The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan (2004)

Through revealing interviews with M. Night Shyamalan's childhood friends and neighbors, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn (Best Feature Documentary, MY ARCHITECT: A SON'S JOURNEY, 2003; MY FATHER'S GARDEN) seeks to uncover the director's most intimate secrets and learn how they've been woven into the stories of his intensely powerful movies! And in addition to talks with cast and crew members, you'll witness insightful discussions with celebrities. As intriguing as Shyamalan's films themselves ... you don't want to miss this fascinating attempt to shed light on the unseen events and influences that have helped shape the spellbinding films of a masterful artist!

Good, corny fun... with far too little actual footage of M Night

This mockumentary is pure cheese, and even without having read these reviews to find out the real "secret" of this film, its obvious this film was a pure hoax... but it's a fun hoax. Initially the film feels like they are painfully trying to stretch out minimal footage and interviews with Night, but as the mock-doc goes on, it's actually fairly fun stuff, in a cheesy X-files sortof way.

The highlight for me was the interview with Night, about midway through, featuring Philly "velveta" cheese steaks and shooting pool. Night really comes across as a down to earth, decent guy, and you can't help but think that the "buried secret" of this film is that Night is secretly laughing along at all of the footage.

Three stars for a somewhat clever concept, good corny fun, and for the sadly brief interview time with Night. June 24, 2008

So Sorry...

im sorry to say... i love m night and all his movies but while this MOCUMENTARY was entertaining to say the lease it wasnt at all true of m night at all. Total Joke. June 5, 2008

Loved it!

I can't wait to get this DVD. I'm going to order it right after I get done writing this short review. I saw the original airing on Sci-Fi channel.
First of all, it shouldn't take anyone more than a few minutes to realize it's a mockumentary. If you watch the whole thing and still think it's not fiction, then I'd like to let you know that I have a bridge in New York I can sell to you. Yes, it makes fun of paranormal documentaries, which are really mockumentaries anyway. And are some of the events of M. Night's childhood based on reality? Maybe who knows. Didn't the start of "Snakes On A Plane" say "based on a true story"? Yeah right.
Also, I liked this better than The Village. (Spoiler Warning)At about 40 minutes into The Village I turned to my friend and said, "They're really in the present, not really in colonial times." I based my hunch on the fact that the colonial village didn't have a church and when they sat down to eat they didn't really pray, did they? Not in the way people of that time period would anyway. I think this was M. Night tipping off the audience in the way great writers can do using subtlety. I don't always guess the endings of movies but that time I was right.
Anyway, I'm a big M. Night fan and i own most of his movies (not The Village) but just think of this one as tongue-in-cheek with scary moments and dramatic performances. I don't think any of the performers in this movie were not performing from a script or at least being directed in their improvisations. It's really well-done. Remember when some people thought Blair Witch was real at first? That was funny, too.
Love your work, Mr. Shyamalan. Keep them coming. Thank you. April 25, 2008

The secrets out

Yes, people it's a fake. But it's still fun to watch. I mean M. Night could've done the same old same old with this and made it real. But no he wanted to do something ENTERTAINING. I've heard people say he takes himself too serious as a director or that he tried to trick us with this obvious fake Docu. But really people will complain just to complain. I like this director. Tarantino, Shyamalan, Burton all good directors of our time. Of course you're going to find someone who will complain about anyone of them.
January 12, 2008

The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan

TOOO SCARY....ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ACTORS MENTIONED THEY HAD TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT WITH MR. NIGHT SAYING THEY WOULD ACCEPT HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS...WHICH ARE NOT CHRISTIANS....CUT TAPE UP AND THREW IT AWAY!!! May 13, 2007

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