I hate to sound like an alarmist but I cannot help but think that Shyamalan’s ethnicity has a lot to do with the personal criticisms he receives. Hollywood to me seems like an exclusive clique or club - its very difficult to get in and members look down on anyone who is not like them.

He chooses not to play the Hollywood games by living far away in Philadelphia.So many directors make clunkers but he made one bad movie - Lady in the Water and everyone wants to write him off.

I hold no rancor towards him, even though every fourth person asks, “Do you want to be the next M. Night Shyamlnliadlakldlajl?” when they hear I write.

But, on a personal level, his movies have just sucked. The success of his films on an actual movie level (not box office grosses) is inversely proportional to the length of his appearances in them. It’s not THE reason his movies have been bad, but it’s a great indicator.

Most people I know, Indians included, haven’t been on board since Sixth Sense (GREAT film to me) or Unbreakable (not a bad movie, but you had to watch it like a comic book on screen, not like an actual movie) or Signs (it shot itself in the foot with so many craptastic errors, inconsistencies, and plot holes that it ruined what was building up to be an outstanding film) because his movies just haven’t been that good.

That, coupled with the expectations of his films (his ego, the standards he set after Sixth Sense, and how much promotion his films receive) = disappointed people when he doesn’t deliver.

But being out here, I actually haven’t heard much made of his ethnicity. Mostly just how his movies have been sub-par for many years now. And in LA, people might even say this stuff to my face, but I mean on web tracking groups, etc.

I don’t think his ethnicity is upper most and lord knows it isn;t about make “good” movies because if that were the standard…

I think at least two things are at play here.

1. Shyamalan has garnered this reputation of being something of a ego maniac, which is quite a feat in Hollywood. The stories one reads about the making of the “Lady” film are to laugh.

2. The last few films have not made much money. Quality is not the leading indicator here, it is all about the dough. Make some money and the studio heads will be lickin your boots.

Spike Lee seems to make much better films, The Inside Man, when he’s not the writer/director. I think the same think might apply for Mr. M.

Finally, what about a little more desi love in the foregroound instead of all the none speaking town’s people. Just a thought!