The press's praise for Matthew's performance in "I Am Legend" came as a surprise not only to Matthew himself but to his fans as well.

The sun had only just risen over a house in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, yet a massive crowd had already gathered.

"The people praising Matthew's performance were mostly journalists from major entertainment outlets," one person noted, "but the critics are saying the usual things."

"The critics were fairer this time, though," another added. "They didn't criticize Matthew himself."

A young black man spoke up. "That's because Matthew is so good that if they tried to trash his acting, they'd lose all credibility."

"Do you think Matthew could get an Oscar for his performance?" Maria chimed in.

The young man immediately shook his head. "No way. How could a commercial blockbuster, especially a sci-fi one, win an award like that?"

Brian agreed. "As far as I know, Matthew isn't very interested in the Oscars, which is obvious from the films and roles he chooses. But he's impressive this time—much better than some of the actors who've been nominated for Best Actor in the past. Still, the Oscars are all about the campaign."

The others nodded. Even they knew that the Oscar race was never a secret.

He shrugged. "But there's not much hope. The old guard at the Academy probably won't even give it a look."

Brian, looking thoughtful, held up a newspaper. "And the critics are still giving it bad reviews."

Someone in the crowd asked, "What does the paper say?"

It was common knowledge among them that critics were never a match for Matthew. With the exception of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," his films were consistently panned by reviewers, yet the negative feedback never stopped him from achieving success time and time again.

They had come to see Matthew as a star who made movies for his fans, not for the critics.

Thus, every time a new Matthew movie came out, they relished watching the critics' one-sided fury before heading to the theater, only to see those same critics eat their words when the first week's box office numbers came in as a resounding success.

"The San Francisco Chronicle thinks director Guillermo del Toro did an excellent job with the lavish scenes and was smart enough to keep Matthew in his element, but the CGI monsters just don't seem to fit this kind of sci-fi drama," Brian read aloud from the entertainment section.

He turned to another paper. "And the Detroit News review column said: Matthew is worth watching; the movie is not."

A chorus of groans rose from the crowd.

Maria muttered, "It sounds like a compliment to Matthew, but it's really a veiled attack. They just don't want people to see his movie."

Brian opened another paper. "Todd McCarthy from The Hollywood Reporter says: It's a second-rate horror flick with a contrived adventure plot."

Someone immediately shot back, "And he's a second-rate film critic! All critics are just a bunch of leeches who suck the life out of movies and have zero respect!"

A renewed chorus of agreement rose at the thought of the critical attacks Matthew had endured ever since he became famous.

Brian said nothing, letting his companions vent their frustration. Bella had taught him that creating a clear common enemy helped unite a fan base, motivating them to support their favorite star with even more passion.

Creating an external enemy often solved many internal problems—it was a lesson straight out of politics.

Managing a fan group required a sharp mind and certain strategic skills.

When the room quieted down a bit, Brian added, "The Boston Globe said: 'I Am Legend' is a movie in which the last true movie star on Earth plays the last man on Earth."

He continued, "And there's this from USA Today: Matthew's infectious performance isn't enough to save 'I Am Legend'—an action movie that starts as a thoughtful, compelling look at loneliness, then takes a wrong turn and never finds its way back."

"They're just trashing Matthew for being in a bad movie."

Brian said nothing, waiting until his companions had finished venting. Then he announced, "Alright, it's time. Let's head to the theater."

"Yeah!" Maria's voice rose with excitement. "Let's go hit the box office and support Matthew!"

The group of several dozen fans left the house and headed for a nearby movie theater. At an intersection, they met up with another group of a few dozen young people, and they soon arrived at the cinema, a crowd large enough to fill an entire auditorium.

"Auditorium five is almost full?" Brian asked at the ticket counter. "What about number six, the one we usually use?"

The cashier answered reluctantly, "There are already more than twenty people in number six, so we can't give that one to your group."

"What about number twelve?" Brian asked.

"I'm very sorry, Brian, but we can't offer you a private theater right now," the cashier said, looking helpless. "Starting at seven this morning, six of our auditoriums have been showing 'I Am Legend' at fifteen-minute intervals. I'm really sorry, but I just can't arrange a private showing for you today."

He offered a tentative suggestion. "Why don't you split up and find seats in the other showings?"

Brian frowned slightly. They had come early enough—it was only nine o'clock, a time when most people were at work or school.

A moment later, the theater's on-duty manager hurried out of his office. He shook Brian's hand, asked for the details, and after a moment's thought, said:

"Alright, I'll make some adjustments."

He picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said, "The 9:30 showing of 'The Golden Compass'—have any tickets been sold for that? No? Then cancel it and replace it with 'I Am Legend'. Do it now!"

Hearing this, Brian breathed a sigh of relief.

The box office staff also let out a collective sigh of relief. After all, having a hundred people milling about in the lobby was a recipe for chaos.

The manager hung up and said to Brian with a smile, "Just a moment. Auditorium 11 will be ready in a flash."

Brian replied politely, "Thank you."

***

The theater staff worked efficiently. Soon, the crowd of fans, led by Brian, was filing into Auditorium 11, buying not only tickets but also drinks and snacks.

"Just so you're aware," the on-duty manager instructed a few of the ticket takers, "Horner's fans often show up in large groups. Make sure to let me know whenever you see them."

For a movie theater, Matthew was a guaranteed box office draw!

Over the past two years, even names like Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise couldn't compete with Matthew Horner.

The manager had a hectic Friday. In a single morning, three separate waves of roughly a hundred fans each had arrived, requesting a private screening of "I Am Legend". Without hesitation, he had pulled other films from the schedule to add more showings of Matthew's movie, responding to the immediate market demand.

The success of these screenings was quickly reported back to Matthew through Warner Bros.'s advanced market research, and Matthew, in turn, frequently appeared in the media to promote his new film.

Unlike the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series or any of his previous films, "I Am Legend" was a one-man show, a direct reflection of his personal box office appeal.

On Friday evening, Matthew gave an interview to the New York Times from his suite at the Waldorf Astoria, where he spoke glowingly about the film.

He had no qualms about singing his own praises.

"I love embedding small, character-driven plots into larger stories, and I feel I've done that most successfully in films like 'I Am Legend'," Matthew said without a hint of a blush. "'I Am Legend' could never be a stage play. We all know it's a film about a man and his dog, and as a blockbuster, you might think it needs more, but for me, it's the best movie I've ever made, and the most rewarding."

He also commented on the performance that the press had praised so highly: "That's what I'm obsessed with—not over-acting. People don't want to see a brilliant performance in a bad movie. You just have to serve the character as best you can. I think I managed to do that."

With Matthew on one side and Warner Brothers on the other, the success of "I Am Legend" would ultimately be judged by a single criterion: the box office.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com