Let's go back to the late 90's, when a new young director burst onto the scene in late summer with a film that would go on to be an unexpected blockbuster and a critical smash.
I'm talking about The Sixth Sense, and its director, M. Night Shyamalan. The movie shot the director into the limelight, both for his talent and his mysterious nature.
His follow-up--Unbreakable--was a modest hit, but he roared back with his second smash hit Signs.
Then things started to go wrong.
First, his movie The Village was a huge let-down for fans, and was also the center of a plagiarism case. A young adult author claimed Shyamalan had ripped off her novel, and if you read the novel, you could see that she had a pretty good case on her hands.
Then came the bomb to end all bombs--Lady in the Water.
Not only was the film a letdown on all fronts, it also solidified Shyamalan's high opinion of myself. Personally, it was the moment when I decided I was giving up on a filmmaker I used to admire.
Spoiler Alert! (If you're actually interested in seeing Lady in the Water, and I would highly advise against it.)
Shyamalan cast himself as a savior figure in the movie. Upon further investigation, you'll find that Shyamalan casts himself in small yet crucial roles in ALL his films.
I was starting to wonder if maybe this guy was just another failed actor whose swelling ego finally got the best of him.
Once The Happening came out, a bomb even bigger that Lady..., Shyamalan was worse than a director on a losing streak--he was completely irrelevant.
When your third comeback film doesn't incite a comeback, you have to wonder when the guy is going to throw in the towel.
This summer, however, Shyamalan seems to be moving his career into a slightly different direction.
He's taken on directing The Last Airbender, a more conventional summer blockbuster. It's sure to be at least a modest hit at the box office, and there's talk that Shyamalan is reuniting with his old lightning rod Bruce Willis, as well as Gwenyth Paltrow and Bradley Cooper for his next movie.
So will a big budget hit be enough to give him permission to go back to making introspective vanity projects?
Let's hope he goes even further, back to his root's roots. I think it's possible.
After all, if there's one thing this guy is good at, it's surprising people.
I'm talking about The Sixth Sense, and its director, M. Night Shyamalan. The movie shot the director into the limelight, both for his talent and his mysterious nature.
His follow-up--Unbreakable--was a modest hit, but he roared back with his second smash hit Signs.
Then things started to go wrong.
First, his movie The Village was a huge let-down for fans, and was also the center of a plagiarism case. A young adult author claimed Shyamalan had ripped off her novel, and if you read the novel, you could see that she had a pretty good case on her hands.
Then came the bomb to end all bombs--Lady in the Water.
Not only was the film a letdown on all fronts, it also solidified Shyamalan's high opinion of myself. Personally, it was the moment when I decided I was giving up on a filmmaker I used to admire.
Spoiler Alert! (If you're actually interested in seeing Lady in the Water, and I would highly advise against it.)
Shyamalan cast himself as a savior figure in the movie. Upon further investigation, you'll find that Shyamalan casts himself in small yet crucial roles in ALL his films.
I was starting to wonder if maybe this guy was just another failed actor whose swelling ego finally got the best of him.
Once The Happening came out, a bomb even bigger that Lady..., Shyamalan was worse than a director on a losing streak--he was completely irrelevant.
When your third comeback film doesn't incite a comeback, you have to wonder when the guy is going to throw in the towel.
This summer, however, Shyamalan seems to be moving his career into a slightly different direction.
He's taken on directing The Last Airbender, a more conventional summer blockbuster. It's sure to be at least a modest hit at the box office, and there's talk that Shyamalan is reuniting with his old lightning rod Bruce Willis, as well as Gwenyth Paltrow and Bradley Cooper for his next movie.
So will a big budget hit be enough to give him permission to go back to making introspective vanity projects?
Let's hope he goes even further, back to his root's roots. I think it's possible.
After all, if there's one thing this guy is good at, it's surprising people.
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