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Posted: 21:41 20/06/2008
The movie wasn't spoon-fed?
The plot told you near the beginning who the villains were, and after that, talked about hot dogs!
What's worse, the acting was spotty at best, what with Mark's "Bill Nye" impersonation, and overall naive nature, while bit characters were nothing more than a one-line description. Even trying to tie the movie in with bees was pitiful.

What's more, the suspense is in the "quiet, LOUD NOISE" section.
The old, crazy lady was more of a hinder than a help in the movie, just randomly blurting out the whole slave hiding hole.

So maybe I am one of those easily entertained movie-goers. But at least I demand somewhat believable acting. Or at least a more coherent plot than, "Oh no! The plants are out to get us!"

Posted: 21:06 20/06/2008
I did a lot of deep thinking and soul searching during this movie. Unfortunately, it involved how I could get my money and time back.

Posted: 16:47 20/06/2008
I have to say, there are many good things about Shyamalan's movies. He picks out wonderful people to film all of his movies and they all have a different style and a different feel to them. How many Spielberg movies feel exactly the same? Same Shots, Same, Same. To me any way. Also, Coyla has some interesting points. I felt I talked more about the story of this movie then any other of his others, because ultimatly it is the unknown. The only things I can say I didn't care for were the awful moments of dialogue, which is where I think Shyamalan needs some help. His other stories, like the Unbreakable, The Village and Lady in the Water, suffered from this too. If he had had a co-writter. Maybe those moments you think are so bad, would have made this movie completely awesome. Verse... "Aww well I really liked it but..."

Posted: 09:08 20/06/2008
I too like movies that make one think. Movies like Signs, the Village, and Unbreakable. But all The Happening made me think about was how could a genius like Shyamalan make such a poor rendering of man's disregard for the mystery of nature. I'm sorry, maybe I'm dense, but I can't connect with a movie about how important human relations are when there are no true representation of deep human relations. Sure, there was some sort of sad attempt with the relationship between Eliot and his wife, but it left much to be desired. And what is up with Mark Wahlberg? It almost seemed like he meant to act in the most obnoxious and untalented way. I've seen a lot of movies, and this has got to be one of the worst.

Posted: 08:01 20/06/2008
This movie only requires thought if you've never read a science book. The affects of such a potent neurotoxin only seem to require small dosages indicated by the scene where the car has a minor cut in its roof. However, in such a dreary house where the old lady lived, these toxins would have found there way in long before the couple even reached the home.
The exponential rate at which the toxin was distributed over the course of 24 hours cannot simply vanish in half an hour's time. This movie was inconsistent and most certainly required the viewer to suspend his common sense in order to procure the parallels between the plant's pain, and the gruesome suicides of the people afflicted. Furthermore, the movie's dramatic events were necessary to the climatic rekindling of romance between our heros.
This essence of love for life, and humanities' inability to extend that gift beyond our own relationships was clearly his point. He wants us to respect our nature because it has continued to provide us with the elementary components that sustain all life. He wanted to demonstrate the backlash of our indiscretions, as portrayed with Alma's desire to separate herself from the marriage she sees as meaningless.
However, such distance leaves us vulnerable to the other side of nature, its wrath fueled by our inability to recognize the problem at hand.

Having conveyed an appropriate sense of what that douche bag was going for, it failed miserably in all accounts as a film. Dialogue was weak and did not help develop either plot line. If he wanted to be so damn preachy he should have just written a novel and stuck it on a shelf next to "environment for dummies," just so you'd know how incredibly far-fetched his tale is.
As I said earlier, M. wants us to suspend our common sense so that we can sink into his meager world of crappy parallels and unsubstantiated theories. The only "science" in the movie was the plant's reaction to human presence, which has been documented. Plants are indeed capable of perceiving human emotion and motivation.
I would encourage anyone interested to do further Internet reading on the matter. However, plants are evolutionarily bound to their genetic component and cannot spontaneously produce isolated cataclysmic events, ever. It takes millions of years for any creature to respond adequately to the threat of predatory behavior, and as humanity has only recently been able to produce the pollutants necessary to eradicate life on this planet, it is impossible for an entire flora to react identically in warding off such a predator as man.

The movie was boring, unintelligible, and lacked any convincing reason to support Marky Mark's tribulations of a doomed relationship.
Without any facts to back up this claim, it must have been easy to shoot this movie on a nice spring day in bumble---- USA.
I would never watch this movie again, nor see another one of M. night's abysmal films.

He is in his own little world, and I suggest we leave him there.

Posted: 06:04 20/06/2008
I also agree. Of course I like all kinds of movies, including cheap ones. And I can't say I thought The Sixth Sense was predictable...or the worst of M. Night's movies. But overall what you are saying is right. Of course if people just don't like these kinds of movies that's fine. It's when they try and sound all sophisticated and get all film criticy and think they are genius film makers themselves.....that's what gets me.

Posted: 05:43 20/06/2008
I loved this movie. Nowadays you don't come across films that actually require you to think. The American audience demands spoon-fed movies anymore, and I'm relieved to see a smart one. Shyamalan didn't disappoint this consumer.

Posted: 02:54 20/06/2008
I agree with Coyla's comment.

Posted: 23:39 19/06/2008
The movie was horrible, the story was bland, and even the Einstein quote about the bees and mankind was inaccurate.
Einstein never reportedly said that quote.

Posted: 19:17 19/06/2008
Every time M. Night Shyamalan releases a movie, there's a critic who decides Shyamalan's career is over. That same critic will always--always--hark back to The Sixth Sense and how brilliant that movie was compared to the latest Shyamalan offering.

I must be out of touch, but as much as I demand a well-done, well-thought-out, original idea, I found The Sixth Sense to be my least favorite Shyamalan movie. It's the most commercial, as in, you get the cheap thrill of the twist ending, and it's relatively easy to figure out. There's no need to look deeper. There's no need to actively watch. Instead, you can sit back and be entertained. That's what we live for, right? We want our movies to do all the work, then we wash ourselves clean of it once the credits roll.

But, as grown-ups, shouldn't we be weary of that? If movies are an art form, then art used as mere entertainment and distraction is (merely) prostitution.

The Happening inspires thought, not just about thrill subjects like global warming or terrorism, but about human's relationship to nature, the endless possibilities of nature, and--yes--our duty to be in awe of something we don't fully understand.

It's also frightening. The gore is there for shock value, but the true horror comes later in the movie, in the form of a woman who's spent too many years cut off from the world. Here's where Shyamalan shines as a master of horror, in the quieter, subtler moments.

The Happening is entertaining, but it also demands more. It demands we actively participate in the movie, suspend our disbelief, and THINK. That's a bit like reading a book, but who does that anymore?

People are cheap, and they want cheap movies. But M. Night Shyamalan isn't a prostitute. He's attempting to tell stories, not sell you 1.5 hours of easy distraction. But in an age of remakes, sequels, and endless comic book revamps, is there's a place for storytelling?

Posted: 12:56 20/06/2008
"Why don't the Roma move to India, their ancestral home?"

(a) Because after a millenium they are not very likely to have much cultural affinity with India. How many millions of Americans of, for example, Polish descent but a few generations removed, could automatically "slot" into place in their "ancestral home"? And the gap here is only a few generations, not even a thousand years as in the case of the Roma!

(b) Why should they HAVE to? They are Czech citizens, entitled to the same rights and protections as all other Czech citizens, aren't they? At least that's what I thought when I read that the CR is a modern democracy. Either you continue striving to make this a reality for all citizens or you stop posturing as if you are in fact this beacon of democracy when in fact you are not.

Posted: 15:29 19/06/2008
Why don't the Roma move to India, their ancestral home? They'd benefit on a cultural level. Secondly, they would be able to partake in the economic boom going on in India.
India and China are becoming the new economic powerhouses of the 21st century. Lots of opportunity to advance there and the future only looks brighter.

Posted: 11:56 20/06/2008
I was with you all the way until you say 46.6 million Americans can not access the care. That is simply not true. They may be uninsured, but that does not mean they cannot access the system.
Many, many of these people are uninsured because they have made that choice and not because they cannot afford it. Nevertheless not having insurance does not mean no access - it just means someone other than the insurance company is going to pay the provider. All in all a very balanced view of subject matter.

Posted: 08:30 20/06/2008
I'm sure that all of us admire what she is doing and I congratulate her on that.
Never mind the few obstacles that get in the way of one's goal.

Posted: 00:47 20/06/2008
Yes, vinyl is making a comeback. And so are turntables on which the vinyl records are played. As perhaps you know, one of turntable manufacturers of world-wide renown is located in the city of Litovel east of Prague. That company is Pro-Ject Manufacturing. It is
a part of Pro-Ject Audio Systems of Vienna, Austria.
Pro-Ject has been manufacturing turntables in the Czech Republic for some 50 years. It's excellent line is marketed around the world.

Posted: 16:59 19/06/2008
And I thought vinyl was dead. I should have kept my tuner. Interesting article.

Posted: 00:30 20/06/2008
Prague 2 plays tough against gambling joints that operate near schools...

HA- on Zerotinova in P3 there is a whore house 50 feet from an elementary school! The red lights on and Ukrainians come in and out all day...they should abolish the herna altogether, more than any other nation in the European Union, shameful. Prague is known for its whores and hernas, a dubious distinction!

Posted: 17:23 19/06/2008
>>Why don't we keep children on leashes all the time?

This is an excellent idea. However, not allowing dogs to ever be able to run freely, even in a park is hardly a way of "reducing cruelty".

Posted: 13:14 18/06/2008
Prague is a very cultural place.
There are so many concerts and performance in theaters, operas and ballets.
My family and I visited Prague not a long time ago. We stayed at the Ibis City hotel. The hotel made all the standards. It was clean, quiet, good value for money and the staff was very courteous, friendly and helpful.
Moreover, the service from the company via we booked was perfect, the transfer was on time and the taxi driver made us feel very welcome.
We didn't feel there were any problems with the municipal transportation, we just used a taxi from the airport to the hotel and back.

Posted: 12:52 18/06/2008
My father has his own folklore ensemble in Belarus.

How it would be possible to get invitation to this festival?

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