Capítulo 65: Reactions

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Could you drop some reviews? It helps to get this fic a rating.

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As the producer of "Wrong Turn", Anthony Westwood's life was not as colorful and thrilling as that of the director and lead actress in his film. From last night until now, with just a few hours of rest in between, Mr. Producer has been tirelessly glued to the phone, eagerly awaiting news from every corner.

Of course, in all fairness, the label of "boring" is merely an outsider's perspective. To Mr. Westwood, he is deep in the throes of a daunting battle. "Wrong Turn" is his army, and the nearly 2,000 screens scattered across the United States are the battlefields they intend to conquer one by one.

"I can now relate to how General Eisenhower must have felt during the period before and after Operation Overlord's launch."

Though these words may sound somewhat audacious, they genuinely capture Mr. Westwood's feelings at this moment. In reality, less than 17 hours have elapsed since the official release of "Wrong Turn" and he's felt his heart race on several occasions, contemplating taking antacids.

"After this, I'll retire and go home"

Unaware that the producer, who had already envisioned this for himself, was absorbed in reading the various reports before him with undivided attention, his expression gradually relaxed.

"Though the statistics aren't complete yet, judging from the current survey results, it looks like a success this time"

Back in 1994, Rotten Tomatoes was yet to exist, and IMDB was a distant concept in the UK. Shortly after their formalization, North American cinemas had no quick way to track box office earnings and audience reactions through the Internet. Even so, utilizing relatively primitive sampling surveys and telephone statistics, filmmakers would soon get a sense of the movie's reception.

"The attendance rate is astonishing, especially at midnight. Some places are fully booked. It appears to be the blessing of that enigmatic Alan, but the issue is that many places are seeing repeat viewers. Is it summertime? Does that gimmick that Christian mentioned work?"

As a producer, Mr. Westwood had indeed seen the rough and edited versions, but due to a discussion with Christian at the time, he'd skipped a few scenes featuring Alexis, leading him to overlook the enchanting special effects. He believed that Christian had incorporated some Easter eggs in the movie that the audience needed to watch multiple times to notice.

Nonetheless, he recognized that Christian's clever trick seemed to be working.

"Leave it be, As long as it's effective"

As a producer, Mr. Westwood was a staunch believer in results. He contemplated whether to fuel the already fiery box office when he spotted his assistant rushing in with a stack of newspapers, panting.

"Great news, boss. The FBI has made a significant discovery in Vinales Valley"

"A major discovery?"

Thinking about a certain lingering concern, the producer couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety. He discreetly took the newspaper from his assistant and, after a closer inspection, relaxed once more.

"They found a cave filled with the bodies of missing persons in Vinales Valley!?"

Westwood's aging face nearly burst into a grin.

"This is fantastic news, Fantastic news"

For a moment, Mr. Producer felt like a favorite of the heavens.

"With this news, combined with the movie's current reputation, 'Wrong Turn' will undoubtedly set the box office on fire"

But before that, it seemed he needed some antacids. He was so exhilarated.

**********

Agent Kate's mood stands in stark contrast to Mr. Westwood's.

While the discovery of numerous corpses provides more leads for the FBI's forensic team, it's bound to attract the media's attention. The cases linked to Vinales Valley never truly left the media's gaze, and now they're resurfacing, Kate can already envision an onslaught of reporters.

"Forgive me"

Kate Todd, a competent FBI agent, isn't afraid of bullets, but when faced with the glaring spotlight of the news media, she can't help but feel a bit apprehensive.

"Especially when the murderer remains at large"

For the media, an unsolved serial killer is like a lavish banquet, but for the FBI, it's a bitter pill to swallow. If this were the Hoover era...

Well, in the Hoover era, no reporter or media outlet would dare to report FBI failures. Were they afraid of receiving FedEx packages?

"I hope the media takes a rain check"

Kate has a donut in her mouth, instant coffee in her hand, and a somewhat futile prayer in her heart. With a stack of newspapers before her, she's trying to grasp the adversary's perspective before "engaging."

"The FBI has tried in vain. Another month has gone by, and we still haven't even caught a glimpse of the 'Curve Killer'"

Are you leaving it up to me to break the news to them?

Kate couldn't help but think bitterly, though she relaxed a bit, realizing that this particular newspaper hadn't received the latest news. Otherwise, it would never publish such nonsensical content.

By the way, the "Curve Killer" is the moniker bestowed upon the serial killer in Vinales Valley by the media. The origin of this name can be traced back to the deceased individual first discovered, the movie by Alan McElroy.

"The midnight premiere of 'Wrong Turn' was a resounding success. Is this due to the film's appeal or the added intrigue of the 'Curve Killer'?"

Undoubtedly, it's a result of the 'Curve Killer' factor.

Kate vividly recalls how the crew of "Wrong Turn" shamelessly capitalized on Alan's case. She even suspected that they might have coined the nickname "Curve Killer" to piggyback on the incident's publicity and promote the movie.

"There are hidden ghosts in the movie 'Wrong Turn'. Is it a technological marvel or a curse from the former director and lead actress?"

Ghosts? What's this about?

For Kate, who had been tirelessly investigating all night and had no time to catch the midnight showing, these references to ghosts in "Wrong Turn" were entirely baffling. Her curiosity led her to read the article, but the more she read, the more perplexed she became.

"Will you see a different story the second time, even leading to an entirely different plot?"

Kate had no idea how this could be possible, but she found it genuinely intriguing. She sifted through the newspapers one by one, searching for information about "Wrong Turn" Unfortunately, most of the articles either focused on the movie's red-hot midnight box office or the series of Vinales Valley cases. Kate couldn't find the answer she sought until—

"The Mystery of the Second Viewing of 'Wrong Turn'—an ingenious application of the human eye's persistence effect, albeit an occasional one. Even the film's director, Christian Booth, may struggle to reproduce this effect..."

Toward the end of this report, a viewer provided a detailed explanation of the second viewing effect in "Wrong Turn", culminating in the conclusion—

During the filming of the female ghost scenes, the cameraman employed a series of rapid and slow shots, combined with various factors like the set, creating an occasional hypnotic effect. Consequently, most attentive moviegoers failed to consciously recall certain images that their eyes hadn't registered.

For those who retained these fleeting memories, watching "Wrong Turn" a second time in quick succession would allow them to "see" the concealed ghost, thanks to the interplay of their memories and the low-frame images hidden in the film.

"This might have initially been an Easter egg the director planted in the movie, intended to be discovered upon repeated viewings by a select few. However, due to this delightful accident, nearly 80% of the audience watching it for the second time managed to spot the ghost. It's safe to say that this is a minor gift from the Movie Gods."

At the end of the article, the reporter enlisted an authoritative source for validation—

Sheldon Cooper, a genius with an IQ of 187 and a professor at the California Institute of Technology.

He had also attended the midnight screening of "Wrong Turn" and played a significant role in formulating the conclusions presented in the newspaper. With experts like him backing the newspaper's claims, it appeared that the information might indeed hold.

Kate couldn't help but think, "This is intriguing!"

Lost in the world of newspapers, she momentarily forgot her initial purpose for perusing the articles. She wondered if she should watch the movie "Wrong Turn" tonight.

Well, it looks like she'll have to watch it twice.

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References-

1. General Eisenhower - Dwight David Eisenhower, nicknamed Ike, was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961.

2. Operation Overlord- As leader of all Allied troops in Europe, General Eisenhower led "Operation Overlord," the amphibious invasion of Normandy across the English Channel.