America: Child stars start with The Shining

The screening went smoothly. After the film finished playing, the lights came back on, and the usual Q&A session with reporters quickly followed.

They mainly asked questions about director Kubrick and the performances of the lead actors, but Charles received a particularly large number of questions.

He wasn't intimidated and answered each question smoothly. The reporters' questions were simple and didn't deliberately make things difficult for him.

Frankly speaking, this kind of process usually doesn't go wrong. Everyone is familiar with each other, and the production crew and production company will make arrangements in advance.

Which media outlets will be there, which reporters will ask questions, what direction the questions will likely take, and how to control the pace of the event—all of these are basically within our expectations.

It was nothing more than a few media outlets taking turns raising their hands and asking some pre-set questions, such as why director Kubrick used such a shot design, and what the core message of the film was, etc.

Furthermore, every media outlet and journalist invited had some form of cooperation with them; ultimately, this was simply part of the normal publicity process.

Of course, the most important prerequisite is that the quality of the video must be up to standard; otherwise, no matter how good the relationship is, it will be difficult for the media to write an article about it after they go back.

You can't just rave about a mediocre, unremarkable film, can you?

Even if they were willing to write such content, readers wouldn't buy it.

However, The Shining obviously does not have this problem.

Although it is not a horror film in the traditional sense, it is quite characteristic of Kubrick's directing style and has an excellent viewing experience, which gave them a lot of room to work with.

Therefore, both the media present and the crew members wore obvious expressions of satisfaction.

The only one who seemed somewhat depressed was probably Jack, who was standing next to Ciel.

He soon discovered that the media asked him very few questions, almost none at all, as if they didn't care much about his performance in the film.

On the contrary, Charles, who was standing to the side, was called on to ask questions round after round, almost without stopping. These reporters seemed to be particularly interested in this child star.

Jack sighed. He was supposed to be the male lead in the movie, so why did he seem like an insignificant supporting character?

Could it be... that the scene where he broke down the door with an axe was too scary? That's why these guys are afraid to ask him questions?

Thinking of this, he looked down at Charles beside him and asked softly:

"Hey, why do those reporters like you so much?"

Charles twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing an innocent-looking smile.

That's because he secretly activated the equipment's affix effect, which has the bonus of "[Affix: Superstar Aura (Active)]". In this state, the reporters and media will be unconsciously attracted to him.

This is just the right thing to do in this situation.

......

The screening ended quickly, and reporters and media hurriedly got up and left, eager to get the first-hand publicity and exposure opportunities.

However, traditional print media obviously cannot compete with television media in terms of speed. After all, even if they have already written the article, they still have to go through the whole process of typesetting, proofreading, and printing.

By the time the newspapers were actually delivered to the readers, television news had already broadcast the news of the test screening of "The Shining" several times.

In comparison, the advantages of television media are too obvious.

Only a few distributors and production company representatives remained at the scene, as they wanted to engage in further discussions with Kubrick and his associates to explore potential opportunities for overseas distribution or collaboration on subsequent film projects.

However, this is naturally none of Charles's business; he has no place in discussions of this level.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a voice called out to him from behind:

"Hey, Ciel, don't rush off. Let me introduce you to one of my good friends."

Charles paused, looking at the tall figure standing next to Jack.

The other person stood there, with an upright posture, looking exceptionally capable and exuding a sharp, assertive aura.

Robert De Niro.

In 1974, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, which propelled him into the ranks of Hollywood's leading actors.

It is said that in order to play this role well, this guy even went to Sicily to live for more than three months, to learn the local language, customs, and the unique aura of a mafia family.

After that, he starred alongside Jodie Foster in "Taxi Driver," for which he received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

And next, if Charles remembers correctly, a few years later, he will star in a film that is almost destined to be recorded in film history.

Once Upon a Time in America.

Charles snapped out of his thoughts, took a step forward, and extended his hand. The two gently clasped hands.

This man is clearly a typical actor with solid acting skills, possessing a calm and composed demeanor, and is almost on the same level as Jack.

Robert glanced at him, a smile appearing on his face, and said:

"Wow, your performance in the video was really good. I was even a little surprised. I've never seen such superb acting skills from any child star before... Oh, no, Judy should be considered your senior. Her acting skills are also excellent."

Jack, who was standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer and couldn't help but interject:

"Hey, stop praising him, how did I do?"

Robert glanced at him, his tone matter-of-fact:

"You? Isn't this normal behavior? You're a movie star, how can you argue with a kid over something like this?"

Charles stood to the side, watching the two of them start arguing on the spot, and felt a bit of a headache.

Just as he was about to find a chance to leave, Jack suddenly leaned closer mysteriously and whispered:

"Ciel, Robert and I are planning to go somewhere fun later. What do you think? Do you want to come with us?"

He paused here, then gave a meaningful smile.

......

"Hey, Ciel, you're not like a lively, energetic kid at all! Come on, let's get this party started! Woohoo!"

Jack stood at the edge of the dance floor and jumped around twice, waving his arms excitedly.

Robert next to him wasn't much better off. He was nodding to the rhythm of the music while slowly swaying his body with his wine glass in hand, clearly already completely absorbed in the music.

Only Charles sat in his seat, staring blankly at them, and said speechlessly:

"Fuck! If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have come with you!"

The deafening music instantly swallowed his voice.

"What? What are you saying? Speak louder, I can't hear you!" Jack yelled.

Charles simply ignored him, looked up and glanced around. The colorful lights were flashing, and the center of the dance floor was crowded with men and women twisting their bodies.

The unpleasant smell of perfume, alcohol, and a faint whiff of tobacco in the air created an unpleasant atmosphere.

He sighed helplessly.

This is one of the most famous clubs in downtown New York City, known to almost everyone in the industry. Many Hollywood actors, producers, models, and celebrities come here to relax and unwind. Jack and Robert are obviously regulars here as well.

But is this a place for a kid?

Charles felt completely out of place here, and his whole body felt awkward.

He had to find a chance to slip away quickly.

Just as he was about to stand up, Jack suddenly grabbed him, pointed to the center of the dance floor, and shouted:

"Hey! Look over there, isn't there another child just like you?"

Charles paused for a moment, then looked over and saw a little girl, still clearly childish, swaying her body wildly to the rhythm in the very center of the dance floor. Her movements were so practiced that it didn't seem like she was visiting such a place for the first time.

His expression froze instantly.

WTF!?

Drew Barrymore!

How did this guy end up in a place like this?

The next second, he remembered the rumors from his previous life, and now they all matched up. This guy was indeed corrupted by his mother from a young age, going to places like this every day.

Fuck, these Hollywood child star parents are fucking awful!

Charles quickly looked away; he had no intention of getting involved in Little Drew's affairs. He wasn't the kind of busybody who liked to meddle in other people's business.

He was just about to find an excuse to leave when he heard the DJ next to the dance floor suddenly change the music, then excitedly shout into the microphone:

"Ladies and gentlemen! Let's welcome the Jackson Five brothers to the stage!!!"

The Jackson 5? Wait a minute, doesn't that mean...?

Michael Jackson!?

Xia Dun stopped in his tracks and looked toward the stage at the front, where the lights were slowly coming on.