ROTTEN on TOMATOES..
Variety hits: ‘Trap’ Review: Josh Hartnett Plays a Serial Killer in an M. Night Shyamalan Thriller Where Each Twist is More Contrived Than the Last
Meagan Navvaro positive review..
DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE will stay strong.. Shyamalan hoping for a $15 mil opening.. developing..
BOX OFFICE TRAP: 48% ROTTEN SCORE; M NIGHT AND HARTNETT FILM BEING CALLED A JUMBLED MESS
THIS IS DEVELOPING..
The trailer promised “only in theaters” this summer…
Some wondered.. what is a theater.
Nonetheless, the new Shyamalan film’s trailer appeared in the early portion of the Super Bowl on CBS..
The movie is called OLD.
Starring Gael García Beral (Mozart in the Jungle) and Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), the film is reportedly based on Sandcastle, a graphic novel by Pierre Oscar Levy. The story focuses on a family’s trip to a beach, and the dark secrets they discover behind its corners.
It’s unclear how faithfully Shyamalan’s movie adapts the Levy story, but in the trailer, we get the beach, the family, and true to the director’s horror-thriller roots, a supernatural turn of events.
Old is among a wave of new films shot under strict set guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic…
This is a good article about the reason THE VISIT did NOT suck
M Night gets an unfair shake so many times over.. Even with the VISIT. I saw it and loved it.. But I loved some of the other films people called stinkers. But I do think THE VISIT was just fine, just completely fine.
For years, the legendary M Night Shyamalan has lost his luster.. gone were the hits and surprise endings.. And in were the critics who slammed him for lame story lines and hackneyed tales and fables.
WAYWARD PINES was different..
Since the inception of the show, ratings were strong.
Viewers seemingly have become content with NIGHT’s PINES after ten episodes–something people were pondering, would viewers accept his style after so many busts at the box office..? They did.
The program has already covered Blake Crouch’s entire trilogy.. But rumors persist: If FOX wants more, there are ideas.. There are also rumored ‘preliminary’ discussions about the program and whether more are coming..
FOX may see ratings and get ideas. The series began strong–and ended strong. The show was strong throughout the duration.. TVSERIESFINALE.COM has the numbers proving success.. there were only two weeks where large drop offs took place. Otherwise, the final show soared 22%..
x x x
The success of WAYWARD PINES is fueling hopes in the Shyamalan camp that the pesky movies some former fans called atrocities in cinema may be behind him. Things like THE VILLAGE, LADY IN THE WATER, and THE HAPPENING–though I have professed my fondness on a number of occasions for all three aforementioned non-hits.
This fall, September 11 to be exact, THE VISIT will premiere in theaters..
To what audiences?
To what money?
To what success or lukewarm response?
Time will tell.
But I think the M NIGHT name may be stronger than the weakest moments. People are fond of THE SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS. That is how we got to know Shaymalan. And all those others are forgivable.
In the movie business, directors get second chances. In this case, perhaps 5th chances.
After WAYWARD PINES, newfound respect is being given to Shyamalan–perhaps enough respect that he will end up with a season 2 along with a hit autumn chiller..
M. Night Shyamalan: People pleasing can be dangerous
Your movies can please some of the people some of the time.
But LADY IN THE WATER, THE HAPPENING, and THE VILLAGE will please none of the people all of the time…
M. Night Shyamalan Ruined The ‘Independence Day’ Sequel For Will Smith
Roland Emmerich on why Will Smith isn’t considering it, two words and an initial : M Night Shayamalan.
““In the very beginning, I wanted to work with him and he was excited to be in it but then after a while he was tired of sequels, and he did another science fiction film, which was his father-son story, so he opted out.”
For years, M Night Shyalaman has been equally regarded as a genius and washed up director.. Fans love him. Critics hate him.. a new movie coming out this fall called THE VISIT, at least according to Jason Blum, may help some get restored faith in NIGHT..
Blum said,
“And I think when you see “The Visit,” and when people see “The Visit,” they’ll see it’s — you know, he’s really back to — it feels like one of his earlier movies, and it really feels like one of the Night films that made him who he is. It’s really scary, and really gets under your skin. It’s more of a…thriller, but it’s a terrific movie, I’m really proud of it. And I’m even prouder of it that…I think people will be very pleasantly surprised by it.”
M NIGHT SHYAMALAN is back with a ten episode miniseries set to air tonight, THURSDAY at 9pm edt..
The long anticipated program, WAYWARD PINES, is promising typical plot twists in the M NIGHT style.. But the question will now be: Will viewers appreciate it after all of the duds that people have attributed to the Shyamalan name..?
Matt Dillon stars as a Secret Service agent who arrives in a tiny, picturesque Idaho town (that could be called Creepyville, USA) to investigate a case, but learns he can’t leave. No one can. If people try to escape, it can deadly..
Cast members also include Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, Toby Jones and Juliette Lewis. Shyamalan said that after casting Dillon, it was Leo’s role that helped shape his vision of the series.
The UK GUARDIAN took the chance to profile Shyalaman as he leaps from movies to television (but back to movies this fall with the VISIT).. The report points out that the director went to a celebrated new version of Hitchcock to a laughing stock.. Which version shows up for WAYWARD is yet to be seen–but even more interesting will be the ratings game.
M Night Shyalaman has had hits. He has had duds.. He has had the LADY IN THE WATER..
This year, he’s back, and as usual, a mixed bag of fans and foes are beginning to study each second of the trailer for the new film THE VISIT..
From what we know, the movie’s premise revolves around children going to see their grandchildren at a rural Pennsylvania farm.. After some strange goings on, it becomes clear that things get weird after 9:30..
The trailer for the movie is here:
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
Showcasing the multitude of viewpoints on the new film’s potential, we can offer up links to two alternative sources of information with varied opinions on the trailer. Laura Bradley writes that the trailer is unintentionally hilarious in SLATE.. She writes,
Anyone who sat through The Happening might not be able to believe it, but Shyamalan has managed to make a horror movie about something even less scary than plants: grandma and grandpa.
Mike Schuster with IFC takes a different approach, asking if this could be Shyamalan’s first ‘good movie’ in over a decade—though some true and tridents fans may see that opening question as a false narrative, it’s clear that the box office successes of SIXTH SENSE and SIGNS didn’t translate into future success for the HAPPENING, THE VILLAGE, or LADY IN THE WATER. Schuster says this about the trailer, which appears to be promising to him:
It might get your hopes up that Shyamalan’s back in the game. And God knows we’ve been burned before
My take..
The movie showcases some of what Shyalaman does best, in my thought. He sets a peaceful and quaint location with brilliance. He startles with simplicity.. And he knows how to make Pennsylvania look like Pennsylvania, as someone from the same state he made famous with his Philadelphia films.. The trailer doesn’t give much away, obviously. I think the trailer is actually weak—maybe I agree more with Bradley’s SLATE thoughts than I do the IFC viewpoint..
I never judge a Shyalaman movie until it’s over. Completely over.
Call me nuts, some have, but I thought certain aspects of LADY IN THE WATER were beautiful and amazing. Same with the VILLAGE..
I think most would agree the HAPPENING just wasn’t happnin’..
But THE VISIT?
We will see when the autumn leaves begin to change and September 11 rolls around. His movie will be in theaters.. for better or worse..