Chapter 425: Black Fan Critics

Because Black Myth: Wukong has not finished filming, after the premiere ceremony Jiang Heng still returned to the China Film Digital Base to shoot movies.

The promotion and distribution of Huang Dao Tian Ting Fu Mie fell to Du Huan, Yu Dong, and the film's entire creative team.

In this, Du Huan represented Jiang Heng and went to the United States, Japan, South Korea, and several major European box‑office markets, while Yu Dong led a team to launch preview screenings domestically.

As for the actors, a schedule was arranged according to their availability and itineraries, trying to have several artists at each promotional event.

And judging from the on‑site feedback and media reports, the results were quite good.

Especially the domestic market was not neglected despite Jiang Heng's absence.

Whenever a preview reached a city, local movie fans flocked to it, tickets were snapped up early and sold out, and on the secondary market they were resold for several times the price.

One can only say that the wealthy in the country are truly increasing; watching an ordinary film has no cachet, you have to grab premiere or preview tickets, watch on site, take photos and post to your circle of friends to have any face.

The major entertainment media in Neidi also threw all their effort into promoting Huang Dao Tian Ting Fu Mie, since November is traditionally a slow season; it's rare to have such a highly talked‑about and attention‑grabbing film about to be released, and no matter how you write about it, people will watch, so why not work overtime and publish more articles.

The overseas response was also good, especially in Japan.

That country has a tradition of "the lower overthrowing the upper"; in their media promotion, Huang Dao Tian Ting Fu Mie became a story of a group of witch‑clan warriors rebelling against the heavenly court's tyranny and ultimately killing the Heavenly Emperor, which is inherently eye‑catching.

The film's stunning special effects even left Japanese audiences dumbfounded; the shots where "Pangu True Form" cleaves "Zhou Tian Star Array" and the massive "Hun Yuan He Luo" formation, to them, no longer represent the pinnacle of Chinese‑entertainment cinema's effects, but rather the highest point of the entire human film industry's effects. The only thing they regretted was that the scene where Xingtian continues fighting after the Heavenly Emperor chops off his head appears in the bonus footage rather than the main feature.

In their view, Xingtian is the true warrior!

As for the Beimei market, because a large loyal audience that enjoys Chinese‑mythology special‑effects blockbusters has already been cultivated, the promotional activities are also lively.

Time flew to Friday, November 11, 2011, which is the day Huang Dao Tian Ting Fu Mie is released worldwide.

There is still no midnight screening, so if you want to watch it as soon as possible, you have to rush for the first morning showing.

Many entertainment outlets sent interview crews early on to film at cinemas in popular commercial districts.

Many self‑styled "independent film critics" also snatched tickets and entered, preparing to produce a review immediately.

Why didn't they attend the premiere? First, their status and influence were insufficient; second, they claim to be "independent film critics," not the type who take money from the studio to say nice things.

The viewer with the online name "Bu Chi Niurou" is such a person; his main job is reviewing electronic products, but business has been poor lately, so he wants to cross over into the film‑TV circle to get a share.

He got up early and went to the China Film Redline Wukesong branch; since he needed to write a review, he felt it necessary to buy an IMAX3D ticket to experience Jiang Heng's blockbuster's top‑tier effects.

Not wanting the first showing, which was almost sold out, and not wanting to sit in a corner, he chose the second showing.

He then bought a popcorn‑and‑cola combo and settled in a corner.

Resulting in the lobby being overly crowded, the noise made his head spin, so he went to the mall to find a place to sit for a while and only returned when the film was about to start. After ticket checking and entering, Bu Chi Niurou looked around and found that almost everyone who came in were couples, which left him somewhat annoyed.

"When I make money, I'll definitely look for someone younger and prettier. If she's rich, I can even consider someone a bit older!"

While Bu Chi Niurou was daydreaming, the film had already started, and he, like the other viewers, fell into extreme awe.

It's not that he hasn't seen Jiang Heng's movies; it's just that he hasn't had a girlfriend in years, so he rarely goes to the cinema and mostly watches them on his computer.

The effect was certainly not bad, but it could never compare to the IMAX3D viewing experience; during the film, Bu Chi Niurou's heart raced, his body trembled, and the shock was indescribable.

Especially since next to him were two girls who came together to watch; one of them would scream at every exciting scene, making his whole body tingle! When the film ended, the whole theater was filled with excited, praising voices.

Bu Chi Niurou felt the same, but when he thought about the review, he couldn't help but frown.

He has been reviewing electronic products for several years and knows he can't just pick only flattering things to say; otherwise viewers will think he's taken money from manufacturers, and his credibility will drop sharply.

Moreover, since the whole internet is already praising Huang Dao Tian Ting Fu Mie, if he uses the same wording, he'll surely be "buried."

To stand out, he must take a different route and pick an angle that others haven't noticed.

While riding home, Bu Chi Niurou kept pondering the issue and ended up missing his stop.

There was no choice but to take another bus back.

But it wasn't without gain; on his way home, he thought of a critical angle: the film's excessive gore.

The film, about two hours long, spends most of its time on various fights, and the gore‑filled shots are simply too many.

Especially the scene where Donghuang Taiyi chops off Xingtian's head, which is far bloodier than the classic "cutting Wu Song" scene.

Jiang Heng's movies are often taken by many parents with their children; isn't that teaching kids the wrong lessons?

Bu Chi Niurou got extremely excited, opened his computer, and wrote a lengthy essay arguing that Jiang Heng's films' violence and gore have detrimental effects on children.

After posting the article on Douban, it indeed stood out among the reviews.

The first wave of comments naturally scolded him, saying he was just seeking attention; "The War of the Lich" has no violent scenes, so why even film it—are they just making a children's play? But Bu Chi Niurou's supporters quickly appeared; a female netizen who claimed to be a mother of two said that when she took her older son to the movie, her baby was frightened to tears by the film's bloody scenes and couldn't be soothed for a long time.

She suggested that the film bureau should be stricter in its review, because the current situation is harming children.

Another comment said, "I've noticed that Jiang Heng's films have a much broader scope than other directors', which is so unfair. They all shoot in the same country; why can his be left uncut while others are chopped up messily? Do big directors have special privileges?" Jiang Heng's fans replied, "Can the person upstairs post under a real name, or is it just fun to use a pseudonym? If your film could sell for over a hundred million dollars overseas like Director Jiang's, exporting Chinese culture, the film bureau would be more lenient with you."

"Exactly, these haters just can't stand others doing well!" (End of chapter)