dhibooks The preview screening and media interviews following the conclusion of Chapter 279
The preview screening and media interviews following the conclusion of Chapter 279
The lights in the IMAX theater came on completely.
On the big screen, the credits slowly rolled to completion.
The media professionals and content creators who were invited to the event were still immersed in the indescribable shock and emotion, and were reluctant to leave for a long time.
The air was filled with the lingering afterglow of the exhilarating experience.
Many people were gathered in twos and threes, excitedly whispering among themselves.
Old Tang let out a long breath, feeling as if he had been thoroughly spun out of a washing machine.
Cool!
That was fucking awesome!
Light Chaser Animation's "Time Wars" completely exceeded his expectations as a seasoned tokusatsu fan.
He stood up from the leather seat, rubbed his aching back, and subconsciously took out his phone from his pocket.
I opened my group chat called "Old Tang's Tokusatsu Fleet" and saw that there were "99+" unread messages.
[Group Chat: Old Tang's Tokusatsu Fleet]
Qun Gaosong Deng, who loves to gurgle from time to time: It's been three hours already, why is Lao Tang still not making a sound?
The US dollar has gone up, but look at my British pound, has it gone up? @Old Tang, why aren't you saying anything? Did Gu Laozei drag you to play an alien in the light of day?
Tasting Yabo's flesh sauce in Tyrant's mouth: He's probably still picking his chin up in the movie theater. Gu Laozei's movies are so good, you won't be done until you've seen a few people cry.
Upon seeing this, Lao Tang immediately posted a photo of the theater lights coming on after the movie ended, along with the scrolling end credits on the big screen.
Old Tang: [Image.jpg]
Slaanesh's Chosen: Is it over?
The tangerines at school are sweeter than mine: 666, the candy won the revival round!
Off to lay the cables: The preview screening's over?! Tang Ge! Spoilers coming soon! Spoilers coming soon!
I love glue maker: Old Tang, stop hiding it, tell us quickly, what's the movie like?!
Tyrant tasted Yapool meat sauce in his mouth: Has Gaia gotten a new form? Has Fujimiya returned? How powerful are the monsters?!
Aspiring to be a magnetic field madman: Please don't spoil the plot, I want to see the premiere!
Thirty years of professional dust removal experience: 666, you want to see the premiere and then spoil the plot yourself, right?
Xiao Chu You Mei Nan: I don't care about spoilers, I just want to know if the light that the group of children shouted in the trailer actually summoned a certain hornless immortal.
The chuckles of Takamatsu, who loves to babble: Oh my god, if I didn't have "The Great Time War" to watch, Watashi [crying]
Seeing this, Old Tang could only reply.
Old Tang: It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's that I really can't! Everyone signed a strict confidentiality agreement before entering the venue today!
Old Tang: If I spill the beans about the whole plot in the group chat, Light Chaser Animation's legal department will be sending me a summons to my door tomorrow! Do you want to see me get sued?!
The group chat quieted down a bit, but it was clear that no one was willing to give up.
Aspiring to become a magnetic field madman: Brother Tang, the legal department isn't in our group, so if you whisper a few words to us, we promise not to tell anyone!
The US dollar has gone up, but look at my British pound, it's gone up too: Exactly, you just need to give a slight hint, and those who know, know.
Xiao Chu didn't ask Nan: Old Tang, I'll ask you a question, you answer it, that shouldn't be considered a breach of contract, right? Was Gaia killed by a monster at the beginning?
I love glue makers: Did Agul turn evil and become the final boss?
Slaanesh's Chosen: Did Gu Nan make a cameo appearance in the movie?
Faced with the bizarre and crazy tricks of the group members, Lao Tang rolled his eyes and resolutely refused to fall for them.
Old Tang: Alright, alright, stop wasting your time. I will absolutely not reveal a single word about the core of the plot.
Old Tang: However, since everyone is so enthusiastic, I'll give you a little bit of my overall impression and information about the movie without violating the confidentiality agreement. Is that alright?
The group chat erupted in cheers.
Old Tang: First of all, if the maximum score is ten, I, as a tokusatsu fan, would give it at least a 12!
Old Tang: "Gu Laozei's approach this time is absolutely brilliant. This film has some settings similar to Meta games, breaking the fourth wall right from the start. It's like... how should I put it, it pulls you, the audience, directly into the movie world. You'll definitely have a unique sense of immersion when you watch it."
Tyrant tasted Yapool meat sauce in his mouth: Breaking the fourth wall? Like Deadpool?!
Old Tang: Don't guess wildly, it's not that kind of comedic commentary. It's a very subtle meta-narrative; you'll understand when you see it in theaters. It'll draw you into the story within the first ten minutes!
Old Tang: Secondly, this theatrical version isn't exactly filled with heavy sorrow and hatred. As you know, the TV series constantly explored the primal extinction entity and the conflict between humans and monsters, which was quite depressing at times. But this movie has a lighter overall pace, focusing on miracles, excitement, and pure emotion!
Old Tang: Finally, let me share my own viewing experience. The first half was suspenseful, the middle part had both humor and a real sense of pressure, and the second half… I'm not exaggerating when I say that as a nearly thirty-year-old man, I was clenching my fists in the theater, almost unable to hold back my tears. It was so exciting! Absolutely amazing! It was the embodiment of the dreams of all of us tokusatsu fans!
Old Tang: To sum it up in one sentence: Go for it during the May Day holiday! It's absolutely worth the price of admission!
After hearing Lao Tang's emotionally charged summary, the enthusiasm in the group was instantly ignited to its peak.
Thirty years of professional dust removal experience: Holy crap! After hearing what Brother Tang said, I'm even more excited!
The US dollar went up, but look at my British pound, did it go up? 666, the old thief Gu took money from the prison (just kidding...).
The God of Pure Love collapsed to the ground: a tokusatsu production that breaks the fourth wall? How curious!
I love the glue maker: It's the May Day holiday, right?! I'm already ready to shout "Gaia!" in the movie theater!
The tangerines at school are sweeter than mine: If I shout "Gaia" in a movie theater, will the security guards mistake me for a monster and kick me out?
Slaanesh's Chosen: You can give it a try, remember to go live.
Old Tang held his phone, watching the lively discussion in the group chat, and couldn't help but smile.
Putting his phone away, Lao Tang took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the front of the screening room.
At this moment, the stage lights converged in front of the big screen, and Gu Nan, the helmsman of Chasing Light Pictures and the creator of this feature film, walked to the front of the stage amidst enthusiastic applause.
He held the microphone, smiling as he surveyed the entire audience.
"Thank you to all our industry colleagues, media friends, and content creators for attending the internal screening and Q&A session for 'Ultraman Gaia: The Great Time-Space Battle'."
Gu Nan's voice was calm and confident. "The movie has just finished screening, and I want to hear everyone's most honest opinions. Whether it's praise or criticism, it will be very valuable for our Light Chaser Films' subsequent theatrical development."
As soon as he finished speaking, a senior film critic in the front row eagerly raised his hand and took the microphone.
"Director Gu, I am a writer for XX Film Review. First of all, I want to say that after deconstructing and reconstructing the heroic narrative through the concept of parallel universes, both the entertainment value and depth have been elevated to a new level."
The film critic, unable to hide his excitement, said, "By setting the story in the small world of teenagers, you avoid too many entanglements in social relationships. You could say the monsters don't exist; they're just a reflection of your own inner world. This exploration of preconceived notions is profound and moving. Was this the tone you set from the beginning?"
Gu Nan nodded and replied, "That's right. In the main story of Gaia, we explored many vast topics related to Earth's defense."
"But in the theatrical version, I wanted to return to pure 'childlike innocence.' We created a parallel world without supernatural powers, where the 'Giants of Light' are all fictional characters from tokusatsu works. The protagonist of this movie is actually every one of you in front of the big screen who has ever fantasized about heroes stepping out of the TV."
The audience burst into warm applause.
Subsequently, a columnist wearing black-rimmed glasses offered a different perspective: "Director Gu, the comedic effects in the film are outstanding. For example, the scene where I dreamt I traveled to another world and found myself a 'big star' being chased by a bunch of kids made the whole audience laugh."
"However, isn't the setting of the red ball that enlarges and satisfies people's desires, and the storyline about older students developing psychological distortions due to external pressures preventing them from openly acknowledging their hobbies, a bit too dark? Will this create a barrier when the film is intended for all ages?"
"That's a very good suggestion."
Gu Nan carefully took notes. "The red ball itself is like a magnifying glass of humanity; it can control you to utter the desire to destroy the world and help you fulfill it. We retained this part so that through Xiao Mian's pure and righteous heart, the embodiment of the red ball (the little girl) could feel that not all human desires are dark, and that they can protect rather than destroy their homes. However, regarding the transition of the plot and the audience's acceptance of dark elements, we will further smooth out the transition in subsequent feature films."
The atmosphere of the exchange meeting gradually improved, and it was finally the turn of Lao Tang's side of the UP hosts and die-hard fans.
Old Tang jumped up, grabbed the microphone, and asked the question that had been on his mind and that was also the question that the group members were most concerned about.
"Director Gu!"
Old Tang exclaimed excitedly, "The final battle in the movie was amazing! Gaia, Tiga, and Dyna fought on three fronts—land, sea, and air—defeating the three monsters one by one! Was there some kind of strategy behind the battlefield setup? Also, as a die-hard Agul fan, I must ask on behalf of all the fans—why wasn't Agul allowed to appear in such a grand scene?!"
Gu Nan couldn't help but laugh when he heard the question. He picked up the microphone, walked to the front of the stage, and answered in a relaxed tone.
"To answer your first question, the arrangement of the three battlefields—land, sea, and air—was indeed meticulously designed. Tiga is an ancient warrior, representing history, so his battlefield is the seabed with the legends of Mu and Atlantis; Dyna is the unknown light of the universe, representing the future, so his battlefield is in space, full of possibilities; Gaia is the will of the earth, so his battlefield is on the surface of the earth."
What's even more ingenious is that these three battlefields happen to correspond to the final battle scenes in their respective TV series endings. However, whether everyone can deduce Gaia's fate is not Gu Nan's concern.
As Gu Nan explained, the media and fans in the audience looked enlightened, and many even started taking notes.
"As for your second question, why not let Agul participate?" Gu Nan blinked, his tone becoming humorous. "There are two considerations. First, if Agul were to participate, it would inevitably be a naval battle, since he is the embodiment of the sea. The remaining two battlefronts would have to be allocated to Gaia, Tiga, and Dyna, allowing one of the battlefronts to be a two-on-one situation, which would give Agul a lot of face. And if Gaia and Agul were to fight the same monster, it would weaken Gaia's strength."
A soft chuckle erupted from the audience.
"Secondly, let's consider the plot logic and character personalities." Gu Nan paused, then continued, "Back then, I used an untested time-travel machine, and the team disagreed. In the end, because I was the team's favorite, everyone respected his idea, while Fujimiya couldn't travel through time. And..."
Gu Nan deliberately dragged out his words, teasingly saying, "Given Fujimiya's personality, when he's surrounded by a bunch of kids, I think he's really capable of making all of them run away."
"Hahahahaha!"
The entire IMAX theater erupted in laughter. Old Tang was laughing so hard he was slapping his thigh, already picturing Fujimiya Hiroya with a dark expression, impatiently shooing away the elementary school students.
The exchange meeting came to a close in a relaxed and enthusiastic atmosphere.
Gu Nan expressed his gratitude for all the suggestions and promised that Light Chaser Animation would continue to refine its works and present a larger tokusatsu universe to the audience with the highest industrial standards.
As he walked out of the new Zhuiguang Park, the night breeze was slightly cool, but Lao Tang's heart was still burning.
This upcoming May Day holiday, this fairy tale for adults and children alike is sure to unleash a timeless storm of light in theaters.