Made In Hollywood

"Hi, Duke. Long time no see."

A petite blonde woman extended her hand towards him. Duke lightly shook it. "Naomi, you look really beautiful today."

This was at an independent cinema near Century City, where the screening of *Speed* was being held. Since Duke arrived relatively early, only Naomi Watts was in the lounge prepared for the cast.

The screening wasn't just for fans and critics; there would also be some entertainment media reporters present. Afterward, there was sure to be a media event. For an actress like Naomi Watts, who wasn't one of the main cast members, her agent must have pulled some strings to get her here.

"Fox is really saving every penny," Naomi said, sitting down in one of the adjacent chairs. "They've arranged the press and fan screening together."

"The movie's profitability is still uncertain," Duke replied, not bothered by it. "It's standard practice in Hollywood. 20th Century Fox has to be cautious."

"Did you hear, Duke?" Naomi suddenly leaned in slightly, speaking in a conspiratorial tone. "Nancy—oh, Nancy is my agent—told me that 20th Century Fox has high internal praise for *Speed*. Word is that distribution head Tom Rothman thinks it has the potential to be a big hit."

"Let's hope so," Duke shrugged.

Before they could say much more, Uma Thurman, Keanu Reeves, and Dennis Hopper started filing into the room. Duke wasn't as close with them, so after exchanging simple greetings, they all sat and waited for the screening to begin.

Not long after, Robin Grande came in to inform them, and Duke joined the others as they made their way into the screening hall.

The theater wasn't large, seating only around three hundred people. The first few rows were mostly filled with entertainment reporters and critics, most of whom were from small or local outlets. Journalists from the major newspapers, weeklies, or top-tier critics wouldn't attend a screening for such an unknown film.

In short, the level of media and critics attending the screening was usually tied to a film's investment and recognition. 20th Century Fox wasn't going to risk a huge budget to invite top-tier industry professionals. Even if they did invite them, those figures likely wouldn't attend. The small perks Fox offered for *Speed* weren't enough to attract their attention.

The film needed the media and critics to champion it, and Fox had plans for a media blitz after the screening. However, during the screening itself, Fox was more focused on the audience's reactions.

Fox had invited over 250 ordinary viewers, covering an age range from 17 to 45, the core demographic for *Speed*. These viewers would provide a direct indication of the film's market acceptance.

Harry Dunn was one of Fox's observers, along with a dozen or so colleagues who had scattered among the audience. Their job was to observe and record the viewers' reactions during the screening.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Two young white men, probably in their twenties, approached and gestured to the seat on Dunn's right. "Mind if we squeeze by?"

Dunn pulled his legs in, and as they passed, he sized them up. The two were carrying popcorn and sodas, clearly treating the screening like any other casual movie outing. Once seated, they started chatting away without a care for anyone else.

"Jones…" the guy sitting on the left, with short brown hair, said. "Have you heard of this movie? Or the director or the stars?"

"I only know Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman. As for the director—first time I'm hearing the name."

The blonde guy, Jones, responded, "I've always followed Hollywood closely, but I've never seen anything by this Duke Rosenberg guy."

"Maybe it's gonna be a flop," Alan said, sounding worried. "I'm already regretting this."

"Hey, it's a free movie, just for filling out a survey," Jones emphasized the word 'free' and offered Alan some popcorn. "Think of it as killing time."

Hearing this, Dunn smiled. This was how ordinary moviegoers were nowadays. They found it hard to muster any excitement for films without major stars, famous directors, or an advertising blitz.

More and more fans filled in the back rows. From the surrounding chatter, Dunn could tell that few people had any genuine interest in *Speed*. If that was still the case after the screening, the film wouldn't be worth Fox's investment.

"It's starting!"

When the big screen lit up, someone called out, and the noisy chatter quieted down significantly. But the sounds of slurping soda, crunching popcorn, and soft murmurs didn't entirely disappear. Most of the audience wasn't fully focused on the screen.

"My soda had ice in it," Jones commented to Alan.

"Mine didn't. Want to switch?"

Swapping their sodas, Alan took a big sip, then grabbed a handful of popcorn. "The popcorn here at this theater…"

He stopped mid-sentence, eyes suddenly fixed on the screen.

Jones, sitting next to him, had the same reaction. Both were seasoned moviegoers, and they were immediately hooked by the fast-paced and intense opening scene.

Boom!

The explosion in the confined space was startlingly vivid. The elevator plummeted down, the camera cutting rapidly between the elevator and the terrified faces of the passengers. Jones's once-relaxed mood quickly tensed. Instinctively, he touched his seat, as if worried it too would turn into an elevator.

From that moment, his heart was in his throat, especially when the male lead was thrown by the explosion's blast. Jones felt like his own heart had nearly burst.

"Oh my god…"

"Is he gonna die?"

There were exclamations and concerned whispers nearby. As the film entered a brief lull, Jones snapped out of it. "This… this is the kind of opening only a top-tier action movie would have, right?"

"This director seems to know what he's doing…" Alan had already forgotten about the popcorn and soda. "Why does it feel like, no matter the scene, I'm the one in the most dangerous situation?"

"Immersion. That's immersion for you."

Jones, more versed in filmmaking techniques, added, "I feel the same. The director's using a lot of first-person perspective shots and…"

"Wait, the villain's still alive!"

Before he could finish, Jones turned his attention back to the screen. "Could there be another plot twist?"

"Shut up!" Alan scolded, annoyed by the distraction. "It's rude to talk during a movie."

Jones was about to snap back, but another massive explosion rocked the screen. He immediately focused on the fiery blast ripping through a bus, the flames engulfing the vehicle from the inside out, shattering through layers of steel, and seemingly surging out of the screen toward the audience, making his heart race.

The explosion filled the entire screen with fire, the bus roof flying into the air, landing on another car, turning it into scrap metal. Shattered glass sprayed out like rain…

The scene quickly cut back to the male lead's perspective, giving Jones a brief moment of relief, though his heart was still pounding, his adrenaline surging.

As a professional observer, Dunn had to fight the urge to focus solely on the movie. It had been so long since he'd seen a film capable of consistently keeping the audience on edge, letting them come up for air just long enough before pushing them to the next high.

Though he wanted to simply enjoy the movie like everyone else, he couldn't afford to. He had a family to support, and work needed to be done.

His pen moved rapidly over his notepad every so often, recording the audience's real reactions: their initial disinterest, their growing quiet and focus, their concern for the characters, and their expressions of awe.

He witnessed firsthand how the audience grew anxious, tense, excited, and emotional with each passing scene.

"Jones, I can't hold it anymore."

Suddenly, a voice trembling with urgency came from Dunn's right, answered by another equally shaky response, "Neither can I."

It was Alan and Jones. After drinking too much soda earlier, they'd been feeling the urge to use the restroom for a while but didn't want to miss any part of the intense movie.

"Should we go to the bathroom?" they exchanged a glance, quickly deciding, "Let's go. Fast!"

"Excuse us… please excuse us…"

Hearing them, Dunn pulled his legs back. The two young men, legs tightly clenched, hurried down the aisle. To his surprise, they were walking backward, facing the screen, not wanting to miss a single moment of the film!

"Seriously?"

Dunn was amazed. In all his years of working as a film observer, this was the first time he'd ever seen anything like this!

As he slowly turned his gaze back to the audience, Dunn didn't even bother focusing on the film. In the dim lighting, he carefully surveyed the crowd, one by one.

The viewers had forgotten about their sodas, their popcorn, and their whispering. They sat upright, unmoving, their eyes glued to *Speed*, showing the greatest enthusiasm!