The Signal (2008)

Don't Believe the Hype

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

A lot of ironic and satiric lines. Entertaining film, with three different perspectives

The Signal casuald.blogspot.comWhen a mysterious signal passes through all of the electronic communications in the town of Terminis half the people go insane and become murderous while the survivors struggle to adapt in the new world.What I liked.I was first introduced to this movie by my father, I walked into the room and the credits were rolling on the movie and he was sitting there with a good friend of ours and they both said "David you have to see this movie." Not even all the way through the credits they started the movie over again and we all sat down to watch it. As soon as the movie finished my little brother came in and I said "Daniel you have to see this movie." Before the credits had rolled a second time I watched it over again with him and another person. At the end of the movie Daniel had some friends that were coming over and now he was the one starting it over, and I was thoroughly entertained the third time around. I have seen it several times sense and I of course watched it again before doing the review. It is honestly one of my favorites and probably the perfect movie to bring in the New Year and even takes place on New Year 's Eve. What I would addIt is extremely and relentlessly violent and hilarious at parts as well. You can't unsee things and you should know that going in. It is not for the faint of heart. It is composed of 3 parts by three different directors using the same general cast of characters plus a few they meet along the way. It is a roller coaster ride and fast paced. It is equally hilarious and it is just a brilliant movie all around, there is really nothing that I would add that could make this movie better. It is pretty grotesque and very morbid but the effects are seamless and the cast is perfect for their roles. The sound track is even pretty good they hired the right people and told the right story, and while it is a bit disjointed at times even that is right in line with the premise and it really just works well. OverallIf you can stomach the violence you absolutely will not regret watching this movie over and over and over again.

"The Signal" is quite inventive. The basic premise involves a signal that causes those that heard or saw it becoming quite irrational.They usually resort to killing people although their motivations seem related to whatever they were focused on before being exposed - for example thinking his someone almost whacked his wife and that she might have been cheating on him sees particular women as his wife and sees those near those women as potential attackers and/or assailants.Usually those exposed end up killing. Those kills are sometimes shown outside of chronological order due to flashbacks.There was sometimes black comedy, particularly in the second part (this movie is split into three parts), but unfortunately, it's very long, and by the third part I was finding myself losing interest.

Had heard good things about this movie before I watched, with comparisons made to Romero's underrated classic 'The Crazies', and while to some degree they are indeed very similar, this movie is a whole different beast and to fresh and original to ever be considered just a re-hash of Romero's film.First thing you should know is that the first couple of minutes are no indication of what's to come, the cheap looking 'Last house on the left' cloned is simply a film within the film, a cheeky red herring before we pull out if the film, into a young couples bedroom, as the film is replaced by the movie's eponymous 'Signal'.From this point on the film is divided into three chapters. The first reveals that one half of the aforementioned couple is in fact married, and as she leaves her lover to go home to her husband the beginnings of the signal's effect on the other members of the public who have seen or heard it become clear. This signal is driving people mad, not just odd behaviour, but homicidal. This starts subtley enough, confused conversations, mild panic, distant cries, but upon reaching her home it becomes apparent that people's behaviour is becoming more and more erratic and dangerous. After a quietly hostile 'interogation' by her husband it becomes clear that her husband is infected, thus begins z desperate escape from her apartment block, with her husband and neighbours all seemingly infected and out to kill anyone they can get their hands on. This is all done in a very authentic, realistic fashion, while being reminiscent of '28 days later' and it's sequel. As the players in this central love triangle collide we are shown events from variou perspectives, the three protagonists story lines interweaving in a very intriguing fashion. The second chapter is very different from the first in terms of atmosphere and purpose, as, while maintaining the same cast as the first chapter, it becomes a jet black comedy, a sort of comedy of errors with an ever escalating supply of corpses, madness and misunderstandings that inevitably result in gruesome violence. I felt that this chapterwas perhaps the strongest of the three, it's gallows humour a terrific juxtaposition to the intensity of the previous part, with each performer showing great comic touches and bizarre characters emerging from the woodwork at the most inopportune moments ( it had to be said that AJ Bowen, playing the husband, is the clear standout in the movie and acquits himself brilliantly in this section).Chapter three takes much the same approach as the first, llurching back into straight, frightening and suspenseful horror as various characters seek each other out to exact revenge or rescue loved ones, culminatingin a wonderfully acted confrontation in a desolate bus station.The most impressive aspect of this movie was it's vivid depiction of madness and the descent into it. Whilst some movies are content to simply show characters as nad by making them rant and behave violently, thus movie takes great pains to try and immerse the viewer in the chaos and confusion, swapping out actors and roles to create a truly believable and authentic take on how it might feel to lose your mind.Overall I was incredibly impressed by the quality if every aspect of 'The Signal', from it's terrific performances, taut direction and original takes on stale genre themes, very, very highly recommended