The Best Director

Chapter 369: Chapter 369: The Freshest Yet! (Urgently Need Monthly Pass)

“Just got back from the IMAX theater’s midnight showing, and now I finally understand why this movie has gained so much attention…”

In this summer season where fireflies dance, whether it’s the eager audiences who queued all night to watch the movie or those who couldn’t sleep, twisted with various emotions after viewing, “Firefly” brought shock, as well as a night that seemed unusually long.

Moreover, countless moviegoer fans flooded the internet, converging on various rating websites, blogs, and forums to rate “Firefly” and share their initial viewing experiences. On the North America Broadcast Film Critics Association (which hosts the Critics’ Choice Awards) official community forum, movie fan Thomas D just finished the IMAX midnight screening and shared his comment.

“To avoid spoilers, I’ll just say it exceeded all imagination and expectation. At the movie’s final moment, all the audience let out a melancholic sigh; a theater as large as the Roman Colosseum was filled with complex sentiments, everyone was deeply moved by Wang Yang’s magic. It was the cruelest scene in cinematic history, and also the most beautiful. People savored it together and collectively felt the agony, a cultural phenomenon.

Well done, Wang Yang! “Firefly” was much more astonishing than I had anticipated, it contains so many incredible elements, merging perfectly as advertised. Rarely does it show profound artistic qualities, which will undoubtedly make it more influential. It will have its critics, simply because some scoff at it because Wang Yang is the director; they should get handled by the blue gloves, they are the hindrances to a better world. On the contrary, people will want to visit the theaters over and over again because it is so great, the movie leaves us with so much lingering shock and ambiguity, leaving us with an incessant remembrance and extreme enthusiasm that follows you in life, in sleep, forever.”

Movie fan Stephen E commented in response, “I saw it in a regular theater, but I absolutely need to see it again! IMAX! I think ‘Firefly’ is a movie that needs to be felt and experienced the first time around (maybe the second too), and only understood on the second (or third) viewing.”

He then made a thread to praise the actors’ performances: “Robert Downey Jr. was great! Heath Ledger was great! All the actors in ‘Firefly’ had incredible breakouts, I didn’t expect Wang Yang to be so impressively cool! I love Top-Captain! Also, I have to say that Jessica Alba scared me, she was always poker-faced with hardly any facial performance, but her fight scenes were truly captivating; I’m also surprised by Ellen Page, I wasn’t her fan before, but she was really amazing! And I loved that Top-Captain girl, Megan Fox, she was stunning.”

“Just got back from the midnight screening! So very, very excited! Awesome!” wrote Elizabeth N, “First and foremost, I’m delighted that ‘Firefly’ didn’t make me feel like Wang Yang had disappeared or was incoherent, he is still the same amazing guy, better than ever! He led his team in creating a new sci-fi world and persisted to the last second, WOO! Can you imagine Western cowboys, Kung Fu, Asian culture, and space sci-fi all in one movie? I know it’s early, but those people are right! They’re already discussing Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Visual Effects… Trust me, this movie’s facet is so fresh, unique, and beautiful it absolutely astonishes for a long time.”

“I was truly shocked tonight! I watched the movie at the IMAX theater, the theater was packed with people and there was a long line,” another IMAX viewer, Blonde E, wrote: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie that made the audience spontaneously applaud for 3 minutes after it ended, then gather together to discuss it. It sparked such exciting discussions and praise, which made me happy. They all say ‘Firefly’s’ emergence signifies the birth of a new culture of space sci-fi; I strongly agree.”

According to the market analysis from various media, “Firefly’s” market audience is vast; space sci-fi fans, Kung Fu action fans, Western cowboy enthusiasts… The challenge is how not to make the audience feel it’s “impossible” or “messy.” Wang Yang’s influence and strong promotion undoubtedly provided an opportunity, audiences entered the theater full of curiosity and expectation, and now they are universally praising the wonderfulness of this movie.

“God bless, God bless…” In the dim light of the bedroom, Jessica’s prayers were not quite as quiet as she thought. She knew that staying up late was not good for the baby, but she couldn’t fall asleep without checking the reviews and reactions to “Firefly”! The baby couldn’t sleep either! Both she and the baby were too eager to know the general audience’s rating, and what the critics had to say this time! Taking advantage of Wang Yang’s deep sleep, Jessica quietly climbed out of bed and headed straight for IMDb on her computer.

The IMDB website is a battleground for die-hard movie fans, and one can only imagine the situation if “Firefly” scored low on there.

It reminded Jessica of the scenes after the release of “The Devil Wears Prada” at the end of 2003. She was so nervous that she could barely catch her breath, and she could feel the baby in her stomach was super nervous too, shouting “Oh my God”. Her hand was trembling as she gripped the mouse! She had never anticipated any surprises with “The Devil Wears Prada”, and while the box office was indeed surprising and she was proud, she didn’t want him to suffer the mockery and derision, which would drive her crazy…

“God bless,” Jessica prayed silently, drank a sip of warm water to calm her nerves, and then opened the IMDB page for “Firefly”, looking towards the rating!

“Pfft—cough cough! Oh heavens, cough—” Her computer screen was covered with water stains because Jessica had spit out her water upon seeing the score, immediately followed by a coughing fit, her face filled with disbelief and shock, “Oh! My God!! Cough cough…” The commotion instantly woke Wang Yang, who was sleeping in the bed to the right. His sleepy eyes popped open in surprise as he shouted, “Hey, little troublemaker! The baby wants to sleep!” Jessica blinked her eyes that had been fixed for what seemed like a century, then sighed softly, “Oh, my God.”

She suddenly turned around, which made Wang Yang a bit worried that the baby might have been knocked around. Jessica then started dancing with joy, her teeth showing in a broad smile, and she shouted euphorically, “Darling! Please call me the invincible, unbelievable, indescribable, super beautiful, insanely amazing… perfect River!”

“O——K.” Wang Yang was momentarily dumbstruck, then burst into laughter, both amused by her antics and seemingly pleased by the good review. He laughed and propped himself up, asking, “So, Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg troublemaker, what happened?”

Ever since his embarrassing loss on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”, Wang Yang had diligently researched geography and discovered the world’s longest lake name in Massachusetts, “Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg”. This name was given by the Native Americans who once lived there and means in their language: “You fish on your side, I fish on mine, and no one fishes in the middle.”

“Haha!” Jessica has always admired his ability to pronounce that lake name so fluently, but now she didn’t care about anything. She threw her arms up and screamed out the answer, “9.8! YEAH!!! On IMDB’s TOP250 list, ‘Firefly’ has scored 9.8——!!!”

Overnight, film history gained a classic sci-fi movie, the screen saw a myriad of classic characters, the carefree yet soft-hearted Captain Mal, the bold and unmatched Top-Captain, the genteel yet crazed Blue Gloves… so many unforgettable and moving classic scenes. Movie fans also had new topics for debate… Also, overnight, the first place on IMDB’s TOP250 list changed hands for the first time in nearly a decade, dethroning “The Godfather” from the champion’s seat; it now belongs to “Firefly” with a score of 9.8!!

Inconceivable! This near-perfect IMDB score was like “Paranormal Activity”, shocking many! It also naturally alarmed all movie fans and media who had been very interested in “Firefly”, with 45,812 voting users, 9.8!?.

“‘Firefly’ ascends to IMDB’s altar”, “‘Firefly’ opens to supreme acclaim, a new number one is born on IMDB”, “‘Firefly’s high acclaim sparks a crazy opening, a miraculous yang heralds The Return of the King”…

According to reports from websites such as Yahoo Entertainment, there’s been an astonishing shift in IMDB-TOP250 rankings! “Firefly”, which premiered globally yesterday, has ascended to the altar with an explosive opening score of 9.8! However, Yahoo Entertainment, which had ranked “Firefly” as the second most-anticipated movie of the summer, was not surprised.

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Although IMDb’s rating system seems to be the most democratic method, a simple score often can’t represent the whole picture. IMDb uses “Bayesian statistics,” and the final score for the TOP 250 is calculated as (v÷(v+m))×R+(m÷(v+m))×C. Here, R, V, M, and C each have different values, which means that apart from users’ ratings, the number of voters and the votes from active users also influence the TOP 250 score, ensuring the ranking’s fairness to the greatest extent.

In the case of “Firefly,” the rapidly increasing number of voters and the fans’ enthusiasm together determine its IMDb rating trend. Wang Yang’s fan base is countless, and those who like “Firefly” are extremely enthusiastic!!!

“It’s not surprising that after you’ve just watched a movie as spectacular and passionate as ‘Firefly,’ when you’re surrounded by amazement and admiration, it’s hard to make a more sober and rational judgement about the film’s quality. A 9 could easily become a 10. And we know that most people who vote on IMDb right after watching a movie are die-hard fans; that’s why ‘Firefly’s’ opening score of 9.8 is understandable,”

Yahoo Entertainment said in a report, which also stated that on another level, the deeper “collective unconscious” also plays a role. Under a barrage of either enthusiastic praise or derogation, most people find it difficult to maintain their own judgment. Their aesthetic tastes can also be influenced; this is called influence. “With ‘Firefly’ receiving high praise from critics and IMDb, if you don’t hate Wang Yang, you wouldn’t say ‘no’ to it.”

What’s more, “Firefly” conquered the hearts of the first batch of fan viewers with a powerful approach, earning it an outpouring of praise. Of course, not all fans are die-hard believers; “Firefly” belongs to the classics, but it’s far from the number one in film history,” “The Godfather is the real number one.”…

The second place “The Godfather” with 9.2 points, and the third place “The Shawshank Redemption” with 9.1 points. The score of 9.8 for “Firefly” will certainly decline over time, especially with a major fan war about to unfold!

Overnight, “The Godfather” lost its long-held top spot, and its die-hard fans won’t just stand by. If the TOP 250 score of “Firefly” remains high, they will surely launch a tidal wave of attacks, casting a large number of 1-point votes even if the fan intended to give “Firefly” an 8. On the other side, to keep the top spot, “Firefly’s” die-hard fans will not give up either, deliberately giving “The Godfather” 1-point votes.

However, it’s not just about “The Godfather;” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Pulp Fiction,” “12 Angry Men,” “Schindler’s List,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Star Wars: Episode II”… The fans who dislike Wang Yang, don’t like “Firefly,” and “can’t stand it” will all come over to help. So the die-hard fans of “Firefly,” thrilled by the score of 9.8, all know that they are facing a brutal war, “Come on, let’s have a New Shanxi battle!” “The space cowboys aren’t afraid of anyone!”…

According to authoritative sources from IMDb, this fanatical war over the top ranking is inevitable, but for now, the “Firefly” craze has just begun. No one knows what popularity it will garner, and it also has a significant lead over “The Godfather” and “The Shawshank Redemption,” so it is still difficult to predict the rankings behind the top three. Only time will tell.

Regardless, this summer, now, “Firefly” has already given the world a huge shock, both within and outside the film, shaking the entire global film industry, the fan community, and the critics!

Office building rules? No one talks about that now. Wang Yang’s loss of Spiritual Energy? No one says that anymore. Wang Yang’s passion for films declining? Mistaking jubilation on screen for real happiness? Marriage sapping his fighting spirit? Western cowboys and Chinese culture can’t mix? Brad Pitt made the right choice? Heath Ledger made a wrong decision? Jessica Alba is Wang Yang’s nemesis? His crazy praise for the unknown Ellen Page is because he’s turned into crazy Yang? Playing a major supporting role himself is nonsense? Elle Fanning ruining her future?… “Firefly” will be a failure? No one says that anymore.

“Wang Yang, you’re so, so handsome! ‘Firefly’ is so, so smart, I’m enchanted,” — A+, Larmie Lagg, ; “Under Wang’s direction, Ledger has completely lost himself, creating his best performance.” — 4/4, Brett Mitchell, The Boston Phoenix; “If you don’t go see this movie, it might be the biggest regret of the year.” — 4.5/5, Wige Fraser, ; “‘Firefly’ exhibits an astonishing quality and leads a cultural era, without a doubt, it is one of the best and most important films of the year.” — A+, David Case, Cinemaphile.org;

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“Director Wang Yang’s long-promoted and highly anticipated ‘Firefly’ is not just a myth-like, best movie of this summer, it might also be the best movie of the year, a guaranteed shocker.” — 4/4, Sura Wood, culturevulture.net…

The fans who went to Rotten Tomatoes to rate ‘Firefly’ were stunned, their hearts pounding away! It must be said, is there a more serious case of “collective unconscious”? The voices of media critics do have some key influences, even if the director is Wang Yang.

But now the webpage is a sea of delicious red tomatoes! Rotten Tomatoes has gathered 167 latest reviews of ‘Firefly’, with a Freshness rating of 98% (163/167) from general critics, 100% (35/35) from top critics, and an audience approval of 98% (96,424 ratings)!

“YEAH!! The magical Yang returns! Ha-ha! Now it’s ‘Firefly’ time!!” Clair clapped and laughed excitedly in front of the computer screen, that’s more like it! And there were four guys who gave a sci-fi epic bad reviews; was it a jab at the magical Yang? Gus Franklin from : “‘Firefly’ is an over-entertained disastrous movie, fans will like it though.” It seems magical Yang has a lot of fans! Clair shook her head with a smile, she searched but couldn’t find reviews from Jeffrey Westhoff of The Northwest Herald and some other Wang Yang critics, apparently they haven’t spoken yet, they’ve all shut the hell up! Clair laughed out loud: “Cowards, hiding in their shells!”

As he browsed through these 100% fresh reviews, regular viewer Shaun kept exclaiming “wow” and after a while also gave it five stars, writing: “I was mentally prepared to like this movie, but I was still surprised!” Another user, Jany H, had decided to give it full marks right after watching, and seeing the current situation, he happily marked five stars, writing: “For a science fiction film, it has all you can imagine and more. In my view, it has the best battle scenes and visual effects of all time, woven with humor throughout the film, prompting me to see it again. I’m going back to the IMAX theater next week.” Evelyn, who had given a full score last night, now checked the latest situation online, with IMDB-TOP250 at a staggering 9.8, Rotten Tomatoes 98%/100% fresh, 98% liked… “Wow—!”

“‘Firefly’ is not the greatest, but it has all that is great. This is the 25-year-old Wang Yang’s ninth directorial piece, and he has shattered all doubts in a stunning fashion, but I still wonder, where is his limit?” — 4/4, Andre Gronvall, Chicago Reader; “From an entertainment business perspective, it is a classic movie that makes you boil with enthusiasm, surge with inspiration, move to tears, and you can’t forget it for a long time. From an artistic connotation perspective, it’s a film worth carefully deciphering to explore the intentions behind its scenes.” — A+, Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post.

“‘Firefly’ is a seemingly simple but profoundly epic film, the tip of its iceberg is enough to shake the heart. Another sci-fi movie that makes Hollywood ashamed, so magnificent!” — A+, Richard Roeper, Ebert&Roeper; “‘Firefly’ has boundless imagination, various mysterious atmospheres, strong special effects, and wonderful pacing, with some cunning verbal wit and too much clever political satire, a real blockbuster from Wang Yang.” — 4/4, Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times…

A blockbuster? Praise like a flood? Is it a box office tiger? When yesterday’s June 17th opening day box office numbers were released, like the IMDB scores and Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings, everyone was taken aback!

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PS: We have dropped out of the monthly ticket leaderboard’s top ten. Can we only hold on for 3 days? I urgently need monthly ticket support, let’s top it off, guys!! Just 13 monthly tickets will get us back up there! Let’s rush!! (