The village, Yes, it really is that bad

[Mark Chance]

Note to Shyamalan: If you're going to drop red herrings to lead people away from the real story make sure that the "fake" story the red herrings point to isn't a hundred times more compelling than the real one.

That sounds like real life to me. For example, the whackos that cook up all of the ludicrous conspiracy theories and "really true" histories tell much more interesting stories than stable academics who stick to the way things were. When people's imaginations run wild, the results are almost always more interesting then the real thing.

Just a thought.

 

[frankthedm]

Note to Shyamalan: If you're going to drop red herrings to lead people away from the real story make sure that the "fake" story the red herrings point to isn't a hundred times more compelling than the real one.

Damn straight.

 

[Krug]

I have a family member with Down's Syndrome. You wouldn't use that word if you understood what it feels like to hear or read it in reference to the likes of someone you care about.

I quite disliked the movie. Oh yeah how revelatory:

Spoiler

The ***** amognst us will suddenly pop up in our houses to stick a knife into us! They want to dress in funny suits and murder us!Help! help!

The love story was unconvincing, and the lines were trite. And the story was.. well, dumb.

Spoiler

I also thought the dressing of some of the actors seemed pretty modern. Checkered shirts that looked like they had been shopping at Land's End.

Seriously, the disappointment of the summer.

 

[demiurge1138]

Well, I liked it.

Yeah, a bit late, I know, but I just got around to seeing it. And I enjoyed it, even though I was expecting a supernatural element that wasn't there. And, even though

Spoiler

the monsters weren't real

, they were still threatening and creepy. Nice design, especially in middle focus.

Frankly, like many of the people I've read complaining about this movie, I expected a "monsters in the woods" movie and got, instead a "lengths people will go to to protect their children" movie. Oh well. Although some parts in the middle bored me a bit, I enjoyed the movie as a whole, especially since I didn't try to anticipate the twist ending. Although I would have, personally preferred if

Spoiler

the twist was, the Elders are making the monster attacks, but there's really something out there.

But that didn't ruin the movie for me, nor did the "big" shocker with

Spoiler

it being set in modern times

.

Demiurge out.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I quite disliked the movie. Oh yeah how revelatory:

Krug, please refer to Eric's directive on the first page of the thread (posted when he was still an admin); I'd appreciate it if you could edit to comply.

-Hyp.
Moderator

 

[Frostmarrow]

Personally, I liked it lots. Rewatch value? Maybe not, but it was cool. Anyhow, I did get a neat idea for a DnD monster from this. I'll spoiler it since, well...

Spoiler

When the blind girl was saying about seeing colors for people and stuff, I had this idea that that was how the creatures were, mayhaps the whole race was blind and the reason they disliked red was because they could sense something else, and it was *more* than red to them. So I'm thinking of some sort of monster that can see synaesthetically.

I haven't seen the movie but what Andrew writes got me remembering a thing. My wife's brother is autistic (is that the correct term?). This basically means that he is a wiz at tech but has trouble remembering people. He strongly dislikes change as patterns and clear cut schedules make his life easier. Now for the weird part: He can't see red. That's right he can't see it, so if you wear a red sweater he sees right through you. To him, your head and hands would appear as if floating independantly in the air.

 

[WanderingMonster]

The best movie I've ever seen? No.

Do I want my $8 back? No.

I rather enjoyed it.

 

[Cor Azer]

I enjoyed it too myself. I did figure out the big twist within the first few minutes, but even with that there were still all the whys, so I wasn't disappointed.

The only thing I wish was different, was that the movie end right after Ivy (and the audience) discovers the "twist" - cut out all the exposition at the end, and I think people would have left the theatre with a lot more interesting questions.

 

[Umbran]

I saw the movie yesterday (without reading this thread, thankfully) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I too figured out the twist partway through, but this didn't bother me, because I know enough to not go into a Shyamalan movie with specific expectations about what's going to happen, or what it is about. Shyamalan's movies are never advertised as what they're really about. So unless you've not see his other big movies, you shouln't be basing expectations on the ads.

I went in looking for a movie with symbolism and decent characterization, and found plenty of both.

I honestly don't think Syamalan expects the audience to be terribly shocked and awed by the twist in this one. The twist is there because it is driving the plot, and the emotions, actions and reactions of the characters are better understood and displayed by revealing things later on, rather than right at the start.

 

[Desdichado]

I thought it was fine. Sure, the twist was a bit disappointing. As Kai Lord said, what the movie asked you to believe before turning it around and twisting it was actually much more interesting than the actual story.

But hey, it was a still a masterfully crafted film.