Hollywood Director 1992.

Chapter 17 Buried Alive Premiere
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Our plane is about to take off. The estimated flight time is 4 hours and 52 minutes."

Hearing the sound of the plane taking off, Link leaned back in his seat and breathed a sigh of relief. He finally left New York safely without being blocked on the road by that group of black people.

After returning to Los Angeles, Link had no time to rest.

Jerome Preston and William Mason, manager of the Union Theatre, and newly hired attorney Sean Tang were contacted to sign three contracts at the AMC Theater at the Grove Mall.

Two film distribution contracts stipulate the terms regarding the release time, screenings, publicity, etc.

The contract with William Mason also included a clause for the use of a $3 deposit.

According to the contract, within the first seven days of its release, the box office of Buried fell below the minimum guarantee for art film screenings - an average of $5000 per day for a single theater. Link had to use the deposit to compensate the theater for its losses.
If the deposit exceeds the minimum guarantee, it is not required. After the movie is released, the theater will refund all deposits and the share of the profitable box office revenue.

Link also signed a cooperation agreement with a film advertising studio introduced by Jerome Preston to help design and produce movie posters.

Link also personally approached the marketing department of the Los Angeles Times and spent $5000 to buy a tofu-sized page in the entertainment section to announce the release information of "Buried".

In addition, Link is also personally responsible for copying videotapes, arranging people to post movie posters, and box office statistics.

In the three days after returning from New York, Link ran around everywhere, not only spending all his money, but also all his physical strength, and lost more than five pounds.

Fortunately, the results are good.

After a few busy days, "Buried" will officially open in 10 theaters of the Union Theater in Burbank and two theaters of the Grove Shopping Center Cinema tomorrow.

After "Buried" is released, hehe, then it will be time to witness a miracle.

"Ugh~"

At around nine o'clock in the evening, Link yawned, stretched his body, and walked up to the fourth floor with his half-crippled legs.

I'm going to go back to my bed in my small apartment and have a good sleep, so that I can face the premiere of "Buried" tomorrow with a full spirit.

But when I walked to the door of the small apartment, I suddenly saw a note of unpaid rent on the door, and the door was locked with an iron chain.

Link was stunned. A few days ago, the administrator reminded him to pay the rent on the 15th, but he was too busy these days and forgot about it.

Link slapped his forehead and had no choice but to go back to the first floor, knock on the small window of the dormitory management office, apologize to the administrator Lucy, and say that he had forgotten to pay all the rent due to his busy schedule in the past few days. He would find a way to pay off all the outstanding rent tomorrow.

"Tomorrow? Don't try to lie to me. If you don't have money today, how can you have money tomorrow?"

"I do have money, but I don't have cash. My money is all in my bank account. Look, this is my Citibank bank card."

"Haha, everyone has a few bank cards. If the balance on your card exceeds $10, I'll eat it up on the spot."

"Lucy, I'm really not lying to you. This is not an ordinary bank card. It's a credit card with loan qualifications. The loan limit is $5000. I promise that I will pay off all the outstanding rent before 12 o'clock tomorrow and I will never make things difficult for you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely true. By the way, Lucy, what do you like to eat? I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow."

"Get lost! Don't try to trick me with this trick. I'm not a 17 or 18-year-old bitch."

Lucy slapped her fat palm on the windowsill, took it away to reveal a key, "If you don't pay the rent before 12 o'clock tomorrow, I will throw you and your broken furniture out."

Click! Lucy slammed the small window shut.

"Hey, Lucy! Thanks!"

Link smiled as he held the key to the iron lock, and turned around just in time to see Monica Bellucci passing by with a bag.

"Hi, Monica, just got back?"

"Hi!"

Monica Bellucci glanced at him, nodded, and walked past in her mid-heeled shoes, leaving behind an indifferent back.

Link smiled faintly. A few days ago, people in the apartment said that a beautiful woman who was very cold to others moved into the building. They were probably talking about her.

"Monica, have you finished filming your scenes on the set of Dracula?"

"That's it. I only have two scenes in that movie."

Monica said as she walked ahead.

"Have you been auditioning for a new role recently?"

"Yes!"

“Has anyone succeeded?”

"no!"

"Unfortunately, my new movie hasn't started filming yet, otherwise I could give you a role."

"Your new movie?"

Monica finally slowed down and looked back at him.

"My name is Link, and I'm a director."

"Hello, Director Link!"

Monica responded indifferently, twisting her plump buttocks and going upstairs.

Link looked at her back and smiled.

Back in the small apartment on the fourth floor, Link threw himself on the bed, planning to lie down for a while, take a shower, and cook some midnight snack before going to sleep.

But I was so tired that I fell asleep in bed without realizing it.

The family slept until dawn, and Link got up early to go to the Citibank counter to withdraw $5000. Lucy was right. The balance on this card did not exceed $10, but with a good credit rating, he could get a loan of $5000 with this card.

After paying the rent in the morning, Link brought Chris Bauer to the Grove Shopping Center, where "Buried" was officially released today.

-

"Wow, there are so many people, Link. Did you invite them to come and support the movie?"

When we arrived at the crowded Grove Shopping Center, we saw a long red carpet laid out in front of the door. On both sides of the red carpet were crowded many citizens, as well as forty or fifty media people holding cameras and microphones.

On the red carpet in the middle, several beautifully dressed people walked slowly forward and stood in front of a huge movie poster to sign autographs and take photos.

These people are all movie stars, including Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, famous actress Cybill Shepherd, first-line actress Diane Lane, famous actor and director Richard Attenborough, famous actress Julianne Moore and so on.

"Isn't Chaplin dead? Why is there a poster of him here?"

Chris Bauer also saw the huge movie poster, in which a man wearing a bowler hat stood at the door, leaning on a small cane, with his right hand on his waist, posing in the classic pose of comedy master Chaplin.

The top of the poster says "Chaplin", directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline, and Geraldine Chaplin.

"Donny! Donny!"

"Donnie look here!"

Suddenly, the audience on both sides of the red carpet shouted loudly, and then the famous movie star, Robert Downey Jr. made a brilliant appearance.

Robert Downey Jr. is 28 years old this year, much younger than in the "Iron Man" series, and has no stubble on his face.

He strode onto the red carpet in a smart Armani suit, a black Chaplin bowler hat, and a cane in his right hand.

Following behind him are three beautiful young actresses, namely the leading actress Moira Kelly, the third female role Marisa Tomei, and the fourth female role Milla Jovovich, who will also be the heroine of the future "Resident Evil" series.

Robert Downey Jr. waved to the fans as he walked, occasionally striking some classic Chaplin poses, which caused loud cheers at the scene. Robert Downey Jr. is a famous Jewish actor who started out as a child star. His father is the famous director and actor Robert Downey Sr.

Relying on the support of Downey Sr.'s resources, Robert Downey Jr. made his debut at the age of 5. He is 28 years old this year and has starred in 27 movies. With hit movies such as "Jason Tilbury", "The Babysitter", "French Opener" and "The Pickup Artist", he has become a popular young actor in Hollywood.

He is also a famous Hollywood playboy and drug addict. From the time he became famous in his twenties to the present, his gossip can always be seen in entertainment newspapers. He is a celebrity with mixed reputations.

Last year, Carlock Pictures invested 1500 million US dollars to adapt the biography of comedy film master Charlie Chaplin and use this film to compete for an Oscar. Robert Downey Jr. defeated many opponents and successfully became the male lead of the film.

Director Richard Attenborough won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1982 for his film "Gandhi" and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1983th British Academy of Film Awards in 36.

The film also invited Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins, the leading actor of "The Silence of the Lambs", to play the second male lead.

It can be said to be a strong combination with a powerful lineup.

The film is also considered by the media as one of the most anticipated art films of the year.

"Link, what were you thinking? Why did you choose to release it on the same day as Chaplin? Are you worried that Buried Alive won't be popular enough, which would make matters worse?"

Chris Bauer pointed at the lively red carpet scene with a speechless expression on his face.

Link was unable to answer Chris Bauer's question.

When promoting the release of "Buried", he only thought about making sure it was released smoothly, but didn't think about which day it would be released.

Besides, he was a nobody, with no money, no connections, and no popularity, so naturally he had no right to choose the release date.

Just like what our ancestors said, if you are poor, you can't choose your wife; if you are cold, you can't choose your clothes; if you have no money, there is no point in choosing an auspicious day.

"Don't ask so many questions, just watch."

"We're here to watch? When will they finish?"

Link didn't answer the question, but stood by the red carpet and watched for a while.

Just as he was about to enter the shopping mall, a cinema employee came up to him and told him that manager Jerome Preston had also arranged a premiere for Buried Alive.

"where?"

"There!"

The staff member raised his hand and pointed to a small poster next to the large "Chaplin" poster. The large poster was more than eight meters long and about four meters wide. The "Buried" movie poster next to it was about 1.2 meters long and about 80 centimeters wide.

If you put this poster on the wall of an apartment, it won't look too small, but if you put it next to an eight-meter-long poster, it will look like a gray mouse following behind an elephant, giving it a shifty look.

"Mr. Preston said that Buried had no celebrity guests, no reporters to interview on the spot, and no large number of fans to support it, which was not good for the box office of the film. It would be better to use the red carpet of Chaplin to gain some popularity, which might attract media attention."

The staff member paused, "Mr. Preston also said that it is entirely up to you to walk the red carpet."

The staff member left after saying this.

Leaving behind a hesitant Link and a stunned Chris Bauer.

"We're going to walk the red carpet too?"

"Do you want to leave?"

"Of course I wanted to. It was a red carpet, but it was not what I imagined, and it was not the right time. I was not ready at all."

"You don't need to prepare anything. Just follow me and walk forward boldly. No matter how others see you, just think of yourself as Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone in your heart, and you won't feel nervous."

"You're going to walk the red carpet? Are you serious?"

At this time, the off-site premiere of "Chaplin" ended, and all the actors entered the cinema in the shopping mall. When the reporters and audience were about to leave, they suddenly heard the host pick up the microphone and shout again: "Next, let's welcome the crew of "Buried" with warm applause."

"what?"

“Is there another movie premiere here?”

"Why didn't I receive any message or red envelope?"

Dozens of media reporters stopped in confusion and turned to look at the red carpet entrance.

Two young men were seen walking on the red carpet. The one walking in front was a tall and handsome Asian man wearing a blue shirt and casual trousers. His outfit was ordinary, but he looked clean and comfortable, and he exuded a gentle and elegant temperament that was very impressive.

Walking behind him was a short and stocky young man with short thick eyebrows and a flat nose. He must have taken the wrong path, so after walking seven or eight steps, he returned to the crowd with a red face.

The Asian youth strode to the middle of the red carpet and waved to the media and the audience outside. No one cheered and no one took pictures, but he did not look awkward at all, and still had a gentle and clean smile on his face.

Some photographers couldn't help but point their cameras at him and press the shutter.

On the red carpet, Link saw someone taking pictures and stopped consciously, smiling at the reporter.

"Sir, could you please introduce yourself?"

The red carpet host handed over the microphone and asked.

"Thank you! My name is Link, I am a director and actor. Today is also the day my movie is released. I wrote, directed and acted in this movie. It took me half a year to shoot. It was released at the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of the year and received rave reviews. It is considered to be a high-quality independent film on par with Reservoir Dogs. In this movie, you will see the struggle of human nature, tenacious life and unyielding will. You will also see a unique movie. Believe me, after watching this movie, you will definitely be amazed. Thank you!"

Link returned the microphone to the host, took the pen and walked to the small poster next to the "Chaplin" poster, and signed his Chinese name on the "Buried Alive" poster - Link!
Click!Click!
Four or five reporters couldn't help but point their cameras at him and press the shutter button.

Hearing someone taking pictures again, Link stood sideways in front of the poster and raised his hand to point at the movie poster of "Buried".

The poster style is similar to that of "Chaplin", with black as the background color.

At the top is the English name of the movie "Buried".

Below the movie title is a deep black that occupies half of the poster, and below that is a wooden box illuminated by an electric light, revealing Link's cheek and upper body.

There is also a line of words on the poster: "The coolest movie in the world, watching a man buried alive and how to save himself in a desperate situation?"

In addition to this poster, there are more than a dozen posters of different sizes at the entrance of the shopping mall and on the street, which read:

'The Loneliest Movie in the World'

'A must-see for lonely people'

'The most unusual movie in the world, with only one actor in the whole movie'

and many more.

Because time and money were limited, the posters were designed by Link himself.

It’s a pity that the "Chaplin" poster next to "Buried" is bigger and more eye-catching, making the "Buried" poster inconspicuous.

"The premiere of 'Buried Alive' has come to an end. Thank you all for participating!"

the host shouted.

"Ah? Is this the end?"

"Only one person from a crew?"

“The loneliest movie in the world doesn’t have to be this lonely, right?”

"Interesting! This is the most bizarre premiere ceremony I've ever had in my more than ten years in the industry."

The reporters looked at each other in bewilderment, and some looked at the poster of "Buried", hesitating whether to go and see this movie which was no less good than "Reservoir Dogs" and "Chaplin".

(End of this chapter)