I thought the movie The Sixth Sense was totally overrated. Bruce Willis had long been considered un-cool by then and that little kid was just annoying in a more annoying than most other little kids kind of way. I am guessing that I'm not the only person who found this to be so as Holey Osmonds career died about five minutes after the credits rolled and he now sleeps with starving fishes over at Macauley Culkin's place.
This director guy, Midnight Shingamangalammadingdong whatever the fuck his name is, couldn't make a good movie if somebody else made it for him and he just put his long ass name on it. Even if the starting results were slightly bearable I have no doubt the curse of Shimalimadimadongadong whatever would come alive in the editing room and render the film incomprehensible like everything else he has made to date.
The American public has taste in their bunghole and Sixth Sense became a huge phenomenon despite being slower in pace than old people trying to 69 each other. Shinkadinkadankadama wasn't going to just all of a sudden start making good movies and the quality of his films went even further down the shitter.
He made that shitty movie about Amish people who shit in the woods and grow voodoodoo and then he did something about a woman and a lake. In his trademark twist I am gonna guess there was only a bathtub. I never felt compelled to watch this movie since it was already established that if the movie was made by night boy shookadookadoubledonger I would surely hate it. Feeling certain it would deliver on this guys previous reputation with flying colors, brown and yellow most likely, I stayed as far away from this one as possible.
I did manage to see his last film called The Happening. You know the one with Markie Mark. Oh wait, he doesn't want to be called that anymore. Mark Wahlberg. The underwear guy. Yeah, him.
This movie wasn't as horrendously shitty as everything else Shimadimmalongdong made, but I will say that calling a movie where pretty much nothing happens The Happening is a pretty lame thing to do and I hope that he burns in Hell for false advertising.
That's the way to do it. Stick his sorry movie making ass right there in Hades next to some of those dead people he mocked so he could jumpstart a career that has thankfully tanked like a tits up cuttlefish.
Lots of movies have been made about seeing dead people. . . . and hearing dead people. . . and feeling dead people. . . . and. . . . ummmm. . . having relations with them. Yeah.
It's a safe bet that a movie being a horror movie there will be dead people in it, and often times these people will just not stay put or go away. Doesn't mean that the entertainment value of the movie itself has to be dead on arrival though.
I like to think of the movie Don't Look Now as the original "I see dead people" movie. Except that we really don't see dead people. But, there is dead people. . . . and we do know they are there. In fact, the only person to see the dead people is a blind lady who just so happens to be psychic.
So, maybe saying "I see dead people" is kind of not really the case. More like. . . . feeling them. Maybe she smells them. I mean, dead people are quite renowned for that special stink, am I right?
Regardless of the small stuff, this 1972 shocker of a film is very creepy and intense and well worth a look if you're looking for something that is..... well, creepy and intense.
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie play a married couple whose young daughter drowns in the opening moments of the film.
I do want to imagine these people grieve for their loss, but the film then jumps ahead and Sutherland is set about to work helping to restore an old church in the city of Venice, Italy.
While sitting in a restaurant the aforementioned blind psychic lady tells the couple that she sees their young daughter between them and that they should not be so sad because dearly departed one is happy. Happiness turns to fear and dread as the woman discovers that all is not well and predicts that Sutherland is in great danger and that the couple should leave Italy at once. Of course, as always the case in the movies, they don't listen to her and things pretty much go downhill from there.
Who is this woman? Does she really see their daughter? What does the daughter want? Is Sutherland really in danger? These questions will be answered by the films end and the answers will not be at all what you are expecting. The whole scenario is made all the more ominous by the fact that a crazed killer is running loose in the streets.
Two aspects of the film that I found extremely entertaining were the way that the film conducts the storyline of the grieving couple. Certainly the loss of a child is a sad reality that one might expect to never recover from. But, the couple seems to be doing very well and the whole thing is pretty understated. I found this interesting because I couldn't help but think the filmmaker decided to focus on the creepy tones of the possibility of what could be rather than the sadness of what once was or is or whatever the fuck.
Sutherland seems to be throwing his grieving heart into the restoration of this church, whereas Christie is simply bent on talking to this blind psychic lady and finding out what she has to say about their daughter and the purpose that the daughters ghostly presence will have on them. She seems to spend much of the film seeking a rather curious form of closure.
Sutherland and Christie both give very fine and somewhat understated performances. But, the truly greatest character in the film is the city of Venice itself. Most of the happenings occur on the back streets and alleyways of this gorgeous city and though in the background, the city streets bring an entirely new element to the story.
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There is also the haunting and beautiful score created by one of the masters of suspense film composing, Pino Donaggio. I have always thought a films score is underrated when it comes down to equating the value of its charms and alarms and the beautiful and haunting music that highlights this tale is a prime example of brilliance in soundtrack execution.
The film received a bit of controversy back in its day due to a somewhat graphic sex scene between Christie and Sutherland. There was talk that they were actually having sex. I won't say that sweaty things exactly seem to go that far, but the scene is still fairly explicit even in this day and age and yet it still is very tastefully done. Another high five for these two stellar performers.
The charm and the beauty in this film and what makes it work so well for me is the fact that it’s so calm in its suspense and story telling. Not a whole lot really happens until the final seconds of the film and yet in the sparse happenings there is much suspense and the overall mood of the film is what becomes one of its greatest assets, alongside its impressive scenery.
Surely by today’s gruesome standards this film might be considered quite tame by many horror fans. But, anybody who is looking for something simple and brooding in its delivery will surely be entertained by this dark and creepy masterpiece. At the very least, it's far more effective and nail biting than anything Shimmalimmalanglong Night Day Afternoonie Boony Goony could ever hope to dream up. Seriously, fuck that guy. I hope that when he dies the previously departed line up to pull a train on his no talent ass. Now, THAT would make an excellent tribute to dead motherfuckers from all walks and stumbles of existence.
****Original post date 4/19/2010. As Maxwell Smart would say...... "Dayyyyyum 4/20. Missed it by that much."****
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