59. The M. Night Shift #21: Trap (2024)

Spoiler Alert! The M. Night Shift is back! Bryan and A.J. went to the movies for the latest M. Night Shyamalan experience: Trap. Following Siskel & Ebert rules we didn’t reveal our thoughts until recording began and it turns out… we each had a different M. Night Shyamlan experience. We talk about Josh Harnett’s great performance, the curious casting of Haley Mills, and the not-exactly-twists the story takes. We also discuss other thrillers and serial killer movies which likely influenced Shyamalan, plot points that do not hold up to scrutiny, and whether or not Shyamalan can go dark. Minor tangents include the TV series Monk and the meaning behind star ratings. This episode’s Shyamalan scotch was: Shackleton blended malt.

50. The M. Night Shift #20: Knock At The Cabin (2023)

A Knock at the Cabin (2023) from M. Night Shyamalan brings us out of hiatus and we return to being The M. Night Shift to discuss his latest horror/thriller. Bryan and A.J. talk about what works (stylistic choices, the cinematography, but most of all Dave Bautista’s excellent performance), what doesn’t work (nearly everything else), and how Shyamalan put his stamp on yet another adaptation. Naturally, we get into major spoilers and compare the ending of the movie to the very different ending of the novel. We also talk about “cabin” movies as genre and A.J. eventually says the title of this movie correctly. Tangents include a talk about novelizations, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Peter Bogdanovich. This episode’s Shyamalan Scotch was: Dewar’s White Label.

30. Coppola Cast 12: The Conversation (1974)

After the massive success of The Godfather, Francis Coppola was finally able to make his passion project: a small scale personal film, The Conversation. Though Coppola first had the idea for the story of a surveillance expert that suspects the people he spied on are going to be murdered in the mid-60’s, The Conversation was made during the height of the Watergate scandal and released just after Nixon’s resignation, no doubt giving it a special resonance for audiences in 1974. We discuss Gene Hackman’s low-key performance, the contribution of Walter Murch, Catholic guilt, and how themes of privacy and surveillance keep The Conversation relevant today. We also marvel at the lineup at the 1974 Oscars and wonder if Adam Sandler has succeeded where Coppola did not. This episode’s Coppola wines were: Diamond Collection 2017 Black Label Claret and Diamond Collection Chardonnay 2018. 

Episode 18: Glass (2019)

Do not adjust your podcast dials, this is the podcast you’re looking for! The M. Night Shift is now…(drum roll)…The Director’s Wall. The hosts are the same but the filmmaker under review will change next episode, but first there is the little matter of M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero crossover film Glass (2019). Glass is a sequel to both Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2017) pitting Unbreakable’s hero (Bruce Willis) against Split’s villain (James McAvoy) who has teamed up with Unbreakable’s villain Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson). Is this the Shyamalan movie to end all Shyamalan movies? We don’t go on many tangents but we do manage to SPOIL the endings of several movies including: Hereditary, Avengers: Infinity War, Get Carter, Play Dirty, Carlito’s Way, and Layer Cake. This episode’s Shyamalan scotch was: Johnny Walker Blender’s Batch: Experiment #6.

Next episode Bryan and A.J. will begin reviewing the films of Francis Ford Coppola.

Episode 15: Wayward Pines (2015) & The Visit (2015)

For the shortest month of the year we bring you a special double episode and review Wayward Pines and The Visit. Our discussion of Wayward Pines quickly turns into a conversation about Freejack, Robot Jox, and Stuart Gordon. Though Shyamalan only directed the pilot of the short lived Fox series, we discuss the first 5 episodes and the big twist of the series. Then we delve into Shyamalan's "comeback": the low budget, found footage horror movie, The Visit. This film was a hit at the box office and with audiences, but not with us. We go over where we feel the movie fell short, including the big twist, or lack thereof. We take tangents to Twin Peaks/David Lynch, Judy Greer, and finally the delight that is Starter For 10,  but not before managing to spoil: Dark City, Friday the 13th IV: The Final Chapter, Twin Peaks, Willow Creek, and Cursed. This month's Shyamalan scotch was: Black Scot.