The dimly lit cinema screening hall was filled with audiences of all skin tones and hair colors, who were stuffing popcorn into their mouths while looking intently at the big screen, accompanied by tense music, only to see Tom Cruise in black leather jumping between streamlined cars, full of futuristic sci-fi, this is the "Minority Report" released on June 21.

Steven Spielberg's new sci-fi thriller, which cost $102 million to produce and stars Tom Cruise and Collin-Fa Farrell, has 481 special effects shots, surpassing the most of any Spielberg work since 1977's "Contact of the Third Kind." Based on the short story of the same name by legendary science fiction author Philip K. Dick, the film tells the story of the world in the year 2054.

Advanced technology has made it possible for humans to detect human criminal attempts with the help of robotic systems, which the police then stop and punish them with the law, and Tom Cruise is a director of the police department, loyal to the system until he is judged to be the target of the "Prophet" robot.

The audience let out an "oh-oh" as Tom Cruise jumped off a building and fled into a women's fitness club, his ass facing the same position as the women who were exercising. Upon its release, the film received critical acclaim from both the public and critics alike, with "a perfect combination of excitement, CGI and live-action", and was praised by The Hollywood Reporter magazine as "the best sci-fi movie of the summer!"

And this summer, which is about to pass 2 months, the superhero sci-fi blockbuster "Spider-Man" was released in May, with a box office of nearly 400 million in North America and more than 700 million in the world...... On the wall, there was a large flat LCD screen, on which a beetle-style, strangely shaped mecha ran on the barren and muddy land, surrounded by dilapidated tin houses. The mecha slammed into the soldiers in front of them, and in a brief scream, they were all beaten into pools of flesh and blood.

There were three computer screens and other equipment on the editing glass table, and Lee-Smith, who was wearing glasses and had gray hair, was sitting on a chair, holding a mouse and manipulating the editing; Wang Yang stood beside him with his chin propped up, staring intently at the image on the screen, and asked, "Do you feel that something is missing?" ”

"Well, but I don't think it's enough...... You know to be exciting. Wang Yang picked up the storyboard on the table, as well as the shooting sequence list of the scene shots, flipped through it for a while and said: "Li, bring out the fifth group of close-ups in this paragraph, it is those soldiers." Looking at the close-up screen on the computer screen in the center, he thought for a moment and said, "When the mecha has just fired a bullet, do a quick close-up rotation ......"

As he requested, Lee Smith browsed through the pile, arranging close-ups one by one, and adjusting the scene.

Soon the image was played again, the mecha on the screen raised his hands and pointed at the soldiers in front of him, and the faces and expressions of all the soldiers lying on the ground, standing on the edge of the house, hiding next to the garbage heap, etc., changed rapidly, from 2 people in one second to 6 people who couldn't see clearly in one second, 3 seconds later, the picture was fixed on the face of a burly soldier lying on the ground, he was dazed, and said: "**." ”

The next frame of the picture became a frontal view of the mecha angle, the bullets swept over, and the bodies of all the soldiers exploded, and the blood in the sky suddenly stained the muddy ground red.

"Very good, that's all!" Wang Yang couldn't help but smile with satisfaction, the audience saw the pitiful appearance of these people before they died, then they would feel even more excited about their scattered flesh and blood!" Lee Smith looked creepy and said, "I shudder when I see it." Wang Yang smiled, if the soundtrack was added, he looked at the screen and said: "Add the shot of the flesh splashed on the wall of the tin roof in the back......"

The intense editing of "District 9" is going on every day, and as July approaches, the fine editing of the theatrical version has also come to the end, and each cut section will be sent to the soundtrack for color grading, and the actors' post-dubbing is also being carried out, and the whole film is about to be officially completed.

On Thursday, June 27, Wang Yang did not stay in the editing room to fight, but returned home early in the afternoon, firstly, because the editing progress was faster than expected and did not need to be so desperate, and secondly, because the annual NBA draft was to be held at Madison Square Garden in New York.

On the comfortable fabric sofa, Wang Yang put his arm around Jessica's shoulders, Joshua also sat on the side, all three of them looked at the TNT channel on the screen, the conference scene was very lively, and the players of the Little Green House were accompanied by their families and friends, nervously waiting for the start of the draft. But Yao Ming, the top hit, was not on the scene, but in a studio in Beijing.

Seeing David Stern walking out of the small door in the center of the stage, Wang Yang hurriedly put his forehead on his forehead with his hands together, and read: "Don't be Yao Ming! Don't be Yao Ming! Amare Stoudemire, Drew Gooden, Nene Hilario...... "Only Yao Ming's draft pick slips to the third place, and the Golden State Warriors have a chance to take this big guy."

Jessica naturally knew his mood, and also closed her eyes and prayed: "Don't be Yao Ming, don't be Yao Ming...... Joshua glanced at them, shook his head with his hands around his chest and smiled: "You guys are dreaming! The Rockets have already announced that they are going to choose Yao Ming, and they have already negotiated." Wang Yang spread his hands angrily and said, "Hey, brother, can't you let me have some extravagant hopes?"

"The Houston Rockets chose ......" David Stern looked at the camera on the screen and announced, "Yao Ming, Shanghai Sharks Club from Shanghai, China!"

"Oh!" Wang Yang exclaimed and hugged his head with both hands, feeling happy and regretful in his heart, Yao Ming is the first foreign champion and the first Chinese champion in the NBA, and there will be another Chinese player in the NBA in the future, and the potential is endless, can you not be excited!? But if Yao Ming falls to the third pick and goes to the Bay Area instead of Sky City, it will be perfect.

But despite this, he still raised his hand with joy on his face, high-fived Jessica, who was also very happy next to him, and laughed together: "Congratulations Yao Ming!" But then, the three of them frowned, the TV screen had switched to the Beijing studio, Yao Ming and his parents and coach applauded in celebration, and the Madison Square Garden could not be seen but bursts of boos.

"Who are these people?!**!" Wang Yang suddenly tightened his face with anger, and Jessica also puffed out with her cheeks and exhaled, and said angrily: "Are these people crazy?" Joshua scolded loudly: "They are so self-righteous, a bunch of idiots!"

Historically, in the draft, every selected player will receive applause and blessings, but now? Maybe it's the jealousy of New York fans, who hold the No. 7 pick but also want to get Yao Ming, and have made a lot of efforts and promised a lot of conditions; maybe it's the questioning and disdain for the foreign Chinese champion, just like many people in the ball critics predict that Yao Ming won't even score 10 points in a single game.

Wang Yang looked at Yao Ming who was interviewed in Beijing on the screen expressionlessly, Chinese people can't play the NBA? He sneered and said seriously: "I'm optimistic about Yao Ming, this guy has flexible feet, plays very smart, and I heard that his personality is still very diligent, he will definitely be able to prove himself on the court and shut up those who question him." ”

"Well, Young, I think the Houston Rockets would be a better fit for Yao Ming. Jessica turned to look at him and smiled, "They have a tradition of playing tall centers, and Rudy T is also a good-natured coach who is a good fit to bring him into the NBA." Wang Yang nodded approvingly, his favorite coaches were Don Nelson and Rudy Tomjanovic, and said with a smile: "He will make Yao Ming a second big dream." ”

"I don't think he's going to be the first Yao Ming. Jessica winked playfully and smiled as if to say something, "Never underestimate the heart of a champion." ”

That summer, the Chicago Bulls won their second three-peat, and they sat on the couch in that old apartment with Zachary and Erin, shouting for Michael Jordan and the others...... Wang Yang smiled and hugged her, kissed her on the forehead, and said, "Yes, never underestimate the heart of a champion." ”

On July 31, 1998, "Ghost Record" was screened in 25 small theaters, and on August 2, 2002, "District 9" will be released on 3,550 big screens in North America on that day, and more than 40 countries overseas will also be released simultaneously. After more than a year of hard work, it is finally coming out of its cocoon this summer!

R-rated, violent, cult, pseudo-documentary, sci-fi, Oscar, can you control big productions, market ...... The top of the cocoon is covered with all kinds of labels, either expecting or questioning. But he believes that the butterfly that flies out will definitely show its unique beauty to the world.

Joshua, who was sitting on the side sofa, looked at the two of them suspiciously, what were they doing? He stood up with a dull face and said, "I'm leaving, I really can't stand the couple!" Wang Yang and Jessica looked at each other and smiled, waved at him together, "Bye!"

On June 30, the World Cup in South Korea and Japan officially came to an end, with Brazil defeating Germany 2-0 to win the Hercules Cup and winning the world championship for the fifth time; the Chinese team ended its first World Cup journey with a disappointing defeat in three games without scoring a goal; and the South Korean team shamelessly advanced to the semi-finals and became the target of scorn by fans all over the world except South Korea.

On Friday, July 5th, the beginning of another weekend, with a production cost of 140 million and "Men in Black 2" starring Will Smith, another sci-fi movie this summer, received 73 million box office in the first week, but the word of mouth was very bad, the rating on IMDB was only 6.0, the freshness of Rotten Tomatoes was 39%, and the lack of new story content became its nightmare.

"District 9" was fully edited in early July, with a length of 125 minutes, 132 minutes with the opening animation, ending credits and other information, and after more than a week of soundtrack color grading, the theatrical version was officially finalized. Flame Films and the copy printing company rushed to produce copies at full speed as soon as possible, and then sent them to theater companies all over North America and around the world.

On the other hand, copies of Region IX were sent to the MPAA, as well as to the national review agencies. In the screening room of the MPAA headquarters, the members of the ten rating committees sat in their chairs, looking at the large screen on the wall in front of them with different expressions, and in the sad music, the end credits scrolled up: "Director: young-www.xstxt.orgccawm......"

"Oh my god, Wonder Young! That guy is a madman......" Todd Morris looked incredulously sluggish, slumped back in his chair, and said repeatedly, "He's a madman, he's a madman." ”

He was sweaty in his left hand and held a notebook, which was naturally used to record the detailed footage of the movie, such as how many times he cursed, where the sexual scene was taken, and the wounds of the bloody footage filled the fraction of the whole picture, etc., all of which have detailed and clear quantitative grading standards. Normally, the review will be constantly paused for everyone to record and measure, but sometimes, everyone will forget to review it until the end of the film.

Karin Wald put one hand on her forehead, endured the dizziness and nausea of being too focused and the whole movie camera shaking, and said, "I really didn't expect this! I reviewed three of his films! She looked at the screen with white words on a black background, sighed with a smile, and said, "This movie took away all the happiness he brought me before." ”

"I'm wondering now, how funny can his 'hangover' be?" Matt Stark shook his head as he clutched his chest, which was filled with a sense of depression, "My heart hurts." Duane Eliot, who was sitting next to him, spread his hands and said, "Matt, don't forget that kid's Juno." ”

Chris Roki, who was still a little prejudiced against Wang Yang, only sighed in his heart at this time, 22 years old, this movie is more exciting than "Minority Report" in his opinion, much more exciting...... He had to say in admiration: "Amazing Young!"

"Guys, it's supposed to be R-class, right?" Todd Morris shook the notebook in his hand questioningly, Matt Stark nodded, and Karin Wald and the others also nodded, "R-class." Todd Morris said OK, picked up the remote and pressed it to play again.

Although the rating was confirmed, they still had to watch it again, this time not for the 800 real and seamless special effects shots, not for the interpretation of Robert Downey Jr., which can also be called "magical", not for the heart-shaking story...... Rather, it is to get a detailed filing data of "why it is R-rated".

Soon after, "District 9" successfully passed the MPAA in North America with an R rating because of "blood, violence, and a lot of foul language." ”

In May this summer, a Spider-Man jumped between the high-rise buildings of the city, and the audience in the screening room shouted excitement, this is "Spider-Man", and in another screening room next to it, Natalie Portman in a senatorial uniform, Jedi wielding a lightsaber, the audience loved and cursed, this is "Star Wars Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones".

Mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, sloths, and babies are playing tricks, and bursts of happy laughter are the North American box office of 203 million (the fourth in the history of CG cartoons), the global box office of 450 million "Ice Age", and the promising Blue Sky Studio; a group of enthusiastic young people dancing youth, and the audience is more or less twisting, it is North America that finally received 83.46 million, overseas has received 76.64 million, and the global box office is finally expected to be on the 180 million US dollar "Sweetheart".

June. A group of neo-Nazi terrorists got a nuclear bomb from the former Soviet Union and planned to detonate it at the Super Bowl stadium, and the agent actor tried to stop them in the personal hero action movie "The Sum of Fear"; a talking Great Dane, fighting crime is the live-action cartoon "Scooby-Doo", the production cost of 115 million, only received 20 million in the first week, and the current global box office is set at 70 million.

"Star Baby," "Minority Report," and in July, Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder teamed up for the romantic comedy "Mr. Deeds," and Will Smith, who wears sunglasses, holds a gun against oddly shaped aliens, and the audience occasionally lets out a reluctant laugh...... Jude Law and Tom Hanks wear very handsome suits and hats, and it is the new work "Road to Destruction" by "American Beauty" director Sam Mendes with a cost of 80 million;

The 120 million cost of only 24 million in the first week is the animated film "Elf Mouse Brother 2", Sony has been hit again; the 100 million cost of only 17 million box office in the first week is "K-19: The Widow Maker" directed by female director Catherine Bigelow; another film that made the screening room burst into laughter, is the "Ace Cheap Spy 3", which was released on July 26 and has a production cost of 63 million.

The time is about to enter August, and in this post-911 era of noisy summer, various types of blockbusters have appeared one after another, whether it is warm and funny, or violent and tense, the audience's attitude is a little uncertain. Some films have left them hooked and grossing at the box office, while others have left companies in debt and losing their top jobs.

Maybe the market hasn't changed much, and there are still only good movies and bad movies.

Is this summer over? For many, many movie fans, especially sci-fi fans, no, this summer is not over yet!

Next week, on August 2, another sci-fi thriller will be released on a large scale, "Tian Zhao". Starring Mel Gibson and directed by M. Knight Shyamalan, who is the director of "The Sixth Sense," the $72 million-budget film tells the story of a farmer who discovers some crop circles in his cornfield and follows them down with clues.

Of course, there is another sci-fi thriller that fans are looking forward to even more on that day, and they have been waiting for more than a year! 100 million production cost, Wang Yang's fifth directed work "District 9". There is still not much information revealed in this movie, except for the background of aliens, District 9, etc., the story itself is completely secret, and the fire movie has not even been arranged for a test screening, and the wonderful trailer is so disrupted that the content is completely unrecognizable.

So now movie fans, fans, and film critics are all the same itching, what kind of movie is "District 9"? What the hell is Magic Young going to play?!

"He's such a madman. ―Todd Morris, MPAA Rating Committee Member.

(To be continued)