Chapter 252: "This Killer Is Not So Calm" is released

January 2st, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

This year's Spring Festival movie season was very competitive, with a total of eight movies released, three of which were the most popular.

"Weaving" by Lu Zhuofeng, "Preface after the Rain" by Li Chengyou, and "The Killer Is Not So Calm" by Cheng Cheng.

The remaining five films, including two animations, a war film, a reality film, and a comedy, had pre-sale box office and screening schedules far inferior to the first three.

Take the three movies "Weaving", "After the Rain" and "The Professional" for example, each has its own appeal.

First up is "Knitting", which has two male protagonists, Ning Shan, the top star of Coconut Mango, and Xu Qi Gaoyang from the TRBOY group. Xu Qi Gaoyang grew up from a training-based boy group to now, and has become one of the top stars in China;

Top director Lv Zhuofeng + powerful actor Ning Shan + top idol Xu Qigaoyang, the box office appeal is undoubtedly strong.

The second is Li Chengyou's "Preface after the Rain". Li Chengyou became famous for his book at the age of 35, and transformed into a director at the age of . His debut film "Life of Gap" was a great success, and his subsequent films performed well.

He can carry a movie by himself, and the movie also has two first-line actors in it, so its box office appeal is second only to Lu Zhuofeng's "Weaving".

Finally, there is Cheng Cheng’s "The Killer Is Not So Calm".

Compared with the first two, "The Killer" has weaker appeal because it does not star in or direct by Cheng Cheng. He is just a screenwriter. From the director to the actors, there is no big name in the entire movie.

There is no beret, no Yan Gouer, no Wen Lian, no Wang Hong, and no Li Yang.

The directors are Da Yi and Xiao Er, and this is the first time for them to direct a film independently.

The actors were selected from all over the country, and to the audience, none of them were familiar faces.

No one can guarantee how the director of this movie will perform or how the actors will perform.

But the film also has its strengths.

It has been the subject of much discussion since more than half a year ago.

From Cheng Cheng's brave fight against Wushan TV and Mei Qing'er, to Cheng Cheng's decision to give a TV series and a movie to newcomers in the domestic entertainment industry every year, to the vigorous national selection, every step has touched the public's G-spot.

Moreover, this is the first film that Cheng Cheng has shown to a newcomer.

Everyone wants to see what kind of script Cheng Cheng gives to the newcomers, whether he has produced anything good, and whether it can succeed.

-

Weibo.

“I’ve been waiting for “The Killer Is Not Cool” for half a year, and it’s finally here!!!”

"Looking forward to it! I believe this movie will be good!"

"I think it's just a 6 or 7-point comedy, but I'll go watch it. The jokes in the trailer are pretty funny."

"I mainly like Cheng Cheng. As a screenwriter, he has guaranteed quality, and none of the actors he selected are fresh-faced. They seem to fit the roles very well."

"I just searched for the director and deputy director. It seems that his previous works are "Love Apartment" and "Chinese Paladin 1". He is not the main director. What should I say? Don't have too high expectations."

"Although I also hope that this movie will be a hit, I also feel a little sorry for my money. The director and actors are all newcomers. Cheng Cheng's intention to change the domestic entertainment industry is good, but in the end, it is the audience who pays the bill."

"Not necessarily. This is not the basis for judgment. Many young directors' debut works are amazing, and many famous directors also have a lot of bad films. Moreover, once they are deeply involved in the circle, they are easily controlled by capital."

"Whether you support it or not, I'm going to support it anyway. There are always people saying that domestic entertainment is bad, saying that uncles in their 30s and 40s play teenagers, and aunts in their 50s and 60s play girls, but isn't the problem that the audience voted with their feet? You can't expect domestic entertainment to get better while doing nothing, right? How can such a good thing happen?"

"It vividly demonstrates that I really have the money for a ticket."

"I will go to watch it anyway. I am happy to see some new people on the screen."

"I support Brother Frog. With his current status, there is no need for him to do such a thing. Looking at all his movies and TV series, which one was not a hit? He didn't need to give out the scripts. He could have made them himself, but he still did it. He staked his reputation on training newcomers. If he fails, he will definitely be criticized for not wanting to give out good scripts and for being unrealistic."

"As I said, Brother Frog puts all the pressure on himself."

"Just like 'Those Years', quality is always the strongest shield. At the beginning, it was impossible to criticize 'Those Years'. Instead, everyone laughed at it."

"You really have to be on guard against haters. I might even give a bad review after watching it, but I'll watch it first and say no. I won't praise it. I'll support it after watching it first."

"That's right!"

However, as netizens analyzed, countless people are watching the movie "The Killer" at this moment.

There are bosses of major film and television companies, actors of all sizes in the entertainment industry, students from film schools, amateurs who want to enter the industry, and countless new actors.
Whether "The Killer Is Not Cool" can be successful or not will determine whether Cheng Cheng's plan to transform the domestic entertainment industry is an unrealistic fantasy and will eventually become a topic of conversation.

It can still become the starting point of a great cause that leads industry change and breaks down class barriers in the entertainment industry.

-

Dijing.

Premiere of "The Killer Is Not Cool".

Backstage, several actors were attending the premiere for the first time and were playing important roles. They were all extremely nervous.

There are five important characters in "The Professional", namely the heroine Milan, the hero Wei Chenggong, the heroine's younger brother Miller, the gangster Harvey, and the number two Jimmy.

In order of roles and importance, the male lead Wei Chenggong > the female lead Milan > the gangster Harvey > the number two gangster Jimmy > the female lead's younger brother Miller.

The actor who plays Wei Chenggong is called Ma Xi, born in 1984 and is 38 this year.

He joined the military art troupe in 2000 and began to learn about acting. In 2001, he was appointed as the captain of the actor team due to his outstanding performance and was awarded the third-class merit. In November 2002, he was discharged from the army. In 11, he was admitted to the senior vocational class of Teikyo Film Academy.

In a sense, he is still an old senior of Yan Gou'er and Wang Hong.

In 2003, he joined a drama club through the introduction of his classmates and worked in the drama club until 2016. During these 13 years, he played thousands of roles but still failed to make a breakthrough.

He is a typical example of a talented person who is not recognized for his talent. He is not handsome and has no connections, so he has been wasting his time until now.

The actor who plays Milan is Miao Ling, born in 1992 and 30 years old this year.

She was a wanderer when she was little, and never stayed in one place for a long time. She went to three primary schools, three junior high schools, and two high schools, all in northern cities.

Miao Ling worked as an announcer, host, and reporter, but she got bored with the day-to-day life at the TV station, so she participated in the selection of "Killer", and unexpectedly she was directly selected.

The same goes for the actors who played Harvey, Jimmy, and Miller. They had no opportunities, their looks were unorthodox, and no one supported them. Although they are all old babies, they have debuted for many years and are still amateurs when they return.

At this moment, each of them was more nervous than the other.

Circus asked:

"Director Niu, what should I say when I go up there later? What if someone asks me something and I can't answer it?"

The freshman's surname is Niu, and he is also very nervous. In the past, Beret and Cheng Cheng had always led him, but this time it was his turn to take charge on his own.

He tried to imitate Cheng Cheng's calmness and said:
"When someone asks you something, just answer it. If you can't answer it, just say it's a good question and then turn the topic to the movie itself. I hope everyone can find the answer during the movie. In short, don't let people think you are illiterate and can't say anything."

This is also a little trick I learned from Berets in my freshman year. It’s a universal answer.

Circus asked again:
"Is Director Cheng not coming today?"

Da Yi looked at him and said, "Director Cheng is very busy, why should we disturb him with such a small matter? Besides, Director Cheng is coming and all the reporters are going to interview him, so what do you have to do with him? Today is your home game."

"Oh~that's true~", Circus smiled awkwardly.

In fact, he felt a little regretful. If Cheng Cheng had supported them, this premiere would have attracted more people's attention.

Moreover, during the filming of this drama so far, he has only met Cheng Cheng once, which was during the visit to the set.

Da Yi said: "If you want to meet Director Cheng, at least this movie has to perform well at the box office."

At this time, the host in front was entering the process, and the waiter ran over to inform the actors, saying:
"It's time to start. Get ready to go on stage. Don't be nervous!"

Host: "Welcome the creators of "The Killer Is Not So Calm"~"

Da Yi straightened his clothes, straightened his back, and walked onto the stage first. Xiao Er and the other actors followed him and lined up on the stage. Da Yi and Xiao Er occupied the C position, with Ma Xi and Miao Ling next to them.

There were many people from major newspapers, television stations and reporters.

Looking at the row of unfamiliar faces on the stage and the strange looks except for the female lead Miao Ling, the media friends had strange expressions and murmured in their hearts:
These people don't look very reliable. Can they really do it?

The host said:

"Let's introduce ourselves first."

Starting from the freshman and sophomore grades, to the circus, Miaoling, etc., they took turns introducing themselves.

Except for the freshman, the second grade, and Miao Ling, the other four were rather stage-frightened, and even the male lead, Ma Xi, stuttered.

After a brief interaction, the question-and-answer session began.

Here comes the more pointed question:

"Hello, directors. It is said that the script of this movie was written by Director Cheng Cheng. I would like to ask what your first impression of this movie was. How is its quality compared to Director Cheng Cheng's previous scripts?"

Freshman answer:

"Director Cheng's script is of course impeccable. Director Zhong (Xiao Er) and I were actually a little hesitant to shoot the script because it was a very mature script. Director Zhong and I have never directed a feature film independently."

The reporter continued to ask:

"So you actually don't have confidence in the movie you made? As far as I know, during the filming process, Director Cheng Cheng only went to the scene once, and Director Dao never went there. Can this movie be considered as your immature work?"

Da Yi wiped his sweat:

"I think everyone goes from immaturity to maturity, and Director Zhong and I filmed the film completely according to Director Cheng Cheng's script, without changing a single line or word."

reporter:
"You mean there's nothing personal about you in this movie? Nothing personal about you? It's just a script?"

The first year is speechless:

"Um - we are still in the learning stage, and we think Director Cheng's script is complete enough."

reporter:
"There are many blockbuster movies released in the same period, including many famous directors and big-name actors. What do you think of these competitors? In what aspects do you think you are comparable to them?"

I started stuttering in my freshman year.

Another reporter didn't let him go:
"What do you think of the expected box office of this movie? Every movie directed by Cheng Cheng has won the box office. Can this movie continue the glory of the box office champion? Also, Director Cheng and Director Lu once had a bet that every time Director Lu released a movie, Director Cheng would release a movie to snipe. Does this bet still count? Can you surpass Director Lu's box office?"

Da Yi's brain was about to explode when asked this question. He said:

"This is a good question. I think everyone will get the answer after the movie is over." "Are you avoiding my question? Or do you have no confidence in the box office?"

Other actors were also bombarded with questions from the media, especially Ma Xi and Miao Ling, who were asked the most questions.

"As an actor who is not young anymore, how does it feel to finally have a movie starring yourself?"

"If this movie doesn't do well at the box office, will you think it's a problem with the director's script or with you personally?"

"If you could swap lives with your character in the movie for a day, how would you spend the day? What would you try to do to adapt to this new identity?"

What kind of stupid question is this?!
Finally, after being asked dozens of questions, the question-and-answer session ended, and the freshmen, sophomores, and circus people all breathed a sigh of relief.

I'm good~
After being asked the questions, they felt as if they had been mentally tortured.

Those reporters like to ask provocative questions, and then take notes in their notebooks. No one knows what they are writing down, and no one knows how they will report it later. It makes people hate them so much.

In the back row, there was a man and a woman, they were Cheng Cheng and Jiang Nan who secretly attended the premiere.

Jiang Nan was extremely dissatisfied and stood up for the creators of "The Killer":
"How can these bad reporters ask such bad questions? It's so abominable. I get angry just by hearing it!"

Cheng Cheng wore a baseball cap, sunglasses and a mask and said:

"This is normal. It's because they are not famous that they dare to ask this question. Otherwise, if they were a famous star, their fans would eat them alive. But don't you think this is interesting?"

Jiang Nan looked at him and said, "They are bullying you like this, and you still find it interesting?"

Cheng Cheng: "Although their questions are very bad and full of traps, they are very valuable and show their professionalism. A real journalist should dare to offend the interviewee, but unfortunately, they are only so dedicated when facing the disadvantaged party."

Jiang Nan snorted:

"Selective dedication means bullying the weak and fearing the strong!"

Cheng Cheng: "The freshman, the sophomore, and the others can't control this group of reporters."

Jiang Nan asked excitedly: "How about we reveal our identities now? Go and support them?"

Cheng Cheng shook his head: "No, it's better to let them experience more. After this movie is over, it won't happen again."

-

After the Q&A session, the creators of “The Hitman” stepped down from the stage and sat in the front row.

The freshman and sophomore took a deep breath.

Circus's expression was tense.

Miao Ling held his breath and concentrated.

"The movie is about to start. I'm so nervous!"

"Don't be nervous, we have to have confidence in Director Cheng."

"I have confidence in Director Cheng, but I don't have confidence in myself."

-

At the same time, at ten o'clock, cinemas across the country began to fill up.

I don't know why some people go to the movies on New Year's Day.

They lined up in a long queue in front of the counter, and the ticket seller who was still at work on New Year's Day diligently issued tickets to them.

"Here are two pictures of the latest show, 'Weaving'!"

"I'd like a copy of 'After the Rain' and a medium-sized meal for one person, with both potato chips and popcorn, thank you."

"I want three tickets for The Killer, are there any connected seats? In the middle row."

"Weaving" has a screening rate of 21.91%, "After the Rain" has a screening rate of 19.76%, and "The Professional" has a screening rate of 18.11%. The screening rates of the three films are not much different. The other five films share the remaining 40%, with an average of 8% of the screening rate per film.

This depends on various factors including the appeal of the main creative staff, pre-sales situation, film type, audience base, etc.

Many people bought tickets for "Weaving" and "After the Rain", but quite a few people also chose to watch "The Professional".

-

Qin Long is one of the contestants who came to the cinema to watch a movie on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Early in the morning, he and his mother went to the homes of his fourth uncle and second uncle to pay New Year's greetings. After the New Year's greetings, he left his mother behind and went out for a yo-yo.

It's the same every year. He only visits these two families. The rest of the relatives in the local area are not close enough, so he is unwilling to go.

Of course, he didn't want to go home because there would be people coming to wish him a happy new year.

So he had no choice but to go watch the movie.

Among many movies, he chose to bet on Cheng Cheng's "The Killer".

Bought the ticket.

When the time comes.

Check in.

Enter the theater.

He found:
Wow, there are so many people coming to try it!

At least half of it was seated.

It’s just that the man in front is a bit tall and blocks my view.

After a while, the advertisement ended and the movie began.

First, the film company logos: Mythology Pictures and Vance Pictures.

Then the names of a series of people flashed by, including the production company, producer, general producer, distributor, leading actor, director, screenwriter, etc.

Then, the main film begins.

"The Killer Is Not Very Calm" tells a story within a play.

Wei Chenggong has always dreamed of playing the leading role and realizing his acting dream. One day, he was unexpectedly appreciated by the actress Milan and was involved in a feud between the gangster Harvey and the second in command Jimmy.

Gangster second-in-command Jimmy hired a killer Carl to assassinate the boss Harvey, but the assassination failed due to an accident and Carl was seriously injured and hospitalized.

Harvey confessed his feelings to Milan in a depressed mood, but was rejected by Milan. At the critical moment, Milan claimed that he knew the killer Carl, which aroused Harvey's interest, so Harvey decided to let Milan introduce Carl to meet him.

In fact, Milan didn't know Carl. In order to delay time, she found the extra actor Wei Chenggong and asked him to pretend to be Carl to get away with it.

Wei Chenggong didn't know that the other party was a gangster, nor did he know Milan's plan. He thought he was just acting. His acting skills were very poor, but it was this poor acting that made people believe that he was an absurd and ruthless killer.

As the plot deepens, he gradually gains Harvey's trust, while the mastermind Jimmy surfaces.

He devised a series of conspiracies, attempting to use Wei Chenggong to get rid of Harvey and take over himself. In a series of intricate plot developments, Wei Chenggong gradually awakened his sense of mission, and joined forces with Harvey who faked his death and the real Carl who was discharged from the hospital, and finally defeated the villains headed by Jimmy.

-

The movie begins.

Rainy night, car, suit, gang member.

A few shots briefly and quickly explain the background of the story.

This is probably a story that takes place in the context of the Republic of China.

Then, the killer Carl, played by Zhang Zijie, appeared.

Rain creates a damp, cold and gloomy atmosphere.

Zhang Zijie was wearing a black leather windbreaker, carrying a suitcase, and walking on the street with loud footsteps.

Tap tap tap~
Raindrops dripped from the brim of his hat, giving a close-up of his face. His expression was stern and he looked back with full of sarcasm and nonchalance, as if he was confident about the assassination mission.

puff--

There were a few bursts of laughter in the cinema.

Another child shouted: Zeng Xiaoxian!
As the actor who plays Zeng Xiaoxian, people laughed as soon as Zhang Zijie appeared on the stage.

Then he turned into an alley, and a blasting worker who was much shorter than him stopped him and shouted:
"Didn't you see the warning sign? You're not allowed in!"

Zhang Zijie didn't say a word. He just hugged the blasting worker, held him under his armpits, and dragged him out of the scene under duress.

After a while, Zhang Zijie changed into the clothes of a blasting worker and re-entered the screen.

puff!
Caught off guard, Qin Long laughed out loud.

It was like a chemical reaction, when the other audience members saw this, they couldn't hold back and burst into laughter!
Damn, this design is hilarious!

The killer played by Zhang Zijie is tall and strong, while the blasting worker is short and thin. After he put on the other's clothes, his trouser legs were several sections shorter, the buttons on his shirt were stretched so tight that his belly was squeezed into several lumps.

What's even funnier is that the chin strap of the helmet should be tied around the chin, but because his head is too big and the helmet is too small, the strap can only be tied around the mouth, so the poor strap becomes a small mask.

Then, Zhang Zijie looked at the camera, left a cold look, and walked into the building that was about to be blown up.

Qin Long complained madly in his heart:
No, come on, why are you so confident? !
I know you're trying to disguise yourself as a demolition worker, but your disguise isn't good enough? Do you think the clothes you're wearing are suitable? !
The other audience members also laughed like crazy:
“Hahahahahahaha, what a strong sense of belief!”

"This killer isn't very smart."

"The buttons are going to break!"

"Top disguise!"

"Zhang Zijie has a funny look on his face!"

"She was still filming while pregnant. He was really serious. I cried my heart out."

As soon as the movie started, Qin Long laughed so hard that he almost died. He thought the movie was okay.

(End of this chapter)