Chapter 115: Redemption

As the chief West Coast selection expert for the Regal Theater Chain, Jossman naturally wouldn't miss a super blockbuster with a reported production budget of $100 million. Not to mention, this was the work of Duke Rosenberg, a director who had already blown up the summer season twice in a row. He still clearly remembered the test screening for The Rock last year, and the box office numbers that followed certainly hadn't disappointed Regal Entertainment Group.

Another explosion flared on the screen. Amid the deafening sound effects, Jossman felt as if he had been blasted into the sky himself. The fiery blasts were as dazzling as Independence Day fireworks, effortlessly drawing the audience into the joy of defeating the evil aliens. The sheer thrill bursting in his chest felt like a spray of the most beautiful colors.

The film was nearing its end. Jossman gradually calmed down and quickly formed his baseline assessment of the movie.

The plot wasn't particularly outstanding. An alien invasion of Earth was a tired trope in Hollywood, and the scenes piled high with individual heroism had long since been done to death by the industry.

However, Jossman still gave it an A+ commercial rating in his mind. The film's flaws were obvious, but its selling points were even greater!

First was the casting. Duke Rosenberg had clearly given it careful thought. The most heavily weighted and brilliant roles were given to white, Jewish, Latino, and African American actors—the largest and most influential demographics in North America. They all played massive, even critical, roles in defeating the aliens in the film. This wouldn't just appease the traditional white audience; it was bound to attract moviegoers from other ethnic backgrounds as well!

Second was the spectacle. The film's massive set pieces rolled out one after another. You could only experience the full, magnificent visual impact on a giant theater screen. The special effects were so realistic they commanded admiration, and the adrenaline-spiking explosions were relentless. Jossman felt that even the widely praised effects of Jurassic Park were no better than those in Independence Day.

Then there was the plot. It was indeed average, but it carried the most crucial element of a successful summer season movie: it was incredibly simple. Independence Day had a clichéd premise, but its main storyline was crystal clear. It threw the audience straight into the apocalyptic crisis of Earth's final days right from the start, getting straight to the point without any drag.

There was one more key point: Independence Day required zero brainpower to understand. It didn't bother with elusive concepts like deep meaning or high art. It was a classic entertainment blockbuster that offered a feast for both the eyes and the ears. Even though the film ended with the same happy resolution as every other Hollywood blockbuster, what audience didn't want to see world peace, lovers uniting, and justice triumphing over evil?

Audiences who walked into theaters during the summer season were just there to have a good time. If a movie wanted to be a massive hit in this release window, the very first thing it had to do was make the audience happy!

As someone working directly with the theater market, Jossman understood one thing very well: the vast majority of audiences went to the cinema simply to spend money on entertainment. And Independence Day certainly didn't lack entertainment value; in fact, it delivered it exceptionally well.

This was absolutely going to be the Regal Theater Chain's priority film for early July!

Jossman wasn't the only one making this judgment. Lynch, the representative for the AMG Cinema Line, also believed that Independence Day perfectly suited the tastes of summer season audiences.

To a theater chain, what was a good movie?

Was a good movie one with a professional rating of eight or higher? Was it one that reflected social reality? One that pondered human nature and humanitarian concerns? Was it a movie that tied people's brains in knots? One that delivered a jump scare at the end? Was it a film that kept people awake at night, guessing at the director's techniques and intentions?

And how should movies be categorized?

Clever movies, technically proficient movies, and wise movies? Commercial films, inspirational films, art house films, or independent productions?

In the eyes of the theater chains, it actually wasn't that complicated. As far as Lynch was concerned, for instance, there were only two types of movies: those that sold tickets, and those that didn't!

The former were exactly what the theater chains wanted, and the latter were what they loathed. Independence Day clearly possessed numerous elements of the former.

'Independence Day is a technically proficient film,' Lynch concluded. 'Duke Rosenberg has matured incredibly fast. His grasp of the market is exceptional, and he seems to perfectly understand the mindset of mainstream audiences.'

The director, Duke Rosenberg, was very smart. Unlike other directors who couldn't wait to discuss the philosophy of life with the audience once they became famous, he had stuck to making the standard, explosion-filled commercial blockbusters he was best at.

Perhaps in the eyes of critics, commercial films lacked soul and depth, making them something to be despised. But the way Lynch saw it, a commercial film just needed the qualities of a commercial film.

Independence Day was absolutely the cream of the crop among all the commercial films he had seen in recent years. It even far surpassed The Rock, which he had watched at a test screening the year prior.

Leaving aside the dazzling special effects, the other selling points were equally crystal clear.

Take narrative pacing, another crucial element that influenced the viewing experience. Independence Day's plot transitions, its balance of tension and release, and its ensemble character development were all handled exceptionally well.

The characterization in the film was particularly praiseworthy. In a two-and-a-half-hour movie, almost every character who appeared had a distinct and vivid personality.

The environmentalist tech expert who got airsick, his career-driven ex-wife, his nagging father, the black fighter pilot with a hippie vibe, the pilot's cheerful and capable stripper girlfriend, the president who served as the classic paragon of benevolence, wisdom, and courage—though he was overly flawless, he fit the film's needs perfectly—the incompetent, bumbling crop duster who ultimately became a hero, the neurotic alien researcher, and even that strict, young colonel with hardly any lines... all of them managed to leave an impression on Lynch.

And no one could claim this was easy to pull off. Lynch remembered very clearly that many award-bait films, known for their rigor and artistry, struggled to achieve this level of characterization. The characters in those movies were always full of ramblings and incomprehensible drivel, pushing the plot and character development forward by spouting nonsense.

Never mind complaints that this kind of movie lacked humanitarian concern or psychological depth. Those things were meaningless to theater chains anyway. Plus, in Lynch's experience, the character-building skills in most films that flaunted their humanitarian concern and psychological depth came across as contrived and clumsy.

It was only natural that those kinds of movies couldn't rake in high box office numbers!

Looking at Independence Day, on the other hand, the masterful use of tropes and techniques fully demonstrated director Duke Rosenberg's respect for the market and the audience.

"Duke Rosenberg clearly understands," Lynch muttered to himself. "Before making a story great and profound, you at least have to know how to tell it well and craft it skillfully."

The young director had smartly told a simple yet entertaining story, created several distinct and highly likable characters, and paired it all with dazzlingly gorgeous special effects to make the film a total blast.

This was exactly the kind of movie that could bring in profits for the theaters!

Compared to the theater chain selection experts sitting in the front rows, Hill, who had been lucky enough to attend the test screening, was just an ordinary movie fan. As a young man who had received a standard American education, his biggest concern was whether the movie was good and whether it delivered an awesome thrill ride!

Independence Day hadn't just met his expectations—it had vastly exceeded them.

Sure, the plot seemed completely clichéd and ordinary, but the visuals were absolutely top-tier! The experience of watching it in a theater was incredibly stunning!

The sheer scale of the spaceship left him in awe. When it suddenly fired devastating beams that instantly destroyed major cities across the US—with the White House, the Capitol Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty all collapsing in fiery explosions—it even gave him chills for a moment. Fortunately, humanity's counterattack sparked an exhilarating battle of the century!

Furthermore, the "Great Americanism" displayed in the film—the theme of America leading the entire world to victory—was completely up his alley.

"This is an absolute masterpiece of summer entertainment!" Hill told the friend beside him. "Duke Rosenberg's blockbuster is blindingly spectacular! That final scene where the American president leads the whole world to fight the alien invaders was so damn cool!"

Want to see the most gorgeous and thrilling movie about aliens attacking Earth? Independence Day is the undisputed king!

This was exactly what Hill planned to tell his family and friends once he got home.

Massive scale, a massive production, and massive themes. It was so huge that both the theater representatives and the test screening audience were handing out high praise. Even though the exact statistics from the test screening wouldn't be available until later, the observers from Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox scattered around the auditorium had already confirmed success just by watching the crowd's words and reactions.

As the credits rolled, applause rushed through the theater like a tidal wave. Duke slowly stood up, clapping his hands hard. There were far too many variables affecting whether a movie became a massive hit; no one could guarantee it. Even though he had made the special effects far superior to the original version, he couldn't guarantee the box office.

The only thing Duke could be sure of was that the movie absolutely wouldn't flop. Even if it didn't become a runaway smash, making its money back shouldn't be a problem.

"Congratulations, Duke."

Twentieth Century Fox CEO Thomas Rothman was the first to walk over, pulling Duke into a direct hug. "An incredibly brilliant film, even better than I imagined!"

"We have even more confidence in it now!"

The applause lasted for a long time. Jeff Robinov sighed with genuine emotion. "You're going to become the darling of the audience!"

"Thank you, thank you..."

Facing the crowd of people coming forward to congratulate him, all Duke could do was thank them one by one.

"Director Rosenberg..."

Just as the applause began to thin out, Duke saw Jossman from the Regal Theater Chain walk over. The man was direct: "Independence Day is a movie that possesses all the elements of a summer season blockbuster. I'll be highly recommending it to the company!"

"Thank you!"

Shaking the man's extended hand, Duke didn't feel overly surprised. The income of these selection experts was directly proportional to the box office of the films they recommended...

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Lynch from AMG, Duke followed the crowd out of the theater. There was still a media event to attend afterward.

Lynch, Jossman, and the other theater representatives stayed behind with the producers, waiting for the statistical results from the test screening so they could report back to their theater chains as quickly as possible.