THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 03:59:32 PM

Title: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 03:59:32 PM
YOU WILL BELIEVE MASS HYSTERIA CAN HAPPEN, STARRING MARKY MARK AND THAT FUNNY DUDE FROM SPIN CITY! (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35498)
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:02:10 PM
The funniest thing is seeing M. Night booted from studio to studio.  Now he's down to FOX.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen!
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Junpei the Tracer! on February 04, 2008, 04:04:00 PM
What a twist!
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Phoenix Dark on February 04, 2008, 04:07:24 PM
Dammit I'm in the computer lab, on a shitty Mac no less. I'll have to wait till I get home :/

How does the dialogue sound? :o
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Eel O'Brian on February 04, 2008, 04:11:00 PM
let my cameron go...
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:11:27 PM
THERE APPEARS TO BE AN EVENT HAPPENING

COULD THIS REALLY BE HAPPENING?!

See - get it? - the word "happening" is in both lines of dialogue!  Get it?
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Phoenix Dark on February 04, 2008, 04:11:39 PM
At least give me one line guys. Come on!
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:12:10 PM
I gave you two.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Mupepe on February 04, 2008, 04:12:13 PM
wow...
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:13:59 PM
By the way, this is basically the script "The Green Effect", which was so bad that no studio in Hollywood would greenlight it.  The gist of that script was that Mother Nature had run out of patience with mankind and released some kind of toxin that caused everyone to commit suicide.  Apparently, it was heavily re-written and re-titled "The Happening", but I guess the core plot remains the same.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Phoenix Dark on February 04, 2008, 04:15:34 PM
I gave you two.

Wait, you were serious? Oh god  :lol
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:16:00 PM
They are the only two lines in the trailer, no less!
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: bud on February 04, 2008, 04:17:44 PM
looks somewhat interesting, and hopefully the twist will be good. :-\
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Eel O'Brian on February 04, 2008, 04:18:00 PM
the guy has some talent, it's just that he thinks his talent shouldn't be touched by script editors

he can set up some tense moments and scenes, but they're almost always ruined by awkward dialogue or ridiculous plot points
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:18:42 PM
Ridiculous plot points like PLANET EARF releasing a neurotoxin in the air that causes humans to commit suicide?
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:19:32 PM
They should've renamed this movie to:

M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S BITCHES, RECYCLE OR THE EARTH WILL MAKE YOU KILL URSELF!
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Eel O'Brian on February 04, 2008, 04:21:26 PM
Ridiculous plot points like PLANET EARF releasing a neurotoxin in the air that causes humans to commit suicide?

well, it's all in how it's presented

day of the triffids is pretty ridiculous when you think about it, and has a similar goofy plant motif, but the presentation behind the various adaptations has always been well done
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:21:47 PM
I just got the new ending, apparently.

Mark Whalberg tries to evacuate his family from "The Happening", while using his science teacher skills to determine the source of the deadly neurotoxin being released... it's from a PLANT HE BOUGHT TEN MONTHS AGO AND FORGOT TO WATER NOW ITS MAD AS HELL AND HE MUST FIGHT IT WITH A BASEBALL BAT AND POURS WATER ON IT IN and the planet stops releasing the neurotoxin.

Unfortunately, everyone is dead except Mark Whalberg, his family and the character played by M. Night.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Phoenix Dark on February 04, 2008, 04:23:04 PM
By the way, this is basically the script "The Green Effect", which was so bad that no studio in Hollywood would greenlight it.  The gist of that script was that Mother Nature had run out of patience with mankind and released some kind of toxin that caused everyone to commit suicide.  Apparently, it was heavily re-written and re-titled "The Happening", but I guess the core plot remains the same.

Ha not one studio? That's funny considering some of the horrible movies that get made. Anyone know which studio greenlit the Avatar movie? It seems like a popular show but it doesn't strike me as a hit in the making.

Lady in the Water was a bomb; according to boxofficemojo.com it had a $70mil budget, and earned $72mil - only $42mil of which was in the US. Interestingly The Village did pretty well, a fact I had clearly forgotten.



Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:23:32 PM
well, it's all in how it's presented

You trust M. Night to guide us through such murky waters?  You're a braver man than I.  I'm calling this right now - it will be worse than Joe Dante's The Screwfly Solution (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0833098/).
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:25:32 PM
Yeah, "The Green Effect" was awful.  Every single studio passed on it, but a bunch said they'd re-consider if it was rewritten.  Apparently, that happened.  Or maybe he just changed the title and FOX was like, "Neat!"

Avatar will make huge bank - it's ridiculously popular amongst kids.  It's not something you'd notice, because you're NOT A KID.  But the tykes eat that Avatar shit up.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Eel O'Brian on February 04, 2008, 04:25:51 PM
when did i ever say i trusted him

i just don't think he is completely free of talent
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Rman on February 04, 2008, 04:28:17 PM
Cheebs' movie of the year '08.

Speaking of Cheebs, where has he been?  Stumping for Obama?
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:28:28 PM
I think he's a really talented guy, but his ego voids anything he brings to the table.  Moreso than his actual talent, the guy had a knack for getting together one of the best crews in the business.  On a technical level, he did not shy away from bringing in equally talented people from their specialized industries.

Maybe now that he's been humbled, he'll make something good, but this just strikes me as a bit late to the party considering what's out there.  And if the plot remains the same, I don't trust him as a writer to not make it laughable.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Junpei the Tracer! on February 04, 2008, 04:31:31 PM
Oh yeah,he's suppose to be doing a Avatar:The Last Airbender movie.I wonder what awesome twist that'll have.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:32:26 PM
That Avatar is apparently not the last airbender.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Mupepe on February 04, 2008, 04:32:30 PM
We had this thread like a week ago.

He's talented, but he's just not a talented writer.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Phoenix Dark on February 04, 2008, 04:36:27 PM
Obviously he can make a good movie - Unbreakable is great, and I still like Sixth Sense. But his last few movies were so horribly written that I couldn't take them seriously. The dialogue in The Village is simply painful, and Lady in the Water is SAD. Jeez he's not the only man in Hollywood who understands suspense! Why not adapt someone else's script. And that's where the stories of him being a bitch come in...
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Joe Molotov on February 04, 2008, 04:37:29 PM
I think I'll just watch Suicide Club again.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 04:38:45 PM
I think I'll just watch Suicide Club again.

Go watch The Signal!
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Bloodwake on February 04, 2008, 04:40:22 PM
Eh, going in with no expectations. That way I don't get my hopes up.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Joe Molotov on February 04, 2008, 04:46:54 PM
I think I'll just watch Suicide Club again.

Go watch The Signal!

Tell me more about this The Signal.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Human Snorenado on February 04, 2008, 04:52:12 PM
I think I'll just watch Suicide Club again.

Go watch The Signal!

Have you seen it yet, Federwang?  What did ya think?

Also,

(http://media.southparkstudios.com/media/images/1110/1110_m_knight.jpg)

THAT'S A PLOT *TWIST*, NOT A PLOT YOU ASSHOLE!
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Tauntaun on February 04, 2008, 05:02:51 PM
^  :lol  That episode was awesome.  I loved it when Gibson came in and started tweaking his nipples. :rofl 
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 05:23:16 PM
Have you seen it yet, Federwang?  What did ya think?

I haven't sit down and watch the whole thing, but I like what I saw at my friend's house.  And I'm a big fan of how it was made.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Mupepe on February 04, 2008, 05:24:33 PM
I'm a big fan of how Willco was made :drool
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Phoenix Dark on February 04, 2008, 05:26:15 PM
I'm a big fan of how Willco's sister was made :drool

Fixed for Black History month
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 05:26:52 PM
That comment is worse than M. Night's career.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Mupepe on February 04, 2008, 05:28:53 PM
:hump
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Human Snorenado on February 04, 2008, 05:39:23 PM
Have you seen it yet, Federwang?  What did ya think?

I haven't sit down and watch the whole thing, but I like what I saw at my friend's house.  And I'm a big fan of how it was made.

...in 12 days for 50 grand at my friends' apartment?
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 05:40:47 PM
Yes.

I'm involved in a production that is currently looking at that low-budget production as INSPIRATION.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Mupepe on February 04, 2008, 05:43:02 PM
Is it a porno?  That's what it sounds like.  Willco is writing scripts for porn?

Probably still better than anything M. Night has written
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 05:43:09 PM
And to elaborate, it's kind of a blueprint on how to make a coherent, collaborative indie effort, which is very rare.  You can't imagine how much you battle ego with even unknown and unproven filmmakers.  They haven't done squat and they still ride a high horse.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 05:46:41 PM
Is it a porno?  That's what it sounds like.  Willco is writing scripts for porn?

I'm not really working on production.  Unfortunately, the director attached to this project wants to write the first draft of the screenplay and (M. Night parallels!) is a pretty shoddy writer.  The producer called me and asked if I'd like to take a look at the script and "clean it up".  I've said I'll agree to clean it up only after I read it - because if it's as bad as I think it might be, I'll probably pass on it.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Mupepe on February 04, 2008, 05:52:05 PM
:lol

If it really is that bad (and you're able to), you have to give us an update.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 05:59:16 PM
The guy is a pretty awful writer.  We were involved in one project together, and he wouldn't take any of my script re-writes or considerations.  And unfortunately, he was the one with all the contacts in terms for shopping this particular production.  It caused a real falling out between the two of us.  And sure enough, shortly afterwards, when he began to move the script around, folks dug the concept but wanted re-writes that he wouldn't do.  He'd make false promises to deliver a new script and never get back to people.  He started to ignore phone calls.  And it fell apart.

I really do think he's going to break as a music video director and he's come really, really close on a few occasions into the MTV realm of music video directing - and not just mediocre artist music video reel directing.  But I haven't spoken to him in like, four months.

Then I got a call from an old friend of mine, that is serving as a producer on this latest production, which will be privately funded and filmed sometime in late summer.  Once again, the concept is apparently sound, but they're awaiting the first draft from the director (and obviously writer), but prepared for a very mediocre (if not outright awful) script.  So he asked if I'd be willing to take a look and clean it up for money.  I'd only have a few months to work with and the prospect of working with the director/writer again doesn't really inspire me.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Human Snorenado on February 04, 2008, 06:00:10 PM
And to elaborate, it's kind of a blueprint on how to make a coherent, collaborative indie effort, which is very rare.  You can't imagine how much you battle ego with even unknown and unproven filmmakers.  They haven't done squat and they still ride a high horse.

Oh, no doubt.  The only reason imo those guys were successful is that they were part of a local filmmakers workshop called "The Dailies" in Atlanta that has been running multiple challenges yearly since 2001.  They'd also had practice at a similar collaborative project that stalled out called "Exquisite Corpse".  On top of that, all of the crew type folks had had previous experience with a feature that one of the directors did called "Last Goodbye".  You might recall it from a couple years back- a minor stink was raised because it was "that movie with all of the famous people's kids in it!" 

IMO the only reason those guys succeeded was because of what we learned in Dailies... we all took turns taking on different roles in the production of movies.  Kind of like Robert Rodriguez knows how to do everything involved with a movie, we all kind of learned to be jacks of all trades.  It helped blunt the egomaniac in most of us.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Phoenix Dark on February 04, 2008, 06:01:18 PM
Willco if you were writing a scene of a film titled THE HAPPENING, how would it go? Perhaps I can give you the setting:


WILLS JONES, a hard working, simple farmer unwilling to use modern farming technology, slowly realizes the world as he knows it is DYING.

Scene: JONES enters a cafe filled with his neighbors. They're all surrounding a table at which a darkly clad MYSTERIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN is sitting. JONES initially ignores the crowd, but cannot anymore as voices rise behind him. OLD NAN, the local preacher, is screaming at the MYSTERIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN




Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Human Snorenado on February 04, 2008, 06:02:54 PM
Willco if you were writing a scene of a film titled THE HAPPENING, how would it go? Perhaps I can give you the setting:


WILLS JONES, a hard working, simple farmer unwilling to use modern farming technology, slowly realizes the world as he knows it is DYING.

Scene: JONES enters a cafe filled with his neighbors. They're all surrounding a table at which a darkly clad MYSTERIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN is sitting. JONES initially ignores the crowd, but cannot anyone as voices raise behind him. OLD NAN, the local preacher, is creaming at the MYSTERIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN


Wow, that MYSTERIOUS NATIVE AMERICAN must be quite the stud to have Old Nan "creaming" at him.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Phoenix Dark on February 04, 2008, 06:03:25 PM
FUCKING MACS
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: The Fake Shemp on February 04, 2008, 06:11:09 PM
Raoul Duke, that's pretty neat.  I'll have to pass that advice along.  If they push this production forward, it'll only be because my old buddy who is serving as a producer (along with said writer/director/producer/crazy person) has a good head on his shoulders.  He served in the same capacity on another film with an equally egomaniacal director (oddly enough, the writer/director/producer/crazy person served as A.D. on that production), and they managed to complete production.  He learned a lot in terms of dealing with ego from that exercise.

But it digusts me that some of the people I know, some people I call friends, can carry themselves around as if they're the next Hitchcock when they've done absolutely nothing.  I'm a hack writer.  I know I'm a hack writer.  I can tell you when a script is absolutely awful, but I never parade around any of my drafts as untouchable or the best thing never written by Diablo Cody (hah!).

It is funny though, because we were just talking about The Signal in terms of how so many bodies could work on one production without it becoming completely intolerable.  I'm a big fan of collaborative filmmaking; almost any major landmark film and/or most of my favorites can be best described as cast and crew as "battles".  If someone's vision is never victim to compromise, what you get is usually excess.
Title: Re: Teaser for M. Night's THE HAPPENING, which looks like a ripoff of THE SIGNAL
Post by: Ichirou on February 04, 2008, 08:21:02 PM
I think M. Night's dialogue isn't so bad.  The Samuel L. Jackson/Bruce Willis interplay in Unbreakable was really good.  The relationship between Mel Gibson and his kids in Signs was the best part of the movie, and the dialogue was a big part of that.

M. Night's career as a high-profile director is basically over, though...I can't see him resurrecting his big name appeal unless he starts doing some good movies that don't rely on distinguished mentally-challenged twist endings.  Huge ego on that guy.