Christmas passed, and the last week of 1986 slipped away quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was already 1987.
At the beginning of the new year, the video and sound editing for 'Run Lola Run' were successfully completed.
Due to the excellent quality of the footage, Simon only took one week to finish the colour grading of the sample.
Afterward, 'Run Lola Run' began its final printing process.
On the other hand, 'The Butterfly Effect' had wrapped up in mid-December and entered the post-production phase.
Simon learned from David Giler and Brian De Palma that Fox had not yet finalized the release date for 'The Butterfly Effect', which would depend on the quality of the finished film.
However, the two most likely release windows were either the summer or Easter.
In this era, the popularity of the North American Easter release window was far from what it would later become; Hollywood still only prioritized the summer and year-end slots.
The box office performance of 'The Butterfly Effect' was crucial for Simon's future development in Hollywood, so he naturally hoped the film would be scheduled for the popular summer slot.
However, this was clearly not something he could decide.
Currently, the only project Simon had autonomy over was 'Run Lola Run'.
Just in time, on January 13th, Simon finally received the final copy of 'Run Lola Run'.
January 14th.
It was afternoon at the Fox Studio.
In a screening room within the studio, David Giler and Brian De Palma entered together, finding a large group of people already gathered, mostly crew members from the 'Run Lola Run' shoot.
Noticing their arrival, Simon, who had been chatting with everyone, quickly stood up to greet them, and the others also nodded in acknowledgment.
As Simon was also busy with the post-production of 'The Butterfly Effect', he hadn't met with the two of them much in recent weeks.
After exchanging greetings and chatting for a while after sitting down, David Giler finally said, "Simon, can we start?"
"Sorry, David, we need to wait a bit longer," Simon shook his head and said, "Mr. Sanders also promised to come and hasn't arrived yet".
David Giler nodded understandingly at the remark.
Simon's invitation to Peter Sanders, Vice President of Fox Filmed Entertainment, was clearly related to the distribution of 'Run Lola Run'.
David Giler had specifically advised Simon on distribution details a few days prior.
After speaking, Simon glanced at his watch; the agreed-upon time had passed, so he simply stood up, intending to check outside the screening room.
After waiting for nearly ten more minutes, Simon was already hesitating whether to personally go to the executive building to check when Peter Sanders' figure emerged from the nearby corridor.
Seeing Simon waiting outside the screening room, Peter Sanders showed an apologetic expression and extended his hand, saying, "I'm really sorry, Simon, I just finished a meeting".
"It's alright," Simon shook his hand with an unchanging smile and said, "Well then, Peter, let's go in".
"Certainly, I'm really looking forward to your film".
As the two walked into the screening room, Peter Sanders greeted everyone warmly.
Looking around, this screening room had six rows of seats, separated by a middle aisle.
David Giler and Brian De Palma sat on the left side of the first row, while Janette and Kathryn were on the right, with one empty seat remaining on each side.
After a moment of hesitation, Peter Sanders still chose to sit next to David Giler.
Simon stood beside Peter Sanders, noticing the detail of his hesitation, and simply smiled faintly.
Although he was smooth, this small detail showed that Peter Sanders was clearly not a very magnanimous person.
As a high-level executive at Fox Filmed Entertainment directly responsible for 'The Butterfly Effect' project, he had been ignored by David Giler and Brian De Palma throughout the film's production.
At this moment, he clearly didn't want to sit with them.
However, Peter Sanders dared not openly display this conflict.
Once Peter Sanders was seated, Simon gave a few instructions to the projectionist before sitting down next to Janette.
The lights in the screening room quickly dimmed.
Although he had seen the sample reel beforehand, after half a year of hard work, the film was finally about to face the audience's judgment.
Simon was still a bit nervous and couldn't help but clench his fists.
A slightly cool small hand reached out in the dimness and patted the back of Simon's clenched fist.
Simon turned his head, noticed Janette's bright eyes, smiled at her, and then took her cool little hand into his own large one.
Since it was the first test screening of 'Run Lola Run', Kathryn, who was about to go to Arizona to shoot 'Near Dark', also made time to attend today.
At this moment, sitting on Janette's other side, Kathryn noticed Simon holding Janette's small hand in his palm, and a faint hint of melancholy flashed in her eyes.
After the New Year, upon returning to Los Angeles, Kathryn had clearly sensed the deepening relationship between Simon and Janette.
Before Kathryn could even ask, Janette proactively told her about Christmas Eve.
Without any reservations.
Janette only stopped her babbling when Kathryn couldn't take it anymore and covered her mouth.
Trying her best to forget Janette's various ramblings, Kathryn still couldn't help but recall Janette, shaking her five fair and tender fingers, recounting her 'tragic experience' of her first time being tormented all night long, as she inadvertently glanced at Simon's profile on the other side.
Her cheeks began to flush unconsciously, and Kathryn quickly focused her attention on the large screen in front of her.
Though, with her understanding of the personalities of the two beside her, she felt it was more likely Janette savouring the experience.
However.
Women don't need to be reasonable.
Hmm.
Who said that?
Thinking this, Catherine's mind again brought up a word Janette used when criticizing a certain guy.
With some resentment, she muttered it internally.
Beast!
A small hand unconsciously reached over, trying to hold hers.
She pushed it away.
So greedy, being held on the other side isn't enough.
We're watching a movie.
On the illuminated big screen, after a moment's wait, accompanied by the faint whirring of the projector, the film began to play.
First, a line of text appeared.
The future 'The Butterfly Effect' would begin with a definition of the term 'butterfly effect,' so Simon didn't add such an opening to 'Run Lola Run'.
However, Simon still adjusted the original opening credits, retaining only a quote from the British poet T.S. Eliot.
As the subtitle faded, the urgent ticking of a second hand began to sound, and with the rotation of a silvery pendulum, several lines of text appeared in sequence.
Production Company: Daenerys Pictures.
Executive Producers: Brian De Palma, David Giler, Robert Redford.
Director: Simon Westeros.
Since Brian and the others were willing to be credited, Simon naturally wouldn't pretend to be modest and hide their names; he placed the names of the three big figures in the most prominent spot at the beginning.
As the pendulum stopped, the camera pushed towards Simon's custom-made metal gear clock, and the fast-paced electronic music, which would permeate the entire film, began.
The highly infectious music unconsciously guided the emotions of everyone in the screening room.
Then came the zombie-like crowd, and the narration centred on the philosophical question, 'Who am I, where am I, what am I going to do?'
However, despite this philosophical narration, the film gave the audience no time to ponder.
The dynamic electronic music seemed to urge everyone to run wildly.
And so.
In the animated opening, Lola began to run.
Until the beginning of the entire story.
In a shot that quickly zoomed in like an inertia, a striking red telephone rang.
Manni, a small-time thug, received a transaction mission from his boss, and everything was going smoothly.
On his way back, his girlfriend Lola, who was supposed to pick him up, didn't arrive on time, so he had to find his own way back to the city, and then he lost the money from the deal.
100,000 dollars left on the train.
Enough for the boss to burn him to ashes and scatter them into the sea.
In a panic, Manni tearfully blamed Lola over the phone.
To save her boyfriend's life, Lola had to raise $100,000 in a short amount of time and deliver it to a phone booth in downtown Santa Monica.
She only had 20 minutes.
But she didn't hesitate, rushing out of her house without a second thought.
Running wildly.
She went to her father's office, who was a bank manager, but not only did she not get help, he tells her he's not her father.
She didn't get the money, but still ran tirelessly towards her destination.
Her boyfriend had already entered the supermarket with a gun.
Alright, if you insist on being Clyde, I'll be your Bonnie.
The robbery succeeded.
The escape failed and they surrendered.
She was accidentally shot and killed by a startled rookie cop.
Unwilling to accept it.
Then let's start over.
The red phone falling was the starting point once again.
This time, I'll be Bonnie; you don't have to be Clyde.
It seemed to succeed.
Until the last moment.
God seemed to dislike those who gained without effort, so he took him away via a speeding ambulance.
Continue to start over.
In the stairwell, she jumped over the rogue neighbour and vicious dog trying to block her way, perhaps saving a second, or perhaps wasting a second.
Who knows.
Anyway, she missed her father but encountered a casino.
Then.
Everything seemed to go smoothly.
She wins $129,600 and successfully reached her destination.
The beggar who accidentally found the $100,000 got the thief's bicycle and also arrived at her boyfriend's side early, only to see him reclaim the $100,000 from the homeless man carrying his moneybag. Manni inquiries about what's in the bag she's carrying. .
A perfect ending.