tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961602667889136652.post9104824777414230145..comments2023-12-26T08:39:46.885-06:00Comments on The CineManiac: The Box Office Goes GreenThe CineManiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05597232547026898685noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961602667889136652.post-73281950601729337542008-06-16T19:14:00.000-05:002008-06-16T19:14:00.000-05:00Anon - I appreciate your views and comments.The tr...Anon - I appreciate your views and comments.<BR/>The truth is I love Shyamalan, and I didn't go in looking for fault, as I said I've enjoyed all his movies so far (since the Sixth Sense, I never saw his first one with Rosie O'Donnell) but I can't get behind this one.<BR/>It's because I hold M. Night in such high regard (I defend The Village and Lady in the Water every chance I get) that I was so disappointed by this film. It's not only an awful premise, it takes some great actors and reduces them to small town locals filming their own indie film, and I mean that in the worst way possible, it's also the horrible dialogue.<BR/>I understand where you're coming from on him getting knocked a lot, because I stood in your shoes with the last two films, but on this one I can't find any rational way to defend such a waste of celluloid.The CineManiachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05597232547026898685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961602667889136652.post-5809465285488556332008-06-16T15:36:00.000-05:002008-06-16T15:36:00.000-05:00I saw "The Happening" this weekend as well, and, e...I saw "The Happening" this weekend as well, and, especially after all the early negative buzz surrounding the movie, flopped into my cushy rocking theater seat not expecting much. Like you I am a huge fan of M. Night, but unlike you I was pleasantly surprised by the film. I thought it a vast improvement over his last couple efforts. The acting and dialogue were not stellar, but it wasn't George Lucas vomit-inducing tripe either. It's important to remember that all you do is show up at M. Night's films and just let him do the work... just drop reality at the door and let him do his thing. Yes, the "leaves are emitting gas to get rid of us so that we stop killing the earth" premise is extraordinarily not plausible, but is it really that far out of the realm of possibility? Everything in nature evolves, and it must in this world to keep from going the way of the Dodo. Plants emit gas, why not one that harms only us?<BR/>I do not mean to say that this movie is a masterpiece. M. Night is in no way, shape, or form in even the same realm of Hitchcock, his idol, and, let's face it, never will be. (For that matter, who is?) M. Night is a very talented filmmaker, who has made in my opinion 1 masterpiece, 2 great films, 2 good ones, and a stinker (not this one). That's not a bad percentage. He is a filmmaker who is not afraid to take chances, and though he always aims to chill, his methods are never the same. His twists and social commentaries do not always work, but I do respect his effort. I always like what he is trying to do, even if he doesn't always completely pull it off. Yes, if you are trying to find fault, you will find it. I think that critics go into M. Night's films pining to find even the tiniest seam to grab, and then slowly unravel it until they've convinced themselves that the film they just saw was dreadful. Had they not found that tiny, loose thread, it just may not have been that bad of an experience. But that is not the case. He is accused of being an arrogant and pretentious filmaker. Really? He is a filmmaker who strives to send a message, to try to get us to see the bigger picture of what his character's are experiencing, while trying to scare and entertain us at the same time. That's a lot to undertake. If he was just giving scares, someone would then accuse him of not trying hard enough, of being content to remain an ordinary horror filmmaker. If anyone else makes this movie, the critics talk about the filmmakers "promise" or of a film that was a "worthy effort" (even if they didn't like it). But because it's M. Night it gets panned. I mean come on, this movie is getting as badly reviewed as some of Uwe Boll's films. UWE BOLL!!! "The Day After Tomorrow" was even better reviewed than this movie. Say what?!?! The fact that this is happening makes me want to run over myself with a lawnmower (how scintillating anonymous is).<BR/>I realize that this isn't so much a comment on your review, as it is on the unfair bias shown towards a brilliant and risktaking filmmaker... and it was a bit tangential... but that's what this is for. In conclusion, the binary function of the square root of the right quadrant = give "The Happening" a fair chance people. Just don't go in looking for a science lesson or for tips on how to save your relationship.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com