The "Devil" made me do it: A Review of M. Night Shyamalan's latest work.

About two weeks ago I watched Trilogy of Terror, a 1974 collection of three short suspense/horror tales all starring Karen Black, whose virtuoso performance introduced us to Julie, Millicent, Therese and Amelia - all very different but compelling characters.  The film was directed by the legendary Dan Curtis of Dark Shadows and The Night Stalker fame.  The stories were penned by Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet).  While watching this movie I remember thinking how the genre seemingly has lost its way into the twenty-first century and wondered if this kind of "Poe-ish" style of writing would ever make a comeback.  The days of watching fun TV shows like The Outer Limits, One Step Beyond, Night Gallery and The Twilight Zone (which Matheson wrote numerous scripts) would forever be lost or the stories themselves uninteresting. 

Evidently someone has heard my prayers.

This afternoon I went to see Devil, the first of three short tales in the The Night Chronicles series based on ideas by Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan.  Given his track record of late, I was hesitant about spending my hard earned money on anything related to Night, but after reading an interview with Bokeem Woodbine, who starred in the movie, and watching the trailers I decided to give it a shot.  The performances were great and the action kept my eyes glued to the screen until the end.

The main plot of Devil surrounds five seemingly random people who become trapped in an elevator of a large office building in Philadelphia.    Being stuck in a crowded space by itself can be nerve-wracking, but there's another problem: one of them is The Devil.  Yes, THAT Devil.  Outside the elevator there are additional issues: no one knows the identity of those trapped inside, the building staff and the fire department have found themselves unable to rescue the passengers with any degree of simplicity, one of the security guards is a devout Catholic whose passed-down tale about how the Devil "works" is unfolding before his eyes, the lead detective has a past that haunts him to this day.  And, oh yeah - every time the lights go out in the elevator something really bad happens.  You can't see it, but the presence of evil is clearly there.  I know all of that seems like a lot to digest at once, but that's actually the point.  These people seem to not be related to one another, but as time passes the truth, and the Devil, both come forth.  I won't give anything away, but as a fan of old school horror, I thought the timing and the implied "frights" that were all over this movie worked well, even down to little details like everyone wearing "red."  Night did the right thing in trusting someone else to expound upon his ideas and I hope it's something he does from now on.

The second film of The Night Chronicles is called Twelve Strangers.  There is no release date as of yet, but it appears to be well on its way.  I look forward to seeing it, and based on what I've seen today, this series could be a throwback to the great horror flicks of the past. 

Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come!

David T. Boyd gives Devil: *** and 1/2 Stars.

Related articles by Zemanta

• On elevators, purgatory, and the devil (psychologytoday.com)

Essence.com: E. Lynn Harris Dead at 54

A very sad day! E. Lynn Harris left us way too soon, but his legacy will be felt by those whom he inspired. RIP brother!

db

-----------------------------

E. Lynn Harris, whose self-published 1991 debut novel "Invisible Life" novel endeared him to millions of readers, died on July 24, 2009. He was 54 years old. According to the Arkansas Times, Harris suffered a "serious health setback" while on a West Coast book tour for his recent novel "Basketball Jones." In subsequent novels such as "Just As I Am," "If This World Were Mine" and "Any Way The Wind Blows," featuring the glamorous and gritty lives of Black strivers, closeted and openly gay men, the former IBM executive became one of the country's most popular writers, whose book signings were often standing-room only events.

In a glossy style that combined elements of posh 1950s melodramas, daytime soap operas and homespun morality tales, Harris detailed the fictitious lives of young and stunningly attractive African-Americans, navigating their way through the NFL and NBA; Hollywood and Broadway; magazines and the music industry. Readers eagerly anticipated the return of Harris fictitious fixtures such as closeted attorney Raymond Tyler, Jr., Johns ‘Basil' Henderson, and Yancey Harrinngton, and propelled nearly all of his novels onto the New York Times Best-Sellers List. Harris, who had more than 2 million copies of his novels in print, ranks as one of the most popular African-American novelists of all time.

Everette Lynn Harris, who often spoke in a soft, Southern drawl courtesy of his Little Rock, Arkansas upbringing, always dreamed of becoming an author. His road to his true calling wouldn't come easy, yet would inspire countless writers to tell their stories. Born in Flint, Michigan, Harris grew up in Little Rock. What Becomes of the Broken Hearted, his 2003 memoir, documented his painful childhood, including abuse by his stepfather and a 1990 attempted suicide. For nearly a decade before he tried to end his life, Harris lived a double life: He was a closeted, successful IBM executive by day. After hours, he slept with men on the "down low" and fell into a depression. A close friend asked Harris to write his story. In 1991, Harris wrote "Invisible Life," which received countless rejection letters from mainstream publishers.

In a now legendary story, Harris, who had relocated to Atlanta, sold the novel out of the trunk of his car at local beauty parlors. The novel soon landed in the hands of Martha Levin at Doubleday, Harris' long-time publisher. Harris' story inspired dozens of authors to self-publish their novels. ESSENCE Magazine was one of the first publications to feature Harris' work and he began a long affiliation with the publication.

He visited our officies last year, met with interns and signed copies of Basketball Jones, and gave us a sneak peek of his latest novel featuring Yancey, including the first working lines of the novel: "How did this b---- get my life?"

Harris single-handedly carved out a space for contemporary African-American male novelists such as Eric Jerome Dickey, Colin Channer, RM Johnson, Carl Weber, Van Whitfield, and Omar Tyree. He was a tireless champion for the Hurston/Wright Foundation and had his own foundation. Harris was known in the literary community for his generosity to his fans (often remembering birthdays and holidays); his love of the Arkansas Razorbacks (he was the first Black male cheerleader for the school), and his support for burgeoning writers. He combined his passion for both of the latter by returning to his alma mater as an adjunct professor, where he taught as recently as last fall. He divided his time between Atlanta and Arkansas, but ultimately, always made the time for his readers, who he credited with saving and changing his life.