"Murphy Stanton should be held responsible for the victims!"
A business car slowly approached Wave Manor. Inside, the occupants could clearly see the crowd gathered in front of the estate, holding banners and signs with various slogans.
"Murphy Stanton is a murderer!"
"Murphy Stanton will face God's punishment!"
The signs were shocking, making it seem as though Murphy had become a despicable traitor.
Seeing the signs, Robert Downey Jr., sitting in the front passenger seat, turned to the people in the back and said, "It looks like Murphy is in big trouble."
"More than just big trouble," replied Margot Robbie, with her golden curls. "The Catholic folks seem intent on ruining Murphy's reputation."
Seth Rogen, sitting next to her, asked, "Is Murphy under a lot of pressure?"
"This is nothing," said Jonah Hill from the back, patting Seth Rogen on the shoulder. "What pressure could break Murphy?"
He pointed to James Franco, sitting beside him. "Even the magician didn't faze him. Murphy is far from breaking down."
"Do you think I'm not under pressure?" James Franco spread his hands helplessly. "I just don't think about these things much."
The car reached the gate of Wave Manor. Some reporters saw Robert Downey Jr. through the windshield and immediately surrounded the car. However, the estate's security quickly opened the gate, letting the car in before shutting the gates and keeping the reporters and protesters out.
A few minutes later, Robert Downey Jr., James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie entered the villa.
"Make yourselves comfortable," Murphy said without ceremony, then called out, "Tea or coffee?"
The servants quickly brought tea and coffee according to everyone's preference. They didn't waste time and began discussing the current situation.
"How to put it?" Gal Gadot said lightly. "There's always some pressure. Some people want to use this incident to bring Murphy down."
Murphy spoke more directly than Gal Gadot. "Last time I offended the Catholic Church. They not only want to regain face but have greater ambitions."
"Greater ambitions?" Robert Downey Jr. was puzzled. "More than just targeting you?"
Murphy shook his head. "You might not have seen it overseas, but the Catholic Church's media attacks have expanded to the entire Hollywood film industry."
Margot Robbie, who had been in Los Angeles, nodded. "Recently, Catholic-leaning media have been saying Hollywood movies are too violent and that the industry's self-censorship system is flawed."
"What are they trying to do?" Jonah Hill asked.
Seth Rogen seemed to be thinking deeply. "The Catholic Church's ambitions seem quite large."
"Not just large," Murphy said, sipping his tea with a smile. "I have reliable information that Archbishop Marquez Costello of the Southern California Diocese has recently met with leaders of various denominations, including Christianity, Judaism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. He's also planning to visit several directors of the three major commercial theater chains in North America. What do you think he's up to?"
Robert Downey Jr. immediately understood. "He wants to reinstate the church-led moral censorship of Hollywood films from the last century?"
The group, aside from Murphy and Gal Gadot, exchanged looks. Archbishop Marquez Costello's ambitions were indeed substantial.
"Isn't he thinking too far ahead?" Jonah Hill scratched his head. "This isn't the 1950s anymore."
"That's why they need to create public opinion first," Murphy shrugged. "When widespread public opinion exaggerates the negative impact of Hollywood films, and the entire country starts criticizing the moral failings of these films, it's not impossible for some people or organizations to step in and call for change."
"Is it worth it?" Robert Downey Jr. shook his head.
"Think from their perspective," Murphy said. "If this succeeds, the Catholic Church will have a deep influence on Hollywood films. Considering the share of the global film market Hollywood occupies and its widespread reach, what kind of reward would the Vatican give Archbishop Marquez Costello? A cardinal's hat is a given."
"I remember Benedict XVI's term won't last much longer," James Franco said, although he, like Murphy, was a typical non-believer. "If Archbishop Marquez Costello succeeds in this, he could even be a candidate for the next Pope."
Margot Robbie looked at James Franco and then at Murphy, suddenly realizing how clearly Murphy saw through things.
She recalled something Gal Gadot once said about Murphy: "Desire drives life!"
Murphy continued, "Even if he fails, Archbishop Marquez Costello won't lose much. After all, as a regional archbishop of the church, neither the government nor Hollywood can do much against him under normal circumstances."
With a smile, he added, "Even if he fails, he can still hit me. I'm sure Archbishop Marquez Costello has held a grudge against me for a long time."
These plans and ambitions were indeed grand.
After some discussion, Murphy invited them to stay for lunch and had the butler inform the kitchen. Robert Downey Jr. asked, "Is there anything we can do?"
The others also looked at Murphy, waiting for the leader of the Stanton faction to give instructions.
"You guys should stay out of it," Murphy said, not wanting to trouble his friends. "I can handle it."
Robert Downey Jr. and the others didn't say much but, after leaving Wave Manor, didn't stay out of it either. They expressed their support for Murphy in various ways.
That evening, Robert Downey Jr. updated his Twitter.
"In the history of world cinema, this isn't the first nor the last case where fans imitated movie characters to commit crimes. In the face of such tragedies, any criticism directed at a single film is unfair and unreasonable. The existence of violence in movies is understandable because reality is far from perfect."
Just as he said, North America had seen many tragic incidents related to films.
For example, in 2008, during a screening of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a fan kept cheering loudly, annoying the person next to him. When the latter's attempts to stop him failed, he pulled out a gun and shot the former...
A simple Google search would reveal countless conflicts caused by movies, with deaths and injuries happening from time to time.
Perhaps, one day, going to the movies might really become a "high-risk entertainment."
Afterward, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and others also supported Murphy through their channels. Although it might not have a significant impact, it showed the unity and stance of the Stanton faction.
Despite the ongoing public debate with the Catholic Church, one undeniable fact remained. Even Murphy couldn't deny that incidents of violence related to movies had increased since the turn of the century.
Why did the once-clear distinction between reality and dreams become blurred? Why are there more people unable to differentiate between dreams and reality? To some extent, this is related to the new world of meaning created by the internet.
Since the advent of the internet, the difference between reality and virtuality has diminished; the direction of technological production has been to eliminate this difference completely.
Particularly, the way movies use the internet for marketing and promotion emphasizes interaction and participation, which significantly enhances the participant's immersion and can bring about problems.
"What is a movie? Simply put, it's a dream-making machine."
Murphy thought, but he wouldn't say it aloud. Since responding to the incident, he had been personally updating his social media.
"Should films be blamed for these two tragic shootings, as some media suggest?"
"Imagine a world without any violent content in movies, so clean that even the most conservative individuals couldn't find fault. Would this world be a better place? Would violence cease to exist? The answer is obvious."
"But in such an impossible scenario, what we can be sure of is that the human spirit would become incredibly false and hollow, with all artists and audiences regressing into naive children, pretending to live in a perfect dream world."
"Films, like other art forms, are deformations and reflections of reality. While many films depict or even promote violence, there are perhaps even more that deeply address the severity of the issue, urging viewers to be vigilant and reflect on the sources of violence and darkness."
"This might not be the best of times, but it's certainly not the worst. Films merely reflect the troubled reality. Our society constantly flows with both positive and negative energy. A psychopath, even without watching any movies, reading comics, or playing games, could still become a mass murderer."
"Of course, we have the right to demand that directors, producers, and film companies handle violent scenes with more care and attention, but these tragedies are not something films can or should be held accountable for."
"In the real world, we don't need Chris D'Anna, nor do we need the magician. What we need is more awareness, deeper reflection, greater courage, and a more passionate love for the world. Only with free choice and free will, rather than more filtering, protection, and control, can we step out of the shadow of the shootings and into a brighter future."
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