you’re planning to go to theatres, just steer clear of this darn movie. It might seem like it would make for a compelling narrative in the first few minutes but trust me, it devolves very quickly.

WrathfuLsith: I agree with the @FuriouslyFurious. The movie had so much potential and it squandered it. Also, that Austin guy who plays James, couldn’t pull off a complex character’s inner turmoil to save his life. Even the lady who played Audrey, despite giving a fairly nice performance, didn’t seem to have any sort of on-screen chemistry with him.

Tik-Tak-Toad: @WrathfuLsith; I totally get what you mean. Like seriously, compared to the other casts who actually had really good acting despite the boring story, he just felt outclassed and out of place.

Sleuthing Sherlock: And don’t even get me started on that unnecessary sex scene between the two main leads ’cause in my opinion, it added nothing to the story! Absolutely nothing! Why does Hollywood always feel the need to blatantly throw porn in our faces these days?!

BullyMcGuffin: @Sleuthing Sherlock; I’m gonna put some dirt in their eye one of these days for constantly doing that.

–

Compared to the negative PR [Bohemian Days] was getting though, the positive PR [Epoch One] was getting was somewhat… overwhelming…

Even Dot Productions wondered what the hell was actually going on.

The ratings on Mashed Potatoes too, was also a bit shocking to them as it had a potatometer of 89% and an audience rating of 91%.

Sure they knew they had produced a good movie but even they, couldn’t pinpoint what exactly the cause of all this heavily positive reviews were all about.

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KevinEleven: Look. You guys know I never review action movies with any sort of bias. And right now, I’m telling you, [Epoch One] is one of those action movies that will get you up late at night just so you can bash your punching bag out of pure excitement!

Joy Boy: [Epoch One] is what happens when a movie gets produced by a team of people who are dedicated to giving the audience a truly worthwhile experience. I was so glad I went into the theatres completely blindfolded with no knowledge of the movie and had a good ol’ time.

UncleGrandpa: Bruce Gunn is back baby! Now that’s what I call an action star! And also, accolades to Jeffrey and that young kid who plays Alex Hunt. They made the movie that much more thrilling to watch even for an old codger like me.

MovieAnalyzer: Director Clyde was the real star of the show in my opinion. Never would I have ever thought a movie director who specializes in rom-coms and dramas, would be so talented in making a crisp-looking action movie! Man the fight scenes keep replaying in my head like a film reel.

TruthBomb: I really hope this movie does well at the Box Office. Truly, it deserves all the praise it’s getting. Although I won’t say it’s perfect, because it actually isn’t but, all in all, if you wanna have a good time watching something that will get you hyped, then this movie’s the one for you.

Walkin’ Putin: My girlfriend and I had a bit of an argument over which movie to watch the day before the movies dropped and ultimately, we decided to go individually. Watch what suited our fancy. I have never been more satisfied by a decision in my entire life. And yes, I got my girl to admit that she was wrong! Ha!

ThirstyLucy: Went for the abs. Stayed for the action!

Todd The Toad: A thrilling, fun action-adventure movie! That was simply what it was! And I have to say, although Bruce and Jeffrey were excellent in the movie, Kyle was the one that truly stood out for me! Didn’t even think it was his first movie with those acting skills. Dude killed his role as Alex Hunt.

MovieLover: After feeling like I wasted $10 at the theatres when I watched [Bohemian Days], the joy I felt after watching [Epoch One] that same day and getting my money’s worth, completely washed away the sour mood [Bohemian Days] put me in. I’ll definitely be going to the cinemas again for another viewing.

–

As more and more people gave their varying reviews about both movies, the two production teams of both movies were more concerned about something else.

The Box Office returns.

Opening on the first day and second day with a total of $21 million and $19 million respectively, the folks at BlackBox Films were currently feeling a sense of relief.

It seems their tactics of heavy PR had eventually paid off.

Producer John himself, seemed to be in a bit of a victorious mood.

“We have another success on our hands John.” one of the executives said to the man over a phone call.

“Yes. That’s very likely.” John replied confidently.

The employees in the marketing team also seemed to believe the same as they had prideful smiles plastered on their faces.

Despite the negative PR their movie was getting, it seemed like it was only fueling people’s interest in the movie instead of dissuading them from watching it.

It was a rare case of negative PR having the opposite effect but still, it would ensure they could make their budget back and then some.

Even [Epoch One] whom they had been fearful of, wasn’t anywhere near the returns they had gotten in the first two days alone.

‘We might, possibly, double the production budget if we’re lucky…’ Producer John thought to himself, a greedy expression painting his features.

As a result, the man relaxed a bit more, feeling like his decision to switch tactics and prevent [Epoch One] from gathering momentum had turned out perfectly.

Considering the immensely positive reception the movie was getting, he was sure that if they had allowed it to roam freely in the Box Office just a week before their original release date, it would’ve ultimately crushed theirs.

‘Well in the end, they are just a small production company after all. They’ll never compare to the amount of reach, connections and prestige that BlackBox Films has.’ he proudly declared to himself.

What was unknown to John though, was that Dot Productions employees and Hank were practically dancing about in their own office!

[Epoch One] had earned $8 million on the first day, exceeding their initial $6 – $7 million projections.

And on the second day, it had earned $10 million, bringing the total returns at the moment to a total of $18 million!

Just $2 million short of their $20 million budget in just a matter of two days!

“At this rate, we might even break way past even sir!” one of the interning employees said to Hank who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Yes, yes, kid! I know!” Hank rubbed his hands together as he watched the analytics on their large projector.

Truly, by the end of the week, there was a high possibility they were even going to cross triple their original $20 million budget.

Thinking to himself though, Hank, being quite the greedy one, just like every other producer, had a sudden thought come up in his mind.

Contemplating over it for a few seconds, Hank then grinned to himself;

‘Time to bust out the secret weapon…’

Turning around, he then said to the rest of the employees in the room.

“Start leaking a few clips of the behind the scenes of the movie. Throw in a few interesting details about the filming I asked you all to prepare into the mix too.”

“And remember, there’s gonna be bonuses for sure. That’s a given considering the returns we’re already having. But, for those who truly do a great job, there’s gonna be extra in store for you.”

Listening to their producer speak, noticing the slightly shrewd gaze of the man as he gently also stroked his beard, they all immediately understood what he was going for and got to work.

Like a hive mind, they all efficiently and seamlessly did as they were told, a similar look of excitement mixed with glints of greed in their eyes.

It seemed like the Box Office earnings would be ramping up exponentially very soon.