M. Night Shyamalan's WHAT'S HAPPENIN'?

[hackett]

i heard M. Night first came up with the idea of having it be about Tomatoes and for it to star George Clooney but the execs at the other studios thought they had heard of the concept before.

[WinslowLeach]

*RIMSHOT!*

[Al Shut]

I was wondering, were the original B movies already aiming for a certain feel or were they just defined by low production values? Is it even possible to make a b movie with a 60 million budget? Wouldn't producing a B movie without an A movie to accompany it be deceit of the audience?

[WinslowLeach]

The B movies werent made because the directors wanted them to be bad (correction). They just wanted to make movies without having to spend millions/getting the OK from big Hollywood studio execs. Which actually makes them awesome from the very start. Those older exploitation guys were full of integrity.

I think N Might is just covering his ass when he says its supposed to be the best B movie ever. Actually Im sort of offended by him saying that because if the film was #1 he probably wouldnt mention B movies. He probably thinks B movies are all terrible and not well made which isnt true.

If he even knew what he was talking about and knew the movies he wouldve given some references to which ones he was patterning it after. Not just say dumb stuff like "zombies eating flesh and killer things running around". Hes a dipstick.

[Chairman Kaga]

The B movies werent made because the directors wanted them to be cheaply done.

Not always true. Roger Corman is the king off B-Movies and as producer on his own projects he intentionally made them cheap to insure they turned a profit.

[WinslowLeach]

My previous wording wasnt exact on that. What I mean is he didnt intentionally try to make bad movies. He made movies on the cheap but still did a great job with what he had. Watch those Edgar Allen poe movies for example. Beautifully made works of genre cinema.

This BS about all B movies being bad is just not true. Every level of cinema has its good and bad films. B movies are no different.

[Chairman Kaga]

Oh I definitely agree there.

[Evil Hobbit]

I give it a 5. As long as noone talked this film was beautifully amazing. Frikkin loved the well staged death scenes. Like following the police gun, the people jumping from the construction platforms, old lady going nuts, lions and lawnmowers! Brilliantly shot. Loved the opening clouds, loved the music. Even liked the ending, with Marky Mark walking in the wind. So perfectly shot and supported by Howard's music. Unfortunately nothing carried any emotion, and as soon as people started to speak the movie sucked instantly. All in all, non dialogue part was great, everything else not so much. And the car crash was great to.

[illfigure]

Spoilers!

I enjoyed this movie. Night's storytelling methods are unique; he can tell a basic love story through visual cues and metaphor. From what I am able to gather, The Happening is a story of a couple figuring out their marriage and realizing they love each other, that is told through the events of the movie. That is, what's "happening" is an external representation of their internal struggles. The people struck with whatever is happening metaphorically act confused, stand still and begin moving backwards, a comment on their perspectives and more importantly, combined with the fact that everyone who died was afraid relates to Night's breif cameo as Joey and the hurdle in the couples honesty and renewing the love of their relationship. In the end, the starring couple face death and decide to shed their fear, face their problems and be together in the end, which is what saves them. But the forthcoming birth of a child is a symbol of new fears and the rebirth of the struggle to overcome them. Oh, and some jumbo about the global warming myth. I find a lot of hate for Night comes from two sources: 1) a story teller who tries to outsmart the viewer is always going to get hate from people who then feel the need to outsmart the story teller, and 2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

[RogueScribner]

2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

I find that comment offensive. So if I don't like a Shyamalan movie, I'm dumb? You can't think of a better defense than that?

[Maui]

There is actually quite a bit of thought process involved when viewing KFP. At one point, there was smoke coming out of my ears.

[Fried Gold]

Spoilers!

I enjoyed this movie. Night's storytelling methods are unique; he can tell a basic love story through visual cues and metaphor. From what I am able to gather, The Happening is a story of a couple figuring out their marriage and realizing they love each other, that is told through the events of the movie. That is, what's "happening" is an external representation of their internal struggles. The people struck with whatever is happening metaphorically act confused, stand still and begin moving backwards, a comment on their perspectives and more importantly, combined with the fact that everyone who died was afraid relates to Night's breif cameo as Joey and the hurdle in the couples honesty and renewing the love of their relationship. In the end, the starring couple face death and decide to shed their fear, face their problems and be together in the end, which is what saves them. But the forthcoming birth of a child is a symbol of new fears and the rebirth of the struggle to overcome them. Oh, and some jumbo about the global warming myth. I find a lot of hate for Night comes from two sources: 1) a story teller who tries to outsmart the viewer is always going to get hate from people who then feel the need to outsmart the story teller, and 2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

I didn't know Americans could be ironical.

[papalazeru]

There is actually quite a bit of thought process involved when viewing KFP. At one point, there was smoke coming out of my ears.

Oi! Where's your Love Guru Review thread? or your Get Smart one?

[TheBaxter]

Spoilers!

I enjoyed this movie. Night's storytelling methods are unique; he can tell a basic love story through visual cues and metaphor. From what I am able to gather, The Happening is a story of a couple figuring out their marriage and realizing they love each other, that is told through the events of the movie. That is, what's "happening" is an external representation of their internal struggles. The people struck with whatever is happening metaphorically act confused, stand still and begin moving backwards, a comment on their perspectives and more importantly, combined with the fact that everyone who died was afraid relates to Night's breif cameo as Joey and the hurdle in the couples honesty and renewing the love of their relationship. In the end, the starring couple face death and decide to shed their fear, face their problems and be together in the end, which is what saves them. But the forthcoming birth of a child is a symbol of new fears and the rebirth of the struggle to overcome them. Oh, and some jumbo about the global warming myth. I find a lot of hate for Night comes from two sources: 1) a story teller who tries to outsmart the viewer is always going to get hate from people who then feel the need to outsmart the story teller, and 2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

PLANT!!!

do you know how long i've been waiting for someone to give this a positive review so i could say that?

[Maui]

There is actually quite a bit of thought process involved when viewing KFP. At one point, there was smoke coming out of my ears.

Oi! Where's your Love Guru Review thread? or your Get Smart one?

Oi yourself! I didn't see "The Love Guru". I do have my limits you know.

You will find my "Get Smart" review in the "ShitComs" thread.

[papalazeru]

There is actually quite a bit of thought process involved when viewing KFP. At one point, there was smoke coming out of my ears.

Oi! Where's your Love Guru Review thread? or your Get Smart one?

Oi yourself! I didn't see "The Love Guru". I do have my limits you know.

You will find my "Get Smart" review in the "ShitComs" thread.

Hahah! Such a mellifluous tone as well.
It's okay, I'll see myself to the corner.

[Maui]

They say the filmgoers that went to see "The Love Guru" will never laugh again.

Mike Myers has also gone into hiding. His whereabouts are unknown.

[TheBaxter]

They say the filmgoers that went to see "The Love Guru" will never laugh again.

Mike Myers has also gone into hiding. His whereabouts are unknown.

who's looking for him?

i mean, besides the 10 or 12 people who actually paid to see his shitfest and want their money back, with interest.

[burlivesleftnut]

They say the filmgoers that went to see "The Love Guru" will never laugh again.

Someone put this in the zoney nomination thread.

[Brocktune]

2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

ya kind of had me until this horse shit came out. how dare you bash the zohan. it is like the 2001 of our generation. it is really just a giantic metaphor for humankind trancending the ethnic and social barriers that trap us all and make us perpetuate this cycle of violence. the zohan's need to sculpt fine works of art out of hair is an allegorical representation of everyone's inner desire to prune and shape the human race into sort of amazing cosmic bonsai trees with branches that bend and twist outward into the cosmos, connecting all of our spirits as one. no more violence or nucular weapons. Sandler is a revolutionary scriptwriter and performer. the zohan is a work of modern philosophy completely unparalelled by the work of any other man or woman living (except for maybe peter ustinov). and im tired of cocknockers like you coming in here with your shyamalan's and your ratners, proclaiming them to be visionaries whose work is so profound it completely evades public understanding, and then trying to denigrate the REAL renaissance men out there. men like sandler and meyers, who are doing amazing work to try to advance the human race as an egalitarian and utopian culture. using art as a means to an end. an end of violence, of misunderstanding, and intolerance. to you, i submit that you just totally didnt get the zohan. maybe you should stay out of theatres that are showing thinking men's movies, and stick with something that isnt completely over your head. like the happening, and sex in teh city.

so for a movie about something happening, there sure were not many scenes involving Fred "Rerun" Berry

It's another thing for an established director with multiple films under his belt, a multi-million dollar budget, and some of the most talented people in the business working underneath him to create something that is really that godawful.

were you talking about "The Happening"? because i don't remember seeing any of those things that you mentioned in that film.

ok, so the movie is complete shite. some parts are indeed so bad that they are fun bad. but the majority of it is indeed cringe worthy. zooey deschanel in particular. i mean, i have seen her do good work, i think. for a film this shitty, couldnt they have tapped a more qualified actress? jessica alba? jessica biel? jessica simpson? paris hilton? marky mark is no slouch either. trying to deliver some of the worst lines in film history in this really annoying falsetto voice, painfully unable to hide his thick boston accent, he really gives zooey a run for her money in terms of excelling at being terrible. in fact, the only actor in this film who was even remotely believeable, surprisingly, was leguizamo. dont get me wrong, his character is totally stupid too, but at least he is moderately believable. y'know, i often find it impossible to believe a director could make a steaming pile like this, and seriously say, at the end of the day "yup. thats what we're going with!" i dont have 6 months to list every single thing that sucked, so i will summarize by saying that everything sucked. especially the acting. seriously, i understand that following screenings at both AFI, and the academy, the phantom menace was bumped up to AFI's greatest films of all times list, and the academy actually plans to nominate get smart for best picture of 2008. if there was one thing that could have saved this movie, it would have been guns. the only thing more preposterous than these clowns trying to run from the wind, would be if they shot at it too. then it might have been so delightfully over the top, that i probably would have loved it. i would KILL to have seen marky mark totally draw down on and summarily bust a few caps into the fake tree in that house. this one was rated r for retired!!!!

btw, did anyone stay after the credits? there was this really cool scene, where christian bale shows up at this bar where hellboy is getting drunk, and mentions to him that they are starting an "avengers initiative". that they are putting together a team of super heros to stop shyamalan from ever making a film again! it was worth waiting for.

R.I.P. M. Night Shyamalan

[Bob Samonkey]

I <3 you, Assthumbs...

[Brocktune]

best operation EVAR!!!!!!

[TheBaxter]

maybe you should stay out of theatres that are showing thinking men's movies, and stick with something that isnt completely over your head. like the happening, and sex in teh city.

ya kind of had me until this horse shit came out. how dare you bash the horse-faced girl and her friends talking about stupid shit. it is like the Death-Proof of our generation. it is really just a giantic metaphor for... for... ahh, screw it. it just ain't worth it.

2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

the only thing Lady in the Water made me think about was killing myself.

[Nordling]

Jesus, M Night fans are worse than fucking Browncoats.

Carpetbombing. The only answer.

And by the way, KUNG FU PANDA's smarter than pretty much the entire M Night catalog, with the possible exception of THE SIXTH SENSE.

[Bob Samonkey]

Spoilers!

I enjoyed this movie. Night's storytelling methods are unique; he can tell a basic love story through visual cues and metaphor. From what I am able to gather, The Happening is a story of a couple figuring out their marriage and realizing they love each other, that is told through the events of the movie. That is, what's "happening" is an external representation of their internal struggles. The people struck with whatever is happening metaphorically act confused, stand still and begin moving backwards, a comment on their perspectives and more importantly, combined with the fact that everyone who died was afraid relates to Night's breif cameo as Joey and the hurdle in the couples honesty and renewing the love of their relationship. In the end, the starring couple face death and decide to shed their fear, face their problems and be together in the end, which is what saves them. But the forthcoming birth of a child is a symbol of new fears and the rebirth of the struggle to overcome them. Oh, and some jumbo about the global warming myth. I find a lot of hate for Night comes from two sources: 1) a story teller who tries to outsmart the viewer is always going to get hate from people who then feel the need to outsmart the story teller, and 2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

Ok. that right there proves that this person is not real. Bush believes in global warming now. How could it not be real!!

[Maui]

They say the filmgoers that went to see "The Love Guru" will never laugh again.

Someone put this in the zoney nomination thread.

Yes, someone please do this at once!

[FlattenedSnakeFilms]

This movie was terrible. The whole thing seemed like it was a parody to something else.. That said it did get some laughs out of me whether it meant to or not...

[MasterWhedon]

Err... so, I finally saw this over the weekend, expecting it to be the worst damn movie ever... and I actually kinda enjoyed it. Like, in a 6/10, fatally-flawed, not-actually-all-that-scary-but-still-more-effective-than-anything-in-Indy-4 kinda way.

There are a handful of incredibly tense moments that are very, very skillfully directed, that in and of themselves made me like the movie. There's a restraint and a control when it comes to the garish elements that I found pretty classy, and it's sort of undeniable at this point that Shyamalan creates a filmic world that is uniquely his.

But the premise doesn't hold up at all and the acting is pretty terrible about 60% of the time (I kinda liked Whalberg's performance the rest of the time), and I think it takes a sort of rarified hubris for Night to credit himself as the character Joey when Joey never appears onscreen and you never even hear his fucking voice on the other end of the phone.

Lady in the Water was an incoherent mess, whereas this one is just messy. There are some great parts in that the don't add up to much, but I enjoyed those moments for what they were.

[Ribbons]

I think it takes a sort of rarified hubris for Night to credit himself as the character Joey when Joey never appears onscreen and you never even hear his fucking voice on the other end of the phone.

I was saying earlier that that struck me as more of a joke than anything else -- considering Night's "relationship" with critics (i.e. his desire to have them devoured by wolves) I think it's safe to assume that he knows people take issue with the king-sized roles he gives himself in his films, so he gave himself a "role" in this one that was as close to non-existent as you can get. Or maybe he'll show up in the deleted scenes, I dunno.

[burlivesleftnut]

I think the whole casting thing is funny. And I think it's meant to be funny. M. Night might be a pretentious douche, but I think he has a sense of humor. I mean just look at Lady in the Water! Haha. Seriously, he has always included some subtle humor and some not so subtle dark humor in his movies. I think this casting bit is a wink at us and his critics. Nothing more.

[instant_karma]

Just finished watching this. It veers wildly between toe curlingly bad and so bad it's funny. Marky Mark portrays what has to be the least convincing science teacher ever to appear on the screen, though it kind of makes sense, since his best friend seems to be the least convincing math teacher ever to appear on the screen.

I had thought the 'running away from approaching frost' chase scene in The Day After Tomorrow was the least tense chase scene in movie history, but The Happening has topped it. It does not matter how often you have hammered home that there are toxins in the air (and boy does he spend a lot of time making sure the audience is aware of that), people running away from a slight breeze IS NOT TENSE!

[The Vicar]

2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

I find that comment offensive. So if I don't like a Shyamalan movie, I'm dumb? You can't think of a better defense than that?

Night doesn't suck - the audiences are morons?
Weakest one legged, constipated excuse evar.
Thanks for posting, M. Night's mom.......

[papalazeru]

2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

I find that comment offensive. So if I don't like a Shyamalan movie, I'm dumb? You can't think of a better defense than that?

Night doesn't suck - the audiences are morons?
Weakest one legged, constipated excuse evar.
Thanks for posting, M. Night's mom.......

Now now Vic. Leave him alone.

He's not only a plant, he's a pretentious one with a horrid website.

...or maybe that's the twist.

[Peven]

Spoilers!

I enjoyed this movie. Night's storytelling methods are unique; he can tell a basic love story through visual cues and metaphor. From what I am able to gather, The Happening is a story of a couple figuring out their marriage and realizing they love each other, that is told through the events of the movie. That is, what's "happening" is an external representation of their internal struggles. The people struck with whatever is happening metaphorically act confused, stand still and begin moving backwards, a comment on their perspectives and more importantly, combined with the fact that everyone who died was afraid relates to Night's breif cameo as Joey and the hurdle in the couples honesty and renewing the love of their relationship. In the end, the starring couple face death and decide to shed their fear, face their problems and be together in the end, which is what saves them. But the forthcoming birth of a child is a symbol of new fears and the rebirth of the struggle to overcome them. Oh, and some jumbo about the global warming myth. I find a lot of hate for Night comes from two sources: 1) a story teller who tries to outsmart the viewer is always going to get hate from people who then feel the need to outsmart the story teller, and 2) his work involves interpretation; Lady in the Water and The Happening are great movies if the viewer is someone who doesn't mind THINKING about the story. For everyone else, there's Zohan and Kung Fu Panda in the next theater.

Ok. that right there proves that this person is not real. Bush believes in global warming now. How could it not be real!!

Bob, how many times do we have to tell you, correlation does not equal causation, damnnagit!!!!!!






note: i think this illfigure dude might just be a remarkably insightful person ....





















...that.....or he's a total wackjob. i'm leaning toward the latter.....

[burlivesleftnut]

Is this knocking really in the spirit of the Zone? So he said something mildly offensive, but something that everyone of us is mature enough to just ignore. Lead by example. This isn't a junior high playground.

[The Vicar]

Is this knocking really in the spirit of the Zone? So he said something mildly offensive, but something that everyone of us is mature enough to just ignore. Lead by example. This isn't a junior high playground.

Sez the guy who has a masked, wiggling penis in his AV.....

[Peven]

Is this knocking really in the spirit of the Zone? So he said something mildly offensive, but something that everyone of us is mature enough to just ignore. Lead by example. This isn't a junior high playground.

Sez the guy who has a masked, wiggling penis in his AV.....

says the guy who has a masked, wiggling penis in a jar on his bedside table......

[Simon Quinlank]

The Happening was pants.

Let's all move on.

[minstrel]

The Happening was pants.

There's that British "pants" expression again. I'm not British! What does it mean???????

[The Vicar]

Is this knocking really in the spirit of the Zone? So he said something mildly offensive, but something that everyone of us is mature enough to just ignore. Lead by example. This isn't a junior high playground.

Sez the guy who has a masked, wiggling penis in his AV.....

says the guy who has a masked, wiggling penis in a jar on his bedside table......

As long as I don't mistake the jar with the teeth for that one, life is good.

[TheBaxter]

The Happening was pants.

There's that British "pants" expression again. I'm not British! What does it mean???????

i thought this was another reference to burl's av. i'm confused.

[Simon Quinlank]

The Happening was pants.

There's that British "pants" expression again. I'm not British! What does it mean???????

You're pants.


I refer you to http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pants - sections 2, 3.2 & 4.

[minstrel]

The Happening was pants.

There's that British "pants" expression again. I'm not British! What does it mean???????

You're pants.

Not true. According to the infallible Zone ranking system, I am "Airwolf Plus". You, on the other hand, are a primitive screwhead.

[so sorry]

What does any of this have to do with the Matrix?

[Maui]

Or pants?

[Bob Samonkey]

Can we get Pacina to just change all of our ranks to Pants...

[John-Locke]

Just watched this, I was expecting to hate it and I didn't. I turned Lady In The Water off after about 15 minutes as it just oozed pretentiousness, this one was so bad it was actually kinda fun in a Roland Emmerich kinda way (but actually not as good as a Roland Emmerich film).

Most of the suicides were disappointing but the guys throwing themselves off the building and the lawnmower bit worked well in a voyeuristic way, they weren't tense or scary, just fucked up and funny. I'm a Wahlberg fan, in some films he's got a nice everyman quality that I like but here I found his attempts to play a Science teacher who is kind of an Idiot savant hilarious, no matter what was going on or had happened elsewhere he seemed to be removed from that reality to an extent, in some weird state of shock that was totally unreal, clearly he was being given direction to behave in this manner.

So yeah it's one of those rare films that actually is so bad that it's good (well not good but fun) and intentional or not it did feel like a cheesy B movie.

Plants releasing some toxin that can make us kill ourselves I can suspend my disbelief for but them being in cahoots with atmospheric pressure and getting the fucking wind to help them with their plan is so fucking ridiculous that I'm starting to think that the big twist in this film is that it is a comedy sold as a thriller.

4/10

[Bob Samonkey]

Ok. How about just Airwolf Pants...

[Ribbons]

I'm a Wahlberg fan, in some films he's got a nice everyman quality that I like but here I found his attempts to play a Science teacher who is kind of an Idiot savant hilarious, no matter what was going on or had happened elsewhere he seemed to be removed from that reality to an extent, in some weird state of shock that was totally unreal, clearly he was being given direction to behave in this manner.

Yeah I try not to be overly critical of actors but in this case I think the movie would have been a lot Better (though not necessarily more enjoyable) with a different lead. Wahlberg was obviously either going for or being told to play against type, but it didn't suit him at all. His character seemed like he was from another planet.

[burlivesleftnut]

I'm a Wahlberg fan, in some films he's got a nice everyman quality that I like but here I found his attempts to play a Science teacher who is kind of an Idiot savant hilarious, no matter what was going on or had happened elsewhere he seemed to be removed from that reality to an extent, in some weird state of shock that was totally unreal, clearly he was being given direction to behave in this manner.

Yeah I try not to be overly critical of actors but in this case I think the movie would have been a lot Better (though not necessarily more enjoyable) with a different lead. Wahlberg was obviously either going for or being told to play against type, but it didn't suit him at all. His character seemed like he was from another planet.

I agree with everything you say. But for some reason I enjoyed the performance. He was so over the top optimistic in the face of clear brutality, that it HAD to be that he was either a total idiot (which he wasn't) or he was just trying to keep the situation under some kind of control. I also think that alot of the scenes that people mention as being stupid, we meant to be kind of funny. I didn't really like the movie that much, but I was entertained despite its stupidity. And Wahlberg was a big part of that. It was like all this stuff was happening and it had no emotional resonance with him. So fucking earnest. I think it's hysterical that he watches two kids get gunned down right in front of him and then sloughs it off like he has more important things to think about. PLUS, he is a high school science teacher, which makes him half-moron at least. But he was a god damn EARNEST high school science teacher, and that's just funny.

What's really weird about this movie is that it starts off addressing a really serious subject. What's happening to the bees? There are whole books about what would happen to the world if bees disappeared, and I think M. Night missed an opportunity to tell a truly scary environmental horror film about disappearing bees and that effect on mankind. Probably even that would be silly, but it would certainly be more realistic and honest. Fuck having the trees spew out dangerous toxins that somehow cause the wind to blow. I would rather see a world where food shortages have fuckered things up so bad and so quickly that people are tearing each other apart. Maybe it could have cannibalism.

Or maybe the trees should have been cannibals. This movie would have been elevated to cult status had it ended with the trees just going nuts like Ents.