M. Night Shyamalan

Geekscape Movie Review: M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split”

by AllieHanleyJanuary 18, 2017

M. Night Shyamalan returns to form with his engaging potboiler “Split” opening this weekend wide from Universal Pictures.

A man named Kevin (James McAvoy / X-Men) kidnaps three young ladies who come to discover that their captor has 23 distinct personalities.

You’ve seen enough Shyamalan films over the years to know that his style is all about stories where you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and then when it happens, it’s not at all what you’d expect. That twist has become his signature move, and how well he takes us on the journey to that twist, is the defining aspect of his film being a hit or miss. “Split” easily classifies itself as one of his films that works and is true-to-form to what first put Shyamalan on the cinematic map. “Split” is definitely on the same page as his breakthrough film “The Sixth Sense” and later “Unbreakable,” but where those two films are quiet and somber this one is more visceral in scope.

“Split” is best enjoyed knowing little going in, so with respect to that I touch on only the most broad strokes of the film.

Easily the biggest factor to what makes the whole movie come alive is McAvoy’s performance. Not unlike Joanne Woodward who starred in “The Three Faces of Eve” back in 1957 who took home an Oscar for her role depicting three personalities, McAvoy takes it beyond the next level. His character is comprised of 23 personalities, of which 6 are featured in the film. With minor wardrobe changes, McAvoy convincingly portrays each character with different speech patterns, walks/shuffles, and idiosyncrasies that convey an impressive array of skill as an actor. Even so, Oscar rarely pays attention to films of this nature but in the genre of sci-fi thrillers, McAvoy kills it!

Running in hand with him is another striking performance from emerging talent Anya Taylor (The Witch) as the lead of the three who are kidnapped. She gave an enthralling performance in “The Witch” and takes some of that raw inner energy she brought to that role, and instills it in her character “Casey.”

Shyamalan pays attention to details in character development giving back-story as to why “Casey” is reacting the way she does. Doing so gives her character depth and gravitas so that the character feels real and reacts in ways that make sense avoiding mismatched character motivations so evident in films of this nature.

While “Split” isn’t quite on par with ‘The Sixth Sense” it far exceeds many of Shyamalans films in recent past. However it isn’t anything new and ground breaking, rather it’s just more of the same. “More of the same” meaning, his stories are generally about a situation that may or may not be supernatural but in the end probably is, and has twists, and probably another twist. That sums up all his films that come to mind. Shyamalan’s “Split” is ranked as one of the better incarnations of his repertoire as his characters are flushed out and equally well acted. The delivery of information is well-paced and the style is engaging mostly from start to finish. However because he didn’t break any new ground, despite the spectacular acting from McAvoy, the film scores just above average.

4 out of 5

Originally screened at Fantastic Fest
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
Directed & Written By: M. Night Shyamalan

In Theaters: Jan 20, 2017 Wide
Runtime: 116 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures

Here’s The First Creepy Teaser For ‘Wayward Pines’ Second Season!

by Derek KraneveldtMay 4, 2016

Briefly: Finally!

I just finished the first season of FOX’s Wayward Pines last week (and loved every second of it), and I’ve been eagerly awaiting news of the upcoming second season ever since.

Last week we saw the first teaser poster for the upcoming episodes, and today FOX has debuted an awesome first teaser trailer. Yep, it’s full of mystery and doesn’t explain much of anything, but it shows off new and returning cast, and reminds us that this season is set to be all about some new residents.

The 10-episode psychological thriller picks up after the shocking events of the season 1 finale, with the residents of Wayward Pines battling against the iron-fisted rule of the First Generation. Dr. Theo Yedlin (Jason Patric) — a new resident of Wayward Pines — awakens from suspended animation and finds himself in the middle of this rebellion, as he tries to understand what Wayward Pines really is and help preserve the endangered human race. CJ Mitchum (Djimon Hounsou), an original resident of Wayward Pines and a historian for the town with extensive knowledge of its complex origins, is the only one who can provide a unique bridge between the current world of Wayward Pines and the previous world that humans inhabited. Megan Fisher (Hope Davis), is in charge of the scientific research being conducted on the Abbies, and remains deeply involved in the development of the hearts and minds of the future of humanity — Wayward Pines’ “First Generation”.

Take a look at the teaser below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Wayward Pines returns on May 25th!

https://youtu.be/fvnu2PBiL3k

‘Wayward Pines’ Second Season Gets A Creepy New Poster!

by Derek KraneveldtApril 25, 2016

Briefly: Yesterday evening, my fiancé and I decided to drive around the dilapidated grounds of Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, BC.

Many of the buildings in the area look as though they are straight out of a horror film, and interestingly enough, most of the less deathly structures are now used as sets in Vancouver’s booming film and television industry.

After driving by both Wayward Pines Academy and Wayward Pines Hospital, last night we decided to give the series a shot, and five episodes later it’s pretty clear that we’ve instantly fallen in love with it.

Like what the hell is happening in this town!?

Today, Fox debuted a new poster for the upcoming second season, which teases the feral creatures that I’ve only just met (no spoilers please). Take a look at the poster below, and be sure to let us know if you’ll be watching when Wayward Pines returns on May 25th!

Starring Jason Patric (“Rush,” “Narc”), two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond,” “In America”) and Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominee Hope Davis (“American Crime,” “The Newsroom”), the 10-episode, second season will pick up after the shocking events of Season One, with the residents of Wayward Pines battling against the iron-fisted rule of the First Generation. Dr. THEO YEDLIN (Patric) – a new resident of Wayward Pines – awakens from suspended animation and finds himself in the middle of this rebellion, as he tries to understand what Wayward Pines really is and help preserve the endangered human race.

Also joining the second season are cast members Tom Stevens (“Cedar Cove”), returning from Season One as JASON HIGGINS, a member of the First Generation and Pilcher’s young acolyte; Nimrat Kaur (“Homeland”) as REBECCA, who has her own secrets she keeps from Theo, her husband; Josh Helman (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as XANDER, a resident working to undermine Wayward Pines from within; and Kacey Rohl (“Hannibal”) as KERRY, one of Jason’s lieutenants in the civil war going on in Wayward Pines.

Additionally, several Season One cast members will appear in Season Two, including Terrence Howard (SHERIFF ARNOLD POPE), Carla Gugino (KATE HEWSON), Toby Jones (DR. JENKINS/DAVID PILCHER), Melissa Leo (NURSE PAM), Tim Griffin (ADAM HASSLER), Shannyn Sossamon (THERESA BURKE) and Charlie Tahan (BEN BURKE).

‘Wayward Pines’ Is All That And An Extra Scoop Of Rum Raisin

by Gabriel von GrünbaumJuly 18, 2015

These days it’s not at all uncommon to be a little gun-shy when a new show debuts. Will it deliver? Will the network stick with it as it builds an audience or pull the rug out from under the early adopters? Will it feature often overlooked ice cream flavors? Well, I’m here to tell you, you have nothing to fear with Wayward Pines.

I’m going to attempt two things here. One is to encourage you to watch the season finale with me next Thursday on FOX at 9/8pm. The other is to tell you about the show without telling you about the show—trust me, it’s better that way and you’ll thank me for it later. (If you want spoilers, I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding them around online—but I think a lot of the magic lives in not fully knowing what you’re signing up for.)

I’d like you to imagine a love-fest between The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, Lost, Twin Peaks, The Matrix and The Prisoner, where some of the best parts of their DNA are harvested and used to create what is easily the best sci-fi show on television right now—and it’s got Carla Gugino. Boom. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and look around and you’ll see that it’s getting solid scores from the critics (Rotten Tomatoes has it at 86% fresh, IMDB is at 8.2/10).

FOX tells it like this:

Based on a best-selling novel and brought to life by suspenseful storyteller M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), WAYWARD PINES is an intense, mind-bending 10-episode thriller starring Academy Award nominee Matt Dillon (Crash) as a Secret Service agent on a mission to find two missing federal agents in the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, ID. Every step closer to the truth makes him question if he will ever get out of Wayward Pines alive.

It’s not often the case where a new show will deliver on its promises and then continue to get even better week after week, as is the case here. I feel confident the season finale won’t be letting us down—I anticipate it’ll leave us satisfied and hungry for more at the same time. I’ll spoil one thing and that is this; there are rules to living in Wayward Pines.

1. Enjoy your life in Wayward Pines
2. Be happy
3. Work hard
4. Always answer the phone if it rings
5. Do not discuss the past
6. Do not discuss your life before
7. Do not try to leave

Unlike some other mystery shows of late, Wayward Pines never leaves you hanging for long. The mysteries are solved just as new ones are introduced—it makes for a very satisfying and engaging experience.

So I encourage you to catch up—watching the first 9 episodes on FOX.com is one easy way—and then join us fans in watching the season finale so that the network gets the number of eyeballs it’s looking for and brings the show back for another season. That is, unless you’d rather just watch a lawyer/doctor/cop/fireman/politician struggling with a love/family/work triangle instead—’cause I think the networks always have a few hundred of those waiting in the wings.

If you’d like a little more background on the show, check out Geekscape’s original piece from the Wayward Pines‘ debut by Dennis Finocchiaro. If you’re just looking for a little visual tease, here’s a replay of FOX’s trailer:

https://youtu.be/QmFPf7I0Jlc

Remember this; there are no crickets in Wayward Pines.

Reasons You Should Watch Wayward Pines

by Dennis FinocchiaroMay 12, 2015

This past weekend at Wizard World’s Philadelphia Comic Con, M. Night Shyamalan treated a small group to the exclusive sneak preview and chat about his new show, Wayward Pines.

Here are the reasons you should watch:

• The show is a combination of Twin Peaks, Twilight Zone and Lost, opened with an amazing first episode, directed by Shyamalan. It is also inspired by David Lynch, to which Shyamalan added “Right now on my desk literally sitting on it is a copy of Blue Velvet by Lynch, to get some osmosis or genius out of it.”

• The powerful cast includes Dillon, Terrence Howard, Carla Cugina, Juliette Lewis and Melissa Leo. “Matt was our first choice…and we sent him scripts and he was really excited to do it” Shyamalan added. After getting Dillon signed on, he decided to make it an “East Coast” kind of show and kept trying for actors with that in common.

• Wayward Pines had many twists and turns, even in the first episode, and of course ended with a shock. Every seven minutes or so, something would happen that was so surprising and interesting that the audience could not wait for the show to continue. Shyamalan also explained that there’s a significant reveal in every episode that makes it worth watching.

He also calls the show “inappropriately funny” at times. For instance, as the main character, played by Dillon, begs the sheriff (Howard) to come see the dead body he found, Howard listens while eating ice cream, and can’t stop talking about the taste of his rum raisin. Shyamalan added “Now every time we go somewhere for a press junket or something there’s always rum raisin ice cream waiting for me.”

• Inside Information. Shyamalan treated the crowd to a nice Q&A afterwards as well, where he gave some interesting tidbits about the show. “He ate like ten ice cream cones and he didn’t stop at all during the takes. I was like ‘you can just pretend’ but that’s not Terrence…and it was actually rum raisin.”

• Shyamalan also explained his move to television. “Over the last years, it [the movie business] has become much more about marketability, so the movies being made aren’t artist driven as much as they used to be and are no about marketing, which you can see with all of the pre-existing, pre-branded films. The first question they ask is about how they can market it, and the second question is about the writing…not that you can’t make original movies, there’s just a smaller window for us.”

He attributed the major changes to television to HBO. “The exact opposite is happening in television…then when HBO started, they said we’re not interested in eyeballs, we’re interested in resonance, so [with] Sopranos, they wanted people talking about Sopranos. A couple million people are watching it, but everyone’s talking about it, so they buy HBO. It’s not about eyeballs, it’s that you know it’s a quality product.” The other channels like AMC saw this and knew they wanted that resonance as well, and it spread.

Wayward Pines premieres this week, May 14th on Fox. It is also based on the books series by Blake Crouch available now on Amazon.

Trailer:

M. Night Shyamalan’s Big Reveal at Philly Comic Con

by Dennis FinocchiaroMay 7, 2015

He’s finally said it. People have debated, fought, angrily yelled at each other for years, and all it took was one fan approaching a microphone and asking.

Tonight at Wizard World Philadelphia, a fan walked up to the microphone and asked him a simple question, after admitting to hours of arguing with friends, on Facebook and even on discussion websites.

“In Sixth Sense, did Cole know Bruce Willis’ character was a ghost from the start?”

Without even hesitating, Shyamalan simply said straight-forwardly, solidly, without a doubt, a resounding “Yes! Of course!”

WonderCon 2015: Wayward Pines Panel

by Kari LaneApril 8, 2015

A new show coming to TV will be the creepy and mysterious, Wayward Pines, which is based on the international bestselling book series by Blake Crouch. Executive producer, Donald De Line, explained how the show was conceived after he read the book and loved it; he said he could not put it down. De Line felt the material was “better served over a longer period of time” because there is too much for just a movie. The other big force behind this show is M. Night Shyamalan who liked the books even more because he could not guess the twist.

Reed Diamond, who plays Harold Balinger, chimed in that he read the book in one sitting. He also explained that early on you find out what is going on and the complexities just expand instead of a long build up only to deflate. After watching the pilot during the panel, the show is definitely intriguing and it is nice to hear that you get some clarification early on instead of being strung along blindly. Tim Griffin, who plays Adam Hassler, added that the show is “very generous on exposing secrets early on.”

They started to make the show after the first book came out and you learn the truth of what is going on around episode 5, but episode 10 will be just as exciting. It is great to hear that they plan to keep the audience engaged while still satisfying curiosities. For those who are wondering about how closely the show follows the book, the “overall truth is similar to the book” according to Donald De Line. This is a show where they have already outlined where the final episode would go and planned in advance instead of just writing as they went.

When you are basing a show or movie on a book there is an easy way to find out what most likely will happen. Reed Diamond joked that he felt like the only actor who read the book. He also commented on hearing interviews with cast members from Game of Thrones who have said they do not know what will happen to their character. Which surprised him because “you can find out!” Diamond also added that what the characters think and say are different and that is fun for an actor – lot of subtext to play with. Tim Griffin mentioned another talented actor on the show, Terrence Howard, did not want to know anything about his character. Griffin said he started out the same but then he got desperate and cornered Shyamalan to find out what happens to his character. All of the directors on the show were helpful to the actors by pointing them in the right direction without being too obvious and ruining the surprise.

This show was a first, in a way, for its creators because Donald De Line had never produced and M. Night Shyamalan had never done television. Shyamalan wanted to do something that was not like what was already on television. So why now? Donald De Line said it is because the show has a “fantastic story” and with a good show, it is all about the story. Reed Diamond agreed saying it is a “high quality show” and what better way to tell a great story than with A-list talent who want to bring the story to life.

Asked to sum up the story, De Line said it is a “great suspense thriller where nothing is what it seems to be but everything reveals itself…in a scientific way.” It does have the vibe of Twin Peaks meets The X-Files. On that alone, I am sold plus the pilot was pretty awesome so I will check it out for sure!

Wayward Pines premieres on May 14th on FOX.

Release Date Moved Up For M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘After Earth’

by Shawn MaddenApril 19, 2013

Columbia Pictures has moved up the release date for director M. Night Shyamalan’s After Earth. The film, which stars Will Smith and his son Jaden, was originally set to hit theaters on June 7th has been moved up to May 31st. The film will open alongside The Purge and Now You See Me. This date change seems to come hot of the heels of the release of a new trailer for Man Of Steel, which was set to originally open shortly after. We’d be scared too after seeing that trailer.

Source: Coming Soon

Sony Releases Another Brand New Poster For M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘After Earth’

by Shawn MaddenMarch 13, 2013

Following the release of a second theatrical trailer for the film, another brand new poster has been released for M. Night Shyamalan’s After Earth. The post-apocalyptic film, which stars Will Smith and son Jaden, sees a father and son work together to survive on a dangerous planet that humanity once called home.

In the near future, humanity was forced to abandon the planet forever after cataclysmic events, and they reestablished mankind on the planet Nova Prime, light years away from Earth, and managed to rebuild society. Earth was left in its prime state, and continued to live on its own. 1,000 years later, a crash-landing of a small ship leaves teenager Kitai Raige and his father, army General Cypher Raige stranded. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help so they can return to Nova Prime, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. The father and son must learn to work together and learn to trust one another if they want any chance of escaping Earth and returning home.

After Earth is set to hit theaters June 7th.

Second Theatrical Trailer Released For M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘After Earth’

by Shawn MaddenMarch 7, 2013

Last night we saw the debut of a new poster for the film and now the second theatrical trailer has been released for M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming sci-fi film After Earth. The post-apocalyptic film, which stars Will Smith and son Jaden, sees a father and son work together to survive on a planet that humanity once called home.

In the near future, humanity was forced to abandon the planet forever after cataclysmic events, and they reestablished mankind on the planet Nova Prime, light years away from Earth, and managed to rebuild society. Earth was left in its prime state, and continued to live on its own. 1,000 years later, a crash-landing of a small ship leaves teenager Kitai Raige and his father, army General Cypher Raige stranded. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help so they can return to Nova Prime, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. The father and son must learn to work together and learn to trust one another if they want any chance of escaping Earth and returning home.

After Earth is set to hit theaters June 7th.

New Poster Released For M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘After Earth’

by Shawn MaddenMarch 6, 2013

With a new trailer for the film set to debut tomorrow, a new poster for M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming sci-fi film After Earth has been released. The poster features the film’s stars Will Smith and son Jaden side by side and close up. Check it out below.

In the near future, humanity was forced to abandon the planet forever after cataclysmic events, and they reestablished mankind on the planet Nova Prime, light years away from Earth, and managed to rebuild society. Earth was left in its prime state, and continued to live on its own. 1,000 years later, a crash-landing of a small ship leaves teenager Kitai Raige and his father, army General Cypher Raige stranded. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help so they can return to Nova Prime, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. The father and son must learn to work together and learn to trust one another if they want any chance of escaping Earth and returning home.

After Earth is set to hit theaters June 7th.

Source: ComingSoon