The Signal – DVD Review

Film, Reviews

thesignal
Available at Amazon.com

The things we have made available to us today are often taken for granted. We can just pick up the phone and call anyone at any given time. When we’re bored, the television can be turned on so our favorite programs or films can entertain us. Maybe just listening to our favorite music will set the tone for an evening when we need to just sit back and relax. Well, what would it be like if all of those things were taken away from us? Imagine a world where all forms of communication are taken away and replaced with anger. Totally incredible and absolute anger.

It’s the day before the New Year in the city of Terminus and there is a problem with the reception on television sets, radio networks, cell phones, walkie-talkies, home phones, and every form of communication imaginable. When a television set is turned on a weird sound is heard and incredibly odd images flash on the screen. The same sound comes over the radio waves and through all phones. No one has any way to figure out what is going on because the only way to even attempt to hear from someone or talk to them is by seeing them in person. Meanwhile, there is another controversy going on.

Mya has woken up and starts getting dressed after giving a long kiss to Ben. She smiles at him and he hands her a mix CD he made for her. They just had a wonderful night together and really love each other’s company. Only Mya must now leave and go home because it is getting late and her husband Lewis will begin wondering where she is. She has cheated on her husband and cares, but not really. She would like to go away from it all with Ben and start anew, but it just isn’t that easy. After she gets home, she realizes exactly how hard things truly are.

The strange signal being transmitted is causing people to completely abandon all rational thought and senselessly start attacking one another. Not only are they attacking each other, but they’re killing whoever crosses their path. Mya has been able to avoid the transmission by listening to the CD given to her by Ben, but she must do whatever she can to avoid being attacked by the infected, especially Lewis. Her path is crossed by many as is Lewis’ who is on her trail and looking for her. Ben is also meeting up with many different people as he searches for Mya. The questions are plentiful. Who will find Mya first, Lewis or Ben? And better yet, will she even still be alive or herself when she is found? And what exactly does the strange signal do to those who are affected by it? Not many people are left in Terminus to find out.

The Signal is a film that I’ve been waiting to see for a long time. Word of it first leaked into my mind sometime last year and the first trailer hit the net in February I think. The premise seemed very simple, but rather unique. My expectations couldn’t have been more spot on. The film begins in one of the strangest ways imaginable and you’ll think you’re watching a horror flick from the seventies. That soon changes though and we are taken through three different transmissions for the duration of the film. Act one sets up everything perfectly and puts all the pieces into place so we know what is going on. Act two follows it up and is honestly my favorite part. You’re going to witness so much humor that you never would see coming. Not once did I ever expect to laugh as much and as hard as I did while watching The Signal. The final segment brings everything to a bit of a close and allows us to try and let it all sink in, and trust me; it is a lot to sink in for only one hundred minutes.

The film is shown in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and it looks awesome. There is a lot of blood to be seen and it is all shown in a lovely and beautiful bright red color. All bright colors, what little else there is, are shown with a nice glowing hue that looks great. Anything shown in darkness or nighttime scenes looks great too without ever being overly dark.

The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and it comes through every speaker really great. All dialogue can be heard loud and clear while every slam, bash, punch, thunk, and boom of the hits and shots from one person to another are heard in all their glory.

The Signal – Exactly what it says it is. This is the signal shown in the film for you to enjoy and freak out over.

Signal Breakdown – Director David Bruckner says that he is trying to scare the hell out of people, perform a little satire, and then bring everything together. The cast and crew essentially discuss the meaning of the film and what it is all supposed to be about in this four minute and twenty-four minute feature.

Transmissions – Bruckner introduces three other transmissions and says that they often wondered what it would be like in certain situations to experience the signal. So they filmed a few more segments simply to satisfy their taste for living the unknown. The other three transmissions are “technical difficulties,” “the return,” and “crosstown traffic.” These are simply short four to five minute segments dealing with the signal in different locations and they are exceptionally good. My favorite though has to be “the return” as it is something everyone can associate with and it is just awesome.

The Hap Hapgood Story (Short Film) – Co-producer/director/writer Jacob gentry introduces this short film and it is actually something he created years ago for a film festival. It really is a well thought out introduction that entails his meaning for making the short film and how he came about doing so. The full ten minute feature is then shown which is actually quite good. It is what’s seen at the opening of The Signal and shortened down to about two minutes. The music is also missing from this original version making it even better.

Theatrical Trailer

Audio Commentary – Directors David Bruckner (first transmission), Jacob Gentry (second transmission), and Dan Bush (third transmission) sit together for the commentary. But they do something very cool and only allow two directors in on the commentary at a time. Among them, you aren’t allowed to commentate on the actual portion of the film which you directed. Nice touch.

Their commentary is very fun and gives a lot of great information. Not only do they talk about what is happening on screen, but they joke around and give a lot of really great insight on their true meanings behind all that happens.

Deleted Scenes – There is one deleted scene with two versions and one extended scene, both of which can be played with or without introductions. Not much here, but the scenes are still kind of fun.

Inside Terminus – This is a rather basic “making of” segment that has cast and crew talking about how they came about the idea for the film and how it was to make it. One of the coolest things is that they actually created paperwork and brochures for the fictional city of Terminus. They go into deep detail about how they could do so much on such a small budget. Very good featurette that details a lot of the special effects and is a lot of information packed into fifteen minutes.

TrailersThe Life Before Her Eyes, Quid Pro Quo, Finding Amanda, and Mister Foe


I waited a long time to finally see this film and it was more than worth the wait. The Signal delivers the horror of 28 Days Later without the zombies, the oddness of >Memento without being totally backwards, and the dark humor of Very Bad Things without Christian Slater. Three totally different films rolled into one with its own unique vibe makes this one of the top films of 2008. I kid you not. Believe it or not, the central plot is actually a love story. Yes, you read that right. Throw in a lot of special features that are actually good and not just thrown in as filler and you’ve got one incredibly fantastic DVD that you all need to pick up as soon as possible. Nothing else needs to really be said about The Signal then what you’ve read from me. I love this film and would recommend it to anyone and everyone no matter what genre you enjoy. And don’t watch that special feature of the actual signal too much. Creeped me the hell out after about ten minutes of it on in the background as I wrote this.

Seriously. Don’t watch it or I will bash in your skull with a pesticide tank.

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Magnolia presents The Signal. Directed by: David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry, & Dan Bush. Starring: AJ Bowen, Cheri Christian, Chad McKnight, Scott Poythress, Sahr Nguajah, Anessa Ramsey, Justin Welborn. Written by: David Bruckner & Jacob Gentry. Running time: 100 minutes. Rating: R. Released on DVD: June 10, 2008. Available at Amazon.com