The Signal Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.5

The Signal Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 26, 2008

A low-budget gore fiesta blending horror with humor, “The Signal” (2006) is not for the meek. Divided into three acts, each with a flavor of its own, pic offers some stylish visuals. It is, however, far from being a satisfying exploration of The End. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Region-Free.

Mya (Anessa Ramsey), a beautiful young girl, and her lover Ben (Justin Welborn) are asleep. A TV set is placed in front of their bed. The screen suddenly lights up and a strange collage of colorful jitters appears. Ben wakes up and looks at the TV screen. Mya also wakes up and quickly realizes that it is late; she should have called her husband a long time ago. She leaves Ben staring at the TV screen.

At home Mya is greeted by her husband Lewis (AJ Bowen) and his friends who have come over to watch a ball game. Unfortunately, annoying jitters have cut off the game. Lewis follows Mya in their bedroom and asks why she is late. Mya tells him that she has been out having drinks with one of her girlfriends. Lewis looks at her and heads back to his friends. Minutes later he breaks his friend’s skull with a baseball bat.

The aftermath

I don’t typically follow the horror genre closely but I keep track of what energizes its dedicated fan base. And for some time now I’ve noticed that it have been mostly Gallic productions that online publications and dedicated horror forums have been buzzing about - from Haute Tension (2003), to À l'intérieur (2007), to Frontière(s) (2007), to the much anticipated in the US Martyrs (2008). Is there a particular reason why?

Yes, recent French horror films have effectively raised the bar in a number of areas where horror films typically fail to impress – strong storytelling, shocking visuals, and solid acting. In each of these three areas the films mentioned above have more or less excelled and given serious horror fans a reason to like them.

But what does all this have to do with David Bruckner and Dan Bush’s The Signal? Well, a lot more than you could imagine. Like some of the films mentioned earlier, The Signal is a low-budget production with plenty of notable influences (the strongest one being Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later). It is also a film that does not shy away from showing graphic violence in a manner, I think, is comparable to what modern French horror favors.

So, is The Signal as good as Haute Tension, À l'intérieur, and Frontière(s)? Unfortunately, it is not. In fact, it is not even close to being a convincing horror film to begin with. There are a number of reasons why, but the most obvious one, which I believe will turn off many hardcore fans of the genre, is that the The Signal seems quite undecided as to whether it wants to be a straightforward horror production, or a very dark comedy with the occasional splashes of red paint. As a result, the film never really gets off the ground with the proper energy strong horror cinema demands.

From a purely technical point of view, however, it is probably a bit easier to defend The Signal. The camerawork is mostly convincing and adequately sustaining the claustrophobic feeling the two directors introduce in the opening 15-20 minutes. The episodic structure the film follows also adds an extra dose of flavor to the horrors seen on the screen. It also effectively grants the viewers with alternative points of view at an apparent pandemic where violence has brought the end of the world.

Yet, in the larger scheme of things, what matters the most, the actual story, isn’t as convincing as it could have been. After a tremendous build-up The Signal suddenly stops and due to an unknown to me reason begins to satirize everything it has been vehemently glorifying. It is a missed opportunity, indeed, as prior to the second episode in The Signal the story was not only terrifying but rather impressively told as well.

The Signal Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Signal arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

This is certainly quite an interesting transfer and one could spend a great deal of time analyzing what is and what isn't done intentionally. The color-scheme, for example, is very unusual – blacks gravitate from lush and well-saturated to weak, yellows and greens are sharp but occasionally also overflowing in all sorts of nuanced variations, while whites are practically the blending color of choice here (those of you who have seen 28 Days Later should have a very good idea what I am referring to). Contrast and detail are just as difficult to describe. They range from strong to weak, but from what I gather this is most definitely a directorial preference, which somewhat enhances the moody tone of the film. For example, the difference between the indoor and outdoor scenes, in terms of contrast, is very obvious, and if you watch closely you will see how the more violent the footage is the sharper the picture becomes. Furthermore, edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not an issue of concern as the little that I was able to spot is very difficult to separate from what appears to have been intentionally shot by the director. Finally, I did not detect any scratches, specks, or damage either. (Note: This a Region-Free disc which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

The Signal Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD MA 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1. While the director's vision might have blurred things a bit in the video department, in the audio department things could not be any more transparent. A terrific DTS-HD MA track delivers plenty of oomph for this extreme film and, granted you have a solid audio system to benefit from it, you won't be disappointed. A punchy bass, plenty of surround activity, and a terrific balance is what we have here. Furthermore, the music soundtrack, a collection of spooky tunes, is blended perfectly with the action and it often counters the frenzy seen on the screen perfectly. I really liked how some of the raw noises from the violent scenes where mixed with the ambient music and, more importantly, how effective they were on the DTS-HD MA track. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track, on the other hand, is hardly a match for the intensity and clarity of sound heard on the DTS-HD MA track. In fact, I switched during a few of the more impressive scenes (take for example the moment where Maya's boyfriend enters the building after the killings have begun, and is consequently thrown out – the sound loops the DTS-HD MA tracks reveals are far more potent than what the Dolby Digital 5.1 track produces). This being said, the dialog is largely very easy to follow. I most definitely did not encounter any disturbing hissing, cracks, or drop-outs. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The Signal Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fans of this film will certainly be pleased to find out that a wealth of extras have been supplied for this Blu-ray release. First, you could watch the entire maddening signal in "The Signal". It is a pretty simple collage of colors pulsating on your screen without any specific rhythm. Next is "The Hap Hapgood Story", the directors' short film, a portion of which is used in the opening scenes of the main feature. This is hardly a cinematic masterpiece I would urge you to watch, but if you feel like getting an extra dose of the paranoia seen in the main feature, by all means, give it a shot. "Transmissions" is a short collage of extra footage fueled by the directors' imagination. It basically offers a few extra scenes where you would see the signal affecting people in a radio station, a Best Buy store, etc. Next is "Inside Terminus: The Making of The Signal", a standard featurette where cast and crew members share their thoughts on the project. The bulk of the comments address the technical evolution of The Signal. Two deleted scenes, with two alternate versions for each, are added up as well, but I personally did not find them to be contributing much to what the film shows rather well. The last, and in my opinion most entertaining, supplemental bit is the "Directors' commentary" where David Bruckner and Dan Bush share their thoughts on The Signal. There are two things that I must mention about this commentary – first, it is very informative and lacking the fluff standard commentaries are typically littered with. Second, you will get a pretty accurate idea as to what it means to helm an independent project, in addition, of course, to a wealth of information addressing the The Signal and its narrative.

The Signal Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One really has to love the genre The Signal champions to successfully endure the enormous amount of pointless violence the film harbors. This is certainly extreme cinema meant for a niche audience with very a specific understanding about what the term entertainment entails. I clearly do not belong to the above mentioned group of aficionados. I could barely stomach the gore, and after The Signal ended it took me a good couple of hours before I felt that it was safe to grab a bite to eat. Proceed with caution.