[Chapter 181: Media Reviews, Merchandise]
The next morning at breakfast, Aunt Kelly noticed the women all glowing with vitality, looking radiant and utterly captivating. With her experience, she naturally understood what had transpired. Her heart skipped a beat; it seemed these vixens had been thoroughly satisfied the previous night. She worried a little that Linton's energy might have been drained by them.
She took a closer look at Linton and found him in excellent spirits, his complexion healthy and normal. She breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help but marvel, "Looks like Linton's got quite the stamina to handle such a large group of sirens with ease."
Aunt Kelly felt a bit displeased with the group of women but since everyone was an adult, she didn't dare to scold them harshly. Instead, she repeatedly reminded Linton to take care of himself and subtly warned the ladies to be moderate, as they'd need sustainable energy, not to drain him dry.
All the women, including Linton, nodded in agreement, secretly amused. They thought, "You clearly don't know how tough your nephew, Linton, really is."
After breakfast, despite Judy's reluctance, Aunt Kelly decisively took the family back to San Francisco.
...
Once Aunt Kelly left, the women instantly felt freed from restraint and relaxed.
Madonna announced first, "I'm free for the next couple of days. I'm staying here to chill."
The others agreed, eager to enjoy the last two days of freedom before Linton's publicity tour.
At that moment, Amy the housekeeper brought in the day's newspapers.
As expected, the premiere of Speed dominated the entertainment headlines, including box office forecasts, praise from James Cameron and Steven Spielberg, and especially Sharon Stone's overt flirtation with Linton, which grabbed nearly every entertainment page.
Although the competing In the Line of Fire premiered at the same time, its media coverage was completely overshadowed.
Hollywood Report's front page read: "Speed Premiere premieres with a star-studded cast and famous directors rave about it."
Hollywood Entertainment Daily's headline: "Shocking! Linton claims Speed will surpass Jurassic Park at the box office."
Hollywood Gossip Gazette's headline: "Hollywood's sex goddess Sharon Stone publicly declares love for playboy Linton."
Entertainment Weekly's headline: "Speed, a film lauded by James Cameron and Steven Spielberg."
...
Seeing Hollywood Entertainment Daily's headline, Linton's mood darkened. 'Is this what I actually said? Total fabrication and no class at all.'
He quickly scanned the details. Thankfully, the sensational headline was just a clickbait; the full story was mostly accurate.
...
Because Universal had absolute confidence in Speed, from the premiere day, they lifted the embargo on media reviews and ratings.
Typically, unless the distributor had special reasons, reviews were held until the second day after the official release.
The worse the film, and the less confident the distributor, the later reviews would be allowed. Of course, PR money rarely swayed critics to praise poorly made films.
Conversely, with quality movies and high box office potential, distributors would release critics' reviews early to build audience interest.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, despite some dissatisfaction with Linton, still gave Speed two thumbs up: "Speed is a clever and creative thriller, tightly linking action, stunts, special effects, and excitement that keeps you glued to the screen without a moment to blink. Plus, the film is full of uplifting energy."
The New York Times praised it as well: "Speed's gripping plot combined with its epic score captures the audience's heart. The leading man is handsome and charming, the leading lady beautiful and brave -- their chemistry is palpable on the big screen."
Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times added: "The content lives up to Speed's title -- tense, thrilling, and suspenseful to the max, fully exploiting the theme of velocity. Lead performances are solid and recommendable."
Of course, not all reviews were glowing.
The Washington Post criticized the film for excessive intense scenes focused only on endless public transport battles between protagonist and antagonist, lacking any depth or human reflection.
Renowned critic Hal Ginson noted: "The film contains many plot holes and logical flaws. It's explosions, chases, and fights throughout, but beyond that, it lacks substance."
Balanced feedback was normal. Regardless, any publicity served the film's marketing goals, a payoff for the seven-figure PR budget.
Controversy wasn't bad either -- debates heated up the buzz, stoking audience curiosity and drawing them into theaters.
...
To further boost publicity, Universal scheduled numerous media interviews and TV appearances for Linton and Catherine on July 8.
Luckily, the other eight women were familiar with the estate now, spending their days organizing basketball, swimming, fitness, and dance activities.
At night, when Linton and Catherine returned, of course, they enjoyed happy nights together...
Since no one else was in the main house, there was no need for soundproofing.
Sweet, joyful, passionate singing filled the mansion all night long...
...
At midnight on July 9, Speed's midnight screening officially began.
The film opened on about 2,500 screens in North America, second only to Jurassic Park in 1993, outperforming its competitor In the Line of Fire.
This reflected the exhibitors' confidence in Speed.
Universal's latest info revealed the film would officially open on 2,760 theaters on 3,400 screens.
The original soundtrack CD hit every music store, and its poster held prime display spots.
In partnership shops, eight versions of the movie's bus model merchandise were also launched.
Notably, merchandise for the film was scarce, but with Linton's rising popularity and good looks, they followed Tom Cruise's example and produced dolls of Linton's character for sale.
Since they used Linton's image, a licensing fee was paid -- as per Hollywood norms, 20% of doll sales went to the star.
Linton agreed and even suggested Catherine's character dolls be made.
Given the huge difference in their fame levels, Universal produced $20 million worth of Linton dolls and $2 million for Catherine's, maintaining a 10:1 ratio.
...
At the Beverly Hills Theater, around 2 a.m., two screening rooms for Speed ended simultaneously. Excited patrons exited, eager to discuss the film.
"This movie's insane -- from blowing up the elevator to the bus, then the house, plane, and subway -- had me on the edge of my seat!"
"So touching. Linton's so handsome, Catherine so beautiful. That final passionate kiss was just perfect."
"My idol Linton keeps getting better movies. I'm coming back tomorrow. Who's joining?"
"I'm in."
"Count me in."
Staff handed out surveys -- all ratings were A+.
...
Outside, they saw the brightly lit merchandise store across the street. Clark grabbed his friend, "Bruce, let's check out the merch store."
The store was packed with fans freshly out of Speed.
Besides the bus models, there were three versions each of Linton and Catherine dolls, priced at $199, $99, and $69.
"I want the biggest Linton doll and the bus model. How much?" a younf woman asked the clerk.
"$298 total, ma'am."
"Wrap it up. I'll pay by credit card..."
"I want the biggest Catherine doll and the bus..." another handsome guy added.
"I want all three Linton dolls, one of each," a young woman declared.
Usually, male fans frequented movie merch stores, but tonight, more women than men showed up, mostly buying Linton dolls and some bus models.
Male fans weren't left behind; some bought Linton dolls but more purchased Catherine's alongside a bus model.
Within one night, most Speed merchandise at the store sold out.
...
"Mr. Sitge, this is the Beverly Hills theater's merch store. Speed's merchandise is flying off shelves. We need restock by tomorrow morning..."
*****
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