"Glass" & The "Eastrail 177" triology

[Totenkindly]

Basically, the final installment of Shyamalan's unexpected trilogy airs this coming weekend I think (reviews so far are mixed, unfortunately... I was kinda not sure what to make of the trailers this past fall, honestly), so.... Discussion thread for people who want to talk about it after they see it plus the earlier movies.

i rewatched Unbreakable (2000) yesterday, and I am rewatching Split (2017) currently.
https://www.typologycentral.com/for...6377-shyamalans-split.html?86377=#post2727566

I think in general that "Unbreakable" is my second favorite Shyamalan film... not that there seems to be many to choose from, I'd only about 4-5 of his films could even aspire to a list like that. (The others would obviously be "The Sixth Sense," much of "Signs" and probably "The Village" depending on how you respond to the mid-movie reveal. His first four movies. Usually people have more fun arguing about which is his worst -- The Happening or Lady in the Water, although After Earth and Avatar: The Last Airbender don't get much love either.)

My general comments on Unbreakable are here:
‘Unbreakable’ review by Totenkindly • Letterboxd

But I think Shyamalan showed a lot of directorial skill in his first two films. I think people weren't sure what to make of Unbreakable, but aside from the exposition on comic books, it's quite a decent film from a director and acting POV. The first 15 minutes are really strong and some of the best scenes I've seen in any film -- the scene with David Dunn on the train through his release from the ward is so understated -- and this is Shyamalan at his best, when he lets the film explain all the subtext without adding useless words. Robin Wright also stuns in this movie, she pushes the whole thing up a level; and this is one of Bruce Willis' better roles because it runs against type and he's forced to act without words.

Its real weaknesses to me (aside from the title card ending, it's almost never a great idea) are mainly things like Shyamalan putting himself in his own movie (it's too distracting, and he's only an adequate, not good, actor), and getting a little weird with the superhero commentary.

Still, what he seems to be saying as far as comics go is that there's some underlying truth to the "comic book hero" story that our ideas are forming around, we just accentuate and blow them up into something larger than life. But in reality, superheroes could exist, just with more subtle nuanced powers... and this is the underlying theme of Unbreakable, that maybe there are people who are assigned to be protectors of humanity. It also is suggested that if you have a yin, then you have a yang. I don't really want to say a ton if you haven't seen the film, since there's a really great angle on the ending (which is hinted at elsewhere in the film,) so we're watching an origin story here but whose story is it? But it's the kind of thing that you don't see often in a film like this.

I like that you can have a villainous character with a positive upbringing, using all the tropes that a "good hero" would have, except this one is embracing more pragmatic means and goals. Elijah is a broken man who rises above it esp with the positive affirmation of his mother, but you get the sense that both are aware of who he has become and both embrace it. Elijah's speech at the end is also so sincere and heartfelt, he like David is a man who did not know who he was but NOW he knows, in the process of helping David. It's quite the juxtaposition, you're seeing one framing but for a "bad" character that normally is used for good characters.

There's a "horror" movie coming out in May called Brightburn that James Gunn produced, which is essentially the superman story with affirming Kent-like parents... but what if Superman actually just chose to "go bad" anyway? Not sure how it will pan out but it looks like it could be really great.

Anyway, more thoughts on all this.... I'm not sure about the angle Shyamalan chose for "Glass" -- starting in the Asylum. I thought it would go elsewhere / start elsewhere.

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched through "Split" last night. It's actually fairly cohesive of a film and seems to improve upon multiple watchings, although much of it is all James McAvoy's showcase. He's great enough that you can usually tell which of his personas are which just by his facial expression alone.

The film isn't really a "sequel" to Unbreakable per se, it's simply tied to the prior film in its epilogue.

A curious thing -- when the Horde is talking about "He is on the move," this can't be a coincidence that that repeated phrase is paralleling the reappearance of Aslan in Lewis' Narnia chronicles ("Aslan is on the move"). Both are beasts, but Aslan is a being of love and affirmation even if dangerous, while the Beast seems to have little pity for those who have not been scarred. That's kind of the takeaway from the film thematically.... The Beast is returning to show the Horde's power and protect the others, they worship him as a deity almost (or at least the pinnacle of everything they are, kind of the gestalt of their collective abilities), and his goal is to show his power and feed upon those who are weak and thus prey, who have never been scarred by life. Those who have been made pure through their own suffering are spared from the Beast's onslaught.

Shyamalan does rein his own preachiness in again here -- he would like to talk about almost mystical powers for those who experience DID but manages to keep it from going off the rails. I think his worst efforts are when his magical thinking leads him to go off the wall (like with The Happening, for example, where the film is basically, "The plants are angry and will murder us if we don't stop it, and in fact we only live now due to their mercy"). He does best when he is keeping to a personal, not preachy, story that also is not about him (like Lady in the Water might have been). So here the movie is really about Casey who finds that some horrible things in life has prepared her for more horrible things; and Kevin, who you feel some sympathy for as a rider (so to speak) in his own body and his personalities running the show in part to protect him but also to reassert their power against a world that would otherwise dismiss them, even if it's leading to some bad things. The movie feels both tragic in one sense but bittersweet triumphant in another. There's also not a lot of actors in the film, and they all do nail their roles.

 

[Totenkindly]

Well, others should feel free to weigh in, but I found this film a huge disappointment emotionally.

It is once again Shyamalan trying to show how brilliant he is with a twist that meanwhile shits on some of his better works and character arcs. This is yet one more piece of evidence about how badly he either needs an editor/writing partner or how production companies should refuse to fund his movies until he comes up with something that is worth viewing.

It doesn't mean everything is terrible. Yes, I found the film generally underwhelming through much of it (until the last 15 minutes or so, when I had a really strong emotionally virulent reaction), but the extras are decent enough actors. McAvoy is great, he really proves he can vie for top-tier status here. Jackson is Jackson. Willis is phoning it in, mostly... but it's not his fault IMO. Sarah Paulson is as ingratiating as normal, a little bit of her would go a long way. Anya Taylor-Joy pretty much is a born actress and can do no wrong, even with a somewhat thankless part here. Shyamalan AGAIN inserts himself into one of his movies briefly (Dude, just stop -- please, stop. It's criminal. You're not good. And your appearance is jarring.) The soundtrack isn't memorable nor very good -- I can't even say it's forgettable, it's so formless that there's nothing to remember.

I did not find the comic book commentary as "preachy" as some reviewers did, it actually seemed less to me (or less obtrusive) than the stuff in Unbreakable.

But basically what is an underwhelming movie, right when it starts to show promise, ends up ramming dead into the wall. You could hear it in the theater -- right where the film went from "Well, a little disappointing, but I can still watch this" to "None of us like this film anymore and we'd like to go home now." The theater was so very quiet, there was no shuffling, no noise. It was almost like we were embarrassed to be there. Or just crushed realizing the film had gotten worse. Shyamalan manages to pull a bit of a hail mary off in the last few minutes, but it wasn't even close enough to compensate. It didn't even make sense.

Why would watching people with limited superhuman powers suffer the fates they did inspire anyone that "heroes" could be out there? It's not inspiring. It's more a bit scary, and kind of sick, and unsettling. It's not affirming. It's not a positive emotion. Shyamalan didn't come close to selling it in the least. Which means what he did to get there is devastating.

 

[ceecee]

Basically, the final installment of Shyamalan's unexpected trilogy airs this coming weekend I think (reviews so far are mixed, unfortunately... I was kinda not sure what to make of the trailers this past fall, honestly), so.... Discussion thread for people who want to talk about it after they see it plus the earlier movies.

i rewatched Unbreakable (2000) yesterday, and I am rewatching Split (2017) currently.
https://www.typologycentral.com/for...6377-shyamalans-split.html?86377=#post2727566

I think in general that "Unbreakable" is my second favorite Shyamalan film... not that there seems to be many to choose from, I'd only about 4-5 of his films could even aspire to a list like that. (The others would obviously be "The Sixth Sense," much of "Signs" and probably "The Village" depending on how you respond to the mid-movie reveal. His first four movies. Usually people have more fun arguing about which is his worst -- The Happening or Lady in the Water, although After Earth and Avatar: The Last Airbender don't get much love either.)

My general comments on Unbreakable are here:
‘Unbreakable’ review by Totenkindly • Letterboxd

But I think Shyamalan showed a lot of directorial skill in his first two films. I think people weren't sure what to make of Unbreakable, but aside from the exposition on comic books, it's quite a decent film from a director and acting POV. The first 15 minutes are really strong and some of the best scenes I've seen in any film -- the scene with David Dunn on the train through his release from the ward is so understated -- and this is Shyamalan at his best, when he lets the film explain all the subtext without adding useless words. Robin Wright also stuns in this movie, she pushes the whole thing up a level; and this is one of Bruce Willis' better roles because it runs against type and he's forced to act without words.

Its real weaknesses to me (aside from the title card ending, it's almost never a great idea) are mainly things like Shyamalan putting himself in his own movie (it's too distracting, and he's only an adequate, not good, actor), and getting a little weird with the superhero commentary.

Still, what he seems to be saying as far as comics go is that there's some underlying truth to the "comic book hero" story that our ideas are forming around, we just accentuate and blow them up into something larger than life. But in reality, superheroes could exist, just with more subtle nuanced powers... and this is the underlying theme of Unbreakable, that maybe there are people who are assigned to be protectors of humanity. It also is suggested that if you have a yin, then you have a yang. I don't really want to say a ton if you haven't seen the film, since there's a really great angle on the ending (which is hinted at elsewhere in the film,) so we're watching an origin story here but whose story is it? But it's the kind of thing that you don't see often in a film like this.

I like that you can have a villainous character with a positive upbringing, using all the tropes that a "good hero" would have, except this one is embracing more pragmatic means and goals. Elijah is a broken man who rises above it esp with the positive affirmation of his mother, but you get the sense that both are aware of who he has become and both embrace it. Elijah's speech at the end is also so sincere and heartfelt, he like David is a man who did not know who he was but NOW he knows, in the process of helping David. It's quite the juxtaposition, you're seeing one framing but for a "bad" character that normally is used for good characters.

There's a "horror" movie coming out in May called Brightburn that James Gunn produced, which is essentially the superman story with affirming Kent-like parents... but what if Superman actually just chose to "go bad" anyway? Not sure how it will pan out but it looks like it could be really great.

Anyway, more thoughts on all this.... I'm not sure about the angle Shyamalan chose for "Glass" -- starting in the Asylum. I thought it would go elsewhere / start elsewhere.

That reminds me of the this Crash Test Dummies song...

so I like the idea of, not so much Supe becoming bad but becoming apathetic with humanity. I don't even mind if they include Tarzan in the James Gunn film like the song, but only if it's Alexander Skarsgård - I want to enjoy it visually.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

confession, I liked lady in the water

 

[Totenkindly]

confession, I liked lady in the water

get out of this thread u poser












confession

it's the one shyamalan film I have not seen. I actually would like to.... kind of... just so I can speak more authoritatively, lol.

 

[Totenkindly]

side note, now that we mentioned "evil supermen"

Ran across this trailer this week, this film hadn't even been on my radar. It could be average, it could be pretty good. Dunno if I mentioned it elsewhere yet.

EDIT: This is actually a case where it's great to read the (YouTube) comments. They're pretty funny.

 

[ceecee]

confession, I liked lady in the water

Agreed, it's the only one of his films I did like.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

get out of this thread u poser












confession

it's the one shyamalan film I have not seen. I actually would like to.... kind of... just so I can speak more authoritatively, lol.

it's...flawed but enjoyable.

 

[ceecee]

side note, now that we mentioned "evil supermen"

Ran across this trailer this week, this film hadn't even been on my radar. It could be average, it could be pretty good. Dunno if I mentioned it elsewhere yet.

EDIT: This is actually a case where it's great to read the (YouTube) comments. They're pretty funny.

Anytime I see Nothing But Trailers on Axis on my channel guide when I'm flipping, I always watch. That's where I saw this trailer but it was awhile ago. I also thought Batman vs Superman and going by those comments, I wasn't alone lol.

 

[TricoFeathers]

Off topic I was aware of Brightburn and I'm really looking forward to it. Unbreakable and Split were excellent films. David Dunn is my favorite of Bruce Willis's roles. James McAvoy in Split showcased in a small way how impressive acting really is as a profession. [MENTION=7]Totenkindly[/MENTION] I wonder if his use of that phrase was a nod to his role as Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? That is the only role I was familiar with of James's when I saw Split so it was a delight to see him in such a different way. I know he also played Charles Xavier but I didn't make that connection until later.

I am looking forward to Glass but I'm a little puzzled with the direction it's taken in the trailers. I didn't expect to see those three characters together in an asylum and I'm not sure how I feel about that setting. I'm reserving judgment until I see it, I very much want to.

 

[Totenkindly]

I guess I should warn folks too -- probably depends on the chain, but damn, you're in for the long haul with pre-trailers. I swear there were probably 10+ trailers before they finally started running this film, most horror-y or thriller kinds of things. All I remember right now is Us, and Happy Birthday 2U, and Godzilla King of the Monsters.... but I actually love trailers and here I was starting to groan in exasperation by the sheer number Regal was trotting out.

Oh. Pet Semetary. I knew it as soon as it started. I'm hoping the film ends up being a good iteration of the book. The trailer could go either way, it was certainly unnerving.

Off topic I was aware of Brightburn and I'm really looking forward to it.

I like how they are modeling some of the look and feel right off of Man of Steel. But it does look like an actual comic I could have read about ten years ago, in the style of Supreme (remake of Squadron Supreme, starring Hyperion) and other books by Michael J. Straczynski or something.

Unbreakable and Split were excellent films. David Dunn is my favorite of Bruce Willis's roles. James McAvoy in Split showcased in a small way how impressive acting really is as a profession. [MENTION=7]Totenkindly[/MENTION] I wonder if his use of that phrase was a nod to his role as Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? That is the only role I was familiar with of James's when I saw Split so it was a delight to see him in such a different way. I know he also played Charles Xavier but I didn't make that connection until later.

Yeah, I'm not sure if were simply a similarity (the "animal/lion god returning") between both Aslan and The Beast here that drove Shyamalan to write that into the script, or if it was also an added bonus with McAvoy having played Tumnus in the films as well... maybe both of those.

That was the first movie I saw McAvoy in as well, although I saw him in Atonement, Wanted, the X-men flicks, Atomic Blonde, etc as well. So he's got some "serious" films + some genre films under his belt... a lot of genre films now, actually. Always thought he was decent at least, and at least Split gave him an opportunity to show great range.

I am looking forward to Glass but I'm a little puzzled with the direction it's taken in the trailers. I didn't expect to see those three characters together in an asylum and I'm not sure how I feel about that setting. I'm reserving judgment until I see it, I very much want to.

Go for it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I have avoided as much of the big spoilers as I can. Yeah, the trailer was really confusing and disappointing in itself, although I'll say the film actually works it a little better than that (even if not very polished). I'm not one to tell people to not see a movie, and it's why I saw this even though I had some really uneasy feelings about it. For me, it's just one of those films I mentally block out of the story so that I'll only ever watch Unbreakable and Split again and pretend this didn't happen, lol.

Just sad for me, kind of like when I saw The Matrix Revolutions... movie with potential and a few good ideas but.... wow. I care about these characters.