The Happening (2008) - Shyamalan's out-there, unsettling, undervalued sci-fi horror

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+ Best Mystery of the Year + Best Sci-fi Horror of the Year

 

Something is clearly completely off in the world on this blue-tinted poster for M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening

 

Out of the blue, trees begin to send out a poison that makes people commit suicide, and that is leading people out into grotesque and frightening situations all around the world.

 

The Happening is written and directed by Indian-born American master filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (Praying with Anger (1992)), whose 8th feature it is.

Widely ridiculed and unappreciated, this film is mainly a problem for audiences who lack imagination. It is a kind of modern version of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) and similarly unsettling, - if one has the capacity to be taken up by it. James Newton Howard's (Detroit (2017)) excellent score only adds to this dimension of pleasant genre recall. Shymalan mixes horrific images of events not related to the core story; a couple with a girl, who also fight with the logic of making sense of the strange phenomenon. 

Mark Wahlberg (The Italian Job (2003))  has one of his better, charming roles as a physics teacher. Also good are Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man (2008)), John Leguizamo (Sisters (2015)) and Betty Buckley (Oz (2001-03)) as the old, crazy lady. The Happening at times is a bit out there and wacky, to be sure, but it remains a scary dose of existentialism, and to me it is (strangely) very anxiety-provoking.

 

Related posts:

 

M. Night Shyamalan: Glass (2019) - Shyamalan buries past effort in ominous superhero nonsense 

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

The Visit (2015) - Shyamalan's creepy mini-comeback

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]  

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Reportedly 60 mil. $

Box office: 163.4 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.72 times its cost)

[The Happening premiered 10 June (New York) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place from August - November 2007 in Paris, France, New York and Pennsylvania, including in Philadelphia. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release The Incredible Hulk and holdover hit Kung Fu Panda, to a 30.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 64.5 mil. $ (39.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 12.1 mil. $ (7.4 %) and Japan with 11.3 mil. $ (6.9 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. In 2010 Wahlberg said in a press conference for The Fighter (2010) that The Happening was a "really bad movie." The film accrued more than 22.3 mil. $ on video sales in North America. Shyamalan returned with The Last Airbender (2010). Wahlberg returned in May Payne (2008). The Happening is rotten at 18 % with a 4.00/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Happening?

Gigantic (2008) - Aselton's idiosyncratic romcom debut

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Zooey Deschanel finds herself in an extremely short dress in a flush apartment on this yellow, everything-everywhere poster for Matt Aselton's Gigantic

A bed salesman in New York falls for a rude customer's daughter, who, however, is overwhelmed by his love.

 

Gigantic is written by Adam Nagata (Lying and Stealing (2019)) and debuting co-writer/director Matt Aselton (French Exit (2020, executive producer)). 

The film has good ingredients in Paul Dano (L.I.E. (2001)), Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man (2008)), John Goodman (The Monuments Men (2014)), Jane Alexander (The Cider House Rules (1999)) and Edward Asner (Island Prey (2001)), who all contribute more or less to its romcom stew, one that is a bit too much of a male patriarchal drivel reality for my taste. - One scene is bound to downright repulse quite a lot of female audiences (and perhaps rightly so.)

But there is also some fun and good scenes, - like the one in which Deschanel calls her substance abuse-mother in Florida, who doesn't recognize her voice. But the script doesn't answer a couple of fundamental oddities in it, which makes it appear somewhat unfair: Who is Zack Galifianakis' (Due Date (2010)) homeless attacker, whom Dano appears to kill, - and why does he attack him in the first place? - What is this supposed to mean? And why has Dano's character from childhood been obsessed with adopting a Chinese baby? No one every asks this (fairly obvious) question, and it honestly seems freaky, not least because he ends up receiving one in Gigantic.

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 165k $

= Uncertain, but almost surely a box office disaster

[Gigantic premiered 8 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 98 minutes. The story is based on Aselton's childhood wish for his parents to adopt a Chinese baby for him to have a younger sibling. Shooting took place in New York and Connecticut for 23 days in March 2008. The film opened #68 to a 10k $ first weekend in 1 theater in North America, where it never attained a higher position although it widened to 11 theaters, grossing 102k $ (61.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 40k $ (24.2 %) and the UK with 22k $ (13.3 %), - the only two other markets listed on the film's Box Office Mojo site. If made on a realistic, low 3-5 mil. $ budget, the film would rank as a box office disaster. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Aselton returned with Robin Banks and the Bank Robbers (2014, TV-series) and theatrically with Lying and Stealing (2019). Dano returned in Taking Woodstock (2009); Deschanel in Yes Man (2008); and Goodman in The Emperor's New Schoool (2007-08, TV-series short) and theatrically in Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009). Gigantic is rotten at 36 % with a 4.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Gigantic?

Elf (2003) - Favreau and Ferrell supply belly laughs and Christmas magic

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+ Best Christmas Movie of the Year + Best Huge Hit of the Year 

Will Ferrell is strapped for hijinks inside a Christmas ball on this poster for Jon Favreau's Elf

Buddy is a human who is raised in the elf world, who now discovers his different origin and decides to travel to New York to find his father. - But life is hard in the big city for an elf!

Will Ferrell (Semi-Pro (2008)) lights up every scene like a Christmas lantern in the title role here in this wonderful family comedy. Elf flies high on his spirited performance, the strange and creatively accomplished elf world on the North Pole, and a great sense of absurd comedy coupled with genuinely sweet moments.
Ferrell receives enthusiastic backup from Zooey Deschanel (Our Idiot Brother (2011)), Michael Lerner (The Mod Squad (1999)), Peter Dinklage (Human Nature (2001)), James Caan (Viva Las Nowhere (2001)) and Mary Steenburgen (I Am Sam (2001)) in supporting parts.
Elf is written by David Berenbaum (The Haunted Mansion (2003)) and directed by great New-Yorker director Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book (2016)). It is handsomely produced, funny, thrilling and has Christmas magic in spades. It is a favorite with just about everyone.

Related posts:

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2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess   
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2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: 33 mil. $
Box office: 220.4 mil. $
= Huge hit
[Elf premiered 9 October (Austin Film Festival) and runs 97 minutes. Jim Carrey was offered the role, but turned it down, and Terry Zwigoff was offered to direct but turned it down in preference for his Christmas movie, Bad Santa (2003). Shooting took place in Vancouver, Canada and in New York from December 2002 - March 2003. Buddy's (Ferrell) singing in Gimbel's' Santa-land wasn't scripted; Ferrell reportedly made it up on the spot. The film opened #2, behind The Matrix Revolutions, to a 31.1 mil. $ opening weekend in North America, where it rose to #1 in its second week (a substantially quieter week at the box office) and spent a total of 6 weeks in the top 5, grossing 173.3 mil. $ (78.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 28 mil. $ (12.7 %) and Australia with 6.1 mil. $ (2.8 %). Roger Ebert gave the film 3/4 stars, equal to a notch harder than this review. It has since its release been listed as one of the best Christmas films of all time by several respected publications. The film has spun a 2010 Broadway musical and a 2014 NBC special, with Jim Parsons playing Buddy. Elf is certified fresh at 84 % with a 7 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Elf?

(500) Days of Summer (2009) or, Cute & Cuter

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The refreshing, eclectic poster for Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer

A greeting card writer, Tom, falls for his boss' new assistant, but their romance becomes problematic, because while he believes in fate and love, she believes in keeping things casual. 

(500) Days of Summer is one of those films where the end is revealed in the title, - and the narrator makes this even clearer at the onset. The film's indie-cool parameter is blinking red; what with protagonist Tom's unlikely, creative vocation, the animated sequences, and even a dance scene in a park, - along with the casting of two of the day's cutest actors, talented Joseph Gordon Levitt (Lincoln (2012)) and indie-folk singer/actress, Zooey Deschanel (Our Idiot Brother (2011)).
Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)), a music video director, makes his feature debut here with an original script by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Fault in Our Stars (2014), both). They have chosen the uncommon LA as background for this romance, and succeed in making the city, which is widely regarded as flat, huge and not very romantic, seem both interesting and romantic.
The film also benefits from lots of smart editing, (the scene with expectations vs. reality is especially fine), and fine supporting performances from Geoffrey Arend (Worst Friends (2014)) and Matthew Gray Gubler (Beautiful Girl (2014)) as Tom's friends, who bring liberating laughs to this sweet little pearl of a film.

Related posts:

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel practically battling each other in cuteness in Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 7.5 mil. $
Box office: 60.7 mil. $
= Huge hit (returned 8.09 times the cost)
[(500) Days of Summer premiered 17 January (Sundance Film Festival, Utah) and runs 95 minutes. Neustadter has revealed that the script is based on a real romance and breakup of his. Filming took place from April - July 2008 in LA, using several notable buildings in the city. The film opened #12 to a 834k $ first weekend in 27 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #9 and in 1,048 theaters (different weeks), grossing 32.3 mil. $ (53.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 7.5 mil. $ (12.4 %) and Australia with 4.3 mil. $ (12 %). The film appeared on several critical top 10 lists of the year and got nominated for two Golden Globes and 3 Independent Spirit Awards, winning for Best Screenplay. Webb returned with 8 short and TV-series episodes before he hit theaters again with The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). Gordon-Levitt returned in Women in Trouble (2009), Deschanel in 6 short and TV-series credits before Our Idiot Brother (2011). (500) Days of Summer is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.6/10 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of (500) Days of Summer?