The Happening

[Jakester]

Garth's review (http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/happening.php) of The Happening is up. It ain't pretty.

[mckracken]

thats putting it mildly.

[Jakester]

Jesus (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/37073)

[omicron]

I don't think he liked it much. :)

[mckracken]

ouch... yeah but i have zero faith in the AICN fucktards. i mean yes, they probably got their review right... but that site is WAY childish.. more so that MySpace. it seems if you want to be a lemming you shop at costco or walmart or get your movie news at AICN because thats where everybody goes...right?

well i dont want to be everybody... i hate that site.

[Jakester]

I think that Drew (Moriarty) is generally good with his reviews, and there are a few others that have matured. I don't trust Harry's reviews at all. I mean, "chocolate covered pussy juice" is a great phrase, but it's not one I really think is apt for any non-pr0n movie review. Plus, he's wrong so much of the time ("I picked HD-DVD and here's why").

[Bill_the_Pony]

I don't know about AICN reviewers, but I took into account the 22% rating at rottentomatoes.

I ended up seeing it tonight...Interesting thing is, the theater was packed. I wasn't sure what to make of that, but I was expecting pretty bad based on the mob reaction.

I voted: "I've seen worse". Of course his signature style is there, his technical ability is awesome. He doesn't appear in the movie, but is in the credits as a voice on the cellphone.

Performances, well.....I've always liked Mark Wahlberg's kind of gawkish delivery. Zoey, or whatever....she was strange. One thing I dis like was the personalities of the people in crowd scenes. People generally didn't come off as stupid extras. Some of the characters were weird beyond belief and you couldn't help but laugh at them, but then again, I react to others like that every day in the real world. :ohwell:

I think the real problem is that the distributors try to make it out to be an event, maybe Shamalama does as well, and strip away any of the hype, all that shit, you have an adequate thriller, no more and no less, with a few moments that leave you numb, and a few others that you just go "WTF?!"

If they kept the title as "The Green Effect", it would have not had the buildup to something biblicly apocalyptic in the media.

oh whatever...... :o

[mckracken]

I'd like to know whats the big deal about M Knight Shamalan bragging endlessly about doing an "R" rated movie? Ok, so its his first... so what?

i dont see the point really?

[Jakester]

El Guapo from Latinoreview has his review (http://www.latinoreview.com/filmreview.php?id=502) up. It's much more entertaining than the AICN one.

[colmatrix]

I've seen worse..from Shyamalan. It was a little boring at parts, and the whole idea behind The Happening is suspect, but it had its moments. There were definitely some thrills, and his visual style is still right up there with the best. I wish he would adapt a really good story idea and make it his own, rather than concoct his own stories. They're getting a little thin. I give it a 6 out of 10.

[Bill_the_Pony]

Correcting my post above.....

I ended up seeing it tonight...Interesting thing is, the theater was packed. I wasn't sure what to make of that, but I was expecting pretty bad based on the mob reaction.

I was referring to the (currently) 19% tomatometer rating......I was half expecting only a few people there, but it was a full house, we had to sit close to the screen in a stadium cinema :eek: :tongue2:. I was expecting the worst from the audience I saw it with, (Friday night, lots of young people, etc) but was surprised to see people behave, and not laugh the movie out of existance.

I think the big problem was that the posters made the movie out to be some big epic apocalyptic event, and it's really a little movie, and the camera sticks with the characters, not big money shots. At times it comes off as a bit of a cheat, but I would NOT say I felt cheated.

Now, as far as the theater charging 11 bucks a ticket, that's another matter altogether. :Angry:

[mckracken]

Now, as far as the theater charging 11 bucks a ticket, that's another matter altogether. :Angry:

Now, as far as the theater charging $11 per ticket then going on record saying that they are not making any profits off the tickets and so they have to justify selling a bag of popcorn for $5.50 and a drink for $3.75, thats another matter altogether. :Angry: :headscratch:
$$$$ :popcorn: $$$$

[Bill_the_Pony]

Ah, yes. The 4 - 5 dollar candy, the 3-4 dollar soft drinks, and all that other aggressively unhealthy crap that people call snacks. :puke:

Well, it is what it is. :ohwell:

[colmatrix]

I've grown quite fond of ordering a coffee at the theater and sneaking in a candy bar from Wawa. Coffee runs me $3.25, and the candy is around a dollar. If I can I try to go to the movies on Tuesdays because with my Regal Member's card I get free popcorn, and I'll come in with a soda and hope they don't say anything. I'm a cheap dude. :D

[Bill_the_Pony]

Wawa? :confused:

[colmatrix]

Wawa is very similar to 7-11, but I think their coffee is better and they are on every corner.

[livewiremaxx]

well I had to get the $5 bottle of freaking water. But thats because its 106 outside. with that asside I went into the movie expecting there to be this ... And I thought it was pretty good actually. I stil gave it a "Seen worse" rating

[KingVoyeur]

Well, I wouldn't say it was Lady In the Water bad (but honestly, you'd really have to try for that level of suck again), it's more like The Village bad. Interesting concept, some nice visuals, but poorly written in a lot of places and poorly acted in others (what the hell were they thinking casting Zooey "I-always-look-like-I'm-suprised-at-being-in-a-movie" Deschanel?). I honestly didn't hate it. I was a little miffed that it was advertised as a kind of epic "end of the world" thing when it was actually just a small little movie about people in a shitty situation.