Chapter 110 "Hear the Wind Sing" movie version? What a bad movie! It's a waste of Mr.
Chapter 110 "Hear the Wind Sing" movie version? What a bad movie! It's a waste of Mr. Kitagawa's original work.
The day after the closing ceremony, Shizuko Kawaide used her family connections to contact a number of film distribution companies and prepared to screen the new film produced by Hide Kitagawa.
When they heard that this was a film produced and written by Mr. Kitagawa himself, these film distribution companies immediately became interested and quickly sent a review team to watch the sample film.
The relationship with the Ministry of Education was easily established using the connections of the Kawade Group.
But after watching it, everyone's first reaction was a chill down their spine, and then they admired Kitagawa Hide's outstanding talent while being horrified by his audacity.
"The Akutagawa Prize Serial Murder Case", from the title of the film you can tell that Kitagawa Hide is satirizing the Akutagawa Prize.
Then watch the story of the movie.
Nothing!
This is simply stripping off the underwear of the Akutagawa Prize!
If it were a month or two ago, they would just think that Kitagawa Hide was overestimating his own abilities and was just entertaining himself as a failed writer.
But not long ago, "I Am a Cat" was strongly promoted by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, and became a satirical and critical novel that cannot be ignored in the history of modern and contemporary Japanese literature, which is recognized by all sectors of society!
Anyone who now says that the book written by Hide Kitagawa is not satirical and critical is asking for trouble.
No one could have imagined that it was not enough for Kitagawa Hide to write an article "I am a Cat", but he actually wanted to respond to the fact that the Akutagawa Prize was not awarded to him in an even more brutal way!
But the movie is a good one.
The reviewers who had seen the film were quarantined and sat together to discuss the issue. At least nine out of ten people agreed that this film would be a box office hit.
However, film distribution companies such as Toho and Toei, which own major cinema chains, dare not sign contracts to release the film in their own cinemas.
Kitagawa Hide didn't expect that the movie would be stuck at the release stage, but soon, a company willing to go against the wind and take the lead appeared.
Musashinokan Cinema in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
This is a single-hall cinema that was established in 6. When it was first built, the Musashino Theater broke the habit of entertainment facilities being concentrated in Asakusa or Ginza at the time, which became a strange thing in society at the time.
Musashinokan was once completely destroyed. After being rebuilt and closed several times, it was finally rebuilt into its current appearance in 4. It is the largest theater outside of Tokyo's cinema chain.
In Japan's film projection industry, there are theater chains and single-theater systems.
The so-called cinema chain refers to the cooperation between film producers and film distribution companies in the release of new films. These cinemas together are equivalent to a whole, so it is called a cinema chain.
When a film is released in a certain theater chain, all members of this theater chain must release the film.
Japan's cinema chains are basically monopolized by three giant companies: Toho, Toei and Shochiku Tokyu. However, the cinema resources they control, the share of the screening they demand and the main distribution of cinemas are completely different.
Toho prefers to play animated films, Toei prefers live-action special effects films, and Shochiku Tokyu plays more overseas imported films and domestic films.
If a movie doesn’t have a major theatrical release, it’s known as an independent play.
In the Showa era, it was called the single-theater series, and after 00, it was called the mini-theater series.
The most notable feature of films released in a single theater is that they are released on a small scale. They are generally not released nationwide and may even only be released in a few theaters or a few theaters in a large city.
When the single-theater system first emerged in the last century, the original intention was to screen niche films whose content was not suitable for the general public or whose capital did not allow them to hook up with giant distributors and large theater chains.
Especially erotic films, B-level films, and art films.
Single-theater cinemas are much smaller than cinema chains and have smaller customer flow, so the cost of screening will be significantly reduced.
After the three giants declined Kitagawa Hide's new work, Musashinokan was the first to knock on the door of Kawaide Shobo.
Subsequently, with the recommendation of Musashinokan, more than 30 single-theater cinemas in Tokyo contacted Kitagawa Hide one after another, and with the help of Kawaide Shizuko, they quickly signed cooperation contracts.
The box office revenue sharing ratio for Japanese films is usually: 30%-40% for the film producer, 5%-10% for the distributor, 5%-10% for the cinema chain, and 50%-60% for the theater.
Because it was a single-theater release, the proportion of the theaters was directly cut and the money was put into the pockets of the film producers. Many of the owners of these single-theater systems were fans of Kitagawa Hide's books, and the prices they asked for were not high. Their purpose was to make their presence felt in front of Mr. Kitagawa.
The film version of "Hear the Wind Sing" has already started its promotion and marketing a long time ago. Nikkatsu Corporation has invested a lot of resources in it. Recently, its advertising slogans can be seen everywhere in subways, trams and outside large shopping malls.
Since these single-theater cinemas could not get the screening rights for "Hear the Wind Sing" in the first month of its premiere, they turned their attention to "The Akai Literature Award Serial Murder Case."
Anyway, they are all works by Mr. Hide Kitagawa. When the banners are hung outside, maybe the audience will get "lost".
Moreover, Kitagawa Hide also agreed that they could use his own photos and posters to attract traffic, which is a treatment that even "Hear the Wind Sing" didn't have!
In less than a day, Kitagawa Hide happily finalized the profit sharing ratio with them: 50% for the film producer, 5% for the distributor, and 45% for the cinema.
Kitagawa Hide paid an additional 30 million yen in distribution and publicity fees to more than 500 single-theater cinemas, with an average of less than 20 yen per theater. He just regarded it as a formality and a way to save face. Originally, these bosses were unwilling to accept the money and just wanted to help Mr. Kitagawa with publicity for free.
After finishing these trivial matters, Kitagawa Hide couldn't help but sigh at the usefulness of being a famous writer.
Although they are only the owners of single-theater cinemas and distribution companies, these people are too arrogant and completely look down on most independent film producers.
The chain of contempt in the Japanese entertainment industry is linked one after another, and the atmosphere is so depressing that it can make people breathless. Generally, for this kind of distribution signing event, the producer has to take the main creative staff and main actors of the crew to serve the bosses of the theater chain and single theater system.
Only after you have served these gentlemen well will they let you go.
Or if you have the support of the three giants and the film is produced by them, then you can suffer less of this sin.
But when it comes to Kitagawa Hide, the situation is exactly the opposite.
He didn't show up much, but the owners of the independent theaters came to visit him one after another, inviting him to dinner and singing in the club, fearing that the great writer would be unhappy, so they cancelled their cooperation with them. Even the premiere date originally planned by the theater was finally decided by Kitagawa Hide.
He chose November 11th for no other reason, as that day was also the premiere date of "Hear the Wind Sing", which was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Akutagawa Prize. The film, which he spent more than 2000 million yen to make, also had the same purpose, so of course he chose that day to release it.
However, because the film could only be shown in single-theater theaters in the end, the crew members and Shizuko Kawaide and others became very discouraged, feeling that the ticket sales would most likely not make back their investment.
Most of the movies shown in single-theater theaters have niche themes. It is said that the highest-grossing movie shown in single-theater theaters in Tokyo this year was only 1440 million yen, and the others were flops.
Of course, there have been cases where a movie was released in a single theater and then accidentally became popular, and then the scope was expanded to include three-digit theaters.
But those were all movies after the millennium. The more well-known ones include "Keep the Camera!", "In This Corner of the World" and "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time". Such movies did not exist in the 90s.
The top-notch single-theater film producers are not worthy of carrying shoes for the younger cinema chain producers.
Everyone was dejected, but they still agreed to go to Musashinokan to watch the premiere on November 11. Kitagawa Hide seemed calm and composed, as if he was sure that the movie would not fail.
"I would like to dedicate this film to the 60th anniversary of the Akutagawa Prize, and would like to express special thanks to Mr. Ichiko Sadaji, a member of the Academy of Literary Arts, and Mr. Ishihara Shintaro, a permanent judge of the Akutagawa Prize."
On the huge movie screen, rows of subtitles kept scrolling.
The name of the original author, Hide Kitagawa, only flashed by, but these messy names took up several minutes at the beginning.
As the first, second, and third biggest Kitagawa fans at the University of Tokyo, the "Zhuge Liang" of the fangirl group, and loyal fans of "The Youth Trilogy", people like Agatsuma Yumeko, who were far away in Kyoto attending a literary exchange meeting, took advantage of their spare time to run to the cinema to watch the movie version of "Hear the Wind Sing".
If this movie wasn't adapted from "Hear the Wind Sing", most people who came to the theater would have chosen to rent video tapes to watch it instead of spending more than 2000 yen on movie tickets!
The screening room was packed with people, and everyone had high expectations for the movie.
"Even though Nikkatsu Corporation is unreliable, with such a good script, it won't be too bad no matter how it is filmed, right?" Jabami Rei threw a popcorn into her mouth. When she learned that the movie "Akutomi Literature Award Serial Murder Case" in which she participated was only shown in a few single-theater theaters in Tokyo, she was extremely depressed.
I could have taken Yumeko and the others with me to watch my acting skills.
In the end, no movie theaters in Kyoto showed it!
Thinking of this, she began to worry about Kitagawa Hide for some unknown reason.
Could it be that the subject matter and content were targeted?
Agatsuma Yumeko was also worried. She didn't ask Kitagawa Hide's film to embarrass the Akutagawa Prize, as long as it ended safely and without losing money.
For this reason, she took the other three people with her and went to various shrines and temples every day to pray for Kitagawa Hide, under the pretext of praying for safety. Recently, she also always secretly called him at night when everyone was asleep to encourage him.
Without her own movies to watch, Jabami Rei had to take them to watch her competitors' movies.
"It's definitely not bad! Mr. Kitagawa's novels are so good!" Qianhe Hui said with great anticipation, holding the popcorn bucket.
The long and boring opening credits finally ended.
The four of them immediately held their breath, sat up straight and began to watch.
Kaoru Kobayashi, who plays "I" and "Rat", is in his prime, but his strong appearance does not quite fit the image of the two protagonists as playboys. He is a bit rigid and does not match them well.
Jabami Rei always felt that the nine-fingered girl followed her own character template, but was too embarrassed to say it out loud. In the book, this girl not only had an ambiguous relationship with "me", but her figure and private parts were also described in detail!
But at that time, Kitagawa Hide asked casually if he looked like her, which made Jabami Rei angry and at a loss when she thought about it.
The role is played by the famous actress Kimie Shingyoji, who has the same problem as Kaoru Kobayashi and doesn't fit in at all with the nine-fingered girl.
When the audience saw the male and female protagonists, they began to complain quietly.
This director is really bad at choosing actors, isn't he? Anyone who has read the original novel knows that they are not suitable!
Time passes by minute by minute, and the plot is proceeding step by step.
As they watched, the expressions of the four people gradually became strange.
They are all die-hard fans who have read the original novel over and over again. Even if they don't know the plot of "Hear the Wind Sing" by heart, they at least remember it roughly.
So what the hell is this sudden love story?
Didn't the nine-fingered girl gradually disappear in the crowd? Why did it look like she was going to date me?
Halfway through the 120-minute movie, yawns and complaints were heard in the theater, and some people were even leaving.
This is in stark contrast to the situation when the hardcover paperback edition of "Hear the Wind Sing" was released.
Some viewers even still had the original novel in their hands, but now there was only disappointment and anger on their faces.
"I shouldn't have had any expectations for Nikkatsu!" Jabami Rei gnashed her teeth in hatred.
"It's indeed a bit bad." Agatsuma Yumeko felt more distressed for Kitagawa Hide. She felt that this was a tarnish of the good work that Hide had worked so hard to write, and it was unforgivable!
"Eh? I actually think it's okay, except that the adaptation of the original plot is too stupid. As for the rest, the famous scenes and dialogues are actually quite good." As a true supporter of Kitagawa Hide, Chizuru Hui's first reaction was to refute them.
In her heart, even if the book is changed into a piece of shit, as long as the original work is written by Mr. Kitagawa, she is willing to pay for it!
Tomoyo Kobayashi remained silent. Her feeling was the same as that of most of the audience, which could be summed up in one word: terrible!
What a bad movie! What a waste of Mr. Kitagawa's excellent original work!
(End of this chapter)