I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 223 We've really never seen anything like this before.

There is never a shortage of people in the world who know their stuff.

Following the announcement of the "Prison BA" film series, many film distributors sought to acquire its European distribution rights.

However, to the surprise of many, this important task of transferring "American talent" to the Old World was won by a "European Elite Business Agency".

The "European Heroes Business Agency," established by French arms dealer Thomas and someone else, previously sent a large number of European heroes to America to make money, but they all failed, which naturally affected its reputation and greatly reduced its business volume.

Thomas had planned to lie low for a while and wait for the storm to pass before venturing into the Haojie business again.

Unexpectedly, he soon received a private meeting with the French authorities. They subtly but clearly expressed their hope that his "hero business" would intensify, sending more "heroes" to America!
Behind this seemingly absurd demand lies the benefits that the government authorities have already tasted.

In the postwar era, European countries generally faced a thorny social problem: a large number of young and middle-aged people returning from the battlefield were unable to find stable jobs as economic recovery fell short of expectations, becoming a source of social instability.

Thomas's "Heroes' Business Agency" gave the government authorities hope for another solution—sending these energetic, violent, and unruly "heroes" to the other side of the ocean!

Firstly, it reduces the number of local thugs, easing the pressure on public security; secondly, it allows us to enjoy how American society deals with these troublemakers and watch the spectacle unfold. It's a win-win situation!

Not only did the French authorities express this view, but all the countries participating in the war, especially the Weimar government of Germany, which was suffering from economic turmoil and social division, unanimously expressed their high level of understanding and support for Thomas's "Heroic Business" in various ways, whether overt or covert.

To succeed in the arms trade, one absolutely cannot ignore the political pressure from various countries. This forced Thomas to pay closer attention to developments in the United States and to seek new business growth opportunities for European "heroes."

The sudden emergence and continued popularity of "Prison BA" really got Thomas excited!

A brilliant idea took shape in his mind: if a "private passage" could be opened up to allow European heroes to go directly to American prisons, wouldn't that create an unprecedented risk hedging system?

European heroes would then venture to America to "make their way in the world." If they succeeded, they would naturally amass wealth and return home in glory. If they failed, it would no longer be a dead end, but rather a "seamless" transition into the "Prison BA" system.

They could continue to compete on the field, earn money and gain fame, and might even become stars! This is practically risk-free and high-return, which will greatly stimulate the enthusiasm of European talents to go to the United States.

Moreover, Thomas's business acumen expanded further: his "introduction center" could also launch basketball training business in Europe in advance, providing "pre-job training" for potential talents aspiring to join the "Prison Basketball League" and earning another training fee.

This game looks like a clean sweep!

Therefore, even if it doesn't make money for the time being, Thomas is determined to spare no effort in promoting "Prison BA" in Europe to raise its profile and pave the way for the future "heroes".

Of course, it's impossible not to make money. Thomas himself is extremely optimistic about the appeal of these film contents and firmly believes that they can ignite the market.

After all, when it comes to creating hilarious antics, all of Europe combined probably couldn't match the Americans today!

With someone's tacit help, he eventually managed to secure the European film distribution rights.

This wasn't entirely someone's "using public office for private gain." Compared to traditional film distributors, Thomas's "Hero Business Agency" possessed unique advantages—

In addition to regular cinemas, he could also use his "underground network" of recruiting heroes, which spanned major European cities, to promote his films to countless underground screening rooms.

In this era, film entertainment is not entirely monopolized by formal cinemas.

Especially in Europe, there are a large number of underground screening venues.

For example, in France, many cafes also function as cinemas.

These days, watching a movie in a theater, especially in the summer, isn't a very pleasant experience.

Imagine watching a movie in a crowded, enclosed space, enduring the smell of sweat, the smell of cigarettes, and the heat. Just thinking about it is torture.

So the French began showing movies in their own well-ventilated, elegant cafes, offering comfortable seating, fragrant coffee, and fine wine. This "café cinema" viewing experience far surpassed that of traditional cinemas and quickly became popular.

Coincidentally, these places are also where heroes from all walks of life gather and exchange ideas.

Under Thomas's meticulous planning, the first installment of the "Badge of Wonders" film series, "Miracle Land: Birth," premiered in France.

He developed a series of highly provocative and inflammatory slogans on his own, precisely targeting different groups.

In legitimate cinemas, the slogan is:
"This is a real prison sports movie that you have never seen before, and you can't even imagine!"

"Americans always manage to make Europeans exclaim that it's outrageous!"

"If you haven't seen this movie, you've never seen the world!"

In the underground movie theater, they advertised: "The sure-win life of American heroes!"

"An alternative path to wealth in America—Prison BA!"

Sports movies?

The concept itself was quite new to Europeans.

This should be the world's first film centered around a sporting event.

However, most French people, whether ordinary citizens or potential heroes, scoffed at the "unimaginable" rhetoric in the propaganda slogan.

We may not have seen sports movies, but what sporting event haven't we seen?

When organized "sports leagues" appeared in Europe, America was still a wasteland!

Basketball? Well, that's a relatively unfamiliar sport.

But as long as it's a sporting competition, isn't it all about competing within the rules? What is there that we wouldn't dare to imagine? Do you think Americans would ride fire-breathing dragons to play ball?

Hmph, Americans, always so ostentatious and shallow!
However, the human mind is so strange—the more contemptuous something is, the more curiosity is piqued.

Driven by a "let's see how outrageous you can get" mentality, large numbers of French viewers flocked to cinemas, ready to see what new tricks these Americans would come up with this time.

……

The film's opening did not directly showcase the clash of muscles and the soaring of the basketball as the audience had expected.

It takes a different approach, opening with a legendary prison break story:
Ethan, the king of escapees, led his companions to successfully escape from a heavily guarded state prison, but not to run away to a better place. Instead, he deliberately sought refuge in Fox River Private Prison!

This unconventional opening immediately piqued the interest of the French audience—some vaguely remembered seeing related reports, while many others were hearing about it for the first time. But everyone was deeply impressed by Fox River State Penitentiary, which had made the king of escape willingly come to "surrender."

Through Ethan's perspective and narration, the film vividly portrays the "uniqueness" of Fox River State Penitentiary: clean cells, abundant food, and humane management... Then it transitions into a "feel-good" plot.

The film depicts the "idealistic and humanitarian" administrators of Fox River State Penitentiary who, in order to save lost souls and help them rediscover their value in life, withstood enormous internal and external pressure and proposed the groundbreaking idea of ​​creating "Prison BA".

During the process, they encountered skepticism from conservatives and ridicule from external media, but with their "firm belief" and "flexible methods," they overcame the difficulties one by one.

The film interweaves the early formation and conflicts of the three major factions: the talented, the heroic, and the poor, as well as the involvement of commercial sponsorship, medical technology, and underground forces, laying the groundwork for the later competition.

Even at this point, the French audience was still smiling, with a "That's it? Let's see how much more you can brag" attitude.

Then, the second half of the movie fully transitioned into the opening match.

From the moment the referee delivered the thunderous ruling of knocking out the troublemaking player with a single punch, the audience's mouths were agape!

—Through publicity, everyone now knows that this is a real competition.

From the psychological pressure of a thousand people "simulating execution" in the audience to Black Panther's godlike rebound layup game-winner... all the elements that caused a sensation in America were amplified by cinematic language, delivering a more intense rhythm and stronger dramatic conflict, like a series of heavy punches to the French audience's senses.

The film ends with a grand scene of fans going wild, "Prison BA" becoming an instant hit, and the Stars and Stripes fluttering under the spotlight.

The origin and opening game of a prison basketball game were captured using epic film techniques—slow slow-motion shots, grand soundtracks, and ceremonial composition—to create a sense of arduous struggle, grassroots triumph, and the creation of a new historical era, conveying a profound and sublime feeling!

Oh, and there's a post-credits scene at the very end of the movie.

The Easter egg quickly flashed back to several iconic moments from the second game:
The scene of Autobots players and spectators openly taking "vitality pills" during halftime was extremely "frank";

The cheerleaders, dressed in revealing outfits, created a stunning "long-legged storm" of white.
And then there's the college student jail "guide" that flashes by on the streets of Chicago...

“M…Mon Dieu! (My God!)”

In screening rooms of all sizes, almost all the French audience members had their mouths agape in an "O" shape.

Great!
We've never seen anything like this before!
……

(End of this chapter)