The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 434

The bell had just rung, and before Clift could even settle into his stance, Boll shot out a quick right jab. Clift didn't have time to dodge before the fist connected squarely with the top of his headgear.

The padding absorbed most of the impact, but even so, Clift felt like he’d been struck by something incredibly heavy.

"Nice one, Boll!"

Leonardo applauded loudly. Not to be outdone, Matthew threw his hands in the air and yelled, "Finish him with an uppercut!"

Unlike the others, Matthew had a background in boxing. Though he had since switched to freestyle wrestling, his skills as an amateur were still decent. It was obvious from the first exchange between Boll and Clift that the critic was a complete novice, whereas Boll had clearly received professional training.

Sure enough, in the next moment, Boll's punches rained down on Clift like a hurricane.

Straight punches! Left hooks! Boll was on fire, giving his opponent absolutely no room to breathe! The best boxer among all directors, he was upholding the glorious tradition of filmmakers fighting back against their critics! Michael Bay, Roland Emmerich, and James Cameron would have gotten a huge kick out of watching this!

Finally, Boll lived up to expectations, knocking Clift down with a brutal uppercut. Though Clift managed to get back on his feet, the referee stopped the fight.

In the mere ten seconds since the opening bell, Clift hadn't put up any resistance, doing nothing but absorb the punishment.

"The winner is..." The referee raised a hand. "Uwe Boll!"Matthew and Leonardo applauded enthusiastically, as did Bar and Ilana beside them.

Rex couldn’t help but glance back at Matthew, who just shrugged and said, “There are still three more of them.”

Hearing that, Rex quickly turned back around. Who was he kidding? He’d just seen the fight. It wasn’t a matter of whether the next three critics could beat Uwe Boll; he was now a famous celebrity—how could he possibly go and kiss a donkey’s ass?

Matthew shook his head, paying no more mind to the group of critics in front of him.

Leonardo remarked at that moment, “Boll looks like the surefire winner.”

“When an enraged German decides to settle things in a boxing match,” Matthew chuckled, “anyone without professional training had better stay far away.”

In reality, Boll had been an amateur boxer for about ten years. You could argue he was the best boxer among directors and the best director among boxers.

Ten Bolls might not be a match for one critic in a war of words, but when it came to close-quarters combat, the professional critics were the only ones getting beaten.

Unsurprisingly, the next three critics were quickly defeated by Boll, just like Clift before them. Not a single one of them lasted past the first round.

In Matthew’s opinion, if the critics wanted to find a way back into the game, they would have to stick to their usual brand of scathing, literal sarcasm.

“For film critics, Boll is undoubtedly an object of extreme irony, a perfect canvas for their talents. But sometimes, they love him more than they hate him.”

As the fight concluded, Ilana remarked to Matthew, “Whenever Boll comes out with a new movie, it gives them an opportunity to peddle their viciousness.”

Matthew nodded. “Fair point.”

“For gamers, though, Uwe Boll is a nightmare,” Ilana shrugged and added. “He’s the man who adapts famous games into boring films, earning the hatred of legions of fans. Many gamers have even nicknamed him the ‘Game Movie Terminator.’”

Matthew couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh as the farcical contest came to an end. Boll, who had been "bullied" by critics for so long, had finally gotten a chance to vent his rage.

The incident was sure to have a certain impact on the film industry and the media, but Matthew suspected the approach wouldn’t work for every director. After all, Uwe Boll had a decade of amateur boxing experience under his belt.

If anyone were to ask Matthew’s opinion, he’d say, “You want to make bad movies and be like Boll? Take up boxing first!”

Of course, Boll wasn’t a Hollywood director, and his approach wasn’t suitable for those who were.

This wasn’t just a war between critics and Hollywood. The schemes they employed against each other were part of the Hollywood game. But the exchange of interests between North American critics and Hollywood was more subtle than the blatant attempts by some regional studios to use critics as their hired guns.

In reality, critics had long shared a symbiotic relationship with Hollywood, especially when it came to bad reviews of Hollywood blockbusters. These reviews might seem like satire, but they often served as the best advertisement for the films, while the critics and the media outlets they worked for made their own presence felt.

The best example of this was Michael Bay.

For years, North American critics had ridiculed his films with enough venom to fill a book, and those reviews continued to this day. But no matter how much they spat, mocked, attacked, and trolled him for being ‘Explosion Bay,’ they couldn’t stop the majority of his films from selling well all over the world.

Perhaps, as the Orlando Sentinel’s review of Armageddon put it: "Is this the worst movie of the summer? Possibly. Is everyone going to see it? More than likely."

To perpetuate its influence, Hollywood had the same need to borrow from them. Only this borrowing wasn’t just a direct transfer of benefits, but a more insidious form of influence.

Essentially, a symbiotic "you and I" relationship had always existed between Hollywood and the critics.

Without critics, Hollywood would be like a team that lost its cheerleaders. And without Hollywood, what would critics review? That’s why the greatest trick between Hollywood and the critics was to constantly exchange fire but never truly destroy each other.

Perhaps a more accurate description of the relationship between critics and Hollywood was that there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.

****

The fight ended with unimaginable speed, leaving the ticket-buying audience quite dissatisfied. Whether they had wanted to see Uwe Boll kick the critics’ asses or the other way around, the result was a chorus of boos echoing through the stadium.

Both Matthew and Leonardo were ready to leave the stadium. Just before they left, Matthew suddenly remembered something and asked, “Leo, are you free on the twenty-fifth of this month?”

Despite the easy way they had just been talking and laughing, Leonardo sensed Matthew was probably asking about work. He simply looked at him, not saying a word.

Matthew had to elaborate. “On the twenty-fifth, my two charitable foundations are officially launching. I’m planning a charity dinner, and I’d like to invite you.”

Leonardo considered it. “I should be free. Don’t forget to send me a formal invitation. Barring any surprises, I’ll be there on time.”

"No problem." Matthew was in a good mood now that Leonardo had agreed. "I’ll have the invitation sent to you tomorrow."

Leonardo, however, countered, "I’m planning to host a charity event for environmental protection next month."

Matthew sighed internally but immediately replied, “Environmental protection? I’m interested in that too! Leo, I’ll definitely be there.”

Seeing Matthew’s enthusiasm, Leonardo couldn’t help but extend his right hand. "Then we have a deal."

"A deal!" Matthew shook his hand firmly.

Although Leonardo treated it as a transaction, he had no problem with it. After all, stars were expected to support each other in these matters.

After leaving the spectator area of the stadium, Leonardo was the first to depart. Matthew and Ilana stood by the VIP lane, specially designated by the organizers, waiting for James and Michael, who had gone to the restroom.

"That Leonardo," Ilana said with a meaningful tone, "he’s really got a good head on his shoulders."

Matthew wasn’t surprised in the least. "Who becomes an A-list star by being a fool?"

Ilana shot Matthew a suspicious look. "Am I right in thinking you’re praising yourself in a roundabout way?"

Matthew shrugged. "Think what you want."

Just then, Tom Cruise and his fiancée, Katie Holmes, approached. The moment Matthew saw Tom, Tom saw him.

To Matthew’s surprise, Cruise walked directly toward him, seemingly targeting him.

Matthew was certain he had never had any dealings with Tom Cruise before.