From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Clap clap clap!

Applause erupted during the post-screening Q\u0026A.

Clap clap clap, clap clap clap!

Louder and louder, rising higher and higher, amidst radiant smiles and sincere gazes, that wave of frenzied enthusiasm unleashed an unbelievable amount of energy.

Who could have imagined that the audience could be even more excited and invigorated after the movie ended?

This scene was clearly something Anson hadn't anticipated.

"Hey, calm down, calm down."

"You really shouldn't keep spoiling me like this. My arrogance and conceit have almost made half of Hollywood lose patience. You should at least let me retain the respect and support of the other half of Hollywood. I don't want everyone to be talking bad about me behind my back."

That one sentence completely ignited laughter, colliding with applause and whistles, once again setting off a storm in the entire Angelica Film Center.

Not only the audience, but even Cate, Kristen, Mark, and the others were all cheering. In the audio, you could hear a commotion, with whistles, wolf howls, and table banging. Even without seeing the visuals, you could feel their fervor.

The whole place was boiling over—

The night deepened.

Cate had to take care of the baby, and Anson also had to rest to prepare for the next day's filming. Although everyone was still enjoying themselves, the surprise post-screening online Q\u0026A couldn't last too long and had to come to an end. Amidst a chorus of regretful sighs, the big screen went dark, and the lights in the theater slowly came back on.

The test screening was over.

But what was amazing was that the crowd at the Angelica Film Center didn't disperse immediately:

They were still savoring the experience.

Everything was so wonderful and blissful, so intoxicating. It was a real shame that the night was ending so abruptly. No one wanted to go home early.

If there had been alcohol, now would have been the perfect time for a second round of revelry: bars, pizza, fried chicken, clubs – there were so many options.

But alas, there wasn't any.

So, everyone stood in place, gathering in small groups of twos and threes, chatting animatedly about everything under the sun. It wasn't perfect, but it was still enjoyable.

The movie was worth discussing.

The post-screening was also worth discussing.

Right now, their minds were buzzing with excitement. No one was willing to go home.

Ripley looked at the scene before her with a bewildered yet excited expression. She even couldn't help but start to doubt her own eyes, turning to ask Lisa.

"This, is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like the number of people hasn't decreased, but is actually still increasing?"

Lisa was also equally excited, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes, the number of people seems to be constantly increasing. I just saw people still coming from the subway station."

Despite the crowds, everything was orderly and not chaotic at all. The lively scene kept the night's wind and cold completely at bay. The Angelica Film Center was like Atlantis, submerged in the New York night, yet still noisy and cheerful.

Lisa's head and chest were surging with a wave of excitement and frenzy, but she didn't know how to describe it in words. "Ripley, I understand once again why I chose this job."

A kind of enthusiasm, a kind of passion, all relying on a shot of adrenaline to strive and fight.

The smile on Ripley's lips followed suit, curving upwards. "It's moments like these, right?"

Lisa raised her head to look at Ripley, ultimately unable to hold back, "Do you think Joel and Clementine should try a second time? If it were you..."

"I heard that the test screening was a blast. You could hear the frenzy at the Angelica Film Center from five blocks away. I couldn't resist the itch and ran over to see."

"Haven't you heard? The NYPD has sent more people. The traffic congestion in this area has exceeded expectations. Half of Manhattan knows what's going on here."

"Did I make it in time? I just heard that Anson had a surprise Q\u0026A tonight. I rushed all the way here on the subway. The traffic outside is completely blocked, almost a solid wall."

"Where's Anson? Where's Anson! Is he still here? I rushed over here on the subway. The traffic outside is completely blocked, almost a solid wall."

One by one, although for different reasons, everyone ultimately gathered together, heading towards the Angelica Film Center.

What was even more interesting was that there were also some people who had the wrong information and crashed the wrong party.

"Party! Party! Ahhh, party! Wait, is there a party here?"

"The St. Patrick's Day party is here, right?"

The crowds surged in from all directions. Even though the test screening had ended, they continued to gather endlessly. The liveliness of the Angelica Film Center simply couldn't stop.

The NYPD was under tremendous pressure and had to temporarily send more people to solve the problem. The traffic congestion was one aspect, and the gathering crowd was another.

The "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" held a test screening, and the NYPD also specially sent people to the scene to help maintain order. But because Anson and Cate wouldn't be coming to the scene, they thought the crowd shouldn't be too exaggerated, and they were slightly relieved, but they didn't expect...

There were no official statistics on the scene, but people who had personally experienced the test screening said that at least ten thousand people gathered at the Angelica Film Center that night—

Only more, not less.

Without a doubt, this was the most successful and lively film screening event in recent years outside of film festivals. The "Anson X Angelica Film Center" outdoor test screening became the surprise of the year, giving the film market a small shock in early March.

Even after the test screening ended, wave after wave of people didn't stop coming.

Or, to be more precise, the crowds who learned of the test screening's grand occasion arrived late, and the real party only began after the test screening ended.

In the bustling crowd, there was a man, a man who was completely uninterested in movies or Anson—

It was the man who had just been stuck in traffic to the point of feeling hopeless. As a result, his girlfriend left the passenger seat and disappeared angrily into the vast crowd.

The man did want to just leave, but he was very clear about the consequences of doing so.

In order to avoid future troubles, he still helplessly left the congested traffic, managed to find a spot in an underground parking lot nearby, and then jogged all the way back, looking at the vast sea of people before him, feeling a shiver down his spine.

Finding someone here was like finding a needle in a haystack.

But he couldn't not look. The man still braced himself and started searching along the street.

Fortunately, the crowd wasn't moving, and the gathering area was fixed. A carpet search should work. Then, he actually inexplicably saw that familiar figure—

Found her?

The man couldn't believe his luck. He quickly caught up in two or three steps, fearing that the figure would be swallowed by the crowd again and disappear immediately.

He tapped her shoulder, and the figure turned around.

The man breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't mistaken the person. "You running off like this by yourself..."

Before the words of blame and complaint could be said, the man saw the woman standing before him with tears streaming down her face, her face full of sadness, seemingly even more lonely amidst the noise and crowding.