Halloween is a traditional festival in Western countries.
Carnival, evil, devils, pumpkins, candlelight… all these have almost become synonymous with Halloween festivities. Many people from various countries and regions even believe that Halloween is a ghost festival.
Halloween = Ghost Festival?
In fact, this is wrong!
Halloween in English is All Saints' Day, also known as "All Saints' Feast," which is one of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian holidays, and a traditional festival in Western countries. On that day, many believers of Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity hold mass ceremonies to celebrate all the saints in heaven.
However!
In modern society, for commercial interests or other purposes, various activities filled with demons and ghosts are organized on the night of October 31st (Halloween Eve), completely deviating from the sacred meaning of Halloween.
With the changing times, Halloween mass activities are almost invisible, and the festival has nearly completely evolved into a wild carnival, transforming it from a religious holiday into a global carnival.
Well, only in some regions like the Vatican, Santiago, Scotland, and Canada can one still see people holding mass activities on Halloween itself.
Furthermore, even though November 1st was originally the official Halloween, due to the frenzy of Halloween Eve on October 31st, which is the most lively time, countless people now believe that Halloween Eve is Halloween!
October 22nd.
There's still over a week until Halloween Eve, but across North America, many people have already started preparing for the demonized carnival celebration.
Almost every shop on the streets is adorned with pumpkin lanterns;
Witch hats and magic wands have seen a surge in sales, becoming the top choice for many children's gifts;
Major American companies have also successively launched Halloween activities recently to attract consumers;
Especially in large shopping malls and supermarkets, the Halloween atmosphere is even more enthusiastic;
Of course, the most frantic and obvious places are bars, dance halls, KTVs, and other nightlife venues, where the Halloween atmosphere is so thick it almost drips… At the same time.
Hollywood's film industry is also poised for action.
No!
To be precise, the Halloween film season officially kicked off today.
Coinciding with Friday… as many as 12 new films officially premiered across the US today, offering a delicious appetizer for Halloween 1999.
Movie buffs, fans, and filmgoers from all over flocked to buy tickets, eager to catch a glimpse.
Miramax President Harvey Weinstein: "I have confidence in the films produced by our company. I believe they will get off to a good start and present a Halloween carnival gift to all our compatriots across the US and even North America."
Lionsgate owner Frank Guezta: "The 1996 Halloween season, lasting three weeks, generated a whopping $970 million at the box office; the 1997 Halloween season generated $1.09 billion; in 1998, three weeks generated $1.21 billion. Now it's 1999, and I have reason to believe that this year's box office figures will reach an even greater height."
Walmart, the world's largest supermarket chain, through its New York branch head, also reeled off many figures when interviewed by reporters.
"During last year's Halloween season, our 110 Walmart stores in just four eastern states alone sold Halloween goods and exclusive foods totaling $2.7 billion. Expanded to the entire United States, this revenue would absolutely reach tens of billions of dollars."
"This year, Halloween activities have just begun, and sales data is already 3.2% higher than the same period last year."
"Therefore, I have reason to believe that this year's figures will set a new record."
...Representatives from dozens of Hollywood film companies, including Artisan Entertainment, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Dimension Films, Summit Entertainment, and Kinner Diane Productions, more or less accepted interviews with reporters today, expressing their optimism for this year's Halloween season, and more often using the opportunity to promote their own films.
Especially the representatives and publicity managers of the 12 film companies with films premiering on October 22nd spared no effort.
Praising one's own side and belittling others gradually became a standard promotional tactic.
"Huh?"
"You're talking about Lionsgate's new work, 'The Great Demon of Hell'?"
"I had the privilege of an early screening, but if you ask me if it's good or not? Haha, I can only say that it's completely unqualified to be released during the Halloween season. I'm not optimistic about its box office performance."
"In contrast, our Artisan Entertainment's new release for the Halloween season, 'Witch Berkeley,' is a truly sincere Halloween production."
Artisan Entertainment Vice President spoke eloquently when interviewed by reporters… Summit Entertainment.
"Hahahaha, don't joke with me, buddy!"
Patrick Wachsberger, one of Summit Entertainment's three giants, couldn't help but sneer when interviewed by a reporter from the "Chicago News": "I don't deny Miramax's greatness, nor do I deny that it has released excellent horror/thriller films like 'The Funeral' and'Scream,' bringing joy to many, but… I think their film this year is just so-so, completely not up to par."
"In a word, Miramax Films, it's not doing well this year!"
"This year's Halloween season, you still have to look at our new release from Summit Entertainment!"
Upon hearing this, the reporter was immediately speechless.
Attacking competitors for profit, isn't that too shameless?
Hollywood is indeed a place of fame and fortune, a playground for money games. The heads of various film companies are all eloquent, and slandering, criticizing, stepping on, and blackening others has become a complete instinct.
Even flowery rhetoric is not enough to describe their eloquence.
We're trashing you, so what?
If you have the guts, hit me!
Besides, everyone is stepping on each other!
However… despite all the trash talk, none of these second and third-tier film companies dared to criticize or step on Page Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, or Paramount Pictures.
Even if the three Page film companies occupied the vast majority of screenings during the Halloween film season, none of them dared to provoke them.
Big companies are big companies. Do you dare to challenge them?
They'll beat you to death~
Do you really think these three film companies with media backgrounds are pushovers?
...Page Films.
"They're all a bunch of cunning old foxes!"
Kyle exclaimed to Bill McNick, "I originally thought a few people would jump out and criticize us, Warner, and Paramount, but they chose to retreat. Tsk tsk tsk~ They really know how to make choices."
Mr.Bill laughed, "These film companies can survive in Hollywood, so they naturally have their own way of survival."
Many medium and small film companies in Hollywood, in order to counter the high number of screenings by the three Page film companies during the Halloween season, actively contacted theater owners and lowered their own profits, giving concessions to the theaters.
To be honest, this made Kyle somewhat annoyed.
Warner and Paramount were also quite angry.
Therefore, Kyle and others were waiting for someone to jump out and make a fuss!
You jump out and criticize me?
Alright, I've been waiting for you, you bastard.
Killing a chicken to scare the monkeys, understand?
The bird that sticks its head out gets shot, understand?
However… the major medium and small film companies in Hollywood are all clever people; none are fools or reckless. This made Kyle excitedly pick up his knife, but unable to find an opponent, he felt a little disappointed.
"Invincible, how lonely it is~"
But!
The next day, Kyle, who had originally thought he had no use for his skills and couldn't kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, suddenly discovered that a film company was provoking him.
That's right, it didn't provoke Warner and Paramount. Instead, it pointed its spear directly at Page Films, and even Kyle himself.