Hollywood Director 1992.

Chapter 373 New Movie Test Screening Rewards, Oscars Are Coming!
Jingle Bell!
Link put down the script, picked up the phone on the table, and Quentin Tarantino's voice came through the receiver.

"Haha, Link, let's go out for a drink."

"Do you have any good news to share?"

"No, it's just that we haven't gotten together in a long time. Wouldn't it be nice to have a drink and chat together?"

"I don't have time today, I still have work to do. Let's get together again on the weekend."

Link continued to peruse the script in his hands.

The script was sent by Julia Roberts and is called "My Best Friend's Wedding." The story is well-written and has great box office potential. Link is preparing to have the production department take on the project.

"Work? You're actually working, and not hiding in your office, afraid to face anyone?"

"Afraid to see anyone? What do you mean?"

Link leaned back in his office chair to relax.

"Hehe, don't hide it. I've been reading every issue of the Los Angeles Times these past few days, and there are a lot of articles about you, saying that you like other men's wives. Hehe, are you worried that we'll be embarrassed when we talk about this at the party, so you don't dare to come out for drinks? Hehe, don't worry, come out, we promise we won't talk about this."

Quentin laughed throughout his speech, seemingly in a very good mood.

Link twitched his lips. "Are you talking about the rumors about me with Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman? I'm a playboy, I'm used to these kinds of rumors, why should I care about them?"

"Hmph, if you don't care, then come out for a drink and a chat."

Quentin didn't believe him.

"I really don't have time. I'm currently preparing for my new movie, 'Deadly Island,' which is scheduled to start filming next week. I have a lot of work to do during this period and can't rest for a moment."

Link continued flipping through the documents.

"You're making another new movie? You just finished filming your last movie at the end of last year, and you're starting a new one in February?!"

Quentin shouted.

"Yes, I made three movies last year and three more this year. I have to hurry up and film them, otherwise I won't be able to finish the project by the end of the year."

creak creak!

The sound of teeth grinding came from the phone.

"Quentin, what's up? Your last movie, 'Four Rooms,' is almost over. When will your next movie start filming?"

Quentin Tarantino's second film, "Four Rooms," was released in North America on December 25 last year. Produced and distributed by Miramax Films, it has grossed $352 million to date and is expected to gross around $12 million.

The film cost $2.5 million to produce and is expected to cause Miramax Films a loss of more than $3 million.

The film's reputation was also mediocre. Although it was a decent cut movie with an absurd plot and dark humor, it was far inferior to "Pulp Fiction." The narrative techniques, dialogue design, and acting performances all felt rather deliberate.

The magazine *Complete Film* commented that Quentin Tarantino deliberately made a mess of a simple film in order to show off his skills; such films are not for the audience, but rather for the director's self-indulgence.

This is also why the film's box office and critical reception were lower than expected.

"Why do you ask?"

Quentin's tone turned very unpleasant.

“We are both directors, and we debuted around the same time. I’ve started preparing for my tenth film, but you haven’t even started shooting your third film yet. This is too slow. I don’t want you to waste your talent because you’re too playful.”

"Is this your tenth film?"

"Yes, six films have been released, three are yet to be released, and the tenth film is about to begin shooting."

Including "The Blair Witch Project", he has now completed ten films, and "The Rock" is actually his eleventh film.

"Damn it! Nine movies in four years, at least two a year, aren't you afraid of working yourself to death at this pace?"

Quentin yelled.

"I'm more worried about not making more classic films before I die, or not fully showcasing my talent and genius in film, than working myself to death. That would be a greater pity."

Link paused for a moment and said, "Quentin, you are more talented than me. If you were more diligent and made two movies a year, your achievements would be no less than mine. You are good at everything, but your only flaw is that you are too lazy and do not cherish your time, which wastes your talent in film. I feel sorry for you."

Quentin was silent for a while on the other end of the phone. Just as Link was about to hang up, he heard Quentin say through gritted teeth, "You're right, I have great talent, but I lack self-discipline and am rather lazy. I've decided to take your advice and, starting this year, try to make two movies every year."

Snapped!
Link slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "That's fantastic! Quentin, I'm really looking forward to your new movie. If you need funding, you can contact me!"

After hanging up the phone, Link chuckled softly. That bastard Quentin dared to use those scandals to tease him; he shouldn't blame him for using this method to crush him.
-
"Boss! The preview screening starts in ten minutes."

Around 1 p.m., Lewinsky knocked on the office door to remind him to attend the preview screening of "The Internet".

The film was edited last September and completed post-production in January. Link has arranged an internal screening today.

There weren't many people attending the preview screening; it was mainly the main creative team members, staff from the company's production and distribution departments, a total of more than forty people.

After Link arrived at the screening room, he greeted Matt Damon and the others, then pulled Sandra Bullock and Milla Jovovich to sit down in the middle to begin watching the new version of "The Internet".

The new version of "The Internet" offers a great viewing experience, featuring trendy online social interactions, gunfights, high-speed car chases, intense explosions, handsome men and beautiful women, and political intrigue.

It shares many similarities with the 94 film "Speed," but the additional plot points, mainly focused on the internet, feel fresh and unique. Watching the movie felt like eating a fresh and delicious piece of fruit.

"This scene looks great. I didn't realize I'd be good at playing a secret agent."

Matt Damon clenched his fist and said excitedly.

After filming "Good Will Hunting", the media thought he did a good job in dramatic scenes, and his agency also suggested that he should focus on dramatic scenes when taking on roles.

When he received Link's invitation last year to play the role of 'Agent Jack' in 'The Internet', he was worried that he wouldn't be able to perform the action scenes well and would drag the crew down.

After watching the movie, he was very satisfied with his performance.

"Yes, you acted well, but my Batman is the best."

Ben Affleck crossed his arms and raised his chin as he spoke.

“Okay, we all acted well, but it’s all thanks to Link. Without his guidance, we couldn’t have performed at this level.”

Matt Damon looked at Link in the middle, his heart filled with gratitude.

Ben Affleck doesn't see it that way; after getting over the role, he often recalls the 'torture' he suffered while filming Batman.

That period was incredibly difficult. On one hand, he couldn't get into character, and on the other hand, he faced the threat of being replaced by Link. These things felt like a huge boulder pressing down on his back, making it hard for him to breathe.

Later, at Nicole Kidman's suggestion, he made continuous adjustments, gradually immersing himself in the role and learning how to play it well. In the end, he even developed a mental illness in order to play the role well.

After suffering so much hardship and being exploited so much, is he now expected to thank Link?
He can't do it!

clap clap clap!
As the film ended, enthusiastic applause erupted in the audience, with Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Bob Gunton, and others cheering and applauding in tribute to Link.

The head of the production and distribution department at Guess What, also praised the film as excellent.

“Link, ‘The Internet’ seems to be a bit more interesting than ‘Speed.’ This movie might even gross more than ‘Speed.’” Sandra Bullock beamed with delight.

"I predict that The Internet will gross at least $400 million worldwide."

Milla Jovovich shouted.

Link looked at the two women beside him and smiled, "Don't get too excited yet. The movie hasn't been released yet, so anything can happen."

"Don't be afraid, I believe you."

Mira held his arm tightly.

"Me too."

Sandra Block also leaned affectionately against him, completely oblivious to the stares of those around them.

Link smiled, kissed the two on the cheek, and then chatted with the others, asking for their opinions on the film and whether they had any suggestions for revisions.

Many films, after test screenings, discover problems with certain plot points or that the ending doesn't meet expectations. The production team will then restart filming, shooting a second or third ending. There are many such films in Hollywood, such as "E.T.", "Pretty Woman", and "Dark Phoenix".

However, Link's movie has a rigorous plot with no obvious loopholes, and the ending is handled very well, so it does not need to be reshot.

After the movie ended, Link also received the system's evaluation.

[Film production is complete; box office subsidies are currently being tallied...]

[Host participation rate: 70.1%; film completion rate: 95.8%; film's market fit: 91%]

[Rewards: 2.4x box office subsidy; Director experience +15%; Director stamina +20%; Film quality increase +15%]

Compared to the previous "Batman Forever," participation has increased, while the level of completion is roughly the same, and the film's overall quality is the highest among all previous films.

The box office subsidies are higher than those for "Batman Forever," but the director's experience and physical strength are a level lower, probably because the cast of this movie is not as good as that of "Batman" and "The Sixth Sense."

But the overall rewards are quite good.

After receiving a 20% stamina boost, Link's body heated up again, and a layer of oily sweat appeared on his skin.

After the fever subsided, he clenched his fist. His physical strength had noticeably improved, and his energy had also increased. He would test the changes in endurance and stamina later that evening.

After the test screening, Link took the film master tape back to his personal studio to rewatch the film, see what changes had resulted in a 15% quality increase, and what he needed to pay attention to in order to do better next time.

When they got home that evening, Link carried Monica, who was doing yoga, back to the bedroom.

The next day, all ten people at home except Link overslept.
-
After finishing his work at the company, Link took the crew to San Francisco-Alcatraz, more than 600 kilometers away, to begin filming The Rock.

Meanwhile, Hollywood media outlets continue to spread false rumors that he interfered in the marriages of Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford, as well as Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, attempting to further damage his reputation.

However, since the mastermind behind the scenes could not provide substantial evidence, and Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman came forward to clarify the situation multiple times, the mainstream media had no fresh and compelling material to use as a pretext to create a big news story.

The news has gradually lost its momentum.

Thanks to the efforts of the Guessing Movies' public relations department, the media began to focus their attention on other entertainment news.

"What a pity. If we had enough evidence, we could have really made Link suffer this time."

In the Miramax Films office, Bob Weinstein put down his newspaper with a regretful expression.

Harvey remained silent with a gloomy face.

In the initial hype surrounding this news, in addition to hiring Richard Gere to speak out, he also arranged for detectives to contact Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman, attempting to pay them to come forward and admit to having had intimate relations with Link before their divorces.

Nicole Kidman and Cindy Crawford responded "yes," on the condition that each receive $1 million in cash.

Harvey was furious after receiving the feedback and cursed loudly. If he had two hundred million dollars, he would have retired and enjoyed life long ago. Why would he need to be suppressed by Link in Hollywood?

Those two women demanded a staggering 100 million; they clearly didn't want to cooperate and were deliberately making things difficult for him.

Unable to persuade them, Harvey tried other methods to gather evidence, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars without finding any useful evidence.

According to paparazzi investigations, Link had no contact with Cindy Crawford in their daily lives before her divorce from Richard Gere.

It wasn't until Cindy Crawford's divorce that her interactions with Link suddenly increased.

After returning from her trip to France, Cindy Crawford frequently stayed overnight at Link's hilltop mansion, openly and sometimes for more than ten days at a time.

While Nicole Kidman and Link had a lot of interaction in the past, Nicole Kidman denied it, claiming that their relationship was just that of friends and colleagues, and that the media shouldn't make things up.

Harvey also contacted Tom Cruise, hoping he would also come forward to accuse Link of ruining his marriage.

Tom Cruise refused, saying that his divorce from Nicole was due to personality clashes and had nothing to do with Link.

The reluctance of several parties involved to come forward has also hampered their investigation.

Harvey also considered creating another media frenzy about Link being a scumbag who played with women's feelings.

However, Vice President Scott Greenstein reminded him that Link was a world-renowned scumbag, with his scandals appearing in the media almost every week. Using such things for publicity would not only be ineffective but also very expensive.

Scott estimated that it would take $500 million to make this news a hot topic in the entertainment industry, and more than $2000 million to have a chance of making it a hot topic in the whole society.

Furthermore, considering the counterattack from Guessing Movies, the hype is more likely to fail.

Harvey, faced with the prospect of spending so much money and not necessarily succeeding, coupled with warnings from Michael Ovitz and others, reluctantly stopped his underhanded tactics.

The media stopped reporting on Link's scandals, rendering his previous efforts and sacrifices futile.

Harvey let out a sigh of relief. "The Oscars are about to start. How's our public relations going? What are the chances of our nominated films winning?"

Some time ago, because he was busy hyping up negative news about Link, he left the Oscars public relations work to Bob and others.

“Not bad. There’s a 90% chance that ‘Non-Powerful Aphrodisiac’ will win an award, and ‘Classmate’ also has a chance, but not a big one. We’re guaranteed at least one Oscar this year, and if we’re lucky, we might even get three,” Bob said.

Harvey nodded, but he wasn't very happy.

Before 93 years ago, Miramax Films frequently released dark horse movies that were both box office and critical successes, winning the Academy Award multiple times.

Since 93, Guess the Movies has risen to prominence, swallowing up most of the box office and profits in the film market, causing Miramax's revenue to shrink significantly and the company's debt ratio to increase dramatically.

Without money, the company lacks the funds to produce more and better films, and it also lacks the funds to purchase many international film copyrights in the international film market.

This situation has also led to Miramax's films performing increasingly poorly at the Academy Awards.

Harvey's only hope now is that Ovitz's 'poison pill plan' will be successfully implemented, causing Guessing Pictures to suffer huge losses, and then all of them will rise up and attack, dividing Guessing Pictures up completely.

"That's fine. One or two Oscars are good too. In any case, our hype this time has successfully prevented Link's film from winning an award, causing a setback in his career. He'll have a chance to do something big again in the future."

Harvey clenched his fist and slammed it heavily on the desk.

(End of this chapter)