| Posted by: Dream Slasher at July 30, 2008, 9:41 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | i actually loved this movie (one of the few people that do)...I was pretty hyped for this one and couldn't wait for it to come out, and it was even better then i thought it would be. And i'm not the type to like a movie just because I was looking forward to it. IMO this is the best M. Night Shyamalan movie since The Sixth Sense, Signs was ok, hated all his other films. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Trail_Blazer at July 30, 2008, 12:02 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | *SPOILERS BELOW* I'm on the fence.... There were a lot of "poor" things about this... But I think a good amount of them were intentional by M. Night. It's not your typical hollywood horror/thriller. The reactions of the non-main characters seemed pretty realistic.... Seeing people die, and in their shock, they're not freaking out, etc. I also loved the concept.... An "invisible enemy" basically. I wasn't too thrilled with Mark E. Mark's performance (I thought he looked really old in this for some reason) and also Zoey Deschanel did a horrid job too (though admittedly she's nice on the eyes). But the movie was somewhat original (I know there've been killer plant flicks before) with the air toxins, and the way some of the death's were executed. I enjoyed what few death/blood scenes there were though. The highlight of the film was Dante from Clerks (Jeep Driver that John Leguizamo was riding in) flew through the windshield of his Jeep after driving into the tree! Great stuff there, and that ... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: Morzongo at July 29, 2008, 3:31 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I love every Shyamaln movie but this. It was really dissapointing for me. It has bad dialogs, characters without blood in their veins and after the beginning there isn't any kind of intensity on this film. People is running out of the grass! I think Shyamalan is a master movimaker with an extremely efficient minimalism in his shotting style, but this movie was prissioner of this style. He has put more interest in being elegant than in tellin a good story in the best way. The script wasent awful, it was painful, and I don't understand the way much of the characters take their decissions or explein them to the others. I hope Shyamalan will recover his pulse for his upcoming movies. I want another Unbreakable, another Signs or another The Village. Elegant films, with a really emotional way of telling them to the audience. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: dellamorte dellamore at July 28, 2008, 8:10 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I don't know , i think that was supposed to hint to the fact that the toxin is released when exposed to certain emotions , like fear , anger , hostility . I know it's a bit metaphysical and fantastical but maybe not that much of a stretch , because plants are affected by the chemicals people release ( at least in the film they were ) , much like a dog can sense people's emotions because we give off pheromones depending on our emotional state . That's why a dog in the presence of an anxious person will become nervous themselves . In the film , the masses were giving off depressing and nihilistic emotions , thereby creating a hostile , threatening environment for the plant life , so they reacted by releasing the toxin , i'm thinking it was a defense mechanism , a survival instinct . Some people have said that the plant's were releasing the toxin because we were destroying the planet , i think it was because of the aforementioned emotional atmosphere that had been created . Spoilers That's why i feel Elliot , h... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: luthorlex at July 28, 2008, 7:50 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | Without reading all the posts....Whats the deal with the colour blue? His mood ring seemed to be blue when he was feeling happy, or good things aand then amber when it was 'happening'!
I also noticed the house was blue, was this intentional?
All his other films had red as a cue colour, was there red in this? | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Lawgick at July 22, 2008, 5:52 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I just realized something. Maybe this has been brought up already but I'm not reading all those post to find out: SPOILERS Ok, so this toxin shuts down the survival instinct. Alright the brain is a chemical system so I can buy that. But even so...don't the people still feel pain? Why does no one react to saaaaaay getting their arms ripped off by lions? Smashing their head through glass? Hand eaten by lawnmower? Whats the deal? | | Static Link |
| Posted by: pheadx at July 8, 2008, 9:36 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | i figured out what this film is about. In it's heart, it is about two mentally disabled siblings who are in love with each other and want to have a baby. The "attacks from the plants" is the society criticizing their incestuous relationship. In the end, the film takes a semi-liberal turn when they are allowed to be parents without reproducing themselves. freedom and love to our brothers and sisters out there.. hell yeah! | | Static Link |
| Posted by: La Motta at July 8, 2008, 5:44 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | its an entertaining 6 out of 10 marky marks badly casted. hilarious in parts the guy with the beard was a classic! some of the deaths were shockingly brutal to sum up i never got bored with the film although the acting was shocking and the ending disappointing | | Static Link |
| Posted by: spikeshinizle at July 3, 2008, 5:43 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I pretty much totally agree with you psycheoutsteve. It was like a different guy was behind the camera (and the word processor) this time around. How could this movie be from the same man who so carefully crafted The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs (his tightest films in my opinion). I'm still a fan I guess, but my levels of expectation have dropped soooo much. Here's hoping the Avatar movies provide him with the inspiration he obviously needs... | | Static Link |
| Posted by: psycheoutsteve at July 1, 2008, 10:01 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | This film is made more disappointing for me because I know Night is capable of delivering a brilliant script with well written dialogue. The Happening seems like it was written by a middle schooler who was rushing his creative writing assignment. Usually, all of Night's movies have at least one or two scenes of standout acting or dialogue. For instance, in Signs there is a scene where Merril and Graham are talking in the dark after a shocking television broadcast and the message of the movie is embedded in the dialogue. I thought the dialogue in that scene was thought provoking, emotional, and funny when it needed to be. It gave me chills just listening to it, as did almost every scene in the Sixth Sense. It indicated that a clever man with a talent for film making was pulling the strings behind those movies. This man seems to have disappeared during The Happening because all the heart and talent from his previous films have vanished. What's even more disappointing is that James Newton Howard, who usually de... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: Mr.HyDe807 at June 30, 2008, 11:42 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Quote: Originally Posted by MadsenOMC This is guaranteed. Lady in the Water was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay. The Happening is a lock for the same nominations. Not to mention Worst actor....Whalberg or Deschanel is a lock for that! | | Static Link |
| Posted by: MadsenOMC at June 29, 2008, 11:47 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Quote: Originally Posted by psycheoutsteve It could be a major contender for the razzies as well. This is guaranteed. Lady in the Water was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Director, and Worst Screenplay. The Happening is a lock for the same nominations. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: psycheoutsteve at June 28, 2008, 8:29 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | After defending the premise of this film to death and liking all of Night's previous work, upon seeing it I must admit that it is.... A massive piece of shit film with little in the way of redeeming qualities. The acting is fucking atrocious, especially Zooey Deschannel, who's eyes bugged out of her head like she was on cocaine on numerous occasions. Mark Wahlberg tries to be sincere and ends up coming off as extremely fake. It wasn't really his fault though because he didn't have much to work with. What was the point of including a sub plot about a guy Zooey had dessert with? That was the drama that was going on between Wahlberg and her character? THAT'S IT? LAME!!!!! Then we get to the gore scenes, like the zoo scene for instance. Why the fuck would someone's arm be torn off like that? It was extremely fake and ridiculous looking. The dialogue and acting really effects the impact of those scenes as well because both aspects were HORRIBLE! "Are those people clawing at each other?" "Is that bl... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: Badbird at June 27, 2008, 5:35 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Well, the guy on the TV at the end did go on about various toxins that plants can create, I think. I didn't mind the crazy people segments too much. They certainly didn't derail the movie like it did in War of the Worlds. But the gore was really unnecessary. The bit in the lion cage was just stupid. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: dellamorte dellamore at June 27, 2008, 10:10 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I could be wrong , but was it ever totally agreed upon that it was the plants that were doing all the damage ? I know Elliot was convinced it was , but was everyone else . I can't remember now , but i think it was only conjecture what was causing all the havoc , there was no definitive concensus , or was there ? I'm glad you liked it Bad , i seriously can't understand why some people felt this film was atrocious , i think it's anything but . And i don't mind the two sequences with the crazy hermits , it added even more tension , and it was one of those scenarios where nature is capable of killing you and your fellow man / woman also . | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Iacon5 at June 27, 2008, 9:32 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | while it wasnt as good as signs or unbreakable in my opinion, i liked it way more than lady in the water and the village. true the acting was a little phoned in and chane sort of his style a little with showing you the violance instead of hinting at it, which i thought took away some of the effect, but overall if you're a fan of any of his previous movies, the happening is one you should check out. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Badbird at June 27, 2008, 12:41 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Well, I liked it. I mean, I really liked it. I just found the whole end-of-the-world scenario very creepy. Once you got past the idea that plants would want to kill us, it really isn't that far fetched to accept. I've always thought of nature having a defense mechanism against humanity. Not exactly like this, but effective nonetheless. And I don't know where all the complaints about acting are coming from. In all his movie, the acting and dialogue has always been a little weird and of kilter. I'm not a huge fan of his style in that regard, but it is different and I'll never fault someone for trying to be different. As for talking to the plant... I liked it, because it was both scary and funny at the same time. Normally this plant would be completely innocuous, but after the events that happened, the single shot of the plant took on a whole new threatening meaning. Hell, these are plants for crying out loud! We've always taken them for granted, and now they're super villains who can kill us with their breath!... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: Jig Saw 123 at June 25, 2008, 8:09 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I think The Village was better than The Happening, because The Village's acting and story was well crafted and the twist actually made sense. Lady in the Water was hands down M. Night's worst movie, he tried to do to much at one time, The Happening at least allowed me to want to stay and see what would happen to all those idiots. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: God of War at June 25, 2008, 2:04 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I was expecting crap,.and.I.got.it. This guy needs,to,stop making,movies | | Static Link |
| Posted by: InvaderZim at June 24, 2008, 6:32 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Quote: Originally Posted by optimus1 Is this movie really that bad? I mean is LITW better? Is the Village better? Is it not scary at all , no decent twists involved? Is Wahlberg that bad as well? I always liked him as an actor , I find it hard to believe he is that terrible in this movie. I cant believe i would ever say this about another Shymalan movie but yes... Lady in the water was fucking Godfather compared to The Happening | | Static Link |
| Posted by: dellamorte dellamore at June 23, 2008, 7:27 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Spoilers I can't remember how many people were in the group , and also , how many shots were fired . You do bring up a good point , and there is a distinct possibility that he may have , in fact not only reacted in a suicidal manner but a homicidal one also . The reason i feel he may not have , is because of the pauses between each shot , i'm sure they would have been of the rapid succession sort , not the pauses that we experienced when people were shooting themselves with the police officer's sidearm in Manhattan . Another thing , most people when infected by the toxin would fall into a catatonic state , like they are hypnotized . They freeze in place for a brief moment then attempt to commit suicide . There were some exceptions , the military officer almost instantly fell into a psychotic state and started yelling about his gun . He appeared to still have all his mental faculties , and he certainly wasn't catatonic , he simply regressed to an earlier mental state / memory in his life and this was the cata... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: someguy at June 22, 2008, 8:40 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I need clarification on something, but it has spoilers I guess Did both groups with the MP end up getting effected by the plant? Because the crowd with the plant guy that drove Wahlberg/Zooey were fine while the MP and the other group were effected. I got the sense that he actually shot them and didn't just kill himself. Also what happened to the other two groups who split up when they ran away from the wind? | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Bourne101 at June 22, 2008, 1:35 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Quote: Originally Posted by Jig Saw 123 Thanks for the explanations... I wish M. Night would stop making films and just make a mini series. This would be good since he knows how to hold an auidence for at least 15 mins. which is perfect for a tv show. You know what, a mini-series for M. Night might not be a bad idea. Good call. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Jig Saw 123 at June 22, 2008, 12:57 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Thanks for the explanations... I wish M. Night would stop making films and just make a mini series. This would be good since he knows how to hold an auidence for at least 15 mins. which is perfect for a tv show. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: fooknasty at June 22, 2008, 10:17 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | Quote: Originally Posted by mutant_gorilla
I did think the ending would be a little more epic. I would have liked to see one of the main characters get hit with the "toxin" (mainly Marky Mark's bad acting wife), and we could see Mark Wahlberg have to like...restrain her from killing herself or something. I think if that were to have happened in the movie, my score would have been bumped up at least a point. That is a sweet idea. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: dellamorte dellamore at June 22, 2008, 9:37 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I'm thinking because he was under duress , he felt like he should do something , anything , considering the situation . His wife was putting pressure on him to figure out a way out of the mess they found themselves in as a result of what transpired just over the hill . It may be a reach , but i think the wind actually did reach them , but as i explained in the previous post , they were immune to it's effects . By that logic , that would signify that the two boys that were with them were also immune . My guess is that this toxin that is released is a response to an emotional environment , a physical reaction to " negative " emotions . Brain waves act on electrical impulses , and there byproduct is emotion and thoughts . The nihilism and cynicism that the populace was exuding caused the plants to release a defensive chemical , somewhat like if someone insults you and you have a reaction , an emotional one and a physical one . Elliot , his wife and the little girl ( i'm thinking the two boys also ) , ... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: Bourne101 at June 22, 2008, 9:12 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Quote: Originally Posted by Jig Saw 123 I have a few questions that I'm sure no one can answer either... - Mark Walhberg played a science teacher so why the hell did he think he could out run wind? Well obviously he wasn't going to stand there and make himself suicidal. I'd be running as fast as I could in that situation. Obviously he wasn't going to outrun it, but he was trying to get away from the area. Quote: Originally Posted by Jig Saw 123 -Why did the old woman have a human sized doll in her bed? Because she was fucked up! Hence the reason I compare this movie to The Twilight Zone. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Jig Saw 123 at June 21, 2008, 11:56 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I have a few questions that I'm sure no one can answer either... - Mark Walhberg played a science teacher so why the hell did he think he could out run wind? -Why did the old woman have a human sized doll in her bed? -Was it the power of love or something that allowed Mark, his wife, and the little girl to live? ( this kinda wouldn't make any since, since John Leguizamo's character died trying to look for his wife) And people are saying M. Night didn't have a cameo in this film like the rest of his films, you'll be surprised to find out Joey aka the stalker was played or voiced by M. Night... | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Backstabba at June 21, 2008, 11:35 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I was worried this would be my "Live Free or Die Hard" of 2008. Amazing trailers, balls-to-the-wall attitude, then the day comes and I'm majorly disappointed. And that's why I probably liked it so much. I went in with LOW expectations, and actually came out very happy. I didn't find it to be a bad B-movie, or a good B-movie, but just a good movie. I found the acting to be decent (though a LOT of scenes were awkward and pretty...bad, it was okay as a whole) the direction was inspired, and I actually bought the explaination. Maybe it's because I've been in a VERY BAD mood for the past week and I was easily accepting escapism, but I think this was a very good movie, with a lot of flaws, but very entertaining. Great first and ending 15 minutes (though I expected more from the ending), entertaining all the way through. Yes, I am a fan of M.Night, but I went in with low expectations, what do you want with me? I don't have bias's, sorry buddy. 8/10 | | Static Link |
| Posted by: truth_be_told at June 21, 2008, 6:17 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Uneven, awkward, and dissapointing. An interesting concept which sounds great on paper, but the actual execution is...ugh. I'm a pretty big Shyamalan fan as well, and one of the best things this movie has going for it is the fact that he doesn't show up for a trademark cameo. I will give the film this: it looks well shot for the most part, there were some scenes that affected me (the construction worker suicide scene, although promoted to hell, still got to me), and...well, that's about it. Weak, weak script. Weak, weak acting. The humour does fall pretty flat, and some scenes that weren't intended to be funny come across as ridiculous (lion attack, I'm looking at you...). 4/10 | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Jig Saw 123 at June 21, 2008, 1:10 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I thought this movie opened good, than declined as the movie progressed. It was terrible but it was better than Lady in the Water... 3/10 | | Static Link |
| Posted by: mutant_gorilla at June 21, 2008, 11:04 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I enjoyed the easter eggs in the end of the film about The Last Airbender. The little girl wearing the Avatar backpack and boarding her schoolbus numbered #2010, the year the Airbender movie will be released. I thought that was clever. Oh yeah, The Happening. Not a perfect movie, but I couldn't help but enjoy it. I just like the things M. Night tries to do, whether or not they are complete successes. I just like how he dares to be different and takes risks. The Happening wasn't perfect, but it did offer alot of disturbing visuals. The construction site scene creeped me out. I did think the ending would be a little more epic. I would have liked to see one of the main characters get hit with the "toxin" (mainly Marky Mark's bad acting wife), and we could see Mark Wahlberg have to like...restrain her from killing herself or something. Anyway. I dug the film. Wasn't my favorite of his work. But i'm looking forward to Avatar so much. THat's pretty much my favorite TV show, mixed with one of my favorite ... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: dellamorte dellamore at June 21, 2008, 10:40 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | She had a limited role , the others you mentioned had more to work with , especially Osment , since he was the star . I thought she effectively exuded innocence in the face of great danger . I liked the way Walhberg and Zooey interacted with her , it came across as natural , not forced . It could have gone in sentimental mode ( it did a bit towards the end ) , but i generally felt like she added to the tension in a believable manner , she didn't detract from the proceedings . The trio was the hope of the future because of the qualities they all possessed , they all needed each other for various reasons . Zooey was somewhat irresponsible and directionless , she needed someone to take care of to mature as a woman . Walhberg dealt with kids all the time as a result of his occupation as a teacher , but he would only deal with them for 8 or so hours a day and then go home to his wife , he needed the little girl to find out what type of man he really was , could he be a good father to someone . We already know he'... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: CyclicNightmare at June 21, 2008, 10:21 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Quote: Originally Posted by dellamorte dellamore the little girl is fantastic , very believable as someone who is in shock the whole time but still ever hopeful . I thought she was awful. I thought this was one of the areas where the movie was lacking. Especially considering what a great job Shyamalan has done with kids in the past, (Osment, Spencer Treat Clark, Culkin, Breslin) there is nothing compelling or interesting about this little girl's forgettable performance. I expected better. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: dellamorte dellamore at June 21, 2008, 9:49 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | I agree Fancy , that whole sequence was suspenseful , tragic , haunting and unnerving . It was an effective horror tableau with regards to the visuals . I love the visual palette that Night created with this film , it could easily work without any dialogue , the cinematography is it's strongest point and he utilized the landscape to terrific effect . What i enjoyed was his slow and methodic pans , his penchant to linger with the camera leading up to the carnage and after . There's nary a cheap trick jump cut to be found , for the most part . This is a traditional use of the camera , not the usual post modern hype active style that has become de rigeur for young filmmakers . Not that that style isn't effective , but it's so prevalent now , it makes what Night did seem rebellious . Something came to mind after i let the film sink in a bit more , i couldn't put my finger on the style at first , but the cinematography sort of reminds me of an Italian giallo , shades of Argento , Fulci , Martino , Bava . Look at ... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: Bourne101 at June 21, 2008, 9:28 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Well optimus1, you're going to get a bunch of posts saying, yeah, it's really that bad. I personally enjoyed the hell out of it. If you enjoy really bizarre movies with plenty of tension and some INTENTIONALLY funny lines to occasionally lighten the mood, then I think you'll like it. It's a billion times better than Lady in the Water, and although I haven't seen The Village since it first came out, I'm pretty confident in saying it's better than that too. Whalberg simply isn't suited for the role, and the dialogue he's given isn't very good. He shines in the more comical moments in the film such as the fake plant scene, the cough syrup scene etc. He starts off really bad, but gradually gets better as the movie goes on. There are some pretty scary moments, although you could argue otherwise because some of those moments are very bizarre. The opening scenes are pretty damn scary, and I don't think anyone can deny those were good scenes. There are no twists. What's causing it is revealed very early on in the mo... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: optimus1 at June 21, 2008, 4:53 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Is this movie really that bad? I mean is LITW better? Is the Village better? Is it not scary at all , no decent twists involved? Is Wahlberg that bad as well? I always liked him as an actor , I find it hard to believe he is that terrible in this movie. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Fancyclaps at June 21, 2008, 2:33 am | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Quote: Originally Posted by fooknasty Yeah, I can see why the "cheese and crackers" line was possibly intentional. However, the other lines were just delivered poorly combined with bad dialogue. Not sure if I fully understand you, but the cheese and crackers line was OBVIOUSLY put into the film to get a laugh from the audience. So were a lot of other lines: "Come on, think douche bag!" And now, just some brief thoughts: SPOILERS FOLLOW Say whatever you want about the film, but at the end of the day I was entertained. I really liked when they met the old lady; I wished they stayed there a little longer (she should of killed the kids, or at least one of them). I feel like he could of made that scene so much creepier (I LOVED when she slapped the grils hand). I thought it was also funny in all the right places ("heart throb", fake tree, cough medicine) and the audience I was with ate those scenes up too. In fact the audience I was with seemed to really like it. But the scene that s... | | Read Entire Entry |
| Posted by: MisterTwister at June 20, 2008, 7:22 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | Quote: Originally Posted by dellamorte dellamore It did have a bit of Dead Alive / Bad Taste vibe to it . Please don't compare those actual entertaining B-movies to this "supposed" shitty one. It's insulting. | | Static Link |
| Posted by: Strider at June 20, 2008, 6:26 pm | | Topic: The Happening Forum: JoBlo | | The Happening - 3/10 or *1/2/***** stars After the one-two punch that was 1999's The Sixth Sense and 2000's Unbreakable, writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has been on a losing streak, and the streak continues with The Happening, quite possibly his worst film yet. Truthfully, there are moments of promise, but said moments are few and far between. The Happening, as a whole, is preposterous, laughable dreck. The screenplay is a mess, the acting is atrocious -- Mark Wahlberg most likely will follow his Oscar nomination in The Departed with a Razzie nomination for his amazingly unconvincing and dreadful performance as a science teacher here -- and the revelation of why the world seems to be ending and everyone is dying is not only predictable (Shyamalan gives it away too early) but it's also very stupid. If that's not bad enough, Shyamalan uses the ending to shove a boring, simplistic message down your throat and send you home with a saccharine overdose. The Happening is a bigger disaster than the one depicted o... | | Read Entire Entry |
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