Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 21 I dare to say it, do you dare to log in?

Regarding the news about Li Qiutang confronting foreign journalists in Montreal, which domestic platform had the strongest response?
The answer is the wave of the heart.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a good response. Netizens with a strong sense of optimism criticized Li Qiutang the most.

Now Xinlang Blog is a gathering place for public intellectuals!
Xinlang’s netizens also have the strongest “civic awareness”.

Seeing that Li Qiutang’s video caused such a big response in the station, how could the reporters of Xinlang not want to come for an interview?

A 22-year-old fresh graduate, it's not easy to control. Before the reporter came, he didn't take Li Qiutang seriously, thinking that as long as he guided her well, Li Qiutang would definitely say what he wanted.

But the fact is, during the interview, Li Qiutang was not under the control of the reporter at all, or he did not listen to the reporter's guidance.

"It is true that our country has not produced any excellent science fiction films in the past decade. Isn't this a science fiction desert? Why are you denying it in Montreal?"

"Then let me ask you, in the past ten years, besides the United States and Hollywood, which country has made good science fiction movies? Name two and let me see." Li Qiutang asked back bluntly.

The reporter was speechless, but still wanted to control the topic: "So according to you, apart from Hollywood, there is no hope for other countries?"

"We can definitely shoot it." Li Qiutang was very sure about this.

The reporter asked: "Why are you so confident?"

Li Qiutang explained: "Because we have a market of 14 billion people and a strong manufacturing base, what we lack is technology, and the technological gap is easy to catch up."

“What does this have to do with the manufacturing base?”

"To shoot science fiction movies, especially large-scale science fiction movies, a lot of equipment must be used, such as large cranes and large carriers. Some equipment even needs to be customized for the movie, which all requires support from the industrial manufacturing industry."

"So according to you, India also has a chance?"

"India? India is a mess internally. It has population but no industry, let alone cultural identity within the country. Even if it is given another 50 years, it may not be able to industrialize the film industry." Li Qiutang is extremely pessimistic about the industrialization of the Indian film industry.

But it seems that the reporter on the other side still does not believe that China can make excellent science fiction films and achieve film industrialization like the United States.

"Also, you said in Montreal that Hollywood's creation is not free, even worse than Paris, France. What's your basis for that?"

Li Qiutang laughed and said, “Ask that reporter what his basis is for saying that China is a totalitarian society.”

The reporter smiled bitterly.

"He has never even been to China, but he keeps saying that there is no freedom. Should I let him scold me? I can't say that Hollywood is not free?"

"Do you really think Hollywood is not free?" the reporter tried to bring the subject back.

"There are also many restrictions on filming in Hollywood." Li Qiutang was very smart and did not argue with the reporter about freedom.

"for example?"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to log in if I tell you." Li Qiutang said with a smile.

"It's okay, we dare to post it." Unless it is a particularly serious anti-D or anti-social speech, why wouldn't we dare post it when talking about movies?

If you dare to post Li Qiutang, you will not be afraid: "When making movies in the United States, or even on a larger scale, doing artistic creation, there are four things you cannot touch. First, you cannot touch squids, you cannot scold squids, and squids must be portrayed as victims in artistic works; second, everything can be equal, except class; third, you can oppose war and call for peace, but you cannot dig deep into the economic and political reasons behind the war; fourth, you can scold capitalism, even oppose capitalism, but you cannot overthrow capitalism in your works, and you cannot provide social solutions other than capitalism, because this will inevitably lead to socialism and communism.

"Especially in the past decade or so after the Cold War, if you watch Hollywood movies, you will find that every one of them is like what I said."

The reporter was actually a little confused after hearing the latter part. He was just a covert entertainment gossip reporter, and he really didn't understand these low-level cultural things, but what Li Qiutang said sounded very cool.

Before coming here, I wanted to slap Li Qiutang in the face, but I ended up chatting for so long that I almost fainted.

Back to The Night the Comet Came, Li Qiutang said: "We have obtained the Dragon Mark and it will be released soon. I discussed the release date with the people from China Film Group this morning." When it comes to film creation, Li Qiutang never underestimated himself before the release. He never mentioned the low budget, but talked about the story creativity, emphasizing that he was very confident in the story: "It will definitely be good! You have never seen such a story in domestic films!"

In fact, the reporter had no intention of talking about his low-budget work. There are only a few people who can make blockbuster films now, and newcomers will just make low-budget films.

Before leaving, the reporter was quite polite: "I hope you can become the next Ning Hao and create a low-budget box office legend."

Li Qiutang thanked him and sent him out.

Li Qiutang still overestimated Xinlang's courage. The four Hollywood taboos he mentioned were deleted without a single word left in the interview report, but the conversations in which Li Qiutang asked questions to the reporter were retained.

But this also stirred up a hornet's nest. Originally, people thought that Li Qiutang would explain his remarks in Montreal in the interview, but unexpectedly, he went even further and firmly believed that China would definitely be able to realize the industrialization of the film industry.

I hope that in the next life, American netizens will criticize Li Qiutang even more fiercely.

I don’t know whether they really took the money or were brainwashed by American culture and did it consciously. It’s really confusing.

Li Qiutang doesn't have a blog, so they have no way to find Li Qiutang online.

Li Qiutang didn't take it seriously, but she couldn't stand it? I haven't even mentioned neoliberalism and the US military-industrial complex, but it seems that they are too smart to understand this.

After Li Qiutang returned to China, he did start to negotiate with China Film Corporation on the release date of "The Night the Comet Came".

China Film's performance this year is very bad. So far, except for "Crazy Stone", all its projects have been unprofitable. "Crazy Stone" is not even considered China Film's own project. The movie was distributed by China Film Warner Hengdian Film and Television Company, and China Film only holds one share.

In comparison, although "The Night the Comet Came" was not invested by China Film, it was the main distributor and received the majority of the profits from the distributors.

China Film Corporation wanted to cut the Gordian knot and release "The Night the Comet Came" in mid-August, right at the end of the summer vacation.

If this film can make money, it will be enough to survive the remaining two weeks of the summer season. If it can't make money, it can at least be put in the summer season and won't be too shabby.

The plan was correct, but Li Qiutang refused, arguing that time was too tight and that he would not have time to adjust the schedules of the main creators as the production was scheduled for mid-August.

It doesn’t matter if others don’t come, Qin Lan must be there.

“The only thing left is National Day.”

"Happy National Day! Who will be showing this year?" Now that National Day is not a golden period, there should not be many movies.

"In order to win the Oscar, Feng Xiaogang specifically mentioned that The Banquet would be released in September, but he set it for September 9.

"'Tuya's Marriage' won the Golden Bear Award, and the industry is looking forward to it." It's useless. The film can't make money. The industry is looking forward to it, but the audience is not interested at all.

"Then there's Jackie Chan's 'Baby Project', which will be released on September 9th." This is the real killer.

But Li Qiutang was determined to release the film on National Day: "Let's release it on National Day, on the 28th."

The Banquet is two weeks away from the holiday, and the box office has been squeezed out long ago, so it will not affect the National Day. There is no reason not to let go of the two films "The Night of the Comet" and "Baby Project" during the 7-day holiday.

Besides, "The Night the Comet Came" and "The Baby Project" do not constitute a competitive relationship. One is a science fiction thriller and the other is an action comedy. The two genres will not compete with each other at the box office.

Moreover, even Li Qiutang did not think that he could grab the box office of "Baby Project". He did not have such a big dream. What he valued was the 7-day long holiday, and the big sales of "Baby Project" would heat up the market, and he could also benefit from it to some extent.

There is a shortage of films in the market right now. Apart from the Lunar New Year films, other schedules are relatively empty. China Film Group has no objection to Li Qiutang's choice to release the film on the same day as "Baby Project".

"Okay, that's settled. It will be released on September 9th, and the premiere will be held a week in advance."

　I've recommended it to you, not asking for anything else, just to be read as a follow-up, which will have a great impact on the rest of the book.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)