"Excellent work, Eric. You've created something extraordinary," Spielberg praised.
Eric waved his hand, feigning modesty: "Steve, you don't have to flatter me."
"No, this isn't flattery. It has nothing to do with the collaboration with MGM and DreamWorks. Inception truly is an exceptionally good movie."
"Hahahahaha. Steve certainly isn't joking, because I feel the same way. It's so damn awesome! How did you manage to create such a powerful movie?" Peter Jackson also chimed in.
Although the bearded man had done the special effects for the movie, he only knew the parts that required effects. This was the first time he had seen the movie in its entirety.
"Eric, regarding your movie, all I can say is that it didn't waste the all-out effort Weta Digital put into the special effects."
"That mirror kaleidoscope sequence must have taken a long time, right?" Spielberg asked.
Peter Jackson let out a long breath: "Long enough to surprise you. Three minutes took us a full eight months. That was eight months with one-fifth of Weta Digital's staff mobilized."
"I'm not boasting, but this special effect is the best in the world right now, an undisputed number one. Not even the snowy night monologue in frozen can compare."
Spielberg agreed. Although DreamWorks was his own company, it was indeed too shocking. He hadn't even noticed his glasses slipping down his nose.
The more one was an insider, the more one understood how difficult it truly was.
"Phew... I'm suddenly a bit worried for Sam Raimi. My old friend, he's run into a tough opponent this time, and it's probably going to be bad."
Spielberg also shook his head helplessly: "And Brad Bird. the incredibles' performance will probably also be severely impacted."
After the two left, Nolan approached. His voice was low, as if he hadn't quite emerged from the movie yet.
Eric smiled and asked: "How do you feel?"
"Amazing. That's the only adjective I can think of. Those images are still replaying in my mind."
"Eric, how did you write this script? There were some plot points I didn't understand. Perhaps I need a second viewing."
"Screenwriting, of course, relies on inspiration. Is it plagiarism?"
Nolan chuckled: "That's true. Actually, I once had inspiration about dreams too, though certainly not as detailed as your setting."
"Just 'Inception,' changing someone's thoughts by planting an idea. That concept is too cool."
"But since Inception already exists, it seems I can give up my own idea."
"Oh, come on. Who in Hollywood doesn't know you're a recognized genius? Memento was fantastic, and Insomnia was also very good."
Nolan smiled wryly and shook his head: "No, I don't think I can surpass Inception with this concept. There's no point in making it again."
"But I must thank you. Bale's performance was superb. I can imagine Inception will bring him immense fame."
"This will be very beneficial for the upcoming batman, and it might even help boost the box office by tens of millions of dollars."
Speaking of batman, Eric looked at Heath Ledger and Tom Hardy, who were talking to someone.
"Nolan, how about a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"Heath Ledger and Tom Hardy are both excellent actors. Through this filming, I saw more possibilities in them."
"I remember there's a very interesting villain, the Joker, in batman, and also Bane, who broke Bruce Wayne's spine."
"If you plan to feature these two villains in the sequel, why not try Heath and Tom? They will exceed your imagination."
Nolan couldn't help but look at the two, but he didn't see anything particularly special at the moment, and he didn't have any ideas for a sequel.
"Eric, I don't know if there will be a sequel. It's too early to talk about this."
"No sequel? Why?"
Nolan shook his head: "To be honest, this collaboration with Warner Bros. wasn't very pleasant. They had too many demands and were constantly rushing."
"My creative freedom was greatly restricted, and that feeling isn't good. Perhaps I'll only direct this one."
Eric oh-ed. Strictly speaking, this matter was ultimately related to him.
If The Big Six hadn't been trying to target MGM, everything would have proceeded as planned, but unfortunately, everything had been disrupted.
Just like Martin Scorsese complained that he didn't even know when his movie was released, there would always be unlucky ones, and Nolan was clearly one of them.
Patting Nolan's shoulder, Eric comforted him: "Directors, you'll always encounter all sorts of annoying things. Don't let your attitude become negative."
"Heh heh. Anyone can say that, but you, of all people, don't have the right to say it."
"Hahahahaha. That's true. After all, I'm the boss myself. But still, Nolan, if you want to switch companies, MGM is a great fit. At least I have more empathy for the director's position, and I can guarantee not to interfere with your creative process."
"OK, I'll consider it. It's too late today. These next few days, I need to take time to watch Inception again. Eric, you've practically filmed everything I've ever dreamed of."
After accepting compliments and gestures of goodwill from another group of people, it was already four in the morning when he got home.
After taking a shower, a wave of fatigue washed over him. Eric lay on the bed, and just as his eyelids were about to close,
Warm bodies snuggled close from both sides. He was already squeezed between four soft buns.
Immediately, both his nape and chest were under attack. It was clear who was causing trouble.
He hugged Nicole and Theron: "Darlings, does it have to be now? It's already late. Let's get some rest. We can play after we wake up tomorrow."
"But I'm still full of energy! Inception is definitely the coolest movie I've ever been a part of. I almost couldn't hold back in the cinema, but there were too many people."
Eric pinched her cheek: "Baby, didn't you say monster was the best movie you've ever been a part of? Are you rebelling?"
"Hehe. 'Best' and 'coolest' are two different concepts. Patty will understand, hmph!"
"Ah!"
"Why are you pinching me?"
"Because you deserve it! Why am I Mal? Look at my scenes, either jumping off a building or getting shot. Nicole gets to be like a magician. Why don't I have scenes like that?"
"But have you forgotten? During filming, you all mocked Nicole and Bale's silly movements. If I had asked you to act them out, you would have complained."
"Uh, that's because we couldn't see the finished product then! I don't care, I want cool scenes too."
"Alright, alright. When I acquire Warner Bros., I'll make the DC and Marvel comic book movies. You can have any role you want."
Unlike the two who were talking and chatting, Nicole had been quietly toiling and entwining behind Eric.
Eric's passion hadn't fully ignited yet, but she was already wriggling like a water snake, restless with desire.
"Darling, are you... not able to perform?"
"Hmm? I'm warning you, madam, you can say anything to a man, except that he's not able to perform!"
"Theron, how about we both take on Nicole?"
"Huh? How?"
"You sit on top, and I'll be underneath."
Thinking about how Nicole got all the exciting scenes, Theron pouted: "Perhaps... it wouldn't be bad to try."
"An unparalleled movie needs many qualities, and Inception clearly possesses most of them."
"MGM's strongest trump card has been born! I finally understand why Eric Cooper slowed down this year; it turns out he dedicated most of his time to Inception."
"Novel ideas, intricate structure, layered suspense, perfect montage, and those unparalleled special effects—these are the elements Inception presents to the audience. Best of the year 2004, no doubt!"
"Inception is simply too good! It just made me a bit confused; after watching it, I still felt bewildered, but it was so damn good."
"Inception is a movie that requires careful thought and attention to watch, but at the same time, it doesn't lack any elements of a commercial film. The best movie of the year, undisputed!"
"How on earth does Eric Cooper train his actors? Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy. Everyone delivered their best performance; everyone's acting was astonishingly good."
"Nicole Kidman is so cool! Decisive, calm, powerful. As a 15-year-old boy, I finally understand why she fascinates so many men."
"I've seen Spider-Man 2 and Inception. My feeling is that both are excellent movies, but if I absolutely had to compare, I'd cast my vote for Inception, because Spider-Man is just commercial, while the Inception team has transcended commercialism."
As the reviews were unembargoed, evaluations of Inception were released, almost unanimously positive. It was difficult to find any negative reviews.
Two of these comments received the most agreement.
"Inception is a movie so good that even if you understand it's being deliberately mysterious, you'll still wholeheartedly give it a perfect score."
"Inception will make censorship agencies in various countries difficult, because they won't know where to cut!"
Especially the second one, Eric couldn't help but laugh when he saw it. Censorship had always been the enemy of movies.
But for a suspense-filled good movie like Inception, cutting even once could lead to the loss of crucial information. It had to be said that this was also a hidden benefit.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it a perfect 100% rating. IMDb opened with an 8.8, and after three days of fermentation, the number of raters increased, and instead of dropping, the score climbed to 8.9.
The most professional MTC saw critics unreservedly praise it, with a high score of 9.2 proving everything.
Especially with only three months left until next year's Oscar, some people were already shouting slogans like Best Director, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and a series of other awards.
While currently these were just slogans, leaving aside other awards, winning Best Original Screenplay was highly likely to be a sure thing.
Eric's screenwriting ability was once again recognized by the public. He might not be the best director, but he would definitely become the best screenwriter in film history.
Along with the positive reviews, discussions about the plot also emerged. Unbeknownst to many, whether one could understand Inception had become a standard for testing intelligence.
How many layers of dreams are there? Who is the dream owner of each layer? Why did Mal commit suicide? Are the fourth layer and the Limbo the same space?
Especially the most discussed point: does the spinning top at the end of the movie mean that everything is Cobb's dream? Did he truly return to reality?
As many people praised Eric, as many cursed him. They hated guys who had to stir things up at the end of the story. Did he have to make the audience uncomfortable?
How dare he! Annoying!
With such excellent word-of-mouth, the box office was naturally impressive. Even facing the popular sequel Spider-Man 2 at the same time, Inception still took the lead.
In its opening weekend, it raked in $72.8 million in North America, while Spider-Man 2 took $60.5 million, a strong suppression by a margin of tens of millions.
Recalling last year, after transformers was released, Sam Raimi said in an interview that he would reclaim glory with Spider-Man 2.
But judging by the current situation, reclaiming it was impossible. Being able to bite at its heels would be considered a success.
On Tuesday evening, Eric and Elizabeth had just walked out of the cinema when they were stopped by keen-eyed paparazzi.
Unlike other women, since little Elizabeth was only 15, there was no need to worry about scandals.
Everyone knew Eric was a major shareholder of Dual Star Entertainment and had a close relationship with the Olsen Family, often taking Elizabeth to Neverland Ranch to play.
The events of the first half of the year further proved that Eric was not an underage sex offender.
So seeing the two of them playing together, like an older brother with his younger sister, no one would suspect an improper relationship between them. It had to be said that this was a kind of 'hidden in plain sight.'
"Mr. Cooper, Elizabeth, it looks like you just finished watching a movie."
Thinking of the 'torment' she had just endured, Elizabeth's face flushed slightly: "We just finished watching Spider-Man 2."
The reporter was a bit surprised: "Spider-Man? So you're aiding the enemy?"
Eric laughed heartily: "Don't put it so harshly. It's just a simple liking, just like I also liked watching the first movie."
"What did you think of the filming?"
"Excellent. I think in terms of the story's core and theme, it's better than the first. Sam Raimi did an outstanding job."
"Especially when Spider-Man stopped the train, and everyone lifted him over their heads – that scene will become a classic. It imbued Spider-Man with a touch of divinity."
"Wow! It seems you really watched the movie seriously. MGM will also be releasing Iron Man and captain america next. Do you think they can surpass Spider-Man 2?"
This question was a bit annoying. Elizabeth secretly tugged at Eric, signaling him not to answer.
At this moment, a man walked over carrying a small boy on his back, followed by a woman. They appeared to be a family of three.
"Honey, aren't you a big fan of superheroes? Daddy and Mommy are taking you to see Spider-Man."
The little boy gave a firm 'mm': "I'll be brave. I'm not afraid of the surgery."
"You're the best, darling."
Seeing this family of three, a flash of inspiration went through Eric's mind, and he immediately walked over.