Comments on: What is Wrong With M. Night Shyamalan

By: Contemplation: On Words and Responsibility on the Internet « General Lordisimo’s Apocalypse

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:55:55 +0000

[...] matters of personal opinion (you can judge for yourself by reading the comments and my responses on this post). I personally allowed all of them because they drove a bit of a conversation and even if there [...]

By: Nathaniel Lord

Nathaniel Lord — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:26:13 +0000

Personally I would list directors such as Orson Welles, Roman Polanski, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Copolla, Clint Eastwood (his directorial work not the stuff he acted in), and some, though certainly not all, of Steven Spielberg’s works as being far superior to anything Mr. Shyamalan has ever done. I would much rather watch, and likely find more merit, in films directed by people like Wes Anderson and Spike Jonze than those by M. Night. But again, as I’ve stated in my last response, this is all a subjective opinion. I consider these people more talented and better at directing/movie-making than M. Night Shyamalan. You may (and you are more than welcome too) disagree. As far as what constitutes “better” and/or “the best” in a topic like directors it is impossible to have an objective truth. Is it by sheer popularity (aka the money that the works can make)? Is it the Critics’ responses? Is it how the works are viewed as having an overall impact on the art and style of film as a whole? There are a lot of factors that have to be taken into consideration, and even after that it really doesn’t mean all that much if you or I or anybody else still has a personal preference. That is the wonder of the arts and how we interact with them. It is kind of like how people eat; we all have different tastes.

How about you? Besides Shyamalan (who I believe you have clearly demonstrated that you like), what other directors do you enjoy? It is wonderful and good to have a favorite (presently I give a lot of my props to Mr. Anderson and his works) but I also think it is important to be rounded and able to appreciate different people and the differences in their works.

By: Decadent Sympozium

Decadent Sympozium — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:44:11 +0000

List me names of directors…pardon, not directors, hm…movie makers, since the guy does it all alone, you consider “better”, please.

By: Nathaniel Lord

Nathaniel Lord — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:02:53 +0000

I will reply to your remarks by saying that I have spent a lot of time watching a hell of a lot of movies over the years; some great, some shitty, some somewhere in between. As such I like to think that I have at least a marginal appreciation for film and can determine on my own accords whether or not a movie is one of quality or is completely lacking in such. I try not to let critics influence my own opinion; if a movie sounds interesting to me I will take the time to go see it regardless of the reviews and form my own opinion (hence why I bothered to go see “The Happening”). That being said, as I’ve pointed out in the above post, I’ve seen a lot of Shyamalan’s movies and have, time and again, not been overly impressed. I give the guy credit for the ability to create rather original ideas, I also give him credit for his tenacity, but I haven’t seen him pull off what I would consider a piece of amazing film. Is he the most horrible director of all time? No, not at all. Are there better directors than him? Without a doubt. Now here is the big one; could he be better? Personally I’d have to say yes. It seems apparent that you would say he is good enough. Perhaps you are correct and his movies are a hundred years ahead of his time (oh, and not to nitpick but if you are going to use a quote in an argument it is usually pertinent to cite who said such so that it can be determined whether it is actually a valuable statement in regards to the discussion). On the other hand in a hundred years Shyamalan may be all but forgotten in the world of film. In conclusion I will admit to my biases as far as his works go, and point out that obviously you have your own as well, and close by saying that is absolutely wonderful because who doesn’t like having subjective opinions? Thanks for reading and the comment.

By: Decadent Sympozium

Decadent Sympozium — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:53:01 +0000

From the perspective of person who adores Shyamalan work and actually considers him as one of few persons today that can make a movie which inspires, puts in thought, expands the horizons and revitalizes imagination, after years of well-fought battles against the bad critic and such men, I figured there cannot be a conclusion other than A) You are a person that doesn’t have the little braincell requierd to understand (in an optimal, supreme way, the phronesis, look upon dictionary if you wonder) Shyamalan, or B) You are a person that does have that little braincell with which you can see Shyamalan in such far sight that eventually, you aren’t sure is it possible that one men can express so much with 90 minutes Hollywood movie; in respond to non-deniable work of art such as Kants or Baudelaires. As one person once said: “Shyamalan’s movies are 100 years ahead of our time.”; And when I just recall of Lady in the Water, Unbreakable or Signs, I cannot agree more.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:26:51 +0000

Tom M. (really long last name not included for fear of more spam mail) here. Been awhile, Nathaniel.

Another funny occurance. I too joined Ryan’s group, but not before having a drawn a comic about M.Night McWeirdname. My guess is this is his twist for your blog, and Ryan is in on it.

By: Nathaniel Lord

Nathaniel Lord — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 01:53:18 +0000

Yeah, brotherly comraderie! If M. Night suddenly turns up missing I’ll be your alibie little brother!

By: KeeneLordy87

KeeneLordy87 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:26:50 +0000

Funny occurance (maybe even a shitty idea for a shitty m. night movie?): I just read your post, big brother, which was very well written and well thought-out. Upon returning to facebook (where i use the link to get here) I found that my old friend Ryan McGinnis invited me to a group called M. Night Shyamalan Needs to Stop Making Movies. I think this is a sign that I have to kill Mr. Shyamalan, or at least prevent him from making painfully predictable and/or lame plot twists. Thanks for the entertainment at work and props for the H.J.O picture.