2 July 2008 10:43 AM, PDT | From ifc.com | See recent IFC news
By Alison Willmore
For the many ill-wishers out there, the most disappointing thing about M. Night Shyamalan's environmental thriller "The Happening" wasn't that it was a failure, but that it wasn't a spectacular failure. Critics went in with their long knives out, only to leave shrugging that they've seen worse. Having made $59 million in theaters, it's not even the box office bomb some expected after "Lady in the Water." All in all, "The Happening" is actually pretty successful, considering it's a serious horror film about trees... that kill! In honor of that dubious designation, here's a look at the spotty history of films about murderous botanic life that have preceded it.
Killer tomatoes
Film: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)
Directed by John De Bello
M.O.: Produce that, for no apparent reason, become massive and murderous.
De Bello's broad comedy mocked B-movie conventions while bearing its reported $90,000 budget like a badge of honor.
(more)
Alison Willmore
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