The Thoughtenings

[GregMcduck]

Well, what'cha all think.

Reposted from the Quiptrack Happening thread:

PROGRESS REPORT #1 - "The Happening" unriffed

My first time with The Happening. You know, I was expecting some godawful work at Battlefield Earth levels, the way people were talking off to it. Oh, it's a bad movie, but not nearly the worst thing I've ever seen. If anything, I enjoyed the visuals work, which has always been Shyamlan's strong point. The plot, blah. The acting... well, I don't think the acting in itself was bad. I'd credit the sissy Wahlberg lines and disjointed nothings on the screenplay.

Let's see what two more viewings do to me.

PROGRESS REPORT #2 - "The Happening" riffed with Quiptracks

After second viewing, I think even worse of this film. Quiptracks did a good job pointing out a lot of little things I didn't catch on the first time (like the rather large number of train conductors, or the fact that a tiny hole in the roof is the least of your concerns when you're in a Jeep). I can easily call this the worse Shyamlan movie to date.

In direct converse, I can easily call this the best Quiptracks to date! In fact, this is better then the majority of the Rifftraxs out there! You guys are funny as hell and you have an amazing spirit in these projects I just love. "The fair is in town" bit had me laughing for ten minutes solid, and I don't think I ever stopped giggling. Highlights for me:

-Everytime you pulled out your John Leguizamo impression. It makes me wish he was in the movie more.
-The various "The _____ening"s. The best one: "The Rub-A-Dub-Dubening"
-The "Someone doesn't believe it's nature" song
-The giggling scene

And that's only scratching the surface. Seriously, guys, two thumbs up! Four star! Here's your riffing Oscar!

EVERYBODY, GO BUY THIS QUIPTRACK NOW!!!

Mike and Co are gonna have to work their asses off to get close to this!

PROGRESS REPORT #3 - "The Happening" riffed with Rifftrax

I know this film line-for-line now! No fact has made me sadder!

Alrighty, so the Rifftrax version, eh, pretty standard stuff. Rifftrax doesn't surprise me as much as it used to, and this seemed like punching the clock for them. A lot of their effort seems to be cramming as many celebrities and pop culture references as they can into a riff. Besides how weak wind is as a bad guy, they never really dig into the movie. There were a few good moments, but not enough to make it stand out.

Fun, but I won't be listening to it again. The Quiptrack, however, I'll probably watch once a month or so. 

[ScottotD]

I think it's great that people who hate this movie will be buying the DVD and therefore supporting M. Night.   

[Bob]

I never saw the movie in theaters, but I like the fact that M. Night does not do cookie cutter or standard films.   He at least TRIES.

So, I purchased the movie used and will watch the Rifftrax version in about 15 minutes.

[RVR II]

My Thoughts.. NONE!

This poor excuse for a movie was really, really Awful!

If someone was actually sober and created this .. 'idea' for a flick, they need to be on Drugs! Seriously

[Thrashalla]

If someone was actually sober and created this

Drugs are like that too.

[uruseiranma]

I borrowed this from a co-worker, so at least my Netflix account wasn't sullied by renting this.

I'm still trying to figure what was up with the old woman, she's friendly yet hostile.

[Relaxing Dragon]

I'm still trying to figure what was up with the old woman, she's friendly yet hostile.

Things really started to go downhill when the little girl (I'll be damned if I bother to look up her name) tried to get a cookie. Old crazy [never-seen] dog lady didn't take too kindly to that.

[uruseiranma]

I'm still trying to figure what was up with the old woman, she's friendly yet hostile.

Things really started to go downhill when the little girl (I'll be damned if I bother to look up her name) tried to get a cookie. Old crazy [never-seen] dog lady didn't take too kindly to that.

Yeah, I saw that the first time and was like, 'WTF!?' I guess I'm just not used to seeing people actually smack children around anymore-ah for the days when you could spank children, or put them in corners and ridicule them for not keeping up with the class.

[RoninFox]

Anyone watch the special features? There's a bit on there where they talk about the old lady's character as the big scary climax of the story or something.  I don't remember much of it because I was laughing too much.

I mean yeah, that's the big shock here.  If I put myself in Marky Mark's place here, the crazy old lady with her lemon drink and missing dog who slaps a little girl's hand and yells a bit is so much scarrier than the survivalists in the boarded up house I saw BRUTALLY MURDER TWO CHILDREN IN FRONT OF ME EARLIER IN THE DAY!

[RVR II]

If someone was actually sober and created this

Drugs are like that too.

Ahhhh...

Lemme go back outside and Yell at my trees again...

[Rattrap007]

Anyone watch the special features? There's a bit on there where they talk about the old lady's character as the big scary climax of the story or something.  I don't remember much of it because I was laughing too much.

I mean yeah, that's the big shock here.  If I put myself in Marky Mark's place here, the crazy old lady with her lemon drink and missing dog who slaps a little girl's hand and yells a bit is so much scarrier than the survivalists in the boarded up house I saw BRUTALLY MURDER TWO CHILDREN IN FRONT OF ME EARLIER IN THE DAY!

You say Brutally murder, I call Justifiable Homicide and a service to the public...

[RoninFox]

Anyone watch the special features? There's a bit on there where they talk about the old lady's character as the big scary climax of the story or something.  I don't remember much of it because I was laughing too much.

I mean yeah, that's the big shock here.  If I put myself in Marky Mark's place here, the crazy old lady with her lemon drink and missing dog who slaps a little girl's hand and yells a bit is so much scarrier than the survivalists in the boarded up house I saw BRUTALLY MURDER TWO CHILDREN IN FRONT OF ME EARLIER IN THE DAY!

You say Brutally murder, I call Justifiable Homicide and a service to the public...

Those two kids served as an occasional distraction from the vacant stares of Marky and Zooey, and thus their deaths are more painful every time I see the movie.

[Asbestos Bill]

GregMcDuck: Thanks much for the great review! You are a brave man indeed to willingly endure 3 back-to-back viewings of The Happening.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

If someone was actually sober and created this

Drugs are like that too.

XD LOL, for real.

[CHF01]

Maybe the government released the toxin into the air by mistake...?  There was a moment where a news station stated that the American govt. was talking about their experiments with toxins, but denied all claims and wouldn't comment on the topic. So...maybe the whole plant thing was a way of lying to people about the real truth? Kind of an X-Files thing? Hell, I'm totally guessing.