I'm in Hollywood-Chapter 253 - Stupid things
Chapter 253 - Stupid things
The second-hand Ford sputtered a few muffled sounds and then suddenly stopped. Even though George Norton was wearing a seatbelt, he still felt a sharp pain in his chest due to the abrupt halt of the vehicle.
George unfastened his seatbelt, raised the hood of the car with a faint puff of smoke, mumbled a few expletives, looked around, and realized that the premiere of "The Others" was less than a kilometer away. He summoned all his strength to push the car to a parking space on the side of the road, then got out of the car with a bag containing a camera and a recorder, and rushed to the premiere of "The Others" on foot.
At this time, George Norton no longer had the gentlemanly style of the suit and leather shoes from half a year ago, wearing a dark gray jacket without a zipper and some baggy jeans, his face unshaven making him appear a bit scruffy.
Due to the uproar caused by the attack on "Running Out of Time" in July, the renowned film critic was not only banned by most Hollywood film companies but also lost lucrative jobs.
George Norton had an annual income of over one hundred thousand dollars prior to the incident, however, like most Americans, he also had the habit of consuming in advance. This habit resulted in his complete bankruptcy within a few months after he lost his job and the public relations income from the film company. His apartment in Beverly Hills was repossessed by the bank, and he had to sell his original sports car to pay off the debt.
At first, the magazine "Premiere" was pressured by Columbia Pictures to fire him, so other Hollywood magazines related to films were unwilling to hire him.
In order to make a living, George Norton had to find a job at a newspaper called "Hollywood Online", which sounded high-end but was no match for other newspapers such as "Hollywood Report" and "Hollywood Observer". It was a gossip rag, and George Norton's current identity was that of a reporter for the paper - in plain terms, a paparazzi.
Although George Norton earns a salary from Hollywood Online and sometimes makes extra money by publishing film reviews, he still gets over three thousand dollars a month. However, this salary he earns by working hard every day is not even one-fifth of what he used to make just from easily publishing a few film reviews.
Whenever George Norton feels frustrated because of this huge gap in his life, Nicole Kidman's pretty face appears in his mind.
If he hadn't met that despicable woman in the first place, he could still be living a decent and comfortable life. How did he end up in a small apartment in Burbank and driving around Los Angeles like a dog, following the little stars and often running around all day without any reward? He even had to endure verbal abuse from that fat, pig-like editor.
Thinking of Nicole Kidman, George Norton naturally thought of Eric again. Not long after, Nicole became the female lead in Eric's new film. Although many newspapers proclaimed how excellent and lucky Nicole Kidman was, some newspapers reported the detailed process of how Eric chose this Australian girl from many auditioning actresses.
But that night, George Norton remembered it clearly: Nicole Kidman and Drew Barrymore obviously knew each other, so she must have known Eric Williams.
Therefore, George Norton had wanted to divulge to the media that things were not as they seemed; that the woman definitely had an unmentionable secret with Eric Williams. She had managed to secure the female lead of Seattle Nights, and it was definitely some kind of underhanded deal she had made with Eric Williams.
However, he had no evidence to back it up. Moreover, he had recently been banned for attacking Eric Williams's "Running Out of Time", so even if he did leak it to the media, most newspapers would likely not believe him. And even if there were gossip newspapers willing to publish the story, people would think he was throwing mud at the young director because he had been blocked, and he might even risk being sued. With this in mind, George Norton had to bury this matter deep in his heart.
George Norton spent a few minutes walking to the luxurious cinema on Hollywood Boulevard. The premiere of "The Others" was taking place there tonight. Of course, George Norton would never be able to sit comfortably in the cinema and watch the movie like the invited film critics. Afterwards, he would receive a PR check.
He doesn't have the qualifications to attend the press conference after the movie ends, so he has to squeeze himself in among the paparazzi on the red carpet, waiting for the director, lead actors, and other important figures to appear in hopes of getting some scoop by luck. Given the choice, George Norton would certainly not attend the premiere of the movie as he harbours resentment towards Nicole Kidman and disfavour towards Eric, having taken out his anger on Nicole's "teasing" regarding Eric's movie "Running Out of Time". But as he has not completed his interviews this month, and if he does not turn in his copy tomorrow, the strict editor will surely deduct his salary. Consequently, George Norton must bear his disgust and participate in the premiere.
It was already 6 p.m., and the red carpet in front of the cinema was crowded with people on both sides. Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Julia Roberts were among the Hollywood stars that appeared in succession, eliciting a cacophony of screams from their fans. George Norton and the other paparazzi, like dogs kept behind a police line, shouted hoarsely at the stars as they leisurely walked the red carpet in the hopes of getting them to answer a few questions and pose for pictures. However, their efforts were in vain. Norton cursed in frustration, as he had wasted an entire roll of film and gained nothing from it. He quickly changed the roll and focused his attention on Demi Moore, who had just walked the red carpet and was now snuggled up close to Bruce Willis. He prayed that the actress, wearing a strapless gown, would stumble and fall on the stairs, preferably with her dress ripping off in the process. If that were to happen, he'd have a newsworthy topic and could finally leave the crowded, noisy place.
Unfortunately, no angel of an attractive passerby was destined to fulfill this 'beautiful' wish for Demi Moore and her husband Bruce Willis, who quickly stepped up the stairs and entered the cinema. Just as the silhouettes of the two people disappeared, the other end of the red carpet burst into cheers and screams from onlookers. George Norton carefully distinguished and heard the name of Eric Williams, although he could not resist a strong feeling of disgust. But the experiences of the past months had already worn him down so much that he had no pride left, so George Norton quickly cheered up like the other paparazzi around him, hoping to intercept Eric Williams and ask him a few questions.
It was only seven or eight meters away and the paparazzi started shouting wildly towards Eric.
"Eric, can we stop and take a picture?"
"Eric, look here look here!"
"......"
Eric and Virginia walked into the press area and paused for the photographers to take some shots of Virginia and promote her name.
"Eric, can we take a picture together with Ms. Madsen?" the reporters shouted.
"Eric..."
The reporters' paparazzi were not satisfied and shouted again.
Eric stood on the red carpet, smiling and shaking his head. Despite the fact that many people knew about his relationship with Virginia, and even gossip magazines recklessly fabricated rumors about the two of them, Eric refused to give them any material.
The clicking sound lasted for a moment, and the sharp-eyed paparazzi realized Eric was about to leave, so they quickly reached out their recorders and asked him. Nevertheless, no matter how they asked their questions, Eric acted as if he had not heard and politely extended his arm, taking hold of Virginia, intending to enter the cinema. Seeing such a perfect opportunity pass again, George Norton had an inspiration and shouted loudly: "Mr. Williams, don't you think it's foolish to put 'The Others' on show on November 1st?" George Norton's voice suddenly silenced everyone as he had put all his effort into it.
Eric paused for a moment, quickly turning to look around, and soon zeroed in on George Norton. Although he knew the name of the film critic who had written the scathing review of "Running Out of Time", he had never seen him in person, so Eric's eyes showed an interested look.
Seeing Eric stop in his tracks, the paparazzi behind the caution line went wild again, and the sound of shutters snapping filled the air. Eric released Virginia and took a few steps towards George Norton and said, "Was that you talking just now?"
"Yes," George Norton nodded slightly. Despite Eric's youth, he had the aura of a successful person, making George feel a little embarrassed for his previous actions.
