Trailer Review: DEVIL

M. Night Shyamalan is back this time as an executive producer and "idea giver" in the new thriller/horror movie, DEVIL. This is the first installment under Shyamalan's self-titled "The Night Chronicles" series. The movie is directed by The Brothers Dowdle, whose most recent credit is the movie Quarantine. I know my fellow film geeks, as a whole, have a wonderful time comparing Shyamalan to George Lucas, but I really think he's super-ceded with this move. I'm sorry sir, I may be one of the few people who liked Lady in the Water, but I think you should concentrate more time on writing and directing, like you actually care about the people who sit down and pay to see your films. Not go throwing around the word Chronicle, every time you come up with an idea and just so happen to have two more that follow.

Its okay Chronicle, I promise to lead a campaign that will save you from having to be fucked by M. Nights title card on screen.

So the trailer opens up with these really striking images of what looks to be the New York City skyline upside down with taglines going across it. If you read my Catfish review you know how I feel about taglines, so we won't go there. It makes it seem like everything that's happening, the interactions and those who get in the elevator is all by chance. But the trailer still has to remind me that "everything happens for a reason"....

...fucking taglines....

Anyway the elevator stops, people start screaming and then we are given a series of images from the movie of all the crazy scenarios that will occur. This brings me to the second highlight of the trailer which is when all these images are happening the sound is drown out and there is this low monotone sound that screeches through the rest till we are given a jump scare. Now I really believe that if Shyamalan's name wasn't all over this movie, audiences would have less of a grudge against it. Yes, it looks like another hapless horror movie thriller, with an idea, that by the end could have more done with it, but doesn't change the fact that the trailer isn't all that bad looking. Its an interesting idea, simple enough, and put in a location that suits its claustrophobic and terrorizing needs; its just the filmmaker its associated with that gives it its bum rap right from the beginning.

In summation, I'm honestly curious to see how this entire movie plays out. Less for Shyamalan, but more for the writer and directors of this movie. See Mr. "Unbreakable" is only credited with a "story by" credit. For those of you who think that "screenplay by" and "story by" are the same thing...they are not, let me clarify.

Screenplay by means that they actually wrote an entire script out.

Story by means that Shyamalan could have done anything from walk into and office and say; "Yo...5 people...Elevator...feel the tension...mmmhmmm..can you feel it? AND THEN BAM ONE OF THE IS DEVIL. Package it, sell it, knick knack, patty whack, give a dog a bone!" Or he could have wrote an outline with some plots points and another writer flushed the rest of it out.

I think the latter is what happened but its fun to wonder.

I haven't seen Quarantine and even though I've heard bad things about it, doesn't change that the movie's main plug is that a news reporter is trapped inside a building and has to get out before horrible things happen to her. The writer of this movie is Brian Nelson, who wrote the script for 30 Days of Night and Hard Candy. Both films take place in one location, but do a whole hell of a lot to make you feel as uncomfortable as possible and bring as much tension to the idea of being trapped into its small, but simple story ideas. I'm going to try and go into this flick with the thought that Shyamalan did nothing more than give creative control over to other talented writers and filmmakers and let them do what he hasn't been able to since Unbreakable; and that is make an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

As always my final review will be when the credits roll and house like come up.


Dueces!
StuntmanBob

The Last Airbender Trailer Review

Could this movie make M. Night Shymalan "Unbreakable" again?

The last time Shyamalan did a movie he and his kids where over the hill about was Lady in the Water. That movie got put through the ringer critically, but I personally enjoyed it. It was the first time that he was delving into something that was fantastical and if you looked at it with those eyes then I think it worked. This trailer looks like he's taking a bigger step into that world and it feels great to me! The whole trailer feels like Night is standing up before all of us and saying "I'm Back!"

This is the first time that Night hasn't originally created something that we are about to see on screen. Although he's written this movie as well, or adapted it, The Last Airbender is based of a popular nickelodeon cartoon. This series from what I gather is about these four nations that represent the four elements; Air, Fire, Earth, Water. The Air nation is said to be extinct for sometime until new-comer actor Noah Ringer who plans Aang comes along. Aang is said to be the last of the Airbenders and the one destined to save the other nations from the destructive force of the Fire nation and restore everything to a balance.

Has a certain Star Wars feel to it, No? ( I may have just committed blasphemy there, but don't tell me you didn't see the comparison in some aspect.)

Although there have been epic looking movies like this in the past, this is the first time since Lord of the Rings that it feels like something fresh and worth getting invested in, as opposed to the same 'ole thing. I think what helps is that this doesn't feel like an M.Night Shymalan movie. Its exciting in a way, cause I know that personally I wanna see him come back and wreck shit!

Some of his past works include The Sixth Sense, Signs, and Unbreakable. All of those movies have a certain pace to them and it showed in their trailers. I see Shymalan trying to break out of his comfort zone with this and bring us something that looks more mainstream, but with his new found signature on it.

The CGI effects look very impressive too and also looked used well in terms of telling the story and it doesn't feel like cool looking shit will be there just because ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) is at his disposal. The movie is produced by Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy who are no strangers to adventure, having produced the Indiana Jones trilogy and that 4th one too. This trailer instills in me the adventure, spectacle, and effects I wish Prince of Persia could have come closed too. Fuckin' Prince of Persia.. urg!!

Now enough with all this praising shit! lets get to the nitty gritty. 2 things. GO!

Speaking of trilogies this movie is said to be the first in a proposed trilogy. I think one challenge that Shymalan faces is the hope that his adaption of this property transfers well to screen to audiences that are not familiar with the subject matter like myself. Story and character wise, but with Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy aboard, it eases my fear a bit.

My second fear, beef, call it what you will, is that this movie is being up-converted to 3D. Oh Jesus, God, No. Seeing the rise of movie up-conversions to the 3D, post Avatar, is sickening. When movies are actually shot with 3D in mind and with 3D cameras it completely works and I'm for it. But if its to make a few extra bucks and help box office, its then that I'm feeling robbed!

Shymalan is said to be very strict with what is done with his movies, so when the news broke that The Last Airbender would be in 3D everyone was surprised he was okay with it. Apparently the producers had always intended to release in 3D, they had just been looking for a very good up-conversion company. And there you have it.

With the grand ness and effects 3D would certainly look to help deepen the world we are being introduced to but until I hear some news on how it looks in 3D, its 2D all the way for me! As always the final review of this trailer/movie will be when the lights come up and the credits roll.

The Last Airbender hits theaters July 1st. 2010

Dueces!
StuntmanBob