It’s bad enough he’s gone from wunderkind to critical whipping auteur — a trend that the reviews of Mr. Shyamalan’s new horror flick are continuing. But then, perhaps unaware of Motown history — he gives his attempt at regaining the mantle of the master of thrills and chills, the same name as an insanely catchy, actually borderline annoying, but nevertheless reasonably groovy tune from the Hitsville USA archives. Who knows how many people will go to see The Happening this weekend, only to have this pop into their heads.

Okay, it’s far from the best song in the Supremes’ catalog, but pretty much the opposite of frightening (except, perhaps, in the earworm sense) and it’s all I can think of every time the film is mentioned. It won’t help any. It’s also not a hopeful omen that the song actually came from another flick, unseen by me, of the same name starring Anthony Quinn, Faye Dunaway, Oscar Homolka and Tarantino fave Michael Parks that nobody seems to have liked much, back in 1967 or now.

Even though he pretty much lost me with both the unnecessarily morose and misconceived Unbreakable and the world’s lamest defense of the existence of God in the otherwise watchable Signs, I really was kind of profoundly moved by The Sixth Sense — though I’ve been afraid to see it again, for fear of feeling like an idiot for being so moved. In any case, though I’ve avoided his films more recent films, and I make not entirely pleasant fun of MNS above, I’m not exactly happy about it. 17% Tomatometer score or no, it’s not cool to assume too confidently that a film you haven’t seen is bad. Still, maybe he’ll get he’ll get his curse removed, such as it is, if he finally goes back to making low budget movies, a possibility I wouldn’t rule out.

UPDATE: There’s more from me on The Happening and other new films over at Premium Hollywood, where my twice weekly “Multiplex Mayhem” series continues..