The night outside was pitch black, while the lights inside the Beverly Hills Hilton hotel room shone brightly. Rex Reed sat in his room, staring intently at his laptop, reflecting on the movie he had just watched.
As one of America's top ten professional film critics, Rex couldn't afford to lash out in the scathing manner he once could, no matter how much he disliked the film. Now, his critiques had to be cloaked in the guise of artistic analysis.
After contemplating for over half an hour, he opened his blog and began typing his review.
"In terms of technology, '300 Spartans' utilizes the industry's most established blue-green screen and CGI techniques, but its multi-layer compositing is relatively simple compared to 'King Kong'. The frequent use of fast and slow motion transitions is a trick more common among music video directors, which serious filmmakers disdain."
"As for the lead actor, Matthew Horner, since his breakout role in 'The Scorpion King', he has shown no progress. Five years have passed, and he remains stuck in the phase of flaunting his muscular physique and strong body, lacking any ambition! His artistic pursuits are as shallow as they come."
"Moreover, this film grossly disrespects history, severely exaggerating the role of the Spartans in the Battle of Thermopylae."
"In truth, history is never just history; it's once-living reality. We make and watch epic films not because we relish in dead things, but because the people of the past felt the same passions and sorrows as we do, sharing a visceral connection with us."
"'300 Spartans' plunges into the depths of historical inaccuracies..."
A showy director and a lead actor who revels in displaying his body left Rex Reed utterly unimpressed.
After uploading his review, he rated '300 Spartans' with two stars on his blog, hoping this low rating might curb the film's box office performance. Beyond his dislike for the film, Rex also harbored a personal aversion to Matthew Horner.
Every time Rex saw Matthew Horner, he thought of a donkey's rear end and its foul odor.
He wished for '300 Spartans' to flop miserably at the box office, for Matthew Horner's career to take a nosedive, and for him to fade from Hollywood, never to appear before Rex again.
Ding-dong—
Rex's phone chimed with a new message. He quickly picked it up, knowing that messages at this hour were usually from his friend in the distribution sector, who often sent him box office data as soon as it was available for major releases.
Unlike many highbrow critics, Rex Reed, who wasn't above sensationalism, understood the market's importance. Hollywood thrived on commercial success, and so did film critics.
He knew well that negative reviews didn't faze a commercially driven actor like Matthew Horner. What could truly hinder his progress was dismal box office figures.
Rex opened the message, and at a glance, the figure of $13.5 million wiped out all his hopes.
With an advance screening box office of $13.5 million, what more could he hope for?
"Sigh..."
Rex glanced at his blog page on the laptop, where his negative review was already published. Disappointed, he sighed deeply. Understanding the typical patterns of the film market, he knew that with such advance box office figures, the opening weekend for '300 Spartans' would undoubtedly be strong.
With that, he closed the laptop, deciding to stop thinking about it, as the more he dwelled on it, the more annoyed he became. Dwelling on it further would only ruin his sleep tonight.
As the sky began to brighten over Los Angeles, it was nearing work hours in New York. Mosenter entered a building near Times Square, changed into a new outfit in the locker room, and, carrying a prop spear and shield, joined his companions in a conference room. Led by a bearded leader, they marched grandly into Times Square.
Their appearance caused an immediate sensation. Tourists, passersby, and reporters who were there to cover the area all turned their curious gazes towards them. Even the patrolling NYPD officers couldn't help but take a second look.
Mosenter had initially worried that the police might chase them away. Post-9/11, New York's regulations had become much stricter. But the patrols merely glanced their way, showing no intention of intervening.
It was clear that whoever organized their gathering had secured all the necessary permissions in advance.
With no worries about being interrupted, Mosenter straightened up, showing off his muscles in the red cape and red briefs, posing impressively for the curious onlookers.
At that moment, they were Spartans!
Mosenter was a fitness enthusiast but lacked a steady income to cover his expensive gym fees. Last week, his gym received a job offer requiring people to dress up like the characters from the '300 Spartans' trailer in places like Times Square and Central Park. The pay was good.
A group of Spartans paraded around Times Square, attracting a large crowd of onlookers. Some came for photos, some asked questions, and others wanted to feel their muscles...
Soon, Mosenter and the Spartans arrived at an AMC theater on the corner of the square, where a massive poster for '300 Spartans' hung above the entrance.
Many onlookers followed them into the theater.
After a brief stop, the Spartans, including Mosenter, moved on again.
Mosenter noticed reporters photographing them, and he waved at the cameras, hoping to make an appearance on TV or in the newspapers.
Meanwhile, Boston's streets also saw the appearance of muscular Spartans in red capes and red briefs, catching the eyes of several journalists.
Later, the Spartans successfully took over Chicago's Millennium Park.
In major cities across the USA, Spartans were seen strutting their stuff. Their tall, muscular frames and distinctive red capes and briefs drew attention wherever they went.
In Westwood, Los Angeles, Nebula personally led a team out of the gym. With a physique similar to Matthew's, he had borrowed Leonidas's full costume from the film's set and got a makeup artist to apply a fake beard, fulfilling his dream of playing the movie's lead.
The bronze helmet he wore made quite an impression. As he entered Santa Monica's commercial plaza, many mistook him for Matthew.
Within minutes, Nebula was swarmed by a sea of people. Hundreds of fans wanting photos and autographs surrounded him.
"Why is Matthew here?"
A young reporter with a TMZ badge asked his older colleague, "Wasn't our assignment to shoot Matthew?"
The older reporter replied, "That's not Matthew, just someone who looks very similar. His costume is almost identical to Leonidas's in the film."
Adjusting his camera angle to capture all the Spartans, the young reporter continued, "How do you know?"
"Because our boss told me." The older reporter snapped a few more photos, reminding, "Hurry up. We need to be back by noon. These need to be published this afternoon."
The young reporter kept filming and asked, "Whose lousy idea was it to send these burly men to busy places to show off their muscles?"
The two reporters spent their morning following the Spartan group. By midday, they had encountered over a dozen waves of journalists interested in the Spartans.
By noon, images and videos of the Spartans invading America flooded the internet. Especially on the newly popular social media platforms, they became an instant sensation.
'300 Spartans' dominated the front pages of entertainment media and websites.
Simultaneously, commentary on '300 Spartans' filled media and online columns.
Like most films starring Matthew, '300 Spartans' was primarily a visually-driven commercial film focusing on the lead's physique and action scenes. It received poor reviews from critics.
Roger Ebert's column dismissed it with a single sentence, seemingly too uninterested to elaborate—"Lacks humanity!"
David Denby from 'The New Yorker' declared: "'300 Spartans' is utterly worthless, with a hollow theme, shallow tone, dubious stance, and gory scenes. The story is brainless..."
However, not all critics panned the film; some saw redeeming qualities.
Kenneth Turan from the 'Los Angeles Times' praised the film: "'300 Spartans' is a testosterone-fueled must-see for men. With grand scenes and stirring dialogue, it shocks the senses through visuals and camera work. Matthew Horner's display of charisma is impressive. His final rallying cry is profoundly moving. His performance is compelling, especially the charge against the overwhelming Persian forces, which is striking. His action scenes are as impressive as ever, with fight choreography that sets a new standard. The result is a series of violent yet beautiful scenes."
However, positive reviews like this were rare among critics.
A day after '300 Spartans' released, Rotten Tomatoes had collected 56 critic reviews. Predictably, the film was rated 'rotten' with a freshness score of just 55% and an average rating of 5.2.
But none of this dampened David Ellison's excitement as he burst into the Horner estate early on Saturday morning.
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