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WilliamSchweitzer
Reviews
Lady in the Water (2006)
Overrated Film From An Overrated Writer/Director
"Lady In The Water" seems to be little more than a poor excuse to stroke Shyamalan's own ego by writing himself into the script as a noble writer who's work will change the world so much that he becomes a martyr. The story seems like he's making things up as he goes along, with new rules and characters in the fairy tale surrounding the "lady" every ten minutes.
Paul Giamatti did an outstanding job in making an absolutely terrible and pointless script watchable. He is an incredible talent, and certainly deserves to be recognized for his work. As for Shyamalan, he has always been hit and miss. His supporters will sing the praises of even the most average and ordinary of films (Signs, Unbreakable) as well as his heavily Rod Serling inspired movie twists (The Village, The Sixth Sense), but Lady In The Water falls under neither category. It is not average, nor does it have a twist of any kind, stolen or otherwise.
With this film, Shyamalan attempted to create an "ET" for a new generation, and failed miserably. I would compare this film to unsatisfying sex , in that it feels like a lot of buildup with no release (or point) at the end. This film will be all but forgotten by this time next year.
I would advise anyone to not bother wasting their time. This film falls flat on every level. When the credits came on screen in my theater, just about everyone in the crowd, including several children, looked around each other and said "was that it?" and "what was the point?". I am left wondering the same.
Chao Zhou xiao han (1982)
Hilarious Kung Fu Comedy
I found this movie on VHS for a dollar on the Previously Viewed rack at a local video store. Being a fan of kung fu movies, I purchased the movie and added it to my collection.
It was most definitely a pleasant surprise. Hilarious storyline, many humorous interactions between "Little Fatty" and anyone who he comes in contact with, including bowing down to a frog and chanting "I worship the toad" and falling face first into a pile of crap in his quest to earn a living bringing in a criminal.
I've never heard of any of the actors in this film, but the opening credits state that one of them was the personal martial arts trainer to Muhammad Ali. If I remember correctly, the opening screen indicated that Little Mad Guy was produced by Snake Video.
I would most definitely recommend this movie to any fan of kung fu, if you can find it. Since buying it, I have not been able to find any mention of it from any vendor or online, with the exception of this brief IMDb profile.