The other two can suck a dick, though.

Village I didn’t care for. There was just something about it that I wanted to keep at arms length. I enjoyed Signs, it had kids that weren’t (too) annoying and Mel put on a good subdued show.

Lady in the water: I kind of liked it. I liked the performances, I liked the fact that it wasn’t important (if she died, then so what?). I liked the film critic and his analysis which is just what most people watching the film would have thought about these characters as they were introduced. Sure, it was no Sixth Sense, but hey…

Brett Ratner. Yup, couldn’t agree more. I somewhat enjoyed Rush Hour (Always good to see Mark Rolston, been a fan of his since Drake in Aliens and his role in Shawshank). Rush Hour 2 was terrible, and the thought of a third film is crazy (Presumably Jackie Chan will combat the bad guys with his Zimmer?) Red Dragon and Xmen3 I have yet to see,but I agree, where the hell does he get the ‘right’ to have his name in the title?

At least John Carpenter earned that right with Halloween, Escape From New York, The Fog (I love that film), Precint 13, The Thing. Ok so he has done nothing since except Big Trouble in Little China which I used to hate but now love.

But Carpenter set a benchmark, so deserves it. Ratner’s claim to fame is killing off the X-franchise, an unnecessary remake, and Rush Hour.

Adding “A Brett Ratner Film” to a trailer would just make me go “Who?” and then look it up, and then laugh at the marketing ‘genius’ that came up with it.

I could probably name a dozen directors without thinking too hard that deserve the ‘right’ more then him.

Although the ones that make me laugh are “From the makers of…” and you find out those ‘makers’ are the catering crew and costume designers.

I’m glad that these directors make it clear when they are reponsible for a movie, that way I can stay well clear!

As for The Village, I liked it. I didn’t like it as a suspense film, or a horror film, or a sci-fi film. I liked it as a romance. The film clearly was most concerned with the romance between Bryce Dallas Howard and Joaquin Phoenix - it was the impetus for her flight out of the Village. And I thought that romance was beautifully depicted and quite touching.

The problem with Shyamalan’s films is that he seems to feel the need to include a “twist” ending, for whatever reason. I think the more films he makes, the more each twist feels unnecessary - Signs was a sci-fi comedy, The Village was a romance, Lady in the Water was a fable.

I agree that he does seem awfully arrogant. But really, in Hollywood, who doesn’t? The arrogance is most apparent in Lady in the Water, where he plays the brilliant writer, and the dumb movie critic is wrong about everything. But at the same time, I thought the film contained a real sense of wonderment and excitement, just like a child’s bedtime story should have. I didn’t think it was the best movie ever, but I definitely think it succeeded for the most part with what it was trying to do. And Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas Howard (again) were terrific.

I know with ever passing movie, Shyamalan’s going to find it harder to make movies, because fewer and fewer people are going to see his movies. But I’m still looking forward to his next film. Even his bad movies are never uninteresting, I think.

I’m glad that these directors make it clear when they are reponsible for a movie, that way I can stay well clear!”

He he, nice.

There is an article in Empire this month, that I read mere minutes after Jammer’s rant/article. It is titled:

“Just who the hell does Brett Ratner think he is?”

Unfortunately, it is actually an article praising the director. And I just cannot see what he has done to deserve a 5-page spread in Empire. On the other hand, they have interviewed everyone else in the universe, so maybe they are running out of people…

Also, in the same issue that have a big feature on Nazi director Leni Riefenstahl, so maybe… (No, I am not going to go there).

I still need to see the Rock and Rush Hour, but I did see X-Men 3 and Transformers…Karl Rove has more soul than these films (although the latter was admittedly funny at times.)

A side note…From a design standpoint Bruck himself probably has one of the best brands even though he’s just a producer….it’s just a tree that gets struck by lightning and blooms. This is so identifiable his logo no longer requires any text.

I love M. Night Shyamalan. Yeah that’s right. I went there. I used the ‘L’ word, and I’m not at all ashamed. I’m tired of reading stupid review after stupid review of his movies.

The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs are three of my favorite movies. I love the way he creates characters.

And guess what I liked The Village also. . In fact it’s also one of my favorite movies (somewhere I just made a kitten cry, but I still don’t care). Why did I like it? People always talk about the lame monsters and the ‘twist’, but I don’t give a rat’s ass about those things. What I love about the Village is that, for me, it’s about the people. The theme of someone sacrificing everything to help someone they love. I’m sorry, it moved me.

In fact what I love about all M. Night movies is that they are always more about the people then they are about whatever the ‘big’ thing would be if someone else was telling the story.

It’s the way that Signs isn’t really about the aliens and Unbreakable isn’t at all about having super powers and The Sixth Sense is not about ghosts. I love that and it annoys me that everyone else is too caught up talking about those things to get their heads out of their behinds.

Bah! You can all go suck on a shoe! Yeah, a shoe that’s been soaking in turpentine…and is on fire!

P.S. Lady in the Water had major weaknesses, but that doesn’t change the fact that it also had real strengths.

P.P.S. Isn’t calling something a ‘vanity’ project stupid? How is it anymore a vanity project then anything else? Because Disney turned down the idea? That’s stupid–stories get turned down all the time. A good writer keeps on submitting until they get it published. It’s like rule one of getting published.

Or were you referring to the fact he told it to his children? Again stupid logic. The Hobbit was told to Tolkien’s children.

My point is, he believed it was a good story. He created it with this belief. That’s all any creator can do. Is there anything more vain then deciding something you’ve created is interesting to other people? Probably not, but every writer, director, whatever is guilty of it. Every work of art ever made is a vanity project, ergo your use of it as a slander is silly and badly worded.

He’s a Hitchcockian suspense builder without the sense for ordinary adult intrigues, interested so much more in some very child-like awakenings and fantasies. I love his movies, and I think he’s only getting better at making them accessible to those of us willing really make his leaps with him. Lady in the Water was actually pretty wonderful in what it was saying about how we all have gifts we are given and how it’s up to us to choose to use them and explore them.

And why doesn’t anyone else understand from seeing that movie that Story was going be a leader of her own people, about to go off and inspire millions of people, by inspiring thousands of Narfs? Anyway…

I agree on Michael Bay (particularly since the man’s best thing is what he used to and he didn’t really ever stop with his films, and that’s beer and car commercials… think about it: all of his movies are exactly what make up beer and car commercials…).

And Brett Ratner hasn’t really done anything great yet… so yes, I agree that he’s not worth the hubbub, bub, but why rant on these guys, anyway? So many people have had recognizable names as made as brands who didn’t really deserve it…

But Shyamalan, even if you don’t like his films, doesn’t belong on your list, I think, because he’s such an auteur. His films are exactly in his vision and not the list bit unoriginal. His moniker makes perfect sense to be attached. And he’s going to be making the the Avatar: The Last Airbender (a brilliant Nickelodeon show… well, the second season was brilliant, anyway) trilogy of live action films… so I gotta give him some more faith for that!