Green Room - Week 11 - Day 10

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

"It's a twist!"

Whenever I watch M. Night Shyamalan movies these days, I hear that line from Robot Chicken, that seemed to mark the line between the time when public opinion turned on him so well.

The twist on "The Happening" of course was that people showed up expecting a good movie and got that instead. ;)

I haven't seen any of his more recent work, but last night we ended up watching Signs, which I hadn't seen in years.
stop
I remember when it came out, and people were talking about "the alien movie" and how disappointed they were, much like they were with "the monster movie" The Village.

It always struck me as "interesting" how many people would accept the movie's premise on face value, and not realize that it was going to be about something else entirely. (Spoiler: Signs is about faith)

They would set themselves up for disappointment, when all they wanted was a mindless summer blockbuster, and "the twist" would take them by surprise. Again, and again - until most of that group just ended souring on the writer/director all together and stopped going to see his stuff.

He ended up getting himself cast in the role of the guy with "the twist ending".

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What have your work been cast in? What well do you find yourself going back to, that people "expect" from it? How can you shake them up? Do you even want to?

The poll will be up until tomorrow - so remember to get out there and show some love and support! http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/682110.html

Comments

[lrig-rorrim.livejournal.com]

Yeah, your pieces so far have been pretty melancholy - I think what I expect from them, though, is atmosphere. You're very good at creating a sense of creepy, or a sense of sad, or a sense of yearning, or a sense of desperation - senses, basically. And those senses are crafted so well that they're extremely pervasive. I often find myself sort of shaking my head to clear it after I finish reading one of your stories. Good stuff! :)