Episode 17: She's All That (1999)

…And we’re back! Shyamalan recently admitted to doing a rewrite for She’s All That, so we’re duty bound to review the 90’s teen rom-com. We speculate on what Shyamalan contributed to the script, are impressed by the pretty impressive cast, and wonder if She’s All That and Buffy the Vampire Slayer take place in the same cinematic universe. Tangents include listing all the great movies of 1999, Gene Siskel’s funeral, and some big news about the future of the podcast. Enjoy!

Episode 11: The Happening (2008)

We’re back just in time for Shocktober! This time we watched Shyamalan’s environmental horror film The Happening. Though this movie turned a profit at the box office it was panned and derided by audiences and critics alike. We delve into the casting, dialogue, shaky premise, and unfortunate lack of thrills in what was meant to be a shocking, thrilling movie. Tangents include: Bryan’s encounter with Alan Ruck, horror movies we stumbled upon in our younger days, and being in rowdy theater audiences. This month’s Shyamalan scotch was: Glen Moray Speyside Single Malt  

P.S. We also talk about the impending celebration known as Video Store Day, a day to celebrate and support your local video store if you’re lucky enough to have one. If you happen to be in Austin, TX on October 21st swing by Vulcan Video. We’ll be having a raffle with cool prizes, deals, and free beer (while supplies last).

Happy Shocktober!

Episode 8: The Village (2004)

M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, released in the summer of 2004, made over $100 million at the box office, but still fell flat with audiences and critics and inspired one of Roger Ebert’s most notorious 1 star reviews. We discuss the elements of the film we liked, and then delve into the problems, plot holes, and twists. Tangents include A.J.’s days at the Tower Records classical department, reminisce about the “trailer voice,” Chris Carter’s Harsh Realm, and who would be the perfect star for our fictional cop show, The High Commissioner. This month’s Shyamalan scotch was, you guessed it: High Commissioner.

Episode 7: The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan (2004)

Before finding our way to The Village, we take a detour to uncover The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan (2004). Directed by Oscar nominated documentarian Nathaniel Kahn, The Buried Secret was a “documentary” produced for the Sci-Fi Channel intended to promote and create excitement around Shyamalan’s soon to be released film, The Village. This fake documentary, or mockumentary, is an odd assortment of obviously staged interviews, apparently genuine scenes of Shyamalan out in Philadelphia, a random cameo from Johnny Depp, and the idea that Shyamalan actually talks to ghosts. We digress to talk about another mockumentary, Incident at Loch Ness, starring Werner Herzog, contemplate going through either Herzog's or Kevin Smith’s films next, and talk about the price of DVD’s. We also discuss, of course, Shyamalan’s latest news about an Unbreakable/Split sequel and speculate wildly on what the plot might entail. This month’s Shyamalan scotch was: Clan MacGregor.

Episode 6: Signs (2002)

Signs (2002) was marketed as "M. Night Shyamalan's Signs" making him one of only a handful of filmmakers that have had their names put above the title of a movie. Signs received polarizing reviews and reactions from critics and audiences alike, but went on to make over $200 at the box office. Bryan and A.J. delve into the plot (spoilers ensue), the unlikely weakness of the aliens, fan theories, theology, CGI, and somehow end up talking about zombies. We also get confused about the Culkins and discuss our own theories of UFOs and alien life--it gets a little nerdy. Apologies for A.J.'s lackluster plot synopsis-- the scotch had not kicked in yet. This month's Shyamalan scotch was: Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition.

Episode 5: Unbreakable (2000)

Unbreakable (2000) was highly anticipated and released in theaters just a year after M. Night Shyamalan's break out hit, The Sixth Sense. Usually director names don't figure largely into a film's marketing but Unbreakable was sold to audiences as Shyamalan's next movie. Though it didn't achieve the same rare popularity as The Sixth Sense, it still grossed over $200 million dollars at the box office. We discuss the plot, the twist, cinematic style, and decide if Shyamalan was able to top The Sixth Sense. We also discuss the final scene (but not the climax or twist) of Split (2017), so consider this a SPOILER ALERT for Split! We also talk about the DVD extras, surround sound systems, and cinematic universes. This month's Shyamalan scotch is: Inver House Green Plaid

Episode 4: Stuart Little (1999)

Apologies in advance for technical difficulties we experienced with our microphone while dealing with the acoustics of a new recording space and recovering from colds.

We say we're going to discuss the career of M. Night Shyamalan, and we mean it, which means we had to watch Stuart Little, written but not directed by Shyamalan. We overanalyze the world of Stuart Little, marvel at its impressive cast, and ponder its incredibly large budget. Tangents this episode include current "live action" Disney movies, the upcoming children's movie Rock Dog, and we touch briefly on Shyamalan's recent box office hit, Split. This month's Shyamalan scotch was: Grant's.

Episode 3: The Sixth Sense (1999)

The Sixth Sense (1999) was a critical and box-office hit that became a phenomenon and made M. Night Shyamalan a household name—a rare accomplishment for any filmmaker. This movie became a cultural touchstone and went on the earn 6 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Director & Original Screenplay (Shyamalan), Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Supporting Actress (Toni Collette), and Editing (Andrew Mondshein). Before diving into The Sixth Sense we relive the summer of 1999 by talking about the trailers included on the DVD. Naturally we discuss the big twist which leads us to talk about other movies with twists (The Crying Game, The Usual Suspects, Identity). Given the significance of the color red in the movie, this episode's scotch was Johnnie Walker Red.