Hollywood Immortal

[Chapter 389: Fighting Critics with Audience Praise]

At Universal Pictures' conference room, an emergency meeting was underway to address the wave of negative reviews from professional film critics.

"Our midnight screenings had a turnout far beyond expectations, the audience buzz is very positive, and the most crucial box office numbers have exceeded what we predicted," Levitt Gore, the head of Universal's distribution department, kicked off the discussion.

"But the professional reviews for Independence Day are facing serious trouble," Levitt continued. "All the top critics are tearing it apart. As of now, the aggregated critic score is just 2.9 out of 10!"

There was a brief silence. They all understood that for big summer blockbusters, professional critical acclaim wasn't always the key to box office success. Historically, reviews primarily served as publicity buzz.

Still, no one could deny that influential critics like Roger Ebert did sway a segment of the audience. Having a few top critics' voices in opposition might not have been disastrous, but when the entire critic community turned against the film in unison, that was something they had to take seriously.

"Our PR team needs to move fast..."

"Legal should get involved and warn those critics..."

"Should we spend some money to charm and divide a few of the critics?"

...and so on.

At this point in time, the internet wasn't widely developed, and traditional media had its peak influence. Critics carried considerable weight, so it was understandable that the team was rattled.

But Linton, who was present, had anticipated this scenario ever since he vetoed attempts to appease the critics early on -- and he'd prepared for it.

After listening to the flurry of anxious but ineffective suggestions, Linton finally spoke.

"The critics' harsh attacks on Independence Day might not be a bad thing."

Before anyone could respond, he pulled out the latest research report from Cieasre, a market analytics firm, and continued.

"According to Cieasre, the audience watching Independence Day is mainly aged 15 to 35, with 17 to 26-year-olds accounting for 69% of viewers. In other words, 17 to 26 is our core audience. Does anyone here really understand what this age group thinks? I'm 24 myself, right in that bracket, so I can say I know this demographic pretty well."

"Is there something special we've been overlooking?" Lou Wasserman couldn't help but ask.

Linton didn't hesitate. "Our generation is extremely rebellious and individualistic. We don't blindly trust authority; in fact, we question it. We prefer to see the world with our own eyes, and we're heavily influenced by our peers rather than critics. In short, this generation of young people is practically immune to the influence of professional critics."

This insight caught everyone at the meeting off guard. To them, these ideas sounded fresh and even hard to believe. They looked around at each other -- mostly middle-aged or older -- and couldn't dismiss the possibility of a generational gap.

"So how do we respond?" Levitt asked on behalf of the group.

"It's simple. Critics attack us with their so-called professionalism, controlling the media narrative. But the Cieasre report shows the vast majority of young fans love our film -- they just lack a platform to voice their praise. So why don't we give them one? Why don't we let the passionate fans praising Independence Day take over mainstream media?"

Universal wasn't just a movie company; it was a major media conglomerate with abundant channels to disseminate messages across America.

Not only that, but Linton himself controlled a sizable media group, including the UPN TV network, which reached 95% of the population, and he had acquired nearly ten newspapers -- mostly entertainment-oriented -- which allowed significant influence over public opinion.

"No problem -- we'll set that up immediately."

"There's more," Linton added, pulling out several newspapers, including his own Hollywood Gossip Daily. "They reported on a curious incident at the AMG Theater in Santa Monica, LA. After the midnight Independence Day screening, Kenneth Turan, the film critic for the Los Angeles Times, who had harshly criticized the film, got into a heated verbal confrontation with over a hundred fans in attendance. Faced with an angry crowd, Kenneth had to apologize and escape...

What kind of power does this film have, that a prominent critic like Kenneth got into a shouting match with a crowd of fans at the theater over differing opinions?"

Linton paused dramatically.

"Friends, what does this tell us? It tells us that fans don't agree with the professional critics. This is a golden opportunity to publicize the story widely -- to show the whole country that critics are on the opposite side of the audience.

In short, we can't stop the critics' bad reviews, nor should we ignore them. Instead, let's turn this into a public battle of opinions between Independence Day and the critics.

Let everyday fans influence other everyday fans. If we amplify the voices of the fans enough, it will be far more effective than those remote, condescending critics who look down on the audience."

The meeting also decided that director Michael Bay would skip the publicity tour for now and stay in Los Angeles to openly take on the critics at the right moment, drawing more attention and enticing more people into theaters.

At 10 a.m., Linton boarded his private plane with the five leads of Independence Day, flying straight to New York to kick off a two-week promotional tour.

---

Timing was everything -- especially the media hype during a film's release -- and there wasn't a moment to waste. That very afternoon, MCA and UPN deployed their news vans to major theaters across the country.

Both networks conducted live interviews outside cinemas, catching crowds streaming out of Independence Day showings.

In front of the cameras, the enthusiastic fans didn't hold back their praise.

"Independence Day was amazing -- mind-blowing, heart-pounding!"

"All those epic explosions and jets firing... it's exactly the kind of blockbuster I love."

"The special effects were unbelievable. This is hands down the best movie I've ever seen. I'm going to watch it again, and bring all my friends. Good movies are meant to be shared!"

The movie's impact was so intense that the fans' excitement had yet to fade. Packed together, they shared their joy and adrenaline with the cameras.

In one scene, a theater manager, visibly thrilled, told the camera, "Independence Day is insanely popular. Usually this time of day, it's not so crowded. But today, look at that -- long lines at the box office. Everyone's here to see Independence Day..."

These genuine insights from theaters and fans instantly broadcast to millions of homes nationwide via UPN and MCA.

That evening's newspapers widely reprinted the story from the previous night: Kenneth Turan's fiery confrontation with hundreds of fans at the Santa Monica AMG Theater's midnight show.

Many of the papers closed by questioning: What kind of film is Independence Day? Why do the critics hate it so much, giving it such dismal ratings, while the fans adore and champion it -- even willing to argue with critics face-to-face?

As for the film itself, the papers suggested, the best way to find out is to head to the theater and experience it firsthand.

*****

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