Signs - A Contrived Deus Ex Machina

PATREON MOVIE DISCUSSION: 

This movie was selected by our Patreon Supporters over at the Cinematic Doctrine Patreon. Support as little as $3 a month and have your voice heard!

Shirleon joins Melvin to discuss another early M. Night Shyamalan success, Signs! Many consider this another knock-outta-the-park, while others look back and say, “It’s all downhill from here.”. Regardless, there’s plenty to discuss from this semi-spiritual alien-invasion flick.

Topics:

• (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 24-minutes discussing how 20% of Americans regularly get their news from influencers rather than old-media institutions, as per the Pew Research Center. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE)
• Shirleon liked the movie, and felt it was easily digested. Melvin, however, felt it was the beginning of the end.
• Mel Gibson left a lot to be desired even if a few of his scenes were decent.
• Melvin see's what people love about Signs but feels it's flip-flops between Shyamalan at his best and Shyamalan at his absolute worst.
• Discussing the usage of doors, doorways, framing, and staging.
• How a PG-13 rating may have made Signs hugely accessible to filmgoers and families, and how that may have helped make the "Brazilian Birthday Scene" so frightening (...even when it's not that scary).
• How the ending feels both rushed and sluggish.

Recommendations:

• Vampire Survivors (2022) (Video Game)
• Arcane (2021) (TV-Series)
• The Fog (1980) (Movie)