A complete promotional plan, an excellent distribution strategy, the appeal of both the director and the actors themselves, plus a high-quality film Inception undoubtedly possessed almost all the elements of a box office hit. In fact, after the North American premiere and early screenings across nearly 3,000 theaters, many people were indeed thoroughly satisfied. In this day and age, smart devices had already become widespread throughout North America. Even Apple’s iPhone 4 was set to launch next month. The number of mobile users on certain social networks had already surpassed those on PC. Just like Duke said to Jamie Johnson, portable smart devices further accelerated the speed of information exchange. Almost at the very moment the film ended, on Instant Share, which had become the world’s number one social media platform after being acquired by Google, as well as on another major platform, Twitter, many viewers who enjoyed the movie were already sharing their reactions. "When Inception ended and the theater lights came back on, you’ll just sit there dumbfounded, staring at the screen, trying to recall what exactly just happened. There’s no reference chart that can measure the trend set by the complex world Duke created this is the greatest intellectual carnival in history." This post by Norman Shiller as he left the theater was shared tens of thousands of times within just half an hour. And there were many other similarly viral comments about Inception. "Inception has surpassed countless classic sci-fi films. Unlike 99% of other movies, the less you know going in, the better. Duke very cleverly blurs the boundary between dream and reality. As a summer blockbuster, Inception will become a master-level work." "Inception is by no means an artsy, obscure film. If you’re looking for intelligence mixed with popular entertainment, you’ve picked the right movie. Dreams are the great adventure of life whether joy or fear they’re all offered to us through dreams. This unique dream experience is something no one else can truly understand." However, the overwhelming promotional campaign and the sky-high anticipation before release also drew in some audiences who weren’t fond of this genre guaranteeing that they’d leave feeling extremely unsatisfied. And these people voiced their opinions too. "I really want to tell you how terrible Inception is, but because it’s just such a mess, it’s too hard to explain just how bad it really is." Why is there always a noticeable gap between the ratings of indie films and blockbuster commercial films? Promotion and audience reach are undoubtedly key reasons. Those who watch indie films are usually fans of the genre, while large-scale publicity and distribution of commercial films will inevitably bring in many viewers who dislike the genre. These viewers are extremely unlikely to give commercial films high ratings. Check out some movie classification websites and you’ll see: the number of ratings for indie films is often vastly different from those of commercial films. When film quality is roughly the same, fewer ratings usually result in a higher average score. Some audience members went to see Inception expecting a brilliant suspense film or a high-IQ thriller, and they were undoubtedly disappointed. Inception is definitely not a film that challenges your intelligence. "Everything Duke does in Inception screams obsessive-compulsive and paranoid. Inception is far from his ticket into the pantheon of greats it’s a clumsy movie dressed in gold. Its so-called complexity whether emotional or intellectual just adds up to a double dose of boredom." "It seems like Duke Rosenberg either doesn’t understand or doesn’t believe that there’s a difference between reality and dreams his hollow movie captures neither of the two." "This isn’t depth. It’s pathological chaos splattered across the screen. Inception should’ve been called ’Self-Deception.’ It’s a two-and-a-half-hour broken-down car that countless people have already ridden in." Although negative comments were not lacking, in the broader online environment, these were just a minority opinion. Inception still sparked a strong reaction from most moviegoers. Especially because Duke and Warner Bros. had long established a comprehensive word-of-mouth marketing strategy. As long as the film generated positive enough audience feedback, public opinion online could be guided by certain people toward the direction they wanted. In Thursday’s preview screenings and Friday’s midnight shows, Inception easily earned $8.6 million thanks to Duke’s long-established reputation and the appeal of many A-list stars. For an original sci-fi film like Inception, this was a very respectable result. By the end of Friday, Inception had grossed $32.55 million, giving Duke and Warner Bros. hope that the film’s first-weekend box office could surpass $100 million. Since the beginning of the North American film market, no original flim non-sequel and Non-adaptation had ever broken the $100 million mark in its first weekend. If the Saturday and Sunday box office performed well, Inception just might break that trend. After receiving the North American opening day statistics, Duke rushed to Warner Bros. and discussed plans for over an hour with Doug Walter and Jamie Johnson, after which Warner Bros. increased their marketing efforts for the film. Just as the media and audiences were unanimously praising Inception, and nearly everyone believed it was one of the must-see films of the year, some dissenting voices appeared New York Magazine and several other media outlets published a series of fierce critiques of Inception on their official websites, calling on the public to "stop daydreaming and wake up from the dull truth of Duke Rosenberg’s Inception." At the beginning of one article, author David Edelstein directly stated: "Inception should not be hailed as a great film wake up, everyone! Stop being infatuated!" He went on to suggest that the film was nothing more than a metaphor for delusional narcissism a metaphor for self. > "It lacks the sensitivity of Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, has none of the grandeur of Joseph Ruben’s The Forgotten, and doesn’t even have the punchy dialogue and stylish villains of The Matrix. In terms of disrupting equilibrium, it’s not even as intense as indie film Insomnia." Other media outlets followed suit, calling Inception a "noisy, chaotic film made by a sadist." These remarks ignited a frenzied reaction from fans. In just half a day, the comment sections beneath those reviews were flooded with hundreds of thousands of responses. > "The early word-of-mouth marketing really went overboard. Inception definitely isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s still one of the best films in recent years. Duke’s unique narrative techniques, visual style, and cinematic language are perfectly executed. The character designs, dialogue, filming techniques, and special effects all have distinct flair." That was one of the more polite comments. Some people outright cursed, and even those who didn’t still expressed intense indignation. Fınd the newest release on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱 "If Inception isn’t a good movie, I really don’t know what counts as a good movie in your eyes. Just seeing the words ’Duke Rosenberg Production’ you don’t even need to question the quality." "Inception is the best movie of the year, okay? No question! Duke Rosenberg, you’re a dreamer! You’re a revolutionary! While watching the movie, the entire theater followed your design laughing, gasping, worrying, fearing! And everyone walked out with the same reaction: ’I’m not dreaming right now, am I?’" Movie fans were passionately defending Inception, and the fierce debate drew more and more people into it. Even those who weren’t involved and had little interest in the film began to pay attention because of the heated arguments. In fact, this debate spread like wildfire from the internet to TV media and traditional print media, drawing even more public attention. Without a doubt, this was all part of Duke and Warner Bros.’ carefully orchestrated publicity and marketing strategy. A major blockbuster in theaters first sparks massive discussion online and within the industry, and then debate is carried into traditional print media even allowing for harsh criticism of the film. Controversy brings attention, and attention brings recognition. As long as the scale is controlled and public opinion is cleverly guided, no matter how the process unfolds, the final winner is always the filmmakers. Due to the appearance of these negative reviews, Inception’s previously perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes was no longer intact, dropping directly to 96%. But how many Hollywood directors or studios genuinely care about Rotten Tomatoes freshness scores, something as useless as a chicken rib? Moreover, in the midst of these intense debates, Inception’s strong word-of-mouth spread across the globe faster than a plague. On Twitter, some related comments also became popular retweets. "Movies are a dream one indulges in amid the light and shadows. And Inception is an outstanding dream within a dream. This is Duke’s highly successful venture into the genre of dreams. The plot is intricately structured, logically tight yet full of tension. In over 130 minutes of runtime, not a single moment feels sluggish or pretentious. As for lead actor Leonardo, he delivered the most brilliant performance in the film. The best director, the best actor, the best story together created the best dream!" "A movie like Inception is so good that even if you know it’s deliberately messing with your head, you’d still give it five stars without hesitation." Exploding word-of-mouth is great for the film, but everything has two sides. High praise inevitably leads to high expectations. And for a film like Inception, excessively high expectations might not be a good thing. Hi For access to additional Chapters of Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters) Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters) Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters) Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(40 Chapters) Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters) The Great Ruler (30 Chapters) Join pateron.com/Translaterappu