307. Picked Up on the Road
The trailer for "Demon Tide" immediately sparked discussion across the internet upon its release.
It's important to understand that for a long time, China's film industry lacked large-scale, epic blockbusters. Especially in recent years, due to the injection of various kinds of capital and the rise of romantic idol films, making blockbusters has become a thankless and arduous task.
But no movie lover can resist such an epic masterpiece.
Many people keep it to themselves and dare not speak out, because if they do, someone will tell them that the cost is too high and the profit is too low, that the domestic technology and manpower are insufficient, and that domestic audiences do not like to watch this kind of blockbuster.
If it were another director, releasing these trailers might have drawn criticism, with some saying the best parts were in the trailers, that the special effects were cheap, or that it was just another cheap "blockbuster" disguised as a movie.
But this is Lu Ban's movie.
Lu Ban, Lu Ban started from scratch in the horror thriller genre and created domestic box office records, has had two consecutive blockbuster films, making him a guarantee of box office success.
In the comment section under this trailer on the Old Days Video Network, in addition to serious comments, there are also some people whose backgrounds are unclear.
[Is this trailer really free for me? The lighting, the special effects, the visual quality—it's amazing!]
[Although I'm a little disappointed that this isn't a horror film, there's no doubt that this one has a more mainstream theme and will likely do better at the box office. But personally, I still hope Lu Ban will continue making horror films!]
[This movie looks really exciting from the trailer—a post-apocalyptic Demon Tide, a fortress, indomitable warriors. It's way better than that other fortress that was all about romance.]
[Lu Ban's speed is terrifying! His new movie just came out in May, and now, only three months later, he's already got another one? Even the donkeys in the production team wouldn't be this efficient!]
[This big-budget movie must have involved a huge number of people. How come I haven't heard any related reports? Could it be that Lu Ban really does have a large group of personal actors, as rumored online?]
[I saw in the reports that Lu Ban was still recruiting just a few months ago, but he finished it in such a short time. Did he sacrifice the hair and lifespan of these people to create it?]
Am I the only one who thinks this trailer, with its mix of Chinese and foreigners, looks odd and lacks any sense of traditional Chinese style?
[It seems that Lu Ban's movie is linked to the previous interactive videos, both mentioning the Night Country. It looks like he really is going to create a silent universe.]
[This movie is all men, why are there no women in it? Is it because of sexism? I've wanted to say this for a long time, in Lu Ban's movies, women are usually either villains, ghosts, or dead. Is he using this opportunity to promote gender inequality?]
[After all this talk, when is this movie finally going to be released? I'll die without seeing "The Demon Tide"!]
Lu Ban doesn't have the habit of controlling comments, but recently he has noticed that some strange accounts keep appearing under his account.
In one instance, he posted a status asking if anyone had any recommendations for obscure movies.
As a result, several comments popped up saying that Lu Ban's movies were trash, or that they didn't like watching Lu Ban's movies.
What's even funnier is that when other directors or production teams promote their films and mention keywords like "movie," these accounts will also post comments like "Lu Ban's movie is bad" or "it's not good."
It's like a robot posting.
"You've been paid to write 'online trolls'."
Qin Tiantian couldn't help but speak when she heard Lu Ban's confusion.
"There are many like this in our circle. Some people see someone become popular, so they hire online trolls to post about that person on other popular streamers to stir up trouble and ruin their public image. You have to be careful!"
She spoke earnestly, as if only in this field could one gain the qualifications to become an adult.
"I don't think I'm very popular with the general public."
Lu Ban spoke the truth.
It's quite rare for someone who makes horror movies to have a good public image. Most people who watch them end up criticizing them. If you recommend Lu Ban's movies to someone else, you might get beaten up later.
"No, you can't do that. Some people do nothing, but they get slandered and suffer for nothing. You're all grown up now, you can't be so naive."
Qin Tiantian spoke earnestly, then picked up a lobster from the basin, peeled off its head, took a sip, and began peeling the shell.
"Speaking of which, what exactly is inside a lobster's head? Is it lobster poop?"
Looking at how Qin Tiantian was eating, Lu Ban couldn't help but ask.
"How is that possible!"
Qin Tiantian immediately denied it, but then seemed a little guilty.
"It shouldn't be poop, right? What kind of thing puts its poop in its brain? Besides, even if it is lobster poop, it tastes delicious!"
"Oh."
Lu Ban was just asking casually.
This year, spicy crayfish are very cheap. Lu Ban remembers that this trend suddenly became popular when he was in college. When he was a child, you could buy a pound of crayfish for just a few yuan and eat as much as you wanted. Now, crayfish are ridiculously expensive and he can't afford them at all.
However, due to the high price of lobsters in the previous two years, large-scale farming has led to an oversupply this year, making them much cheaper.
He and Qin Tiantian bought several kilograms of it today and took it home, eating it while watching TV.
"You need to promote your movie more. If you don't promote it now, nobody will know about it. It's best to promote it on various websites and headlines, otherwise you might lose money."
Qin Tiantian gestured and then tossed another lobster onto the plate on the ground.
As soon as the lobster landed on the plate, Laika came over, sniffed it, and then swallowed it whole, making a crunching sound as she chewed.
"I did the promotion, but we have to wait for the simultaneous release date overseas."
Lu Ban replied.
"I plan to buy advertising space in Times Square directly, and I can also buy advertising space on buildings along the Ling River in Jiangcheng."
"?"
Although Qin Tiantian didn't quite understand how much these advertisements cost, based on her previous impressions, getting on these platforms must be expensive.
Laika climbed onto the table with its front legs, stared at the lobster in the bowl, and stretched out its tongue.
"Don't rush, don't sit on the table, I'll get it for you."
Qin Tiantian treated the lobsters like her own pets, placing them on a plate on the ground.
"But you can handle so much spicy food! Did you grow up eating spicy food like me?"
She's been really nice to Laika lately, almost to the point of sleeping with it at Lu Ban's house. Considering that Qin Tiantian's virtual avatar also wears a red scarf and has dog ears, perhaps she really does like dogs.
Sometimes, when Qin Tiantian was slacking off on the sofa with Laika in her arms, Lu Ban found the image of a young girl holding a mass of fleshy tentacles a bit horrifying.
"Where did you pick it up?"
Qin Tiantian couldn't help but ask.
"I just picked it up randomly on the road."
Lu Ban spoke the truth.
It was indeed found on the road, and it was indeed picked up randomly.
Whether it's a dog or not is another matter.
"I also wish I could find a dog on the street."
Qin Tiantian said enviously.
After finishing the lobster and cleaning up, Lu Ban noticed an unread message on his phone, which he had received a few minutes earlier.
It's a message from Thomas Lee.
[Thomas Lee]: Director Lu, the theater distribution is all set, we can officially begin our promotional work there.
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