The test results of "Rock of Ages" were neither too good nor too bad. The two directors were a little disappointed. Roger Corman saw the test results, called a meeting on the spot, and decided to make only a dozen copies, which would be played in each state in turn.
This old-fashioned distribution model has long been overturned by the new model of "Jaws" opening in hundreds or even thousands of theaters and being released simultaneously across the country.
The reason why Roger uses the old model is that he is not optimistic about the box office performance of good movies, so in order to save the production cost of copies and reduce risks, he adopted the state-by-state carousel model.
A copy is a complete film, reproduced from a negative, and can be played many times. Instead of producing hundreds of expensive copies of a movie, releasing it simultaneously across the country, and then bombing the box office and ending up losing money. Roger Corman's philosophy is always to put cost first. If the cost is low enough, it will be difficult for you to lose money.
Roger decided to first screen the film in small states in the central and southern parts of the country, such as Arizona and Georgia, and then ship the copies to the next state after the screening in one state. Not only does it save copy production costs, but the main marketing aspect is to put up posters in local theaters, eliminating the need for expensive TV and newspaper space.
If the box office in small states is high enough, some copies will be printed and released in big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. If the box office is mediocre, then don't print more copies and let the movie slowly complete its life course.
It didn't exceed expectations, nor did it fall below the bottom line. It was still able to be released nationwide. Alan and Joe were a little disappointed, but also quite lucky. Ronald didn't know whether to comfort or congratulate the two directors.
Ronald went out to buy some Chinese food and brought it to the two directors. The two of them liked this kind of Chinese food that had been modified to suit Western tastes. Ronald himself, on the other hand, prefers the original version. He often eats at Mong Kok Restaurant in Chinatown.
The test screening was the first time the film faced a real audience. The director's mentality was probably similar to that of a gambler waiting for the result. Ronald began to think about "Apocalypse Now" that night. He wondered what the great director Coppola would think of the test screening of his own movie. Would he be equally nervous?
Coppola proved more nervous.
Francis Coppola has a big beard, black-rimmed glasses, and has gained some weight.
"Please film critics and friends from the media, please do not publish film reviews after today's preview. What was previewed today is still a semi-finished product and incomplete. We will go to China next month to participate in the Cannes Film Festival, and then return to China to refine it. This test screening is a temporary screening at the invitation of the Directors Guild and the Film Academy, so we kindly ask you not to post reviews before the official release."
When Ronald walked in, he also saw a lot of audience members who came in without invitations and showed their membership cards. They must have been the film critics Coppola was talking about. Film critics for newspapers and magazines in the United States all enjoy this privilege. No matter what movie it is, as long as you show your critic card, you can watch it for free.
After a brief speech by a senior executive from publisher United Artists, the lights were turned off and the screen went dark.
"嚚嚚嚚嚚..."
There was a faint sound of propellers. The sound came from left and right, strong and weak, and for a while it seemed to come from behind Ronald.
The audience turned their heads in surprise, trying to see the source of the sound.
"It's a new technology called surround sound..." Ronald heard someone whisper.
Is this new technology? Ronald thought to himself, in the original movie, the sound was emitted from behind the screen, and the audience was used to it. Today, the propeller seemed to be hovering behind his head. It was really a great experience.
On the dark screen, a sad background music sounded...
The screen gradually brightened, revealing a tropical coconut forest. The orange-red dust was lifted up by the wind and pulled up in circles.
There was more and more dust, and the sound of the propeller became louder and louder.
The landing gear of a helicopter suddenly crossed the screen from left to right.
It was as if the world had been awakened.
Suddenly there was a breeze in the coconut forest...
Napalm bombs fell into the coconut grove one after another, and orange-red explosion flames rose one after another, very much like the color of dust just now.
"Wow..." Ronald was really surprised. This beginning was unusual. I couldn't help but sit up straight, waiting for the movie title and subtitles to be announced.
No movie title! The subtitles didn’t appear either!
There was only a man's voice, and he began to sing softly. His voice was very special.
"This is the End..."
Why is it the ending just after the beginning?
Some people in the audience actually went, "Oh, this is The End of The Doors!"
Some people started clapping...
Ronald didn't understand the admiration these literary and artistic people had for Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the Doors. Morrison, known as the rock poet, also has many fans in the literary and art circles.
This is the End…
My beautiful friend Beautiful friend
This is the end This is the end
My only friend, the end
Accompanied by poetic singing, the helicopter hovered over the coconut palms that were bombed into ruins.
Sometimes the tail is exposed, sometimes the propeller is exposed, and sometimes the landing gear is exposed.
An upside-down human face begins to appear on the screen, with confused eyes staring at the audience, as if asking "Who am I and why am I here?"
The sound of propellers is getting closer and closer to the audience...
Just as Ronald was feeling more and more weird, the propeller turned into a ceiling fan.
The ceiling fan was blowing hard, and the camera began to slowly rotate 180 degrees, and the owner of the face began to appear in the field of vision.
The opening music "Ending" gradually faded away, and the audience saw the protagonist resting on the bed in a tropical-style room, with a pistol thrown beside the bed.
The protagonist finally got up, walked to the window, and opened the midnight window with his hand. There was warm sunshine outside.
The picture is finally no longer that weird orange-red color.
A soft voice came to mind.
Ronald was startled. The speaker seemed to be whispering in his ear. how did you do that? Some audience members looked down to see if there were speakers hidden under the seats.
"Saigon, Shxt, I'm still stuck in Saigon."
It turned out to be the inner monologue of the protagonist, so the helicopter and explosion just now were the protagonist’s memories? This opening is really brilliant.
The protagonist turns out to be Captain Willard, an officer in the US military intelligence department. He accepted the mission and went north along the Mekong River to investigate a US Army Colonel Coates who broke away from his command and organized his own private army. If the situation permitted, get rid of Coates himself.
Willard formed a special team and sailed forward by boat, encountering all kinds of strange people and strange things along the way.
The colonel who commands helicopter formations, flies Valkyrie rides, and bombs villages, all he wants to do is surf.
The cover girl who flew in from the United States to work for the army wore a bikini and sang for the frontline soldiers. However, she was surrounded by the soldiers. She wanted to spend the night and finally climbed into a helicopter to escape.
Soldiers on the front line held a fireworks show. On the other side of the beautiful fireworks were soldiers on duty firing machine guns in the trenches.
The team went ashore to rest, and encountered a tiger in the rainforest... and were scared to death.
The team that finally arrived at their destination found Colonel Coates with the help of an American field photographer.
Coates has become an evil leader, killing and taking away the lives of his subordinates. He hopes Willard will inherit his status and career. The people held a sacrificial ceremony and slaughtered a bull alive. Everyone cheered and worshiped him as if he were God.
Captain Willard seized the last opportunity, hacked Coates to death with a bull's knife, and led the remaining team members out of this strange place. Before leaving, he called for bombers and destroyed Colonel Coates' camp.
The ending music is the ending of The Doors again, and the whole film seems to be about a reincarnation.
"Apocalypse Now" has not yet been finalized. There are still many copies of the test screenings that have not been processed. The screen will suddenly go black or there will be a "stuck" sound. There are no cast or crew subtitles in the entire movie, and there is only one shot on the wall. The words "Apocalypse Now" were written.
I don’t know if it was because I didn’t have time to do it, or if the director did it on purpose.
The film, which lasted about 2 hours and 20 minutes, ended and the lights in the screening room were turned on. The audience began to whisper among themselves.
I don't know what others think, but Ronald was deeply fascinated by this movie.
The film seems to be telling a weird dream. The words that the protagonist Willard is always narrating in his ears also seem to be a dreamer telling a story to himself.
The creative team was invited to the stage, and some members of the audience began to applaud enthusiastically.
However, it seems that not many people applaud?
