Nightfall

[Amaury_games]

I like "The Village", down to its twist, story, characters (except the crazy bastard in the Village, but I think I'm supposed to hate the twat), motivations, and stuff. I guess you could call it moralizing, but for me, in the end...

Spoiler

... I like the story where a group of friends with family tragedy in their past decide to use the huge amount of money of one of them to start and keep a village cut out from society, which is what they blame for their relatives' death. And despite all of the precautions they take, it only takes one man being uninclined to follow the law and attacking another man for their idea to crumble. Yes, I guess you could say it wasn't a good plan, but I buy that they were so saddened by their relatives' being killed the way they were, that the idea of their rotten society being the real culprit was extremely appealing at that time; and since they couldn't change society, they could start a new and better one, and if they taught their members right, they wouldn't have any crime (yes, very egotistcal, but can't this be their character's flaw? I mean... the Elders leader seemed to learn that and tell the others at the end that they failed; I guess it even serves as they finally dealing with their personal tragedies in a better way).
I also like the romance of Lucius and the blind girl (I forgot her name because it's been many months since I last saw the movie; I remember Lucius' name, because I like his name. ^_^). I like that she's a tomboy, good and playful, but can also be feminine and serious, slaps the crap out of her lover's attacker (so she's not a "delicate flower" or "pixie dream girl" trope either). She saves the protagonist when everybody else is too scared to do so!

I hate "Signs"! With a passion!

Spoiler

Yes, you stupid, STUPID aliens! Let's be extremely allergic to water and invade a PLANET where it RAINS the stuff from the skies and also has 3/4 of its surface COVERED by it! Also, you have the technology to build FREAKING SPACE SHIPS, but can't get passed a WOODEN DOOR??? /rant. There are other problems with the film, but this... for me, the story loses any sense it could still have with this alone!

I wish Shyamalan gets his act together again someday and gives us other "Sixth Sense"s, "Unbreakable"s, and the occasional "The Village".

captcha: "haste makes waste". Ok, captcha, I will think about it one more time before I post it, to make sure I do what i can to avoid saying something stupid.

 

[Nuxxy]

I enjoyed Signs and I would even go so far as to say I liked The Village and Lady in the Water. Yes, The Village wasn't quite up to par, but it had a fun Twilight Zone sort of feel to it and I didn't think it was boring. I know almost everyone hates Lady in the Water, but on it's own I think it's kind of a cool fairytale story. If you can look past the casting of himself and the behind the scenes nonsense, it's a decent little movie.

The Happening and Last Airbender I have no excuse for and can't find any redeeming qualities. Those are awful.

Yay! I'm not the only one! Sometimes it feels like all the movie reviewers are too close to view things objectively. I knew nothing about behind-the-scenes troubles with The Village and Lady in the Water, and enjoyed both. Here is my take on their bad reviews, and how to make them more enjoyable...

The Village - People seemed to think this was a 'scary movie'. They were disappointed by the lackluster twist and the 'monsters' being staged. But that was never the point of the movie. It's not a movie to create fear, but rather a movie about fear, and how people are affected by it. In the story, fear was the foundation of the village. And that fear has seeped into the entire culture of the place. It's about how fear paralyzes and about how being brave is not about 'not being scared', but instead about finding the strength to act despite your fear. Both Ivy and Lucius demonstrate that.

Lady in the Water - MovieBob's review of this actually annoys me. All the critics focus on is 'the critic' and 'the writer', like there is nothing else. The writer (played by Shyamalan) was not a messiah. His fate is to inspire a leader, a messiah, but he will never live to see it. You're reading too much into it and taking personal insult and that is affecting your opinion.

Rewatch it, but look at the movie as a commentary on self-belief and potential. There is a great diaspora of characters from different ages, cultures, races and backgrounds (a definite plus), who all doubt themselves. The nymph doubts her ability to fulfill her purpose. The doctor has lost belief in his role as a healer. The writer doubts the import of his book, and his sister doubts her chance of finding love. The father of the symbolist believes his son's gift is just a quirk. There are more. All these people in the apartment complex who don't believe they have any part to play in any stories, but in the end, they all do. The critic represents the people who 'already know the ending', so don't even try (ie: people who are critical and negative), and yet he dies because what he though he knew, he didn't. If you want to sum up the 'message', it is to take the chances that come your way, because you might be a big part of a story you just don't know about yet.

 

[Trishbot]

And yet M. Night Shyamalan keeps hinting at/threatening to make a sequel to "Unbreakable".

Please no. The movie is legitimately good, but I have nothing but paranoia and fear that any follow-up would do anything other than erase any fond memories for it.

 

[cefm]

I have watched bad movies before. I have squirmed and guffawed and Mystery-Science-Theatre-3000'ed my way through some terrible film in my time.

But "Lady In The Water" is the WORST film-going experience I have ever been forced to endure. It was physically and mentally anguishing. As an adult I covered my eyes and ears and hid from the screen because it was so bad I couldn't stand it.

F. that M. Night guy.

 

[Arkvoodle]

The Sixth Sense was ripped off from an episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark." and Shyamalan ADMITS it.

When the best you can do is make a crappy Nickelodeon show somewhat more watchable, you're a hack.

 

[Oskuro]

Personally, I think his movies always have this strangely alluring "otherness" to them. The way they are paced, written and shot... They feel odd.

But, much like anchovies on a pizza, it's a polarizing taste.

I've really never completely disliked any of his movies, even when some were grating in certain respects.
I see the criticisms and understand them... Except for Lady in the Water, people focus way too much on the writer/critic thing, when I watched the movie I barely payed any attention to those, to be honest (then again, I didn't even realize the writer was Shyamalan himself).

The Happening I think needs to be re-evaluated. Not sure if it was his intention, but it is an excellent homage to classic 70s horror movies, with the silly science, common-sense defying characters and completely ridiculous premise that attempts a heavy-handed message.

As for Last Airbender... The visuals were awesome, and some of the ideas (like the use of more than chinese/japanese cultures for the different tribes) were certainly interesting. What really killed the movie for me was the tone. Too somber and artificially epic, when the original material was more lighthearted and adventurous.


Oh, and the Village would've been awesome as a short film or TV-series episode. The twist was interesting, it was just too long for its own good.

But hey, what do I know?

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Shyamalan kind of has become a cautionary tale of what happens when your ego gets the better of you.

 

[Catrixa]

As someone who likes to think up twists in plots, I'm really curious what made the twist in The Village so bad (I never saw the movie, but looked up the basic plot on Wikipedia). From summary alone, it doesn't look that bad, but if I want to write something with a twist like that, it'd be good to know why I should avoid it like the plague...

 

[Olas]

I'll defend Village from any serious detractors. It's more a dystopia than a horror movie, more about atmosphere than story (though I think it has an interesting story as well), and I think the slow emotional bits have some payoff if you're patient.

I even think Lady in the Water is decent, it's a movie you have to completely suspend your disbelief for, but I think that's sorta the point. Lady in the Water is like an out-there experimental what-if movie where fairy-tale meets reality, and it doesn't hold back at all on that premise. I think the craziness of the movie is also reeled in somewhat by the film's great acting. Almost every review of it I've read focuses almost entirely on Shyamalan's decision to cast himself as the world saving messiah writer, but that seems beside the point. MNS might be an egotistical hothead, but I don't have to like him as a person to enjoy his movies, otherwise Quentin Tarantino would never have gotten where he is. Keep in mind, when I first saw this movie I didn't even know what MNS looked like so to me he was just another character.

The Happening is the first MNS movie that I'd say is just strait up terrible, to the point of being pretty much comical. Like when the protagonist starts talking to a tree, a fake tree, or running from wind in the grass like it's a monster chasing him, and [a href="I2r_qjEHf7c"]this[/a]. It doesn't even feel like a MNS movie really, I have no idea what happened.

The Last Airbender, I don't even remember if I liked it or not, it obviously didn't leave a strong impression. I never watched the original TV show.

I'm probably the last person on the planet who still thinks M. Night Shyamalan has some genuine talent and potential as a director. He has a sorta niche style that not all will appreciate and he's proven that he can't expand outside it too well. But I think when making films that play to his strengths, and perhaps given some actual critical feedback, he can make movies that are very compelling and different than what you'd find almost anywhere else in Hollywood. More to the point I hate how he's pretty much just been dismissed as a hack.

 

[Callate]

But I thought Bob said Unbreakable was a hit. How much was it supposed to earn in the Box Office to make a sequel?
captcha: make a bee-line
...to a movie not directed by MNS. Hi-yo!

More like a cult hit, or a "sleeper" hit. It did fine- $95 million domestic take, around $248 million in total, on a $75 million budget. But Shyamalan was disappointed. I think I remember reading he was hoping for $150 million domestically- but the webs are all a-burble now about whether he's going to try to make Unbreakable 2 now, so I can't find hide nor hair of where I read that originally (so don't quote me. )

No specific numbers, but a bit of background here:

Sure, it wasn't the highest-grossing thriller of all time and it didn't get ''The Sixth Sense'''s six Oscar nominations -- but ''Unbreakable'' did rack up almost $100 million, win a devoted cult, and have its two stars, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, clamoring for not one but two sequels. But where others see a nice follow-up, Shyamalan sees a dead career -- which leads one to wonder, Who is this guy? The precocious budding genius? The press-friendly family man? The morose auteur?

-Source: Entertainment Weekly

 

[Tumedus]

I don't know why people like Unbreakable so much. It plays out as a series of comic book what ifs, but they are so blatantly obvious and the palate is so dreary (yes I understand what he was trying to do) that the entire experience is just painfully dull.

Maybe its because I was myself a comic book reader, but it can't really be considered thought provoking when all the questions it tries to raise were things I had considered before I was even a teenager. About midway through the film I had not only figured out what the "twist" was but also what the intermediate reveals would be. Its one thing to guess the ending, its another when you are able to guess the entire narrative.

 

[ZombieMonkey7]

"Too bad it represents the scuttling of a would-be promising franchise, as otherwise it might've made a fun "so bad it's good" party movie."
Oh Bob.... you really have no idea. While I would agree with you if you have never seen the franchise then it's a hilariously bad movie to watch. However being a die hard, watching this movie is a fate worse then death. It's like watching your baby boy being flayed alive while they pour salt on him. Now I'm normally into these types of awful movies and I knew it was an abomination, but my god nothing could have prepared me for what to expect. I bailed after a measly 15 minutes which felt like 45 at the least (it's insanely boring). After going through a strict physical training regime I regained the nerve to watch it all the way through. This had so much potential, it could have been a monolith of a series, but instead ends up being one of the most painful movies I've ever seen.

 

[ellers07]

Rewatch it, but look at the movie as a commentary on self-belief and potential. There is a great diaspora of characters from different ages, cultures, races and backgrounds (a definite plus), who all doubt themselves. The nymph doubts her ability to fulfill her purpose. The doctor has lost belief in his role as a healer. The writer doubts the import of his book, and his sister doubts her chance of finding love. The father of the symbolist believes his son's gift is just a quirk. There are more. All these people in the apartment complex who don't believe they have any part to play in any stories, but in the end, they all do. The critic represents the people who 'already know the ending', so don't even try (ie: people who are critical and negative), and yet he dies because what he though he knew, he didn't. If you want to sum up the 'message', it is to take the chances that come your way, because you might be a big part of a story you just don't know about yet.

Very well said! I think you summed up the message far better than I ever could and I totally agree. I remember sitting through it and just thinking, "well, this is a nice movie." I liked the small setting and appreciated the positive themes of the film. I think one of Shyamalan's problems is audiences came to expect a twist with every movie and they don't necessarily have one. I remember a friend of mine saying Lady in the Water was awful because the twist was so stupid. And I was confused.

In any case, it's nice to meet the other person in the world who doesn't hate this movie.

 

[Carnagath]

"Signs" was the first one that I found offensive, with its childish aliens design, the completely moronic "water kills them" twist and the completely forgettable drama that was going on (a few days later I had forgotten everything apart from Joaquin Phoenix's figure just sort of slogging around).

"Village" was indeed quite boring, the twist was not really a twist, but at least it got somewhat atmospheric in a couple of instances, so it was not all bad.

"Lady in the Water" had quite an unusual story, and Paul Giamatti is always a delight. Yes, I facepalmed at Night's character, but overall the movie didn't bother me as much as it did other people.

"The Happening" is probably the worst "serious" movie I have ever seen. Horrendously paced, atrocious dialogue and one of the worst stories that ever wasted my time. It was so shockingly bad that I decided that, unless I read MANY overwhelmingly positive things about a Shyamalan movie online, I would never watch one again. So far it seems to have been the right choice.

 

[TKretts3]

Back when I was a kid, and to this day, that one scene in Signs scares me - gives me complete chills. We all know which scene I'm talking about, don't even pretend it didn't creep you out too. It's one of those movie moments, like the girl in The Ring crawling out of the TV, or the girl from The Grudge making that croaking sounds. It just sticks with you, and every time I think of it I do a quick look back to make sure there's nothing behind me. :S

 

[kajinking]

Back when I was a kid, and to this day, that one scene in Signs scares me - gives me complete chills. We all know which scene I'm talking about, don't even pretend it didn't creep you out too. It's one of those movie moments, like the girl in The Ring crawling out of the TV, or the girl from The Grudge making that croaking sounds. It just sticks with you, and every time I think of it I do a quick look back to make sure there's nothing behind me. :S

"It's Behind!"

...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

I dunno white washing and acting issues aside the only thing wrong with the last air bender was to much time compression. I would have enjoyed it more if it was not so time compressed.

 

[Orekoya]

You know what's funny, I make a point of knowing as little about actors and directors as I possibly can, most times I don't watch previews. Just try to take the movie at its face value. It's probably why I rarely share the same opinion of Bob's on films. With that in mind, I enjoyed Lady in the Water as a fairy tale movie. Oh sure there are problems: the critic's death felt completely stupid given that it seems to be the only one. But alot of the flaws are overblown: while watching I didn't know that the messenger character was M. Night. Because I didn't recognize him I simply thought the character was flat but the performance within the story was otherwise fine. On the flip-side I found Signs to be incredibly dull, too slow paced for no payoff, and retarded for having the invading aliens intelligent enough to get here but its weakness is revealed to be water. I mean they've been here for a while, and they're going around nude: that would be like us having the technology to go to other worlds then go walking around nude on a planet that is 70% acid and that rains acid oh, roughly once a week? I'm not saying it couldn't happen, I'm just saying humans smart enough to get there would be able to figure out they needed to either leave or at least wear some protective clothing after that first week. And that's talking about a species that put a man on the moon before it put wheels on luggage.

 

[MB202]

You're old videos on YouTube ARE painful to re-watch, though I still do on occasion.