DXS Machina

So, I went on a mad and crazy movie spree last Saturday and I watched: The Happening, Sex and the City, and The Incredible Hulk… all in one day. Out of the three I liked “The Happening” the best. Which judging by the reviews is suppose to be the WORSE film in existence… or something.

However “House of the Dead”, “Dungeons and Dragons” and “Lost in Space” still exist so I’m a bit confused by all the gnashing of teeth and shaking of fists going on. Not that I think people should like “The Happening” or something, just that I went and watched it and thought it was a perfectly fine film. Mom watched it with me and didn’t like it at all so you know to each their own.

Still it’s weird, people keep telling me things about it that aren’t in the movie at all… like it has an ending like the new version of “the Mist”, which it doesn’t. It has a ending much like a typical horror film unlike the new “Mist” which wishes to punch you in the face a few times for fun. I don’t mind being punched in the face but twice is my limit and “The Mist” exceeds that by an extra punch or two. I also heard “The Happening” was depressing… which it isn’t, it’s no more depressing then a typical zombie film. I heard it was super violent and then boring which I didn’t find to be the case… though this could be me.

I found it to be a perfectly fine M. Night Shyamalan film. It’s beautifully shot, has good pacing, and has a strange and enjoyable humor which I always like about his films. There are no twist endings here (just in case you want to drag out that pony and beat it a few times… personally I don’t think he’s had a twist ending in 3 or 4 films now but I’m funny on what I’d call a twist and what I’d call good old fashion plot… you know, not just there to move the story along, sometimes plot also has reveals and turns to go with all those twists everyone goes on and on about). It’s just a straight forward catastrophe film. The film is coy about laying down an exact reason for the event taking place, which the director sets up really early in the film and most of the people discussing the film try to ignore as hard as possible. There’s a strong case for the theory put forth by some of the nuttier characters in the film and even though it’s not laid down in stone, the main character believes it.

It isn’t without faults… the delivery of the dialog is wooden on the main characters for some reason and I sort of wished for more of the creepy deaths. Mom felt the music was cheesy but I didn’t mind it at all. It’s not a typical horror film (as in it’s not out to scare instead it seems to be trying to disturb) and maybe the message is too clear and clean cut for people though I didn’t find that a problem either. I don’t think it’s for everyone… what film is, but I liked it a lot. I’d recommend it but I suspect most people have already talked themselves out of seeing it anyway.

“The Incredible Hulk” and “Sex and the City” weren’t bad either but I was less compelled by them then I was by “the Happening”.

Oh ho ho, the spell check says Shyamalan should be Chameleon. Snicker.