Bab 275: Chapter 275: Fierce Competition
Until the end credits rolled and the lights came on, the cinema was still buzzing with surprised and enlightened discussions.
No one expected that kind of ending.
Yet, everything seemed so inevitable in hindsight, with the film having laid out numerous hints throughout.
But regardless, it was truly unexpected!
Lisa Collins, smiling at the buzz of discussions around her, stood up with her boyfriend to leave the cinema.
Because of some involvement with a certain individual, she felt a faint sense of pride and decided to watch the movie again when she had the time. Many details in the film were worth revisiting.
The 9 p.m. showing ended, and by the time they left, it was already 11 p.m. on the East Coast.
However, on their way out, Lisa noticed some audience members who had just left were heading back to the ticket counter.
At this hour, those people obviously weren't looking to catch another film due to the time; they likely wanted to immediately revisit the numerous foreshadowed details in the film.
Most films with plot twists lack sufficient setup, making the twists feel abrupt. However, "The Sixth Sense" did not have this issue. Many details in the film clearly hinted at the final outcome, which could be difficult to piece together without knowing the ending. Once the ending is known, everything clicks into place.
The key was how all the setups and foreshadowings seamlessly integrated into the story, without feeling forced or separable.
So, this is indeed a stroke of genius.
Lisa recalled how some media had been downplaying the film recently. Now, Daenerys Entertainment has undoubtedly produced another classic. As for the box office, considering those eager to rewatch the film late at night, it obviously wouldn't be a problem.
It was still 8 p.m. on the West Coast.
Not too late.
So, she decided to call Jenny to congratulate her. It would be even better if she could talk to him and her together.
As Lisa Collins finished her viewing, numerous professional and amateur film critics across North America had also completed their reviews of "The Sixth Sense."
Compared to other films, "The Sixth Sense" naturally had an advantage in this area. This week, it was the only new release, and it was a highly anticipated project by Simon Westeros and Robert De Niro. Most newspapers and media couldn't ignore Westeros and De Niro, and didn't have other options anyway.
If entertainment sections of newspapers were discussing "The Sixth Sense" tomorrow while one paper missed out, its readers might think the publication was out of touch.
That's not something newspaper operators wanted to see.
So, by Saturday morning, entertainment sections of countless newspapers across North America were almost all discussing "The Sixth Sense."
This was equivalent to a massive, all-encompassing marketing campaign.
Why many top directors and stars often succeed is partly because they naturally attract a lot of media and public attention. Even if their works are not high-quality, they usually don't fail at the box office due to the wide attention and recognition. If the quality is outstanding, it's easy to become a big hit.
This is also known as 'box office appeal.'
North America has a very comprehensive film criticism system, where newspaper critics typically don't need to resort to spoilers to attract attention. Daenerys Entertainment's distribution department, under Amy's specific instructions, intensified their PR efforts in this area. As a result, almost all reviews of "The Sixth Sense" on Saturday praised the film while carefully guarding its most crucial secret.
Of course, while avoiding spoilers, the critics didn't need to be as conservative as Daenerys Entertainment was during the promotional phase.
"The Washington Post's" renowned critic Stephen Hunter wrote eagerly: "Pay a little attention, and 'The Sixth Sense' will captivate you, leading to an ending you absolutely cannot predict. I really, really want to tell you what happens, but I can't, because you would hate me. All I can say is, this is a movie you absolutely cannot miss this year."
"The Los Angeles Times," without being as hesitant as Hunter, still hinted at its praise: "Another meticulous and refined script by Simon Westeros, 'The Sixth Sense' undoubtedly has the best ending I've seen in similar films."
Other influential newspapers like "The Hollywood Reporter," "Variety," "The Chicago Sun-Times," and "The San Francisco Chronicle" hinted more or less at the film's unexpected ending in their extensive reviews.
Beyond discussing the ending, without spoiling it, many reviews also analyzed the story's themes of redemption, and both De Niro and the actor playing Cole received unanimous acclaim.
Cole's actor, chosen from many child actors, received more praise for his performance towards the seasoned Robert De Niro than for Bruce Willis, as had been the case in many of his previous films. De Niro invested much effort into the role of Dr. Crowe, studying extensive child psychology material and spending a month in a psychological clinic to experience the profession firsthand.
Thus, De Niro's portrayal in the film was indistinguishable from that of a professional psychologist.
"The New York Post" openly praised De Niro for creating another new screen character of a different field following "Dead Poets Society." The critic suggested that De Niro would do well to drop out of the upcoming "Goodfellas" to avoid being typecast back into gangster roles.
Combining various media ratings, "The Sixth Sense" scored an 8.5, the highest since the summer season began.
Before this, only Spielberg's "Indiana Jones 3" had achieved a score of 8.
Other films, like "The Bodyguard," nearly got trashed by the media. "Ghostbusters II" didn't pass, and Paramount's "Star Trek V" had worse reviews than "The Bodyguard." Last week's three new releases, "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" had decent reviews but only scored 7.5, "Die Hard 3" was labeled a cash grab, and "Great Balls of Fire" barely passed but had dismal box office results.
Many cases have shown that a film's box office success doesn't directly correlate with its reviews, involving many factors like release timing, screen count, and media buzz. However, "The Sixth Sense" not only achieved the highest media rating since the summer season began but also rapidly spread its influence among audiences.
The media's subtle hints at the film's plot and the rare word-of-mouth effect among the public after viewing recommended this surprising film to friends and family.
With Daenerys Entertainment's all-out promotional efforts for all age groups and the film monopolizing the hottest week of the summer season, these favorable factors combined led to "The Sixth Sense" easily winning the weekend box office with just 1673 screens, accumulating $23.15 million in three days.
For context, "The Bodyguard's" first seven-day box office was only $23.63 million.
In North America's busy summer season, a film's weekend box office typically accounts for 60% to 70% of its weekly total.
With this ratio, box office analysts, the media, and Daenerys Entertainment internally all believed "The Sixth Sense's" first week would be between $33 million and $38 million, second only to "Indiana Jones 3" and "Ghostbusters II" in opening box office numbers.
Such a first-week box office would allow "The Sixth Sense" to recoup its entire production and marketing.
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