M. Night Shyamalan's latest creepy movie, The Happening, is released this Friday the 13th (oooooh). Amusingly, The Happening was originally called The Green Effect, and the film is now in direct competition with Hulk -- and it's inevitable the green guy's effects will be felt on Shyamalan's box office.
Cinematical have a short interview with the filmmaker:
"Just like Unbreakable has found its glory over time. It takes time for all the movies to be seen individually. I just gotta keep my head down and make movies."
I've read The Happening's script and enjoyed it. The idea is excellent and it read as a good old-fashioned 70s-style apocalyptic thriller. But I've heard bad things about the actual film, particularly regarding a terrible performance from Mark Wahlberg. Let's wait and see what the reviews say. But is it being intentionally buried by Hulk, or was the Friday 13th thing just too good to pass up?
And is anyone interested in Shyamalan's work now, anyway -- after box-office bombs The Village and Lady In The Water? Personally, I think Shyamalan gets treated unfairly by critics. The Sixth Sense was undeniably excellent. Unbreakable was cool, just far too long. Signs was enjoyable and the silly reveal of the aliens' weakness didn't bother me too much. The Village is very underrated (I love the twist and didn't guess it). But, yeah, Lady In The Water was absolutely awful. I can't see me paying money to see what's Happening at the cinema this week, but a DVD rental should be in order.
