What is good, homies! Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! We’re kicking off our annual Spooky Season selections with PALMREADER’s belated birthday pick from a very hit-or-miss filmmaker that, whether you like it or not, has been hugely influential to modern cinema. Plus, it’s one of the best alien invasion movies ever, still holds up with moments of pure terror, and somehow still lands the plane even with the glaring plot holes and the overly silly “God’s plan” schtick. Today, we’re talking about M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi horror film, “Signs”.
Ok, let’s get this out of the way now. M. Night makes divisive movies. Some of them bang, while some of them are trash, and there’s not really any in-between. We’ve never really discussed him as a filmmaker on the show before, even with his major influence on filmmaking, so we spend a good portion of the start of this episode charting out his career and dissecting exactly what works and what doesn’t when it comes to his filmmaking style. We both agree that, like Zack Snyder, he has a wholly unique filmmaking vision. We also think that he has yet to reach the heights implied by some of his really great films. But why hasn’t he? Is it his fervent adherence to his own creative voice that is holding him back? Or is it a skill issue? Or has he just not found his perfect collaborator?
PALMREADER has a theory that his movies are best viewed as cinematic fables or parables, not reflections of true reality, and that by engaging with them as such… well, it makes the viewing experience even better (or at least more palatable). With that being said, he has released some real stinkers. Perhaps it is because he leaned too far into his parable-style filmmaking (like with “The Happening” and “Lady In The Water”)? Or maybe he’s just not built for huge blockbuster films (like with “Avatar” and “After Earth”)? We litigate it and discuss the possibilities in depth.
With all that being said, M. Night Shyamalan really has made some heaters, and “Signs” might be his best. It was the last in a trilogy of films that were very well received critically before a decade of decline in M. Night’s career (followed by what some might call a course correction with “The Visit” and the excellent “Split”). This movie is STILL scary - even with all the flaws, religious zest, and heavy-handed allegories. The aliens? Horrifying camouflaged freaks that speak through clicks on a pre-invasion reconnaissance mission? Yeah, no thanks. We all know the scenes… The Brazilian birthday party, the pantry, the monster on the roof, the chase around the house, the corn field… they all still send a shiver down our spine. With an incredible score, excellent cinematography, an absolutely banging poster, and performances that somehow work despite some of the most egregiously silly line readings and dialogue… “Signs” is insanely rewatchable.
Look, the movie is about God sending an alien invasion to rekindle a man’s faith (which is the most Old Testament thing ever) and see the divine plan laid out in front of him. It’s SILLY as all hell. Not to mention the fact that Earth is COVERED in water… which hurts the alien invaders (read: maybe demons?)… and yet they still came to drag humanity away? They travel the stars, and they don’t understand doors? WHAT?! The genius of this film, starring (pre-breakdown) Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin, is that it SOMEHOW still works. “Swing away, Merrill.” Hell yeah, dude. Beat that alien to death with a baseball bat. You’re right there, accepting it all, until the credits roll. That’s when you’re like… wait… HUH?! But, following PALMREADER’s thesis on M. Night as a parable filmmaker, it might make sense that in HIS cinematic world (not the real one), this all might be possible.
Join us this week as we delve into all of this (and more) in-depth.
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