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M. Night Shyamalan Movies That Deserve Another Chance

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M. Night Shyamalan is one of those writers/directors everyone loves to hate but I never really understood why. Yes, The Last Airbender was not his shining moment and his first attempt at an ACTUAL horror movie format with The Visit didn’t go well, but that doesn’t mean he’s not great at what he does. He’s got talent and some of his least popular movies deserve another chance.

Everyone loved The Sixth Sense. That was our introduction to the Shyamalan twist, as it has come to be known. Nobody saw it coming and if they said they did, I call bullshit. It was slow burning, quiet and terrifying. Haley Joel Osment killed his role and it went down very quickly as a classic.

Unbreakable was also a crowd favorite, but then things started to go downhill for Shyamalan and his fans. People started getting tired of the twists, disliking the stories thinking they were stupid and giving his movies poor ratings to which I say….”What the hell is wrong with you people??”

There was even a creepy mockumentary about all of his mysteries like he was some supernatural being called The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan. It was wildly entertaining and I thought it was so fun that he participated even though he got a lot of criticism for marketing it as real. They took a tip from The Blair Witch Project and it backfired.

I’m taking this time to remind you, my lovely readers, about why you should love M. Night Shyamalan’s movies, past The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. This is excluding his new movie Split that has received rave reviews.

5. The Village

M. Night Shyamalan

Image courtesy of Where’s the Jump

Oh my God, the hate for The Village is palpable. When you start talking about it, the haters literally climb from between the couch cushions to say why they hate it so much. Maybe because I don’t go into a movie or a magic show determined to spoil the twists and tricks that I am able to enjoy it more. While I thought the “monsters” in the woods were silly looking, the actual story was interesting and heartbreaking.

4. Lady in the Water

M. Night Shyamalan

Maybe it was the performance by Paul Giamatti or the dry humor hidden between the fantasy story, I’m not sure but I love this movie, despite the overwhelmingly negative reviews. I have seen it multiple times and I love it every time. Bryce Dallas Howard pulls out another quiet and strong performance as Story and the characters in the apartment building are exaggerated and wonderful. It doesn’t deserve the hate it receives.

3. Devil

M. Night Shyamalan

Image courtesy of Culturefy

While it follows the famous Shaymalan guideline, its style is very different due to the fact that he just produced it. Confined to basically one set, this movie is paranoid and claustrophobic. While the twist is easier to see coming in this particular movie, it was creepy and more disturbing than his other movies.

2. The Happening

M. Night Shyamalan

Image courtesy of OSW Review

Spoiler alert….it was the trees and people bitched about that to no end. It was M. Night Shyamalan’s first rated R film and I think this might be his creepiest one. It released to negative reviews but this remains one of my favorites. The thought that you take your own life out of your own control is terrifying. And I thought that the idea that nature was doing what it had to to protect itself was a refreshing and new idea. This movie deserves a lot of love.

1. Signs

M. Night Shyamalan

Image courtesy of Blu Ray

This movie is considered one of his better ones and for good reason. I’m biased because I love most things alien but this movie is very well made. While I could do without the repeated flashbacks that build to the big ending, it’s a slow burn and builds to a creepy crescendo. The fact that you only see small flashes of the aliens themselves makes the movie even better. Signs is great for watching more than once and the creepiness remains. It’s definitely tops in my book.

I believe these movies deserve more love than what they were given. What is your favorite of M. Night Shyamalan’s so-called “worst” films? Let us know in the comments. While you’re here, check out the Split/Unbreakable news here.

(Featured image courtesy of ET Online)

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film

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The Blair Witch Project Cast

Jason Blum is planning to reboot The Blair Witch Project for the second time. That’s a fairly large task considering none of the reboots or sequels have managed to capture the magic of the 1999 film that brought found footage into the mainstream.

This idea has not been lost on the original Blair Witch cast, who has recently reached out to Lionsgate to ask for what they feel is fair compensation for their role in the pivotal film. Lionsgate gained access to The Blair Witch Project in 2003 when they purchased Artisan Entertainment.

Blair witch
The Blair Witch Project Cast

However, Artisan Entertainment was an independent studio before its purchase, meaning the actors were not part of SAG-AFTRA. As a result, the cast are not entitled to the same residuals from the project as actors in other major films. The cast doesn’t feel that the studio should be able to continue to profit off of their hard work and likenesses without fair compensation.

Their most recent request asks for “meaningful consultation on any future ‘Blair Witch’ reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc., in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.”

The blair witch project

At this time, Lionsgate has not offered any comment about this issue.

The full statement made by the cast can be found below.

OUR ASKS OF LIONSGATE (From Heather, Michael & Josh, stars of “The Blair Witch Project”):

1. Retroactive + future residual payments to Heather, Michael and Josh for acting services rendered in the original BWP, equivalent to the sum that would’ve been allotted through SAG-AFTRA, had we had proper union or legal representation when the film was made.

2. Meaningful consultation on any future Blair Witch reboot, sequel, prequel, toy, game, ride, escape room, etc…, in which one could reasonably assume that Heather, Michael & Josh’s names and/or likenesses will be associated for promotional purposes in the public sphere.

Note: Our film has now been rebooted twice, both times were a disappointment from a fan/box office/critical perspective. Neither of these films were made with significant creative input from the original team. As the insiders who created the Blair Witch and have been listening to what fans love & want for 25 years, we’re your single greatest, yet thus-far un-utilized secret-weapon!

3. “The Blair Witch Grant”: A 60k grant (the budget of our original movie), paid out yearly by Lionsgate, to an unknown/aspiring genre filmmaker to assist in making theirfirst feature film. This is a GRANT, not a development fund, hence Lionsgate will not own any of the underlying rights to the project.

A PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS OF “THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT”:

As we near the 25th anniversary of The Blair Witch Project, our pride in the storyworld we created and the film we produced is reaffirmed by the recent announcement of a reboot by horror icons Jason Blum and James Wan.

While we, the original filmmakers, respect Lionsgate’s right to monetize the intellectual property as it sees fit, we must highlight the significant contributions of the original cast — Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Mike Williams. As the literal faces of what has become a franchise, their likenesses, voices, and real names are inseparably tied to The Blair Witch Project. Their unique contributions not only defined the film’s authenticity but continue to resonate with audiences around the world.

We celebrate our film’s legacy, and equally, we believe the actors deserve to be celebrated for their enduring association with the franchise.

Sincerely, Eduardo Sanchez, Dan Myrick, Gregg Hale, Robin Cowie, and Michael Monello

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