Action scenes are exhausting to shoot, and it's inevitable that actors get a few bumps and scrapes. Martin was fine, but several stunt doubles were bruised all over.
This was common on set, and stunt perforrs were used to it.
After another action scene was wrapped up, Martin was unscathed, but the doubles were panting heavily.
Aga, who had long since lost his voice from shouting, told an assistant, "Let them rest for an hour."
Three stuntn who resembled Martin in build, along with two who played deranged characters, made their way to the rest area and slumped down, not wanting to move anymore.
Martin personally went to fetch so Gatorade and handed a bottle to each one, saying, "Guys, replenish so energy."
"You did as much shooting as we did, take a break." Buck, a double who had built up a good physique but unfortunately began balding at twenty-five, comnded, "Martin, you really have good stamina."
Martin sat on a chair, deliberately flexing his arm, pointing to his bulging muscle and boasted, "Forgot? I'm the toughest guy on the crew."
When n gather for a chat, how could they not brag, "Have you guys seen my machine gun dance? I've also got the best stamina."
Lord, one of the character actors, ntioned, "My wife and I watched the Saturn Awards live. When she saw you dance, she mocked , saying compared to that guy, you're a wimp. Right then, I thought when I et him, I'm going to smash his bro."
Martin, feigning shock, said, "Buddy, you can hit my face, but not my bro, because you'd break your hand!"
Lewis, also one of Martin's doubles, chid in, "Martin, I'll admit, in the whole crew you're the fittest and the toughest, but what you truly rank first in is your thick skin."
The others burst into laughter.
Martin said earnestly, "Know what the most widespread saying in Atlanta is? Everyone's jealous of Martin. Everyone wants to be Martin."
He coughed, "Here's so good news for you. This weekend, we're teaming up with the crew next door to throw a beach party."
Lord got excited, "Really?"
"The crew next door is all pretty babes," Buck said.
Martin suggested, "How about we form a babe-hunting squad?"
"No, I'm staying away from you," Lewis had long accepted reality, "Following you, all the pretty babes go looking for you, and what do we get? Just the leftover ugly ones."
The guys bantered for a while before Bruce walked over, saying Sophia was looking for him.
Martin had thought Sophia would go straight back to Atlanta after her trip with Scott, but to his surprise, she had co back.
Dragging Bruce along, Martin reassured, "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, she won't dare ss with you."
Bruce's buttocks clenched and his legs trembled, though he tried to sound tough, "You're worried about what she'll do to you!"
The two nervous n t Sophia at the entrance of the sound stage.
The Amazonian woman, dressed in a tank top and shorts, showing off her muscular physique, announced, "I'm getting ready to head back to Atlanta."
Bruce's tense legs involuntarily relaxed.
"Keep an eye on things here, both of you. Don't cause any trouble," Sophia suddenly rembered the fat investor from Los Angeles, "If that, what's his na, that ugly fatso dares to make trouble, call . I'll go to Los Angeles and sort him out myself!"
"No problem," Martin felt so reassurance, ready to summon Sophia if Weinstein caused a stir.
Sophia's gaze swept over Bruce's face, and Bruce, grabbing Martin's arm, suddenly rembered that this lump of dog crap might sell him out.
Martin simply said, "Goodbye."
"I'm off," Sophia gestured to Scott and headed out of the studio.
Scott followed behind, walking with a stride that didn't recognize kin.
Martin and Bruce walked back, passing the beverage area where two crew mbers were packing up.
Their voices were sowhat loud, "Did you see? Our Martin is amazing in action scenes, the toughest in the crew."
"I've got soone even tougher on my side," another from the neighboring set bragged, "His last film was Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you know what the director said? If he went to war, the only option for Iraqi enemies would be to run."
One of the crew mbers hinted, "Anyone can brag."
"You don't know, he was a professional boxer before becoming an actor. When he first started out, there was this ti in the studio's communal showers... He's a pretty boy, covered in suds, and these bastards looking for so fun ca along. He saw them in the mirror, and then... bam bam bam, those bastards were all laid out," the other recounted.
"Really?" asked the crew mber.
"Many from my side know about it," he affird.
Martin and Bruce didn't stop their stride, continuing inward.
Once they were well past, the two n turned to look back, and the crew mber remarked, "He definitely heard us, payoff ti."
Rick from the neighboring set dug out a roll of small-denomination US dollars and handed it over, "Spread the word more around the set."
The crew mber took the money, "Piece of cake."
Reaching the rest area, Martin found a quiet spot to sit down and rest with his eyes closed.
Bruce sat next to him, glancing over at the beverage area.
Martin inquired, "Who were they talking about? What are they planning to do? Using such a stupid thod?"
Bruce thought for a mont before speaking, "To provoke you into a fistfight? Parading around the crew, giving the impression you favor an upfront, honorable confrontation?"
Martin was unhappy, "Are you saying I'm not honorable? Not upright?"
Bruce laid out the facts, "Please provide examples of when and where you've faced soone head-on."
Martin didn't bite and switched back, "Leaving enough information to have co over and fight? This rotten tactic is even worse than Adrian's."
He shook his head, "Even Lily, that idiot, is better than him."
Bruce said, "First, find out who it is."
Martin pulled out his phone and called Blake Lively, asked a couple of quick questions, then hung up and said, "Mike Vogel, utterly unsurprising."
Bruce comnted, "The actor from WMA who's got a style similar to yours? No wonder, you're in his way. What a shitty circle."
Martin pointed to the side, "He's in the crew next door, so he wants to provoke into picking a fight?" He recalled his few encounters with the man, "He doesn't seem like soone brainless."
Bruce suggested, "How about this, you keep on bragging on set, and I'll spread so rumors. We'll spend so money to get Dallot involved, see what happens."
Martin smiled, "Bragging? I'm the best at it."
When the break ended, Martin, with a touch-up of makeup, joined the stunt actors back on set.
Perhaps stimulated by the news of the weekend party, the stunt actors regained their energy.
......
Los Angeles, Pacific Pictures.
In the office, Louise, wearing black-frad glasses, looked sharp and efficient without a hint of frivolity.
Nikki, the assistant, knocked and entered, placing the latest report on her desk.
Louise took it and sighed, "Even Jerry Bruckheir couldn't pull off a coback miracle."
"King Arthur", co-produced by Touchstone Pictures and Bruckheir Films, was a disaster.
With a budget of over a hundred million US dollars, North Arica's opening weekend brought in only 15 million US dollars. Now, three weekends later, the North Arican box office had a pathetic 45 million, with screenings plumting from over 3,000 theaters to less than 2,000.
Huge losses were inevitable.
With "Troy" not eting expectations and "King Arthur" both critically and comrcially panned, what about "Alexander the Great"?
Louise's years as a producer gave her the feeling that the market was tired of this genre.
The success of "Gladiator" and "The Lord of the Rings" had led people to believe that North Arica was entering an era of epics and fantasy.
What was once a universally accepted forecast might now be flawed.
Louise grabbed the bottle next to her, poured herself a drink, and downed it in one go. Then picked up the phone and called Warner's CEO Barry yer to suggest delaying the release of "Alexander the Great".
Barry yer refused. The package deal involved finances from various parties, and nobody was willing to wait any longer.
Louise then called Warner's President Ellen Horn, who also didn't think delaying the release was a good idea. The market wouldn't change in the short term, and finances involved in the package couldn't be tied up for long. If a year-end launch failed, delaying half a year wouldn't change the outco.
After hanging up, Louise had another drink, stood up, and walked to the window, looking at the nearby Warner Bros. Studios, feeling imnse pressure.
She took off her glasses, pulled out a notepad Martin had given her from her bag, tore out a page, and then called Nikki over, "Call Mister Fashion and the Bartenders' Association, and tell them Master Mixologist Louise l has created a brand new cocktail."
......
Cowboy Jeans crew's base, where the crew was making final preparations for the actual shoot, and the actors were busy rehearsing their parts.
In ten days, Mike Vogel would follow 'Unit B' of the crew to Greece to film.
Rick from the crew discreetly approached Vogel, saying, "I've been over there every day, I'm absolutely certain about this—Martin Davis likes to boast and is incredibly arrogant. Everyone on that crew is buttering him up."
As Vogel adjusted his dyed dark brown hair in the mirror, he asked, "Anything else?"
"He likes to drink, goes out for a drink with production and acting crew mbers every day after work." Rick had gathered quite a bit of intel, "As soon as he drinks a little more, he boasts even harder, claiming he's the most talented man in Georgia. ,mp _y,r.
Once, when he'd had too much, he even boasted about having a gunfight with gangsters and dealers, bragging he shot a dealer's 'asterisk.' You could tell it was fake just by listening."
Vogel nodded; the guy was a typical case of drinking too much and forgetting who he was.
Judging that Martin Davis was arrogant and liked to show off in front of others, he purposely leaked information intending to stir up Martin's competitive spirit—then, with the addition of alcohol…
Vogel then inquired, "Are you sure they're throwing a party?"
Rick replied, "This Saturday, all day long."
Standing in front of the mirror, Vogel spent a few minutes thinking, "Rick, you're xican. Could you get a rattlesnake or so other venomous snake?"
"What are you planning to do? Put a venomous snake in his room?" Although Rick was from Tijuana, he didn't want to be involved in causing an Arican's death, "I won't do that kind of thing. There are surveillance caras everywhere in the hotel, you can't hide from them! Buddy, I advise you not to ss around."
Vogel, whose father had once worked in a snake farm, had so knowledge about venomous snakes, "Why would I do that? You must be joking."
Rick asked, "You're sure you're not up to mischief?"
"Find soone to get a snake, mostly empty its venom sac," Vogel whispered a few more instructions, emphasizing, "I'll pay extra."
Rick agreed, "Sure, xico isn't short of those things."
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