The Best Director

Chapter 167: It Puts Hollywood to Shame

Wow, applause—- ” Thunderous applause erupted in the Xuelan Theatre

screening hall; everyone in the auditorium stood up, clapping tirelessly. There were also some exclamations of admiration, but many chose to pay tribute to “District 9” and the cast and crew with their applause, having just watched a heart-shaking classic movie.

The 6-minute end credits had just finished rolling, and the big screen did not reveal any sort of post-credit scene but returned to darkness. While clapping, the audience also felt a suffocating uncomfortableness. How should they define Wikus and the bald Colonel Venter?

Were they good or bad? Both men loved and cared for their families and hadn’t done anything to harm humanity; in their treatment of the aliens, Wikus seemed to have a conscience but also committed many bad deeds—he was merely bound by the law; Venter, on the other hand, acted without restraint, a complete scumbag. The transformed Wikus remained selfish, blaming his miserable situation on the aliens and using and deceiving them.

In the end, Wikus finally regained his humanity, changed sides, and killed humans to help the Foersten father and son return home. Because of losing many of his men and because of his hatred and discrimination against aliens, Venter wanted to shoot Wikus directly but was torn apart by the Prawn aliens while half-human, half-prawn Wikus stood by.

But the outcome was that the “bad guy” Venter received society’s praise and respect. He and the other MNU soldiers became great heroes, and their families were blessed; the “good guy” Wikus suffered the lies of having transformed by interbreeding with the Prawn aliens and the crimes of killing many innocent people. He became an object of societal scorn and spitting, and his own family regarded him as a disgrace; he thought the whole world had abandoned him, yet he had never actually contacted his wife.

All this made the global audience who had just watched this movie scream in frustration; they completely felt Wikus’s desolation and despair yet struggled not to give up that desire for freedom.

Hollywood blockbusters in theaters usually ensure the protagonist has a relatively good outcome in the end, at least clearing Wikus’s name, but not here, there was only cruelty. Many “spoiled” audiences felt angry at the repression, angry at the injustice suffered by Wikus, at humanity, and that damned Magic Yang—did he want a bunch of rotten tomatoes?!

I’m going to Rotten Tomatoes to give it a 1-star rating, this is too hateful! Statements like that resonated in every movie theater where “District 9” was shown, but soon, many who said that also sighed and said: “Forget it. Let’s cut him some slack this time, for the sake of the old Magic Yang.”

The roaring applause at Xuelan Theatre didn’t cease for a long time, as if only by clapping until their palms hurt could people dispel the heaviness in their hearts.

Maybe you need this.” In the front row seats, Wang Yang smiled as he pulled out a tissue from a pack and offered it to Jessica, whose eyes were moist. She shook her head with a smile and said, “No, what I need is a hug.” Wang Yang, saying “Of course,” opened his arms and hugged her amidst the applause. He closed his eyes tightly and hugged her soft, warm body.

The applause was both exhilarating and calming—after more than a year of effort, they had finally emerged from the chrysalis!

Wang Yang stood up, kissed her forehead, and then walked onto the stage smiling with Donny, Wally Forester, Gordon Chin, and other main creators from the crew.

Thankyou, thank you, everyone!” The people on stage formed a line with Wang Yang in the center, microphone in hand, facing over a thousand guests and viewers. As the crowd gradually calmed down, he smiled and said, “I’m very happy to see that everyone likes ‘District 9.’ Nearly two hundred of our crew members, plus the special effects team that created the Prawn aliens, over eight hundred people, have been looking forward to the premiere tonight. And fortunately, we received applause.”

The audience burst into applause again, this time with many cheering and whistling; on the stage, Donny and others smiled and clapped, and Wang Yang continued with a smile: “This movie went through a lot, and we went through a lot. We tried hard, really hard, just to make everyone uncomfortable. I know there must be a lot of people cursing me, ‘that damned kid!'”

The theater resonated with laughter, and Jessica beamed with pride and joy for him; Zachary, Michael Pitt, Annie, and others smiled, thinking, “Yes, Yang, you did it.” Michelle Rodriguez shrugged, recalling his words from a few days ago, “District 9? I think it will be oppressive and uncomfortable. To what extent? Just a lot, a lot.” Now she knew.

I apologize if I made everyone uncomfortable. But Wikus is right here.” Wang Yang laughed and passed the microphone to Donny beside him.

Donny waved and greeted the audience, “Hello, Earthlings.” He laughed, then seriously said, “Performing in ‘District 9’ was very fun and very important; for Wikus, it was a transformation, but for me it was a rebirth. I re-evaluated myself, everything. I’ve made many mistakes, like a reckless child, but not anymore.”

His mature face was full of determination as he confidently said, “Never again! This is my transformation, Robert Downey Jr., and I’m very grateful to Yang for giving me this opportunity to transform.” He turned to Wang Yang and sincerely said, “Thank you!” Wang Yang happily extended his hand for a handshake and a chest bump, and the Xuelan Theatre instantly filled again with high-decibel applause and cheers.

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As the main creators continued to speak, waves of applause followed, and the microphone returned to Wang Yang’s hands. He laughed and said, “Once again, I apologize. But I’m very happy to see that because it means success if everyone feels that way. OK, tonight should be more joyful, so I invite everyone to watch the trailer of a movie, ‘The Hangover.’ Haha, ladies and gentlemen, this is the global premiere!”

Amidst the audience’s wild cheering, Wang Yang and Donny chatted and laughed as they walked down the stage. The promotion for “The Hangover had officially begun!

A teaser for “The Hangover” as the post-credit scene!? Naturally, the movie fans were extremely excited, the media reporters’ eyes lit up, and film critics were highly interested. After watching “District 9,” nobody was foolish enough to doubt Magic Yang’s directing skills. He was indeed only an unreasonable 22- year-old wonder, but he was just such an unreasonable monster.

But precisely because “District 9” was so outstanding, it has made people worry whether the sunny and funny Wang Yang had evolved into a dark and brooding director. How funny could “The Hangover,” known for its craziness, be? The “crazy” surely didn’t mean murder and bloodshed, did it?

Charlize Theron’s eyes widened slightly, her hands clutching her evening bag tightly; Michelle Rodriguez shifted in her seat; Zack, Bradley, Ed, and Matthew Fox all had a flash of tension cross their faces. They knew the script and the set were absolutely hilarious, potentially funnier than any R-rated comedy; but what about when it all came together in the final cut?

On the big screen, the static logo of Flames Films appeared, followed by a trio on the beach, with Bradley speaking gravely into his phone, “We can’t find Doug.” The bride on the other end paused, puzzled, “What do you mean?” Bradley exhaled, looked up at the clear sky, and said, “I mean, this wedding might not happen.”

Wow!!!” A convertible Mercedes sped down the highway, with the four guys from “The Hangover” inside, Zack slapping the car door and shouting with a smile at a blonde girl in another car, “Vegas, Vegas…” The girl looked at him coldly and suddenly flipped him the middle finger.

A burst of laughter emerged from the audience as the four on screen stood on the rooftop toasting, Bradley saying with a laugh, “We’re gonna down this drink in one go, not a single drop left behind!” As they drained their glasses, the barely clear images on the screen flickered rapidly…

Hahahaha!” The 2-minute trailer brought waves of amusement and anticipation to the Shulan Theater, with laughter filling the room. There were tigers, babies, Ed getting married overnight, funny fat Zack, stunning Charlize, and domineering Michelle on screen… Seeing the crazy, illogical scenes, the smiling movie fans felt reassured that the delightful Wang Yang hadn’t disappeared.

Zack and the gang, Charlize Theron, Michelle, and other main actors of “The Hangover” also broke into happy smiles. Without a doubt, this movie was going to be hilarious! There was no shortage of joy this Christmas. Michelle clapped her hands, thinking with a smile, “What a surprise, he has that magic to make people cry and laugh.”

In a comfortable viewing spot near the front row, Mr. and Mrs. Wang exchanged smiles, having just been worried about their son’s mental state and preparing to provide “special psychological counseling.” But now it seemed there was no need for that. They looked towards their son in front, seeing him also looking their way, smiling and giving a thumbs up; Mr. Wang nodded and pointed towards him, also smiling and giving a thumbs up.

However, this Easter egg of a “The Hangover” trailer was only for the audience at Shulan Theater; most of the audience in the other 3550 theaters across North America walked out of the cinema with a somber and distressed feeling from the film’s ending.

Under the night sky, Clair and two others walked out of the small theater’s entrance, passing by the young people still queuing and waiting to enter, playing cards, gaming, and chatting—the scene was very lively. Clair walked past them, her throat choked with sobs; just thinking about Wikus’s fate made her heart hurt dully, her eyes reddening as she muttered, “Damn it, ever since I had kids, I’ve become especially emotional…”

Janet nodded empathetically, also looking upset, and said, “Now I often get all maternal out of nowhere, I looked it up, and it’s a problem with hormone secretion.” Clair cried again, asking loudly, “How could Best Director do this? Wikus is so pitiful, he deserves justice! I want to beat up Best Director.”

The young people around them finally noticed it was the three of them! They immediately let out an “Oh” and hurriedly tried to stop them, shouting, “Please, no spoilers!” and “Have some common decency!” The brunette white girl was jumping madly, clutching her head and exclaiming, “Oh God, now I know Wikus will be pitiful and that he’ll be treated unjustly, Best Director said it’s best to watch it completely unaware, damn it!”

Clair looked at her, about to say “Wikus turned into an alien,” when she suddenly remembered the mocking expression of the detestable bald Colonel Ditch and stopped herself, thinking better of it to let them experience it firsthand!

The three of them exchanged silent glances, and without continuing to discuss the movie content, they talked as they walked, “I’m going to score it on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes when I get home, what would you guys rate it?” “Of course, full marks!” “Although I’m very upset, full marks!”

In a Chicago cinema, a little girl named Alice and her father Hans walked out of the screening room back into the cinema’s ticket lobby. The theater showing “The Omen” was less than half full and the movie was just mediocre; it made her yawn several times, not even scaring the kids! It kept trying to create a creepy, tense atmosphere, but it was completely unsurprising and the dull, cliched plot was a hundred percent predictable.

Despite her young age, she had seen many movies! Alice shook her head with a sigh, setting all her hopes on Best Director now!

At that moment, another large group of people came out from the hallway; they were likely the audience for “District 9,” each of them looking somber and muttering discussions. Alice stopped two couples passing by, asking curiously, “Hey guys, how was Best Director’s new work? Was it good? Just tell me if it was good or not, don’t give away the plot.”

How to rate it? The two white couples thought for a moment, and when it came to just commenting if it was good or not, they either shrugged or nodded, “It’s very good, worth every cent of the 9.9 dollars.” “You could say it’s fantastic.” “An absolute classic.” ” entertainment headlines again.” The blond-haired guy then looked at Hans and smiled, “Sir, but I wouldn’t recommend taking her to see it, be careful not to scare her.”

You could say it’s fantastic.

I think Best Director will be in tomorrow’s

Alice gave a bemused look and rolled her eyes, “Don’t treat me like I’m six, OK?” Damn R-rating restrictions are such a pain!

Very scary?” Hans furrowed his brow with concern. He knew about a girl who had been paralyzed on the spot years ago after being scared by Best Director’s movie. Although Alice wasn’t that fragile, any lasting psychological impact wouldn’t be good.

It’s not just about being scary.” The curly-haired guy shrugged again, recalling “District 9” and feeling a tightness in his heart, shaking his head, “Um, oppressive despair, tense thrill… I don’t know, it drives you mad.” His long-haired girlfriend agreed, “This movie isn’t the previous Best Director, or rather, the original him, it’s not suitable for kids to watch.”

Another student with a buzzcut spread his hands and said, “Let’s put it this way, I’ll definitely buy the DVD to add to my collection, but it’s going to take a while before I watch it again.” The curly-haired student laughed, “Actually, if we just treat it like a popcorn movie, then there’s no big deal, and I think it would be really enjoyable.” The four of them chatted and laughed as they walked out of the cinema.

It’s a must-see! It’s no big deal,” Alice said decisively; Hans knew his daughter’s temperament and had no choice but to nod helplessly, secretly thinking, “If this movie scares my daughter silly… Wang Yang, wait for me to trash you online.”

Even though “District 9” terrified many people, making them feel oppressed for an entire evening and the scenes etched deeply in their minds, there wasn’t much criticism online, and any criticism was more of an affectionate scolding. Evelyn, deeply affected by the film, went home, logged onto IMDB, and gave “District 9” a perfect score of 10; Claire, Janet… Alice didn’t hesitate to give it a perfect score, too.

As the night in Los Angeles passed and daylight arrived, it was August 3, Saturday, and “District 9” began its full release on the other side of the Earth.

The first batch of movie fans who had seen the film had already submitted their reviews on platforms like IMDB. At that moment, 102,4.18 users had participated in the ratings, with the main page score reaching an impressive 9.0! Among the TOP 250 users, 71,562 had voted, resulting in a high score of 8.9, propelling it into the top ten films of all time. Many movie enthusiasts, upon hearing this news, quickly came to vote. When the number of TOP 250 users rose to above 150,000, the score finally settled at 8.8 and still ranked among the 9-i2th positions in film history, alongside “Star Wars Episode II: The Empire Strikes Back” and others.

Of course, IMDB’s TOP 250 isn’t the ultimate truth; in such voting, the power of fans always prevails, especially with cult movies and films that garner personal director worship. Fans need only a tiny bit of justification to give a perfect score, as with “Fight Club,” which also has a score of 8.8; “Memento” and “Forrest Gump” both have a score of 8.6.

For fans of cult films, “District 9” is an electrifying experience, with those who love gore and violence raving about the high-budget effects. As user John commented, “Here’s a hundred million-dollar budget, there’s B-movie madness! Wang Yang is just insane, the blood-drenched effects are ultra- realistic, and the cinematography is super unique. The scenes of Wikus slaughtering soldiers and Dirk being torn apart made me want to vomit! So exhilarating!”

There’s also Wikus’s transformation effect, the sinister and frightening secret labs, a series of inhumanly cruel scenes… all praised by gore and violence enthusiasts.

Another significant contingent, consisting of self-contained cult movie fans and sci-fi enthusiasts, turned movie night into a night of revelry. User Karlovas commented, “If anyone says ‘District 9′ has unoriginal storytelling, they’re either insane or come from a hundred years in the future. The whole movie is filled with thrilling new settings, whether it’s the large-scale alien social hierarchy, intellect, and habits; or the smaller-scale details of weapons and mech designs, everything is so unique and earnestly crafted, it’s unbelievable!

And the social structure of the insectoid aliens, why they don’t rise up in rebellion, why Christopher Foersten has such high intelligence, which gun model is more powerful… all sorts of questions and details are what they study and obsess over. Many are also excited about these questions, wondering, “What kind of changes will Earth face after three years?”

This is a masterpiece!” Cult film fans have shouted this slogan, with spine- chillingly nauseating gore and violence, daring faux-documentary techniques that defy the academy, novel alien settings, and transformation stories… and if you add the intriguing depth behind the film, the answer from Philip McLean of The Observer in the United Kingdom is, “This is the greatest science fiction film since Blade Runner.”

Cult film fans are crazy, the die-hard fans of the magical Wang Yang are even crazier, and there are many of them, mighty in number. It’s been four years since Paranormal Activity, three years since High School Musical, and the young people of those times are still young; while the children back then are now adults, they have more of a say and greater purchasing power.

In the world of pop stars, Evelyn likes Britney, Clair likes Justin Timberlake, and then there are Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey…everyone has different idols; there are differing opinions about sports stars and Hollywood actors and actresses, too; but when it comes to film directors, young people also have many favorites. However, there are not many who worship them as idols and follow them daily.

Wang Yang, who grew up alongside them, takes the largest market share and is the only director from the ’80s who is the same age as the young people, giving the girls the chance to be starstruck. Besides, who would they choose? A young, handsome, sunny, and humorously incredible idol, a young billionaire like the magical Wang Yang, or a middle-aged uncle with half-white hair, devoid of any fashion sense or physique?

The internet is full of fans’ excited shouting, as if celebrating a victory party: “The return of the king, Wang Yang, WOO!! Why are you so cool!” ” youngest Oscar Best Director is about to be born!” ” He’s 22 years old!”…

This is only his fifth film!

The 8.8 score on the TOP250 has been boosted by the enthusiasm of cult fans and regular fans alike, but one thing is undeniably agreed upon by all film buffs and critics: District 9 is a classic worthy of remembrance.

The score on the Metacritic website reached a high of 94; Rotten Tomatoes compiled 185 reviews, with 180 fresh and 5 rotten, giving a fresh rating of 97% from the general critics and 95% from notable critics; an audience approval of 93%, with an average rating of 4.0 (out of 5). However, sifting through the audience comments, almost all of the reasons for low ratings were “hard to watch.”

This movie made me so sad; I have never been this angry before! My heart still can’t calm down,” a one-star review from user Alexis was full of rage. He also wrote: “But I hope Wang Yang would make something like District 10 to wash away this nasty feeling stuck in my heart, in which case I would change my score back.”

I was almost driven insane watching it, oh my god! I want to see such a movie!” Karenina taunted angrily, giving a zero star rating, adding, “I am so disappointed in the magical Wang Yang, now many people are talking about how incredible, great, real, unique, and shocking it is… So what!! I don’t watch movies to feel upset, it hurt me!”

But if you glance over, just as Karenina mentioned, the vast majority of user scores are glowing five-star reviews; Inez comments, “A sadness you can’t forget.” Alison reviews, “It’s unbelievable. I left the cinema crying, and then all night and all day. If you haven’t seen this movie, you may not have any idea what sadness really means.”

This movie has redefined what a science fiction film means to me.” Ryan, a veteran user who also gave five stars, joined in praising District 9 as a masterpiece: “We had not had a truly great sci-fi movie until District 9 came along. Truthfully, I think it will completely enthrall ‘non-sci-fi’ fans. The story, visual effects, cinematography, sets, actors, score… everything about this film is nearly perfect.”

Apart from adoring fans endlessly singing its praises, professional media from all avenues, and 180 fresh film reviews have not been stingy with their words of admiration. The “Chicago Sun-Times” even published a glaring headline: “It Puts Hollywood to Shame!”

District 9′ is akin to the complexity of human nature; it is a very complex movie. And first and foremost, it can be an absolute commercial blockbuster, a total summer feast!” Richard Roeper, the renowned film critic of the “Chicago Sun-Times,” was the first to review, more excited than old-timer Roger Ebert, writing, “The moment you sit down in your chair, you’ll find yourself unwilling to leave until long after the movie is over.”

The entire movie is filled with suspense and surprises. As soon as you enter the main story, it’s a non-stop thrilling ride. You can’t guess what will happen in the next second; you forget to guess because you’re completely engrossed in the film. This owes to the seamless visual effects and the on-location filming in the Soweto slums, as well as Robert Downey Jr.’s genius performance and all the genuine, ordinary faces of the actors; not to mention the astonishing camera work and editing. Apart from the lack of a beautiful woman, it’s a 100% qualified commercial sci-fi blockbuster that hasn’t wasted a penny of that hundred million US Dollars.”

A rare adventurous thriller that’s simply unputdownable. — “The Daily Telegraph”; Technologically advanced, fun science fiction movie. — “The Guardian” of the United Kingdom; So much fun, the most original and coolest sci-fi movie on the big screen in recent years. — “Hollywood Reporter”…

Richard Roeper’s review continued, “But ‘District 9’ gave certain people a good lesson. If there’s anyone who still says commerce and art cannot coexist, or if anyone says visual shock and emotional impact cannot be combined, let them watch this movie and shut up. The movie tells so much, feelings indescribable in words. That 22-year-old young person has shocked the world once again. But I know Hollywood will keep going like this; ‘District 9’ has made Hollywood ashamed.”

This is a great movie, the best science fiction movie of this summer. — Ben Mankiewicz, “At The Movies”; A wonderful summer usually sees the emergence of an incredible movie that is visually stunning and thought- provoking. That’s this glorious summer, and ‘District 9’ is that movie. — Betsy Sharkey, “Los Angeles Times”; An unforgettable, incessantly gripping terrible fable. — Joe Neumaier, “New York Daily News”…

It is both a profoundly terrifying art film and a wildly enjoyable commercial blockbuster. What’s not to love about it? The only downside is that you might have nightmares after watching it.” — Richard Roeper.

In the midst of wild acclaim, the weekend of August 2nd to 4th drew to a close, and at the forefront of the North American weekend box office rankings sat ‘District 9,’ which bathed the whole of Hollywood in its glow, sweeping up $102 million in 3550 theaters! This number has also matched ‘Spider-Man’s record for the fastest to reach $100 million in box office sales (3 days).

However, what made the box office commentating websites exclaim in “terror about ‘District 9’ was that it’s an R-rated movie! Those under 17 needed to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to watch, which means losing a large teenage market. If it weren’t for the fact that the 14-year-old fans had mostly turned 18 by now, this number wouldn’t have been achieved—even considering the explosive spread of viral marketing.

On the other hand, although the audience that hadn’t watched it yet heard that ‘District 9’ was exceptionally oppressive and heavy, it also had the tag of being “tense, exciting, and good to watch.” And with a 9 out of 10 rating on IMDb, 97% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and universally successful among both the public and critics… it’s a miraculous Wang Yang movie! All these elements combined simply mean you can’t miss it!

Just how is it a “masterpiece”? The best choice is naturally to step into a cinema this summer and see for yourself.

The second place for this weekend went to the sci-fi thriller ‘The Omen,’ which opened in 3264 theaters with a first-day box office of $15.68 million, but slid down to $26.45 million over three days. Why did it slide down so severely? A 56% freshness from well-known critics at Rotten Tomatoes, rotten; a 60% audience liking rate; keywords in reviews and word of mouth were: “tedious, cliched, pretentious, clumsy…”

And it happened to come up against the “novel and great” ‘District 9,’ whose deficiencies were abruptly magnified and laid bare. This turned off the public, who quickly fled to theaters showing ‘District 9.’

In third place was the comedy ‘Austin Powers,’ which took in $21.19 million in 3613 theaters; also premiering this week, the comedy ‘Master of Disguise’ in 2565 theaters took fourth place, amassing only $7.37 million; the fifth-place newcomer comedy ‘Stand Alone’ earned just $4.61 million… It seems audiences are now willingly looking for discomfort while temporarily setting aside comedies.

What? I’ve turned into a beetle!?” In the desolate land, Natalie’s eyes widened as she looked left and right at herself, her right hand had completely transformed into that of a prawn bug; her belly and thighs were even flaking!! With a scream, she cried out in anger, “How could this happen! I haven’t bullied any aliens! Wang Yang, Wang Yang—damn it! Where are you, get out here now…”

She suddenly froze, only to see Wang Yang, who had seemingly come out of nowhere, with antennae growing on his head and his left hand deformed. She exclaimed in surprise, “You’ve turned into a beetle too!” Wang Yang’s face was full of tension as he thrust a Du Xian horn gun into her hands and barked, “Quit your yelling and hurry up! We’ve got to fight our way out!”

Fight? Fight who?” Natalie asked, puzzled as she raised the gun. Wang Yang gave her a strange look and then rushed forward, shouting, “Wipe out all the clones! Come on—”

On the spacious bed, the sleeping Natalie turned over and mumbled into her pillow with soft ‘inin-mm’ noises, her hands moving slightly. Suddenly, she cried out, “Ahh…” and then, the bedroom went quiet for a good while.

Your gun looks cooler; give it to me…