Anyone looking forward to this one? Comes out July 21st.

Trailer (http://ladyinthewater.warnerbros.com/)







I'm Ready!

Don't say I didn't warn ya. It will have some beautiful cinematography, Paul Giamati will be good, Bryce will be good, but the story will be complete **** and you will walk out of the theater asking yourself "What was the point of all that?"

6 months ago I read a first review at AICN and it was absolutely atrocious. Unfortunately it sounded absolutely in line with Shyamalan's recent turn to weird stories that don't bother to explain themselves and are just weird and contrived for their own sake. I guess they mean something to him but nobody else.

That review was taken down, probably because Harry was threatened with a lawsuit. There is a new one up over there that is just as bad and echoes all the same points.

Last night I read the new Entertainment Weekly. In it is an exceprt from Night's new book about making the film. It details how he brought the script to Disney and they saw right away that it didn't work. They tried to get him to change things but he refused. They felt justified because they tried to get him to change things in The Village. He refused and they were essentially proven right. They would not make that same mistake again.

So this script basically got him booted out of Disney. Of course he sees this as some sort of Christ analogy. The poor, tortured artist, ground under the corporate wheel for sticking to his principles.

The fact is, Shyamalan is a talented guy, but he started to believe his own hype and thinks he can do no wrong. As a result he writes scripts that mean something only to himself. He is lost in self-agrandizement and loses us along the way.

Here's the proof, M. Night is the second male lead. No, I'm not kidding. he has tons of screen time and as we all know very well, he can't act for ****. This was another thing Disney wanted him to change but he refused. His character is an author who's future book will influence the President of the United States and change the world. :rolleyes: Is this guy in love with himself or what?

M. Night Shyamalan's talent has been swept away by his own lost sense of self. He has no artistic compass anymore, at least for writing. People who were his friends and believed in him tried to steer him back to reality, but he refused. This film is going to bomb worse than The Village and he has only himself to blame.

Interesting, comingsoon gives it an 8 out of 10
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/reviewsnews.php?id=15352

Interesting, comingsoon gives it an 8 out of 10
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/reviewsnews.php?id=15352

From that review:

"The rest of the cast is barely mediocre, even great character actors like Geoffrey Wright and Jared Harris, who have been so much better in other movies. Shyamalan himself plays a larger part here than in past movies. To some, his role may seem like the height of ego, but it's more bothersome because his scenes take you out of the movie. Sarita Choudhury ("Mississippi Masala") offers a couple laughs as his nagging sister, but that humor often feels forced as she plays it up with an exaggerated voice. Likewise, Cindy Cheung, wearing outlandish outfits and speaking in a sillier broken English accent, plays Young-Soon as the type of Asian stereotype that is going to be more offensive than funny to some."

I think that 8 is a gift and based mostly on the cinematography which has always been stunning in his films.

I think I'll go see it for myself and form my own opinion. :)

I think I'll go see it for myself and form my own opinion. :)

Be sure to come back and tell us how pissed you are. ;)

I think I'll go see it for myself and form my own opinion. :)

Seriously. What is up with all the AVS people who go on and on about what site gave what movie what score? It's not like we're talking about something objective like whether a DVD player passes tests X and Y and Z or whether a disc has crappy artifacting all over it, this is the film itself folks. This is totally subjective. Just go watch it.

Of course it's likely that this will be every bit as bad as some of his other recent "check out my awesome formula I don't divert from now" movies, and of course it will probably be pretentious and lame in that "oh look, a plot twist, aren't I clever" way but that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Besides, as has been evidenced countless times on this forum, an awful lot of the folks here aren't into film as an artform at all. Some folks just wanna see known stars, high production value, and like most AICN talkbackers, they're going to form unrealistic expectations and impressions no matter what you say to them.

So really, just go, and see it you're curiuous, and if you're not, don't.

Everyone should bear in mind that yes, the majority of the ticket spending droves out there actually think these kinds of movies are "amazing" just like they think Memento or Fight Club is "too complicated and hard to understand".

;)

I come here, as I do to other boards, to talk about film. I had hope for this one. I was looking for Night to redeem himself after that crap-fest The Village. I'm sure there are plenty of others here that were hoping the same thing. What I've done here is relay what I have heard, not only in reviews, but in Night's own book which was excerpted in Entertainment Weekly. The fact that Disney gave him his walking papers because the script doesn't work is not subjective. The fact that they would throw away a great working relkationship with a guy that has given them two massive hits because this script was so bad, I feel is pretty damn significant. if you don't, don't bother to reply to this, just go see the movie.

My experience with internet sentiment is that it's pretty accurate. All the films that have been attacked by those on the internet have generally deserved it (Catwoman anyone?). Those that have been praised have generally deserved it (Equilibrium).

Of course you can't put your taste in the hands of the internet, but generally speaking, where there's smoke there's fire.

The film will bomb. The script was bashed by everyone at Disney and M Night's ego has been steadily growing. After the pathetic VILLAGE I only see this one being super pathetic. Count me out.

:eek:

Shyamalan = 1 trick pony.
"I see dead people"
The rest is history.

One review on AICN:

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23838

Lady In The Water is a diarrhoea splat of storytelling so haphazard, ideas so undernourished, dialogue so banal, and characterization so criminally lifeless that if you'll be able to lift yourself out of your torpor you will be truly amazed.

You will be truly amazed because here is a young filmmaker who has, in one fell swoop, transformed himself from a flawed and fortuitous studio darling into an irritating film school geek with no right to advancement. I can only assume the Warner Bros suits were so stunned by the celluloid catastrophe that developed in front of their eyes day by day that they forgot that it was their job to rein in this monstrous piece of self-indulgent crap.


WRT Night's role:

It's by far the biggest role he's given himself, virtually the second male lead, and a clear indication of the delusions of grandeur that fester inside his creatively barren desert of a brain. I think I actually heard someone retch during one of his scenes. He tries to direct several comedy scenes too, and the results are indeed hilarious.

And the conclusion:


Without suspense, intelligence or cohesive narrative, there is nothing to lift this prison sentence of a movie above the level of mediocre film school thesis. You owe it to yourself to avoid this, and may this be the last we ever hear of M Night Shyamalan.

Christopher Doyle's cinematography (In the Mood for Love, Hero, Dumplings) is enough for me to see this alone. Anything by Paul Giamatti as well.

I think people have pretty much lost all interest in Shyamalan's movies.

This is the first time I can remember where the mass populous avoid going to a movie based on director alone. Nice job M.;)

I think I'll go see it for myself and form my own opinion. :)

Don't feed the Beast!!! :eek:

:D :D :D

Shyamalan is a no talent hack...a one trick pony....he is not a good director and his movies are atrocious

this comes up from time to time and it is always fun to pound on the No Talent Hack of Philadelphia

The Village made me want to kick him in the nuts.

6 months ago I read a first review at AICN and it was absolutely atrocious.

I seriously doubt the movie had finished production six months ago. Like most things posted at AICN, a 6-month advance review is undoubtedly fiction.

That doesn't mean they're necessarily wrong about their assumptions, mind you.

The film wrapped in late 2005.

its interesting when i watched the trailer. i noticed most of the camera effects, cinematography were exactly the same as the village. this was most startling when someone in the trailer was looking down a hole and something passed under it. I couldnt believe this..exactly the same as in the village when they are in the watchtower and the creature passes underneath..if you didnt notice watch the trailer again. its a complete repackage of the village from what i saw in the trailer.

however, ill go see it cause giamati is in it..

I seriously doubt the movie had finished production six months ago. Like most things posted at AICN, a 6-month advance review is undoubtedly fiction.

That doesn't mean they're necessarily wrong about their assumptions, mind you.

Apparently it was a work in progress screening for family and friends. The notes he hit are the same ones present in the current review and are touched upon in the E.W. article.

All this, from people on a message board that lauds stinkers like Equilibrium and Titan AE because of cool action or intense LFE. As long as there's some big bass in the movie, or maybe just a DTS track, it'll be a hit here on AVS. ;) :D

I seriously doubt the movie had finished production six months ago. Like most things posted at AICN, a 6-month advance review is undoubtedly fiction.

That doesn't mean they're necessarily wrong about their assumptions, mind you.

The review I linked to was written after a screening 'last week.'

All this, from people on a message board that lauds stinkers like Equilibrium and Titan AE because of cool action or intense LFE. As long as there's some big bass in the movie, or maybe just a DTS track, it'll be a hit here on AVS. ;) :D

You can't pin that on me. I hated Equilibrium and my LFE isn't even hooked up (I live in an apartment!) :D :D

(I do kind of like Titan AE's eye candy, OK sue me! But I watch it in French so I don't have to hear the horrible English voice acting. Try it! :p)

Well, I did like The Sixth Sense, Village and Signs but I though Unbreakable was terrible. Regardless of what people think of him, I plan on being optimistic until the reviews persuade me otherwise. Rotten tomatoes will prolly be full by next week.

So this script basically got him booted out of Disney. Of course he sees this as some sort of Christ analogy. The poor, tortured artist, ground under the corporate wheel for sticking to his principles.




I read that they agreed to fund it anyway despite not "getting" it, but Shymalan refused to work with them anymore since they didn't "get" his vision.

I didn't like The Village so I'll wait for DVD or HBO.

M Night's best acting was on Robot Chicken. "What a twist!"

I have never seen anyone draw such passionately negative reviews like M. Night Shyamalan. Why is that? Usually when people dislike a film they say something like, "It really flopped" or "John Q Director created another dud with this one." But when it comes to Shyamalan people immediately resort to personally attacking him and cursing his name.

Look, I didn't like The Village either but I'm not going to go burn the guy's house down and kidnap his family.

For the record I loved Sixth Sense, liked Unbreakable and Signs and didn't care for The Village. I'll probably see this one in the theater and if not, rent it on dvd.

The Sixth Sense is one of my top 10 favorites. The guy was around 28 when he hit it big with that movie and he is soon to be 36. Night is still young and susceptible to mistakes; therefore, I admire him for sticking to his vision and following it through. He’s stuck in a genre, and I wouldn’t be too quick to judge his talent or success when he has many years ahead of him.

Night’s movies aren’t Disney themed movies, so I believe the split was inevitable and wouldn’t be surprised if Disney used this as a means to break away. Not to say this is going to be a blockbuster and Night isn’t responsible as well, just that things may be getting a little strange for all parties involved. No one stays married to anything for long in today’s world.

I have never seen anyone draw such passionately negative reviews like M. Night Shyamalan. Why is that? Usually when people dislike a film they say something like, "It really flopped" or "John Q Director created another dud with this one." But when it comes to Shyamalan people immediately resort to personally attacking him and cursing his name.

Look, I didn't like The Village either but I'm not going to go burn the guy's house down and kidnap his family.

For the record I loved Sixth Sense, liked Unbreakable and Signs and didn't care for The Village. I'll probably see this one in the theater and if not, rent it on dvd.

That's ridiculous. I'm sure M. is a very nice guy- he seems to be, anyway. I haven't heard anyone say otherwise. What I and others said was that he seems to be becoming a bit of an egomaniac at this point and his films are suffering. That's not personal or mean.

I think he's a really good director with a great sense of mood and tone. Goodness knows it's nice to know when seeing his movies that it's not always going to be a bunch of bombast. But he should try his hand at directing someone else's script. He could really prove his talent. Hell, even Scorsese, Spielberg and Coppola will let others write their scripts.

He's like Barbra Streisand or something. "Barbra Streisand presents a film by Barbra Streisand. Starring Barbra Steisand and written and directed by Barbra Streisand." Does he have to always do everything?

BTW, I think Unbreakable is his high point.

I come here, as I do to other boards, to talk about film. I had hope for this one. I was looking for Night to redeem himself after that crap-fest The Village. I'm sure there are plenty of others here that were hoping the same thing. What I've done here is relay what I have heard, not only in reviews, but in Night's own book which was excerpted in Entertainment Weekly. The fact that Disney gave him his walking papers because the script doesn't work is not subjective. The fact that they would throw away a great working relkationship with a guy that has given them two massive hits because this script was so bad, I feel is pretty damn significant. if you don't, don't bother to reply to this, just go see the movie.


I'm definitely going to see the movie.

I'm a fan of Shyamalan's despite The Village, which I hated. I loved Unbreakable, and I thought Sixth Sense was really good as well as Signs, and IMHO, his best movies are in that order. Unbreakable on its own is one of my favorite movies ever, and definitely my favorite Shyamalan film.

I'm skeptical about Lady In the Water, but I think the premise is already more intriguing than The Village's was, so I'm hoping that I'll like it. And Disney still offered to finance the movie without any intervention, Shyamalan just walked despite that, which is something I think you're forgetting.

In any case, the only movie that I thought was a total disconnect was the Village. Signs, Unbreakable, and the Sixth Sense all had universal themes in them, as well as implementations of Hindu philosophy, which Shyamalan's parents are. He's not pulling these themes and ideas simply out of his hat, nor is it true that nobody "gets" his films.

I think he's a really good director with a great sense of mood and tone. Goodness knows it's nice to know when seeing his movies that it's not always going to be a bunch of bombast. But he should try his hand at directing someone else's script. He could really prove his talent. Hell, even Scorsese, Spielberg and Coppola will let others write their scripts.

He's like Barbra Streisand or something. "Barbra Streisand presents a film by Barbra Streisand. Starring Barbra Steisand and written and directed by Barbra Streisand." Does he have to always do everything?

BTW, I think Unbreakable is his high point.

Couldn't agree more.

I actually got a free promotional copy of a childrens book authored by Shymalain(I'm a teacher). First off I found the writing in this book to be somewhat atrocious and there is really no story at all. It really reads like a bunch of nonsense. And the name choices are so irritating. The book is in the format of something like the Polar Express....Except the pictures are also very unappealing. I know this movie started as a story Shy would tell his kids. But I just don't see this translating well to any audiences at all....

I would also say this appears to be his first jump into some fantasy style material and from looking at this book he has no grasp on it whatsoever. I like Night alot and have enjoyed all of his current movies. But I don't have high hopes for this. I will wait for some reviews to see if this is a movie that I should see...

He's like Barbra Streisand or something. "Barbra Streisand presents a film by Barbra Streisand. Starring Barbra Steisand and written and directed by Barbra Streisand." Does he have to always do everything?



This is an excellent, apt comparison.

Both are undeniably talented, perhaps supremely so.

Both seem to think supreme talent in one (or a few) areas translates to talent ALL areas.*

Both mask their unconscious awareness of NOT truly being talented in ALL areas by being perfectionist tantrum-throwing divas.


Sometimes a necessary aspect of talent is knowing its limits.

*Funniest example: Check the credits at the end of Streisand's A Star Is Born:

Miss Streisand's clothes...........her closet

Big fan. Don't understand all the negativity. His films have offered something new and different each time. Really looking forward to Lady in the Water.

I will wait for DVD......... Wasn't to impressed with The Village or Signs.. So I will sit this one out..........

I really like unbreakable and Sixth Sense...

R~

If this movie sucks do I still get to kick him in the nuts?

I'm intrigued wondering if this is going to be an actual supernatural being of some sort like Signs, Unbreakable, and SS or a fake like Village. Either way I can wait for DVD to find out.

Shyamalan = 1 trick pony.
"I see dead people"
The rest is history.

Sixth Sense was a fine movie, especially considering that it was his first movie.

Unbreakable was better. It took me two viewings to realize it. On the surface, it's a weird superhero movie, but underneath it's a poignant musing on the estrangement of the Willis and Wright characters.

Signs was even better. Again, on the surface it was a very creepy movie. But at its core, it was a thought-provoking look at a man's loss of faith and eventual return to that faith.

Village had some beautiful cinematography and a few good scenes, but was ultimately disappointing.

I don't have high hopes for Lady, but I'll definitely give it a try.

Doug

It looks god awful from the trailers. No desire to see this even when it comes to DVD.

That's ridiculous. I'm sure M. is a very nice guy- he seems to be, anyway. I haven't heard anyone say otherwise. What I and others said was that he seems to be becoming a bit of an egomaniac at this point and his films are suffering. That's not personal or mean.

I would consider calling someone an irritating film school geek with no right to advancement or a no talent hack a bit personal and mean but I guess that's subjective.

I'm not here to defend M., I'm only sharing my observation that people seem to get more whipped up over a Shyamalan film than other director's films.

ha thats like when someone said to me "Dude, nothing personal but you suck." (was talking about my soccer skills)..seems pretty personal to me haha.

Anywya, i agree with DB2. and also, i welcome his films over the rest of the hollywood sludge that comes out.

i welcome his films over the rest of the hollywood sludge that comes out.

Exactly what I was thinking. They're nothing like any other movies out there. I have enjoyed all of his movies, some more than others.

I would consider calling someone an irritating film school geek with no right to advancement or a no talent hack a bit personal and mean but I guess that's subjective.
Yeah, that's a little unnecessary. I didn't say that stuff though. I guess any public figure, and especially an artist, gets bashed in some quarters.

...especially an artist, gets bashed in some quarters.
It does make people who feel inadequate feel better (well, at least until they finish posting their comments). ;)

And not just bashed- I'm OK with that :p - I mean bashed into the personal realm, as DB2 said.

Of course, there are some guys like Uwe Boll who just totally deserve it. :D :D :D

If this movie sucks do I still get to kick him in the nuts?

Please give him a Zidane headbutt for me...

he's writen one movie who'se ending was decent.... after that it was all anticlimatic :: YAAAAAAAAAWN :: i loved the idea of unbreakable and i thought it was pulled off well... but for all the trouble he put into making sure it was a "real life" superhero story, he made the ending so comic book-ish that it killed his whole point. the same thing for signs.. he built up the tension of the small town being invaded with a hollywood "show me the alien" ending and a completely absurd series of events to destroy it. and the village was probably the worst, everyone i talked to said that they were praying that the ending would be more interesting then finding out they were living in the real world... which everyoen pretty much guessed.

Big fan. Don't understand all the negativity. His films have offered something new and different each time. Really looking forward to Lady in the Water.

I agree. I have enjoyed all of his films, and like Lou said, there is something different in each one. I actually liked the Village and Signs a little more than the sixth sense.

I think the reason people get so worked up about Night is the fact that he has actual talent. If he was just a hack no one would care. But as has been pointed out, he made at least one great film and all his others have a lot of very good things about them so it feels like a real slap in the face when they ultimately come up short- especially when it could all be fixed by having a co-writer. He's like the new George Lucas in that respect. I though Signs was a terrific movie- right up to the end when I wanted to smack Night in the head for such a weak ending. I liked a lot of things about The Village but in the end it was a forgettable film. It didn't have to be.

MNS has always put together interesting films...
The trailers look interestin'....

I think the reason people get so worked up about Night is the fact that he has actual talent.Sounds more like the problem is with the viewer not the creator.

Sounds more like the problem is with the viewer not the creator. How many people here have written or directed a movie that's made more than 1 million dollars? Raise your hand. :) $100,000? $1000? $1?


larry

Sounds more like the problem is with the viewer not the creator.
How so??

How many people here have written or directed a movie that's made more than 1 million dollars? Raise your hand. :) $100,000? $1000? $1?



Yes, let's let only those who have actually made a movie, built a car, laid an egg, or been a woman, evaluate one.

MNS is better than Vincent Gallo, I'll give you that.

How many people here have written or directed a movie that's made more than 1 million dollars? Raise your hand. :) $100,000? $1000? $1?


larry


My ex-girlfriend wanted me to sell a movie that we had made...got no takers.
Was told later that the male lead wasn't "convincing"... ;)

he's writen one movie who'se ending was decent.... after that it was all anticlimatic :: YAAAAAAAAAWN :: i loved the idea of unbreakable and i thought it was pulled off well... but for all the trouble he put into making sure it was a "real life" superhero story, he made the ending so comic book-ish that it killed his whole point. the same thing for signs.. he built up the tension of the small town being invaded with a hollywood "show me the alien" ending and a completely absurd series of events to destroy it. and the village was probably the worst, everyone i talked to said that they were praying that the ending would be more interesting then finding out they were living in the real world... which everyoen pretty much guessed.

Well, how would you have proposed to end Unbreakable? I've heard this complaint a lot, and IMHO, all of the proposed endings I've heard were ridiculous.



In the original script ending, I believe David just walks away and blends in with the crowd, but IMHO, that ending's a downer, AND a betrayal to the themes of the movie, so I'm glad he didn't go with that ending.


Other people, however, proposed that Bruce Willis should have kicked Elijah's ass in a WHEELCHAIR! In any case, IMHO, the actual ending fit in really well with the rest of the movie as there was a philosophical bent to the whole comic book angle (it was inspired by the Bhagavad-Gita). The movie established Elijah and David as opposites throughout the movie. If David was the hero, well Elijah would have to be the villain. At the same time, both are divine figures, their purpose being to sustain a balance in the world as well as inspire mankind to be something more than they settle for. The ending sealed the deal as far as Elijah's divinity is concerned (he's supposed to play Krishna of the Bhagavad-Gita to David's Arjuna), while at the same time being the villain to justify David's existence. They both exist because of the other. The Matrix trilogy, similarly inspired by the Bhagavad-Gita, have this parallel as well with Neo and Smith.

In any case to each his own. IMHO, Unbreakable was Shyamalan's best work, followed by Sixth Sense, and then Signs. Village was just a bad movie, with a few interesting scenes strewn about, which is a credit to Shyamalan's directorial skills.

I think Shyamalan's a really good writer as well as director, but the stories he chooses to tell are increasingly eccentric. Still looking forward to Lady In the Water though, but I'm not expecting the movie to get many favorable reviews. For one thing Shyamalan seems to be stuck on a formula that I think he needs to break out of.

Yes, let's let only those who have actually made a movie, built a car, laid an egg, or been a woman, evaluate one.
You missed my point. It's ok not like a movie and everyone is entitled to an opinion, but when one hasn't done anything close themself, how can you claim the person has no talent - unless it's the "takes one to know one" category - which is problaby true. :) That's what I think some folks were griping about.

larry

Well, how would you have proposed to end Unbreakable? I've heard this complaint a lot, and IMHO, all of the proposed endings I've heard were ridiculous.



In the original script ending, I believe David just walks away and blends in with the crowd, but IMHO, that ending's a downer, AND a betrayal to the themes of the movie, so I'm glad he didn't go with that ending.


Other people, however, proposed that Bruce Willis should have kicked Elijah's ass in a WHEELCHAIR! In any case, IMHO, the actual ending fit in really well with the rest of the movie as there was a philosophical bent to the whole comic book angle (it was inspired by the Bhagavad-Gita). The movie established Elijah and David as opposites throughout the movie. If David was the hero, well Elijah would have to be the villain. At the same time, both are divine figures, their purpose being to sustain a balance in the world as well as inspire mankind to be something more than they settle for. The ending sealed the deal as far as Elijah's divinity is concerned (he's supposed to play Krishna of the Bhagavad-Gita to David's Arjuna), while at the same time being the villain to justify David's existence. They both exist because of the other. The Matrix trilogy, similarly inspired by the Bhagavad-Gita, have this parallel as well with Neo and Smith.

In any case to each his own. IMHO, Unbreakable was Shyamalan's best work, followed by Sixth Sense, and then Signs. Village was just a bad movie, with a few interesting scenes strewn about, which is a credit to Shyamalan's directorial skills.

I think Shyamalan's a really good writer as well as director, but the stories he chooses to tell are increasingly eccentric. Still looking forward to Lady In the Water though, but I'm not expecting the movie to get many favorable reviews. For one thing Shyamalan seems to be stuck on a formula that I think he needs to break out of.

i haven't watched the movie in a long time, and i dont' have it on DVD... all i can tell you is that the ending struck me as almost tacked on. I can't tell you what ending i would have liked because i dont' write movie scripts.. however i can say what i dont' like. who knows. maybe i will watch it again and feel better about it

I do agree with you though.. i hold this movie above sixth sense.

Unbreakable is on ABC-HD right now and is cropped badly, so go watch the DVD (which is quite good) which has DTS.;)

hahahaha... i just signed on to post that i'm watching it on ABC.... i haven't watched a movie on an OTA channel for so long i forgot how awful the experience could be

wow... ABC blurred out the tropicana logo on the orange juice carton... that's pretty sad. the ending wasnt as bad as i remember, i just hate it ending with those documentary style titles and that silly line "they called me mr glass"

The trailers look interestin'....

Which one? The one that makes it look like a fantasy bedtime story (and even says something to that effect at the end of the trailer) or the one that makes it seem like a teen movie frightfest? My wife and I saw the two seperate trailers like 5 minutes apart on different channels and she asked "was that the same movie?" Not sure who he's marketing this too.

I'm afraid I see too much ego in this guy's work going back to the beginning. In Sixth Sense, if I have control over the camera, yes I can film a dinner meeting where it LOOKS like this guy who's really dead is actually talking to his wife. It's called contrivance. I can FORCE the 2 characters to interact over that fake dinner in a way that tricks you, the audience, into thinking she sees him. Then later I can pull the rug out from under you and say "Surprise! She didn't even see him sitting there, I just forced her to ACT as though she did to fool you, silly audience!" Unbreakable I didn't see, then came Signs, in which aliens who are instantly destroyed by water choose to land on a planet that is 75% covered in water. And, they can't penetrate our advanced wooden door technology. People paid to see this? Finally we arrived at The Village, something so egotistical that by the time we finally saw the director at the end (only in reflection this time, he's too cool to look at directly by now), we're supposed to be saying to ourselves "wow, this is SOOO cool, these guys are guards, I get it, and those people are inside this forest and they don't know it. Weeee! I'm 7 years old and found that genuinely novel!" Hey, these are my opinions, and I'm stickin to em.

You can imagine my vote on this new movie. Hard to believe I'm saying this, but it sounds like the Disney people made the right call here and booted him from their roster.

wow... ABC blurred out the tropicana logo on the orange juice carton... that's pretty sad. the ending wasnt as bad as i remember, i just hate it ending with those documentary style titles and that silly line "they called me mr glass"

That's funny, because the line was originally "they called me mr tropicana!" :D

Seriously, what was up with that blur? It REALLY detracted from the scene. Anyway...Off topic.

I think the reason people get so worked up about Night is the fact that he has actual talent. If he was just a hack no one would care. But as has been pointed out, he made at least one great film and all his others have a lot of very good things about them so it feels like a real slap in the face when they ultimately come up short- especially when it could all be fixed by having a co-writer. He's like the new George Lucas in that respect. I though Signs was a terrific movie- right up to the end when I wanted to smack Night in the head for such a weak ending. I liked a lot of things about The Village but in the end it was a forgettable film. It didn't have to be.

Good point. I hadn't thought of it like that. Perhaps people's expectations are too high? Maybe the feel like the movie COULD be great, but doesn't hit on all cylinders.

Quoteby: Steve_in_L.A.:
this is SOOO cool, these guys are guards, I get it, and those people are inside this forest and they don't know it. Weeee! I'm 7 years old and found that genuinely novel!" Hey, these are my opinions, and I'm stickin to em.
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And strangely enough, they must have been close to a "No-fly zone" and never heard or seen any aircraft :rolleyes: Unless that was explained in the Movie and i dont remember it, its pretty hard to overlook.

Quoteby: Steve_in_L.A.:
this is SOOO cool, these guys are guards, I get it, and those people are inside this forest and they don't know it. Weeee! I'm 7 years old and found that genuinely novel!" Hey, these are my opinions, and I'm stickin to em.
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And strangely enough, they must have been close to a "No-fly zone" and never heard or seen any aircraft :rolleyes: Unless that was explained in the Movie and i dont remember it, its pretty hard to overlook.


Huh?
You are complaining about something that may or may not have been explained?
Rush, you are such ah comedian... :D

To be honest, M. Night's movies have gotten progressively worse. imo. Like others have said, signs was ruined by the dumb ass aliens, unbreakable was just weak, the village was just bad, and the sixth sense was great.

I think the whole argument here is that this guy is a one hit wonder, and some people just won't accept that. His other movies didn't even come close to the sixth sense as far as story telling and twist endings. I agree about the ego thing also; if he wants to make movies just for himself instead of making movies that appeal to the masses, go ahead, and pretty soon his movies won't make anymore money.

To be honest, M. Night's movies have gotten progressively worse. imo. Like others have said, signs was ruined by the dumb ass aliens, unbreakable was just weak, the village was just bad, and the sixth sense was great.

I think the whole argument here is that this guy is a one hit wonder, and some people just won't accept that. His other movies didn't even come close to the sixth sense as far as story telling and twist endings. I agree about the ego thing also; if he wants to make movies just for himself instead of making movies that appeal to the masses, go ahead, and pretty soon his movies won't make anymore money.

I feel that Signs and Unbreakable are superior movies. And I think most of the general public disagrees with you. Night's not going away anytime soon....Look at the box office numbers his name draws..

Nothing wrong with signs...it was meant to be campy...some just don't get it!

Nothing wrong with signs...it was meant to be campy...some just don't get it!
Well, I personally have never heard that said about Signs, ever. Interesting thought though- I may have to watch it again with that in mind. if that's really true M. Night should sit down and watch The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavera and take notes. Can you find a source that actually says that (that predates the film's release, of course!).
It does happen though- nobody gets what a genius piece of intentional camp Deep Rising is and it drives me nuts :D

Lol!

Nothing wrong with signs...it was meant to be campy...some just don't get it!

NO....

FREAKING...

WAY!

I feel that Signs and Unbreakable are superior movies. And I think most of the general public disagrees with you. Night's not going away anytime soon....Look at the box office numbers his name draws..

sign's was excellent until they came out of the cellar... then it was garbage. and it doesn't matter how good any book, movie or play is. if the storyteller can't come up with a decent ending it undermines the rest of the story

I have never seen anyone draw such passionately negative reviews like M. Night Shyamalan. Why is that? Usually when people dislike a film they say something like, "It really flopped" or "John Q Director created another dud with this one." But when it comes to Shyamalan people immediately resort to personally attacking him and cursing his name.



Don't even think to read some of those Star War threads then. You would think that George Lucas is as worst as the terrorists and child molesters out there.
If any of those haters would sit in the WH, our troops would had invaded Marin County, instead of Iraq.

Having said that I sympatize with your sentiment, people only like to talk about what they don't like these days.

Don't even think to read some of those Star War threads then. You would think that George Lucas is as worst as the terrorists and child molesters out there.
If any of those haters would sit in the WH, our troops would had invaded Marin County, instead of Iraq.


You are absolutely dead on...
The GL stuff is beyond the beyond....it defies rational explanation.
The emotional context that SW and GL is held in is surreal...as well as being a little bit creepy that grown men actually become so invested....

I have come to the conclusion that envy knows no bounds and that age has little to do with maturity in males.

Hello Good Post..........

Looking sort of bleak for Lady in the Water. 13% on the Tomatometer so far.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lady_in_the_water/

I think the whole argument here is that this guy is a one hit wonder, and some people just won't accept that.Two-hit wonder....so far. And I accept it.

Looking sort of bleak for Lady in the Water. 13% on the Tomatometer so far.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lady_in_the_water/

glad to read there's no twist in this movie.. i think he was relying too much on it.

WOW....Its getting lambasted on Tomatoes. Hmmmm. Might have to be a rental if anything.

Rotten Tomatoes?

Who cares what Billy Bobby Jethro at GritsandTaters.com thinks about M.N.S. movies?
I prefer the opinions on this forum... ;)

WOW....Its getting lambasted on Tomatoes. Hmmmm. Might have to be a rental if anything.

My fellow cheesehead speaks the truth. It's currently at 18% on the tomatometer! That's down around Uwe Boll levels!

Rotten Tomatoes?

Who cares what Billy Bobby Jethro at GritsandTaters.com thinks about M.N.S. movies?
I prefer the opinions on this forum... ;)
Well, two things: 1) the big critics are part of the equation as well, and 2) Billy Bobby Jethro at GritsandTaters.com probably IS on this forum. In any event, that's going to be an opinion closer to those of "regular joes" like us, so one would think you'd actually be more interested in what he thought vs. the Eberts and such of the world :D :D

It's now down to 13%!

How many flops does it take before the big studios and big actors abandon him for good?

I mean, do they actually read the screenplays before taking on the jobs?

Billy Bobby Jethro at GritsandTaters.com probably IS on this forum.


Oh...well... :o
In that case, I don't care what anybody here thinks about movies.
Except you, Fred (don't blush). :D

11% tomatometer!! OUCH!!

I reall truly despised the ending to UNBREAKABLE, which seemed to be a pathetic attempt at a twist. UNBREAKABLE is essentially a film with two acts, both well told, followed by a ten minute third act that crashes and burns. So basically the film has no third act.

11% tomatometer!! OUCH!!

I reall truly despised the ending to UNBREAKABLE, which seemed to be a pathetic attempt at a twist. UNBREAKABLE is essentially a film with two acts, both well told, followed by a ten minute third act that crashes and burns. So basically the film has no third act.

That pretty much sums up The Village and Signs too, doesn't it? Kinda ironic how a director who came to fame with a film with a socko ending has made 3 films that were very good EXCEPT for the endings..

DOWN TO 9%...might be a rental!

That pretty much sums up The Village and Signs too, doesn't it? Kinda ironic how a director who came to fame with a film with a socko ending has made 3 films that were very good EXCEPT for the endings..


I thought the last 3 had decent endings...I hated the 6S because of the ending.

SEE...I am your evil twin. :D

DOWN TO 9%...might be a rental!

I honestly harbor no ill will towards M. Night and I really wish this movie could turn out to be a success for him, but I have to admit I take a perverse pleasure in seeing how low the Tomatometer will go! Human nature, I guess. :D

Aw man, back to 13%. Some doofus published a good review. :rolleyes:

Is he better, even, worse than Tim Burton?

I only compare the two, because i have a hard time getting into Burtons Movies as well.

Signs had some pretty bad plot holes, but its still a good relatively "CLEAN" scare the kids (and some adults) Movie, which are kinda rare these days. and Mel, and Phoenix are likeable actors, so that helped.

I swore i would never watch the Village again, Unbreakable, must not have caught my attention enough, cause it didn't make my collection, and to my taste, i still consider 6S to be his best.

I guess as a whole, he shoots for the scare, kids, highly implausible twist, but generally on a level of very little to no gore, swearing, which might be a positive attribute if your looking for a family Movie that everyone can watch.

stop insulting Tim Burton... god of movie making

My fellow cheesehead speaks the truth. It's currently at 18% on the tomatometer! That's down around Uwe Boll levels!

Fett I should have listened to you on Page 1 of this thread! Looks like it will blow!

BTW: Howard the Duck got 25% :D

Flan

Long, but great review here:

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23916

Zinger of the Week:

It's as if on some semiconscious level, Shyamalan, who I do not doubt is a serious and self-serious pop-creative original, is calling his own success into question and daring his audience to gulp down larger and spikier clusters of manure, just to see if they will. Or he's lost his mind.


From the Village Voice.

Zinger of the Week:



From the Village Voice.
Reading that piece was really a trip. At first, I was thinking this is one of the most creative things I've ever read coming from a film critic. That, like Shyamalan has a knack for creating movie scenes, this guy has a real talent for putting words together. That thing about the freakiness of Michael Jackson wanting people to think he slept in a hyper-whatever-it-is chamber, just knocked me out.
And then not long after that part the piece just blew up. All of a sudden as I continued to read, and even though I love movies, I was thinking to myself: "my god buddy, get a grip. This is only movies and a filmmaker we're talking about here. Not the rise and fall of the Roman Empire".
I read a little more and then my attention span unspanned. Didn't finish it although I did then scroll down and read the last paragraph just to see if he was still in full-intense mode. He was.

I reall truly despised the ending to UNBREAKABLE, which seemed to be a pathetic attempt at a twist. UNBREAKABLE is essentially a film with two acts, both well told, followed by a ten minute third act that crashes and burns. So basically the film has no third act.


In the extras he specifically says that he set out to make just the first act, it's just the super hero discovering he's a super-hero, leaving out the rise and fall and redemption stuff that would come afterwards.

I was stunned by how good The Sixth Sense was, and couldn't get it out of my head for days. I think that Unbreakable is better than it's given credit for. I re-watched it a couple months ago and quite enjoyed it. I've not seen any of his other stuff so I can't comment on how downhill he may or may have not gone since then. To hear him talk, he doesn't sound like a crazed egomaniac or anything.

And then not long after that part the piece just blew up. All of a sudden as I continued to read, and even though I love movies, I was thinking to myself: "my god buddy, get a grip. This is only movies and a filmmaker we're talking about here. Not the rise and fall of the Roman Empire".
I read a little more and then my attention span unspanned. Didn't finish it although I did then scroll down and read the last paragraph just to see if he was still in full-intense mode. He was.


"Movie Critic"...just another term for a frustrated, wannabe film-maker. ;)
There is nothing these guys hate more than a successful, real film-maker.

Okay, I LIKE M. Night's films for the most part but MAN, this looks like a disaster. I saw Bryce on Letterman the other nite and in the clip they showed the Big Bad... I knew then that it was in trouble. Bryce was as diplomatic as possible basically admitting to Dave that the movie was maybe crap...

:(

in the clip they showed the Big Bad... I knew then that it was in trouble.

Same experience for me. Just watching some of the clips I was actually getting pulled into the suspense of it too.
And then like you say, all of a sudden there's the "Big Bad". I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
It was exactly the same feeling I had watching Signs when that Big Bad showed up.
There's just something about seeing a retarded looking monster drooling all over himself that takes me out of the "horror" of it all.
If these movie guys are gonna show us a "Big Bad", then show us the real thing like the Creeper for gods sake. When I saw that sucker I was definitely not laughing. More like peeing in my pants.

[QUOTE=oink]I thought the last 3 had decent endings...I hated the 6S because of the ending.

SEE...I am your evil twin. :D

I gotta admit it shook me a bit when you ended one post by saying you had a load of wash to do...I do all the laundry at out house.:)

To be honest, I wasn't all that crazy about the 6 Sense ending either, but compared to what came later...The Village just makes no sense once you know the twist. He didn't play fair at all in that one. And those aliens in Signs, choosing a planet to invade where the one thing that can kill them is the most abundant compound on the planet, plus having no defense against a baseball bat..

. Bryce was as diplomatic as possible basically admitting to Dave that the movie was maybe crap...

:(

Now I'm kicking myself for not watching!

She said something like, "Yeah it's the movie with me in the pool and the big dog walking around..."
Robert, how about the ALIEN in Alien?

:)

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again: M. Night needs to fire his writer! :D

THE NY TIMES review was pretty bad. Yes, the story in particular (but of course praise to Giamatti)......the last sentance summed up the whole long review:

Mr Shaymalan has yet to realize that one Giamatti in the hand is worth two scrunts in the bush (creatures from the movie), but maybe one day, after he's recovered all those misplaced marbles, he will....

Marbles...has he lost them??? :D

Shaymalan strikes me as a guy who has glimmers of greatness.....but too often, things come off poorly. Perhaps one day, he'll again put it all together for us...

Hubris indeed.

He's a regular Hitchcock in his own mind...
Too bad nobody else shares his visions of grandeur...

Lonwolf,


"He didn't play fair at all".
That is exactly what I thought about the 6S...I felt jerked around.

In the other 3 movies, not so much.

I've liked all of his movies so far........I'm sure I'll like this one too.

I don't get why a movie is bad because someone `loved the movie but hated the ending'......unless it's WOTW...course I own it for the LFE!!

That is exactly what I thought about the 6S...I felt jerked around.

My brother-in-law felt the same way about The Usual Suspects. Pissed off is an understatement – he felt VERY deceived. We all have our criteria for what makes or brakes a movie - the 6S is one of my top 10 favorites. That kind of ending has never been a problem for me and I look forward to more movies like that. “I’m your huckleberry.” ;) :D

She said something like, "Yeah it's the movie with me in the pool and the big dog walking around..."
Robert, how about the ALIEN in Alien?

:)
That was the retarded looking, drooling all over itself "Big Bad" I was speaking of, Dave.
There's just something not very compelling about a Hollywood extra dressed up in a
green tinted rubber ****** suit. I had the feeling it was gonna start crying for it's lizard mommy at any moment. I think even the skinny fellow who kept getting sand kicked in his face by Jack Lalane coulda whipped that dorky looking critter with one hand tied behind his back. If that was a "sign" it was a sign of mediocre moviemaking.

But I must say I very much did like the scene where the three of em were all of a sudden wearing the tinfoil hats. That was so entertaining I think it actually redeemed the fact that they had nothing to be scared of to start with.
That scene is now one of the all-time classic little pieces of shtick in cinema.
It single-handedly spawned a pop culture icon. That of course being the "tinfoil hat" reference which is now a household term.

My wife dragged me to it...was good at times but the ending CRASHED and burned! 1/10!!!!!!!!!

That was the retarded looking, drooling all over itself "Big Bad" I was speaking of, Dave.
There's just something not very compelling about a Hollywood extra dressed up in a
green tinted rubber ****** suit. I had the feeling it was gonna start crying for it's lizard mommy at any moment. I think even the skinny fellow who kept getting sand kicked in his face by Jack Lalane coulda whipped that dorky looking critter with one hand tied behind his back. If that was a "sign" it was a sign of mediocre moviemaking.

But I must say I very much did like the scene where the three of em were all of a sudden wearing the tinfoil hats. That was so entertaining I think it actually redeemed the fact that they had nothing to be scared of to start with.
That scene is now one of the all-time classic little pieces of shtick in cinema.
It single-handedly spawned a pop culture icon. That of course being the "tinfoil hat" reference which is now a household term.

sign's didn't invent the tinfoil hat reference... that joke has been around since ufo sightings

sign's didn't invent the tinfoil hat reference... that joke has been around since ufo sightings
You're talking to a ufologist (which is a fancy name for one who is obsessed with flying saucers). I've actually participated in a debate about this very point on another message board.
Yes, there's a good Wiki page on it which reveals all the different earlier references to the term "tinfoil hat" of which there were many. The term was apparently coined first by a book writer in the 60's.
But notice I never said the movie "invented" the term. I said the movie single-handedly elevated it to pop icon status. Which it most definitely did.
It was a very little used and almost esoteric term before Shymalan put the tinfoil hats on his actors. Following that it became one of those word phenomenons which enters the mass lexicon. In fact it's no longer really associated so much with flying saucers and things which go bump in the night. It's now chiefly used as an ad hominem to describe those who engage in conspiracy theory. A particularly good example being those devotees of the so-called "9-11 Truth Movement".

The Usual Suspects is one of my top 10 flicks of all time. So, yeah Aliens you're right-its different for everyone. Oink: I guessed the ending of 6S very early-at least I said it out loud but I thought I was joking. When it turned out I was right I felt vaguely disapointed, but there was enough I liked about the film to make up for it. But in Signs and The Village the whole point of the film seemed to be setting up the twist, and when that made little sense it spoiled the whole experience for me. But I could be wrong-maybe there is enough to like in those films too to make up for the ending. I know my love for The Usual Suspects has little to do with the "twist". Its more the characters and the world they live in that hooks me. Maybe my problem with The Village in particular is that I never really cared what happened to any of those folks living there, I dunno. Maybe I didn't like it because I wasn't wearing my tin foil hat!:)

Just saw it today.
The story is apperantly based on some Chinese lulaby and also been fortold by a primitive animation with narration at the beginning. There was really no mystery about the "narf"[Howard], or her world.The funny thing is all of the characters took it like it's an everyday situation.Giamatti is great and alone of his performance justified my $7.50, likewise the cinematography, which is usually excellent in M. Night's movies. However there isn't much else going for it for sure, so I can't blame people if they wanna sit this one out.

Is it just me or does hearing the word "narf" immediately make everyone think of Pinky And The Brain??? Everyone except Night, apparently.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/Pinky_and_the_Brain.jpg
NARF!!

I watched this yesterday, knowing very little about it beforehand (and that's the way to watch a Shyamalan movie, to be sure). I have enjoyed his last four movies very much, and I appreciate his filmmaking style.

"Lady in the Water" is a disappointment to me. I felt none of the thrill I had felt at times in his other films. I felt none of the emotional impact (although Giamati has one heartbreaking soliloquy when he discovers his true part in this tale). I felt almost none of the amazement and wonder I'd previously experienced in MNS films. Worse, I was bored through much of it. Even worse, I was feeling awkward watching Night himself play a part in this movie that is begging viewers to slam him for incomparable hubris.

I think Shyamalan is a truly talented filmmaker. This film would not contribute to my forming of that opinion.

I read that Disney and Night broke up over "Lady," and partly over the budget (Disney would spend $60M; Night wanted $75M). I can't see how this movie could cost so much. It's a simple bedtime story, primarily driven by exposition (maddeningly so, I'm afraid). The effects are interesting, but if they cost tens of millions, that was entirely unneccessary. Telling a story like this in the simplest way would seem appropriate.

Oh, well. I'll still be interested in Shyamalan's next project. But his winning streak has been snapped, in my view.

Even worse, I was feeling awkward watching Night himself play a part in this movie that is begging viewers to slam him for incomparable hubris.His pathetic cameo in Signs didn't help that movie at all.

Certainly smashed at AICN - not much better here.
Next!

E

Happened too notice Sixth Sense was on TV tonight on something called the ABC Family channel.
Hadn't seen it since it was in original release oh so long ago so decided to watch it again.
It's now in a commercial break with an hour to go.

It really hits home seeing this again what a tragic waste of talent it is that such a brilliant filmmaker couldn't have decent material to work with after this movie. Such a waste. I don't understand how something like that could have happened.

[edit]Of course it didn't hurt to have Haley Joel carry the movie. What a phenomenal acting performance from a kid.
But then again it may have required an exceptional director to help pull it out of him.

I don't understand how something like that could have happened.He started believing his own press/publicity. "Brilliant" isn't something you inherently are but something you do by demonstration. Without displaying brilliance consistently, your one success can be chocked up to luck instead of actual talent. And everyone gets lucky sometime.

Sanjay

or he worked on the sixth sense his whole life.... accepting input from friends and people who were trying to get him into the industry

In the extras he specifically says that he set out to make just the first act, it's just the super hero discovering he's a super-hero, leaving out the rise and fall and redemption stuff that would come afterwards.This was the aspect of "Unbreakable" that I really enjoyed. I've never seen any film before or since that conveyed the situation and feelings that Bruce Willis was going through. For that experience I give the movie a thumbs up.

Ok, Maybe he's gotten the 'Take this up your %@$! stupid critics' chip off his shoulder and now can get back to Real movies he's best known for.

I sure hope so because he has so much potential.

Wow, an $18.2M opening weekend.
It'll die a quick death will less than $50M which was the opening weekend of his last movie.
My, how the 'mighty' have fallen.

Andrikos, I hope "Lady" is not Shyamalan's downfall. He's got talent, and I hope he bounces back from this project. He should consider the suggestions he's surely received (and that have been written on forums like this for quite a while): partner with a great writer.

Not that box office take is a sure sign of quality, but it's striking how Disney's on a roll lately, and Warner Bros. are having much worse luck at the B.O. "Poseidon" was a loser financially. "Superman Returns" did fine by most standards, but not considering the investment and pre-release buzz. And "Lady" cost way way way too much for what it is; it won't be a financial success. But "Pirates" is raking in silly cash now. (I compare these studios based on Disney's split with Shyamalan, and WB picking him up.)

"Superman Returns" did fine by most standards, but not considering the investment and pre-release buzz.


IIRC, IMDB put the budget at $260 million.

That's a chunk of change...

I watched LITW last night and I enjoyed it. I think what some of you guys do when you watch a movie is look for every single thing that you could pick apart or make fun of.....if you would just sit back and experience the story of a movie, you'd be better off.

But notice I never said the movie "invented" the term. I said the movie single-handedly elevated it to pop icon status. Which it most definitely did.
It was a very little used and almost esoteric term before Shymalan put the tinfoil hats on his actors. Following that it became one of those word phenomenons which enters the mass lexicon. In fact it's no longer really associated so much with flying saucers and things which go bump in the night. It's now chiefly used as an ad hominem to describe those who engage in conspiracy theory. A particularly good example being those devotees of the so-called "9-11 Truth Movement".

I think you're confusing causation with correlation.

The tinfoil hat reference was placed in the film because it had already penetrated the collective lexicon.

The phrase has cropped in popular media for years. From Dudley Moore's 83 film Lovesick, to Doc Brown's colander in Back To The Future, to Bart Simpson donning one to protect himself from MLBs satellite.

A Lexis Nexis search shows the term taking off in 1994 in the media and I would hazard a guess that the sudden popularity (and narrowing focus) of the term in the early 90's was tied to the rapid awakening of the internet.

Signs wasn't the vector that spread the term rather the film was a symptom of the already widespread use of it.

---We now return you to your regularly scheduled Shaymalan beating. :)

ahhhh... THAT's the one i couldn't remember... the bart simpson one.

---We now return you to your regularly scheduled Shaymalan beating. :)

I will say that most word of mouth from people I know on this flic has been rather positive. But, I'm afraid having read the reviews I will be biased toward seeing the flaws. I plan on catching it on DVD and trying to watch it with an objective mindset...

I will say that most word of mouth from people I know on this flic has been rather positive. But, I'm afraid having read the reviews I will be biased toward seeing the flaws. I plan on catching it on DVD and trying to watch it with an objective mindset...

I actually caught the late showing tonight. It was far and away better than The Village.

No it wasn't the best film he's done, but all in all it was a decent movie (although I definitely could have done with MKS putting himself in the role that he did).

Given one of the plot lines I can certainly understand why the film could strike a nerve with movie critics. :D

I will say that most word of mouth from people I know on this flic has been rather positive. But, I'm afraid having read the reviews I will be biased toward seeing the flaws. I plan on catching it on DVD and trying to watch it with an objective mindset...


Which is why I don't read reviews before seeing a film.
However, I often will buy a dvd based on reviews.

I don't put much faith in professional movie reviews...I find the amateur views here at AVS to be as good as any.
Although, we do have at least one professional reviewer (Josh Z) that hangs out here that is very good.

I think you're confusing causation with correlation.

The tinfoil hat reference was placed in the film because it had already penetrated the collective lexicon.

The phrase has cropped in popular media for years. From Dudley Moore's 83 film Lovesick, to Doc Brown's colander in Back To The Future, to Bart Simpson donning one to protect himself from MLBs satellite.

A Lexis Nexis search shows the term taking off in 1994 in the media and I would hazard a guess that the sudden popularity (and narrowing focus) of the term in the early 90's was tied to the rapid awakening of the internet.

Signs wasn't the vector that spread the term rather the film was a symptom of the already widespread use of it.

---We now return you to your regularly scheduled Shaymalan beating. :)
Hmmm. Yes, I think I can now see that. You are making me see that I may indeed have been completely wrong about that.
Interesting.

They should have a way to get your money back!!!! :(
Especially when a movie is as bad as this!!!!
I can't say it enough wait it will be on video soon and even then only watch it you have problems sleeping!!!
I found this Yahoo User Review (http://movies.yahoo.com/mvc/dfrv?mid=1808665078&rvid=7-372419&i=0&nn=1&spl=0&ys=6U.bYxuBqFVCQXPik4.miw--) to sum it up best:
Disappointment Lurks in The Water
by dabenz24 (movies profile) Jul 21, 2006
203 of 334 people found this review helpful
M. Night Shyamalan has gone with another disappointment from The Village and now, Lady in The Water. He has not been directing or writing that many masterworks ever since The Sixth Sense and Signs. But M. Night Shyamalan has formed The Village starring Bryce Dallas Howard that is also featured in Lady in The Water. This motion picture is comparable to the theme of countless M. Night Shyamalan works as they are mundane and mystifying. Lady in The Water has gleaming performances by Bryce Dallas Howard and Paul Giamatti. Although just like The Village there were luminous performances, yet the story was short of being excellent. The tale revolves around only a small amount of characters which construct this movie and also lets this movie appear downright ridiculous sometimes in Lady in The Water. Once more M. Night Shyamalan has established a way to fit himself in his own creation as a character in his personal film. Lady in The Water is somewhat lengthy and is roughly 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Lady in The Water is about a manager tenant for an apartment complex named Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) that discovers in the water that he is not alone at the pool side. Cleveland then finds out that there is a nymph that is within the water named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) from an enchanted world. She appears to Cleveland as a beauty that sounds foolish because she is from a bedtime fairytale. Story finds out that there are mythical creatures and people trying to stop her from the journey back home. But the tenants in the building discover that they are a piece of this bedtime tale and group up with Cleveland to protect Story, on her passage back to her world. Along the way Cleveland becomes more attracted to Story and in love with her and the couple become inseparable.

I enjoyed the presentation of the film and how it intrigued me as a mysterious bedtime story come to life with the likes of M. Night Shyamalan. I really did expect more from this movie because this is the creator of classic fantasies and thrillers. Bryce Dallas Howard which did remarkable job acting in this film and also is the daughter of renowned director and producer Ron Howard. She will also be starring in Spider-Man 3 as Gwen Stacey, the blonde beauty in one of the most hyped about movies of 2007. Lady in The Water’s story of this big screen picture needed improvement and a better outline to build the spectators in the understanding much better. The visual effects of the mythical creatures are visually great but not that first-rate and are what distinguishes this film to movie goers excited to witness Lady in The Water.

I advise people to break away from this tragedy that was expected to be another high-quality Signs or Sixth Sense experience but rather than that, it rated with The Village. I suggest this movie to fans of M. Night Shyamalan’s work or just want to watch a weird and mythical story but be warned that it is a terrible movie story wise.

Hmmm. Yes, I think I can now see that. You are making me see that I may indeed have been completely wrong about that.
Interesting.

Now I will happily concede that the appearance in Signs may have just made the connection signifigantly stronger in our unconscious gestalt. ;)

:D

This movie was the worst i ever seen, it was really bad.

How can they even release **** like this on the market?

The Wicker Man was just as bad.....I got it confused with some `girl who has powers over plagues' trailer I caught in a theatre...big mistake!!

Worst pq Ive ever seen on a major dvd release.Grainy and dark,the special features had much better pq than the feature.Yes the film did suck but the bad pq and fact that my dvd was full of dropouts only added to frustration.Horrible night of film viewing

With as much bad press as this movie received when it first hit theaters, I waited to see it, and now I'm kicking myself. This is a delightful story with an atmosphere all its own. Its really hard to desribe WHY its so good, but it speaks to me on a level I wish more movies would. I can't express how much I enjoyed it, and highly recommend at least a rental.

Well your opinion is surely respected here but I just found this film a complete mess.He could of at least created a different kind of creature from the one in the village.I really wanted to like this film but I just didnt get it.

I too really enjoyed the film. I didn't see the village and I had no idea what "Lady in the Water" was about as I just picked it up since it was a new release. I sat watching the whole thing the first night it arrived from Netflix.

Well your opinion is surely respected here but I just found this film a complete mess.He could of at least created a different kind of creature from the one in the village.I really wanted to like this film but I just didnt get it.

Do you mean we get to see the same "creature" in LITW as the one in The Village ?

...Shyamalan and his self-importance, more and more present with each film is really annoying. I don't want to see his latest [cough] masterpiece. The guy really needs a comedown.

enjoyed the story, but the DVD tranfer was horrible and noisy...to the point where it was distracting.

I kept thinking, this should have been left as a bedtime story for his kids...this was a stretch

I thought the telling of the legend by the Asian woman and translated by her daughter was clumsy and slow.

I enjoyed it as well, its basically an adult fairy tale.

...

Thanks for the spoiler tag :rolleyes:

After a full day of dealing with 2 housebound 7 year olds coming down from their Christmas high, I didn't mind this movie at all. I agree with the comments regarding the transfer, I kept wondering if the low quality was an intentional filmmaking choice. For all the harsh comments towards the movie and the character assassination directed towards M. Night, I still appreciate his effort, and enjoyed a movie and story that at least attempted to be different from most of what gets churned out by the studios.

I like Shyamalan movies very much, except Lady in the Water. It just did not draw me in as his prior films did.

Any of you who consider MNS "self-important," absolutely avoid LitW. I don't think he's that way at all, but if this film were all I had to go on, I'd be more likely to accept that conclusion.

I have been a fan of all of Night's movies but he lost me on this one.

Disney wisely passed on doing this, but he somehow convinced WB to pony up the money for this inconsequential bit of indulgence, even going so far as constructing the apartment complex when surely something that existed could have been somehow used. Maybe not.

But even then, this looked like something that was begun without the story being worked out first, with everyone joining in on the project on the strength of Shyamalan's past record and not on the strength of the present script. It truly has all the coherence of a fairy tale one would invent on the fly to ones children. Even the idea of a water nymph is left behind in that the water nymph does not have a lot to do with the water after she emerges from the swimming pool. She's trying to get back, but just how? This grassy wolf-monster is out to get her and grabs her when she tries to get back, but she needs to be taken by an eagle. Huh?? Also included is the relationship of various groups of people who live in the apartment complex to mythic archetypes that are needed for her salvation, which is pretty interesting but ultimately makes not one bit of sense.

Shyamalan's film all touch on the mythic and mystic and psychosis, but this one seems to indicate that psychosis is getting the upper hand in Night's world. I believe their is a book out now detailing his descent into delusions of grandeur in his relationship to this project. I can't remember all of the anecdotes related NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me of his bizarre behavior, but it would all be funny if it didn't involve a filmmaker I cared so much about.

You might rent it, but don't even think about a blind buy.

I agree with the comments regarding the transfer, I kept wondering if the low quality was an intentional filmmaking choice. For all the harsh comments towards the movie and the character assassination directed towards M. Night, I still appreciate his effort, and enjoyed a movie and story that at least attempted to be different from most of what gets churned out by the studios.
I’m in complete agreement with everything you say. I laughed more during this movie than I have at some supposed comedies I’ve seen of late, especially when Paul Giamatti acted like a little kid when he was drinking milk and having cookies on the sofa as the Asian mother explained the story. The raised leg moving back and forth and the milk on the moustache was classic. And as usual, I really enjoyed Paul’s portrayal. After seeing Bryce Dallas Howard in LITW and The Village, I think she needs to get a meatier role soon, or she may be typecast as this meek character that is incapable of raising her voice above a whisper.

I kept thinking 'it has to get better soon'... it didn't.

I'd give it a C+.

Shyamalan = 1 trick pony.
"I see dead people"
The rest is history.


Seconded. The biggest problem with M. Night is that he got lucky, he got very, very lucky making a very creepy movie. And every movie he has made since has been, in effect, a stylistic copy of Sixth Sense....he keeps making the same movie over and over and over and for some reason, keeps thinking he's up there with the greats, and its sickening :P

M. Night Movie:
- Everyone in the movie whispers...because that implies spookiness..foreboding :P
- Everyone in the movie has an implied sense of fear about them...see: Whispering
- Everyone in the movie exists in a state of constant bewilderment. I haven't seem more expressionless faces since I visited the newborn room at the Hospital when my kids were born.
- The endings will have a twist...which..worked great for Sixth Sense...and then has been predictibly absurd in every followup movie he's..ahem.."crafted".

This way, when the entire movie is made up of soft, whispers it makes it easier to get a cheap rise out of the audience by doing something LOUD....a spooky sound.....a creepy glimpse of something accompanied by some loud sound effect. I mean, its like....the kind of movie I'd made in High School.....Shhhh...Shhhh...Shhhh...SURPRISE!...Shhhh...Shhh.
(!!!?!?).

I saw Sixth Sense and loved it. A creepy, surprise ending and overall...a great movie.

Then I saw Unbreakable...and it was, in essense, the biggest disappointment I'd ever had in a film. I called it UNWATCHABLE. Bruce Willis spends the entire movie with that newborn look on his face...the perpetual "DUH?" stare that implies.."Whats going on here?". an hour and a half into the movie he's still asking "Duh, whats going on here?". Samuel L. Jacksons character is like....ugh. I didn't even mind the bizarro storyline, I mean thats why we see movies right.....to see bizarre stories...but it was just so horribly wrong (and utterly DULL) to wade through to the surprise ending...and not much of a surprise.

The rest is kinda history with his followup films.....he is a true one trick pony, using funhouse-style scares to shock you maybe once or twice an hour...all the while wrapped around a story that makes you go "I want my 2 hours back". I mean, is he trying to make art-house pictures? He thinks he's Andy Warhol?

About 20 minutes into The Villiage I realized I'd read, or seen this story before...I could have sworn it was a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits episode....I knew 20 minutes into the film exactly where he was going with this story, and I swear I never do that....sucked me right out of the movie.

If he never made another movie I'd be happy.

If he never made another movie I'd be happy.

You could just....not watch (gasp!).

:) Sound Advice!

I had to fast-forward through the last half of the movie. Too episodic for me.

I liked The Village - to my surprise. I thought the story was well told and the people interesting to watch.

I liked Sixth Sense - he GOT me. :D

I even like Unbreakable - except for the "nemesis" ending and all the innocent victims that the plot required.

I did not like Signs. Way, way too long for such a short story. To me.


M. Night probably needs to work in a Twilight Zone-type Cable series.
Or do something no one expects with no twist ending.

I like Shyamalan movies very much, except Lady in the Water. It just did not draw me in as his prior films did.

Any of you who consider MNS "self-important," absolutely avoid LitW. I don't think he's that way at all, but if this film were all I had to go on, I'd be more likely to accept that conclusion.

I really love his movies too. Including The Village, which a lot of other people don't care for. I have all of them on DVD. So I was really looking forward to Lady in the Water. My wife and I saw it at the theater. When we got up to leave I made the comment that I had just sat through what was possibly the worst movie I've ever seen. My wife hated it too. I don't see how it could possibly grow on me either, so I doubt I'll buy the DVD. Maybe if it goes into the five dollar bin I'll buy it just so I'll have all the M Night films.

This movie was just shamefully pretentious and boring. Maybe it's not the worst movie I've ever seen, but certainly among the top three worst I've ever sat through at the theater. I ignored all the bad reviews, since the Village also got some poor reviews and I really like that movie. But this time the critics got it right I'm afraid.

I wasn't blown away..but it did scare me in some parts.

I enjoyed it. It was a welcome change of pace from some of the crap I've been watching lately.

Jon

Watched this last night. I'm a fan of MNS who didn't care for "The Village", but this movie makes "The Village" seem like a masterwork of humanist thought. LITW is a train wreck.

It's a fantasy, but there's no magic or discovery, since everything is told in the tedious opening sequence. The film doesn't play fair, it's preachy, and it's not frightening, moving, or funny. And it's absolutely silly. I actually felt bad for Giamatti, who did his best to not seem embarrassed during the whole thing. I almost recommend it because it has to be seen to believe how bad it is.

I thought the worst movie I had seen last year would be among: Pulse, the Pink Panther, or Poseidon. But LITW is worse than all of them. Here's to hoping Pan's Labyrinth is the fantasy movie I'm looking for.

Terrible movie, Out of MNS it's better then Signs but not much. Since the Sixth Sence his movies have gone down hill.

one of the worst movies I've seen, we were literally laughing at how bad it was halfway through

I never watched this at the cinema in the end and have just watched the HD DVD. I don't know where to start!

How strange! Why did no one question the story or the girl?

I don't know if I liked it or not. I might sell/trade the HD DVD.

Before reading this thread, I was sorta/kinda afraid to express my opinion of this movie... I know how devoted and loyal the M. Knight crowd can be and the last thing I'd want to do is have an elder member of the club call my shallowness and inability to extract depth from obvious genius to question...


This movie sucked monkey balls. That is all.

This movie sucked monkey balls. That is all.Preach! :D

Some of you don't understand the reason for this movie. Would you also claim that the Harry Potter movies were crap? Just because MNS made movies with twists people automatically type cast him into, "the filmmaker who can ONLY make movies with a twist." And if he doesn't make one then people bitch about it being no good. Come on! People should watch this film with no preconceived notions of what kind of movies MNS makes. If you do that you would see that it's not half bad.

Blech (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=26219). Horrible, horrible movie.

Blech (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=26219). Horrible, horrible movie.Although I thought it was last year's worst movie, I have to admit it may also have more unintentional laughs for your rental dollar than any other flick from last year too. I still laugh when I think of this plum (grabbed it from IMDB so not to misquote):

"What kind of person would be so arrogant as to presume the intention of another human being?"

Is there an actor alive who could deliver that line and NOT sound like a complete jackass? And it was so SERIOUS! :D And that's just the worst of many. Oh, that MNS just kept the laughs coming with this one.

Some of you don't understand the reason for this movie. Would you also claim that the Harry Potter movies were crap? Just because MNS made movies with twists people automatically type cast him into, "the filmmaker who can ONLY make movies with a twist." And if he doesn't make one then people bitch about it being no good. Come on! People should watch this film with no preconceived notions of what kind of movies MNS makes. If you do that you would see that it's not half bad.

:eek: :rolleyes:

People should watch this film with no preconceived notions of what kind of movies MNS makes. If you do that you would see that it's not half bad.

You're right, it's not half bad. It's all bad.

"What kind of person would be so arrogant as to presume the intention of another human being?"



Way too funny.... :D

Although I haven't seen it, I wonder if this might qualify as neo-Ed Wood classic?

Now, to go read Josh's take on this masterpiece...

I wonder if this might qualify as neo-Ed Wood classic?

No.