Forgetting The Happening
On the evening of Father's Day I wanted to go to a movie with my two girls, and they let me choose. Of course I paid, but I guess such is expected of a dad. I checked Yahoo Movies, a great resource to find out what's playing, and narrowed it down to two choices: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and The Happening. Sarah Marshall has been out for quite some time. It's now on at the Dollar Theatre. I love to see films at the Dollar Theatre, because I know what I'm getting. Recently I went there to see 10,000 B.C. It came with bad reviews and one of my kids already told me it was bad. Thus, when I found the simple plot and graphics to be mildly entertaining, then I was pleased with the investment of my time and dollar. I caught a clip of Forgetting Sarah Marshall on Yahoo Movies, and saw that the critics gave it favorable ratings, so I was pretty sure it would be fun. And I think I could relate to the sad-sack protagonist. So, I was a bit disappointed when both daughters wanted to see The Happening. I thought it was my choice?
The movie has been highly promoted on television and the Internet. This was the premier weekend, so the theatre jacked up the prices. We went to the 9:40 p.m. showing, and the attendance was fairly packed.
The movie? I'll pass along to you my opinion. I'm not a professional critic. But since I was a kid and would regularly walk to town on Saturday mornings to see the matinees, I've enjoyed films. And I've seen a lot of them, and I think I know a good movie when it comes my way. The Happening is a bad movie. The acting is not good. It is stiff, especially the doe-eyed wife of the school teacher and main character. But I will focus upon the theme. It is silly. It basically could be summarized as "The Revenge Of Nature". Now I have seen this theme portrayed in a more entertaining manner. The Birds. The Frogs. Pirranha. I vividly remember a scene from the latter, in which a guy is soaking his feet in the water one minute, and then the next scene he is lying upon his back motionless and with no feet. Now that is entertainment. Albeit, mindless. The Happening is not mindless, but impossibly complicated. It seems that the trees and weeds have had enough of man's careless mistreatment, and thus somehow decide to release some kind of deadly pherome. It causes people of all persuasions to commit mass suicide.
Yech- if I want thinly veiled, apocalyptic, make-believe, environmentalist preaching, then I will rent Al Gore's latest documentary. I sure don't want to pay $10 a ticket, and miss a Braves game, for it.
Now, this one should make it to the dollar theatre very soon. I recommend that you skip it and go to your nearest Dollar Theatre to see Larry The Cable Guy, or Larry The Cucumber. Or, just stay home and watch Larry "Chipper" Jones hit another homer for the Braves.
06.16.08 (10:30 pm) [
edit]
posted by:
OldSchool (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (7:37 pm)
Thanks for the advice. I have not heard anything good about The Happening yet and there are many other movies I really would like to see if I get the chance. It is pretty disappointing for M. Night Shamalamadingdong (or however you say his last name) after such a promising start to his career with The Sixth Sense. He has not really lived up to that standard again since then.
And oh yeah, I don't even want to know who Larry the Cucumber is.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (7:39 pm)
Reply to: OldSchool
Larry The Cucumber? He's the star of the latest VeggieTales movie. You do have grandkids?
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (7:47 pm)
The Al Gore reference is absurd. On the other hand, I'll assume you've seen the movie since you mentioned it. If you haven't, it's really a stupid thing to say.
posted by:
OldSchool (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (7:48 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
No grandkids yet! My daughter is only 3. She does not really watch VeggieTales, but she does listen to the music quite a bit. Now I know who Larry the Cucumber is. That is much better than what I was thinking.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (8:18 pm)
Reply to: surrogate
It's been so clearly debunked as partisan spiel that I have little interest in it. Still, I recently signed on with DirectTV, and I think it is showing on one of the movie or science channels, so I may give it a look. The guy refuses to debate. I'm not sure I'm willing to spend two hours of my time listening to the views of someone unwilling to interact with those of a different persuasion.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (8:25 pm)
Reply to: surrogate
I can't mention it and have an opinion about it unless I've seen the movie/propaganda? From where do you get this rule? There is a lot of junk out there, which would be a waste of my time, that I feel fortunate to know enough about to know that I do not want to spend my time and money watching it. Have you seen the latest Ben Stein documentary? I'll bet you don't intend to, either. Why? It wouldn't be a matter of pre-judgment, would it? I tell you what- I'll make a deal- you see Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, and I'll endure Al Gore's stuff. How about it?
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (8:41 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
I see, it's propoganda. Okay. Idiot.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (8:50 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
You'd believe Ben Stein? But he doesn't believe in any of the magic you believe in. How can he be telling the truth?
I love Ben. He's a good writer. I'll be happy to watch whatever he puts out. (Sometimes he's dead wrong, however.)
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (9:31 pm)
Anybody?
.
Anybody?
.
Bueller?
.
.
.
.
"I thought it was my choice!"
Well, you see, it's like this...
Your choice was to go to the movies with your daughters and because it was Father's Day they figured it would be nice to 'ask you' to spend some time with you. Your choice was to say, "yes" or "no" ... and I can't imagine you would say "no" ~ thus you got to go to the movies with the daughters for Father's Day and because it was "your day" you get to pay!
Now that is how it works ... just so you know for future times.
hahahahahaaaaaa ...
Sorry the movie was a bummer.
And because you weren't alone you couldn't walk out!
Was the popcorn any good?
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
06.16.08 (10:02 pm)
Reply to: surrogate
Here's a major difference between yourself and a thoughtful conservative. Someone who disagrees with you is an "idiot". I'd not dare be so arrogant and pompous.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (4:49 am)
Reply to: PastorDave
You have a very bad memory, don't you? -Another conservative trait.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (5:20 am)
"When you dare to talk with someone, and seek connection, then it becomes much harder to depersonalize and therefore justify aggression."
But you'll completely dis Al Gore's movie as propaganda without even seeing it. It's exactly the same thing as calling people we've never dealt with enemies without seeing if, at least from their perspective, they have reason to hate us. Isolating yourself from points of view and then labeling them as patently false without knowing a damn thing about them is... idiotic. And you damn well know it.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (5:24 am)
For instance... Ever use algebra? Ever use ANY of the thousands upon thousands of pieces of technology that uses algorithms?
Hope you're thankful for Muslims.
posted by:
intricategirl (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (9:46 am)
I have a scientist friend who has some feelings on the environment, evolution, and the like. He dislikes both the Al Gore and the Ben Stein documentaries. If I could boil down his opinions on them- Al Gore presents nothing but problems without answers, and Ben Stein presents nothing but answers without problems. And as a scientist, both are to be dismissed.
As far as The Happening, I've heard it compared to The Birds more than once. Unfavorably, of course. Shyamalan lost me after The Sixth Sense, and I can't even watch that without thinking about his other disasters. He comes up with incredible plots, fails to execute them, and then completely stops trying at the ending.
posted by:
bawdy (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (1:47 pm)
I see intricategirl and I share the exact same opinion of Shyamalan.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (3:33 pm)
Reply to: auntconi
Yes, the popcorn was good. I bought the biggest tub available. My two girls ate most of it. They complained, but I stood my ground and insisted that they buy their own drinks. And they did not buy one for me. Kids- they sure are cheap.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (3:35 pm)
Reply to: bawdy
I thoroughly enjoyed 6th Sense, and also liked Signs. I haven't seen his latest two purported catastrophes. A review i was reading suggests that Shyam should focus his skills upon the making of B- movies. Perhaps that's his intent?
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (3:38 pm)
Reply to: intricategirl
I guess I must break down and watch the Gore docu-fantasy. According to surrogate, that's the only way I can offer any comment. I have a videotape of Bowling For Columbine. Maybe I should go to the local thrift store, buy a VCR, and watch it? Again, it would make a certain fellow blogger happy.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (5:44 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
No Dave, don't bother. Better you should just keep forming your opinions based on what other people tell you to think. Good thing someone you respected finally told you that blacks weren't inferior at some point, otherwise we'd still be debating that.
Ever really research something as objectively as you're able and let what you actually learn determine the basis for your opinions? It's neat. Fun even. Honest, getting information first really opens your mind.
Try it sometime.
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (6:55 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
Wow, Dave ~ I'll bet that Father's Day outing cost you about $60 ~ give or take a few cents.
See how 'special' you are ~ I hope you feel loved!
Because, really some people really think you are very nice!
~ ~ waving hand here ~ ~
((hugs)) *how is Skylar doing?
posted by:
intricategirl (
reply)
post date:
06.17.08 (7:17 pm)
Nope. Watch the movies you want. Although I would be VERY curious to hear your review of Bowling for Columbine.
posted by:
Barbara (
reply)
post date:
06.18.08 (9:33 am)
You should have just gone and seen The Hulk like your nephew did with your brother. He (the nephew) treated him (the brother) to a movie, too. But I think he paid for it. No one got popcorn, I don't think. I got a free night at home alone ;)
posted by:
bawdy (
reply)
post date:
06.18.08 (1:01 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
Nope, he treats the release of his movies as events and shrouds them with mystique and secrecy. He's utterly serious.
