Chapter 74: Out of Control

  "Is it a divine revelation or human reality? In the end of the film, the actor Sean Connery leaves us with one sentence: 'A-man', is this saying 'a man' or 'a human being' or a variant of 'amen'? The brilliant Miss Catherine Edson generously shows us the wasteland. Is this world, these humans, our future? Or is it the ugly original face of humanity?" - New York Times

  "This is a revelation from God." — The Watchtower

  "This is a new chapter in the film industry. Catherine Edson's Dream Factory special effects have left all of Hollywood's film production companies in the dust." - Los Angeles Times

  New York is boiling over.

  Los Angeles is boiling over.

  The whole of North America is boiling over.

  Radiance achieved unexpected success, even Catherine did not think that people would love this film so much.

  Compared with usual movie-goers who are mostly white people, this time many black people also rushed to the cinema.

  Because they knew that the theme song was actually their own nursery rhyme and there was also a black lead actor in the film.

  Even for Chinese people who are in the United States and have formed their own separate small society, this film has also attracted their attention.

  But compared to whites who focus more on plot, they are told that there is a Chinese person performing in it, and he is the main character.

  Just a month ago, President Kennedy was assassinated, and the entire United States was in a state of confusion for a time, coupled with the sensational speech in August, which also directly boosted the box office of "Wasteland".

  When Catherine received the news, she was actually planning a film adaptation of "Harry Potter".

  In Eastwood's view, making a movie is no problem, but if you want to make special effects like "Wasteland", it's very difficult, because many magic need special effects, and these effects are generally very hard to express, unless Catherine really develops supercomputers that can produce post-production.

  But recently, it's become impossible.

  Catherine is reading books every day now, but they are not about academic subjects, rather about filmmaking and special effects.

  "Harry Potter" does not require Montage techniques, nor does it require profound music, but the requirements for special effects are very high.

  Devil's Vine, Giant Spider, Two-Faced Man...

  Shooting such a film would likely take up more time and energy than "Wasteland".

  So Catherine had an idea: make an animated film!

  Until the wasteland was reflected in her eyes, Catherine had been thinking about this issue.

  However, with the release of Fallout, Catherine's plans were temporarily disrupted.

  The response to "Wasteland" far exceeded Catherine's expectations. Originally, Catherine estimated the box office would be around 50 million, which was already a doubling of her previous estimate. Now, it is estimated that the box office may reach 800 million, which is equivalent to 5 billion in 2010!

  Throughout the Christmas season, this film occupied the throne of box office champion.

  Catherine is about to make a fortune, but she knows that compared with giants like IBM, her company is still in its infancy.

  Those companies worth tens of billions or even hundreds of billions can't be compared with themselves.

  And in the future, there will be companies worth tens of billions or even more - Microsoft's valuation is already in the trillions. Not to mention those military-industrial enterprises.

  Catherine's dream is far more than 50 million or 80 million, she wants to have a higher goal!

  "Wasteland" marched forward triumphantly, and Catherine's reputation as a talented young lady grew even louder. Although she rarely made formal appearances, whenever others spoke of her, they would enthusiastically discuss the magical "magical girl".

  But just at this moment, something unpleasant happened...

  Catherine's film was very popular, and as a result, the sales of "Radiation" books and war chess also became hot.

  "Wasteland" has also been scheduled for release in Europe.

  Because it is rare for blacks to become one of the protagonists in a film, this movie was very popular among blacks.

  The film also resonated with Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech in August, and its subtle portrayal of racism earned it support from anti-racists and the Black Power movement.

  At this very moment, in many places, white supremacist marches suddenly erupted!

  In the original timeline, in 1964, there was an incident where the KKK set fire to a black church, beat up worshippers and brutally killed three blacks. Many of the perpetrators were acquitted, and those who were imprisoned did not serve more than six years. This incident also became one of the reasons for the outbreak of conflict later on.

  The hippie movement was gaining momentum, but so were the racists, and America seemed to be simultaneously turning into two worlds mashed together in a grotesque society.

  In the unauthorized or authorized demonstrations that broke out in January, many black churches were smashed and many people were beaten to death for no reason.

  On the surface, this has nothing to do with Catherine's film, but in fact, her film unexpectedly became a catalyst for ethnic conflict!

  After many illegal demonstrations were dispersed, a lot of flyers and banners with the concept of "racial solidarity" and "ironic racial discrimination" against Catherine could always be found.

  The actions of these white supremacists have pushed many neutrals and sympathizers of blacks into the camp of anti-racism, making them targets as well.

  But this did nothing to improve Catherine's current situation.

  Catherine was originally well-prepared.

  But the impact of "Wasteland" far exceeded Catherine's judgment, leading to a loss of control...

  Especially the Edson couple.

  They were scared out of their wits after receiving the news.

  You know, Kennedy was shot in November, wasn't it because of that civil rights bill?

  "Kate, maybe you should hide first..."

  Emma said so anxiously to Catherine.

  "You know, both sides (racists and anti-racists) are crazy! Whites are crazy! Blacks are crazy! Who knows if the Chinese in Chinatown and the Japanese will go crazy too! Oh my god, I went to the company today and encountered at least three parades, the police were overwhelmed. It's the first time I've seen New York police doing serious work..."

  Bruce complained in the same way.

  "But what can we do?"

  Catherine didn't know what to do after stirring up a hornet's nest herself.

  "Your father and I have discussed it, Kate. We've decided to send you to England first, at least you can find your aunt there. Do you still remember that assignment about 'family tree' you did? That was with her help..."