>> ^chilaxe:

M. Night: 'It's ok if the critics dislike my films because the audiences do.'
No, your movies often lose money you unrepentant .


That's actually not true. Even his lowest grossing movie (Lady in the Water) made its budget back, if only barely, and is the closest thing he's made to a financial flop.

As much as everyone hated Airbender, it made over $300 million worldwide. The Happening, his next most derided movie, made over $160. So as much as everyone hates him, we're still seeing his movies.

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That's what was missing from Citizen Kane - freeway car flips. Michael Bay should do a remake.>> ^spoco2:

>> ^dag:
Well how about the free pass that Bay gets to make the same rock-m-sock-em robot movie over and over. God, if I never see another Transformer again in my life I'll be happy.
What's wrong with you? Don't you want to see a car chase on a freeway again?
With cars flipping over?
Come on, we all love cars flipping.
On freeways.

>> ^dag:

Well how about the free pass that Bay gets to make the same rock-m-sock-em robot movie over and over. God, if I never see another Transformer again in my life I'll be happy.

What's wrong with you? Don't you want to see a car chase on a freeway again?

With cars flipping over?

Come on, we all love cars flipping.

On freeways.

>> ^dag:

In fact he seems to be mercilessly mocked and ridiculed.

and very rightly so.

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Well how about the free pass that Bay gets to make the same rock-m-sock-em robot movie over and over. God, if I never see another Transformer again in my life I'll be happy.

I've *at least* mildly enjoyed every Shymalan flick I've seen. (although I have not seen the Airbender movie) My point is that a lot of Directors get a free ride. I wouldn't say that Shymalan is one of them. In fact he seems to be mercilessly mocked and ridiculed. Probably because he puts himself out there - and comparing himself to Hitchcock doesn't help. He's eccentric - and I like him.
>> ^smooman:

>> ^dag:
I'm with you on this one. I would prefer to watch the worst Shymalan movie over the best Michael Bay flick. Somehow Bay gets a free-ride for his CGI splooge fests. At least M. Night's movies focus on story over special effects. And also - Sixth Sense was a sensational movie - he gets a lot of credit from me for that one. >> ^shponglefan:
I don't get all the Shyamalan hate. I've seen almost everything he's made (starting with Sixth Sense up to and including The Happening), and imho he hasn't really made a bad movie. The problem seems to be he made a really good one (Sixth Sense) and has been living in its shadow ever since.


while i dont contest your points on michael bay (but really tho, someone has to make the dumbed down, cgi porn, movies that will appease the average movie goer) couldnt one argue that shyalaman was more or less given a free pass to shill out essentially the same movie in a different package over and over and over again. he makes sixth sense, its a smashing success, he's hailed as among the best new filmmakers at the time, everyone and their mom wants to finance his next movie....i dont see a difference

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>> ^dag:

I'm with you on this one. I would prefer to watch the worst Shymalan movie over the best Michael Bay flick. Somehow Bay gets a free-ride for his CGI splooge fests. At least M. Night's movies focus on story over special effects. And also - Sixth Sense was a sensational movie - he gets a lot of credit from me for that one. >> ^shponglefan:
I don't get all the Shyamalan hate. I've seen almost everything he's made (starting with Sixth Sense up to and including The Happening), and imho he hasn't really made a bad movie. The problem seems to be he made a really good one (Sixth Sense) and has been living in its shadow ever since.



while i dont contest your points on michael bay (but really tho, someone has to make the dumbed down, cgi porn, movies that will appease the average movie goer) couldnt one argue that shyalaman was more or less given a free pass to shill out essentially the same movie in a different package over and over and over again. he makes sixth sense, its a smashing success, he's hailed as among the best new filmmakers at the time, everyone and their mom wants to finance his next movie....i dont see a difference

@xxovercastxx

I'm perhaps less of a hater than others posting, but really I only feel that Shammy has two good movies and maybe not in the order that everyone else seems to think:

I thought Unbreakable was a bit meh. Everyone seemed to love it, but I have a real hard time with movies that end with text (with the possible exception of historical movies and even then I'm never a huge fan of text as a way to tie up a film). In Unbreakable's case though, I found it even worse because they were glossing over really important stuff. I feel like that movie could have worked amazingly for me if they tacked on another 45 min where Sam Jackson actively became the bad guy. To me he ended that movie right at the point where it got interesting.

Then came Six Sense. It was good, but the major problem I have with it is that it is a two view movie. I never want to see it again. You see it once to get "fooled" by the twist and then you watch it again to catch all the little things... oh look, he's wearing the same set of clothes the whole time, oh look, nobody except the little boy talks back to him, oh look, he's dead. Don't get me wrong, this is one of his two good movies, but I feel like the dependency on the twist is the movie, you remove that and there is nothing really to it.

Which brings me to Signs. I actually think this is his best movie specifically BECAUSE it would have worked great without the twist. The buildup is masterful. The fear of what you DON'T see if perfect in this film. The sound editing and music were fantastic. Mind you, I'm a sucker for aliens, but this movie really pushed my buttons in a good way right up until the end. There was a review I read around the time that came out that really summarized it: this is like Jaws with aliens. You don't see them much for most of the movie and then the last third they are trapped on a boat (house) with the baddies circling outside ready to pick them off. As for the twist, I actually didn't mind it, and I didn't care about the water thing. The only thing that heavily concerned me was that Shammy was suddenly showing an almost cartoon-like dependency on this whole "twist" thing.

And there is where I fall in line with everyone else: it seems like he can't make a movie (aside from Airbender to which he didn't write the fundamental plot) without some sort of hidden twist. The Village, the Happening... again it would have been really interesting to see what he could have done with these movies if he had just played them straight.

It is kind of sad to watch him in this video though. To say that someone "didn't get" The Last Airbender is kinda ludicrous. It was painful on so many levels that I strongly feel he can't hide behind the whole "its for kids" thing. All I have to say to that is: Pixar. Anyone who panders to kids and doesn't challenge them with a movie good enough for adults to enjoy just shouldn't be making movies.

Then again, if Uwe Boll can keep making movies, I'm not surprised Shammy keeps getting bank rolled for his films. I just hope one day he can realize that he has the talent for a good buildup without the need to turn it all Twilight Zone at the end. I feel like the whole world is yelling that at him but he isn't listening...

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I'm with you on this one. I would prefer to watch the worst Shymalan movie over the best Michael Bay flick. Somehow Bay gets a free-ride for his CGI splooge fests. At least M. Night's movies focus on story over special effects. And also - Sixth Sense was a *sensational* movie - he gets a lot of credit from me for that one. >> ^shponglefan:

I don't get all the Shyamalan hate. I've seen almost everything he's made (starting with Sixth Sense up to and including The Happening), and imho he hasn't really made a bad movie. The problem seems to be he made a really good one (Sixth Sense) and has been living in its shadow ever since.

>> ^packo:

>> ^Jinx:
I actually quite liked Lady in the Water...Maybe I'll watch it again someday I wonder what I was thinkin.
But yah. Airbender. Wow was that shit. I've seen better on straight to DVD. I think my favorite bit was the romance between that little ice princess and some guy which goes from first meeting, to love at first to her giving her life in about 6 seconds flat. Yes the acting was terrible, but so was everything else. Literally everything...oh the effects were ok!
The Happening was worse tho. Nothing happened. Well some trees shook in the wind and people went suicidal. The End.

because audiences have too much ADD to enjoy a story where danger literally surrounds you, but doesn't come in the form of a CGI-alien or explosion... how do you fight plant life? or bacteria? or viruses?
in a movie that is hard... the brain dead way (pun) is to use zombies... then we can alleviate some of that ADD with boo scare factor
literally people have to stop going to his films expecting summer blockbusters... and have to start looking at the characterization more... he's not aiming for highbrow, and too many lowbrow seem to go to his movies and get pissed... he wants you to invest a bit into the movie, not just be taken for a pants wetting ride
the same people (i've found anyhoos) who detest his movies, find Hitchcock to be boring as well... I'm not saying MNS and HC are on the same level... but there's definitely some stylistic overlap...
you get out what you put in... if you have nothing to put in, there's plenty of summer blockbusters to for you... you can drool over Megan Fox (or her replacement) and then drool over how cool the transformers look and come out feeling like you spent your money well... but hardly as though you've been challenged as a viewer... beyond eye strain I suppose


from someone who finds hitchcocks approach fascinating, shyalaman is a fucking dumbass

incorrect, please put more time and energy into a rebuttal next time.
In reply to this comment by smooman:
>> ^shponglefan:

I don't get all the Shyamalan hate. I've seen almost everything he's made (starting with Sixth Sense up to and including The Happening), and imho he hasn't really made a bad movie. The problem seems to be he made a really good one (Sixth Sense) and has been living in its shadow ever since.


incorrect, sixth sense was ..... decent and he's been recycling the same damn formula over and over again because he's a one trick pony

>> ^shponglefan:

I don't get all the Shyamalan hate. I've seen almost everything he's made (starting with Sixth Sense up to and including The Happening), and imho he hasn't really made a bad movie. The problem seems to be he made a really good one (Sixth Sense) and has been living in its shadow ever since.


incorrect, sixth sense was ..... decent and he's been recycling the same damn formula over and over again because he's a one trick pony

Hi M. Night!

>> ^packo:


because audiences have too much ADD to enjoy a story where danger literally surrounds you, but doesn't come in the form of a CGI-alien or explosion... how do you fight plant life? or bacteria? or viruses?
in a movie that is hard... the brain dead way (pun) is to use zombies... then we can alleviate some of that ADD with boo scare factor
literally people have to stop going to his films expecting summer blockbusters... and have to start looking at the characterization more... he's not aiming for highbrow, and too many lowbrow seem to go to his movies and get pissed... he wants you to invest a bit into the movie, not just be taken for a pants wetting ride
the same people (i've found anyhoos) who detest his movies, find Hitchcock to be boring as well... I'm not saying MNS and HC are on the same level... but there's definitely some stylistic overlap...
you get out what you put in... if you have nothing to put in, there's plenty of summer blockbusters to for you... you can drool over Megan Fox (or her replacement) and then drool over how cool the transformers look and come out feeling like you spent your money well... but hardly as though you've been challenged as a viewer... beyond eye strain I suppose

>> ^Jinx:

I actually quite liked Lady in the Water...Maybe I'll watch it again someday I wonder what I was thinkin.
But yah. Airbender. Wow was that shit. I've seen better on straight to DVD. I think my favorite bit was the romance between that little ice princess and some guy which goes from first meeting, to love at first to her giving her life in about 6 seconds flat. Yes the acting was terrible, but so was everything else. Literally everything...oh the effects were ok!
The Happening was worse tho. Nothing happened. Well some trees shook in the wind and people went suicidal. The End.


because audiences have too much ADD to enjoy a story where danger literally surrounds you, but doesn't come in the form of a CGI-alien or explosion... how do you fight plant life? or bacteria? or viruses?

in a movie that is hard... the brain dead way (pun) is to use zombies... then we can alleviate some of that ADD with boo scare factor

literally people have to stop going to his films expecting summer blockbusters... and have to start looking at the characterization more... he's not aiming for highbrow, and too many lowbrow seem to go to his movies and get pissed... he wants you to invest a bit into the movie, not just be taken for a pants wetting ride

the same people (i've found anyhoos) who detest his movies, find Hitchcock to be boring as well... I'm not saying MNS and HC are on the same level... but there's definitely some stylistic overlap...

you get out what you put in... if you have nothing to put in, there's plenty of summer blockbusters to for you... you can drool over Megan Fox (or her replacement) and then drool over how cool the transformers look and come out feeling like you spent your money well... but hardly as though you've been challenged as a viewer... beyond eye strain I suppose