In this era where traditional media still holds sway, the influence of newspapers, magazines, radio, and television cannot be ignored. Critics rooted in these media often significantly influence viewers' choices. Michael was willing to spend a substantial amount on public relations for a reason.
However, the amount was too small to attract top-tier critics, so he mostly garnered support from second and third-tier critics active in local media. Top-tier critics still valued their reputation.
On the second day of "The Purge's" release, some top-tier critics had already published their reviews in their columns.
"This bloody thriller starts off well, presenting a high concept and creating a good background story. However, the characters become mere props, leading the plot never truly to scare, and the final twist is clumsy and unsurprising."
Michael bought a stack of influential newspapers nationwide to check the media response to "The Purge." Frankly, there were quite a few negative reviews.
"After watching this film, the biggest feeling is the chaotic character development and a plot that is messy and lengthy."
"This is a very creative subject, but the producers have turned such a good idea into a vulgar horror movie."
Reading these negative reviews, Michael scratched his head. He thought the movie was decent; the biggest annoyance in his previous life was the troublesome kids, but surprisingly, no media criticized that aspect.
On second thought, he understood why. Amanda's character represents kindness and innocence. If mainstream media attacked this aspect, they would likely face backlash from the public.
Private complaints are one thing, but putting it in the media is entirely different.
What surprised Michael more was the depth some positive reviews reached.
"This is the most terrifying film, not because of the gore or plot, but the frightening assumption and the real evil it portrays. It fully exposes the pathological development of society and human selfishness, directly addressing issues of violence, injustice, and race in human society, thus giving the film a soul and making it a movie of profound, realistic significance."
In the column's conclusion, renowned critic Jonathan Rosenbaum gave "The Purge" a full five-star recommendation.
Comparatively, reviews like "This is a film full of violence against violence" and "The film reflects American social reality, denouncing frequent violence" paled in comparison to Rosenbaum's analysis.
This indicated that some professionals viewed his film as highly significant!
This wasn't the internet era yet, and influential critics could significantly alter audience choices.
Michael found a realistic and fair review: This is a well-done but rough B-movie!
All those high-brow analyses were experts overthinking.
Of course, Michael knew from his social research that a plot like "The Purge" would inevitably garner support from certain people with hidden agendas or equality advocates.
Even now, sometimes a film's reputation and audience reach are not solely determined by its quality.
Generating controversy around a movie isn't necessarily bad.
Many films with accurate market positioning tend to generate controversy.
Michael put away the newspapers and checked the time. It was past nine in the morning, but the box office statistics for yesterday's premiere were not yet available.
Although the North American theatre system was networked, it was far slower than after the new millennium.
Before the previous day's box office results arrived, George Clinton hurried in with a report.
"The survey company we hired just delivered the sample survey report from yesterday." George placed the report on Michael's desk and continued, "They conducted field sampling in 24 theatres across 12 cities."
Michael reviewed the report, nodded, and said, "869 viewers surveyed, 67% male, 55% over 25 years old, 62% minority audiences, and an average score of 6.2."
These scores, collected immediately after viewing, represented a more accurate market reaction than critics.
To be precise, ordinary viewers better represented the general audience.
A score of 6.2 for a horror film, especially a B-movie, wasn't low. Not many exceeded six.
The office door was knocked from the outside, and Robert rushed in excitedly. "Lionsgate just sent over yesterday's box office stats!"
"How much?" George asked immediately.
Michael looked inquisitively, knowing that having the film in theatres meant the possibility of continuing to attract investment from Abu Dhabi. But who doesn't want their film to be a box-office success?
Robert's excitement was uncontrollable. "4.55 million dollars!" He slapped a fax onto George. "In just one day, the box office exceeded the production cost!"
George picked up the fax, seemingly in disbelief. After reading it, he muttered, "We... we produced a film with a million-dollar box office?"
He wiped his face. "We did it! We did it!"
Having toiled in the film industry for years, mostly in low-tier jobs, and previously involved in a theatrical release that failed miserably...
Now, he could proudly tell others: I was involved in a theatrical release that surpassed production costs in one day!
Sitting at his desk, Michael clenched his fists unconsciously. Joy welled up from his heart, spreading through his body.
For a moment, he felt a surge of emotion, almost wanting to cry.
In his previous life, he had succeeded many times but never had success felt so sweet and addictive.
With an initial taste of success, he naturally wanted more!
"George, Robert!" Michael interrupted their excitement, reminding them, "Our film's production cost is 11 million dollars, and we haven't recouped the cost yet."
They both paused, then quickly agreed, "Yes, yes!"
Michael quickly regained his composure and said, "George, contact the critics you know and have them publish their columns soon. Robert, maintain contact with Lionsgate and push them to invest more in promotions."
"Got it!" George put down the fax. "I'll get on it."
Robert didn't delay either. "I'm heading to Lionsgate now."
At Lionsgate, a brief meeting was taking place.
CEO Gustav sat at the head of the table and said to Navas, "The distribution department did well this time, securing a valuable market film."
Navas smiled humbly, noting, "We internally reviewed 'The Purge' three times and finally secured the distribution rights from Sony Entertainment."
"Good." Gustav seemed satisfied. "The company is still young, and every successful film distribution is significant."
He asked, "What's the release scale for this film?"
Navas replied, "1860 theatres, middle range among the horror films released simultaneously."
Gustav said, "Communicate with the theatres to secure more screens and slots... I'll approve an additional 2 million dollars for promotions."
"Yes," Navas responded.
These tasks weren't difficult. The previous Friday, "The Purge" grossed 4.35 million dollars, second only to "Halloween 7," which grossed 5.48 million dollars.
But "Halloween 7" had 2780 theatres, almost double that of "The Purge."
Anyone with a bit of sense could see that "The Purge" still had untapped potential.
"I heard the targeted minority promotion strategy came from Michael Davenport?" Gustav asked.
Navas confirmed, "Yes, he proposed the idea. We verified its feasibility through field research."
Gustav nodded slightly. "A very thoughtful young man. Your report mentioned that Seashore Entertainment is preparing another horror film?"
"'Final Destination,' directed by James Huang again," Navas said quickly.
Gustav advised, "Maintain a good relationship with Michael Davenport and monitor the project's progress."