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Topic: The Village (possible spoilers)
Dauragon
Pancake
posted 07-31-2004 12:53:07 PM
I went into the dimly movie theater yesterday dreading this movie. It is my opinion that M. Night Shyamalan's movies have declined in quality with each one.
I found The Sixth Sense to be suspenseful and riveting, with a nicely done ending.
Unbreakable was decent, but not quite the success that Shyamalan's first movie was. Many people don't even remember this movie.
I may be one of the few to say it, but I thought Signs was an unoriginal, boring cliché of a movie. The aliens felt poorly developed (Quick! Pour water on them!) and the movie hardly made me jump.
I was concerned yesterday that The Village would continue this trend of Shyamalan's movies getting worse and worse.
Was I correct? I think so.
What I noticed (and disliked) first was the dialogue. I'm not sure if Shyamalan intentionally did this to make it sound "18th-century," or if it was, in fact, a result of bad acting. I'm guessing the latter, judging by the audience's laughter at such lines as "We have the magic rocks" and "The end."
And then there's the plot. The reviews call the plot twist cheap, unconvincing, and silly. Even though this "secret" was a bit of a shock, it still seemed improbable and foolish. The manner in which they revealed the truth about the Village was disconnected, which caused most audience members to scratch their heads for about 10 minutes before understanding. Had the twist been handled better, it might have saved the movie. But just barely.
I had hoped that this movie would make me afraid to go into the woods (as suggested by the previews), but all it's done is make me scared to see the next M. Night Shyamalan film. If you haven't seen it yet, just save it for a rental.
Your thoughts?
Falaanla Marr
I AM HOT CHIX
posted 07-31-2004 12:59:24 PM
Wait...you went to see a movie when you didn't really want to see it?

I don't get it -- were you forced to go by a significant other or some such? If so, I feel for you

Me, I don't really plan to see this movie, even more so with all the bad stuff I've heard about it.

Falaanla Marr fucked around with this message on 07-31-2004 at 01:00 PM.

Katrinity
Cookie Goddess!
posted 07-31-2004 01:02:51 PM
The story was top-notch in the Village, but the twist was alittle weak. Of all the theories I heard about the secret and the ending, this was the one I wasn't hoping for.

Katrinity fucked around with this message on 07-31-2004 at 01:04 PM.

Cookie Goddess Supreme
Furry Kitsune of Power!
Pouncer of the 12th degree!
"Cxularath ftombn gonoragh pv'iornw hqxoxon targh!"
Translated: "Sell your soul for a cookie?"
Black
The Outlaw Torn
posted 07-31-2004 01:18:12 PM
quote:
But Moffles Puu doesn't really care for music, do you?
I'm guessing the latter, judging by the audience's laughter at such lines as "We have the magic rocks" and "The end."
Did you ever think that those lines were meant to be funny?

This movie gave me everything I expected to see, and I was pleased. The plot was nice, the plot twist wasn't anything astounding, shocking, or even clever, but it fit nicely enough to make it work. The acting was especially good from certain characters (Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard), and for some others it was simply par (Joaquin Phoenix) or lacking (William Hurt).

I especially enjoyed the semi-dark humour.



Time was never on my side.
So on I wait my whole lifetime.

Xyless
Pancake
posted 07-31-2004 01:55:22 PM
I really enjoyed this movie. It might have not been as frightening as I was expecting but it did make me jump several times. I also really enjoyed Signs though, so perhaps i'm just easily amused.
Vorago
A completely different kind of Buckethead
posted 07-31-2004 02:00:31 PM
I don't plan to actually see the movie, but am curious what the big twist is, so if anyone that has seen it wants to PM me... please and thank you?
Dauragon
Pancake
posted 07-31-2004 02:12:31 PM
Fal: Yes, I was forced to see it. But I got in free, since my friend works at the theater I went to.

Just as an addition, I will note that the characterization was good. Adrien Brody works as a retarded guy.

Vorago
A completely different kind of Buckethead
posted 07-31-2004 03:06:47 PM
quote:
Vorago said this about your mom:
I don't plan to actually see the movie, but am curious what the big twist is, so if anyone that has seen it wants to PM me... please and thank you?

Thanks Sentow

Suddar
posted 07-31-2004 03:12:10 PM
I've been really curious about the big plot twist myself...somebody let me know. I'm not seeing the movie.

kthxluv

Suddar
posted 07-31-2004 03:20:01 PM
Oh, jeez, I knew it before I even saw the movie.

I was off slightly, but not by much, heh.

Iulius Czar
Pancake
posted 07-31-2004 03:24:15 PM
I need to spoil the whole thing to make the below comment:

I also spent most of the movie annoyed at the dialogue. It sounds like high schoolers reading Jane Eyre to the class or something. But think about it: what would a community be like, if it were based completely around some history professor's impression of 19th century life? I think the writing and acting is dead on in that respect, with its affected style and obscenely correct grammar. It gave me a nagging impression that something just wasn't right.

The monsters struck me in much the same way. Sure you can have monsters with tallon hands worthy of Jim Henson--if they're made by the village council to scare people. Still I thought the scene where Noah chases Ivy in the monster suit was done very well. I have to admit I didn't figure it out until they showed his face down in the hole. Incidently, did the monsters remind any of you fellow EQers fo Cazic Thule (especially the spikes coming out of their backs)?

All in all I thought the movie led up to the plot twist very well, even if I did grit my teeth a bit at the dialogue till we got there.

Iulius Czar fucked around with this message on 07-31-2004 at 03:24 PM.

Elvish Crack Piper
Murder is justified so long as people believe in something different than you do
posted 07-31-2004 04:52:41 PM
So the "monsters" were just something the leaders used to control the people?
(Insert Funny Phrase Here)
Gadani
U
posted 07-31-2004 04:54:50 PM
quote:
Vorago's account was hax0red to write:
I don't plan to actually see the movie, but am curious what the big twist is, so if anyone that has seen it wants to PM me... please and thank you?
Zair
The Imp
posted 07-31-2004 04:57:45 PM
On my way into the theatre to see Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, a woman on her way to her car tells me and my friend, "Don't see The Village". Since White Castle was pretty funny, I'm probably glad I took her advice.
Katrinity
Cookie Goddess!
posted 07-31-2004 04:57:58 PM
quote:
Elvish Crack Piper had this to say about Tron:
So the "monsters" were just something the leaders used to control the people?

BIG SPOILER, don't even read if you want the twist to be a surprise..

The monsters were the elders dressed up to frighten the others from venturing out. The elders are the only ones alive when they first settled here. Its actually modern day, and one history professor gathered up all these other people who had lost someone to city violence, etc, and they settled in the middle of a wild life preserve, bribing some officials to keep planes from flying overhead and there they lived in seclusion, living as if it was the turn of the 1900 century..

Cookie Goddess Supreme
Furry Kitsune of Power!
Pouncer of the 12th degree!
"Cxularath ftombn gonoragh pv'iornw hqxoxon targh!"
Translated: "Sell your soul for a cookie?"
Ja'Deth Issar Ka'bael
I posted in a title changing thread.
posted 07-31-2004 05:20:11 PM
Thanks Katrinity. That's pretty close to what I suspected, actually. They were selling the "olde worlde" thing too hard.

I thought that it was like weird neo-amish types somewhere in Europe or something who's houses were marked because they were going to get evicted or something similar to that.

Ja'Deth Issar Ka'bael fucked around with this message on 07-31-2004 at 05:24 PM.

Lyinar's sweetie and don't you forget it!*
"All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die. -Roy Batty
*Also Lyinar's attack panda

sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me

Faelynn LeAndris
Lusty busty redheaded wood elf with sharp claws
posted 07-31-2004 05:22:34 PM
quote:
Zair had this to say about Reading Rainbow:
On my way into the theatre to see Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, a woman on her way to her car tells me and my friend, "Don't see The Village". Since White Castle was pretty funny, I'm probably glad I took her advice.

Harold and Kumar go to White Castle looks hilarious, but I can't convince Monica to go see it.

I have no desire to see The Village after the fiasco that was Signs. Unbreakable I still have trouble figure out whether I liked it or not. It wasn't that it was bad, or good, or whatever, I really dunno. I do know I got a bad taste for it becuase for one, before it came out, and all the trailers and such, it looked like a thriller, end of the world, god is pissed or whatever type movie or something (By the way the trailers made it look), but then you watch it... and its about Comic Books, and a Super hero... Was weird. The trailers for it were horribly misleading. Its fine they didn't give the movie away in them, but they totally mislead the whole thing.

The Sixth Sense however, is indeed, and remains, an excelent movie. Probably one of the first movies I didn't "Figure out" after 10-15 minutes, and it really took me by surprise which was new.


My LAUNCHCast Station
"Respect the Forest, Fear the Ranger"
I got lost for an hour and became god.
Ja'Deth Issar Ka'bael
I posted in a title changing thread.
posted 07-31-2004 05:32:20 PM
Big Surprise: Ja'Deth (me) liked Unbreakable. Hell I fucking loved that movie. I didn't catch the twist (that Mr Glass was the one setting off all the disasters) til the end. Lyinar caught it about half-way through, but she still enjoys it.

I suppose for me, it was great because it explored the mythology of comic books, rather than the stories. Why do heroes, from all time, have these unusual traits? It was like Joseph Campbell (author of Hero with 1,000 Faces and The Power of Myth) had risen from the grave to tell an interesting, allegorical story. And it was an allegory. It wasn't REALLY about comics. It explored, using the medium of superhero mythology, the idea of "What would it be like if you woke up every day not doing what you were truly meant to do, and didn't know how to fix it?"

And in that respect it was fantastic. What a genius idea. But even if you didn't know that was the "message" of the film (each of the movies, according to Shyamalan, has a "message" in it), I still enjoyed the idea of a "real" hero.

Lyinar's sweetie and don't you forget it!*
"All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die. -Roy Batty
*Also Lyinar's attack panda

sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me

Faelynn LeAndris
Lusty busty redheaded wood elf with sharp claws
posted 07-31-2004 05:36:52 PM
quote:
So quoth Ja'Deth Issar Ka'bael:
Big Surprise: Ja'Deth (me) liked Unbreakable. Hell I fucking loved that movie. I didn't catch the twist (that Mr Glass was the one setting off all the disasters) til the end. Lyinar caught it about half-way through, but she still enjoys it.

I suppose for me, it was great because it explored the mythology of comic books, rather than the stories. Why do heroes, from all time, have these unusual traits? It was like Joseph Campbell (author of Hero with 1,000 Faces and The Power of Myth) had risen from the grave to tell an interesting, allegorical story. And it was an allegory. It wasn't REALLY about comics. It explored, using the medium of superhero mythology, the idea of "What would it be like if you woke up every day not doing what you were truly meant to do, and didn't know how to fix it?"


And in that respect it was fantastic. What a genius idea. But even if you didn't know that was the "message" of the film (each of the movies, according to Shyamalan, has a "message" in it), I still enjoyed the idea of a "real" hero.


You missed what I said. I didn't have a problem with it being a real hero, or even comic book related. It was all the hype before it, and the fact it was TOTALLY misleading. I know I can't be the only one who went into the theatre expecting a different kind of movie that what you actually got. So, like I said, I dunno what my opinion on the movie is. It wasn't bad, I liked it, I just dunno, get this weird image in my mind whenever it comes up and something just doesn't click.

And you are comic geek (GEEK GEEK GEEK! ) of course it would outright rock for you. Bruce Willias owns anyway, and all the acting was above par, so no real NEGATIVE comments about the movie, just... eh.

I go back to play my superhero now! And dude... When are you actually gonna get it to play.

Faelynn LeAndris fucked around with this message on 07-31-2004 at 05:42 PM.


My LAUNCHCast Station
"Respect the Forest, Fear the Ranger"
I got lost for an hour and became god.
Y.O.T.C
No longer a Towel Girl
posted 07-31-2004 06:34:39 PM
I'm supprised that noone here even mentioned the gravestone at the very beginning, since it said 1990-1997 on it. You would think one would notice something of that importance, even though it had about 1.3 seconds of screen time.
Mr. Crabs
Pancake
posted 07-31-2004 07:31:21 PM
quote:
So quoth Y.O.T.C:
I'm supprised that noone here even mentioned the gravestone at the very beginning, since it said 1990-1997 on it. You would think one would notice something of that importance, even though it had about 1.3 seconds of screen time.

Dude, no it didn't. You must have misread it. The gravestone said 1890-1897.

There's a King on a throne with his eyes torn out.
There's a Blind Man looking for a shadow of doubt.
There's a Rich Man sleeping on a golden bed.
There's a Skeleton choking on a crust of bread.
OtakuPenguin
Peels like a tangerine, but is juicy like an orange.
posted 07-31-2004 07:32:18 PM
quote:
When the babel fish was in place, it was apparent Y.O.T.C said:
I'm supprised that noone here even mentioned the gravestone at the very beginning, since it said 1990-1997 on it. You would think one would notice something of that importance, even though it had about 1.3 seconds of screen time.

Yeah, even having not seen the movie yet, I can conclusively say that would instantly ruin the ending.

..:: This Is The Sound Of Settling ::..
Vorbis
Vend-A-Goat
posted 07-31-2004 07:41:23 PM
I absolutely loved it. Saw it 11:59 on Thursday, and thought it was wonderful.

Gonna see it at least once more with my girlfriend when she gets back.

Bajah
Thooooooor
posted 07-31-2004 07:42:32 PM
YOTC is a blind fuck

Having said that, I enjoyed this movie immensely. In fact, I'm not even sure how people could see it and not like it. Unless they have a problem with getting a blatantly obvious ending that they completely didn't expect (though some people were able to predict the correct ending)... They were probably expecting some deeply scary and psychologically profound ending and got something that made complete sense and wasn't scary or mentally jarring at all... so they didn't like it.

The Village was great. If you liked Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, you'll like the Village.

Y.O.T.C
No longer a Towel Girl
posted 07-31-2004 10:37:51 PM
quote:
Mr. Crabs wrote this then went back to looking for porn:
Dude, no it didn't. You must have misread it. The gravestone said 1890-1897.

... I really dont want to see it again to make sure... so lets just say im isdexic

Katrinity
Cookie Goddess!
posted 08-01-2004 01:56:17 AM
It was 1897 or whatever. Not 1997.

They mentioned it in a ton of reviews too.

Cookie Goddess Supreme
Furry Kitsune of Power!
Pouncer of the 12th degree!
"Cxularath ftombn gonoragh pv'iornw hqxoxon targh!"
Translated: "Sell your soul for a cookie?"
Azymyth
Not gay; just weird
posted 08-01-2004 05:39:41 PM
I avoided this thread until I got a chance to see it for myself.

I liked it. I think what's made people so disgusted with the movie is because they went in expecting too much. M. Night has a knack for building stuff up and making you -think- that something deep and profound is going to be revealed at the end but in reality, it's something so plain and obvious when you think about it.

I suffer from CRS: Can't Remember Shit.

Sig pic done by the very talented SJen!

Ares
posted 08-01-2004 06:21:09 PM
I've never seen Signs of the Village yet.. But I did like Unbreakable (I thought it was a really original twist on the superhero cliche) and I also LOVED the Sixth Sense. It was creepy, but not completely "OMG I'm never going to sleep again!" It took me a year and a half to convince my mom to watch it.. And she loved it.

Signs never interested me.. I find most alien movies to be boring, or too frightening. My sister say Signs. She hated it. She hated the ending of it.

I want to see the Village. I don't know why.. It just looks different. I will wait for rental though. (because I refuse to pay that much money to see ANY movie, most of the time)

Last movie I saw in a theatre was Man on Fire (I took my BF cause he likes movies and it was his birthday) and Big Fish (he took me).

I only go to movies in the theatre when my BF is in town. I hate theatres cause they are over priced...He doesn't care.. He just like the theatre for some reason. o_O

Talonus
Loner
posted 08-01-2004 06:56:39 PM
Haven't seen it yet because I hate Shamalamadingdong's films, but a friend called it "A LARP taken too far". Is that an accurate assesment?
Blindy.
Suicide (Also: Gay.)
posted 08-01-2004 07:14:19 PM
I guess so. It's worth seeing though, very entertaining.
Ozimander
$$$$$$$$$$$
posted 08-01-2004 07:51:35 PM
The dialouge was intentionally done to sound like it was the 1800s
Sean
posted 08-01-2004 08:21:34 PM
I'm getting a definite Scooby Doo vibe from the spoilers here.
A Kansas City Shuffle is when everybody looks right, you go left.

It's not something people hear about.

Vernaltemptress
Withered and Alone
posted 08-02-2004 01:36:04 AM
Moffles, it's good to know what you thought. Signs was weak for being billed as a "scary" movie. I wondered about The Village, now it's off my list of movies to see or rent.
Obamanomics: spend, tax, and borrow.
Jessica Rabbit v2.0
Pancake
posted 08-03-2004 10:27:06 PM
OH god!

I went into this movie with such high hopes... course I should have known better with my run of luck with movies lately (Stepford Wives, Catwoman).

I found the acting and writing so cheesey... the secret was a bit of a shock for about a minute till you thought about it and it all fell in place to be come obvious. For the longest time I just couldnt find much of a story line at all worthy of making a movie and causing all the hype id seen. I thought it would be alot more scary.

The only good part was when noah fell in the hole. When they show the shot with him in the hole with the costume half on and such... film wise very well done

Other then that was so dissappointed and do not recomend anyone seeing it.

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Death of Rats
Pancake
posted 08-03-2004 10:32:51 PM
quote:
There was much rejoicing when Vorago said this:
I don't plan to actually see the movie, but am curious what the big twist is, so if anyone that has seen it wants to PM me... please and thank you?

same here.

A particularly crafty sea lion is befuddling the Army Corps of Engineers, who have come to believe the 1,000-pound mammal is either from hell -- or from Harvard.
Bajah
Thooooooor
posted 08-03-2004 11:12:32 PM
quote:
This is what Jessica Rabbit v2.0 is doing. This is what I want Jessica Rabbit v2.0 to do :

I found the acting and writing so cheesey...


Once again, for the slower readers out there, it was done on purpose. Once you know the 'twist' at the end, this should be obvious. The whole thing is based off of a professor's impression of 19th Century Life.. hence the strict enunciated grammar, the lifestyle, the whole WAY OF LIFE. I think, considering that, it's pretty goddamn spot on and awesome.

If you can't realize that and can't get over it not being a horror movie, then you're not gonna like it.

It was a damn fine movie.

BeauChan
Objects in sigpic may be hammier than they appear
posted 08-04-2004 12:43:27 AM
wow, that was dissapointing. Although...

...noone has mentioned yet how the wildlife reserve was founded by Ivy's grandfather, that's why that Kevin dude was like OMGWTF... I think it was a good twist. (Well, poeple mentioned it if they included it in the "twist" ending) and how Mr. Shamalyan showed up in the movie was good too ^_^

BeauChan fucked around with this message on 08-04-2004 at 12:47 AM.

Endured by EC for over 7 years and counting...
Jessica Rabbit v2.0
Pancake
posted 08-05-2004 09:35:03 PM
quote:
BeauChan had this to say about Pirotess:
wow, that was dissapointing. Although...

...noone has mentioned yet how the wildlife reserve was founded by Ivy's grandfather, that's why that Kevin dude was like OMGWTF... I think it was a good twist. (Well, poeple mentioned it if they included it in the "twist" ending) and how Mr. Shamalyan showed up in the movie was good too ^_^


really didnt care about that part. Of course it had to be owned by Ivys dad (or someone who lived there), how else could they have lived there as long and as sercretly as they had with out someone owning the land. And her granddad (as you find out later) was a billionare so its not surprising they own the area

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Mod
Pancake
posted 08-05-2004 11:34:10 PM
quote:
And I was all like 'Oh yeah?' and Jessica Rabbit v2.0 was all like:
OH god!

I went into this movie with such high hopes... course I should have known better with my run of luck with movies lately (Stepford Wives, Catwoman).

I found the acting and writing so cheesey... the secret was a bit of a shock for about a minute till you thought about it and it all fell in place to be come obvious. For the longest time I just couldnt find much of a story line at all worthy of making a movie and causing all the hype id seen. I thought it would be alot more scary.

The only good part was when noah fell in the hole. When they show the shot with him in the hole with the costume half on and such... film wise very well done

What posessed you to go see Catwoman?
Other then that was so dissappointed and do not recomend anyone seeing it.


Life... is like a box of chocolates. A cheap, thoughtless, perfunctory gift that nobody ever asks for. Unreturnable, because all you get back is another box of chocolates. You're stuck with this undefinable whipped-mint crap that you mindlessly wolf down when there's nothing else left to eat. Sure, once in a while, there's a peanut butter cup, or an English toffee. But they're gone too fast, the taste is fleeting. So you end up with nothing but broken bits, filled with hardened jelly and teeth-crunching nuts, and if you're desperate enough to eat those, all you've got left is a... is an empty box... filled with useless, brown paper wrappers.
Jessica Rabbit v2.0
Pancake
posted 08-05-2004 11:39:03 PM
I was curious to see what they would do with it and regreted seeing it about 10 minutes into it.
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