THE HAPPENING - Holy mother of Christ, it's unwatchable.

[A Clockwork Lim]

Sixth Sense: Enjoyed it a great deal.
Unbreakable: Enjoyed it a great deal. The only one of his movies I can regularly watch repeatedly.
Signs: It was okay, but got dumb really quick as we learned more about the aliens. (Alien #1: "Hey, let's invade this planet that's 80% acid to us." Alien #2: "Great idea! And let's abduct the people there that are even more acidic to us!" Alien #1: "Flawless!" Alien #2: "Wait, why aren't we melting just from the humidity in the air?" Alien #1: "Shut up, Bob.")
The Village: Awful. The tension early on was fine, but the movie as a whole was just awful.
Lady In the Water: Enjoyed it except for MNS writing himself in as a Jesus figure. That pretty much ruined it for me. Otherwise, I was fine with the premise mostly because I'm a big fan of faerie lore.
The Happening: Ugh. Very little believable tension, no sympathy for anything going on, no real direction, and the revelation for what was going on beats out Signs in the Stupid department.

That's my take anyway.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I didn't think this was that bad myself. Few horror films make much "real world" sense, I don't this was any more far-fetched than any other horror movie. I figure you have to give a movie an "out" on its premise so you have to give The Ring its deadly videotape, you have to accept The Mist and Pulse on their own terms, Deja Vu its time-travel equipment and so on. Outside of that I didn't think it was too out there, sure the cell phones, TV's and electricity might be questionable but then I don't know how long they'd run without intervention and the movie only happened over a short timespan.

 

[dragunzng]

I don't think Lady in the Water would have worked as well as it did for me if Shyamalan hadn't cast himself as the saviour in the story, think it would have lost a lot of its meaning.

 

[Harvey]

So, against my better judgment, I joined some friends to watch this movie tonight. I think they were having more fun playing the happening drinking game with it.

What a mess. What a terrible, terrible mess. I can't say one good thing about this movie, save for the decent dramatic score that only served to make things more hilarious when the material couldn't live up to it--written, acted, directed, shot, or edited. So bad it's good territory. I can't believe this made it past the studio at any and every stage.

And don't get me started on the pseudoscience all over this movie. The religious nonsense in Signs was annoying enough, but this movie only confirms how little Shamalayn comprehends of the scientific world. Half the information characters espouse in the film is completely untrue--certifiably false--and the other half is just nonsense.

Moreover, cable news in America claims that the US government is responsible for the "happenings" and we're supposed to believe the government doesn't respond? That the news airs the story?

I wish stj would see this movie, because, for once, it's a movie I'd LOVE to see him go off on.

 

[Wicca who Wonta]

I love all Shamalan's movies except for The Happening. I was thoroughly disappointed by it.

 

[dragunzng]

That reminds me, thought the score was excellent as well, really well done.

 

[indranee]

MNS. I really enjoy his films. Like us, he loves genre material, and he brings a unique take to genre material, off the beaten path. IMO, this is a very welcome thing and should be encouraged in filmdom. I hate the same ol' same ol'.

Signs-LOVED it.

Unbreakable-IMO, his best film.

Signs-Very interesting, enjoyed it.

The Village-A mixed bag, but very old school, almost Twilight Zone. Good.

Lady In The Water-A deep (pun intended) urban fantasy on the power of myth, the imagination and the importance of storytellers. I agree. Liked it.

Haven't seen The Happening. Call me crazy, but I enjoy his stuff. Perhaps he should take a Lucas tip and colaborate more on his stuff, but I think he's a great idea man, and you can count on his films not being the same rehashed crap from Hollywood.

ITA with your take on the films and general idea. though I haven't seen LITW. I do think he needs to collaborate on his writing.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Moreover, cable news in America claims that the US government is responsible for the "happenings" and we're supposed to believe the government doesn't respond? That the news airs the story?

Wasn't that some guy being interviewed by the cable news station? Besides this is the same cable news that questions whether Obama and his wife shared a "terrorist fist jab".

 

[Harvey]

Moreover, cable news in America claims that the US government is responsible for the "happenings" and we're supposed to believe the government doesn't respond? That the news airs the story?

Wasn't that some guy being interviewed by the cable news station? Besides this is the same cable news that questions whether Obama and his wife shared a "terrorist fist jab".

Nah, I'm referring to a news report in the mid-point of the film where a newscaster suggests an "anonymous source" has indicated that the US government is responsible for the attack. Not that the stupidity of the "expert" at the end of the film wasn't annoying, but I could at least buy that being aired on television.

 

[Dar70]

I've avoided his films like the plague since The Village. My God, THAT was an unwatchable piece of crap. I figured the twist out about half an hour into it, and for the next hour, I was praying I was wrong. Boy, was I pissed off when I left the theater.

It was a piece of crap indeed. I also figured it out the first half hour.Those secret boxes or "protecting the innocence" of the younger townsfolk comment was what should have tipped it off for many.

 

[Maurice]

Shamalyn (sp?) gave an embarassing interview with NPR's weekly science program (I forget the name), where he reveals how little he knows about science and how little he even understands the history of science. After hearing that, I was pretty sure what I would get out of The Happening. Which is why I haven't bothered yet.

Talk of the Nation Science Friday. It was an embarrassingly bad interview, and the show should have been ashamed to pander to even giving MNS airtime on a science show.

 

[Lookingglassman]

I am so glad I never paid any money to see this film. I was going to get it on netflix, but I got better ways to spend 90 minutes of my life.

 

[Harvey]

Shamalyn (sp?) gave an embarassing interview with NPR's weekly science program (I forget the name), where he reveals how little he knows about science and how little he even understands the history of science. After hearing that, I was pretty sure what I would get out of The Happening. Which is why I haven't bothered yet.

Talk of the Nation Science Friday. It was an embarrassingly bad interview, and the show should have been ashamed to pander to even giving MNS airtime on a science show.

To be fair, listening to the interview, it's pretty clear the host is ashamed of having to interview M. Night. But, yeah, it's bad, and it goes a long way in explaining why the science of the film was so appalling.

 

[Twilight]

That reminds me, thought the score was excellent as well, really well done.

Yeah - even though I hated the film I really dug the JNH score. Really, really nice.

 

[Captain Craig]

I have intentionally not read through the thread, nor did I participate in the Grading/Discussion thread when it came out(only because I didn't get to the movie).

As a general rule I have liked M.Night movies, yes even LITW I found enjoyable.
I just got the email from Netflix, its being shipped today. I will report back once I've seen it and then read the comment.

It was a modes hit at the box office for what its worth. So those wanting him to go away will have to wait it seems.

 

[exodus]

That reminds me, thought the score was excellent as well, really well done.

Yeah - even though I hated the film I really dug the JNH score. Really, really nice.

The score was almost the same as Spider-Man 3.

Every time the breeze blew they played the exact same song like whenever Spidey 3 showed the Sandman.

Everything about that film was a waste.

 

[Elemental]

I personally love Shyamalan's films including this one as he has a unique style and means of creating his characters (they always have a sense of innocence about them that makes them endearing, to me anyways). The thematic material I also always find very thoughtful and relevant and I love his use of spirituality. I can understand why not everyone else shares this enjoyment however.

 

[indranee]

I personally love Shyamalan's films including this one as he has a unique style and means of creating his characters (they always have a sense of innocence about them that makes them endearing, to me anyways). The thematic material I also always find very thoughtful and relevant and I love his use of spirituality. I can understand why not everyone else shares this enjoyment however.

I agree with you. I respect him, no matter what, for his refusal to play the Hollywierd/box office game. he makes his movies for himself. if we like them, fine. if not, fine as well.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Shamalyn (sp?) gave an embarassing interview with NPR's weekly science program (I forget the name), where he reveals how little he knows about science and how little he even understands the history of science. After hearing that, I was pretty sure what I would get out of The Happening. Which is why I haven't bothered yet.

Talk of the Nation Science Friday. It was an embarrassingly bad interview, and the show should have been ashamed to pander to even giving MNS airtime on a science show.

To be fair, listening to the interview, it's pretty clear the host is ashamed of having to interview M. Night. But, yeah, it's bad, and it goes a long way in explaining why the science of the film was so appalling.

I didn't realize I was watching a science movie.

 

[Harvey]

Talk of the Nation Science Friday. It was an embarrassingly bad interview, and the show should have been ashamed to pander to even giving MNS airtime on a science show.

To be fair, listening to the interview, it's pretty clear the host is ashamed of having to interview M. Night. But, yeah, it's bad, and it goes a long way in explaining why the science of the film was so appalling.

I didn't realize I was watching a science movie.

The main character's a science teacher. I'm not calling for 100% scientific veracity or anything, but the words that come out his mouth whenever he tells a "scientific" anecdote are pretty stupid throughout. Moreover, when the writer/director goes on a science show to pump up the scientific value of his film...it better have, well, some value. Which The Happening does not.