Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 46

Former Hero is a Million-Dollar Actor – Episode 46 (46/199)

Braving the Storm (5)

* * *

On the day of the paid premiere.

Reporters gathered in front of the multiplex, having been contacted in advance. The smoking area was already crowded with seasoned smokers getting in one last puff before heading inside.

“As if they aren’t a major agency, they’re making such a fuss.”

“Right. Not a GV [Guest Visit, a Q&A session with the audience], not a press screening, but a paid premiere for a small-budget movie?”

It was truly audacious.

It wasn’t that they were jealous of the movie’s potential success. Usually, movies like this hold screenings before the release, inviting reporters and bloggers.

Then, the actors and directors make stage appearances to lighten the mood. Those invited are human, so they tend to be more generous afterward.

But to hold a paid premiere without any of that, a whole two weeks before the release?

It was practically begging to be torn apart.

Moreover, the cast of ‘Black Exorcist’ hadn’t appeared on YouTube or in any interviews.

Including Park Geon, and even that Chungmuro’s [Korean Hollywood] nuclear bomb director… even the actress who claimed to have been sexually harassed.

From the reporters’ perspective, who were trying to grab any news angle, it was a frustrating move.

“Oh, Kim Reporter. You came wagging your tail, but you have a lot to say.”

“What else can I do? It’s only happening once this weekend, practically like a screening.”

Moreover, they were only using one pre-arranged screening room. This was no different from a paid screening. They were trying to grab both the buzz of a ‘paid’ premiere and the justification of fair play.

The reporter, who stubbed out his cigarette, reignited his fighting spirit.

“Plus, they invited the reporters separately. They want us to come and tear it apart, so we should rip them to shreds.”

Now, there was one hour until the screening. Before that, there was a small event for the reporters.

.

.

.

“…Are they really going to be okay?”

One entertainment reporter muttered while working on a draft article on his laptop.

A veteran reporter sitting next to him responded.

“What else could it be? One of two things. Either it’ll flop miserably, or it’ll be better than expected.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen CEO Noh like this. He’s been out of the game for a while.”

“What was CEO Noh Joong-man like originally?”

A female reporter sitting in the back row showed interest. The veteran reporter puffed himself up and began to tell stories.

“He was exactly like this. Aggressive and belligerent marketing. A do-or-die style.”

“In the entertainment business? Isn’t that a recipe for disaster if you mess up?”

“That’s what makes him amazing. He’s walked that tightrope every time and turned a small corner store office into a major agency.”

“Come on, he’s not the Midas touch. Why hasn’t he overtaken DG and Joinus yet?”

“Junior. The entertainment industry isn’t that simple…”

Just as the long-winded explanation was about to continue, the entrance became noisy, and the reporters rushed out.

Noh Joong-man, the representative of Roman, who was the only one scheduled for an interview, had appeared.

“CEO, please say a word about the movie’s success!”

“Is this a support effort for actor Park Geon, after a long time away from the public!”

Noh Joong-man, walking in with heavy steps, stopped in the center of the screen.

Dark gray suit, tall height, and solid build.

Even a few years ago, he was frequently exposed, but these days, he didn’t even appear near his representative actors’ works.

Moreover, this work was the talk of the town, an occult film. Curiosity was boiling over.

“First of all, this isn’t a support effort. It’s a work that will succeed even if I don’t come.”

The reason why reporters liked Noh Joong-man was extremely simple. He had no obvious filters.

“But it has to be noisy. There are too many people saying the movie will fail, so I came to predict the rise and fall myself.”

He was direct and provocative. His comments were different from those of other representatives, such as DG’s Byun Dong-geun and Joinus’s Ham Hyun-sik, in terms of topicality.

“Kim Ryul is an undervalued blue chip.”

See, he gets straight to the point. Noh Joong-man spoke without giving the reporters a chance to ask questions.

“I wanted to bring him in right away, but it’s a shame that we’re not a movie production company.”

A reporter swallowed hard and raised his hand.

“You, the reporter over there.”

“Like Director Kim Ryul’s previous works, there are many voices worried that the movie will be wrecked. Does this mean we can expect something from this ragtag team?”

“…A ragtag team.”

The corners of Noh Joong-man’s mouth faintly lifted.

“People in the movie industry called him the misfortune of Chungmuro, the decline of independent films. It’s ridiculous. Those so-called critics can’t even recognize what’s a pearl and chase only illusions.”

Although CEO Noh had been refusing interviews for a while, once he opened his mouth, a relentless blade danced.

In a situation where he was harshly criticizing the head of a broadcasting station and the president of another agency, what was a mere critic?

The reporters who knew him clung to him even more fiercely.

“Who are you referring to!”

“Are you targeting critic Kim Jung-ik!”

“Is this paid premiere a preemptive move to avoid competing works?”

“How many expected viewers are you anticipating!”

Numerous questions poured out, but Noh Joong-man left only one short answer.

“They will become the monsters of Chungmuro.”

*

7 kilometers away from the multiplex in Seongdong-gu, where the reporters flocked, was Yongsan.

Viewers who came to see ‘Black Exorcist’ gathered at I’Park Mall.

“Honey, ‘Black Exorcist’ is released today. Should we watch that?”

“No. It says it’s a paid premiere. I saw earlier that it’s already sold out.”

“Aww… I wanted to see it!”

Jang Seong-hwa smiled at the couple’s conversation.

“Movie actors are amazing. Getting tickets for this.”

Today, Jang Seong-hwa, Jo Yong-jo, and the members of the ‘Gap’ theater troupe came for a group viewing.

Since it was an irregular performance, and it was the debut work of a theater colleague, everyone came up to Seoul.

“I guess it’s a really big movie. The trailer keeps playing on the electronic display over there.”

“You should be grateful if you knew. You know they only do premieres for popular works before the release, right?”

“Ugh, Jang Seong-hwa’s bluffing as always…”

A troupe member, clicking his tongue, looked around and asked.

“But where’s Lee Jang-mi? Isn’t she coming today?”

“She’s always an outsider. She’s probably at the production office bothering the director again.”

Jo Yong-jo snatched Jang Seong-hwa’s words.

“What are you talking about? The director said he was coming to see this today too?”

Another 30 meters away. The protagonist the troupe members were talking about was standing in front of the snack store.

With a white shirt and a black suit, along with a group wearing the same clothes.

“Ah, hello… How can I help you?”

The employee, intimidated by the unusual guests, stammered.

Kim Ryul, taking out his card, replied.

“Give me a Zero Coke, please. What would you like, Father?”

“I don’t drink.”

“The running time is long. You’ll be thirsty.”

“I’ll go out and buy it then.”

Kim Ryul’s father was a majestic old man, even at the age of over eighty.

His fierce eyes, like a totem pole, examined the movie theater as if it were a marvel.

“Are all these people here to see your movie?”

“No, they’re watching other movies too. Some people just stopped by the shopping mall.”

The old man disapprovingly tapped the floor with his cane.

“Tsk tsk, if there was something like this, I should have been called sooner. I haven’t even seen my son’s movie once…”

Kim Ryul only gave a bitter smile.

Before, he couldn’t even hold a premiere, let alone a screening. All he did was gather acquaintances and hold a small screening.

To be shown in a large theater in Seoul, to receive attention as a premiere… it would have been impossible even if he had run his whole life if it weren’t for this movie.

‘You can curse me as much as you want. As long as the actors and the movie do well.’

The ordered drinks came out. Ten minutes before the movie started, they checked the pre-booked premiere tickets and started entering.

Kim Ryul, holding the drink, was about to go to the ticketing line, but there were no footsteps following him.

Turning around, he saw the old man standing tall, flipping through the pamphlets.

“Are you looking for something?”

“…Why isn’t there a picture of you?”

“Pardon?”

“There are actors, and even a strange dark guy, but why isn’t there a director? If your mother saw this, she would have made a fuss, saying how could they leave out our son.”

He unnecessarily looked for his mother, but he knew it was what he wanted to say.

Kim Ryul smiled faintly.

‘Today may be the last day, but.’

So, he invited his father to the released movie for the first time in his life. He wanted to show him that his son had made it this far.

“Father, is there anything uncomfortable…?”

After sitting in the audience, Kim Ryul stopped talking as he looked back at the seat next to him.

It hadn’t even started yet, but the old man’s fist was clenched tightly on his lap. The rosary that his mother used to wear in her lifetime was visible through the gap in his shirt.

Slightly trembling.

ㅡFor a safe viewing, we will inform you of the evacuation route. The nearest location, exit, and emergency exit are……

The announcement informing about the movie came out, and the lights in the audience turned off in order.

Officials, audiences, reporters, and critics would be waiting in various parts of the audience.

With each of their earnestness,

The movie began.

*

Viewers who purchased the paid premiere were anticipating.

Would this movie be interesting?

Fans who knew a little about the behind-the-scenes story were curious.

How would Park Geon transform?

Reporters who came with the intention of tearing it apart and critics who visited, excited about an interesting feast, licked their lips.

Anyway, the rest are just hangers-on.

Roman’s new blood. Will this huge rookie drive the play like ‘The Dog of Seoul’ despite the director’s blunders and the unknown actors’ bad acting?

The movie starts from the bookshelf of the Bible.

A lit candlestick, a bleeding Christ statue, and an angle that brushed past a swaying shadow again illuminate the Bible.

Black letters seep out on white paper.

[ Black Exorcist ]

The screen transitions to a crowded lounge bar.

It’s clearly the lounge bar we know, but the lighting and colors are subtly different.

The camera, which sensuously enters the front seat of the bar, passes through the kitchen and looks for the manager.

ㅡWhere did Seo Yo-han go?.

ㅡHe’s in the break room, probably drinking.

ㅡThat guy again, even after I told him so many times……!

The camera follows the manager, who opens the door with a huff. And the moment Park Geon in a cassock, uncorking a whiskey, comes out, exclamations flowed in the movie theater.

“…Wow.”

The languidly turning eyes are rebellious, and the sharply extended jaw emits a cool light. Even the cassock that fits perfectly, contrary to the delinquent atmosphere.

If you don’t feel anything even after seeing this, you’re not a human but a stone. It’s truly a ‘killer’ under-shot, and not only women but also men opened their mouths.

It was an exclamation even greater than the unresisting sigh that the staff had shed on the first day of filming.

ㅡI’m sorry. Please charge the liquor and laundry fees to the store.

However, this priest is not at all faithful. Seo Yo-han, who poured cocktails on the guests, goes from one part-time job interview to another, and the scene flows to the first exorcism.

A pale couple says.

ㅡFather… please, I beg you.

ㅡUntil I come out, never come in.

Occult has directorial limitations.

All exorcism is is actors reciting prayers and acting possessed.

In that respect, the muscular man running towards the priest with the body of a young man on the face of an old man is shocking. In addition, the priest tried to burn the possessed person with a cigarette.

ㅡThank you, thank you!

ㅡIt’s okay. By the way, I think you said something about the Rose Cross Society earlier.

ㅡAh, yes, they’re originally from Italy, but I heard there are priests in Korea too…….

ㅡDon’t call them. They’re all stubborn.

As soon as the first exorcism that clearly imprinted Seo Yo-han was over, a location comparable to a documentary unfolds.

Swaaaaaㅡ

A dreary mist spreads over the rainy plaster walls. Kim Ryul doesn’t put in a single cut of the background or even a single prop carelessly.

The sensual angle in the lounge bar changes strangely in the bird’s-eye view that illuminates the murder scene. It is the result of color correction that the industry’s best experts have put their heart and soul into the highly completed edited version.

The actor walks on that overwhelming mise-en-scène [the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play or film scene].

ㅡDetective, listen to me carefully. All these bastards are possessed by demons.

ㅡDemons? Is this guy crazy?

After the quarrel between Seo Yo-han and the detectives, Gwangsu Detective Kim Hwang-cheol investigates the priest’s background. A breathtaking line bounces between the two who meet again.

ㅡDid you kill those people?

ㅡWhy would I do such a thing? I’m not a demon.

ㅡHe wasn’t even a priest, his parents died at the hands of some crazy guy when he was young. That’s why he goes around doing that possession or exorcism.

ㅡIt’s a mess, the country is doing well. The police are digging behind civilians… the priest is chasing corpses and running around the scene.

At first, the audience focused on Park Geon, but now they fall into the supporting actors.

Jang Seong-hwa… Jo Yong-jo… It’s okay for unfamiliar actors, but even the extras who were caught and left for a while are something different in this movie.

ㅡMister, come this way.

A word from a twelve-year-old supporting actor who is seeing for the first time overwhelms the screen. Soon after, the tripe restaurant owner, who was once a great actor but is now retired, receives the line.

ㅡWhy… why? I go to church. I’m wearing a rosary here too.

ㅡThis isn’t a church. You don’t look like you have any money, so come and listen to some good words.

ㅡUh, I have a job, I wasn’t fired…….

Not a single supporting actor or even a single line is inferior anywhere. Kim Ryul’s directing puts actors who haven’t yet risen to the surface above the surface, and makes actors who have risen soar to the sky.

One entertainment reporter muttered to himself.

‘…Have I not been watching movies these days?’

The movie flows with an ominous and sticky atmosphere.

Seo Yo-han infiltrates the Salvation Society’s meeting and confirms the leader Lee Yu-won from afar.

ㅡThe smell of sulfur… he’s already possessed.

Meanwhile, Detective Kim Hwang-cheol, who was repeatedly investigating, gradually approaches the truth of the case.

From the traces of the corpse as if a beast had torn it apart, the symbols left at each crime scene matched the signs of the devil that Seo Yo-han had said.

ㅡCould it be that the priest’s words……

Kim Hwang-cheol rummages through Seo Yo-han’s records again.

Parents died from a robber who broke into the house at the age of 7… The criminal, who showed symptoms of rapid mental disorder, committed suicide in a mental hospital three years later… After that, he was entrusted to a local church, but it was completely destroyed by a fire of unknown cause at the age of 16……

ㅡAh, that person’s data. A priest came before and begged me to show it to him.

Kim Hwang-cheol’s eyes widen as he lists the data stored in the mental hospital he visited.

The same symbols as the crime scene are drawn in the sketchbook that the suicidal criminal wrote before he died.

At the same time, Seo Yo-han, who returned home, is covered in sweat and wanders through nightmares.

ㅡYo-han.

A familiar voice is heard. Father Kang of Saecheon Church, an benefactor who raised Yo-han, who lost his parents, like a son and sent him to seminary.

ㅡNever take off your cassock. When you put it on again, recite the prayer. You must develop the power to protect you against the dragon and the old snake.

The face of the priest, who was speaking kindly, suddenly turns bloody. Father Kang, who had his neck bent crookedly with broken monocle glasses, opens his eyes.

ㅡOr I’ll tear you apart and kill you, pretty baby.

Seo Yo-han, startled, looks at his face in the mirror and is startled.

Next to the cross hanging upside down… a young man wearing a cassock is smiling grotesquely.

Father Kang’s words linger like thunder.

The devil comes, taking advantage of the weakened gap.

*