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Show B4 MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2008 Life • THE COLLEGE TIMES D I R E C T O R S S E R I E S The Directors Series: M. Night Shyamalan, prisoner ofprecedent Touchstone Pictures Ivy Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard) evokes DiCaprio's "king of the world" pose in The Village. Jason Pyles Life writer In 1999, director M. Night Shyamalan stunned the world with a neck-breaking twist in The Sixth Sense, a film ranked among the top 100 movies of all time on the American Film Institute's 2007 list. Ever since The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan has been a prisoner of that precedent. Whether Shyamalan himself insists on straining his stories (Lady In The Wa- ter, 2006) to include unforeseen revelations, or his audience's expectations demand such screenwriting sleights of hand, the undeniably gifted director-writer-producer seems to feel obligated to surprise his viewers. Unfortunately, this storyteller's hands are often tied by viewers who decide how the story should unfold before hearing how it actually unfolds. This happened with The Village (2004). No doubt, thanks to its misleading advertising campaign, most moviegoers thought they were going to see a monster movie. But it turns out The Village is a social-psychological thriller about how innocence can be lost through fierce protection of it. Signs (2002) is frequently criticized for the late and unremarkable appearance of its aliens. But while scrutinizing the extraterrestrial, did we also note that Shyamalan evoked anxiety within us for Touchstone Pictures David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is perplexed by everyone's similar outdoorwear tastes in Unbreakable. most of the movie, not with what we saw, but with what we didn't see? It wouldn't have mattered how scary the alien looked: Nobody else's imagination trumps our own. Critics abound when it comes to complaining about the unconvincing nature of superheroes and their movies. But when Shyamalan realistically explored what it might be like to be a superhero in Unbreakable (2000), the film was labeled by many fans as his worst movie. Perhaps the best indication of Shyamalan's talent is a trait common among all great storytellers: the ability to incorporate a story within a story. Consider the little girl who supposedly dies of cancer in The Sixth Sense, but a videotape reveals evidence to the contrary. Not only is this small story arc a horror story within a horror story, it is also literally a film within a film. Shyamaian has satellite sto- ries, such as this, embedded in ail his movies. So, during this summer's loasty nights, cool off by revisiting Shyamalans chilling films. Notice how he carefully designs his stories to intrigue us, the viewers. And while watching The Happening this June, don't try to figure out the ending ahead of time or resist Shyamalan's direction; instead, relax and be competently carried in the hands of a modem master filmmaker. How to have the best summer ever Mel Sundquist Life writer 7 Take a vacation. Even if you just spend a . day or two in Salt Lake or buy a hotel room in downtown Provo for a couple nights, it is absolutely necessary that this summer, you take yourself to someplace new. Do not allow yourself to stagnate. J 2 Figure out what you want to do. Find the best way to do it, and something to make that defthen go to! This may seem icit smaller. to get more and more complicated in real life. Try not /j? Surprise yourto let it be. \l self. Never been to JX- Vegas? Drive down there and dance all Learn to do some**•}> thing new. Take knit- night. Afraid of heights? ^"y ting classes at Hei- Go bungee jumping. Find ndselmanrfs yarn store something that you might in Provo. Learn to swim at want to do but would never your local rec center. Take see yourself doing. Shake a look at who you are now, things up. figure out who you want to be, study the difference v^ Embrace the clibetween the two, and learn , .-'•' ches. Check out a comi self-help book from the library, with the words "happiness" or "better you" in the title. Take a couple words of advice from the book. And don't be embarrassed to drown yourself in chocolate and kittens. on. Just contribute to the relationship in any way you know how to even things out. the date on the back of the print. Even if you don't have much fun this summer, the pictures will make it seem like you did. ••" " / River rafting is f:. If none of this sure to be wonder,',. J- floats your boat, ful this year! All of .- here's some broader that snow will make the Make friends with advice: Decide what £<•, someone with a boat, rivers swollen by July, and you want to do with the day t] ^ because sometimes, that's when rafting is the when you wake up. 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