The programmatic press conference concluded, and Matthew arrived at the side door of the Temple Grand Hall. Before he even stepped out, he heard a clamor of discussions outside. Without needing to look, he knew the place was swarming with reporters.
Fortunately, the Temple Grand Hall was experienced in handling such situations. After Matthew's car arrived, four security personnel immediately escorted him out the door, and Matthew quickly got into the car before the reporters could react.
If it had been in the past, he would have willingly offered himself up to the reporters' siege, as it would have been beneficial for promoting the film. However, tonight's revelations from the crew were more than enough—so much so that the media would need two days to digest them, and he didn't need to do anything extra.
But these reporters, who weren't allowed into the Temple Grand Hall and couldn't get what they wanted, weren't willing to leave easily. They blocked Matthew's car, refusing to move.
These reporters, or more accurately, paparazzi, were thick-skinned enough. Even as the driver honked the horn deafeningly, they remained unmoving.
"Be patient," Helen Herman said, tilting her head to look ahead. "I hope you're prepared."
Matthew sat calmly in his seat and asked, "Prepared for what? For being chased and besieged by reporters and paparazzi after becoming famous?" Before Helen Herman could answer, he added, "I've been waiting for this day for too long. This is a pleasure for me."
Helen Herman turned to glance at him, knowing that Matthew's way of thinking was somewhat different from ordinary people.
Matthew slightly spread his hands, closed his eyes, and deliberately put on an expression of enjoyment.
In reality, he truly enjoyed this feeling.
Just a few months ago, even if he begged the media for interviews, few people paid him any attention. Now? Even if he hid in the car and didn't come out, a large group of paparazzi actively surrounded him.
Five minutes later, with the assistance of the Temple Grand Hall's security personnel, the car finally broke free from the encirclement and slowly drove onto the Walk of Fame. Matthew turned to look, and it was clear that cars and motorcycles were following behind; those paparazzi hadn't given up.
He suddenly thought of something and turned to Helen Herman, saying, "Those paparazzi must have seen you. They want to follow us to see what our relationship really is."
Helen Herman completely ignored Matthew and directly told the driver, "First, take me to Angel Management in Burbank."
The black Mercedes sedan quickly stopped by the roadside where Angel Management was located. Helen Herman got out, leaving Matthew alone to continue north in the car.
Ten minutes later, Matthew returned home. After showering, he specifically went up to the attic of the house to look. In the dim yellow light of the streetlights outside, he could vaguely see cars and motorcycles parked near his home. It seemed those paparazzi intended to stake out all night and weren't planning on leaving.
Matthew came down from the attic, opened his computer, and specifically checked Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. These two websites had not yet unblocked their film ratings, which he estimated would only happen tomorrow.
At the premiere earlier, Universal Pictures, following industry practice, had invited many well-known film critics to watch the film. These critics, unlike those who had cheered during the internal test screening, were relatively more impartial. Although film criticism had long become a business, these individuals also valued their reputations and long-term prospects, often considering their credibility.
According to Helen Herman, these renowned film critics would not easily accept money or gifts from film companies, nor would they be swayed by petty gains. Their columns and industry reputation inherently possessed a certain commercial value.
Matthew was well aware that once these critics' reviews were published tomorrow, the Rotten Tomatoes Freshness Score would be unlocked.
As for IMDb, he hadn't specifically studied it yet and wasn't entirely clear about its scoring rules.
As midnight approached, Matthew went up to the attic again and found that the paparazzi outside still hadn't left. It seemed they wouldn't leave until they got a big scoop.
What these paparazzi loved to photograph most was gossip and scandals. Unfortunately, Matthew currently had very little in that regard to be photographed.
Britney was on promotional tours in Australia and would then go to New Zealand, so she wouldn't be returning to Los Angeles anytime soon.
Thinking of Britney, Matthew came down from the attic, found his phone, and prepared to call her. Not counting today, they hadn't spoken on the phone for three days. Due to the time difference, he and Britney, who already had very little free time, found it difficult to coordinate.
This time, he still couldn't get through to Britney, so he simply composed a text message and sent it to her.
It was getting late. After waiting for more than half an hour and seeing no reply from Britney, Matthew decided to go to bed. Although he didn't have promotional events tomorrow, he couldn't sleep too late. If he had dark circles, it would be a problem when facing the media cameras in the coming days.
Waking up the next day, Matthew first called for breakfast delivery and also asked them to bring along the mainstream newspapers and entertainment magazines available on the market.
When the delivery arrived, he carried a stack of newspapers into the dining room, enjoying his breakfast while flipping through news related to "The Scorpion King."
First were the film review columns in some major nationwide newspapers.
After flipping through some newspapers, Matthew had a general understanding of the reviews, which were roughly split fifty-fifty between good and bad, with slightly more positive reviews than negative ones.
Kenneth Turan, film critic for the Los Angeles Times, commented: "The Scorpion King" offers ample sensory stimulation—cartoonish violence, harmless exotic eroticism, and excellent action sequences.
He also specifically mentioned Matthew, believing that the male lead's excellent action performance was the most exhilarating aspect of the film.
Conversely, the San Francisco Chronicle criticized "The Scorpion King": The film's script is mediocre, the story seems somewhat pale, and the dialogue doesn't quite fit the historical background.
However, the newspaper also mentioned Matthew's male lead in a complimentary tone: Matthew Horner's male lead shines exceptionally brightly in such a mediocre film. It is his rock-solid handsome face, sculpted muscles, and excellent fighting skills that make the entire film less boring.
The New York Times, the most influential newspaper in North America, also didn't think much of the film: The plot is simplistic, the humor is weak, the outdoor scenes aren't impressive, and there are no mummies or monsters. Its 90-minute length also clearly indicates a low-budget production, purely rehashing the "Mummy" series. The only highlight is the strong man and beautiful woman combination of Matthew Horner and Kelly Hu.
The Washington Post, one of the three major newspaper groups in the U.S., had a slightly better review of the film: "The Scorpion King" features cleverly designed action sequences. The three long-take action scenes at the beginning, middle, and end of the film also demonstrate the crew's ambition. The male lead, Matthew Horner, perfectly grasped the essence of these three long takes, delivering several classic action scenes. Although his dramatic acting isn't as outstanding as his action scenes, it is still commendable for the entire film.
Next, Matthew flipped through several more newspapers and found that regardless of whether the reviews were positive or harshly negative, there were almost no comments criticizing him as the male lead. Even the worst reviews stated that he successfully completed his job, only that his dramatic performance was a bit less than ideal.
Most newspaper comments believed that his male lead's appearance and action scenes were the most prominent and attractive parts of the film.
Criticism, however, focused on the film's plot and the relationship between the protagonists and antagonists.
Frankly, Matthew also believed the film's plot was indeed clichéd, which was Stephen Sommers' consistent style and a common way for Hollywood to mitigate risk.
For this type of pure commercial entertainment film, a plot that is too convoluted or profound would actually be a hindrance.
The crew was very clear from the beginning that the selling point of "The Scorpion King" was not its plot.
Matthew finished breakfast, flipped through all the newspapers, and then opened his computer to check. As he expected, the Rotten Tomatoes Freshness Score for "The Scorpion King" had been unlocked. Among the forty film critic reviews collected by the website, twenty-six were positive and fourteen were negative, reaching a Freshness Score of 65%.
However, the film's average rating was relatively low, only 6.2, just barely passing.
Among the reviews collected on Rotten Tomatoes, Matthew saw a negative review for his male lead: Matthew Horner's acting, in my opinion, is "a bit stiff." He seems to be better at fighting bad guys than at delivering a convincing smile.
Matthew found it a bit puzzling, but then again, he admitted that filming the seemingly more difficult action scenes was indeed much easier than the dramatic ones.
Exiting Rotten Tomatoes, he then went to IMDb and found "The Scorpion King" column. He discovered that due to an insufficient number of reviewers, the film's average IMDb score hadn't been calculated yet.
He specifically scrolled down the page to find comments already left by movie fans and browsed through them extensively.
Compared to professional film critics, movie fans were more forgiving of "The Scorpion King" and gave it higher ratings.
A comment from a fan named "Loves Mummies" was like that of a die-hard fan: To be honest, the first time I saw Matthew Horner in "The Mummy Returns," I was electrified by him. His developed muscles and fit physique could rival the gods of Greek mythology. I had already witnessed Kelly Hu's unparalleled beauty in the trailer. Even if these two were in a movie with no acting, it would definitely be a must-see.
Another fan named "Crazy Two-in-One" also really liked the film: Matthew Horner is awesome! As a man, you have to be like him, daring to face life's difficulties and striving to carve out your own path through hard work. I've always believed that a good work can change a person's view of the world, and as a movie for men, it's worth recommending.
While Matthew was at home, secretly delighted as he read the positive reviews about himself, a dedicated FedEx vehicle left a New York forwarding center and headed towards an address in the suburbs.
Surprisingly, trailing behind the delivery truck were more than a dozen interview vehicles adorned with the logos of various newspapers, magazines, and television stations.