M. Night Shyamalan

davp99 · Jul 21, 2004

Did Anyone check out this 3 hour Blair Witch Project Clone the other night on Sci-fi channel ?? I missed the first 1/2 hour, but i guess the Secret was he "Drowned" when he was a kid, but was brought back, and now sees a Ghost by the Name of "Henry"....i Thought the 4 or 5 Black Limo's was jumping the Shark ... and the Crow flying out of a sealed Room in one of Nights previous homes...and the Reflection of a Person in the Mirror, that i guess turns into the crow...and the Static when Night is Upset...the Fuzzy Picture ... whew... Hoaxed or what? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Dave.. </div>

zavvy · Jul 21, 2004

M. Night Shyamalan Documentary a Publicity Stunt http://advertising.about.com/b/a/099942.htm The Sci Fi Channel and NBC Universal admit a three hour program promoted as an unauthorized documentary of director M. Night Shyamalan was really just a publicity stunt to hype the July 30 release of "The Village." Shyamalan was actually a part of the special but says he wasn't involved in the marketing strategy that dubbed it a "disturbing expose" that claimed the director shut down after producers tried to get into the secrets of his personal life.

tom_hobbes · Jul 21, 2004

Strangely I've been looking forward to 'The Village'. All of his other deeply flawed films have crackled with potential while suffering some agonisingly bad story lines, logic and endings. But I keep hoping. The material itself looks more promising this time. An allegorical tale perhaps? I really want this to be the one that delivers. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I wish I could remember But my selective memory Won't let me - Mark Oliver Everett </div>

wmdragon · Jul 21, 2004

you didnt think Sixth Sense delivered? I agree about the other two, enjoyed them but didnt quite come together. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

tom_hobbes · Jul 21, 2004

You're right. I didn't. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I wish I could remember But my selective memory Won't let me - Mark Oliver Everett </div>

larper · Jul 21, 2004

I think M. Night Shyamalan is one of the best things to happen to Hollywood in a long time. His movies are different, fun, exiting, thrilling. And different. Did I say Different? Everyone else is making sequels, or movie versions of old TV shows, or superhero movies, or remakes of remakes (how many times can you do Arthur, or King Kong?) Shyamalan and Pixar are the only things new in movies right now. 6th sense rocked. Unbreakable was ok. Signs rocked just as much as 6th sense. I have been eagerly awaiting The Village since I first heard about it. I am sure he won't disappoint. What exactly about 6th Sense did you not like? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Vote Libertarian </div>

Saiph · Jul 21, 2004

6th sense kicked butt Unbreakable was a neat twist, and a decent story. Signs rocked, for the first half. Then died a horrible, ignoble death. The village...hopefully he learned his lesson from signs, and he'll pull it off. He's got talent, he's got style, he just...I don't know, missed something somewhere. I'd also disagree that he and Pixare are the only things new in movies. LoTR was really new. The first Matrix was really new. Spiderman pioneered a commpletely new standard in Superhero movies. Minority report (it finally got the "future telling" thing right), Momento (not sure how new that is) are also good, original movies. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> --------------------SaiphMOD@gmail.com -------------------"This is my Timey Wimey Detector. Goes "bing" when there's stuff. It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually. I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink" </div>

Saiph · Jul 21, 2004

probably ended up being more focused on the village than the woods. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> --------------------SaiphMOD@gmail.com -------------------"This is my Timey Wimey Detector. Goes "bing" when there's stuff. It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually. I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink" </div>

davp99 · Jul 21, 2004

Adrien Brody(sp) came off as something of a weasel, don'tcha think ? But the "Mockumentary" had some good scenes, the kid in the Mirror was kind of Cool.. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Dave.. </div>

larper · Jul 22, 2004

Why do people not like Signs? Is it because you were led to believe it was a SciFi movie, when it really wasn't? I think it was great. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Vote Libertarian </div>

wmdragon · Jul 22, 2004

I liked it enough, the alien dread element and the coming together of all the 'coincidences' in the end. but the family forgetting the kid's asthma medicine and leaving the dog outside, with an imminent alien invasion?! please <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

Saiph · Jul 22, 2004

1) I wasn't duped into thinking it was Sci Fi. 2) It felt like a horror film (with sci-fi twist) to begin with. 3) Throw in a test of a mans faith (not a bad idea) 4) Kill it with a heavy handed execution of #3 5) Ruin the thriller part by some non-creepy views of the alien 6) Kill it with water (see rant above). I mean, I can't have any respect for a film (that isn't a comedy) having the nasty aliens defeated (or potentially, since we never saw this) by super-soakers! I liked the characters, I like a lot of plot elements. But near the end it lost any and all credibilty for me. My ability to give the film some elbowroom evaporated, due to 4-6. And I have a few other complaints, but it's been quite some time since I last saw the film. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> --------------------SaiphMOD@gmail.com -------------------"This is my Timey Wimey Detector. Goes "bing" when there's stuff. It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually. I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink" </div>

odysseus145 · Jul 22, 2004

M. Night Shyamalan did the screenplay for Stuart Little. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164912/ <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

larper · Jul 22, 2004

6) Kill it with water But that was part of the whole point. I agree that if this had been a scifi or horror movie, it would have been incredibly stupid. But, it was a movie about a man's test of faith. Did you catch the new report in the background how the aliens were being driven off by an ancient method? Holy water. They aliens were not aliens. They were simply a method by which god tests man's faith. Of course, I am an athiest, so what do I know. I just really liked it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Vote Libertarian </div>

larper · Jul 22, 2004

I have had similar discussions with other people about my all time favorite Star Trek NG episode, "Darmok". They will argue that it is impossible for a society to communicate that way and be a spacefairing civilization. I argue that that is not the point, and that the writing and execution of that episode were so well done that it stands alone as perhaps the best piece of SciFi ever to appear on television. To each their own. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Vote Libertarian </div>

spacechump · Jul 23, 2004

Darn larper you beat me too it. My friends and I too came to the conclusion that it was holy water. But I don't think it was just one man's faith tested so to speak but that of humanity in general. His daughter was the conduit to make the connection of holy water by Mel (she was his little angel) possible. Others also made the connection through some "awakening".....at least that was my take on it.

tom_hobbes · Jul 23, 2004

What part of signs isn't science fiction? It's pure SF. The same story elements can be found in many science fiction novels, stories, screenplays etc. I think you're mistaking what science fiction itself is. As a genre it's both broad and deep, more so than most Media SF seems able to contain. Frankenstein is science fiction. 1984 is science fiction. The Handmaids Tale is science fiction. And yes Babylon 5 is science fiction. That line of argument doesn't add to or detract from the film. It's just not very good on it's own terms. The cod religious element fell horribly flat. Especially the ludicrous nature of it. His wife died horribly, cut in half by a careless motorist to test his faith and save his son's life by causing him to remember to tell his brother to swing a baseball bat at the right moment or something like that? The film squandered a lot of carefully built suspense. The explicit revealing of the menace was a mistake. That grainy TV footage of the alien in an alley was both effective and ambiguous. To go beyond that level of revelation is almost always a mistake, and film makers are more prone to it than ever. The water nemesis, I'm assuming contact with air would have finished them off already? What the hell kind of life could be based on complete exclusion of water? Why invade a planet who's surface is mostly covered with the stuff and who's atmosphere is drenched with it? Why am I bothering? Look, the film was effective on many levels. The wonderful relationships and how the children and adults cope with the unknown in the early parts of the story was refreshing and original. But as a whole, it's a mess. I agree that Sixth Sense was altogether more successful, and I do remember enjoying the film when I went to see it. But it was unsatisfying in some vague way. Not substantial enough. There was no underlying theme, the surface of the story glitters but it's cold <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I wish I could remember But my selective memory Won't let me - Mark Oliver Everett </div>

wmdragon · Jul 23, 2004

The water nemesis, I'm assuming contact with air would have finished them off already? What the hell kind of life could be based on complete exclusion of water? Why invade a planet who's surface is mostly covered with the stuff and who's atmosphere is drenched with it? that could all be explained away with just a little effort: only high concentrations of water are harmful, they attacked inland places, their technology was advanced enough to predict weather and avoid rains, they needed human prey badly enough to justify the risk. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

canadian_joe · Jul 23, 2004

A field at night? When water will kill you? Now I really enjoyed this movie but still the ending wasn't good at all. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

Leovinus · Jul 23, 2004

What does the "M" stand for. I'm pulling for "Mid". <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

Saiph · Jul 23, 2004

and what's a human.......75% water! All I'm saying is that particular theme did more damage to the movie than any other single aspect. Tom, you did a great job putting to words my feelings about the movie, though I do disagree on sixth sense. I felt there could be more, but there was enough there (even in theme) to satisfy me. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> --------------------SaiphMOD@gmail.com -------------------"This is my Timey Wimey Detector. Goes "bing" when there's stuff. It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually. I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink" </div>

larper · Jul 23, 2004

I don't want this to get into a shouting match. I am not trying to say there is a right way and a wrong way to interpret the movie. So, let me "rant" without taking it personally for a moment. The "aliens" didn't have to make scientifc sense because they weren't really aliens. There were simply a test of faith created by god. As such, they didn't have to make any kind of sense. They just had to exist to convince (some) people that there is a reason for everything. Of course the whole water thing doesn't make sense scientifically. By trying to apply science to it, you miss the whole point, in my opinion. Now, I am an atheist, truly. I don't just believe that the universe makes sense, I know it does. But, I like reading fantasy and such. I like watching movies about superheros and magic and such. I don't try to explain it away. I will bark at inconsistencies within a story, but not about inconsistencies between a story and the real world. I think that crop circles are a bunch of bull. But, the movie, for me, worked. Ok, rant off. I have stated my point as much as I can, and won't say another word on it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Vote Libertarian </div>

Saiph · Jul 23, 2004

Larper: You have given the best case I have ever seen for the "aliens". they're more of the "demons" of long ago and haunt western mythology. If it's going to work, it's going to be via your explaination. So you've made a good, solid point. I still think it fell apart, moreso than his other two movies, which seemed more cohesive, to me anyway. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> --------------------SaiphMOD@gmail.com -------------------"This is my Timey Wimey Detector. Goes "bing" when there's stuff. It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually. I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink" </div>

canadian_joe · Jul 23, 2004

I agree with Saiph that you've made the most convincing arguement for the aliens that I've seen. However M. Night could have accomplished what you say and stuck with something that was a bit more realistic and it would have worked alot better for me along with alot of other people. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

davp99 · Jul 24, 2004

Leave it to Leo for the Comical relief.. Thanx Mike,,<img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /> M = Manoj, Though Old friends call him Noj... BTW, Unbreakable is on TV tonight Saturday 7/24 8pm on ABC... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Dave.. </div>

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