I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1091: Mockumentary]

Last night, as Julia impulsively opened her bedroom window a crack, the heating in the room completely failed.

Despite the cold air, the two of them huddled under the covers like they were in hibernation, adding a touch of unusual warmth to the situation. However, the direct consequence of this was that they both struggled to get out of bed in the morning.

The skies in Park City hadn't yet brightened when Elisabeth, on the East Coast, called from New York, her tone dripping with jealousy as she mentioned seeing news about the two of them garnering a lot of attention at the Sundance Film Festival's opening ceremony. Julia exchanged some playful banter with Elisabeth over the phone before hanging up and snuggling back into Eric's arms, pleasantly squinting her eyes in comfort.

After napping for a bit more nestled together, Eric remembered that the movie they had planned to watch, Run Lola Run, was set to screen at ten in the morning. He glanced at his watch and saw it was already eight-fifty. So, he perked up, got dressed, and got out of bed.

Once he firmly shut the window, Eric freshened up. The room started to warm up again, prompting Julia to lazily begin getting dressed.

...

After breakfast, Eric and Julia opted to walk to the cinema for the screening of Run Lola Run instead of taking a car.

It was the busiest time of the year in Park City, and Carter Moen, responsible for Eric's security, clearly wasn't thrilled about his boss walking through the streets. He reminded them that there were paparazzi camping outside the resort.

However, Eric wasn't too bothered. He figured the paparazzi lurking about were probably those reporters from last night rather than dedicated photographers since there weren't many celebrities at the Sundance Film Festival that year. As long as the reporters didn't interfere with him and Julia, he didn't mind having them follow along.

The resort at the foot of the mountains was only a couple of hundred meters from the town center. Yet, due to the small size of Park City, the sparse surroundings gave off a suburban feel.

Eric and Julia strolled leisurely along the asphalt road leading to the downtown, arm in arm, with two SUVs driven by bodyguards trailing closely behind them and two ordinary sedans a bit further away.

The people in the cars clearly weren't too seasoned in following someone; the vehicles sped up and slowed down. One photographer decided to get out and carry his camera while the others followed suit but tactfully stayed distant, occasionally snapping a few photos from afar.

Julia was wearing a light pink, short puffer jacket, pulling up the fluffy hood that covered most of her head. Though her long legs in high leather boots remained very noticeable, her general appearance might not alert anyone unless someone was particularly looking out for her. Eric opted for a simple blue windbreaker instead of his usual trench coat, sporting a baseball cap and sunglasses. As they walked together, they looked like a couple -- well, a couple with slightly above-average looks.

Word had spread about Eric's presence at Sundance so once they entered the downtown area, they were quickly recognized. Still, the number of fans gathering in this small town was not very high, and rather than a massive crowd forming, people casually approached for autographs and photos now and then.

...

After posing for a picture with an excited couple on a street corner, Julia linked her arm back with Eric and turned onto another street. She excitedly remarked, "Eric, did you notice how the houses in Park City look like something out of a fairytale? They're painted in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet -- just like a rainbow town!"

Eric chuckled and looked around. While most of the wood-frame houses weren't his style, the colorful designs did make for a beautiful sight. "Fairy tale towns usually have castles. How about we build one?"

Julia shook her head with a light laugh. "You wouldn't like a castle."

Passing a small booth promoting films, Julia noticed two young men distributing movie flyers to passersby. On a whim, she reached out and asked for two.

Eric noted how the two young men gave her a confused look as if they weren't sure if they recognized her correctly. Once they walked away, he couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Hurry up, the movie's about to start!"

"Yeah, yeah, let me see what this is about. I might discover a box office sleeper hit," Julia replied, one arm around Eric while she raised the flyer to read with all seriousness. "In 1994, three film students vanished while shooting a documentary in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland. A year later, people discovered evidence of their existence again. Hmm, obviously a horror movie -- The Blair Witch Project. Nice title."

Eric's expression shifted slightly after hearing Julia read the synopsis, and when he heard the title at the end, he nearly burst out laughing.

It truly was a box office sleeper hit.

In fact, for a long time, it had been one of the highest returns on investment in all of Hollywood.

After Julia had finished reading, she turned to Eric, asking, "So, what do you think?"

Eric nodded thoughtfully. "Not bad. Maybe you should start a film company, buy it, and release it yourself. You could hit a hundred million!"

"Ugh, you're just teasing me again," Julia said, slightly annoyed as she tightened her hold on Eric's arm and almost tossed the flyers away. Not spotting any trash cans around, she just held onto them.

Eric reached over to take one of the flyers, examined it curiously, and then handed it back to Julia. "I'm not joking! How about we make a bet? I bet this film will make a hundred million."

Julia leaned her head adorably on Eric's shoulder and replied, "I'll bet it does too!"

"Uh, that's not fun. Switch positions."

"No way!" Julia shook her head then added, "Let Liz make the bet that it won't make a hundred million."

"Fine." Eric also shamelessly agreed with Julia's suggestion, laughing, "So, what's the wager?"

"Doesn't matter. We can decide that later."

...

While chatting, they quickly arrived in front of a theater showcasing a bright poster for Run Lola Run. It was clear this was the right place. The screening was about to begin, and the entrance was buzzing with activity -- some were checking tickets, others waiting in line at the box office, while various people held signs asking for spare tickets.

Because of the crowd, as soon as Eric and Julia approached, they were immediately recognized. A few unsure girls approached them tentatively, and upon confirmation, they burst into a flurry of screams, drawing everyone's attention.

The bodyguards following closely in the SUVs realized the situation might escalate, so they swiftly emerged and formed a protective perimeter around Eric and Julia.

It wasn't as chaotic as the night before; Eric and Julia patiently signed a few autographs for fans before finally making their way into the theater.

...

Hearing that Eric Williams had come to see his film, the producer of Run Lola Run, Stefan Arndt, was over the moon. The film had started screening in Europe last year and generated significant buzz within independent cinema circles, even earning a nomination for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

The main purpose of the Run Lola Run team's presence in Park City was to sell the film. Following its European success, many Hollywood companies had contacted them with offers, some of which made Stefan more than tempted. Had it not been for his desire to wait until after the Sundance Film Festival to secure an award before making a decision, he might have already sold the film.

However, despite Run Lola Run's rising fame in the indie scene, its impact was still limited. Some Hollywood distributors even planned to release it straight to DVD.

Now that Eric Williams had personally come to watch the film, it wielded even more influence than if the President himself showed up. Once this was reported in the media, awareness of Run Lola Run would surely multiply, making it impossible for Hollywood distributors to secure rights without making a generous offer.

Calculating how much revenue Run Lola Run would eventually bring to his company, Stefan was eager and pulled together a few dazed crew members to greet Eric Williams in the screening room.

This particular theater wasn't large, holding about a hundred seats.

...

As the film hadn't started yet, the fans who had already entered noticed Eric Williams's arrival and rushed over for autographs, creating a lively moment until everyone returned to their seats.

At the same time, representatives from various Hollywood film companies, though they chuckled internally at the unfortunate timing of Eric showing up, felt compelled to approach him and say hello.

"Morey, come find me later. I have something for you," Eric casually directed to Morey Brandow, the purchasing manager from New Line Cinema after greeting others before refocusing on the Run Lola Run team.

"Mr. Williams, hello! I'm Stefan Arndt, producer of Run Lola Run, and this is Tom Tykwer, the director. Here's our Lola, Franka Potente, and...."

After greeting the group in front of him, Eric smiled at Stefan. "I think we should get started quickly. Everyone's anxious to see the film."

"Oh, of course!" Stefan nodded quickly, leading Tom and the others toward the stage.

...

The screening room gradually quieted down. Only then did Eric and Julia take their seats in the back corner. Since the space was small, their position didn't obstruct the view.

After a brief interaction on stage, the movie began promptly.

The version playing was still in its original German, only subtitled in English. Eric quite liked this original audio with subtitles format, as he had some less-than-great memories associated with dubbed films -- he had even developed a slight disdain for them.

The original audio with subtitles allowed him to understand the film's meaning while also experiencing the nuanced expressions in the characters' dialogues; this was the best way to watch foreign films.

After a mesmerizing opening segment, the scene dove straight into Lola's phone call.

The film's plot was straightforward enough: Lola's boyfriend, Manny, a small-time crook, accidentally lost a large sum of money belonging to his boss. If he didn't come up with the cash by noon, he would be killed by his boss. So, he called Lola for help.

Lola calmed her boyfriend down and dashed out of the house, embarking on a twenty-minute chase to gather a hundred thousand marks. Her first attempt didn't go well; after failing to secure the money, Manny was left with no choice but to rob a store, and Lola tried to help him, only to be shot dead by the police.

In her second attempt, Lola took her father hostage for the money, but in the end, Manny was killed by an ambulance.

On the third try, she won the needed cash in a casino, and unexpectedly, Manny managed to retrieve the lost money from a homeless man. Thus resulting in a completion of the "mission," and the film concluded.

The entire movie felt like a live-action version of a video game. The colorful Lola, with red hair in a blue tank top and green pants, seemed like a character stepping straight out of an arcade game. The numerous resets in the plot allowed the protagonist to gather experience and acquire skills to avoid making past mistakes. Lola's subtler impacts on several pedestrians during her frantic runs reminded Eric of the Butterfly Effect series.

Upon finishing the film, Eric's initial thought was about the seemingly shy young director -- he must be a hardcore video game enthusiast.

As for the film, Eric could only sum it up in one word: cool.

Whether it was the unique three-part structure or the dynamic soundtrack, along with a series of well-crafted details, it truly begged for repeated watchings and reflections.

When the credits began to roll, Julia leaned in and whispered, "That was an amazing film."

Eric nodded in agreement, waiting politely for the lights in the screening room to come up before taking Julia's hand and rising to head outside.

...

As expected, a larger group of reporters and fans had gathered outside the theater by the time they emerged. The scene quickly turned chaotic again when they appeared, but Eric and Julia didn't linger this time, swiftly getting into their car and driving away under the protection of their bodyguards.

The Land Rover SUV smoothly navigated Park City's streets, and as Julia watched the crowd diminish in the rearview mirror, she finally pulled off her hood. Now that they were public figures, both had become accustomed to this life. Julia didn't complain, instead cheerily inquired, "Eric, where are we having lunch?"

Glancing outside, Eric noted it was a bright sunny day and that the temperature had risen slightly compared to earlier. The streets were getting busier, and eating outside wouldn't be suitable, so he suggested, "Let's head back to the resort."

Julia nodded, contemplating their plans for the rest of the day; there was a rooftop party to attend in the afternoon and a dinner invitation at Robert Redford's place that evening. With the weekend mostly free, she excitedly proposed, "How about we go skiing tomorrow?"

"No way. There'll be more people at the ski resort than there were at the cinema entrance," Eric replied, then remembered, "What happened to those two movie flyers?"

"What?" Julia asked, caught off guard before recalling, flashing an innocent expression as she blinked. "I tossed them out."

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.