The Signal [Blu-ray]

Director: David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry, Dan Bush David Bruckner

Overview

As glasses are raised for a New Year's Eve toast, the denizens of the city of Terminus fall prey to a mysterious transmission that pulses through all electronic devices and transforms rational, sane people into murderous, rampaging psychopaths. All forms of communication have been jammed, and now the airwaves have been saturated with an ominous signal that preys on fear and deep-rooted desire. Though Terminus was once a city defined by conformity, any semblance of order in this concrete jungle has now been replaced with screaming, bloody chaos. Fortunately, Ben has managed to avoid having his brain scrambled by the signal, and now he's determined to make his way through the bedlam that's sweeping the streets and rescue the woman he loves. It's not going to be an easy task, though, and in order to sweep his love to safety, Ben will first have to face off against her rabid husband. In a city where everyone seems to have lost their mind, the only way Ben will be able to determine who he can trust and who has given in to their bloodlust is to find out the true origins of this ominous broadcast.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/10/2008
UPC:	0876964001373
Original Release:	2007
Rating:	R
Source:	Magnolia Home Ent
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:43:00
Sales rank:	32,706

Special Features

Deleted scenes; Inside Terminus: the making of the Signal; Signal breakdown; Transmission intro; Transmission 14: technical difficulties; Transmission 23: the return; Transmission 37: crosstown traffic; The Hap Hapgood (short film); "The Signal"; Directors commentary

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Anessa Ramsey	Mya Denton
Justin Welborn	Ben Capstone
AJ Bowen	Lewis Denton
Scott Poythress	Clark
Sahr Ngaujah	Rod
Lindsey Garrett	Laura
Chad McKnight	Jim Parsons
Matthew Stanton	Jerry,Actor
Suehyla El-Attar	Janice
Chadrian Morris	Jim Parsons
Christopher Thomas	Actor
Jim Parsons	Actor
Cheri Christian	Actor
Ben Lovett	Composer
Matthew Compton	Composer
Paloma Udovic	Composer

Technical Credits

David Bruckner

Jacob Gentry

Dan Bush

David Bruckner	Director,Screenwriter
Jacob Gentry	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Alexander Motlagh	Producer,Producer
Morris Ruskin	Executive Producer
Hilton Garrett	Executive Producer
Michael McReynolds	Sound/Sound Designer
Aron Siegel	Sound/Sound Designer
Jeremiah Prescott	Sound/Sound Designer
Dan Bush	Director,Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

An intimate study of the apocalypse, as seen from the perspective of a small group of survivors whose perception may or may not have been irreparably damaged by a sanity-scrambling transmission of unknown origins, David Bruckner, Dan Bush, and Jacob Gentry's ambitious sci-fi horror film fluctuates between horrific, hilarious, and hopelessly amateurish -- often in the course of a single scene -- but ultimately manages to frighten and surprise, thanks to the fact that these filmmakers were willing to take a few bold risks. Every television, telephone, and "connected" piece of technology has been inexplicably overridden by an omnipresent signal that transforms otherwise sane people into murderous psychopaths -- trouble is, the "infected" folks believe themselves to be completely sane. Ben (Justin Welborn) is determined to rescue his married lover, Mya (Anessa Ramsey), from her menacing husband, Lewis (AJ Bowen), but it's not going to be an easy task considering that the crazies have flooded the city streets with rivers of blood. The Signal is an exquisite corpse-style film told in three separate chapters -- each written and directed by one of the three filmmakers -- and as a result it's a bit of a mixed bag. "Transmission I" sets up the story by following Mya as she leaves Ben's apartment to return to Lewis: the two lovers have made tenuous plans to run away together the following day -- New Year's Eve -- but they're about to be driven apart by forces beyond their control. "Transmission II" follows Ben and Lewis' search for Mya at a New Year's Eve party gone horribly awry, and "Transmission III" follows everyone to the terminal where Mya and Ben had planned to rendezvous. Each transmission has its fair share of surprises, and it's fun to watch as the filmmakers try out different narrative techniques, toy with viewers' expectations, and attempt to make the audience experience the disorientation of the "infected" firsthand. Bruckner, Bush, and Gentry are just starting out in the world of filmmaking, so in order to become truly immersed in their respective stories it's often necessary to overlook some of the more amateurish aspects of the production. The continuity and logic often leave something to be desired, and the acting is a bit uneven for starters (though AJ Bowen, Scott Poythress, and Chad McKnight do stand out as the unpredictable husband, the well-meaning landlord, and the clueless party guest respectively), but innovation and creativity ultimately win out in the end. The second transmission highlights the inherent absurdity of the situation, often bordering on outright comedy before delivering some of the biggest shocks that the film has to offer. In the end, it's obvious that each filmmaker took some very distinct risks with their respective transmissions, and viewers hungry for a creative alternative to the typical box-office fright fare are more likely than not to appreciate their efforts.