On a humid and muggy evening in New York Citys Soho neighborhood, filmmaker and genre maestroM.
Night Shyamalanseems particularly giddy while standing in front of a room of assorted press.
The pair apparently have plans for a nice dinner upstairs.
Shyamalan first crossed into the industry while he was still a student at New York University.
He wrote, directed, and starred inPraying with Anger(1992) before receiving his diploma.
I love to do both together, and I think the industry felt that way [then].
For Shyamalan this extends to a range of movies from the 1980s and 90s.
And that discomfort, in my opinion, is a weapon.
We could have 1999 over and over, and over again.
But the goal is to really entertain the audience.
As Shyamalan notes, he has reasons to be optimistic about the future too.
A professional singer-songwriter, Saleka plays a fictional pop star named Lady Raven.
In the story, Lady Raven agrees to help turn her concert into a serial killer ambush.
He calls that concert a big moment in his household.
Coincidentallyor perhaps not?discussions about serial killers like Hartnetts Cooper inTrapwere also a regular subject du jour.
This kind of need for stimulation.
What is their pathology underneath?
Its obviously as varied as human beings are varied, even within the sociopathy group.
Its something he and Hartnett also discussed at length for more than a month before cameras ever got involved.
That wasnt the architecture of this person.
At the core of Cooper is do I qualify as being human?
That is something that he worries about.
Am I even part of the continuum of the human experience?
And then the movie kind of answers that, or at least he finds an answer in that.
Am I connected or not?
But there is an anger underneath that viewers are encouraged to either spot or ignore at their peril.
I think against your own will youre kind of rooting for him, Shyamalan muses.
Thats why Josh was perfect for it, because hes so likable.
Hes so charming and handsome… Theres a lot about him to relate to.
He just has this other side to him.
Why am I rooting for him?
Theres always an answer.
So he waits for it.
Normally when we feel pressure, all our options narrow down.
That joy of believing the universe is on your side is delicious, Shyamalan insists.
It worked out!, they all start laughing and almost applauding…
They enjoy the humor and the kind of optimism of that.
A serial killer movie with an optimistic spring in its step?
That is a hundred percent original, weird, and definitely Shyamalan, 90s or otherwise.
Trap will begin catching moviegoers on Friday, Aug. 2.
