The long queue from the east side of Nokia Plaza to the westernmost one, countless people crowded here, forming a strange spectacle, and even so, there are constantly people joining the queue, who are willing and even willing to wait in long queues, because the DVD release of "The Two Towers" is just around the corner, and the films that once aroused the all-American film craze can be bought and treasured.

Mixed in the line, Kunitez stood on tiptoe and looked ahead, he had been lining up at Nokia Plaza since three o'clock in the morning, thinking that he could be in the top ten, but he didn't even get into the top 100, before he arrived, there were many people gathered in Nokia Square, many of them came to line up with tents.

"It's a Duke movie......"

Behind him, Jones, who had come with him, kept muttering, "We should have come to the line yesterday evening, I can't wait." ”

"Just over a hundred people." Kunitez is in a calm state of mind, after all, he is also older, "Soon it will be our turn." ”

He asked Jones, "Do we buy a normal or a luxury suit?" ”

Jones didn't even think about it, and said, "Of course it's the luxury suit, have you forgotten it, the luxury suit in the advertising campaign has a special clip of "The Return of the King", the film won't be released until May, and now it's only February, I can't wait." ”

"I can't wait."

Kunitez also wondered what kind of finale Duke would send after such a wonderful two-part series.

At half-past eight, the video store in Nokia Plaza opened on time, and after about twenty minutes of waiting, Jones and Kunitez were put into the store by the third batch, who, like everyone else who had entered the store together, did not look at anything else. Straight to the Two Towers DVD counter, each grabbed a $39.9 luxury set from the shelf.

After settling the accounts and walking out of the video store, Kunites looked into the distance, and as the video store opened, the line did not get shorter. Instead, it stretched longer.

This is the first day that the DVD of "Two Towers" will go on sale, and I'm afraid it will sell another astronomical amount, right?

With this in mind, Jones and Kunitez got into the car and hurried home, they couldn't wait to see what "The Return of the King" looked like.

The black Chevrolet left Nokia Plaza at a gallop, and only ten minutes later, it stopped at Bluncott Street, and Kunitez did not go home, but accompanied Jones into his home. Because it's closer, he can see what he wants to see earlier!

Turn on the TV, play the DVD, fast-forward all the way, and "The Return of the King" finally reveals its true face.

A majestic white city stands against a hill, and even though its camera flashed in the first installment, Jones and Kunitez kept their eyes wide open, full of incredulity. Minas Stirris should look like this.

The next moment, their mouths opened wide as well. It was a panoramic view of the battlefield, with cavalry charging in wedges and rushing towards the endless orcs......

The cavalry charge in the Holy Helmet Valley was already incomparably huge, but compared to the scene in front of him, it was really nothing!

The camera pans over the orc phalanx, half-orcs, trolls, and even mammoths. It's just a collection of monsters, and people can't stop worrying about whether humans can win? Will the White City be able to hold on? How much courage does it take for humanity to face such a catastrophe?

Then there is another shot of a war, where the human army gathers before the Black Gate, which opens. The Mordor army poured out of its nest and surrounded the humans......

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die......" Jones murmured, "I'm going to die!" As long as I think that there are nearly three months left to see this movie, I really can't live or die! ”

As he spoke, Jones was about to play it back, but was stopped by Kunitez, "Don't look any more, see if I look like you, God, I've never wished time was going to go so quickly." ”

The two of them sat on the couch, suddenly not knowing what to say, even though the video clip in the DVD was only a little over three minutes, it was so wonderful that words could not describe it in the face of such excitement.

After a full five minutes, Jones suddenly gritted his teeth, "For such a wonderful film, the Oscar only gave seven nominations, which is just too much!" ”

"What's even more excessive is that out of the seven nominations for "The Two Towers", I'm afraid that only one or two consolation prizes will be awarded." Kunitez was also angry, "The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been discriminating against Duke!" ”

"Curry......" Jones seemed to think of something, "if this Oscar Duke still comes home empty-handed, I think we should do something for him, he has given us so many wonderful films, every time we make Zuò first think about our needs, I think we ......"

"Yes, that's it!" "We can't speak out in the media, but we can call on more people to support Duke online." ”

"If the Oscars still refuse to admit Duke after "The Return of the King", we will call on people to protest and tear down the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences! They owe Duke! ”

…………

"What does the academy owe me?" Duke laughed, "They don't owe anyone. ”

Standing up, he walked around the terrace, looked at the dark night sky, and said, "At least the old men of the academy don't think they owe anyone. ”

"This Oscar ......," Ivanka asked.

Duke shrugged at her, "We'll continue to run together." ”

Although "The Two Towers" won seven nominations for Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Director, Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects at the 2003 Oscar Nominees' Luncheon held last week, it was still destined to play soy sauce.

"That can only wait until next year?"

The wind was blowing a little strongly, and Ivanka stood up and took Duke's coat and draped it over him.

"Next year is the best chance." Duke tightened his clothes, "After next year, it will be difficult to win the best director Xiaojinren again." ”

His production style has been decided, and he will not be the kind of director that the academy likes, or even the type that is discriminated against.

Footsteps outside the terrace, Tina? Fei walked in with a copy of the text and handed it directly to Duke, "Warner Bros. just faxed it over, and the first-week sales of the DVD have been counted." ”

Ivanka looked interested, "How much?" ”

"It's a record breaker again!" Tina? Fei said with a smile.

Duke opened it and looked at it, in the first week of the release of the "Two Towers" DVD, in North America alone, 6.1 million sets of $19.9 regular sets were sold, and more than 1.1 million sets of $39.9 luxury sets were sold, and the cumulative sales in North America were $147.22 million, easily surpassing the $132.5 million sales of "The Fellowship of the Ring" in the first week.

"The film is about to be released, right?"

Even if she is a layman, Ivanka knows that DVDs have been released, and "Two Towers" must have reached the end of the theater release.

In fact, the popularity of the film has basically dissipated, and North America still maintains a total of about 400 theaters in major cities, which is for Oscar nominations in a certain way.

Now that the list of nominees has been announced, there is no need for the film to continue to be screened.

It's just that Duke didn't expect that the last theater chain lasted until the eve of the Oscars, the reason is very simple, after many fans were hooked by DVDs, they found that special effects and big scenes on the big screen and TV were completely two different feelings, and many people chose to re-enter the theater and feel the impact of the vast epic again.

And even the most prejudiced people have to admit that neither "The Fellowship of the Ring" nor "Two Towers" are popcorn movies for quick consumption.

By the week before the Oscars, "The Two Towers" completely disappeared from North American theaters, and the North American box office finally stuck at $521.32 million, which is also the second film in North American film history to gross more than $500 million.

In terms of overseas markets, except for a few small countries that have bought out the film screening rights, "The Two Towers" has basically been released, with a total global box office of 1.31288 billion US dollars, successfully surpassing "The Fellowship of the Ring" and sitting on the second place at the global box office.

"The Two Towers" was a huge commercial success, but then at the Oscars, it was once again one of the disappointments, and even without a strong competitor to "Chicago", the film only won two consoling technical awards: Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.

However, Duke didn't care much, after all, it was only the second part.

"I told you you wouldn't win."

As he walked out of the Kodak Theater, Duke met Roger? Albert, to be more precise, seems to be waiting for him at the exit on purpose, the most famous film critic in the United States, although his voice is very low, but he does not hide his hostile attitude, "This session will not be, and the next edition will not be." ”

Duke just smiled faintly, "That's going to have to wait for the results next year." ”

Watching Duke walk away without a care, Roger? Ignoring the other people's glances, Albert walked out of the Kodak Theater, pulled out his cell phone and dialed a few numbers, and headed for a café in the heart of the Highlands.

The café isn't far away, it's only a ten-minute walk, Roger? Albert pushed the door in, searched slightly, and saw several other famous film critics sitting together, and hurriedly went over to sit together.

"We won again."

As a full-time film critic for The Hollywood Reporter, Todd? McCarthy is in a good mood and has been waiting for this day since someone moved their cake.

"We can't relax." David? Dengbi is still more cautious, "Don't forget, next year is the key, if he succeeds next year, everything we have done in the past two years will become a joke." ”

"He's not going to get away with it!" Roger? Albert said categorically, "It's true that we're getting less and less influential in commercial films, but this is awards season, and it's our last stand!" ”

Everyone faintly leads with him, Roger? Albert said solemnly, "This Oscar is over, our work is not over, we can remind the college in advance what kind of choice to make next year!" (To be continued......)

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