"The Signal" is presented in three "transmissions" made by three directors. The first and third section are unvarnished shaky-cam horror. The middle section stands out--in a good way, I'm pretty sure. It runs the conceit of "The Signal" into the territory of a morbid sitcom.
See, the signal has taken over television, radio, and cell phones. It looks like outtakes from Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole" video and it short circuits your brain. Fulfilling the fever dreams of many crass politicians, this is one form of media that really will make you kill.
(Of course, Stephen King had this idea a few years earlier, with "Cell." It worked until the second half's floating-zombie hive-mind.)
In addition to increasing violent tendencies--or removing the thin barriers to said tendencies?--the signal distorts reality. This leads to the unsettling central section. Anna (Cheri Christian) and Ken's (Christopher Thomas) New Year's Eve party preparations are disturbed by the signal, leading to creative use of a balloon air pump. For Anna, each knock on the door--by innocents seeking refuge or by fuzzy-brained maniacs--could still be from a party guest! The proceedings have the feel of any "I Love Lucy" episode, only with a corpse instead of a fur coat. "Sorry about the mess, would you like a cocktail?"
See, the signal has taken over television, radio, and cell phones. It looks like outtakes from Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole" video and it short circuits your brain. Fulfilling the fever dreams of many crass politicians, this is one form of media that really will make you kill.
(Of course, Stephen King had this idea a few years earlier, with "Cell." It worked until the second half's floating-zombie hive-mind.)
In addition to increasing violent tendencies--or removing the thin barriers to said tendencies?--the signal distorts reality. This leads to the unsettling central section. Anna (Cheri Christian) and Ken's (Christopher Thomas) New Year's Eve party preparations are disturbed by the signal, leading to creative use of a balloon air pump. For Anna, each knock on the door--by innocents seeking refuge or by fuzzy-brained maniacs--could still be from a party guest! The proceedings have the feel of any "I Love Lucy" episode, only with a corpse instead of a fur coat. "Sorry about the mess, would you like a cocktail?"
Dude looks like William Petersen, ca. "To Live and Die In L.A."
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