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Eug Wanker · Jul 20, 2006, 12:34 PM

Living Night-mare

"Has M. Night Shyamalan lost his goddamn mind?"

"That's the only logical excuse for Lady in the Water, the Philly-based writer/director/egomaniac's convulsive seizure of narcissism that's so nakedly personal—and also so unintentionally, hilariously revealing—watching the movie feels a bit like walking in on your roommate while he's masturbating … to a picture of himself."

-- Sean Burns, PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

And he doesn't appear to be alone... 19%

"Hollywood cannot pollute the ozone with anything more idiotic, contrived, amateurish or sub-mental than Lady in the Water."

-- Rex Reed, NEW YORK OBSERVER

Rumor · Jul 20, 2006, 12:36 PM

After Village of the Damned, I'm not surprised that many people are disappointed with his work.

Dakar · Jul 20, 2006, 12:38 PM

Even the positive reviews come off as flippant.

Jawbone54 · Jul 20, 2006, 12:39 PM

Who knows if he's a raging egomaniac or not? These critics need something more than a movie to justify accusing him of narcissism.

tutelary · Jul 20, 2006, 12:48 PM

His movies are wonderful. You either have the capacity to understand them or not. I like to see people bitching about the Aliens in Signs, when the movie wasn't even about Aliens, it was about one man's loss of faith.

The village was wonderful as well. I honestly don't have a problem with any of his films.

tutelary · Jul 20, 2006, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Rumor

After Village of the Damned, I'm not surprised that many people are disappointed with his work.

That's funny, because he didn't do Village of the Damned.

::maroma:: · Jul 20, 2006, 12:58 PM

The films of his I've seen I've really enjoyed. I haven't seen The Village though. My favorite film oh his is Unbreakable. Its one of those movies that most people hated, but I liked so much I bought the DVD (and I don't buy many DVD's at all).

Besides, I hate listening to movie critics. 99% of the time I disagree with them anyways. And if I wanted someone's personal opinion on a movie I'd ask my friends. Why would I want some stranger with a bloated ego telling me which movies I should see and which movies I shouldn't?

ort888 · Jul 20, 2006, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by tutelary

His movies are wonderful. You either have the capacity to understand them or not. I like to see people bitching about the Aliens in Signs, when the movie wasn't even about Aliens, it was about one man's loss of faith.

The village was wonderful as well. I honestly don't have a problem with any of his films.

The capacity to understand them? I freaking hate that line of reasoning. Oh, you didn't "get it". You must be too dumb to appreciate art on the same level as some of us.

I understood his movies just fine and I still hated them. Maybe I understood them so much that I went all the way around the circle, from bad to good and back to bad again, and understood them on a level that YOU couldn't possibly comprehend.

I can comprehend things on so many layers it makes me sad for the rest of humanity. I have lost and found Mel Gibson's faith more times then you can possibly understand.

kaze0 · Jul 20, 2006, 01:07 PM

Unbreakable was Night's favorite movie, until doing Lady in the Water, so if you're one of the few, like me, who really enjoyed Unbreakable then Lady should be just as enjoyable.

I picked up the "book" and it was interesting. Definately a bed time story, < 100 lines, but it does seem to set the movie up well and I'm psyched. Also have the Man Who Heard Voices on order too. Just reading reviews of that makes Night seem Narcissistic.

Rumor · Jul 20, 2006, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by tutelary

That's funny, because he didn't do Village of the Damned.

Oops, I meant the Village. My girlfriend is dog sitting and one of the Yorkies stares at people like the kids from Village of the Damned, so it's been stuck in my head.

Eug Wanker · Jul 20, 2006, 01:10 PM

I'm not going to bother seeing this movie. The trailer looked kinda stupid, and the reviews suggest it is indeed stupid.

P.S. I didn't hate The Village, but I was less than wowed by it that's for sure. And it definitely wasn't a hugely complex movie by any means.

tutelary · Jul 20, 2006, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by ort888

The capacity to understand them? I freaking hate that line of reasoning. Oh, you didn't "get it". You must be too dumb to appreciate art on the same level as some of us.

I understood his movies just fine and I still hated them. Maybe I understood them so much that I went all the way around the circle, from bad to good and back to bad again, and understood them on a level that YOU couldn't possibly comprehend.

I can comprehend things on so many layers it makes me sad for the rest of humanity. I have lost and found Mel Gibson's faith more times then you can possibly understand.

When I see people complaining about Aliens landing on earth when water is harmful to them, YES I KNOW THEY DID NOT 'GET IT'.

(Aside from there being so few M class planets you wouldn't exactly have your pick if you were a scourge race. You would have to stop)

Rumor · Jul 20, 2006, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by kaze0

Unbreakable was Night's favorite movie, until doing Lady in the Water, so if you're one of the few, like me, who really enjoyed Unbreakable then Lady should be just as enjoyable.

I picked up the "book" and it was interesting. Definately a bed time story, < 100 lines, but it does seem to set the movie up well and I'm psyched. Also have the Man Who Heard Voices on order too. Just reading reviews of that makes Night seem Narcissistic.

I loved Unbreakable. I'll go check out the new one. Thanks.

Eug Wanker · Jul 20, 2006, 01:16 PM

BTW, there are a lot of movies people don't "get". However, if the movie sucks in general, why bother trying to "get" it? A good movie should draw the viewer in multiple levels. I don't "get" Teletubbies, but it's not as if I care. I didn't fully "get" A Clockwork Orange, but it still made me interested, enough so I'd want to watch it again to understand it more. Same with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

OTOH, there are movies that people that people do "get", yet those same people still may hate them.

tutelary · Jul 20, 2006, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

BTW, there are a lot of movies people don't "get". However, if the movie sucks in general, why bother trying to "get" it? A good movie should draw the viewer in multiple levels. I don't "get" Teletubbies, but it's not as if I care. I didn't fully "get" A Clockwork Orange, but it still made me interested, enough so I'd want to watch it again to understand it more. Same with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

OTOH, there are movies that people that people do "get", yet those same people still may hate them.

Because it didn't suck. Simple as that. So having 1 story (Aliens) frame another (Faith) wasn't multiple levels? It certainly appealed to me.

kaze0 · Jul 20, 2006, 01:25 PM

What sucked about his movies in general?

Eug Wanker · Jul 20, 2006, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by tutelary

Because it didn't suck. Simple as that. So having 1 story (Aliens) frame another (Faith) wasn't multiple levels? It certainly appealed to me.

I didn't say Signs sucked, cuz I've never watched it. So, I have no opinion about the movie.

But I agree with ort888 in that just saying that "you didn't get" a movie is why you didn't like it just comes across as obnoxious.

Nicko · Jul 20, 2006, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

BTW, there are a lot of movies people don't "get". However, if the movie sucks in general, why bother trying to "get" it? A good movie should draw the viewer in multiple levels. I don't "get" Teletubbies, but it's not as if I care. I didn't fully "get" A Clockwork Orange, but it still made me interested, enough so I'd want to watch it again to understand it more. Same with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

OTOH, there are movies that people that people do "get", yet those same people still may hate them.

I agree. All of Shyamala's movies are virutally the same and fall flat on depth, pacing, characterization, ect.. They are the kind of movies you can watch once and then thats it, there is no point in watching them again. His movies would probably do better as 45 minute Twilight zone episodes, or something similar on the small screen.

I saw Signs a few months ago by accident and decided to watch it to see what it was all about. I couldn't believe how long he dragged out the plot (or lack thereof). And in the end nothing really happened. This is why his movies suck, there is no point to them.

ort888 · Jul 20, 2006, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Nicko

I agree. All of Shyamala's movies are virutally the same and fall flat on depth, pacing, characterization, ect.. They are the kind of movies you can watch once and then thats it, there is no point in watching them again. His movies would probably do better as 45 minute Twilight zone episodes, or something similar on the small screen.

I saw Signs a few months ago by accident and decided to watch it to see what it was all about. I couldn't believe how long he dragged out the plot (or lack thereof). And in the end nothing really happened. This is why his movies suck, there is no point to them.

No man, you just don't get it.

HEAVY SPOILERS

You see, god killed Mel Gibsons wife, gave his son asthma, had his daughter be finicky about her water and made his brother a failed baseball player so that in the event that crazy psycho space aliens ever invade and decide to shoot poison gas at his son, they would have a way to defend themselves. It's all so obvious.

God forbid someone drive to Walmart and buy a shotgun... since, you know, you live on a F**KING farmhouse and aliens are invading.

scottiB · Jul 20, 2006, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by ::maroma::

The films of his I've seen I've really enjoyed. I haven't seen The Village though. My favorite film oh his is Unbreakable. Its one of those movies that most people hated, but I liked so much I bought the DVD (and I don't buy many DVD's at all).

Unbreakable is in my top-10. When I watched it, I didn't think much of it, but it kept sticking with me, so I bought the DVD (the 2-Disc Special Edition or whatever) is really good.

All the actors are great: a very rewarding flick.

Gossamer · Jul 20, 2006, 01:49 PM

I liked Unbreakable, I thought Signs dragged on and on, The Village had an ending that made many people mad and didn't have a lot of replay value.

Eug Wanker · Jul 20, 2006, 01:55 PM

I liked Unbreakable, but it was the first MNS movie I saw. I thought The Village was OK, but predictable and not terribly engrossing.

I have no desire to ever watch Unbreakable or The Village again however.

KeyLimePi · Jul 20, 2006, 02:19 PM

Speaking of poor reviews, didn't Joel Siegel walk out 40 minutes into a screening of 'Clerks II?" Apparently Smith is being childish about it and hurling insults.

I know I'll get flamed for this, but I think Smith is even more overrated than Shyamalan. At least Shyamalan's movies are visually compelling.

Landos Mustache · Jul 20, 2006, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by tutelary

His movies are wonderful. You either have the capacity to understand them or not. I like to see people bitching about the Aliens in Signs, when the movie wasn't even about Aliens, it was about one man's loss of faith.

The village was wonderful as well. I honestly don't have a problem with any of his films.

So you are saying we are too stupid to get it.

One of the reviewers mentioned fans like you also.

Landos Mustache · Jul 20, 2006, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by KeyLimePi

Speaking of poor reviews, didn't Joel Siegel walk out 40 minutes into a screening of 'Clerks II?" Apparently Smith is being childish about it and hurling insults.

I know I'll get flamed for this, but I think Smith is even more overrated than Shyamalan. At least Shyamalan's movies are visually compelling.

I agree with you. I thought Clerks was horrible in every regard.

BUT, I also have to say that Joel Siegel's only job was to watch a movie for 2 hours and he couldn't even do that.

I liked 6th Sense and sorta liked signs. The other 2 movies were ass.

RAILhead · Jul 20, 2006, 02:29 PM

I'm also one of the apparent few that like all his movies. Predictable? Yes. Good? Yes -- to me.

kaze0 · Jul 20, 2006, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by ort888

No man, you just don't get it.

HEAVY SPOILERS

You see, god killed Mel Gibsons wife, gave his son asthma, had his daughter be finicky about her water and made his brother a failed baseball player so that in the event that crazy psycho space aliens ever invade and decide to shoot poison gas at his son, they would have a way to defend themselves. It's all so obvious.

God forbid someone drive to Walmart and buy a shotgun... since, you know, you live on a F**KING farmhouse and aliens are invading.

Stop being a baby and enjoy the fricken movies.

Landos Mustache · Jul 20, 2006, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by ort888

God forbid someone drive to Walmart and buy a shotgun... since, you know, you live on a F**KING farmhouse and aliens are invading.

Do you mean the very same aliens that are allergic to water but invade a planet made up mostly of water even in the air and abduct people made up almost entirely of water and are strong enough to jump on a roof but can't kick down a wood door and have spaceships that can turn invisible but only flick the switch after they show everyone they are their first and have mastered interplanetary travel but still communicate with cornfields and best of all do it all naked?

paul w · Jul 20, 2006, 02:33 PM

I've enjoyed his approach to building tension - slow pacing, ominous foreshadwoing and so on. I thought the Village was great in that I was truly surprised by it. Totally original. Sure people may have been disappoined as they were hoping for something else and perhaps felt manipulated and so on.

But I was going to see the movie mainly to look at Bryce Howard, and I probably still will.

Jawbone54 · Jul 20, 2006, 02:35 PM

I saw Clerks years ago, and it was pretty boring to me, not to mention fairly tasteless. Evidently Clerks II takes it to a whole new level, which Joel Siegel likely knew. He should've stayed for the rest of the movie, wrote how horrible it was, and kept his mouth shut. It's considered extremely bad etiquette at screenings to walk out, and especially to say, "Let's go, guys. First movie I've walked out of in 30 years!" as you get up.

I'm not a Kevin Smith fan at all. I saw him on a late show one night and he rubbed me the wrong way for some weird reason. Don't like his work, either.

Jawbone54 · Jul 20, 2006, 02:37 PM

How is it that no one has mentioned The Sixth Sense? I don't think many people would argue that this isn't an incredible movie. Unbreakable was great, IMHO as well, and Signs gripped me for about 80% of the movie, especially the scenes in which the family is waiting everything out (before the aliens show themselves).

Gossamer · Jul 20, 2006, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Landos Mustache

Do you mean the very same aliens that are allergic to water but invade a planet made up mostly of water even in the air and abduct people made up almost entirely of water and are strong enough to jump on a roof but can't kick down a wood door and have spaceships that can turn invisible but only flick the switch after they show everyone they are their first and have mastered interplanetary travel but still communicate with cornfields and best of all do it all naked?

Ouch!

Landos Mustache · Jul 20, 2006, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

How is it that no one has mentioned The Sixth Sense?

"I liked 6th Sense and sorta liked signs."

Dakar · Jul 20, 2006, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

I saw Clerks years ago, and it was pretty boring to me, not to mention fairly tasteless.

I think the movie is supposed to be fairly mundane. Like a Seinfeld meets Gen X with no morals or attention span (Think about the Death Star discussion).

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

I'm not a Kevin Smith fan at all. I saw him on a late show one night and he rubbed me the wrong way for some weird reason. Don't like his work, either.

I don't have a link handy but there's a YouTube of him explaining his involvement on the Superman: Reborn project which is pretty damn entertaining.

kaze0 · Jul 20, 2006, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Landos Mustache

Do you mean the very same aliens that are allergic to water but invade a planet made up mostly of water even in the air and abduct people made up almost entirely of water and are strong enough to jump on a roof but can't kick down a wood door and have spaceships that can turn invisible but only flick the switch after they show everyone they are their first and have mastered interplanetary travel but still communicate with cornfields and best of all do it all naked?

Ughh

We goto the moon and can't breathe there. How is this any different.
They could have been abducting people for a jillion reasons.
If they don't know what a wood door is, how will they know to kick it down?
We don't know why the cornfields were being used.
What did they have to protect by being clothed... There were no dangling naughty bits.

Landos Mustache · Jul 20, 2006, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by kaze0

Ughh

We goto the moon and can't breathe there. How is this any different.
They could have been abducting people for a jillion reasons.
If they don't know what a wood door is, how will they know to kick it down?
We don't know why the cornfields were being used.
What did they have to protect by being clothed... There were no dangling naughty bits.

"We goto the moon and can't breathe there. How is this any different."
You don't see us invading the planet acid for the little acid people and do it all naked.

"They could have been abducting people for a jillion reasons."
Fine, but wear clothes if they are toxic and have weapons.

"If they don't know what a wood door is, how will they know to kick it down?"
a) Use your tricorder. b) if trapped.. kick it with your powerful legs

"We don't know why the cornfields were being used. "
Yes we do, they were marking invasion sites. Luckily they had cornfields.

"What did they have to protect by being clothed... There were no dangling naughty bits."
The water that killed them and scared them off for 1.

Kerrigan · Jul 20, 2006, 02:55 PM

And why are the aliens always ugly? With such advanced intergalactic technology, why do they all look like they've had botched facial implants and vein treatment gone bad?

Agent69 · Jul 20, 2006, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

How is it that no one has mentioned The Sixth Sense?

I think Sixth Sense is his best movie and Unbreakable is his second best. I found both Signs and Village to be fair; not a waste of money but not something that I would want to own on DVD.

As for Kevin Smith, I enjoyed Clerks and I am looking forward to Clerks II.

Landos Mustache · Jul 20, 2006, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

And why are the aliens always ugly? With such advanced intergalactic technology, why do they all look like they've had botched facial implants and vein treatment gone bad?

Not to mention they look just like humans, but scarier reptile versions.

Adam Betts · Jul 20, 2006, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Landos Mustache

Do you mean the very same aliens that are allergic to water but invade a planet made up mostly of water even in the air and abduct people made up almost entirely of water and are strong enough to jump on a roof but can't kick down a wood door and have spaceships that can turn invisible but only flick the switch after they show everyone they are their first and have mastered interplanetary travel but still communicate with cornfields and best of all do it all naked?

Even worse aliens walked through hay field with heavy dew during night.

Sixth Sense and Unbreakable are his only great works, all others are just sad excuse for film. Signs is mostly about preaching to you about what's right and wrong. Village tried too hard to be an intelligent movie but backfired badly.

Jawbone54 · Jul 20, 2006, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar

I think the movie is supposed to be fairly mundane. Like a Seinfeld meets Gen X with no morals or attention span (Think about the Death Star discussion).

I'm a Seinfeld nut. I don't mind a movie being mundane; it actually fits me very well. It's similar to Seinfeld in that regard, but Smith's humor tends to drift more towards the juvenile, while Seinfeld's always has a semi-refined feel to it, even in episodes like "The Contest."

There was just something about the movie (Clerks) that turned me off. Can't really explain it. There were some funny bits, but a lot of stuff missed the mark for me personally (The Death Star discussion was a hit though).

I don't have a link handy but there's a YouTube of him explaining his involvement on the Superman: Reborn project which is pretty damn entertaining.

Kevin Smith Talks about Superman
There's the link for anyone interested.

He does seem much more personable in this clip than when I saw him on The Tonight Show. He still drifts off into his perverted potty mouth persona, but at least he seems pretty down to earth.

Gossamer · Jul 20, 2006, 03:10 PM

Has there been a movie with 'beautiful' aliens that didn't actually resemble humans? Is it possible?

Landos Mustache · Jul 20, 2006, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by Gossamer

Has there been a movie with 'beautiful' aliens that didn't actually resemble humans? Is it possible?

The Abyss. So yes.

Jawbone54 · Jul 20, 2006, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Gossamer

Has there been a movie with 'beautiful' aliens that didn't actually resemble humans? Is it possible?