[Chapter 243: Failed Ambush]
After all the buzz about the shocking scandal, the promotion for Happy Death Day was well-known to everyone. Considering the film's tiny budget, lack of star actors, the fact that the director was a newcomer, and all the prior publicity was already enough, Linton didn't bother arranging a big premiere.
On the early morning of October 29, the film opened straight up at midnight in 1,300 theaters.
...
Jon worked as a questionnaire interviewer for Cinema Score survey company. Right now, he stood outside a community cinema in Beverly Hills, waiting for the midnight screening of Happy Death Day to start.
At the most prominent place in the cinema, a huge poster for Happy Death Day hung. It showed a simple picture of the beautiful Cristiana looking back in panic, with a giant ghost face mask looming behind her.
...
Because it was Halloween season, many horror movies were released simultaneously, including A Bronx Tale, a carefully planned movie by CAA aimed to compete with Happy Death Day.
Unfortunately, despite the efforts of CAA and the production company along with some friendly media hype, the popularity of A Bronx Tale didn't hold a candle to Happy Death Day.
Support from theater chains was also much smaller. Less than 600 theaters had midnight shows tonight, and the community cinema in Beverly Hills happened to be one. But the poster's location inside was a bit less prominent.
Along with Hellraiser 3, which was released last weekend, and Ticks, scheduled for next weekend, these three films were carefully lined up by CAA to steal box office from Happy Death Day.
Sadly, Hellraiser 3 underperformed miserably. Its total weekly box office was under 3 million dollars. It was basically abandoned by theaters and saw very few screenings this week. Forget stealing from Happy Death Day, just staying on screens was a blessing.
...
Arriving early, Jon sat on a chair near the ticket booth, observing fans' choices.
At the ticket window, many horror movie fans queued for midnight show tickets.
"Two tickets for Happy Death Day, thanks."
"Three tickets for Happy Death Day..."
"Two tickets for Happy Death Day..."
...
"Two tickets for A Bronx Tale..."
Watching ticket sales, Jon thought to himself, beautiful women still drew crowds. The vast majority picked Happy Death Day over A Bronx Tale.
...
When the movie started, Jon greeted the seller and entered the theater.
The cinema assigned a large theater with 200 seats for Happy Death Day. To Jon's surprise, it was nearly full, over 90% occupied.
'Is this movie really that popular?' he wondered as he picked a corner seat in the last row to better observe audience reactions.
...
Soon, theater lights dimmed and the Linton Films title credit appeared on screen. The whispering audience fell silent, eyes fixed on the screen.
The movie wasted no time on subtitles or a lengthy setup but jumped right into it. Within minutes, a killer wearing a ghost face mask plunged a knife into Tree's chest efficiently.
"What?"
"Oh my God!"
"What just happened?"
Hearing the audience's reactions, Jon tuned into the movie.
The plot unfolded rapidly. After dying once, Tree began searching for a way out of this deadly anniversary cycle.
Less than ten minutes in, the heroine died -- grabbing everyone's attention. Then, she instantly revived, going from bloody corpse to lying on the dormitory bed the next second.
The movie gave no room for suspense. Right after she was killed, she woke up back in her bed.
Then the male lead said the same things, a call from dad came in on time, and everything repeated again.
"It's a time loop," someone in the front row whispered, and Jon caught it.
Next to him, a young couple whispered:
"Jack, look, she's going to that party again. Can she escape this time?"
"Ouch -- stabbed again."
Jon found the film remarkable. With a simple beginning and straightforward shots, it had hooked the entire audience.
If Tree wanted to make it through to tomorrow, she had to find the killer. She died in various ways while trying to identify suspects.
Since she knew escaping death was impossible, she relaxed and started enjoying herself, living wildly every day -- even going out in the nude. After all, nobody would remember any of it the next day when it restarted.
These rebellious antics struck a chord with the young audience. Few scolded her. Everyone was invested in her quest for the truth. Besides laughter and screams, there was hardly any chatter in the theater.
...
As the film neared its end, Jon quietly slipped out. He already knew the ending without watching -- the classic happy ending where the heroine and hero prevail.
He headed to the cinema entrance to gather opinions for his survey. It was part of his job.
Then warm applause rose from inside. The credits rolled, and people slowly exited, chatting about the story.
"That ending was so touching. Finally, Tree's nightmare is over."
"Tree is gorgeous. If she went to our school, I'd definitely try to ask her out."
"Wonder if ghost face masks are sold nearby. Gotta get one -- Halloween's almost here."
...
At the theater exit, Jon waved his questionnaire at the departing crowd.
"Could you help me out?"
"Sure, I give it an A+. Tree is beautiful."
"A+ from me too. Rare to see such a touching horror movie."
"Me three. Don't you think Lori's stunning too?"
"I have to give it an A-. That director's brutal. Cristiana's gorgeous but they let her die over and over. Can't take it," said a devoted Cristiana fan, ignoring logic.
*****
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