Sequelities

Mostly fluff, but some fun comments, and interesting stats you might not have been aware of.

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'Hallmark Horror'

Word on the street is that people are wary of Shyamalan's trickery. Whereas he became known for twist endings that added value to the story, he then became known for pulling the rug out from under the viewer in Act III with endings that weren't so much of a twist but were simply dumb.

The endings for 'The Village' and 'The Lady in the Water' were not only dumb but they had the effect of sucking all the value out of what preceeding them. The viewer walking out of the theater can't help but feel cheated.

That said, there's a lot of people who don't really know the Shyamalan brand and the implications therein and don't really care about potential Act III dumb bombs. These people will see a movie if the trailer looks good, and the trailer for 'The Happening' certainly has that trademark glossy/creepy look Shyamalan produces so adroitly. So, I'm thinking week one could be very good for this happening, but I wouldn't hold my breath for subsequent frames once word of mouth gets out -- (by all accounts Shyamalan's latest leaves the viewer hanging just as badly as ever).

Early word on the blogosphere has been pretty much the same -- 'The Happening' ain't happening. Over at NPR, Bob Mondello says: ...The Happening is neither terribly scary, nor all that twisty... The bigger danger, after The Village and The Lady in the Water, is that he'll become known as the guy who makes the inane movie with the risible premise.

That about sums it up for me. I felt stupid for having watched my DVD of 'The Lady in the Water' (over a period of three days) that I bought for $9.99 in the discount bin at Blockbuster (there were lots of copies). If it's anything, this movie is inane and based on a risible premise. I can only feel for those who went to the theater and saw 'The Lady in the Water' in one sitting. (Ouch). I can't help but feel sorry for those who, having been suckered by well-edited trailers, will see 'The Happening' in theaters.

Anyway, my favorite entry in the current backlash is from Grady Hendrix over at MonsterFest:

Call me old fashioned, but I don't care about Marky Mark's under-developed, poorly-written marital difficulties -- especially when they revolve not around infidelity, but around dessert. Tiramisu, in fact. A horror movie in which someone is allowed to utter the word "Tiramisu" and live to the end credits is a horror movie that has given up any claims to horror. It's Hallmark Horror: Scare flicks developed for people who think Lifetime movies are too intense.

I love that...Hallmark Horror. That's good. That's Shyamalan.

The Last Of The Nine Old Men

Ollie Johnston, the last of Disney's 'Nine Old Men' -- the animators who helped create classics like 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' -- has died at the age of 95. Bob Mondello reports

Apatovian Cuddly Raunch

Bob Mondello analyzes Judd Apatow's success, using the terms 'Apatovian' and 'Cuddly Raunch' to describe Apatow's work. Apatovian? The guy has a recognizable brand, to be sure, and I like the 'cuddly raunch' bit, but Apatovian sounds like an answer to a film school test question. I wouldn't go quite that far. Okay, okay...let's see -- Knocked Up is one of the most Apatovian movies I've ever seen. Told you -- it just doesn't work. It's too forced, just sits there. I vote for 'Juddesque'. That has a natural ring to it. I can live with Juddesque. Watch: Superbad is way more Juddesque than Talladega Nights could ever be. See, works. Juddesque. Be the first in your office to use it in conversation.

Charlie Bartlett: This Year's Bueller...Or The Other Juno

That's Anton Yelchin as Charlie Bartlett and Robert Downey, Jr. as Principal Gardner (you know when the character's first name is 'Principal' he's in trouble). I've liked this picture since I saw the trailer.

But, then I saw this promo and I didn't like it anymore.

But, then I heard Bob Mondello's review and I like it again. Go figure.

U23D

Love U2. Their new 3-D concert movie 'U23D' looks to be the goods. Here's Bob Mondello's rundown -- he's got a way with words. And, here's a nice report on a showing at Sundance by Anne Thompson.

Heath Ledger

Here's Kim Masters and Bob Mondello on Heath Ledger.

Easy Listening

Here is some easy listening for Turkey Day. Bob Mondello runs down the yearend high-profile movies including "The Painted Veil", "The Good German", "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer", "Children of Men", Clint Eastwood's war duo "Flags or Our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima", "Dreamgirls", "Apocalypto", "The Pursuit of Happyness", and gobs more.