The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale

by Michael Bamberger

An acclaimed writer takes readers inside the world of M. Night Shyamalan—the most successful filmmaker of his generation—as he creates a new movie masterpiece

In 1999, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan exploded onto the cinema scene with his supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense, which garnered major acclaim and raked in massive box office numbers around the globe. Since then, his phenomenal commercial and critical success has continued as his films—including Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village—have grossed over $1.5 billion and reinvented the thriller genre. But throughout his rise to prominence, Shyamalan has remained separate from the Hollywood system, living and working solely in his hometown area of Philadelphia, and keeping his ideas, filmmaking techniques, and business practices tightly-kept secrets.

In The Man Who Heard Voices, journalist Michael Bamberger takes readers inside Shyamalan’s world for the first time, getting total access to the man who has been called “the modern-day Hitchcock” as he prepares, creates, and test-screens his next film, Lady in the Water, which stars Paul Giamatti (star of Sideways) as a building superintendent and Bryce Howard (star of The Village) as a mysterious sea nymph. Bamberger’s intimate perspective and insightful narrative prose will bring to life Shyamalan’s creative process—from his multiple drafts and revisions of the screenplay to his on-location work with his cinematographer and crew and his relationships with the actors under his direction. The book also follows the high- stakes business decisions behind the scenes, including his agonizing decision to move from Disney to Warner Bros. for this film, his involvement in the studio’s massive marketing campaign, and the evaluation of the crucial initial test-screening of the film.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Media Tie In, Biography, Writing, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 6, 2006

About the author

Michael F. Bamberger is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and the author of multiple books.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Classic In Spite of Itself

There are some biographies that you love because they are well-written. There are some biographies that you love because you love the subject of the book. This book is neither of those things, and yet it's one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. It's entertaining the way a train wreck is entertaining if in this case the train crashed into Noah's Ark, if Noah's Ark in addition to two of all the world's animals was filled with fireworks, and chocolate pudding and the Cirque de Soleil. There should be a constant Greek chorus while you are reading this book, chanting things like "Can you believe he just wrote that?" and "Who the fuck does M Night Shyamalan think he is, anyway?"

I'm not even sure how to describe this book, it raises such a welter of contrary and violent emotions. It is a clusterfuck wrapped in a fiasco, dipped in hubris and then set ablaze with a sparkler made out of unintended irony. I spent large chunks of the book entertaining the question "Who do I despise most, M Night Shyamalan, or Michael Bamberger?" By the end I chose to be equitable and call it a flat-footed tie of abhorrence.

Where to begin... Michael Bamberger is a hack. That's as good a place as any. Bamberger is primarily a golf writer for Sports Illustrated. Not that that's necessarily damning - one could be a good writer about any subject (see Harvey Penick's "Little Red Book"). But Bamberger is a shitty golf writer, hackneyed, prone to trite underdog stories, and rife with cliches - notable in the world of golf journalism mostly for having pointed out a rules infraction that got Michelle Wie kicked out of a tournament. A shitty golf writer who knows nothing about movies except they're a pleasant way to pass the time on drizzly Martha's Vineyard afternoons. Who better to write an insightful book about the film industry and one of its most enigmatic directors? If you said "anyone", congratulations.

In addition to being a hack, Bamberger is a name-dropping star-fucker. He meets Shyamalan (his friends call him "Night") at a ritzy Philadelphia dinner party. Bamberger makes sure to note that former tennis pro Jim Courier also attended - "Wow! THE Jim Courier?!?" But from the moment Shyamalan makes his "entrance" Bamberger only has eyes for Night. His shirt unbuttoned like vintage Tom Jones, Night casts a spell over everyone he meets - is he psychic or just preternaturally charismatic? Bamberger isn't sure, but he's in love.

What follows is one of the most embarrassingly lionizing pieces of idolatry you're ever likely to read. Bamberger lays out the nature of Night's genius, his meteoric rise from a merely pampered upbringing to enviable affluence with tortured Tiger Woods and Bob Dylan metaphors and florid crush note prose. Bamberger spends the next year or so following after Night like a loyal stray beagle, living in the reflected brilliance of Night's genius and annointed celebrity, nuzzling his hand for validation and burrowing his warm supportive nose into Night's neck when the vagaries and slights of the uncomprehending mundane world bring Night low.

That Shyamalan happened to be creating "The Lady in the Water", one of the most soggy piles of cowflop to ever grace the silver screen (before he set the bar even soggier and floppier with "The Crappening"), during Bamberger's Icarus-like flight only makes the unremarked-upon dramatic irony all the richer. Bamberger lauds Night as a man of the people for allowing his chauffeur, personal chef, and nanny to read his newest opus, then turns around and joins his voice to Shyamalan's own shocked and wounded whimper when Disney suggests they "might have some notes". Night's personal assistant is noted to be remarkable for her ability to not confuse her station with that of her employer, and also her faculty for not going to the bathroom for the duration of the flight from Philly to LA to deliver the script to Disney, as well as her completely justifiable shock and disdain that Nina Jacobsen of Disney chose taking her son to a friend's birthday party over the prompt receipt of Night's "sale script" (to be read not as work, but as a weekend's entertainment) and Jacobsen's offer of "low-carb soup" FROM THE FRIG!

To say merely that Bamberger lacks the objectivity to notice that anyone who voices the slightest dissent from Night's "vision" is branded a traitor (or that all those voices were proved prescient) is to pardon him for what is in actuality the aiding and abetting of felonious egomania. There is an interesting story going on here, not just between the lines of Bamberger's Gospel of M Night, but behind the scenes of "Lady in the Water", unremarked upon and entirely unnoticed by Bamberger - the story of how success and fame in the arts can so distance one from the real world as to completely neuter that art.

There's an anecdote that's relayed enthusiastically - M Night is in an elevator on the way to a casting call. In the elevator with him is a child actor and the actor's mother. Night tries to engage the youngster, but he is reticent about talking to strangers, and the mother is understandably protective. Night cannot believe that had this child, or the mother ONLY RECOGNIZED him, he could have been their lottery ticket. Oh, the bitterweet irony that HAD THEY BUT KNOWN who Night was (don't they watch American Express commercials?) they could have found the very success they were struggling to achieve at countless casting calls.

That Bamberger takes Night at his word that this episode is a tragically failed attempt by Night at charity and an emblem of his man-of-the-people magnanimity and not rightly as symptomatic of a delusional and grandiose Christ complex says everything you need to know about both the book and M Night Shyamalan.

[Okvegascowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most extraordinary book on the process of film-making I've ever read (and I've read more than a few!) The author was given unprecedented access to his subject, and as an existing fan of Night's films, the insight into his creative process was absolutely fascinating. It helps that I think "Lady in the Water" is a magical, beautiful, sadly underrated film. After reading this book, I have more respect than ever for the absolutely complete commitment a filmmaker makes to creating a film he is proud of, regardless of how that film is received by the public. Fascinating.

[Erik Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady in the Water is a movie I've recently fallen in love with. It's a film that I believe to be a misunderstood masterpiece. Anyone can point to all the problems it has, but at its heart, its a movie about personal healing, about a community coming together, and finding magic in the everyday. It's a movie about faith.

No one understands this faith quite like Michael Bamberger. He had INSANE access to M. Night Shyamalan and the cast and crew, and he really feels like a member of a trusted inner circle. He stays objective, and truly sees the beauty in the process around him. This book made me appreciate Night's artistry like nothing else ever has. I felt like I was there experiencing all the doubts and conflicts, hanging out with Paul Giamatti, hearing the hopes and dreams of Bryce Dallas Howard, getting kissed on the belly by Chris Doyle. The writing in this piece is exquisite, and I can only hope I'm ever even half as good as a writer one day.

A must read for fans of M. Night Shyamalan everywhere!

[Scott Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody hated the film Lady in the Water more than I did, but the companion book which deals with the making of the film is one of the best books written about the making, or in this case unmaking, of a film.

[Emon Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best thing to come out of Shyamalan's 'Lady in the Water,' I like to say, is Bamberger's book on the making of the film. No one has picked a filmmaker's brain the way he has by being an observer. What you'll read is a book that takes 'from idea to screen' story to a different land.

[Dwight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. This book was highly recommended by a friend who loves movies, and I can see why. I find nonfiction to be interesting but not always enjoyable in the reading. The best nonfiction flows in a way that makes you want to keep reading, that tells a story rather than recounts facts. Michael Bamberger does a great job at this, probably one of the most well-crafted nonfiction writing I’ve read. He presents and weaves the stories together in a way that seems equally organic and meticulously choreographed. Dude can tell a story.

I’ve always admired Shyamalan, and unashamedly love his movies. I’m even a fan of Signs and The Village, and BTW you probably were too when they came out 😉. It seems like loving Shyamalan’s work went out of vogue at some point. I see people retroactively criticize him for things that I seem to remember people digging when he was a hotter commodity. In reality he’s never gone away, he’s still very successful in writing and producing.

I enjoyed Lady in The Water. One of the things I liked was its differences, the way it doesn’t adhere to a lot of the formulaic story pattern. It’s a little bit of a complicated movie in the sense that it has different feel to it then his other projects.

However, even if you aren’t a big fan, or even didn’t see Lady, you’ll enjoy reading about how Shyamalan created this story and worked his way through the tricky route to making his movie. It’s a great documentary of the process of making a major film, and even more a deep dive into the mind of a true genius.

[Jeremy LaLonde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really indepth and personal peak behind the curtain of the creative process. It doesn't try to protect any of it's subjects, but offers an emotional depth into how they all work and think. It approaches it with a fascination that could only come from an outsider. I like Shyamalan's films (some of them) but this made me want to watch more.

[Shawn Berman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful look at m night. Need a whole book on chris doyle

[Remo Verdickt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perfect counterpiece to Lady in the Water.

[El_kiablo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew from the very beginning of this book that Michael Bamberger was not going to be a great writer: in the first paragraph he tries to stress that he's a common man who likes popcorn movies and not high-falutin' foreign crap by dismissively claiming that he has no idea if Ingmar Bergman is a man or a woman. I get what he's trying to do there but that 'joke' falls flat on so many levels.

First of all, it isn't clever. Secondly, it makes him look like an a-hole - it makes no sense for a professional journalist to start their non-fiction book by advertising their commitment to remaining ignorant of basic facts of the field they are covering. And finally, that comment compromises his authorial personality; I don't care whether the author of a movie-related book is a serious cinephile in their private life but I do want them to be honest and that line feels so manufactured that it destroys Bamberger's credulity.

Sure enough, the rest of the book follows that lead. Bamberger never comes across like a genuine presence and his prose (while passable) is consistently pedestrian. But none of that matters in this case because he had the good luck to be in the right place at the right time.

You see, Bamberger's book profiles M. Night Shyamalan while he is making Lady in the Water, which is the clear dividing line in his directorial career. His pre-Lady films were basically successes - some made more money than others, some were bigger hits with critics, but they all did well. However, his post-Lady career was all downhill - in the decade after Lady in the Water flopped Shyamalan became a literal laughinstock. (One reason why the studios didn't put Shyamalan's name on any of the promotional materials for his movie After Earth was because audiences kept laughing when they saw his name pop up in previews.)

So the Man Who Heard Voices is a fly on the wall snapshot of a praised auteur losing their way, which is automatically interesting from a schadenfreude perspective. But this book is gripping not just because it is a cautionary tale, but because the specifics of how Shyamalan lost his way are so revealing.

A few years ago I tried to watch Lady in the Water and couldn't get through it: there was too much exposition, all of which was delivered clunkily, and none of which made much sense to me. So I wasn't too surprised to read that when Shyamalan sent out the first draft of his script the main note he got back from the head honchos at Disney was that they didn't understand his story. But I was surprised to read that rather than take that one (genuine!) note seriously Shyamalan decided to break off his long-standing partnership with Disney and take the script to a more complacent studio.

Over and over again Shyamalan refuses to listen to anyone who questions him, even if those questions are coming from close confidants who are earnestly trying to make his half-assed movie better. He's so closed off to any whiff of criticism that he won't listen to his editor's suggestions (even though those ideas might have sped up the movie, which ended up really dragging), or accept input from his producing partners (whose ideas might have streamlined a movie which ended up feeling all over the place.) Shyamalan really comes across like a clueless dictator and every bit of self-indulgence sheds light on why his movies started to be so unwatchable.

Ultimately Bamberger's authorial failings end up helping the book. His lack of genuineness makes sense in this context - of course Shyamalan would want someone to write a book length profile of him, and of course he would give the task to a sycophant who was awed by his every utterance. A more impartial look at Shyamalan during this period would probably come across like a hit piece, and while that could be fun I would probably feel a bit dirty for reading it. But the Man Who Hears Voices never feels like a hit piece - it is legitimately trying to flatter it's subject. (When Bamberger sees an early cut of Lady and doesn't get it he blames himself, not Night.)

Bamberger's deference makes all the difference in the world here because actually sarcastic prose wouldn't be nearly as cutting as this ends up being. Shyamalan could defend himself against a critic who was trying to savage his creative output by saying that they were acting in bad faith - but he can't defend himself against the critique that's implicit in this book. If the people around him were craven and their imput was worthless... Well, that was on him for selecting them, and for prioritizing their flattery over more helpful (but more painful) criticism. M. Night Shyamalan might have heard voices, but it seems like he only listened to the wrong ones.

[Jon Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Muddled, hagiographic, but fascinating -- my review of this book, and also my opinion of M. Night Shyamalan's movies.

[CraftyChara · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many stories start out "Nobody believe in me so I'll just have to prove them all wrong." But Shyamalan was proven wrong. It was a humbling read.

This book shows how Lady In The Water a box office bomb came to be.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasnt't sure what to expect when I picked this one up; it had been on my to read list for a while, so when I was requesting a new batch of books from the library, I added this one.

This book tells the story of M. Night Shyamalan's struggle to write, produce, and edit The Lady in the Water. The author, Bamberger, met Shyamalan at a dinner part thrown by mutual friends. Bamberger is a sports writer by trade with several books to his name. He wrote Shyamalan asking if he could write a book about him and his movie-making process. Obviously Shyamalan agreed and even went so far as to ask Bamberger to write objectively and honestly. He was honestly curious as to how he was perceived and how he comes off to others.

It was surprisingly in-depth yet remained engaging throughout. The sneak peek at Shyamalan was fascinating to me; I loved The Sixth Sense but wasn't crazy about The Village or The Lady in the Water. Reading this made me want to see the latter again, though. Shyamalan created Lady (as the movie is referred to in the book), from a bedtime story he told his daughters and it was a deeply personal film for him. I hadn't realized, but his movies center around themes of faith and belief.

He is deeply ambitious and demanding - mostly of himself. Michael Jordan is a hero to him. He still struggles with pleasing his parents (both doctors); he recounts that when he made the cover of Time (the first director ever to do so), his father mentioned that Newsweek has a higher circulation. The M. in his name stands for his given name, Manoj. The name Night was chosen by him as a young adult. The inside of the book jacket contains actual pages of the script, complete with Shyamalan's notes and directions in the margins.

I don't consider myself a film buff or critic by any stretch of the imagination and knew zilch about the process before reading this book. While I'm still by no means an expert, it was interesting to read more about the film-making process and what goes into it. With all of that being set in the midst of an M. Night Shyamalan film, it was all the more interesting. Bamberger did a really nice job explaining the lingo and various other items to the reader with gentle reminders of who the various players are and their role in the process of creating the movie.

[Sam]

!!!!!

[Jason Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find M. Night Shyamalan to be a fascinating director: his highs are amazing (“Unbreakable” may be my favorite movie of all time), and his lows are shockingly bad: “Trap” and “The Last Airbender” are just bad. Shyamalan often has his characters deliver dialogue in an odd, stilted manner, often seemingly devoid of human emotion, his pacing can be problematic, but his films can often have brilliant subtext and act as fascinating deconstruction of genre norms (“Glass,” for instance, is a film that was not loved upon release, but believe will be reevaluated in a few years and be much more warmly embraced). After reading Michael Bamberger’s account of Night’s making of “The Lady in the Water,” (a movie I saw only once, in theaters, and absolutely loathed) I myself wanting to go back and rewatch the movie, which is a compliment to this book. The first third of this book really allows one to get a sense of who Night is, what motivates him, his constant self-doubt, but also his scary level of hubris (making himself the lynchpin of the movie, portraying a writer whose work will change the world, is jaw-droppingly narcissistic), and his anger at the Disney executives for just being honest with him about his ideas for this movies makes Night come off as a bit of an entitled brat. But, all of that is what is amazing about this book: Night allowed Bamberger to depict him as Bamberger saw him, not as Night might see himself. At times, it is like watching the Titanic heading towards the iceberg. My issues with this book are that Bamberger wasn’t alway present for conversations and events he describes, and as such, he has to take the word of one or two people present at those moments. And, at the halfway point of this book (when the actual production of the movie begins) it became really redundant, and I found myself having to force myself to get through the book. I assume that individuals involved in the industry would find the production part to be interesting, but honestly, it makes the process of creating films sound a bit of a drag: oh, and the cinematographer, who appears to still be making movies, came off as a complete monster: the “me too” movement needed to to come after this guy (and, the fact that Night and the crew seemed to accept his behavior is troubling). I also did not like where this book ended, with a screening at Night’s own barn, with the movie being praised by almost everyone who saw it there. This book does not discuss the near universal panning of this film when it actually was released, the financial bomb that it was for the studio, etcetera, even a “coda” of some sort would have been helpful. This book makes it sound like “The Lady in the Water” succeeded. It did not. But, that being said, as I mentioned earlier, I do plan on rewatching this film now, to see if my opinion will shift.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating exploration of a specific time in pop culture that saw a once highly respective auteur director gamble his reputation on a film that even he had his doubts about. This, of course, is all about M Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water. Bamberger, the book's author, follows his initial meeting with Shyamalan to the movie's conception, screenplay, fallout with Disney, acquisition with Warner Bros, casting, filming, editing, and initial reception. Bamberger writes all this with a leanness I appreciated. The book feels complete despite a decently short page count and I was amazed with the author's ability to paint such a vivid picture without being extraneous. As I learned about Shyamalan, his philosophy on art and life and approach to storytelling, his ability and struggle to navigate the divide between art and commerce, I found myself falling under the spell. I believed as he believed. But time and time again I would experience what Night experienced: a crash back to reality. The book isn't just told through Night's point of view but also through the point of view of everyone who didn't see Lady in the Water as some brilliant upcoming masterpiece. While Night struggled to convince people of Lady's vision, the actual production of the film isn't the disaster you'd expect. Without spoiling, Bamberger follows some of the more minor problems that took place during filming. Most of these exist to highlight Night's struggle to make the whole thing work in a way that would satisfy himself and a future film going audience.

The book stops just short of the film's premiere and public reception, which is a shame. This movie was a huge turning point for Night's career and the fallout of it bombing would have been interesting to read about, especially from someone so close to the project. Still, a very quick and easy read. Highly recommended.

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a journalistic account of M. Night Shyamalan’s making of The Lady in the Water. As I confess in my blog post on the book (Sects and Violence in the Ancient World), I only watched the movie so I could read this book. It’s the price of admission. You could read it without seeing the movie, but I can’t think it would make much sense.

The book starts with how the author met Shyamalan and then follows his shadowing of the director (and writer) as he made this particular movie. In terms of box office earnings, this particular movie is likely Shyamalan’s nadir. It was a very personal project to him, as the book makes clear. And having your own money to be able to recover from a poor showing is a luxury few of us have. Still, it’s fascinating.

Creative folks of all stripes can probably empathize with an idea that just won’t let go. I’ve written several novels (none published) for that very reason. Ideas can be tenacious. This particular movie didn’t really capture my fancy, but it was fascinating to read about how it was made. This is like the extras on a DVD, on steroids. A fascinating account.

[Lyla Randolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I don’t even know how to put to put this book into words. It turned out to be completely different than what I expected, impacting me in ways I did not imagine. Because I’m not a film fanatic a lot of the references Michael, Night and the other characters made went over my head. And that took away from the book’s effect at first. But once you get into the story - Night’s personality, the journey of making a movie, the power dynamics at play - it really grabs you. I think the title is somewhat misleading because Night’s voices were only a small fraction of the story. Yes, they were important, but the story was about so much more than Night’s partial lunacy. At first I thought this book would only be conducive to those into film, particularly Night’s impact on it. But this book is for everyone. It’s about the struggles of life - doubt, risk, relationships, faith, unpredictability - that we all face. I will definitely be watching Lady In The Water now, possibly other M. Night Shyamalan movies. This book will have serious staying power for me.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this behind the scenes aspect of Shyamalan's life and filmmaking process while he was selling and then in production on "Lady in the Water." It is super in depth and includes viewpoints of all the main actors and crew. It seems Night was open to everything being exposed. The content is fantastic. My small problem with it was the author's over reliance on starting paragraphs with "One day...", "One night...". I felt like I was thrown back to grade 2 and reading a story some kid in class wrote. So weird for that not to be noticed by the writer or editor. It's a fairly minor quibble though, considering how much I liked the material. I'm interested in checking out his other books, so at this point, it's not deterring me. 😁

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s nice to know that one of my favourite directors (M. Night Shyamalan) and even top level executives like Nina Jacobson are as plagued by self doubt and a need for approval as every other artist. Yippeeeeeeee!!

Great book though! A fascinatingly natural look at the Hollywood film production process, and how a great idea sparked from a place of passion and good-heartedness can fall apart because of those voices of self doubt. Just wish it was 100 pages longer! Definitely makes me want to revisit Lady in the Water!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It made me feel as though I too were a part of the making of the Lady film.

Lady in the Water is my favorite M. Knight Shyamalan movie. I appreciate the beauty in the storytelling, though not traditional by any means. It's part of what makes it magical and helps to express the powerful message. The same goes for this book, to a certain degree. I love the way the story was told. Experiencing it through the author's eyes. It almost made me feel as if I too were part of the making of the Lady film. I enjoyed this book tremendously. I'm glad that I read it.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an M. Night Shyamalan fan, I was so excited to learn that this book existed. Additionally, given that Lady in the Water is my favorite movie, I knew I couldn't pass up reading this book. I found the opening sequences of the book to be a bit clunky and slow but once it moved from background to detailing the making of the movie, it was much more interesting. I found the inside information on movie making in general and this movie in particular to be incredibly fascinating. I recognize that this book isn't for everyone but it was definitely for me.

[Edward Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Bamberger gives a well rounded look at the film that tanked the once promising career of director M. Night Shyamalan. For a movie goer such as myself, the subject matter is fascinating as it not only goes through Nights process for how to create a film, but also how the film industry works. This one is definitely worth checking out.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great behind the scenes look at a filmmaker who had a vision that didn’t resonate with a wide audience. For the lay person it’s a great read about how films are actually made. Not just the cameras and all that but also all the things that happen with studios before a movie is green lit. A very entertaining and educational read.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the movie whose making it chronicles, this book isn't good, but it is fascinating. The author met Shyamalan at a fancy Philadelphia party and was drawn into his charisma vortex, which seems to be considerable; the result is a hagiography that unintentionally reveals much more about its subject than a more skeptical position would have.

[Christopher Angulo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Shyamalan (so, this post may be biased. I loved LITW). The insights into M. Night's life were exciting, and humbling. I had created a different persona in my head, so it was nice to get a better look into this director's life and his process of working.

[Kristi (OneBookMore) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly great book, perfect for anyone who loves film. I'm a big fan of Shyamalan's work, but you need not be to appreciate this account of his struggle to create Lady in the Water, which I must now re-watch as soon as possible!

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as beautifully written or ambitious as The Devil’s Candy, but still one of the best behind-the-scenes look at the making of a movie I’ve ever seen. If you’re not generally an M. Night Shyamalan fan, you might not care about it. If you’re a Paul Giamatti fan, it’s a must-read.

[Ty Dykema · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not ashamed to say that I was already a huge fan of M Night Shyamalan before reading this book. If nothing else, it made me appreciate him even more.

[Celia Latty-steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic