Hanging up Bill Rossi's call, Murphy sat on the living room sofa, his face unusually stern and his brows tightly furrowed. He had received a piece of terrible news: the magician had killed again!
The Los Angeles police received a report at noon today. In a park in Burbank and Malibu, they discovered a paper box suspected to be an explosive device. The police immediately dispatched a large number of officers to seal off the scene and brought in bomb disposal experts and robots, only to find it was a false alarm. The box was filled with colorful magic balls, each inscribed with black letters: "I am an agent of chaos!"
There was no bomb, and the LAPD breathed a sigh of relief. However, the message on the magic balls made them tense again.
Subsequently, the police conducted a thorough search of the park and its surrounding areas. In the northwest corner of the park's pond, they found a man's body, shot through the head. In his pocket was a colorful magic ball, also inscribed with "I am an agent of chaos!"
Another person had been killed by the magician, which was undoubtedly terrible news for Murphy.
The media might incite a storm of public opinion far beyond the current situation, completely overwhelming "Dark City" with criticism.
"Who exactly is this person?" Murphy wondered, baffled by the perpetrator's madness.
The police had not found many valuable clues. While it wasn't uncommon for people to be influenced by films and do crazy things, someone acting with such meticulous planning and leaving so few traces was unheard of.
Could "Dark City" really have created a real-life version of the insane magician?
Although Murphy himself was not exactly a good person, the continuous murders by this killer seemed utterly deranged to him.
Even more troubling was that this maniac was dragging him and his film into a massive whirlpool.
The next day, more information reached Murphy through his lawyer Robert.
The murdered man was named Griffin Beckerman, also a Catholic. He had publicly criticized the Catholic elements in Murphy's film "Diego Ross" multiple times on Twitter and Facebook, though his criticisms were infrequent, they were extremely harsh.
Additionally, the bullet that killed Griffin Beckerman came from a Glock handgun, and the magic ball found on him matched those scattered in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in terms of material, strongly suggesting the same person was responsible for both cases.
However, the LAPD still had few leads.
This incident further solidified the belief that the killer was a fan of Murphy's.
But Murphy had too many fans. As a native Los Angeles director, he had tens of thousands of die-hard supporters in the city.
Soon, a spokesperson for the LAPD made statements to the media that were highly unfavorable to Murphy and "Dark City."
"Both the shooting at the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Burbank park murder show the influence of the movie 'Dark City.' The killer is clearly mimicking the actions of the film's antagonist, the magician..."
The police's comments pushed "Dark City" to the forefront of controversy. Some Catholic-leaning media eagerly began discussing how to curb violent elements in Hollywood films and reduce their negative impact on audiences.
It seemed that some in the Catholic Church saw an opportunity to increase their influence in Hollywood, particularly in Southern California. Supportive newspapers directly targeted Murphy and "Dark City."
"If you ask why the criminal chose to attack viewers at the screening of 'Dark City,' I can only say it's inseparably linked to the movie itself."
"This was the response from an officer at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department when asked if the shooter was influenced by the movie. Similar questions were raised at the beginning of 'Dark City's' release, with some worried that the realistic depiction of the magician would incite imitation among young viewers."
"At that time, Murphy Stanton responded that 'young people have their own judgment.' This statement became a focal point for some media's harsh criticism. They argued that the aggressive marketing campaign by Murphy and 20th Century Fox for 'Dark City' indirectly encouraged criminal behavior."
"The marketing for 'Dark City' was brainwashing and viral. It emphasized the confidence, evil, and darkness of the film's villain. Even the protagonist, a symbol of justice, is portrayed as a 'flawed hero struggling in New York City's cesspool of crime.' Most fans likely watched the film to see how the villain would wreak havoc. They hoped for a killer who could defeat the hero because Murphy Stanton's films over the past decade have made them love neurotic, vengeful, and anarchistic characters."
"This highlights a core issue with Murphy Stanton's films: they never focus on the brighter side of humanity or society. Instead, they magnify the dark side, potentially warping viewers' values. This is the scariest part of Murphy Stanton's films—how they can directly influence and distort audience values."
"In the marketing of 'Dark City,' the producers used viral tactics like posting wanted posters of the villain online. This deepened the blur between film and reality. Such marketing strategies, dating back to the 1999 'Blair Witch Project,' once caused a panic among moviegoers, with 47% of surveyed viewers believing the footage was real."
"Even more frightening is Murphy Stanton's lack of accountability. He seems to revel in the negative impact of his films."
"It's time for introspection. We should start by rejecting 'Dark City,' rejecting Murphy Stanton's films, and rejecting extreme violence in Hollywood movies."
As Murphy predicted, while the police were doing everything to catch the criminal, Archbishop Marquez Costello of the Southern California Catholic Diocese saw this as an opportunity to regain the face and reputation he had lost, and perhaps even revive the influence of the Catholic Church in Hollywood. He frequently launched public attacks on Murphy and "Dark City," expanding the criticism to Hollywood at large.
Additionally, some people and media who had been envious of Murphy's success over the years seized this chance to criticize him, taking the opportunity to add to the backlash.
"In past Hollywood films, stereotypical villains have been transformed by Murphy Stanton into complex, three-dimensional terrorists like the magician. These characters believe in anarchy and were once victims of a cruel material society before turning into villains."
"This path seems more plausible for normal people. Falling into darkness is far easier than upholding justice. Take the shooter imitating the magician, for instance. He killed people over some online free speech issues, even willing to risk killing innocent bystanders. He may not need money or power but uses these to manipulate everyone. He might not fear death or failure, only wanting to destroy our world."
"Such individuals are terrifying—they turn crime into an ideal! Murphy Stanton's dark films played an inspirational role in this."
Though many media outlets blamed Murphy and "Dark City," some provided a more balanced analysis.
"Since the earliest filmmakers discovered the commercial entertainment value of movies a century ago, violence has been intrinsically linked to cinema. Directors like Quentin Tarantino and Murphy Stanton have gradually transformed it into an art form that excites audiences."
"Looking at Murphy Stanton's directorial career over more than a decade, a clear pattern emerges: no violence, no movie. The violence in his films satisfies the restless hearts dissatisfied with reality, temporarily fulfilling the audience's dark inclinations and destructive desires."
"At the same time, Murphy Stanton's dark films have familiarized audiences with crime, taught them how to commit crimes, and even made them fascinated by it. We must acknowledge that movies bear undeniable responsibility for the increasing social violence. Anyone who has seen 'Dark City' cannot deny being enthralled by the magician's extreme madness and meticulous planning. Who can say they didn't feel an urge to plant a bomb somewhere and walk away like the magician?"
These criticisms and well-crafted public opinions emerged one after another, making it hard for anyone to ignore them.
Compiling information from various sources, Murphy confirmed that Archbishop Marquez Costello, previously rebuked by the Vatican, was now planning a sharp counterattack to regain his lost face and reputation.
Murphy certainly wouldn't sit idly by. CAA and 20th Century Fox arranged a television interview for him. Although it couldn't fully mitigate the negative impact of the shooting, it was essential to prevent all the blame from being placed on him and "Dark City."
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