I Will Live As An Actor

Chapter 87:

Chapter 87

The Press Screening.

The press screening is like an exit survey that allows you to gauge the publics reaction in advance. 

There are various types of screenings. 

From general screenings to monitor screenings, distribution screenings, journalist screenings, and even exotic screenings like blind screenings.

Among them, the press screening that invites journalists and critics to reveal the movie is also called a double-edged sword.

Onewall, you have no shame, no shame at all. Hey, get up!

Ah, senior, I was at the scene until last night. I was staking out in front of Kang So-yeongs house and got a complaint filed against me. I had to go to the police station. By the time I got out of the investigation, the sun was high in the sky. If I die from overwork, Ill haunt you as a ghost. So if your shoulder gets stiff, youll know its me.

What are you, a detective? What kind of nonsense is that, doing undercover work? Stop talking and get ready to go.

Why? I got permission from the editor-in-chief to do some office work today.

This kid never does what I say in one go. Did I teach you like that? Dont you remember what you slept through before? The Priest Confession press screening. Thats today.

At the mention of The Priest Confession, reporter Kim Seung-ah jumps up from her seat. She is a fervent fan of Young-guk. She had spent the night secretly covering the private life of a top actress, and her eyes were swollen and her hair was a mess, but she quickly came to her senses.

The press screening is held at a theater in Yongsan. 

The place has a large screen, so not only did various media outlets attend, but even famous critics showed up. Kim Seung-ah gulps as she sees them.

Senior, that person. Isnt that critic Kim Dae-jin? Hes famous for criticizing any movie. How did they have the guts to invite him?

Theyre not, thank goodness. If only Kim Dae-jin was there. Look, they even invited New West reporters. They seem to have gathered all the people who are notorious for tearing movies apart. I wonder if theyre confident or if the PR team lost their minds. Well see when they get ripped apart. I heard a rumor that all three of the big three media outlets stamped their attendance for the screening.

The big three refers to the three most famous media outlets in Korea. They are usually too heavy to attend any press screenings.

Especially The Priest Confession is a work by an unknown director who failed as a commercial movie. But they came out because of the publics interest in Young-guk, the actor.

If the picture isnt good, theyll get bombed. I dont know if our Young-guk will step on shit. Ah, the PR team should have looked at the people they invited.

Theres a saying that the more famous you are, the more fun it is to chew and tear you apart. 

Especially Young-guk, who rose to fame after the Korean Theater Festival. 

Some people hope for his success, while others want him to fail miserably and become a hot topic of gossip.

Our Young-guk? This kid, if you become a reporter and lose your neutrality like that, what are you going to do? Youre the one whos chasing after the actresss private life.

How can you compare Young-guk to someone who smokes weed and has fun? And by the way, you should have told me in advance on a day like today.

Why, do you want to get some makeup? You look like youre walking around like a senior. Stop talking and follow me. If the movie is boring, Ill just fall asleep in the middle. If you snore, wake me up.

Senior, thats so rude.

What do you mean rude, its natural to fall asleep if its boring. Just do your best. Do I look like Im going to write a review after this? The assistant editor is getting more and more arrogant as he gains experience. Ah, Wang Jae-seong is dead. Hes dead.

Soon the theater is full. 

From journalists to famous critics. 

They all have sharp eyes. Before the movie starts, the actors appear for a brief introduction.

Hello, Im actor Young-guk. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who attended the press screening today. I wont be able to watch the movie with you, but I hope you enjoy it.

As soon as Young-guks introduction begins, spotlights pour from all over. 

Most of them are photos to decorate the articles. But the words will change depending on the movies performance. 

Thats how cold the commercial movie market is.

Then the theater goes dark and the movie begins.

The Priest Confession.

Gulp.

The movie begins in reverse. Its a device to draw in the audience and pique their interest. 

And it works like a charm. 

Even reporter Wang Jaeseong, who declared he would sleep if the movie was boring, is watching the screen intently, his Adams apple bobbing.

At that moment, the young priest lifts his head. He looks gentle. 

There are still bloodstains on his neck and chin, but even that makes him look more holy. 

The old priest tries to say something, but the young priest interrupts him.

-The wicked grow like weeds, and they are ignorant of their sins in their folly.

The detectives standing behind the glass wall of the interrogation room cant understand him. 

Thats because hes speaking Latin. 

Of course, the old priest sitting in front of the young priest knows what hes saying. 

The young priests gentle face changes, as if the glass is shattering.

-Why do you walk the path of priesthood and seek greed? How happy have you been, looking at the money that fills your barn? You were not satisfied with coveting the bodies of young women, you also destroyed their families. All that is your sin.

Like a ripple on the lake, the old priests wrinkled eyes tremble violently. The audience watches him. Its a short story that takes place in the interrogation room, but they cant take their eyes off it, as they are mesmerized by it. And then.

-Those who practice greed, they will meet their death by their own ignorance.

The young priest adds in a husky voice.

-James, you are the last sin.

A chill runs down their spines, and the audience feels it.

Crazy.

The movie will be a hit.

***

Drawing a line for adult movies.

Critic Kim Daejin.

After the press screening, The Priest Confession stirred up the mass media. 

The post-screening comments of the critics who attended the screening gave the impression that they had encountered a masterpiece of the era.

Someone said. Dont critics like only obscure and artistic movies, and that artistic value and box office success are separate things. But the reviews of the picky reporters made even that statement go in. Look, the headlines are provocative.

[Blockbuster alert! The Priest Confession is coming out!]

-The movie The Priest Confession captivates the audience from the beginning. As time goes by, sweat beads on their hands and their mouths dry up. The priests piercing eyes and the consequences of his sin derived from his values will be terrifying and fearful for some, and for others, it will be like a raindrop on a parched land that they had not hoped for. The priests faith in the movie (omitted) I have attended many press screenings, but this is the first time that all the media people were united. I can say for sure that the actor Jang Youngguk, who played the role of the priest Kim Mujin, will grow into an actor who will draw a line in the history of Korean cinema among the many youth stars.

Reporter Kim Seunga.

Sitting in the living room of his grandfathers mansion, Youngguks expression is strange. Doesnt he know that The Priest Confession failed at the box office in his past life? Its still before the nationwide release, but the media is pouring out articles as if they were predicting the box office success of The Priest Confession.

Not to mention the critics who usually didnt spare their sharp criticism, they are all praises. The expressions of the critics at the meeting after the screening were like those of gourmet eaters who had eaten satisfactorily.

They made a great trailer.

The expectations of the public are also high. Isnt the reservation rate of the theaters nationwide soaring every moment? 

Behind that, there was not only the post-screening comments of the reporters and critics, but also the influence of the trailer. They call it a teaser.

You can see the trailer on the subway, let alone on the TV movie introduction program. In that sense, the trailer of The Priest Confession was a great attraction. Just then, the trailer is aired on the TV.

-The wicked beget sin, and they bear calamity and beget falsehood.

-He made a pit and dug it out, and he fell into the trap he made. His calamity returns upon his own head.

On the TV, Youngguk, or the priest, changes his face like Jekyll straightening his back and becoming Hyde, his lips, forehead, pupils, and small wrinkles moving with his fine muscles.

-His violence descends upon his own skull.

(Psalm 7:14-17)

A priest who has renounced his holy orders recites the last rites in Latin one more time.

-Lord, punish him.

Forever.

Young-guk, is that really you?

Ahn Jung-hyun, an actor who was sitting next to him and watching TV, gapes at Young-guk. Being in the movie industry, he had heard the rumors that were circulating on the set. 

He knew that Young-guk had given a brilliant performance in The Priests Confession, but he didnt expect the trailer to be so captivating.

Hey, uncle. Whats with you all of a sudden?

I just want to touch your face for a moment. Are you wearing a mask? The Young-guk I knew wasnt such a terrifying guy. Just stay still for a while. Cant you see uncles goosebumps?

Seriously, youre messing up my hair. I have to go to another interview soon.

Youll get your makeup and hair done anyway, so whats the big deal?

Ahn Jung-hyun grabs Young-guks face and examines it. He looks serious, but hes clearly joking. He soon imitates Young-guks appearance and lines from the trailer.

Success is raining down on your head!

Oh, uncle, stop it.

Young-guk, youre going to become a ten-million actor before uncle at this rate.

How can I hit ten million with an R-rated movie? Ugh, Im choking to death.

Baek Jang-hoon, the director, watches Young-guk and Ahn Jung-hyun fooling around. 

When Ahn Jung-hyun lets go of him, Young-guks manager, Lee Bong-chui, arrives at the mansion. 

Young-guk seizes the opportunity and greets the two men before heading to the interview venue.

As he watches Young-guks back disappear, Ahn Jung-hyun whispers to Baek Jang-hoon.

Director, isnt he going to be an amazing actor if he keeps this up? The critic Kim Dae-jin praised him so much, it must mean the movie turned out great.

What, are you scared hell take your spot?

Dont be silly, Im too old to worry about losing my place to a junior. But hes really something, isnt he? He swept the theater scene, and now.

Ahn Jung-hyun smiles contentedly.

Hes shaking up the movie scene too.

***

Box office literally means the ticket office of a theater. But in the domestic film industry, it meant the cumulative number of moviegoers.

It was commonly said that if a movie ranked first in the box office for a month, it was a success. 

And The Priests Confession was running first in the real-time box office since its release.

Is this a dream, or reality?

The word of mouth that spread from the press screening and the general screening was faster than any mass media. Already, the seats were full every day, and the reservation rate was close to 100 percent, so the rumor was that there was even a black market for tickets to the regional screenings.

How is this possible for an R-rated movie?

Kim Seong-hwan, the CEO, looked stunned. 

In fact, when Young-guk said he would star in an R-rated movie, a movie about murder, he had given up on the profit aspect. 

After all, if he looked at the actors life in the long run, he had to think more about the growth of his acting than the revenue in a short time. But.

He caught two rabbits at once.

After The Priests Confession, the image of the teen star who was called the nations first love last year was completely erased. It was not a simple acting transformation.

He not only widened his acting spectrum, but also firmly imprinted the name of the actor Jang Young-guk on the public. 

As proof, the entertainment news was plastered with Young-guks name every day.

CEO!

Just then, Kim, the manager, rushed into the CEOs office.

Kim, youre going to fall. Why are you so hasty?

Another offer for a drama or a movie? Ive already had enough of that since the Korean Theater Festival, where I got so sick from the stress. The ad offers that suddenly stopped coming in are now flooding my agency with desperate calls. Things have changed a lot for me.

There are many actors in Songwon Entertainment, besides me, but lately nine out of ten inquiries that come to the agency are related to me.

Did you get another ad offer for me? I told you to keep all of them, whether its a drama, a movie, or anything else. Its not the right time yet. Im running around every day for the regional screenings. I dont want to ruin my body.

Thats not it. We got a file with the audience count for The Priests Confession.

What? Its been less than a week.

Most of the movie counts are done on a weekly basis. There are so many works being screened nationwide that it takes time to calculate them. Not to mention, The Priests Confession had only been released a few days ago.

Thats because the first week of release hasnt passed yet, so its not a complete count.

Manager Kim, stop beating around the bush and tell me!

At his words, Kim Seonghwans eyes widened like lanterns.

The nationwide audience number has exceeded one million.