Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Village Idiot: The Case Against M. Night Shyamalan
Slate ^ | July 30, 2004 | Michael Agger

Posted on 08/02/2004 6:04:08 AM PDT by BluegrassScholar

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 201-217 next last
To: BluegrassScholar
The Sixth Sense became one of top 10 grossing films of all time, and what does M. Night do with his newfound power? He stays put in Philadelphia, refusing to move to L.A. and play ball. He creates a local film industry around his productions. And most importantly, he begins the process of burnishing his legend. When a reporter asks him what he wanted his name to mean in the future, he replied, "Originality." Access to his scripts in progress is extremely limited, lest anyone reveal their secrets.

That sums up the big problem with Shyamalan in Slate's mind.

How dare he work outside the system! How dare he not "play ball" with the important people in Hollywood! How dare he want to live with his family in his own hometown rather than learn to live like the elite in LA!

He must be stopped I tell you!

BTW, the definition of "Blockbuster" is a movie which makes over $100 million. Here are the Box Office results of his (major) movies and why this Slate article is so full of crap.

1999 The Sixth Sense $293.5 million
2000 Unbreakable $95 million
2002 Signs $227.9 million
2004 The Village $50.8 million (opening weekend)

Unbreakable (undeniably his weakest film) was $5 million short of "Blockbuster" status. His other films are well beyond normal Blockbusters and will allow him to be the scourge of Slate for as long as Slate is around. In fact, he will be able to laugh about that long forgotten internet "magazine" decades before he retires in luxury from his non-Holloywood filmmaking.

21 posted on 08/02/2004 6:50:44 AM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BluegrassScholar
I see more mean critics:

"Critics were enjoined after the screening to avoid revealing the plot secrets. That is not because we would spoil the movie for you. It's because if you knew them, you wouldn't want to go. The whole enterprise is a shaggy dog story, and in a way, it is all secrets. I can hardly discuss it at all without being maddingly vague."

Roger Ebert (one star)

22 posted on 08/02/2004 6:51:15 AM PDT by Leroy S. Mort
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TonyS6
1) William Hurt always acts like he is on drugs - he was the same in "Dune".

2) Your logic faults are right on. And I knew within five minutes that the "monsters" were going to turn out to be Hurt and his hellow Elders wearing suits. Which is too bad, because the movie might have been much more effective if they were real.

3) Bryce Dallas Howard is a revelation, and deserves to have a long, successful career in Hollywood.

23 posted on 08/02/2004 6:53:41 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: BluegrassScholar

(Safe to read, no spoilers, just my opinion)

I have really enjoyed Shyamalan's work. I thought Signs was great and the Sixth Sense will be a classic.

That said, I saw The Village on Friday evening with a group of teens. YEECH! It was long, pretty predictable and STUPID! And for crying out loud, move on with this color "red" thing. He used it in Unbreakable and Sixth Sense. Try another device! The story was so unbelievable that it was annoying. There was some suspense, which is what we were expecting, but it all fell apart in the last third.

The teens I took said it was not what they expected, but for the most part, "thought" they liked it. Coming out of a movie not sure whether you liked it or not is generally not a good thing. I also drifted to sleep in the first third for about 5-10 minutes. The last movie I did that in was Vanilla Sky. At least I only spent 6 bucks. I should have waited until Tuesday night, the $4 show.

Anyone else?


24 posted on 08/02/2004 6:53:48 AM PDT by YankeeGirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BluegrassScholar

I saw this movie with my son and we were both bored to tears. At one level the movie can be viewed as a metaphor for the USA post 9/11 with the William Hurt character as The President scaring people with 'the aliens' beyond our borders and the safe color business. The only good thing about this movie was Bryce Howard who almost single handedly saved the movie.


25 posted on 08/02/2004 6:53:57 AM PDT by Timocrat (I Emanate on your Auras and Penumbras Mr Blackmun)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marty60

"Boy this guy really must not like M Night personally. this is one personal hit piece."

Hit piece ordered by Harvey fatso Whinestein? Possible



26 posted on 08/02/2004 6:58:18 AM PDT by SunnySide
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MrsEmmaPeel

I'd give:
Signs 10
Unbreakable 7
Sixth Sense 9-9.5

Village - You owe ME points for seeing it.


27 posted on 08/02/2004 7:02:18 AM PDT by YankeeGirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: BluegrassScholar

Signs was quite good, and the critic is too harsh I think about Unbreakable. I haven't seen the others.


28 posted on 08/02/2004 7:02:20 AM PDT by Petronski (Edwards threatening al Qaida is like Pee Wee Herman threatening Luca Brazzi.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BluegrassScholar

Personally, I have enjoyed all of the Shyamalan movies that I have seen. The critic seems to be concerned that Shyamalan is marketing his films (ie, he's not content to be a starving artist), and trying to satisfy his audience.


29 posted on 08/02/2004 7:05:37 AM PDT by Buck W. (The Berger archive scandal, aka the Folies Bergere! How apropos: It's French!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: YankeeGirl
Saw it last night. It wasn't his best, and the ending seemed rushed, but all in all, I did like it. Actually, except for the way the ending was portrayed, I like the film very much. The element of living with Fear of what lies just beyond your border really makes you think.

I give it a 7 out of 10. The first two thirds of the film, plus the acting carried the film...

30 posted on 08/02/2004 7:05:42 AM PDT by Portnoy (Fahrenheit 451...Today's Temperature is hotter than you think...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Jeeves

Somone told me she is Ron Howard's daughter. Anyone know if this is true? I liked her too. As for the movie, see it at the dollar theatre or rent the DVD. It's not worth the ticket price. I loved sixth sense and Signs, but this movie was simply (in my opinion) boring.


31 posted on 08/02/2004 7:14:54 AM PDT by nyconse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: nyconse

Also, if you like scary movies...try Stir Of Echoes with Kevin Bacon. The blockbuster kid (great boy- a fellow horror/ ghost story fan) sugested it, and it was very good. I think it bombed at the Box Office because there were too many good movies out when it was released.


32 posted on 08/02/2004 7:19:29 AM PDT by nyconse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: nyconse

Yes, she is indeed Ron Howard's daughter, and I agree her performance was the best part of the movie. I was disappointed because I had been looking forward to the movie for quite a while. I won't hold it against Shyamalan though, his previous movies (especially Signs) are good enough for me to give him another chance or two.


33 posted on 08/02/2004 7:23:39 AM PDT by sola_fide
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Petronski

Unbreakable was awesome! But then again, I am a major comic geek...JFK


34 posted on 08/02/2004 7:25:41 AM PDT by BADROTOFINGER (Life sucks. Get a helmet.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: YankeeGirl
Village - You owe ME points for seeing it.

That bad?

35 posted on 08/02/2004 7:32:53 AM PDT by MrsEmmaPeel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: BluegrassScholar
I saw it Friday and enjoyed it. I already knew that the advertising champaign was grossing misleading; it was definitely not a horror movie. Shyamalan was educated in Catholic schools and this movie reminded me of theology class discussions on ethical decisions. I would call it a philosophical/theological drama concerning the morality of human acts.

Shyamalan's narrative was on the spartan side and he only concentrated on those scenes that dealt with the object, means and end result of the actions of the elders. The whole look and content struck me as a kind of art house film. Kids looking for a good scare definitely came to the wrong movie.
36 posted on 08/02/2004 7:47:29 AM PDT by Varda
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan
...Philadelphia...insists on shooting most of his films within a day's drive.

He's not the only one in Philly. Well, maybe now: [Saturday] "Blob director dies: Irvin Shortess "Shorty" Yeaworth Jr.,
who directed the 1958 cult movie "The Blob"...much of which was filmed in his Chester County backyard.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1180604/posts

37 posted on 08/02/2004 7:51:48 AM PDT by Calvin Locke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Anitius Severinus Boethius

>>>...,and what does M. Night do with his newfound power? He stays put in Philadelphia, refusing to move to L.A. and play ball.<<<

This statement alone shows the bias of so-called "critcs".

Barry Levinson did the same thing in Baltimore. He made his movies, Diner and Avalon, in his own neighborhood. In Providence, Frank Corrente and in Manhattan, Woody Allen.
All darlings of various film critcs. This is not a review, it is more of a personal attack on M. Night with some subtle bashing of religious/spirtual themed movies.
I am glad I read it, though, since I am now forewarned to aviod the one with Rosie O'Donnell in the starring role.


38 posted on 08/02/2004 7:54:58 AM PDT by ishabibble
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Jeeves

Thanks for the spoiler warning, dork.


39 posted on 08/02/2004 7:55:37 AM PDT by Sloth (John Kerry: Frank Burns with Charles Winchester's pedigree.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: MrsEmmaPeel

"That bad?"



I will admit I had an aggravating day and perhaps wasn't in a great mood.

On the other hand I was very receptive to being entertained by a director I really like and going for some escapism.

What I wanted to escape from was the theatre!

Sixth Sense & Signs left you thinking and wondering about what you just saw. As a matter of fact, with Sixth Sense, I rewound the movie and immediately watched it again. Every time I think about the Village I get this desire to warn people off.


40 posted on 08/02/2004 8:23:53 AM PDT by YankeeGirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 201-217 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson