America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Chapter 77: Chapter 77 Fierce and Joyous

The sky had darkened when Kelly Gray led the producer Dave, director Benjamin, lead actor Martin, and lead actress Catherine all to the front of the theater to greet the arrival of important guests.

Everyone's face was brimming with smiles.

Thanks to Kelly Gray's connections, the crew had invited several deans from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

The most important guests, naturally, were the buyer representatives from various film distribution companies.

Martin saw six screening experts and professional buyers from Focus Features, Warner Bros., and Lionsgate Films.

Besides, he noticed representatives from overseas film merchants like Indians, South Koreans, Mexicans, and Brazilians.

Those who went on a business trip certainly didn't skimp on their work outside.

Soon, Martin spotted an acquaintance, straightened his formal attire, and stepped forward to greet him, "Good evening, Blanco. Welcome."

Blanco shook hands with Martin and said, "I've been in touch with Michel. He can't stop praising you. I can't miss a movie starring an actor who earns such praise from Michel."

Martin led the guests to the entrance of the theater, introduced them to Dave and Benjamin, and personally ushered them inside.

The theater that could hold more than eight hundred people was nearly full, mostly with ordinary audience members and students from the college.

There were only about twenty real film buyer representatives.

Martin sat next to Benjamin in the crew's designated area.

As the movie was about to begin, he noticed Benjamin's hands and legs were shaking.

Benjamin managed a strained smile, "Don't be surprised, it's my first time. It's normal to be nervous."

"Me too," Martin kept adjusting his breathing, trying not to think about the movie's success or failure.

For him, just getting the film into theaters was a victory.

Jeffs from Lionsgate Films and Blaitner, a buyer from Warner, sat next to each other, the two were often seen at various film festivals on behalf of their companies and were old acquaintances.

Jeffs asked, "Is Warner interested in B-movies?"

In a low voice, Blaitner replied, "B-movies have a loyal audience."

The screen lit up, the lights went out, and booming music began to play.

In the packed House of Beast Club, a sun-kissed, handsome hunk took to a circular stage and started to dance feverishly to the music.

The beginning was quite normal, a typical zombie dance with just a few elements of a striptease added in.

The DJ on the scene shouted, "Zombie Gatling Gun Dance, let the bullets fly across the dance hall!"

It was as if machine guns were firing, and numerous customers clutched their chests.

Then, US dollars flew about, and underwear fluttered in the air.

It was so realistic that it seemed like such a nightclub actually existed.

Audience members in the theater couldn't help but whisper, "That's too exaggerated!"

The audience was astonished: With that kind of frequency and speed, would they fly up to the sky?

B-movies demand such exaggerated effects.

And it was all shot live.

Many could see that the leading man's dancing wasn't all that great, just mediocre, but the high points of the Zombie Gatling Gun Dance made him dazzlingly charismatic.

In close-up shots, the explosion of hormones overflowed from the screen.

Jeffs overheard someone behind him asking their companion, "Where is the House of Beast? Do they really have such dancers? I want to experience that..."

The opening dance number emphasized the film's sexual allure.

Of course, no B-movie was complete without another major highlight and element—splashes of plasma.

As all the customers were immersed in the lead actor's feverish dance, the music changed, and suddenly the lead actor, Matthew, transformed into a vampire. Along with the other dancers and the big-headed boss, they started a bloody massacre of the customers.

Brain matter spewed, limbs were severed, and blood flowed like a river.

It was a ritual sacrifice. House of Beast was a stronghold for vampiric demons who lured customers with male beauty, feasting on their blood, and offering sacrifices to the infernal gods.

The opening scene wasn't outstanding, but it was enough to keep people watching.

The plot of a B-movie is always crap, and Benjamin's was no exception. A girl was lucky to escape from the mass slaughter and found the sisters Maria and Anna, huntresses with special gifts.

Anna suggested forming a squad to hunt the vampiric demons. While gathering comrades, Maria scouted ahead, arriving at the club first.

"Jenna Jameson?" Jeffs frowned, "Using her is indeed a gimmick, but if we really wanted to see her, there are plenty of films available."

Blaitner thought similarly, and as soon as he saw Jenna Jameson and the male lead in the same scene, he anticipated an intense fight to come.

But what he hadn't expected was that this scene would be so unique.

The male lead caught Maria's eye.

The former wanted to use his unique gift to directly drain the vampire, while the latter sought to use the blood of a beautiful woman to please the special infernal god from Hell.

It was on the stage that a great battle erupted.

But the location and style of the fight were something that not even Jeffs and Blaitner had foreseen.

The male lead, holding on to a chain dangling from the ceiling with one hand and clutching Maria with the other, performed an aerial acrobatic fight.

Zombie Gatling Gun took to the skies!

The scene, with its mix of beauty and brawn coupled with exaggerated acting, created not just a sense of bloody combat but also an inexplicable hilarity.

In the eyes of the audience, two characters were fighting for their lives, but this special method somehow landed them in a bizarre joy.

Jeffs couldn't help but comment, "It's full-on slapstick."

Blaitner actually laughed, "There's something to it."

As for the rough production quality, that's no issue—B-movies are always like that.

In the dim theater, the air was filled with lively spirits.

The fight, devoid of funny lines or spoof actions, was both fierce and hilarious.

This type of comedy is a signature product of the Americans, with a very wide audience.

As expected, the arrogant Maria met her failure, failing to suck the blood from the male lead and instead being drained dry and met a tragic end, dismembered.

The plot was still clichéd—heroine Anna found some helpers, discovered her sister had been killed, and resolved to clear out the vampires from the House of Beast Club.

They came up with a detailed plan and stormed the club during the day.

Then they fell into a trap and were captured alive by the big-headed boss and the male lead, along with a group of male dancers.

Of course, the villain wouldn't kill the heroine straight away.

The male lead locked the heroine up alone; intimidated by his strength, she decided to use her innate talent to seduce him into a head-on fight.

The audience there, mostly B-movie enthusiasts, were having a great time.

The scene design of several fight scenes and the male lead's special performance were full of fun.

The final act began with the heroine's inner monologue once again throwing out the concept of combat.

Last time, the heroine's sister had failed and was killed.

But the heroine's talent surpassed her sister's, and she defeated the male lead head-on.

In the following fight, the heroine chopped off the male lead's head.

With the male lead dead, the heroine led her team to cleanse the House of Beast Club and took the male lead's head as a trophy.

At the end of the film, the heroine, leading the demon-hunting squad out of the city, realized she was pregnant, and the male lead's head had disappeared entirely.

In the darkness, applause began to sound, and Blanco also stood up to clap.

Unlike a typical French film company, his Europa Corp could be said to have the most commercial atmosphere in all of France, perhaps even Europe, and its founder, Luc Besson, never dealt with art films.

The style of the company's big boss influenced the entire company's style.

Blanco was also a film buyer with a preference for commercial cinema.

This film had superb elements of an American B-movie—splattered blood, a terrifying atmosphere, exploding hormones…

Even the American-style scatological humor he usually didn't care for was uniquely crafted in this film.

Without any crappy dialogue, the male lead was killed by the heroine, yet it turned out to be full of joy.

Especially the male lead, who stood out in the first two acts of the three major scenes, putting on a spectacular show.

The zombie machine gun dance and the mid-air acrobatics were just too much fun,

Those French directors who only play with obscure and green drama should come to see how to make fun and interesting art.

In the final act, the male lead was slightly upstaged by the heroine, but it was of no importance.

The applause slowly died down as Blanco wondered how much it would cost to secure the French or European distribution rights for this film.

If the North American and European rights were separate, he estimated it could be done for under 2 million US dollars.

This film definitely didn't cost the claimed 6 million dollars; the production budget wouldn't have exceeded 2 million dollars.

The film credits finished rolling, and the theater lights brightened.

Dave called to the main creators of the crew, "Come on, time for the curtain call!"

Benjamin stood up, not sure if he was too nervous or his legs had gone numb, he nearly fell over taking the first step.

Martin, quick to react, promptly caught him.

Benjamin looked back and gave a strained smile, "Not bad, right?"

Martin said, "Director, we've reached the pinnacle, let's go on stage."

Benjamin moved forward.

Martin added, "Call up everyone from the crew who's here?"

In a quiet voice, Benjamin replied, "Get them all up on stage."

Turning back, Martin gestured vigorously towards Hart, Robert and others sitting behind.

Kelly Gray had paid to bring quite a few media journalists, and they were taking pictures at this moment; Hart and others made it into the media spotlight, standing with the crew, ensuring that their value would increase once the film hit the theaters.

Hart and Carrington, with their stylish male group, pulled the big-headed Robert onto the stage in front of the screen.

Led by Dave and Benjamin, the crew repeatedly bowed to the audience.

The auditorium erupted once again with enthusiastic applause.

The crew gathered together again for the media to take group photographs.

The ceremony was in full swing.

Robert's smile was brighter than flowers; this film had allowed him to fulfill his years-long dream of being a background artist.

With more than a dozen lines in the final cut and now part of the main creative photo call,

if only the film screened in theaters, he could boast endlessly in the Atlanta background artist circles.

When leaving the stage, Hart hurried a few steps to catch up with Martin and whispered, "Daddy Martin, just give the word and I'll book a flight to Thailand tonight."

Martin wasn't interested in a ladyboy daughter and said, "Keep it; you'll still need it to make a living."

Hart, all smiles, said, "I can charge double from now on!"

Following behind, Carrington scoffed, "Look at the small-minded you, you should be talking about tripling."