From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"Are you sure you don't need us to take you back to the hotel?"

"No, thank you. I like to take a walk after dinner to clear my head."

"Like a Woody Allen movie?"

"Ha, I'm not that romantic. The story of 'Manhattan' doesn't suit me. I'm more of a 'RoboCop' kind of guy."

"Oh, Paul Verhoeven. 'Turkish Delight' was a truly bold attempt."

Standing at the restaurant entrance, ready to say goodbye, I didn't expect such a meaningful exchange before parting.

Seemingly small talk, but with a wealth of information—

Edgar was completely lost.

Sam was also very surprised that Anson even knew about 'Turkish Delight'. "When people talk about Paul, they always mention 'Basic Instinct,' but in fact, 'Turkish Delight' and 'RoboCop' are the real masterpieces."

Anson smiled, "And 'Showgirls'."

In 1992, Paul Verhoeven's 'Basic Instinct' achieved incredible success in North America, bringing this bold and pioneering Dutch director into the public eye, so much so that 'Showgirls,' released in 1995, received unprecedented attention, only to be met with a wave of criticism and attacks.

That year, the film was a complete flop in terms of both critical acclaim and box office revenue, almost ruining Paul's Hollywood career prospects.

However, twenty years later, countless film critics and fans have championed the film, and after years of refinement, it has finally revealed its original brilliance, allowing people to see Paul's pioneering spirit as a director who was far ahead of his time, with unparalleled sharp insight into society and culture.

And all of this was already evident in the director's 1973 film 'Turkish Delight'.

This time, Sam was genuinely surprised—

For the first time tonight, Sam temporarily returned to his position as a director, looking at the actor in front of him.

After thinking for a moment, Sam decided to be honest, "I think you're too handsome to play Peter Parker. If you want to argue, now's your chance."

Edgar's heart suddenly started racing: An opportunity!

Anson also didn't expect the opportunity to appear like this, in such an unexpected way, but he shook his head, "No, I'm not going to argue."

Sam blinked.

Anson chuckled, "My appearance, your prejudice, these are unchangeable facts, right?"

An unexpected entry point, Sam found it a bit interesting, "So, you're just giving up like that? You spent so much time chatting with this old guy tonight, surely not to give up at this point, are you?"

Didn't Sam understand?

No, he understood everything.

The difference was that Anson's candor and sincerity, Anson's erudition and affability, made everything feel natural. Sam wasn't some detached recluse; he himself had put his heart and soul into the 'Spider-Man' project, so he could understand the actors' actions.

But Sam himself didn't notice that what should have been Anson chasing Sam to explain had now evolved into Sam chasing Anson to explain.

The initiative had quietly shifted.

Which meant that Sam's prejudice had been shaken.

Anson laughed heartily, "Of course not."

"Director, I spent the whole evening proving to you that, first, appearance is only a part of the character, and the character's charm shouldn't only be about appearance, but should be three-dimensional, diverse, and vivid. But when you and I discuss those topics, do you pay attention to my appearance?"

"Second, stereotypes about characters are often one-sided. A thousand people have a thousand Hamlets. Perhaps the Peter Parker in the director's eyes should be more ordinary, but perhaps the Peter Parker in the eyes of millions of viewers should be more handsome. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal aesthetics."

"So, the key is how the director shapes the character, how to make the character convincing."

"Or is it that the director himself hasn't thought it through, or perhaps he lacks confidence in his own abilities?"

Then, Anson didn't continue to press aggressively, but instead took a small step back to create distance, "Director, let's call it a night. I hope you have a wonderful evening and a pleasant walk."

With that, Anson gestured to Edgar and started walking towards their parking spot.

Edgar hesitated slightly, but he still followed Anson, leaving Sam behind. The initiative had quietly shifted.

Sam stood there, not leaving for a long time.

Edgar drove away from Chinatown, but after only two blocks, he hurriedly found a parking spot and quickly parked again.

Immediately afterward, his figure disappeared into a… McDonald's.

Was he not full?

No, Anson found a seat and ordered some fries, while Edgar sprinted towards the restroom.

Clearly, Edgar's tolerance for chili was still far from enough. Tonight, for the sake of work, he had closed his eyes and stuffed it into his mouth, constantly saying it was delicious—

Actually, it was really delicious. Edgar himself didn't realize he was constantly putting it in his mouth.

But now, the retribution had come.

After staying inside for fifteen minutes, he had just come out, not even having time to reach Anson, when, from a distance, Edgar stared blankly at Anson, his stomach rumbling again. Edgar gave a smile that was uglier than crying, and then rushed back to the restroom, his speed comparable to Bugs Bunny.

"Haha!"

Anson couldn't help but laugh.

After going back and forth three times, Edgar finally returned, his face pale, and sat down opposite Anson. You could even see glistening sweat on his forehead.

"Anson, I'm sorry…" Edgar was a little embarrassed—

His knees were trembling slightly.

Anson gave a thumbs up, "Warrior!"

Edgar gave a weak smile, looked at the cola in front of him, and gave Anson an inquiring look. After receiving an affirmative answer, he picked up the cola and took a big gulp, replenishing some sugar. His knees stabilized a little, and his brain started working again.

Ahem.

He covered it up with a cough, "Was it okay for us to leave like that? Even if the conversation was over, we should have watched the director leave."

Anson shrugged lightly, "Normally speaking, that's indeed what should be done, to be polite. But in the situation just now, the active and passive roles have been reversed. With the director's personality, he needs to think, he needs his own time and space. If we had stayed there, it would have been a distraction."

"Just like Scott this morning."

Edgar picked up the cola, bit the straw, and drank it in gulps, then nodded gently, "You're right. He's not the kind of person who can easily change his mind. What should be done and what shouldn't be done, we've already done. Next, we need to wait patiently."

Anson asked, "So, is all our business in New York finished?"

Edgar nodded, "Yes. At least for now. We need to wait for notification. Of course, I still need to follow up on Laura's situation, but I don't need to directly intervene."

Anson, "Oh, so that means I can still make it to the awards ceremony."

Edgar: … "What awards ceremony?"

Anson, "The Emmys. I thought that because of the audition, I wasn't sure how many days I would need to stay in New York, so I might not be able to make it."

Edgar's eyes widened, and he almost choked on the cola, saying impatiently, "Jesus Christ. We can make it, no, we have to make it. We must!"

Second update.