As the largest art-house cinema chain in the United States, Landmark Theatres owned fifty-one theaters across twenty-one regions, totaling two hundred and twenty-eight screens. Despite thirty-six years of operation, this modest scale reflected the precarious situation of art films.
In the age dominated by commercial cinema, Landmark Theatres persisted in screening independent art films and classic old movies, providing a platform for faithful, experienced, and professional movie enthusiasts to appreciate art. While the endeavor was challenging, it had still carved out a place in the market, preserving the spark of artistic creation.
Located in downtown Los Angeles, Landmark Theatres was only a few blocks away from City Hall. It was surrounded by bustling commercial areas and dilapidated impoverished neighborhoods. The juxtaposition of heaven and hell, prosperity and poverty, gave this area a unique ambiance that vaguely hinted at the flavor of New York's Greenwich Village. Yet, it lacked the cultural and historically accumulated depth.
Stepping out of the parking lot, Hope Bates couldn't help but run all the way and looked up to the theater's marquee.
This Landmark theater still employed the vintage method from the 1930s. Within a black frame, using twenty-six English letters as modules, they displayed the films screening that day. Whenever they changed the screening schedule, staff members would carry a ladder, climb up, and change the display manually.
Today, the red letters on top prominently spelled out four rows: the first was "Buried", and the remaining three rows were "Howl", "Into the Void", and "Sunset Boulevard".
It was evident that Landmark Theatres was showing a classic film from 1950 this week, "Sunset Boulevard".
An intense sense of vintage and art wafted in the air, causing Hope to scream, "I love it, I love it, I love it!"
William Taylor and Graham Hughes, following behind, couldn't help but smile. They had missed Toronto and Telluride already, feeling regretful. Now, with the premiere of "Buried" finally arriving, these three dedicated fans of Renly were naturally unwilling to miss it. Thus, on the first day of the screening, they couldn't wait to watch the midnight showing at twelve o'clock.
"I told you the movie would be fantastic! Before even entering the theater, I knew I would absolutely love it!" Hope's steps were incredibly light as she hurried over. She shouted at the two, then merrily ran to the entrance of the theater. Curiously looking around, she effortlessly spotted her target on the wall. "Look! He's so handsome! Really handsome!"
William walked up quickly, and when he saw the promotional poster for "Buried", he couldn't help but chuckle.
The whole poster was surrounded by darkness. A person lay flat in the darkness, holding a lighter in his left hand. The dim light of the fire dispersed the darkness around, creating a small pocket of space. Vaguely, you could see his white T-shirt and a blurry face. The exact features were indiscernible; you could only trace the contours of a face.
"Are you sure? I can't even tell if it's him," Graham quipped from behind, which made William laugh as well.
Hope, however, turned around nonchalantly, pointed at the poster, and said confidently, "I know it's him, and that's enough." Hope couldn't help but stomp her foot, much like a little rabbit. "Ah, ah, ah! I can't hold it in anymore. Just the thought that I'll be watching the movie soon, I'm so excited I can't even put it into words!"
This time, William didn't argue.
It had been nearly half a year since "The Pacific" was screened, and almost two months had passed since the street encounter after the Emmy Awards ceremony. News about Renly had been abuzz and persistent, and their anticipation for "Buried" had been rising continuously, though they had yet to see it.
William had regretted not going directly to Toronto for the thousand and first time.
Finally, today, they had waited for today.
"The most anticipated film of 2010!" Hope enunciated each word deliberately. "Vanity Fair!'" She then broke into a brilliant smile. "You see, this movie is even more anticipated than "Harry Potter"!"
Before she could finish her words, Hope's voice gradually faded in her throat because she entered the lobby of the Landmark Theatres. There, she saw a bustling crowd of at least two hundred people.
Two hundred people might not be much for a commercial cinema chain; a large auditorium could accommodate three hundred people. However, for an art-house cinema like Landmark Theatres, two hundred people were nearly a fifth of their daily customer flow.
The two hundred people blocked the entire lobby, making it look like a flea market. It's worth noting that this was the midnight showing at twelve o'clock.
The concept of a midnight showing was generally reserved for commercial films. The fervor for this twelve o'clock screening time revealed the fans' strong anticipation, eager to watch the movie at the earliest moment. The midnight showings of the "Star Wars" series had an unbelievably strong impact.
Most of the time, art-house cinemas screened black and white old movies during their midnight showings. Even for a brand new movie's premiere, the midnight showing wouldn't be too lively. First, art films didn't require an urgent viewing, and dedicated movie enthusiasts preferred to find a quiet time to savor them. Second, the discussions around art films were limited in scope. There was no need for a premiere at the midnight showing; it was better to wait until daytime to discuss it together.
However, today, the midnight showing at Landmark Theatres completely overturned this idea. Two hundred people, a full two hundred people! And this was just the situation at this one Landmark theatre.
From the Emmy Award win to the lively street performances, from the hustle and bustle in Toronto to the promotion of two singles, the pursuit in Telluride, and finally, the blessing of "Fast 5".
Without a doubt, over the past two months, the name "Renly Hall" had been mentioned more and more frequently. Also benefiting was the film "Buried". Step by step, they attracted more and more interest from dedicated movie enthusiasts and curiosity about this new actor. This led to the bustling atmosphere of tonight's midnight showing.
"Oh my God, what if we can't get tickets?" Graham's brain was working the fastest. He shouted in panic.
Initially, they thought they had arrived early enough. Moreover, it was an art-house cinema's midnight showing. They were a hundred percent certain to get tickets. Strictly speaking, they were even worried that the screening hall might be empty. If the three of them took over the entire screening hall, while it would be delightful to have the entire quiet auditorium, it would inevitably be disappointing. Other people wouldn't experience Renly's excellence.
This was a very contradictory matter. On one hand, they hoped to have this diamond to themselves, secretly cherishing it within a small group, as if they shared a secret known to only a few. On the other hand, they hoped that more people could see Renly's excellence. They wanted to witness Renly's brilliance on the path to stardom together, becoming a part of it.
But now, worries were clearly unnecessary. What they needed to worry about the most wasn't whether "Buried" would go unnoticed, but whether they themselves could watch the midnight showing first!
William acted the quickest. Without hesitation, he stood at the back of the line and began queuing up. Hope and Graham stood there dazed for a moment, then quickly followed suit. This Landmark Theatre in Downtown was a small cinema with only five screens. As a result, there was only one cashier at the counter. This led to the line winding like a dragon, truly a spectacular sight.
"It seems we missed Toronto, but we finally got a taste of it," William quipped, successfully making a few people around him chuckle.
Bradley Adams rushed into the lobby after he walked in, but he had to hit the brakes. He had been worried that he was late and would miss the midnight showing, but the scene before him left him dumbfounded. He hadn't had a chance to look at the notice board outside the cinema. He quickly walked to the end of the line and asked, "Excuse me, is this Landmark Theatres?"
Nods.
"Is the film "Buried" being screened for a premiere tonight? I mean, that..."
Before Bradley could finish, the young people in front of him all nodded, affirming that. The tall and slender guy with curly hair added, "It's the movie that Young Heir stars in."
Bradley thought he had already confirmed it, but now he was confused again. "Who?"
"Young Heir," the three young people said in unison. Not only that, the other people in line also answered unevenly, "Young Heir."
As a senior reporter for the New York Times entertainment section, Bradley was no stranger to Hollywood. Though he might not know it like the back of his hand, he was quite familiar. Yet, he couldn't think of any corresponding actor in his mind, one nicknamed "Young Heir". "Who's Young Heir?"
The petite and cheerful girl in the middle called out, "Renly Hall, Young Heir Renly. Isn't this supposed to be the consensus of everyone?" The people around her echoed in agreement.
"... Why?" Bradley felt he was falling behind, but his journalist instincts kicked in, and he asked. He found this quite interesting, and curiosity shone in his eyes.
"Because... because..." Several people around him bravely attempted to explain. Their eager and fervent manner was quite intense. Finally, the girl took the opportunity with her sharp voice, a trait of women. "Because he played a rich young bachelor in "The Pacific"! Now, the entire Yahoo community addresses him as "Young Heir", Young Heir Renly! Also, don't you think he exudes a gentleman's aristocratic aura? Isn't it true? Isn't it true?"
As she spoke, the girl couldn't suppress her excitement and started to scream.
Bradley thought about it seriously and found it more interesting. "Young Heir Renly," he murmured softly. This was an unexpected gain. "So, you all came to watch the midnight showing of "Buried" just for Young Heir?" Bradley adjusted his address to fit in with the crowd.
"Yes!" The surrounding audience answered in unison, with determination, overflowing with enthusiasm. The sound was grand and lively.