Now that we've all seen his atrocious new movie The Happening?
And yes, it's called "The Happening", which rightfully deserves it's title because with no plot and emotionless acting I wasn't really sure what the fuck was "happening".

I swear I don't know how many times I laughed out loud more than I was actually frightened by this corny, preachy, eco-friendly, after school special of what was supposedly or intended to be a horror movie.

So, this brings me to an all important question: should we all give give M. Night Shalayman another chance to redeem himself? Or should we officially resign from wasting our hard earned money watching his movies all together?

they're different in a good way. i'll let Ebert explain why:

"If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live."
-- Albert Einstein

By Roger Ebert

An alarming prospect, and all the more so because there has been a recent decline in the honeybee population. Perhaps it is comforting to know that Einstein never said any such thing -- less comforting, of course, for the bees. The quotation appears on a blackboard near the beginning of M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening," a movie that I find oddly touching. It is no doubt too thoughtful for the summer action season, but I appreciate the quietly realistic way Shyamalan finds to tell a story about the possible death of man.

One day in Central Park, people start to lose their trains of thought. They begin walking backward. They start killing themselves. This behavior spreads through Manhattan, and then all of the Northeast. Construction workers throw themselves from scaffolds. Policeman shoot themselves. The deaths are blamed on a "terrorist attack," but in fact no one has the slightest clue, and New York City is evacuated.

We meet Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), a Philadelphia high school science teacher; the quote was on his blackboard. We meet his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel); his friend, Julian (John Leguizamo), and Julian's daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). They find themselves fleeing on a train to Harrisburg, Pa., although people learn from their cell phones that the plague, or whatever it is, may have jumped ahead of them.

Now consider how Shyamalan shows the exodus from Philadelphia. He avoids all the conventional scenes of riots in the train station, people killing Philadelphia, not New York, and shows the population as quiet and apprehensive. If you don't know what you're fleeing, how would you behave? Like this, I suspect.

Julian entrusts his daughter to Elliot and Alma, and goes in search of his wife. The train stops -- permanently -- at a town. The three hitch a ride in a stranger's car, and later meet others who are fleeing, from what or to what, they do not know. Elliot meets a man who talks about a way plants have of creating hormones to kill their enemies, and he develops a half-baked theory that man may have finally delivered too many insults to the grasses and the shrubs, the flowers and the trees, and their revenge is in the wind.

By now the three are trekking cross-country through Pennsylvania, joined by two young boys, who they will eventually lose. They walk on, the wind moaning ominously behind them, and come to the isolated country home of Mrs. Jones (Betty Buckley), a very odd old lady. Here they eat and spend the night and other events take place, and Elliot and Alma find an opportunity to discuss their love and reveal some secrets and speculate about what dread manifestation has overtaken the world.

Too uneventful for you? Not enough action? For me, Shyamalan's approach is more effective than smash-and-grab plot-mongering. His use of the landscape is disturbingly effective. The performances by Wahlberg and Deschanel bring a quiet dignity to their characters. The strangeness of starting a day in New York and ending it by hiking across a country field is underlined. Most of the other people we meet, not all, are muted and introspective. Had they been half-expecting some such "event" as this?

I know I have. For some time the thought has been gathering at the back of my mind that we are in the final act. We have finally insulted the planet so much that it can no longer sustain us. It is exhausted. It never occurred to me that vegetation might exterminate us. In fact, the form of the planet's revenge remains undefined in my thoughts, although I have read of rising sea levels and the ends of species.

What I admire about "The Happening" is that its pace and substance allowed me to examine such thoughts, and to ask how I might respond to a wake-up call from nature. Shyamalan allows his characters space and time as they look within themselves. Those they meet on the way are such as they might indeed plausibly meet. Even the TV and radio news is done correctly, as convenient cliches about terrorism give way to bewilderment and apprehension.

I suspect I'll be in the minority in praising this film. It will be described as empty, uneventful, meandering. But for some, it will weave a spell. It is a parable, yes, but it is also simply the story of these people and how their lives and existence have suddenly become problematic. We depend on such a superstructure to maintain us that one or two alterations could leave us stranded and wandering through a field, if we are that lucky."

Yeah, I'm surprised Ebert actually liked this heap of a mess- because even Mark Walhberg's good looks couldn't save the bad acting. To better clarify myself, the plot would've been more effective had there have been better actors. Because for the most part, the terrible acting sucked the life out of this movie for me. And what was some of these downright unnecessary moments in the film such as the old couple who kept asking Eliot and Alma if they liked hotdogs? LOL. This movie had me in stitches because I already knew it wasn't going anywhere. Also, the movie felt as though it was just fast-pacing itself and not giving viewers the opportunity to know or understand what's going on- or even relate to the characters. The only good that came out of this movie was the landscape and the cinematography. That's one subject I agree with Ebert on.

my old pal Leguizamo was great and the peculiar-ness of the characters only made the movie more entertaining...like a fairy tale

>such as the old couple who kept asking
>Eliot and Alma if they liked hotdogs? LOL.

the fact that i so easily recognized the older man from O'Brother Where Art Thou? surprised me

>the movie felt as though it was just fast-pacing itself
>and not giving viewers the opportunity to know or understand
>what's going on- or even relate to the characters

i kinda didn't want to relate

You can forgive a lot of shit in a film when it's made on the cheap. You can't forgive much when a film that only has a few hundred extras, some grass and a big fan, costs $57 million.

Mech

i liked it...i know it's gonna get a shitload of hate but fuck it...his movies usually do...shit i STILL hear people bitch about 'the village'...which i thought was genius.

all his movies remind me of long episodes of 'the twilight zone'...some are better than others but no matter what they're all still pretty cool.


http://myspace.com/shamelessplug
http://myspace.com/phamelessslug
http://zshare.net/download/11585755fa712f28
http://zshare.net/download/11585294b1a8eb45
http://phameless.blogspot.com
http://whitegirlslovejohnblake.blogspot.com

agreed. not one of his movies i can hate on...but thats just me

by the time you find out its modern day, you don't give a fuck what's happening to the characters anymore because they're all fucking boring.

FREE CHAI VANG!

YOU'VE READ MY FILE NIGGA (c) Jack 'Mufuckin' Bauer



www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

nm

is a trip//that's all


now if he comes up with another that isn't silly as he has ben batting lately Ill give props

>

!

It was over after The Village. I havent watched a movie of his since.

But there were two actually.

At least it was free.

http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/thehappening.html

that's the worst piece of shit story ever written ever

FREE CHAI VANG!

YOU'VE READ MY FILE NIGGA (c) Jack 'Mufuckin' Bauer



www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

but honestly it was horrible. the premise was okay in theory but the execution was terrible. it was just okay at best. something that a first time film director would be able to get away with but not a so called pro like m. knight. so many plot holes, bad acting, bad direction, lack of suspense, no real conclusion, it just wasn't very good.


SPOILERS







ok if it was supposedly plants and trees causeing this. why does it come in the most random of scenes of some hot dog loving, tree hugging hippies? and why was that premise so widely accepted by everybody?

no real explanation. i understand that it was foreshadowed in the very beginning that some things in nature happen and we can never really understand it but this was just like a big WTF?! and not in a good way

there was no reason that this movie should have been rated r and for the studio to market it as such like it was a big deal that he finally made a rated r movie is misleading. the depiction of suicide might be strong if he actually showed it, knight himself in his promos made mention of some of the disturbing imagery that you would see but the actual movie didn't really show much at all, but you hear a lot.

the only cool tense scene in my opinion was the one where the two teenagers got it, that was fucked up but they brought it on themselves.

-fin-


Like I said I wanted to like it and I probably would have if it was some no name and not M. Knight and he hadn't hyped it up as some big media event. I'll have to give it a D- at best.

^^^^^^^^^ AGREED

Like I said, the poor execution and bad acting ruined it. I'm a fan of M. Night's earlier movies, but let's keep it real. This movie SUCKED.

>Like I said, the poor execution and bad acting ruined it.
>I'm a fan of M. Night's earlier movies, but let's keep it
>real. This movie SUCKED.

wahlberg does fine apparently with the right direction
zooey and leguizamo as well
it's been proven
so the blame has to be on the director
M. Night


he had all the elements
but it lacked cohesion
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~

http://unodostres.etsy.com

http://playvicious.com/

.

because he still got paid...or something...

numbers don't lie

but that wasn't the issue

>numbers don't lie

neither was this

Let me be clear. I've thought all his work post-Signs was shit. I haven't seen Happening.

But cmon.

His films make their money back, or at bare minimum come very very close to it.

He is a recognizable name. People take notice when they hear about a new M. Night flick.

The day his career is over is the day people stop going to see his next flick. Which doesn't appear to be anytime soon.

Not many writer/directors in Hollywood can do whatever they want with their flicks, and still attract attention and make money. Night's really the only one who can consistently do that right now, unless I'm mistaken and am forgetting someone.

only made 42 million while its budget was 75 million. I don't think Happening will do well in the box office either but at least its budget is only 57 million so it will have a better chance of making its money back.

Because all of his films before that made their money back.

He is generally a bankable director. Only one misstep monetarily speaking. Unless The Happening REALLY declines in Week 2, it will make its money back too.

Look, again, I've hated his last two films, and The Happening doesn't seem like my cup of tea. But his career is FAAAAAAR from over, lol.

can't say that for grindhouse.

and I don't care about Grindhouse.

it's a bomb.

>Not many writer/directors in Hollywood can do whatever they
>want with their flicks, and still attract attention and make
>money. Night's really the only one who can consistently do
>that right now, unless I'm mistaken and am forgetting
>someone.

but he's not even really a part of hollywood anymore, he's basically an industry unto himself.

>The day his career is over is the day people stop going to see
>his next flick. Which doesn't appear to be anytime soon.

well with all the negative buzz for the Happening, it might just be his next one.

>Not many writer/directors in Hollywood can do whatever they
>want with their flicks, and still attract attention and make
>money. Night's really the only one who can consistently do
>that right now, unless I'm mistaken and am forgetting
>someone.


The Coens, Steven Soderbergh, Clint Eastwood, Christopher Nolan...highly likely that Wes Anderson, Spike Jonze, Alfonso Cuaron, and Guillermo del Toro could be equally money making if they turned off their desire to make good movies and just went for cash cows. It's a really good sign of how shitty Sham is regarded that he's NEVER kicked around as possible writer/director for a franchise rights project ala Nolan and Batman, del Toro and Hobbit, Jonze and Wildthings, etc...

–––––––––––––
Julio Lugo is a fantastic shortstop, a wonderful human being, and I wish he was my real dad.

>It's a really good sign of how shitty Sham
>is regarded that he's NEVER kicked around as possible
>writer/director for a franchise rights project ala Nolan and
>Batman, del Toro and Hobbit, Jonze and Wildthings, etc...

Isn't that Avatar deal a franchise?

he's directing three live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender movies (taken from the cartoon).

V.

I know they make better movies. I'm talking about the gross.

Don't turn this feud you have with Bags into some illogical shit.

Apatow, Jackson, Singer, Cameron, Peter Berg, Ang Lee and anyone at Pixar. All have more talent (not a big feat) and are less of a liability.

Then there are the Len Wiseman, guy who made Saw, Friedberg and Seltzer's of the world.

Manoj is more on a Brett Ratner or Stephen Sommers level. But with less business savy.

>Manoj is more on a Brett Ratner or Stephen Sommers level. But
>with less business savy.


Unbreakable and 6th sense alone kinda shit on this idea

and Unbreakable is garbage.

but let's say i grant that.

Brett Ratner has nothing as dope as 6th sense in him, at all.

He's like the autopilot director for franchise films that just need a monkey to point the camera

than turn on camera and let chris tucker/jacke chan do their thing.


I mean you can say you don't like ol' boy's films, and i'll disagree, and KIM...but to say he's on the level of brett ratner is just some petty bullshit..or, hate, if you will

When was the last time Spielberg was the credited writer on a movie?

And, while you're at it, look up bankable as well. Coens movies don't make a lot of money. No Country was by far their biggest financial success.

RED
http://arrena.blogspot.com

when do you think was the last time he took on a script and felt he had to color within the lines?

Has Manoj ever written anything on the level of Close Encounters? has he written a better supernatural movie than Poltergeist? No.

>when do you think was the last time he took on a script and
>felt he had to color within the lines?

Spielberg can write and would be the greatest writer/director working today, if he did it officially.

When you talk about writer/directors, you aren't talking about people who don't originate their own scripts, even if the come up with the idea and dictate it to a typist.


RED
http://arrena.blogspot.com

Coen movies become Cult Followings and lend to huge aftermarket numbers and constant TV runnings. The new Coen movie looks absolutely Sick, Clooney and Pitt on some shenanigan shit, gonna be awesome.

some of his control over the direction of his movies and saw his budgets start to shrink a bit.

All the things he railed against Disney over with Lady in the Water will start happening more often for his future movies.

Far as I'm concerned he hasn't made anything worthwhile since Unbreakable. But he's still one of the biggest names in directing, and with the exception of Lady In The Water they're all commercially successful.

Why would his career be over? Because he makes shitty movies that critics don't like? If that were career suicide, Adam Sandler would have never had a career.

no

His movies were always gay-think about it
Unbreakable
The Sixth Sense
Lady In The Water
Signs
all homoerotic "thrillers"

>

no

no

i know

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~

http://unodostres.etsy.com

http://playvicious.com/

yeah

...I will probably take a flop from M. Knight over a lot of other films; generally, I think a flawed work by an auteur type is still interesting on some level. I know not everyone agrees, but I am happy that he is at least one director who seems to enjoy a slow unfolding of ideas and a more meditative pace.

To be clear, this doesn't mean I am signing on a movie I haven't seen, and it doesn't mean I think he's perfect. But I like and respect his work.

but anyone with a brain should realize that he stinks at this point.

Studios will cut back on using his name as a marketing tool if they're smart, as much as his contracts allow anyways.

I wonder what percentage of the gross he takes. He might have to cut that back if he wants big budgets anymore.

I'd really like to know what the marketing budget is on his flicks. People always forget that those gigantic numbers aren't in the budget. They're probably especially huge on his junk.

I could've sworn that I saw June 20th on the posters.
---------------------------------------
The OKP® King of the Late Pass™

methamphoria.blogspot.com

http://i31.tinypic.com/4iehdd.jpg

>I could've sworn that I saw June 20th on the posters.
>---------------------------------------
>The OKP® King of the Late Pass™
>
>methamphoria.blogspot.com
>
>http://i31.tinypic.com/4iehdd.jpg


RED
http://arrena.blogspot.com

this is the dumbest shit I have ever seen

I just got finished watching it with my dad for Father's Day. I thought certain parts were cool but overall it sucked.

despite what people might say.

I had to make up with 12 Monkeys. I felt rejuvenated.

...

maybe he should start making movies for showtime




dunno the quality of the movies there's elemnets missing for the big screen

that may work for the small screen
por ejemplo

i saw the village and lady/lake at home
i was fine with them


i saw signs and now the happening in the theatre
and there was something missing
it simply didn't work for me
but i think it may have if it was on cable
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~

http://unodostres.etsy.com

http://playvicious.com/

The last airbender movies.

gonna be a trilogy and he will be working with the 2 creators on this project. Bryan Konietzko was my illustration teachers best friend last year and so we all had the inside scoop on certain Avatar happenings, such as this. Although it's pretty out in the open now.

Not Ang!!!

i noticed the girl at the end had an avatar backpack on

kind've like Night of the Living/Dawn of the Dead type scary, but without the zombies you can see...

I'm not a reader to that extent, but am I the only one who thinks this could've made a great book?

wahlberg, leguizamo and zooey all had potential as well
this could have been hitchcock type great


but it fell flat and was missing too much
~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~

http://unodostres.etsy.com

http://playvicious.com/

Better than M. Night's last three efforts. It really had some suspenseful moments but it is in no way a *comeback*
Grade C+

As for his career, naw. He will always generate some interest.
Just needs better storylines for his movies.

Unbreakable 2 would suffice.

And for shitty acting, Wahlberg's make good should be that he has to open a few dates on the NKOTB comeback tour, and reunite the Funky Bunch.

Marauder 21 loves melodramas about ghosts,mermaids,and crop circles

I am one of the very few who have liked all of M. Night's previous films. I really wanted to like this film but it was terrible. It was sloppy. The acting was jilted and forced. It's like they got the script and was like "WTF?!? I hope this works..." I loved the idea. I really did. If it was executed better, it would've scarred the bejesus out of me, the idea alone. But it wasn't and it didn't. My father told me(this was his father's day present....shitty right?) that the movie seemed like it was more about the married couple's relationship than the "happening". I told him that I could see that but we really didnt get any sort of idea of who these people were and what they're relationship was about. You have this idiosyncratic chick and this whiny dude going through the motions and there are little things that happen that are suppose to be cute or funny and they are not because they are strangers to the audience. I really really really wanted to like this film. But it was terrible.

each with a slightly different tone.

Happening wasn't great, but i wasn't mad at it. I think the marketing for a lot of his films kinda sucks, tho, cuz this movie is in no way a horror film.

Why would his career be over?

You know how many people have made far far far worse movies that didn't make a profit?

>

Mad?

----------------------------


O_E: Your Super-Ego's Favorite Poster.



"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "Cosmic Slop"

and that's the realest shit i ever wrote...today

I mean, give me Inside Man, 25th Hour and
When the Levees broke over QTs entire catalogue.
(and I mean shit that QT done and will EVER do...
...QT done peaked out)


There's just no comparison in terms of talent
or accomplishments

QTs reputation has taken a dive off a cliff

Spike is spitting truth serum at clint eastwood
about to drop a movie so good the academy might
have to stop being bitter bitches and recognize


----------------------------


O_E: Your Super-Ego's Favorite Poster.



"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "Cosmic Slop"

I mean... I like me some Tarantino, but dag... was anyone really reppin' Quentin over Spike? On this board nonetheless.

LOLZ OMGZ

at least as far as moviemaking goes.

Even if he becomes persona non grata on the directing tip, he'll always get writing work on other people's projects, aka become a script doctor
________________________________________________________________________
Jam-a-con
HUAH

took me out of my world. I woke up, suddenly I just woke up, to "The Happening".

(sorry; every time I see this movie mentioned, I think of the Supremes song - which was the theme to _another_ movie called "The Happening" - instead)

>Now that we've all seen his atrocious new movie The
>Happening?
>And yes, it's called "The Happening", which rightfully
>deserves it's title because with no plot and emotionless
>acting I wasn't really sure what the fuck was "happening".
>
> I swear I don't know how many times I laughed out loud more
>than I was actually frightened by this corny, preachy,
>eco-friendly, after school special of what was supposedly or
>intended to be a horror movie.
>
>So, this brings me to an all important question: should we all
>give give M. Night Shalayman another chance to redeem himself?
>Or should we officially resign from wasting our hard earned
>money watching his movies all together?
>
>


_________________________
www.aweinc.net
www.itsyourbizblog.com
www.auraclevision.com
www.flickr.com/photos/auracle-photos/sets/72157603294509853 <--- The Collection

What's the bum kiss?

not scary but it had it's moments

"The Happening" isn't as bad as critics are making it out to be. I personally don't think it shoulda cost him 60 Million to make, but it was decent, slow in spots, but the movie made me wanna hold my breath, literally, lol. I just hope that "The Last Air-bender" is a Smash for him, which I read an interview that he's banking on to happen.

the dialogue is on some other shit

I Like it, but I actually watched this before I watched the movie:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/37753/saturday-night-live-mark-wahlberg-talks-to-animals#s-p1-st-i0

So it kinda made the movie into a comedy.

Either way, I lik it. Something different. M. Night Shyamalan goes good in my book. His directing is great, the music was good. The Dialog can be better, and the acting of Mark Wahlberg is just average. It wasn't too gruesome also.

:)

we pray for dollars and we work for change © Slug of Atmosphere

.

I'm so confused. But I do tip well...

I've watched that clip 3 times now and have sent it to more than a couple of friends that will appreciate the hell out of it.

Goddamn hilarity.

Nice link, man, thanks.

if you didn't know.

:)

we pray for dollars and we work for change © Slug of Atmosphere

He's always been SHIT to me. I always clown his work and people treat me like a red-headed step child

he's doing Avatar: The Last Airbender.

He's working.

Working is good.

:P

he has plenty of time to redeem himself

It wasn't as over the top as Planet Terror but the film was absolutely hilarious which made it almost entertaining. I still think it's one of the worst films of the year but it's like Knight Rider; it isn't good but I wish people would watch it so we could laugh about it.

I wouldn't be stunned if The Happening became a camp midnight movie classic in the future. It's that silly.

The Sixth Sense: Masterpiece!
Unbreakable: Very Good (esp. for comic book fans)
Signs: Good (great story, perfect use of suspense)

The Village: Bad (My girl figured out the "trick" 20 mins in)
The Lady in the Lake: Terrible (so uninteresting)

The Happening: Didn't see it (don't waste my motherfuckin time Knight!)

Unless he puts out a movie and a bunch of people I know tell me the shit is good . . . I'm done wit ol' boy. Are we sure he wrote The Sixth Sense?

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_iNpyIS7Gsfc/SI-jXa6vobI/AAAAAAAAAQk/S_-VCVO3M8I/DSC02151.JPG

http://tinyurl.com/blev8vd

----------------------------

Young Broadway Star Urgently Needs a Bone Marrow Donor. Is it you? http://MatchShannon.com/







O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

M. Night hearts haters.