March 18th, Wednesday, both Final Analysis and Basic Instinct chose this day to premiere. This situation wasn't too common in 1992. It wasn't yet the 21st century, when North American box office records were frequently broken. At the time, only about twenty films were released per week in North American theaters, and if a movie's domestic box office exceeded $100 million, it was considered a huge success, almost guaranteed a spot in the year-end top ten. This was the early 1990s, when the film industry was booming but still slowly rising.
So, in such a context, the simultaneous premiere of a $25 million film and a $49 million film indeed caused quite a stir among major theaters. Particularly in the dull spring season, this became even more rare and exciting.
Basic Instinct and Final Analysis could both be classified as thriller, suspense, erotic, and crime genres, and neither were widely optimistic during their production. That's because the thriller-crime genre had reached a peak with last year's The Silence of the Lambs, and though similar films emerged like mushrooms after rain, none had achieved notable success. Now, with two more being released, people naturally had their doubts.
So, the simultaneous release of these two underdog films became a head-to-head showdown between bold competitors, easily attracting public attention to that particular week.
The so-called premiere was essentially part of a movie's promotional campaign. During the premiere, the film's director and key cast members would usually be present, and would also interact with the audience. Media reporters could also conduct interviews with the crew on the spot. It was more like a centralized marketing event, aiming to draw as much public attention to the film as possible.
After the event concluded, the first batch of audiences would enter the theater with tickets to watch the film. But since premiere tickets were limited, the event resembled more of a test screening, targeting journalists, critics, and loyal fans. Once the screening ended, critics and audience members would write the first wave of reviews, warming up the movie before its official release. The second batch of reviews would come only after the general release.
So, generally speaking, films officially opened on Fridays, targeting the weekend box office, while the premieres were usually held earlier on Tuesday or Wednesday. A premiere thus carried multiple promotional responsibilities: interacting with fans, engaging with the media, and gauging audience feedback.
Of course, a grand premiere could be a marketing gimmick in itself. For instance, the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series had global simultaneous premieres, which were crucial components of box office strategy—far surpassing the significance of a regular premiere and more akin to the first step of a commercial campaign.
Fox Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard was one of Los Angeles' most historically significant theaters. Built in 1928, it could accommodate 5,000 viewers. Situated in the city's most prime, safest, and trendiest area, it had hosted many Hollywood premieres.
Since it wasn't Hugo's own film, there was no need for him to make a dramatic entrance. On the invitation letter handed to him by Paul Jungwirth, the premiere time was marked as 8:00 p.m. Traditionally, that was when the premiere ceremony officially began. Arriving half an hour early was considered courteous, and to avoid clashing with the lead cast, Hugo chose to head to Fox Theatre at 7:15.
At this time, the sky over Los Angeles hadn't fully darkened, though the sunset's tail end still flickered on the horizon. From a distance, Hugo could already see the neon lights of Fox Theatre blinking rhythmically. A navy-blue canopy had been erected at the theater entrance, clearly to guard against sudden rain. The red carpet extended not only from the theater entrance but also down both sides of the street—at least fifty yards—forming a red "T" shape, like a fashion runway.
Both sides of the red carpet were already packed with people. A rough estimate suggested at least two hundred on-site, including professional reporters, film critics, and die-hard fans who had come specifically for the premiere. The lively scene was something Hugo had never experienced before.
Of course, during his ten years in the band Glory to Death, Hugo had performed in front of crowds of thousands, but this was different. On stage, he'd had four partners fighting alongside him, a kind of inner stability that couldn't be matched. But tonight, he was walking the red carpet alone, facing the gazes of people from the film industry—journalists and fans alike. It reminded Hugo of the night of the Golden Raspberry Awards. Only, that night had been too chaotic, too blurry, and Hugo had little clear memory of it, so it wasn't much help now.
The rented black limousine stopped in front of Fox Theatre. Hugo took a deep breath and looked at Joseph. "Aren't you getting out with me?"
"If it were your film, I'd walk out with you. But today, you're a guest..." Joseph replied with a smile. When he took over Hugo's management, the premiere of Hudson Hawk had already passed, so he had never stepped onto a red carpet before either. Naturally, he felt a bit stirred.
Listening to the cheers of fans outside—even if not directed at Hugo—one couldn't help but feel nervous. Seeing the anxious look on Hugo's face, Joseph instead became amused. "Good luck!" Joseph was also very curious—after the Golden Raspberry Awards, what would Hugo's first public appearance look like?
...
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