Hollywood Immortal

[Chapter 377: Differences Between Hollywood and Hong Kong Film Crews]

On May 5th, the production of As Good as It Gets also commenced at Universal Studios, with the crew renting the Number 2 Building of the Universal Studios Hotel.

The female lead, Cristiana, although assigned a luxurious suite on the top floor of Building 2, didn't actually move in. Instead, she boldly took up residence in Linton's room in Building 3.

That night, the rivalry escalated into a four-way competition, with the 'battle' naturally becoming even more intense... And the singing grew even louder...

---

The Scream crew was originally scheduled to start filming on May 9th. But when the "big" star Jennifer found out that Cristiana, Catherine, and Michelle had all moved into Linton's room, she, together with Akina Nakamori, decided to join the production early and also stayed in Linton's room -- pretending it was to discuss the script but really to throw a uniquely extravagant party...

"This is delicious, Jennifer, Michelle, come try some..." Catherine spread strawberry cream onto Linton's...

Hearing this, Jennifer and Michelle knelt down in front of Linton and joined Catherine in grabbing the treats.

Meanwhile, Linton's hands were busy too -- one arm wrapped around Cristiana, the other around Akina Nakamori - -enjoying a thoroughly pleasant time...

All sorts of strange sounds mixed with sweet, joyful singing kept going nonstop through the night...

---

Mission: Impossible was pure male-lead territory.

Why it became a classic and sparked a global surge in spy movies, even setting the foundation for the franchise format, Linton believed, came down to two main elements.

First was the gripping storyline -- twists upon twists, yet never so complicated that it became confusing, a smart thriller anyone could follow.

CIA agent Ethan Hunt's IMF team was betrayed during a mission to steal the agency's "Noah's Ark" agent list; all members were killed except Ethan, who was framed as a traitor.

To clear his name, Ethan had to evade the organization's pursuit while hunting down the real mastermind.

From the failed Prague mission, where Ethan watched his teammates die one by one, the sense of despair and helplessness truly resonated.

When he became the organization's prime suspect and target, he didn't just give up. Instead, relying on his wit and courage, he embarked on a thrilling escape and investigation.

Along the way, he outsmarted old nemeses and teamed up with other agents to complete nearly impossible tasks.

Layered plot twists kept viewers on edge, unable to predict what would happen next.

The climax involved Ethan infiltrating CIA headquarters to steal the real list, raising the tension to a peak. Using advanced gadgets, he carefully avoided multiple high-security systems where one wrong move could mean death.

This tightly woven plot not only challenged the audience's intellect but also made them feel immersed in a dangerous, conspiratorial spy world -- sharing Ethan's trials.

Of course, Ethan ultimately triumphed, clearing his name.

The second key element was Tom Cruise's charisma and spectacular performance, cementing Ethan Hunt as one of cinema's most memorable spy characters.

The rooftop train fight was iconic -- fighting atop a speeding train that rocked wildly, every punch landing with visceral tension.

The roaring wind, the train speeding through tunnels, every moment gripped the audience.

Then there was the famous scene where Ethan rappelled from the ceiling in the CIA's main control room to steal the list -- a quintessential moment in spy film history.

Additionally, the skillful blend of tech and suspense, plus Emmanuelle Beart's sultry presence, added great flavor.

Linton believed that if he portrayed Ethan well, the whole film would come alive, and its box office would surely soar.

He was confident his looks and popularity even surpassed the original Tom Cruise.

As for the thrilling action sequences, relying on his Celestial Presence stage, he was sure no one could top him.

Though Mission: Impossible was an action movie, it differed from The Man from Nowhere. It didn't have too many close combat scenes; instead, there were plenty of gunfights and daring stunts on trains and helicopters.

Therefore, instead of hiring a Hong Kong martial arts choreographer, Linton employed the Norman team, Hollywood's top stunt coordinators.

---

That day, they were filming the scene where Ethan infiltrates CIA headquarters and lowers himself from the ceiling by rope to steal the computer list.

The ceiling was a full 15 meters above the floor. According to the script, Franz would be above, pulling the rope via a pulley to lower Linton and keep him balanced during the heist.

But for filming, a rig was built -- a mechanical gimbal -- controlled by the Norman team to manage the ropes.

Linton was actually harnessed to three ropes, since one could never keep him perfectly level and steady to operate the computer.

Though with his cultivation, he could hold himself steady without any ropes, for filming's sake it couldn't look too unrealistic.

Still, his superb balance and body control amazed everyone on set.

Actually, as long as he maintained balance, the scene was easy to shoot; the real fear was involuntary trembling, which would require multiple takes.

The director initially planned two days to shoot the scene, but Linton reduced it to one, putting huge pressure on the Norman team.

Unbelievably, Linton mastered the balance so well that he finished the whole scene in under an hour.

After watching the playback, though, he noticed his face didn't show enough tension despite the great moves.

So after a 20-minute break, he shot it again for an hour -- and nailed the emotional intensity perfectly.

They completed an entire day's work in one morning, so the afternoon schedule couldn't go to waste.

The director and producers hurriedly revised the shooting plan and sent out the call sheet just before lunch.

---

Michelle had no scenes scheduled recently but came to set every day, keenly observing the production.

At lunch, the three naturally gathered in Linton's trailer to eat, and noticing Michelle's thoughtful expression, Linton asked her, "Michelle, do you think there's a big difference between filming in Hollywood and Hong Kong?"

"Big difference, huge difference."

"Oh? Tell me."

"First, filming here is much more relaxed."

"You call filming relaxed? That's because you have fewer scenes. Don't you see how busy Linton is every day?" Catherine snapped.

"No, I mean overall. In Hong Kong, shooting days never went below 12 hours. Sometimes, to catch up, 16 hours was common. When's the last time our crew here worked over eight hours?"

"Wow, 16 hours? That crew must be crazy. Nobody complained? Didn't the unions step in?" Catherine looked stunned.

"That's just how it is. Who dares complain? If you don't do it, someone else will jump at the chance."

"Catherine, don't be so surprised. Every place has its own ways. Michelle, go on."

"Also, crews are more specialized here, with way more people. In Hong Kong, a crew usually capped around 60-70 people. Even big-budget productions rarely had more than 100. Remember last year's Rumble in the Bronx? They had fewer than 150. Our crew now has over 600!"

"That's true, Hollywood's film industry is industrialized. Every role is highly specialized, making the production more professional and the film higher quality."

"And the crew's pay and perks here are way higher -- and frankly, more wasteful."

"Oh, how's that wasteful?"

"I won't even talk about pay or lodging. Just trailers -- back in Hong Kong, a crew might get two trailers max, reserved for the biggest stars; others would be lucky to have a private makeup room. Here, if your part is significant, you get your own trailer. Our crew has nearly 20 trailers, and they never turn off their engines during filming.

Plus, with such a massive crew, they stock enough drinks and snacks at all times. Over there, that's unthinkable. Only if a star visited or if someone on set had a big celebration would the crew get snacks and drinks."

"Don't overthink it. Bottom line is, Hollywood films are distributed worldwide, so the profits justify high standards, deep specialization, and heavy costs."

*****

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