Our friends at Collider have the first reader review of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening and it’s not good at all:
“The Happening is a terrible, terrible movie. I mean, it’s bad on an epic scale. It’s so bad that I can’t possibly tell you how bad it is without understating the point or making it sound like I’m picking on the film. But let me stress: this is not pent-up Shyamalan aggression or a desire to see him fail. This is bad in a jaw-dropping “they can’t really be serious, can they?” kind of way. The closest comparison I can draw is to Neil LaBute’s “Wicker Man” and, like that film, the only consolation I can offer potential theater-goers is that you might want to see it just to be in on the ground floor when the film gets its ass handed back to it.”
It couldn’t really be that bad, could it? The reviewer makes note of Wahlberg’s horrible performance (likely due to Shyamalan’s direction), pacing issues, and last act problems.
“If you’re dreading the Shyamalan trademark twist-ending, you can breathe a sigh of relief. There’s no twist whatsoever. But there’s also no ending. I won’t ruin it any further by talking about what’s not there, but prepare to feel very, very cheated and figure out in advance what consultation you can offer when the person next you confusedly asks, “Is that it?”"
The line-reading/questionable acting is really evident in this new 5-minute video clip which has been released by Fox. Watching the clip you’ll notice how M Night does a great job selling the concept of the film. He might even have you believe that the Collider review might be dead wrong. But then comes a 2+ minute clip from the film which displays the line delivery and pacing problems that are mentioned in the review. I really want The Happening to be a return to form, but this doesn’t bode well for the film’s pre-release hype.
Discuss: What do you think of the new video clip from The Happening?
via: Yahoo
May 16th, 2008 at 4:46 am
NOOOO!!
I wanted this to be good…it looked like it could be.
Scrap the film Shyamalan and make it good!
May 16th, 2008 at 5:02 am
I agree, I wanted this to be a return to form. My fingers are still crossed for M. Knight. I used to work across the street from the guy before he “made it” and you couldn’t ask for a nicer, more passionate filmmaker. But there is a fine line between tension, paranoia and thrills… and wooden acting and sillyness.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:18 am
I liked Signs even though everyone else seems to hate it, so I won’t let this “review” bother me. I’ll watch it and then decide.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:39 am
“Seeing a Shyamalan has become this horrifically abusive relationship where I desperately cling to the belief that if I keep loving him, he’ll stop hitting me.”
I feel the exact same way.
And so I’m going back for more no matter what anyone says. He’s a changed man, I swear.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Oh wow that was very horrendous. You can’t even fix that shit in editing. Some student films have better acting.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:15 am
I read the script for the film, and I thought it was really good. Not so sure about Wahlberg’s performance, but it’s only a short clip. I really don’t feel you can add much feedback from such a short clip.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:37 am
POO!!!
May 16th, 2008 at 6:55 am
I don’t see what is wrong with that clip. Someone
should write a movie about mass hysteria on the
internet from one person’s review affecting everyone’s
judgement. However, I know what it’s like to watch
something for two hours and be disappointed by the
conclusion. I personally can’t see this ending any
worse than “No Country for Old Men” where you have
a great movie with no end.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Hey, it can;t be any worse than “Village”, “Lady Water”, or Captain Awesome. Wahlberg looks like he went back to Dirk Diggler - oriented character. Young Innocent. Ad by the way, Wicker man wasn’t a bad film. It was just terrible acting by Cage. It is actually a cool film. I WILL GUESS THAT AT THE END OF THIS FILM, ALL GOES BLACK, AND EVERYONE DIES, THEN WAHLBERG WAKES UP AND ITS JUST A DREAM. ALSO, I WONDER HOW BIG A PART SHYMALAN GAVE HIMSELF.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:11 am
SPOILER ALERT
The plants are killing off all of the people.
LOL PLANTS
LOL PLANTS
LOL PLANTS
May 16th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Did they replace the actors with androids? It’s as if all the lines are delivered with no emotion behind them. Like they filmed each line independent of each other, one at a time, with no context.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:18 am
This is exactly what I don’t like about M. Night. I’m not talking about poor acting, or direction, but how he so willingly over hypes his stuff while quoting all the seventy other pop culture references he is using to try and sell his movies. Seriously, who makes a movie and then expects people to believe you when you compare it to 10 of the best movies of all time in one sentence? I don’t see any humility or true artist’s passion there, just someone scrounging to sell tickets. He is really good at being original with cinematography, but I think he used his last good script several years ago, and is proving he is not very good at coming up with truly original stories and material. Honestly, when I watch that clip, it is so schlocky, trying SO hard to scare you, trying so hard to act like some people have a secret, that I find it funny. Plus, Mark Wahlberg is miscast - I can’t believe that the Marine from “Shooter,” or the cop from “We Own The Night” would be “oh so scaredy scared!” on a silly train ride like that. There is such a lack of subtlety and believability there, it makes you wonder how he ever pulled off the Sixth Sense.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:21 am
A.J.,
There was an ending in NCFOM, its right in your face but it is clearly there. Not everyone can see the ending, but if you think about the movie and who the actual main characters are you will see the ending is there and makes complete sense….
May 16th, 2008 at 7:31 am
I didn’t see anything wrong with that clip. I have to see more to determine if Wahlberg’s acting is lacking. By the way, he’s playing a different character. He’s not the Marine from Shooter anymore, Groveman. I think it’s a good cast. It’s a good change for Wahlberg as well. Well, the film should be intense. Can’t wait!
May 16th, 2008 at 7:40 am
The Happening is a monster movie where the monster is invisible.
That leaves it to the actors to convey ALL the excitement/danger in their performances. By choosing to have no drama in the actors performances, and with no explosions or cgi to fall back on, Shyamalan’s has doomed this film to failure.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:44 am
no one is interested in what happened to the bees?
May 16th, 2008 at 7:49 am
There is no doubt that clip felt a bit “off”. BUT…I sensed a little tribute to old twilight zone in that “bad” acting. I think it may be on purpose, to give you that late night rerun of 60’s twilight zone feel.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:19 am
hahah awesome. I don’t know why people are surprised. Lady in the Water was horrible. The village was alright and it had a pretty cool look to it. Signs was alright. The only really decent movie he’s made imo was unbreakable. and that i see dead people movie was good, mostly because it was semi-original. but i think this guy is waaaaaaaay out of tricks.
spoiler alert!
mark wallhberg is jesus coming back and he’s killing all us sinners for not being good persons.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Film and acting lookings ok to me. You can’t watch that clip and expect to be drawn in simply because we have no idea what has happened before it. It’s taken completely out of context.. of course the acting seems off.
I’ll still watch it. I enjoyed Signs and the atmosphere of The Village.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Still looks good. Seems like the characters are basically cardboard cut-outs there to carry the suspense, which M Night himself pretty much just admitted will be the real star of this movie. He wanted haunting imagery, not dialogue.
Count me in!
May 16th, 2008 at 8:26 am
The acting is very very bad. I haven’t seen Wahlberg act this bad EVER. Too bad Zoey and Mark are in this movie, they both deserve way better.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Dunno, the trailers look fine to me, and interesting enough that I will definitely be watching it. Shyalaman has always entertained me, even if it wasn’t a blockbuster.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I am actually not a fan of the guy. I think he’s gimmicky and not very talented. I was dreading this movie and will be glad when it tanks. Maybe then people will realize that he wasn’t that good a director to begin with. Return to form, please. His movies have always been bad.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I’ve been on the Night train for a long time. I wasn’t a huge fan of Lady in the Water but I don’t think it was really catering to the same audience as all of his rest, and I think people forget that. Signs is one of my favorites. The story has NOTHING to do with aliens and everything to do with losing and regaining faith which I found really cool especially since the same incident that caused the father to lose his faith also caused him to regain it. I thought that was great storytelling. Sixth Sense and Unbreakable speak for themselves. Anyway, on to this movie. Marky Mark has never, in my personal opinion, well, stopped being Marky Mark (feel it, feel it, c’mon, c’mon). I like him in supporting roles (sometimes) but as a lead, he just doesn’t do it for me. It’s like he’s made of plastic when he delivers his lines. I’ll still see this movie but Wahlberg is, well, whatever, I’ll still see it.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I think the prooblem is this film is not the story but the performances. They are very very wooden and bad.
Usually performances are solid in shyamalan’s films but here not at all.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Basically, the United States is under attack by a giant McGuffin.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:00 am
marky mark was stellar in boogie nights.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:01 am
i would love to watch this movie
who ever reviewed the movie has no good taste for the movie.
tell that person to find another job.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Reviews are utter and complete crap. Why bother to go and see films at all if you’re going to base your opinions on what someone else says?
May 16th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Shyamalan’s movies suck for the most part. This is the pattern: the movie is made to look really good and something new. Then it’s hyped up. Then when you go to watch the movie, you keep waiting for something exciting to happen. Then the end comes and it’s a big disappointment. It never “happens.” It either doesn’t quite end, or it turns out something really stupid (like cliche looking aliens). If you disagree with this, you’re most likely one of those people that say: “Oh but he’s original.” “At least he’s not making a sequel.” “He’s a unique director and his vision is fresh.”
Yea yea yea. IT’s not really original anymore since he keeps doing the same thing.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:21 am
I was never excited about this simply because M Night’s last set of movies have been horrible. Sixth Sense was terrific, I even liked Unbreakable. But since then, utter crap.
And this had SO much promise! I say scrap it, give the script to an actual good director and see if they can make something good out of it! The acting sounds bad, the music sounds bad. I’m just afraid that the only thing that gives this movie life is the series of dead bodies in the street!
May 16th, 2008 at 9:26 am
i agree i can’t believe shymalan is still riding his “sixth sense” train. he should start breaking out of his mold and make different kinds of movies and see if he really is a real director and not an alien dressed in a wolf costume trying to make a living on earth.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:36 am
wooo this looks really bad but not unexpected from this director - the main thing i remember about him is how pissed off he was a few years ago because someone couldn’t spell his name correctly
May 16th, 2008 at 9:42 am
This looks like Ed Wood’s final movie. What’s up with the weird stilted porno acting and the suspenseless editing?
May 16th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Zooey Deschanel might have delivered the most emotionless line in the history of cinema.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Is it even mathematically possible to make a film worse than his last one?
The guy is defying the Physics of Suck fer pete’s sake!
Impressive.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Just from an earlier trailer, it fairly obvious Wahlberg was not right for the role. I think Shyamalan self-destructed (scrambled brains!) sometime after the success of Sixth Sense and it is impossible for him to make another fine film.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Shyamalan vs Boll
May 16th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I think it looks creepy!
Since a lot of people didn’t like “The Village” and that film is one of my all-time favorites (in my opinion his BEST film) I will probably stand out from the crowd again and like this one as well.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Invasion of the talent snatchers. That was life draining to watch Zooey (my secret crush) acting like a robot. I could expect it from Marky Mark and Chi Chi Rodriguez. But, Signs was garbage and The Village was a waste. Not to mention, M. Night is obviously full of himself.
Note to M. Night: You are not Steven Spielberg. You did a crappy Indiana Jones rip off when you were 12 years old…good for you. You wrote one good movie, which you worked on for years and years before getting a green light. So of course it did well. Stop making crappy movies in search of being Spielberg. You suck! Go get a beer with Uwe Boll.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:50 am
i completely disagree with most here. there wasn’t anything wrong - to me - with those performances. IF there is a bit of ‘B’ here, it’s intentional. parts reminded me of hitchcock, even the twilight zone which someone has already mentioned.
i can’t decide if MNight is really circling the drain, or if he’s just an easy target. i think the avatar movie will be a good break for him, to not have to worry about an original script. maybe after he does that for awhile he’ll be back to form.
even if he did set an unmatchable bar for himself, with that initial grand slam, there should be no reason he can’t still make an amazing film, right?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Put me in the “what’s wrong with that?” camp. I don’t see wooden - I see a fairly accurate portrayal of a normal reaction to confusion.
Then again - I liked Signs.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:57 am
i’m looking forward to this movie. i like all his stuff, so sue me.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:10 am
“I say scrap it, give the script to an actual good director and see if they can make something good out of it! ”
hahahaha yes throw away a completed multi million dollar movie.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:27 am
I know a lot of Shama-lama-ding-dong haters out there and here’s how it usually goes:
Sixth Sense: People really enjoyed it. I personally can’t watch it more than twice.
Unbreakable: If people saw it, they thought,” alright, but no fight scene at the end.” I loved it & think it’s his best film.
Signs: Good flick. The real big complaint is the whole aliens invade a planet made up of 70% water when water hurts them. Huh?
The Village: His most hated film. So many people shite on this movie on a constant basis. I personally loved it, thought of it as a long drawn out Twilight Zone episode, and catch new things (good and bad) everytime I watch it.
Lady In The Water: If you saw it, it was okay. Nothing special. I feel the same. My least favorite Shammy film.
This movie looks so good that I told myself if this turns out to be horribly bad, even by my standards, I might have to give this guy up when I don’t want to. If this movie really does end on a fade to black or a cut before any real issue is resolved or we don’t find out what “happened” or why it went down than I’ll feel very cheated.
But did somebody say clichè looking aliens for Signs? They were actually more creative than most I’ve seen. They didn’t have an oval head or huge bug eyes or even a bigger brain. They had a chemical powder project from their hands, interesting no?
Anyway, The Happening might just refer to Nights’ career; It’s big, built up, and you think it’s going to be great, and you somewhat expect some fascinating originality, but it will end the way it began. Abruptly.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I read the script about a year ago and thought it was a joke. I couldn’t believe they actually went ahead with production on it…
At the very end the characters are saved, quite literally, by the power of LOVE.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
It all started going bad after Unbreakable.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
the pacing issues will be fixed before it hits theatres, whatever your axe to grind, shyamalan’s never had an issue with pacing, you have to admit that much. as far as the ending goes, the guy that wrote that review would probably have the same thing to say about the birds were he and the internet around for its original release
May 16th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
the clip is very unfinished, i feel it will look and sound a great deal better in the final cut. you can just tell it doesn’t have the film touch yet. the acting is iffy at this point but really thats how film looks until the final mix comes through. i still have hopes for this film i can just say they are no longer high hopes. i am surprised fox would release this clip thinking it will have a positive impact on the film. but we will see on the 13th
May 16th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Unbreakable was by far his best film, and is honestly one of my favorite films in the superhero category. And very close to my top ten of all time. I remember hating it when I first saw it, because I went in thinking it would be something different. A few years later, I watched it again, and I loved it. Again, one of my favorite films. I wish he would go back to those characters.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
his movies are just indian movies disguised as suspense films. (if your indian u know what i’m talking about)
May 16th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
“But did somebody say clichè looking aliens for Signs? They were actually more creative than most I’ve seen. They didn’t have an oval head or huge bug eyes or even a bigger brain.”
google image it. its close enough.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
“i’m looking forward to this movie. i like all his stuff, so sue me.”
i will sue u
May 16th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
critics are overrated. it’s so much easier to write about how bad a film is rather than the good in it. also, people enjoy reading negative reviews rather than positive ones. it’s all about readership. you also have the conception that critics are self righteous douche bags that feel superior to the average movie goer because they possess a limited knowledge of film theory and history.
i will see this movie because, unlike some people, my relationship with m night is not “abusive”. i’ve enjoyed all of his films except Signs, which i only sort of liked because i dislike Mel Gibson. i think Lady in the Water is better than The Sixth Sense. now flame me.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I’m with you Zack 2.0. You too Greyson & 790. It’s the only M. film that holds up. The best he’s done by far. This stinkbomb just ensures it will stay that way. Looks friggin’ awful.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
This looks to me like the same problem War of the Worlds had. They make the lead into a wimp instead of heroic. That would be the fault of the writer/director too, not the actor.
I cant say Id be suprised if this is another bomb. IMO Shyamalan is a fluke. 6th Sense is ok, but waaay overrated. Then he got the cover of Time Mag as “the next Spielberg” and everybody got convinced that his movies are good when theyre really not. Most people have come to realise now that he was hyped, but there are still alot that believe the lie and arent able to think for themselves.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I think we knew all we needed to know about this movie when the line “there appears to be an event happening” was not only in the script, was not only shot, but was IN THE TRAILER.
I mean… really? “There appears to be an event happening”? We’re sure? I heard the discarded ideas for the scene included lines like “We all agree that something is transpiring, here” and “It looks like things are unfolding at this moment”.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Looks like a mess to me. Acting is atrocious. How does Joey Duhamel keep getting work?
How does Shamlan keep getting work?
My guess is no “A List” stars would do it so they gave it to this cast.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
@ Bruce Prokopets
I got that same feeling about the acting and the twilight zone. The train scene felt like something out of a different time, only with anachronisms like cell phones and text messages injected into it. I think with M. Nights movies you have to go and make up your mind, and not let your opinion of it be tainted by others. I’m not saying that all his movies are gems but I def think that one needs to be objective when watching his movie.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I haven’t liked Night’s films since 6th Sense, and always thought his popularity as a filmmaker was hype. However, I really like what I saw in this “scene”/trailer. I thought it was really great. Exciting — I love end of the world movies, and this looks like a good one. For once, people need to stop letting the goddamned Internet tell them what’s good or bad.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
i read on imdb.com that this movie is about how mother nature hates what man has done to her and so she releases a gas that makes people suicidal. Gay.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I line delivery in that clip was awful - I can not think of a lower comparison to a movie than “The Wicker Man.” I can’t help but wonder why they chose that clip from the film.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Matt - whoa! You thought Lady in the Water was better than Sixth Sense . . . that is fucking insane. Lady in the Water was unwatchable - it went way past the “so bad its good” category into awfulness. your opinion is disturbing although I might respect it.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
M. Night is a freakin hack and deserves what he gets in the end. Hemade two decent films which are both vastly overrated and then Signs was a ridiculous joke that got all the science-vs.-religion tomes completely wrong leaving you to think that the writer was just a stupid person with the intellectual capacity of a 12 year old. The line readings in this brief clip are beyond bad. When M. Night mentions the visibally shaken moviegoers he witnessed, they were likely investors who could not believe they were in for the biggest mistake of their professional lives.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:08 am
I think how the lines are delivered and the general sense you get would make an average viewer feel uncomfortable. The scene feels very, unreal, but you are experiencing it. The pacing and line problems are very… unusual. I don’t know if he was sloppy or if he intended this. The whole movie seems like its going to make you feel like you are in a box of paranoia. As lame as that sounds, I can see what M. Night was going for. I just don’t think it will fare well when it just looks like bad acting.
May 17th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I love how “bad acting” is mentioned above and everyone jumps on the bandwagon after viewing the clip and says the acting is bad in that too. Granted, nothing great was displayed, but certainly not the problems Peter and the Collider lead you to believe.
May 17th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Did any of you watch “Planet Earth”?
Because the more I read about this film, the more this sounds like the “Cordyceps Fungus”. Which was featured in PE and I had no idea it existed until I saw this in the documentary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knKpSfDcP7U
They mentioned that the reason the Cordyceps exist is so that no single species of insect take over the entire jungle, and a species-specific Cordyceps evolves when one starts to do so. So I always wondered if there would be a “human-based Cordyceps” some day. Which sounds more and more what this film could be based on to me.
As for this one review, it doesn’t deter me from it. I really liked TSS, Unbreakable, and The Village but have not seen “Lady” yet. If this is more or less based on something like the Cordyceps which was spoken about in Planet Earth. Than that sounds really fucking cool to me.
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
MNS seems to be from those category of personalities who are hated as much as they are loved….some people dont get his movie or his intentions or his deliberate usage of exaggerations,subtleties in sub-contexts of a movie wheras some people seem to love him for the same….so he has quite a cult following…I dnt care if a guy is arrogant or not as long as the flm is gud..
Sixth sense:awesome film..
Unbreakable:Better when you watch it the 2nd time.
Signs:Partly gud..partly boring.
The Village:very different and very refreshing film…again here the thought process of the film maker has to be in sync with the viewer for the film to be enjoyed..and some people just dont get it…the whole idea of existence os such a community..a disbanded community,the fears we human beings have out ourselves through has been refreshingly put forth in a very fine manner..if u see even in that movie the acting did not matter much..the atmo. really sucks you in…atleast for me..
Lady in the water:pretty poor..
The Happening:The trailer looks promising..its not a scary movie…MNS is wrong to project it as one…wud rather project it as a different fiim..out of the box film….again the cardboard acting for me luks almost deliberate..if we guys can see thru it cant MNS and his entire motley crew and FOX c thru it…obviosuly its meant tht way…atleast i believe so..if he really wanted ppl to act for GOD’s sake,mark wahlberg wud b the last person on this planet i wud feature in any movie…!!!
and one piece of advice:better a shyamalan than trying to b speilberg…ther was and is only one speilberg…!!
May 27th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
M night shalamankle as i call him is so full of himself I honestly believe he thinks he’s in the same category of directors as the spielberg and hitchcock’s of the world. At the start of the clip he basically goes as far as he can without saying i’ve made a really good movie a masterpiece. Self appreciating tw@
June 1st, 2008 at 5:39 am
If this film does bad, M. Night might as well start enrolling in medical school. He could become a doctor like all his family. How about that for a twist. I’m just saying that this movie better not be a disappointment.
June 1st, 2008 at 11:12 am
Th video clip is excellent. I cannot understand what all this negative comments are coming from. You all want him to fail.
Can’t wait to see the film.
The review above states that he saw a version of the film without music or the final edit having been completed.
I actually believe that the review is a fake. To make people start talking.
The latest Indianna Jones was a terrible film but everybody went to see it. What was the point of the chase with the open top car at the beginning of the film? Terrible peice of writing.
The Happenning looks like an amazing film.
Everybody should just relax and wait for it to come out and then make your own mind up.
Be POSITIVE.
You never know, you might just enjoy it.
June 1st, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Film Fan, the clips I’ve seen of the Happening all look like scenes of people killing themselves using whatevers near them. I guess there’s a message in there somewhere but I’m not about to subject myself to all that death to see it… I really have better things to watch.
Oh and Film Fan, the chase at the beginning of Indy 4, was symbolic of the Cold War arms race between Russia and the US. You get that when its clear that those troops were Russian. Also a huge clue was at the end when the lead car takes on the kids. US soldiers would never break ranks like that and join a race. ;-).
There were alot of symbolic moments in the film…alot.
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:32 am
To 790
If you dislike M Night so much why do you use your energy to post negative comments about a film that you have not seen. Why don’t you focus on what you like, not what you dislike.
Go and find another film to talk about.
This is for fans who can’t wait to actually see the movie before making their minds up. To discuss the build up and speculation.
It is always best to wait to see a movie before commenting. Always the best policy if you want to make a comment about a film. Too many people like you dislike M Night so you are trashing the movie before it comes out.
Also, as you see so much symbolism in Indy 4, especially the poor scripting bits, then you obviously have no credibility anyway.
All M Night Fans, please send a short response in agreement.
thanks
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:34 am
Sorry Film Fan, isn’t that what were all doing, is commenting before we’ve seen the picture.
Sorry if you can’t take the comments…..don’t read them.
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:32 pm
What’s unfortunate about some people’s attitudes toward M Night is that they think he would actually produce a good film and that his failings are an exception (Unbreakable–and the only thing that saved his ass was Willis’s performance). Looking at his body of work you see a one trick pony. Bottom line, filmmaking is a business…$$$. If his name draws a crowd, he’s going to keep getting funding for the same ol’ same ol’ “Aha, I’m going to hide something and reveal it to you at the last moment, and your mouth will drop in great suprise” formula.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Dear lord, does nyone acctually posses an imagination anymore???
I absoltley adore M. Nights movies, I will admit that that they are directed poorly at times, but the way they are written is fantastic. The imagination he uses is amazing. The only way i can describe is “beyond reality”. Thats why i like them so much, because there not your average “everybody thinks the same” films. You need to be pretty open minded when you come to his films otherwise you will hate everyone of them.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
I stopped wasting my time watching movies by M. Night a long time ago; Once I realized his con game. He hires first rate, big time actors to draw crowds at the box office and sell his bad movies. This movie is no different… big name star (Walberg) in bad movie to draw crowds and teens. That’s M. Night’s game and claim to fame.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:26 am
idc most of the reviews on the happening seem like the movie is not worth watching, but people are different there gonna like different things and different things are gonna intrest them, the Happening looks like a well anticipate movie that im dying to see cant wait till friday the 13th, garentee the movie is gonna be a great film.
June 12th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
i have to say, Lady in the Water was a jumbled up mess, but for some reason i am really looking forward to Night’s follow up! Plus, you KNOW its not going to be any worse than that, but im also not looking for anything better than his early works (Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) Let’s just hope this movie does well so that we can see more of something that we havent seen in hollywood for a while, some original scripts.
June 14th, 2008 at 11:06 am
just saw this movie last night….WORST MOVIE EVER!! Worse than all this other movies!!!!
June 14th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I went to watch this film last night and firstly have to say that the plot was mediocre and could have been so much better had it actually sustained itself throughout the film. The acting MUST have been deliberately scripted to be absoulotely shocking and laughable at many points throughout the movie.Seriously was it meant to be so obviously bad??
Also I was in hysterics when the old lady headbutted the window,when i knew i should have been feeling shocked or scared. However the thing with M.Knight is that the soundtrack to The Village actually fooled you into into giving the movie more credit than it was due, it did have major plot inconsistencies in it, but was also filmed superbly cinematically wise. So soundtrack and cinematography are his strong points, but plot and acting are like a love/hate relationship with this guy. Some ppl love the plot and acting, i think he could be an gall time great director if he stuck to directing alone. His films are kinda unique and do get people talking, and i have to admit he is talented, but for some reason the happening just never happened for me. P.s it could have been a good film but just descended into a farce.
June 14th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I just saw this movie a few hours ago.. And I have to say that I quite enjoyed it. It had the moments of tension and scariness that I was hoping for. I admit that at the beginning, the acting was a little rusty to say the least, but I think Wahlberg did a superb job all the way through. I was glad that this movie had an actual storyline though, not just some stupid: they’re at a beach for a party, and someone who hates beaches kills them all. It had a message to it. Yet I have to admit, the more replies of dislike for the movie that I read, the more I start to realise it’s flaws.
I came out thinking: wow, that was a good movie. Not great, but good, it had funny moments, scary moments, shocking moments, and all of that.
I can’t say anything bad about Mark Wahlberg, because he acted to the best that he could with the script he got, and also, it is his first actual scary movie. I discussed it with my friend, who included Fear, yet I wouldn’t really call it a horror. It wasn’t one of Wahlberg’s best movies, but I quite enjoyed it, and shall be buying it when it comes out.
June 17th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Does shyamalan appear in the movie?
June 17th, 2008 at 11:39 am
yaa.
he plays joey.
u’ll kno it when u see the movie. just remember the name joey, and listen/look closely lol
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:45 am
it’s a really movie with atmosphere, which is a rare thing today, scary and funny. the plot is derived from scientific facts about how some plants use neurotoxins to defend themselves, but used in an imaginative way, of course. the description of poeple hwo don’t mind dying are intense and frightening, the idea of not giving an outright explanation and instead showing how troubled human communication in larger and smaller groups ist, i find a really clever one. seeing that such points aren’t even touched in many critics says much about the critics biased attitude to a writer/director, who follows exceptional ways.