Audience laughs at M. Night Shyamalan

Aug 12, 2010- Permalink

M. Night Shyamalan’s career arc has been a topic of discussion among filmgoers and the entertainment media after his last few films. Some people think that the director’s career has been on a downward spiral over the last few years. They believe his career basically peaked with his third, and most famous film, The Sixth Sense.

I got a taste of the public perception tonight when I attended a press and promo screening Wednesday evening for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Mostly public, with a smattering of press. There were a couple of the studio’s trailers before the film.

One was for Drew and John Erick Dowdle’s new thriller, Devil. When the tag “From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan” (he has a “story by” credit) appeared on the screen, the audience burst out into spontaneous laughter. Not a scientific poll, but perhaps an inkling as to what the moviegoing public thinks of the filmmaker’s recent output.