From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Gurgle, gurgle.

The subway station exit was like the mouth of the Baotu Spring, spewing out waves of people, the dense crowd instantly filling the street intersection.

Busy and crowded.

Such a scene is really normal and common on the streets of Manhattan, New York, even for the suited elites.

However, what's slightly different about this scene is:

Instead of scattering as usual and diving into the skyscrapers of New York, they looked around to check the direction and then walked towards the same direction in a bustling manner. The crowd, which should have been loosening up, continued to flow slowly shoulder to shoulder. People, each focused on their own world, finally raised their heads to look around.

Only then did they realize that they were all heading to the Angelika Film Center.

"'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'?"

"Anson?"

After exchanging the code, each person revealed a look of sudden realization and beaming joy. The air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere, and the slightly chilly evening gradually warmed up bit by bit, adding some liveliness to the streets and squares.

The audience is here!

Lisa's eyes lit up, and her mood, which had sunk to the bottom, brightened up immediately.

However, before Lisa could act, someone had already taken the lead.

"Lisa, get ready to maintain order and arrange for the audience to be seated."

After dropping these words, Ripley had already rushed out, leaving only a back view.

Lisa was slightly stunned, then chuckled. Ripley had been pretending to be calm all along. Now it seemed that she was more concerned about today's event than anyone else.

This small wave of people in front of them was still a drop in the bucket. Hopefully, there would be more later. There were less than two hours left before the preview began.

Lisa's prayer was soon answered—

Wave after wave, and then another wave.

Because the parking lot near the Angelika Film Center was already full, most people chose the subway, except for a small number of viewers who chose to come by taxi. The subway exit was like a spring, constantly spewing out crowds.

Moreover, the frequency and intensity showed no signs of slowing down.

In less than twenty minutes, the check-in area at the entrance of the Angelika Film Center was already packed with people. The dense crowd stretched all the way to the subway exit, and the media reporters watched this scene with stunned expressions.

What, what's going on?

One after another, people took out items from their handbags and backpacks: green windbreakers, green scarves, green handkerchiefs, green headscarves. One or two people began to dress up; happy laughter floated in the air, disorganized but lively, instantly filling the entire street.

Then, someone noticed that in the office building behind the Angelika Film Center, someone opened the window and threw out a cascade of green sequins. Strips of fluffy sequin shawls were pieced together and hung outside the window, using this method to embellish the atmosphere.

The other offices in the high-rise building seemed to receive a signal, or perhaps the hustle and bustle on the street awakened their attention, and they all began to move.

Everything happened at the same time, making people overwhelmed. They only felt that the world was spinning at a high speed of 360 degrees. The street, which was empty and deserted not long ago, instantly became crowded, and everywhere they looked was full of people.

Someone on the office building leaned out, looking down at the bustling crowd in front of them, unable to restrain their excitement and agitation, waving their arms and shouting loudly.

"Long live the movies!"

The sound echoed in the street, and the crowd collectively burst into laughter.

That person seemed particularly excited, and seeing that his shouts did not receive the expected response, he shouted again.

"Angelika Film Center is the strongest!"

The crowd below stirred, with sporadic laughter and whistles, but it still didn't completely liven up.

So, what should they shout to stir up the atmosphere at the scene?

St. Patrick's Day? They couldn't shout "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Warm Light Within)", could they? That name was so long that they couldn't even remember it. If they shouted it, they would probably bite their tongues, and that would really make the whole audience laugh.

"Anson!"

The name popped up in their minds like that, before they could even react—

"Anson!"

A response came from the crowd below, finally!

This time, they were immediately excited.

You say, "Anson."

I say, "Anson."

Back and forth, the shouts gathered into a vast expanse, instantly sweeping the entire venue, with hundreds and thousands of voices all twisted into one rope.

Anson! Anson!

Blair and Karen were naturally no exception, raising their hands high and standing up, jumping up and down in place, like the rock zone of a music festival.

The air was completely ignited.

The media reporters were all stunned: How did this all happen?

Not long ago, the preview seemed to be a complete flop no matter how you looked at it. They were still complaining about Charlie Kaufman:

What the hell is the name "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Warm Light Within)"? Is it deliberately designed to make the audience skip this movie and not be interested in it at all? Anson and Kate's cast couldn't save it either.

However, in the blink of an eye, a carnival atmosphere spread throughout the Angelika Film Center, as if at dusk, it had completed a gorgeous transformation—

Are these viewers Batman? Do they only appear at night?

One after another, vast and continuous.

The three thousand empty seats were filled in a short period of time, and the subsequent long queues of people were still continuing.

At a rough glance, the queue in the night was growing at an alarming rate. Although they couldn't see clearly, it would definitely not be surprising if it exceeded a thousand people.

The high-rise buildings surrounding the Angelika Film Center were also packed, with people in every window. It was quicker to count how many windows had no movement than to count how many windows had people.

Offices and apartments were no exception. Whether they were at home or working overtime, they all temporarily stopped what they were doing and joined the carnival.

It was not uncommon to see three or five people gathered in one window.

You could even see people setting up tables and chairs and sitting in front of the windows, preparing to enjoy the movie.

Moreover, all kinds of green spread out, and the atmosphere of St. Patrick's Day continued from last night to tonight, with the carnival fever burning in the air.

Party. Feast. Carnival.

This wave was not limited to a small area in front of the big screen, but rolled out along the street, creating an illusion—

Wait, is the New York Film Festival being held six months early?

Looking at the scene in front of her, Ripley felt an indescribable emotion surging in her chest. They did it. They finally overcame countless unfavorable situations and summoned this carnival, a night for independent films.

Taking a deep breath, Ripley became busy again.

Although they only arranged three thousand seats, if the subsequent queuing audience didn't mind standing or sitting on the ground, they were willing to open their arms and welcome more people to join.

Movies are more exciting when shared.