Hollywood Art: System of sunnys

September 20.

New Line Cinema had low expectations for Seven, and even now, the average ratings suggested it wouldn't be a major money-maker after its initial critical screenings. This prompted Billy to discuss with the producers and leaders at New Line Cinema.

-Our marketing campaign is quite risky. We’re preparing audiences for this type of content, with its allegories of violence, darkness, and themes that could pose risks to potential viewers. We’re using the concept of the seven deadly sins to take a much more straightforward position.- commented Chris Paula, the studio's Marketing President.

Violent or horrific films have a limited range of proposals, and it’s common for them to receive negative reviews upon release. After Fincher's failure with Alien 3, the company had some concerns about how poorly this film might perform. The premiere on September 19 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had 800 guests, and while some reviews were positive, others were negative—people either loved it or hated it.

Some positive reviews praised the perfect blend of suspense, horror, and police themes, calling it a film that could graduate to classic status. The negative reviews, however, described it as tedious, excessive, and disturbing.

-I believe that beyond generating a quick judgment, the film has great details that I can assure will contribute to its success. The performances by Morgan and Kevin are top-notch, the best.- commented David Fincher.

-The premiere is already set for September 22; there’s nothing we can do about it.- Arnold Kopelson remarked.

-I think it’s important to attract media attention.- Chris Paula added.

-We’ll call them; most of the cast will attend this September 22 at the Graphic Arts Theater in Beverly Hills for the premiere, and then we’ll move on to Philadelphia, New York, followed by Vancouver and Toronto.- Arnold explained. The route aimed to hit the most cinephile cities that would have the greatest impact, as these were places where audiences were more likely to engage with the film.

For instance, Philadelphia is where the film takes place, which creates a connection for the audience attending the theater. Experiencing a piece of cinema that resonates with their identity is undoubtedly something fans are willing to pay to see, and the presence of certain celebrities can only enhance local press coverage.

Arnold Kopelson was preoccupied with the films released this year; at least they had several successes, such as Mortal Kombat, the martial arts film that premiered on August 18. Arnold thought that with the potential failure of Seven, he would have to race against time in 1996. His work was beyond just making money; it was about climbing the ranks at Warner Bros. A good performance could lead him to a directorial position or a significant role, which is why he sold to Warner to make room for his recent success.

***

September 22, 1995.

Beverly hills.

They chose Beverly Hills as the scene, mainly due to costs, selecting the theaters closest to West Hollywood or the famous Chinese Theatre to establish the base for these premieres. This time, the personalities attending were not only critics and industry members but also part of the film's cast and some guests.

-It's been a while since we had the pleasure of seeing each other.- commented Billy as he saw Gwyneth, who was wearing a cream-colored dress with a wide ribbon dancing across her arms.

-That's true, constant projects have made my time limited; I've been busy.- greeted the blonde.

-I see, my year has been excessive; since January, I haven't stopped filming and working at the company... Adjust a bit, you're walking crooked, it seems the drinks got the better of you.- said Billy, grabbing her arm. The blonde smiled, but the drunkenness made her knees wobble; even without wearing high heels, she couldn't maintain normal balance, something noticed by some personalities who chose to remain silent, as this is often common for newcomers who don't measure their drinks.

-I try, I try.- Gwyneth responded.

They entered the cinema, and the first thing she did was fall asleep as soon as the lights went out, something that simply had to happen. Her shallow breaths showed how dangerous alcohol was, and it's that she led a party-going lifestyle that was frankly detrimental; parties, outings, escapades, and work were an unhealthy mix.

The movie was as good as expected; her performance was particularly outstanding, exceeding many expectations. The script was not a grotesque plan full of horror scenes but had a well-measured plot and a well-structured city. Somerset's (Morgan Freeman) opening words as the introductory voice were perfect, presenting a quick and direct design. The film, which took place over seven days, offered a distinct feeling, as it seemed to span months of two policemen trying to catch a criminal. The pace was perfect, with slight details.

The killer trapped them; the entire conversation unnaturally enveloped them, and the suspense and cinematography played wonderfully. The color palettes were ideal for this type of scenario. As the exclamation points came one after another.

…

For Billy, it was strange to see himself on screen, but his performance was acceptable, albeit different from Morgan's. Morgan had a basic acting style, which made sense given that he had played many similar roles throughout his career. However, Billy could now see the subtle nuances; his performance was acceptable by his standards, but it lacked a certain naturalness that he reserved for specific roles. Being a police officer was not one of them; that inherent anger in the character just didn’t fit.

The end was near, and the speeches were good; he could say that with this role, he had learned a lot.

-What a fool, I've seen it twice, but the transitions are fantastic.- commented Peter Crombie, who played Dr. O'Neal. He was part of the production team and was sitting next to Billy, while Gwyneth, to his right, rested in her chair, drool staining her dress.

-David Fincher knows how to organize a good film.- Billy whispered.

The fans watched, filled with tension, during the last 20 minutes. Throughout that time, they were on the edge of their seats. Billy's performance built from less to more, and in the final moments, alongside Morgan Freeman, they were portraying a complete scene of suspense.

The ending and the box... what’s in the box? It's unknown, but the way Billy/David Mills uses his gun is different; this time he doesn’t shoot with the usual hatred. Instead, he employs a different kind of anger that allows Kevin Spacey, as another symbol of madness, to elevate the performance to the next level.

-What a great ending.- Billy thought as he watched the scene come to a close.

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