I’m a Director, I’m Not Bad

Chapter 373 371. I really tried my best.

After going home for dinner and seeing the two children, Xu Zhi first gave him his big gift.

Nothing.

Two jade pendants.

It also has a bit of a tacky kind of gold inlaid with jade.

It’s just that the jade is serious Hetian jade.

Xu Xin doesn't understand jade...in fact, there are so many things he doesn't understand. And Xu Zhi didn't understand either. This jade was recommended by his friend in Shanghai. Bought it for less than a million.

And this price told Xu Xinyi...the two brothers are from the same place.

No need to understand, no need to understand.

Is Guan Qi Shen He Tian Yu not He Tian Yu?

Once the money is in place, things will definitely be the same.

What's more...it has a good meaning, two round treasure gourds.

This is the gourd that he, an uncle, prepared for his two children.

If you follow the etiquette, that is a matter for the old man's generation.

He doesn't have to pay.

As for the gift, Xu Xin accepted it. But even if the uncle is killed, he will not recognize him. At most, he will recognize him as an uncle.

The two of them were in the same year and the same month.

We have been fighting over who is older and who is younger since childhood, and there is no reason to admit defeat at this time.

And that's the only advantage of eating with Xu Zhi.

No need to drink.

He was born with an alcohol allergy and his body felt like cooked prawns after drinking it. Therefore, Yang Dalin cooked a table of Yanjing people's home-cooked dishes for him to taste. No matter how many times he came to Yanjing, he could never taste the freshness of local home-cooked dishes cooked by locals.

At the dinner table, Xu Xin told the story about Wen Zhang.

Yang Mi has no interest in Kobe.

She can't quite get her husband's obsession with things like autographed balls.

After all, she is also the one being asked for autographs.

Besides, since her husband was so crazy that during the Olympics, she asked the wheel to sign autographs ranging from 1,000 to 800, and she sent them to the director's team in boxes after boxes...

Anything related to signatures would no longer cause any disturbance in her heart.

However, Yang Mi nodded in agreement to Xu Xin's suggestion of finding a low-budget movie to perfunctory him.

Then he said:

"wait for me."

She put down her chopsticks and left the table. Within three minutes, she came over with a document still covered with warm ink:

"Well, there really is a low-cost script."

She handed the document to Xu Zhi.

Xu Xin also came over.

After turning the first page and seeing the name in the front row, he raised his head in surprise:

""Thirty-three Days of Love"? Didn't you just buy the copyright to this novel?"

"Yes."

Yang Mi nodded:

"Remember what we talked about when we first got together. Did you say that in the future, film and television adaptations of online novels will be popular?"

"Can not remember."

Xu Xin shook his head seriously:

"I said?"

"Yes, that's true. What other fairy tale dramas, costume idol dramas, bala bala..."

Yang Mi was speechless.

Why don't you even remember what you said?

But that's okay.

Just remember it.

She pointed to the script and continued:

"Including "The Legend of Zhen Huan" and these new books I bought, these have been their tasks since the screenwriting team was hired.

After I bought it, I started adapting it.

It was revised the day before confinement. This is the first version. I looked at it and found that the big framework has basically been finalized. It’s quite interesting. Then I asked the company to create a budget.

Not counting the actors' salary, it's only three to five million? That's about it.

The novel "Thirty-three Days of Love" is very popular on Douban. It is very popular and has been published. It is very popular among today's urban white-collar workers. After all, some of the things in it are actually commonplace and closely related in the workplace.

Wen Zhang aside, Xu Zhi, if you want to make a low-budget movie, you might as well try this.

After all, no matter how you put it, first of all, the investment is not big, and secondly, the popularity of its novels is there... I think as long as it is not too bad, it shouldn't be a problem to make money back. "

"Only three to five million?"

Yang Mi's explanation meant the same thing to Xu Zhi.

Just that little money?

Can it be done?

Xu Xin rolled his eyes:

"You haven't calculated the salary yet. How much is Wen Zhang's salary?"

"Ah, it's not that high."

Xu Zhi said something casually, then flipped through it briefly and nodded:

"Okay, then I'll let the people in the company take a look when I go back and give it a try... The director's words..."

"Don't look at me."

Xu Xin rolled his eyes:

"I still have to take care of the baby, so be good and let me go, okay?"

"Why are you useless at the critical moment?"

Xu Zhi was a little dissatisfied.

But Xu Xin was not tied up forcibly.

Just take a step and see.

Not urgent.

You can go to the battlefield anytime, but at least you have to have a gun in your hand first.

After the meal was finished, Xu Xin helped his father-in-law and mother-in-law pick up the bowls, and Yang Mi also fed the two children.

Throw my daughter and son next to my parents and two dogs...

She washed the fruit in a hurry, came to the screening room at home, and proudly held the fruit plate:

"Brother, do you want a CD? Singapore, India, Malaysia, and little animals!"

When she came in, Xu Xin, who had been waiting for a long time, rolled his eyes and immediately pressed the play button of the video disc.

It's really vulgar.

Soon, at the beginning of a silhouette-like painting, a few big words slowly appeared:

""Three Guns Surprise""

"I've prepared the clothes for you to go to the scene tomorrow."

After Yang Mi finished speaking, Xu Xin responded.

"Um."

Xu Zhi muttered next to him:

"Director Zhang's first work after the Olympics, you have to take a good look at it this time..."

Xu Xin also had this idea.

Moreover, his thoughts may be more complicated.

After seeing Shen Xiaoyang's acting skills, he didn't have much hope for the film... but at least it was made by an old man.

No matter how bad it is, at least it should be a qualified answer sheet, right?

It's not like there's nothing... right... right? right?

After all, it was the old man who took the photo.

And soon the scene changed, and shots of Shen Xiaoyang and Yan Ni appeared.

A sword-wielding Persian appears on the screen...

The scene of the Persian man dancing with the knife was particularly beautiful. The camera captures it in just a few inches, and you can tell at a glance that it was taken by an old man.

Especially the scene where CG special effects are used to make a knife instantly cut through the head of a tube of chopsticks.

In a daze, Xu Xin thought he had seen "House of Flying Daggers".

The same gorgeous costumes as embellishments, the same transition between fast and slow shots...

His heart suddenly felt much more at ease.

Well, sure enough.

An old man is still an old man.

Even if you don't like this movie, you just go for this style... As long as this movie goes according to plan, even if Shen Xiaoyang's acting skills are second to none, and people like Yan Ni and Ni Dahong support the scene, it will definitely not go wrong.

This is his impression from the first minute of the movie.

Immediately after the Persians finished dancing with their swords, the story entered the dialogue stage.

It seems that these people are a caravan, specializing in selling strange and weird things.

Moreover, the performances of these people are quite exaggerated.

Xu Xin thought about it and guessed...this is the style of absurd comedy that the old man wants to do?

I always feel like I haven’t learned the essence.

The lines and dialogues are all full of the shadow of Errenzhuan.

Maybe Northeasterners will laugh after seeing this.

But as a Shaanxi native, Er Er Zhuan is a bit acclimated to Shaanxi...or for those viewers who don't watch Er Er Zhuan.

There are some things in it that I really can’t understand.

He really couldn't get the humorous point about "MUST DIE" being translated as "horses die quickly", or about bargaining being particularly funny.

But that's okay.

At least so far, both the story and the shots of "Three Guns" are above the passing line.

Just wait for the subsequent plot to unfold.

Just as he was thinking about it, suddenly, "Three Guns" collapsed.

"Move, move, move, move..."

After the curtain was lifted, the dancer with the cannon under her crotch was wearing a skirt similar to a sari. With the sound of dynamic music, she began to stand in front of the cannon and dance enchantingly.

"..."

"..."

"..."

In an instant, Xu Xin felt as if he had been shot into the soul by a cannon shot from the camera...

To use the most popular Internet buzzwords of the past two years:

"I was shocked on the outside and tender on the inside."

You said he could tolerate the scene where guns appear in Three Guns.

After all, things like flintlock guns appeared very early in the history of China.

Gunpowder was earlier.

You said cannons appeared...

He can tolerate it too.

It's a comedy anyway.

You can talk about a Persian businessman who speaks Mandarin, and a boss lady who can bargain with "ONE TWO THREE FOUR"... That's fine.

It's an absurd comedy.

He can understand it no matter what.

But when the cannon, the dancers and the DISCO dance music appeared, and a group of people danced there...Xu Xin knew...

Not to mention the subsequent plot, just for the opening lightning strike, the old man must have been scolded.

Cannon, being ridden on the crotch by a dancer.

This hint didn't even need to be thought about, he guessed what it was implying.

Of course, it could also be your own heart that seems normal to others, but feels wrong to you.

But it was not background music, and it came from who knows which speaker. The characters in the third story broke the fourth wall and started dancing directly...

Xu Xin really couldn't accept this.

this……

what?

Thinking of this, he unconsciously turned to look at his wife.

It just so happens.

Yang Mi was also looking at him.

The emotions in both people's eyes are the same.

"what is this?"

After thinking for a while, Xu Xin remained silent.

Instead, keep looking down.

After watching, he breathed a sigh of relief when Zhao Benshan appeared.

call……

good.

With Teacher Motoyama here, the style of the play suddenly became HOLD.

Even Shen Xiaoyang, that buck-toothed fat man and that duck egg are having a twosome.

As soon as he appears...

All of a sudden, the entire show's style was right.

It even gave Xu Xin the illusion that even if a Transformer appeared next, he seemed to be able to accept it.

After all, with Zhao Benshan, the king of sketches... you will never lack surprises and jokes.

And the short scene of eating noodles in an inn, from the dialogue, to the expressions, to the humorous way that appeals to both refined and popular tastes... it ignited Xu Xin's confidence in this drama again.

But this confidence collapsed again as the plot progressed.

Ni Dahong who plays S, M, Yan Ni's exaggerated expression... Shen Xiaoyang's artificial duet-like acting skills...

Xu Xin’s mental journey is actually very obvious.

"(ω)" from the beginning.

To the "(O_o)??" when seeing the dancing girl.

"(*^▽^*)" appeared in Zhao Benshan.

I’m looking forward to Zhao Benshan’s CARRY (^_)☆.

When Zhao Benshan is no longer visible, the story begins to take a strange "o(^｀)o" direction.

And "!!!∑(Дノ)" who realized that the old man seemed to have completely screwed up.

I watched "ヽ(ー_ー)ノ" at the end...

And when the ending song appeared, looking back at the entire movie, he couldn't help but turn his head and look at the other two people.

Xu Zhi: ⊙(◇)?

Yang Mi: "(￣ェ￣;)"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Silence, speechlessness, speechlessness.

moment.

"Three...three gold."

"ah?"

"You...tell me about it. My level of appreciation...is not good enough. I can't understand it at all. What...is this movie about?"

Listening to Xu Zhi's tone of beginning to doubt life...

"Well……"

Xu Xin opened his mouth.

He turned around and looked at Yang Mi as if asking for help.

Until the end of the story, Yang Mi, who was trying to find some reversal or two points, opened her mouth...

"I'm going to check on the kids."

Then she slipped away.

Sliding away very fast.

After she left, Xu Xin took out a cigarette from his pocket.

After lighting it, I took a deep breath to calm down.

All he could think about was the song that was still playing on the TV:

"Don't be crazy about bro~"

"Brother is just a legend An An'an~~~~"

…

"What did Director Zhang say?"

Late at night, Yang Mi couldn't wait to ask her brother who was returning from outside.

Just now, Xu Xin, who had sent Xu Zhi away, returned to bed and began tossing and turning unable to sleep.

He greeted her with his cell phone and said he would go out and call the old man.

The children are asleep, so they must not be beaten in the house.

So, after he came back, Yang Mi wanted to know what her brother and Director Zhang had talked about.

What do you think of this movie...?

But Xu Xin just shook his head slightly:

"I didn't fight."

"...No fight? Then what were you doing outside for so long?"

"I'm thinking about one thing. The old man's art appreciation level is much higher than mine... There's no reason why he didn't know that this film was made like this. So... the reason why he can show it to me is that he has obviously accepted it. Yes. wrong?"

"...But the price is too high, isn't it? This is his first film after the Olympics. Do you know how many movie fans outside have expectations for this film?"

A trace of worry appeared on Yang Mi's face.

"Don't talk about the audience, even I was really looking forward to the news about this film... Later, when you brought his film back to Zhangye as a warning to Zhang Weiping, I even imagined it.

That was Director Zhang. No matter what, the photo won’t be too ugly…

I thought "House of Flying Daggers" was pretty bad... so I only watched it once. But even if it’s only once, I firmly believe that my artistic appreciation level is not up to the level of understanding this movie. I felt bad, that was my cup of tea... and I never thought of finding the reason in his old man. But now..."

"..."

Xu Xin knew what she wanted to express.

Moreover, he believes that movie fans who like Zhang Yimou may more or less have this mentality when encountering movies like "House of Flying Daggers".

"It's my fault that I can't understand this movie."

"I think it sucks because I don't appreciate it enough."

"Director Zhang can't make bad movies..."

Although it means following blindly.

but……

A performance director who was able to organize such a large Olympic Games in an orderly manner and finally contributed to the world... can almost be said to be more than any previous opening ceremony of the Olympic Games...

He has met the expectations of so many people and has never disappointed.

How could he fail in such a small movie?

impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

But now...

When the facts are in front of you...

Don't say Yang Mi can't accept it.

Even Xu Xin, who knew early on that the film might explode, couldn't accept it.

No matter how much it explodes... it won't lead to this kind of virtue, right?

In the words of Guo Degang...

"This is too vulgar."

But that's it.

Even the old man admitted personally that the disc given to Xu Xin was the version of "Three Guns" released on the 10th.

That……

The situation is irreversible.

What else can be done?

Xu Xin didn't know either.

After thinking for a while, he said:

"Go to sleep. When I see Director Zhang tomorrow, I'll ask again... It's useless to say anything now."

"……Um."

Yang Mi nodded and turned off the night light.

In the darkness, Xu Xin went to bed.

Lie flat.

Staring at the dark ceiling, my mind was speechless.

At this moment, a hand from under the quilt touched the back of his hand.

Naturally, she locked hands with him.

"elder brother."

My wife's gentle call came from the darkness.

"Um?"

"It's actually pretty good..."

"What?"

"Just think about it, even Director Zhang has made bad movies... You can feel at ease that your future works will be bad."

"..."

Xu Xin's mouth twitched.

"Thank you."

"Hehe~ Okay, go to bed quickly. You have to be busy tomorrow."

"Um."

This time, he closed his eyes.

Holding his wife's hand, he slowly fell asleep.

…

The next day, early in the morning, Xu Xin came to the downstairs of the old man's house together.

In fact, he doesn't need to pick up Zhang Yimou today.

But after watching "Three Shots," he had to take it.

When he arrived downstairs, Zhang Yimou and Zhang Mo were already waiting.

Seeing Xu Xin's car, the two of them got in the car directly.

This time, Zhang Mo sat in the back and Zhang Yimou sat in the passenger seat.

The first thing I said when I got on the bus was:

"She and I were still making a bet last night. I said you would have to get up early and come here tomorrow. She still didn't believe it..."

"..."

Xu Xin was speechless, turned to look at Zhang Mo, and said:

"What should I do?"

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Yimou asked Xu Xin while signaling him to drive first.

Xu Xinxin said you have reached this point...

"Then tonight's premiere..."

"Tonight is not a premiere, it is a press conference held by Yanjing TV."

"Isn't that also a live broadcast?"

"It's a live broadcast, but there's no movie. It's just a promotional event..."

As he said that, he turned around and observed Xu Xin's expression.

"I know what you are going to say... Let me ask you, aside from the acting issues, have I understood the whole story?"

"...I understand. The proprietress was sold to Mazi and was abused by Mazi all day long. Finally she couldn't bear it anymore, so she bought a gun and killed Mazi. Mazi found out and wanted to catch Zhang San and kill the proprietress. In the end, Zhang Sanhei took advantage of the situation and killed him first. Mazi, but when his murder was discovered, he could only continue killing. In the end, everyone died..."

"What about the image? How is it?"

"The solitary smoke in the desert is straight, and the sun sets over the long river. Your film should be shot in the style of a Western oil painting, and it would be great to match the stunning scenery of Zhangye."

"But it's still not that great, right?"

As soon as Zhang Yimou said this, Xu Xin didn't know how to answer it.

Seeing his silence, Zhang Yimou said:

"But I really tried my best."

Xu Xin finally felt an indescribable sense of exhaustion from these words.

"This script was copied mechanically without localization. It is an immature script with too many details that have not been controlled. But he wants to make money... He knows what I want to do most right now. What is it?"

"What?"

"I hope it fails miserably at the box office. Since its release, its reputation has plummeted. With an investment of 70 million, it is best that the total box office should not exceed 10 million. In this way...at least the audience will not lose the 35 yuan in vain. .”

"But... this is just an unrealistic fantasy. If nothing else, everyone is looking forward to what kind of surprise you will bring them after the Olympics. Just because of this enthusiasm... the box office will not be small. It will even be It might even be a big hit.”

Xu Xin's words also silenced Zhang Yimou.

moment.

"Actually, this is fine..."

Zhang Yimou suddenly said this.

"I am praised too highly for the Olympic Games. I just want to use this video to calm down the fire..."

At this point, he stopped talking.

Turning to look at Xu Xin:

"This is what I say to comfort myself, because after it is released... I can foresee that there will be a lot of criticism like a roaring mountain and a tsunami. So I comfort myself in advance, don't learn from it. This is deceiving yourself and others."

When Xu Xinxin talks about feelings, you still know that this is self-deception.

But now the arrow is on the string and has to be fired.

It's useless to say anything.

December 10th is the date for the nationwide premiere of "Three Guns".

Starting in the next few days, a vigorous publicity campaign will begin.

Zhang Weiping was in charge of this publicity, so the old man could only go to the platform as a vase.

No matter what you say, it's too late.

What to do?

Nothing can be done.

"Three Guns" will not have any other ending with Xu Xin.

The old man collects money... No, the new screen collects money, and then the old man waits to be scolded.

This is the only ending.

Thinking of this...Xu Xin couldn't help but speak again:

"How about...really, can you come to my place? I'll give you a budget of 200 million...no, 300 million a year. I'll prepare it for you as soon as the new year starts. You can shoot whatever you want. , you don’t have to look at anyone’s face. Just pick the story that interests you, the one you like, the one you want to play with, the one you want to make trouble with... you can do whatever you want. I won’t be angry with you, okay?”

"What are you doing? Showing off how rich you are?"

Zhang Yimou suddenly became happy.

The kind that I can't help but endure.

"You have this money, why not start your own career... Didn't you also get this money from home? You are already a father, why are you still so childish in your thinking?"

"It's not that I'm naive, why don't I spend money if I want to? Look at me now... I smoke at home, drink at home, drive a car worth hundreds of thousands, and the clothes on my body are all bought by Yang Mi with her own money... I don’t have any consumption. Can you just think that I want to waste my money? We won’t play with other people...can you just treat it as a facade for our company? "

"Ha~"

Faced with Xu Xin's plea again.

Zhang Yimou chuckled and seemed to be in a much better mood.

But he still said it... After he said his words, he already knew the answer, but he still couldn't help but hold on to Xu Xin's answer from the bottom of his heart:

"Okay, let's drive hard."

"..."