Signs Review - Off The Shelf Reviews
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- Опубліковано 13 сер 2019
- This week Gary and Iain review and discuss, Signs (2002) by Director, M. Night Shyamalan. Starring, Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin.
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The scene where Phoenix sees the news coverage of the alien at the birthday party scared the shit out of me when I watched it for the first time. In terms of tension building, this film definitely delivers. It has its flaws, but I like it a lot.
Just gotta' say, I'm always genuinely impressed that you can get so heated, disagree so vehemently, at times. But you always just shrug it off and carry on with the review, rather than degenerating into personal arguments. Sign of a good friendship, that
It actually makes the dual person review more interesting when they have different perspectives imho
^ this
the best discussions involve contrary opinions. I wish I'd found earlier cuz I love movies like these guys love movies.
I’d prefer it if they got really violent and drew blood
Agree to disagree? Yeah, right, lol. The look Gary gives Iain at the end when Iain laughs out loud in disagreement at his glowing review is priceless. Sorry guys, loved it as usual 10/10
I agree with Gary. The movie wasn't "about" an alien invasion. To me, the entire point of the movie came out during the scene where the priest and his brother having the conversation on the couch. They're exchanging stories about how they missed "signs" of certain things about to happen. For example, when the pinned wife tells the priest to tell his brother to "keep swinging". She possibly meant "don't give up on your baseball career", but of course, later in the movie, "keep swinging" had an entirely different meaning. That is just one "sign" that was missed, but the couch conversation as a whole, to me, fully explained what the movie was about. The title of the movie is Signs, after all...in real life, some people see the signs or have faith (whatever you want to call it), some don't. The alien invasion was beside the point...they used it as a vehicle to help the story work, and it did.
Keep up the great work guys! Came across your channel a few weeks ago, and i'm loving it!
I agree. You nailed it!
@@btdg7282 Of course Gary understands that. Iain's too ignorant.
@@btdg7282 ...thanks...lol
It has logic plot holes but the cinematography and tension build up is incredible
Yeah, this movie ain't perfect, but it's still very good. The worst thing I can say about it is that this was where the plot hole, twist, and questionable performance overload that would define the rest Shyamalan's career started, as you can see it beginning to rear it's head here. But Signs still has a lot of good in it. To much good for me to call it bad.
What good is all that build up if the pay off is flat? Ambitious movie that misses the mark. I do agree there’s good things about the movie, and maybe it’s not necessarily a “bad” movie, but it’s not a film i would recommend to ppl.
It's entirely possible for his wife/people to run a farm and bring up kids at the same time!
My dad was really loving to us kids but when my mom died it destroyed him. He was lost. Took him years to really star moving forward.
The more Iain argues, the more I go "but that is the point." I don't think he gets the movie.
"You've got two children there, and you can certainly see that they are suffering, but you're not doing anything to heal it. You're a priest, ok, you're pissed off at God? That's fine, but don't take it out on everybody else. ... We're trying to focus on this family, who are fractured over the death of a ... a mother six months ago that they haven't actually come to grips with because the father, played by Mel Gibson, is not delivering well enough a fatherly role, who's supposed to be protecting his children - he is so self-centred in himself and just wanting to do his own thing." Yes, Iain! You've just summarized the premise! It sounds as though you think that this is a problem for the movie, something that detracts from narrative, when I feel it is the central conflict of the narrative.
He seems to misunderstand almost everything the movies does
He's usually like that. When he offers contrarian opinions, he backs them up with no sequitur nonsense.
If often shout "Did you actually watch his movie and pay attention?" at Iain. Sorry Iain.
Fortunately I saw this before Scary Movie 3.
Why is it so hard to get, there are exactly 2 instances where the alien had a 'problem' with a door. Both times, it's because the door was locked. That's what locks do.
Iain why can’t a minister also own a farm? Also, what’s so false about a family that has a tragic loss, handling the loss badly? Families have communication issues for a lot less. Iain, your misgivings about this film is not ringing true. You have a right to your opinion of course. However, I had no problem buying into the family dynamic in this film. The scene where they are watching a news report on an alien sighting, and the clip showing the alien was very jarring to me. It is not M. Nights’ best film, but it is certainly not his worst. Finally, I love the scene where Merell takes that bat and starts swinging away. I also was touched by Mel’s performance as a man who lost faith, and the belief that God is real rediscovering that faith. Iain this film is subtle, not a bing bang boom short attention span Spielberg film. Sorry I usually agree with you, but you are off base here. 🤨🤨🤨🤨
Spot on.
Ian wants every alien to be a Xenomorph
I totally agree with you on this one, Gary. I also like how calm you are while Iain rants on. lol
Ian you’re coming at this one all wrong.
I rarely disagree with you but you can’t watch this film from your own perspective.
I’ve known people not open up and talk about their personal or family tragedies for years yet alone 6 months.
These characters aren’t reflections or contrasts of you and your personal experience.
Agreed.
preach!
facts
I often disagree with Ian, but I do agree with him on this one.
@bruce wayne The father is irresponsible.
One of the few times I completely agree with Gary. Iain, you're seeing this movie from an action sci-fi view point. Expecting lasers, and battle scenes. Its not that type of film. It's like trying to watch The Thing and expect it to be a musical comedy, then being mad that its not.
Uglyoldgamer “Star Wars? Where are the stars! I wanted to see a red giant! Where’s the nuclear fission!?”
I agree.
Signs is a movie with a brilliant idea, to show us an alien invasion focused entirely on one family out in the middle of nowhere. And the story lives up to its title, there are signs everywhere, visually & in dialogue etc. But just because this was a brilliant idea the execution was almost anything but. I love the acting, even if I do agree the characters are for the most part very stupid. And this family wasn't totally cut off from the world, there was a town that knew about them. There should be at least mentions of military, police, the National Guard etc at least close by. I am not a religious person, I don't believe in any gods but I can very well imagine there are forces in this Universe we don't understand but must exist or we wouldn't be here at all, & I like that the film leaves it to you to decide for yourself whether this was a plan from God all along or something else or it was just random events that happened to end well for this family in the end. The film makes you think & make up your own mind about this. But there is one very major big flaw of this movie that has many details attached to it & it all comes back to the actual aliens themselves. Many of the points you boys mentioned here perfectly. These aliens, that at least to us run around butt naked, have traveled across cosmos, with hostile intentions towards us, they have cloaking devices, they are strong & fast & agile & they posses this gas... & they use it the most idiotic way possible, or not at all. If you are intelligent & capable enough to do long distance space travel you are smarter than this. You don't come here acting like a Neanderthal. Why make crop circles when you have space ships, I mean we have GPS! Many other aliens have hacked our satellites & shit, that was smarter than crop circles. And why do they wanna invade a planet that has over 70% of water on it if water melts them!? When scientist study volcanoes they put protective clothing on first or they will melt & burn etc. Why can't space travelers put a bloody suit on to protect them from Earth's dangerous water? And even if Bo had water glasses all over the house, why was those tiny amounts enough to kill the damn thing? And also, why was he abandoned? Real a-holes his alien pals, leaving him to this water tossing family. And why did he even go for the kid & gas him if no one is there to pick him up? The main problem is that we have a threat but we do not understand what the threat is. Therefor the tension never takes off. Let's use something that all who watches this channel loves a whole lot, let's compare with the Xenomorph. It's simply put a very dangerous animal that we know some but not all about yet to this day. But just halfway into Alien, even before the chestburster scene, we understand the threat & certainly once it does break out of Kane. And then the consequences is literary shown to us. In Signs we have a family that barricades themselves & that's understandable but so far we have only seen aliens scouting & scratching a bit. That are hints of a threat but what exactly are they facing? We never get enough information, the aliens are plain & simple beyond stupid & illogical to be taken seriously & since it never gets scary because we don't understand the threat enough the film slacks big time. This could have been scary as fuck, without increasing the R rating or anything. But it's just confusing, constantly taking the easy way out telling us this is mysterious but never explaining the mystery, just that it's there, never why. Signs constantly takes short corners, this is why we never get the information & plot holes are everywhere. If far more had been focused on the aliens & their intentions & just making them smarter in their plans & behavior this had been a great movie. It's a guilty pleasure film for me but I am also sad because I see the major potential of what this could & should have been if far more effort had been put into plot & script & execution of it. Like I said, the idea is fantastic! The question of God is real or not works fine. But the aliens suck! They are after all the baddies of this story & as all story telling goes, your story is never better than your villain. And if your villains suck your story will, too. It's ironically the potential unfulfilled that keeps it going for me.
One minor detail I think the radio guy mentioned that they left behind their wounded so I assume that implies the alien with missing fingers was abandoned
19.17 but that is clearly based upon the Phoenix Lights of 1997, where hundreds witnessed strange lights - and no one was evacuated?
I agree with Gary on this one. Its cool to see everything unfold from the familys point of view, especially in the days without internet. I remember when 911 happened, and everyone was gathered around TV's watching the tragedy unfold on the news. Nowadays everyone would just be staring vacantly into their mobile phones.
I liked the idea that the aliens were desperate for some sort of resource. I mean conducting a raid on a planet that is, to them, made up of acid sounds stupid unless you consider they were desperate.
They even leave a lot of their wounded behind. The "they were desperate" explanation fills in a lot of gaps in the movie.
Exactly this. It baffles me how people did not see this part of the film.
There are many more planets in the solar system that might be better suited to their needs and the resources they need .... so yaeh nah
Water is common in comets you can pluck from outside the gravity well of the sun. Suddenly everyone likes this movie. It actually startles me because its was much more planned when it came out.
I liked signs. I thought it was creepy. It was like an old twilight zone episode from the 50s or 60s
lain seemed like he didn’t even want to try and understand it. He was stuck in his own experience and not understanding that not everyone copes the same way. Also he wants to see the alien more but then in other reviews he likes to say less is more. Think he just has a stick up his bum with this movie lol
Even in this review he says the film would have benefited from not showing anything ha. His review really irked me.
Exactly. He thought he idea that the Alien moving so fast they didn't see it was comical. But other movies are applauded for "not showing" the alien all the time
I screamed in the theatre when I was 12 and that alien came out from the bushes. In the cornfield with the alien leg was very scary too. Had nightmares back then!
One of Shyamalan's better films as I recall. The _twist_ so to speak is how the "two directions" of the film actually intersect. The CG wasn't particularly good at the time and certainly doesn't hold now, but most of the film does fairly well with keeping things off camera lending more impact to the few times throughout the film that we see glimpses of the creatures. Not sure it's a film that I'd have remotely near a "must watch" list, but for what it was, it did well, even if it isn't something that is going to get repeat viewings.
44:25 had me DYING laughing
Now I just see the aliens as totally friendly misunderstood just trying to help and the humans keep beating the shit out of them
The vet’s phone line was disconnected
Yet the phone is hung up in the office.
"it's a broken family, but not in a good way" lol no shit Iain.
In 1997 in Phoenix Arizona there was lights like this over the city and we didn't evacuate. Look it up: lights over Phoenix
Totally makes sense for a reverend to have a farm. He works Sundays but what's he going to do the other six days of the week?
*If only Merrill had a Samurai Sword on the wall behind him instead... That alien would have split! Hahaha*
District 9 is a masterpiece and deserved an Oscar nod. Signs was good overall. Somewhat anticlimactic but I think M.Night was going for subtly.
You guys need to review District 9!
Probably M Night's best movie. The ending is a little ropey but there is absolute greatness on the way. The tense scenes are fantastic and the build-up behind them terrifying. The two kids were great.
Saw this at the cinema when it came out. Thought it was very underwhelming and a missed opportunity! Cheers for the review guys 😁 👍
Holy shit Iain, I'm going to choose to believe that you're only playing devil's advocate on this movie. It's the only way I can forgive you for saying War of the Worlds was better than Signs.
He had the audacity to laugh like a fool when Gary gave his take that it was one of M Knight's best movies. It literally is rated among his highest by fans and critics. I don't even like this movie that much, but Iian was insufferable and a bozo during this review, especially his condescending dismissal of Gary's statement of fact.
people with a lot of land will often rent out a space for farmers to grow their crops and will give the landowner a monthly percentage
I rediscovered you guys recently and have been on an Off The Shelf Reviews binge haha. I just had to take a moment to show my appreciation. As a major film buff myself, it's so nice to know there are people like me that have a deep love for film and like to talk about it. Love watching you guys and hearing what you have to say about films. Never stop doing what you love and it makes me happy that your friendship has held strong through the years.
The farming comment was pretty telling that you guys are not about that farm life. Lol We rent out 100 plus acres to a guy who farms the land each year. We see the guy when he plants, sprays and harvests the crops, that's it. Otherwise it's just a corn field, unattended, quiet, peaceful. (No crop circles, unfortunately) So, the preacher could easily be a farmer and a preacher if he felt like it. He may rent the land to others who plant the crops. It's not like he's tending a 100 acre garden of sweet corn occupying every waking moment. I love your movie reviews, keep up the great work.
I know it has its detractors but I loved this film since release and it still holds a special place
Very nice movie. I watch it once a year or so, it has the "movie" feel that few have theese days. :)
I love re-watching some of your old and older review whenever I feel the need
Although I may not agree with Iain on most of the points, I will say he was bringing up legitimate criticism concerning the narrative and the abnormal structure within the family. It's quite refreshing to see, when most reviews are usually hung up on the aliens being allergic to water and why would they go to a planet covered in so much of it. (To which I add there is so little water we've found in space so far, it's easy to believe the aliens have never been exposed to it, therefore would have no idea it's lethal to them until it was too late. Ala the Martians in War of the Worlds being ignorant to the fact that the very air we breathe was their downfall, and no other planet we know of has an environment like Earth's. )
Also this review has helped me realize that Gary might be my spirit animal. I also feel like the door thing was a meme that had a life of it's own. The injured alien did eventually leave the pantry, which was barricaded with so much furniture (and locked). Then the basement door was a diversion tactic so that Graham and Merril would be distracted so another could hang out by the coal shoot. And near the end of the film, there are so many open doors after the aliens raided the house. xD
I always love telling this story, but imagine being a kid in the early 2000's and watching this film at a drive in theater within a corn field! You will never experience such terror. My parents knew what they were doing and I still haven't forgiven them for the trauma. lol
Also if I’m not mistaken the movie either hinted or said the aliens might of came as a last resort/in a hurry because their world/planet is dying.
One thing I’ve always noticed in that birthday party video that I never see others talk about is that there are two aliens in the shot. The one that walks across the street but there’s also one hiding behind the car, camouflaged to look like the door. You can see it’s head if you’re looking for it.
Gary is Ebert, Iain is Siskel.
With Gary on this one 👍🏻
Kevin McAlister (home alone) would have made this a better film imagine a cut if this film where Kevin is one of the kids and aliens have to walk through his trap house. Sign me up for that movie
Saw this movie a month ago, and is mostly brilliant. Other than "how fields are attended?", the movie properly lays out the situation, their personalities and how each copes with the unfolding events. Yes, did guess the ending, but was surprised by the tension of the invasion. Love personal stories during large events, where you only perceive the situation from a limited POV; it makes it more immersive.
Yes, there is a high level of contrivances, but was willing to get pass those.
Swing away Iain, swing away!
The directors character is still a working veterinarian too. Which is funny because when Mel Gibson’s son asks to take the dog to get checked out he refers a normal doctor instead.
I’ve missed you guys, haven’t watched for a few weeks. Loved the review, great work.
I loved this film, one of the main reasons was that it wasn't the run of the mill alien invasion action blockbuster.
Great video. Signs pissed me off too. Mel Gibson lets his son nearly die from an asthma attack because he's too afraid to face the aliens. No loving parent would do that. And then the next morning he prays his son didn't get poisoned instead of taking him to a hospital. Seriously!!
Religious types do not think like normal people. Especially priests.
In a small rural town, being a priest is not a full time job. The town mayor probably runs the hardware store.
Lmao, you’ve been lied to, a lot.
One of my favorites as a kid
Team Gary all the way!
On Gary’s side this time ❤️
It's a FARM! There are irrigation sprayers all over the place.
"Jaw-queen Phoenix" lol
You guys should do The Happening, top tier comedy
I'm with Iain on this one. Interesting to see Gary being so loving(and ignoring all the obvious flaws) on this movie I don't like whereas he HATED Happy Gilmore, which I like.
What if this movie is nothing but the inability or lack of communication, both within the family and also with the aliens to the human race. Like the scene of the alien gassing the son during the asthma attack, for all we know that could have been some kind of medicinal action the alien was taking to help the boy and show that they were not as threatening as we initially perceived them?
I did enjoy this movie quite a bit when I saw it at the cinema. It really freaked me out and I wasn't old enough to challenge anything about the plot.
The grief was overwhelming as is the point of Mel losing his faith so yes i can believe he didn't talk to his kids..he didn't have the answers.
Every good parent knows that when the kids are making noise things are probably fine. It's when you can no longer hear them that you should be worried.
I found this movie to be an exceptional exploration of one family in an extraordinary event everything about it and there was so many creepy moments in this movie that just made my skin crawl like when Gibson was running through the cornfield and kept saying like legs disappear behind rows of corn that kind of thing so good I love this film
This movie was really well shot and the actors were all interesting, good music and atmosphere. It also had a million plot holes. I like it anyway.
Late to this review, but I have seen other vids that view the aliens as not from space but as more like demons. It helps explain the signs and invading a planet that is mostly water when water is deadly to them. Also as some of us who have been thru a family trauma, talking honestly to each other regarding closure is sometimes the last thing we do.
Aliens and there headlights on full...and a grinch lookalike Alien...😂
It's not an action film. So relating it to action films and finding it lacking is pretty pointless. It's a small film that takes place at the edge of an alien event. For most of the movie, the family doesn't know if anything is happening at all. They don't know they would be any safer near water. There's no reason to believe that. And the kids naturally feel safer at home. Gram doesn't know either way. So, in the end, he does what makes the kids happy. It's a movie about the people and places we normally don't see in these movies. That is a nice change of pace.
Perfect ending clip for Iain :P
Remember the same reaction in et with Elliot and et in the fields
I prefer to look at the aliens as demons.
multieyedmyr or morons
Ooooh and the glass of water as holy water. That actually makes it a better movie for me.
I think this movie went over your head Ian mate. The whole thing is about that even the worst things that happen to us can be the most meaningful and wonderful. Everything happens for a reason.
Also, you could own land that someone else could be growing on and have a deal with a farmer.
Next, who said they haven’t spoken about the death of their mum, it’s quite a few months on.
Also, he might not have corrected the daughters drink cup thing because he was being less strict since her mother died.
Come on guys, this movie is great. These aren’t plot holes they are more like misunderstandings.
Wow this guy sure knows what to do during a alien invasion
And to add to the Merl character, he had a far bigger purpose to be there with his family rather than become a major league player. The movie is a big full circle for everyone's purpose in this movie. I love this movie sense I now understand it as a whole. Ppl handle tragedy in their own way. No one is ready to grasp a concept that may seem moot at the time. It took a minute for Graham to understand, to come around, or to heal, but it happens when it needled to.
I like Signs. Of course the water being the aliens main antagonist when how could they not see the planet was covered w it is a issue but I got over it.
Gibson is great as always and I like how they aliens were revealed very slowly throughout the film saving their full reveal for the very end.
I saw austin powers 3: gold member, my aunts, grandma and my younger cousins went to see signs and I of course went with my older cousins to see the austin powers film. Then in like jr year of high school my buddies were like "this is thee scariest alien movie out there!" And then they sat me down and i felt everything iain did, AS A KID! Lmao!
Damn those alien corn symbols
Well... I'll admit I liked Signs! I can understand why others get bored or irritated with it though, but I found it quite fun.
I'm terrified of baby monitors now, mind.
This movie was fantastic...in fact im gonna watch it again tonight...thanks chaps!
Most of the best power hitters in baseball will also lead the League on strikeouts.
Because they are trying to hot a homerun every at bat
My favorite reviews are when Gary and Iain disagree. Good points made by both, good work!
Who pissed in Iain's cereal that morning?
Bullshit, this movie is AWESOME!
The tension is so thick, it’s up there as one of the greatest tension builders.
Other recent great tension builders, ‘ A Quiet Place’, ‘Don’t Breathe’, ‘The Green Room’.
Like the channel guys, but Ian, disagree with loads you say about this film. I think it's actually very underated.
Signs was actually awesome. Great film, swing away merrill swing away
Liked this film. But the aliens cowering behind bushes? Not the way I took it. Iain is right.
I quite liked it. I thought the build up was good. People say it's stupid for the aliens to come to earth, but if it's us that they want to collect, then it's not like they could get humans elsewhere
These blokes are ten times better than BBC Kermode..naturals..keep it up lads. Can you do True Romance.
The tension
In this review
Tense
The alien's a fucking idiot!!!
~Iain
Off the shelf reviews
2019
Maybe he has the point of view that good created the scientists that made the science
Definitely not a bad film in my book, but it does have its flaws.
The REVIEW GODS..
I love this film.
And the alien you see on TV in the bushes, it's actually attempting to show you not all of the alien is covered by the bush...they can completely camouflage themselves. (Like in the end when the injured alien left behind is holding the son.)
Great movie!
As someone that enjoyed this movie, is really not well built-up and the script required a cleanup. Still enjoyable, but there is nothing wrong in what Ian pointed out - it's a matter of personal preference and "thresholds" concerning immersion and logic, you can overlook these things but after a while it becomes distracting, especially because there was probably a way to fix and streamline a lot.
War of the Worlds is very underrated BTW.
I liked the movie. Some of the story does seem to get lost in translation but all in all I enjoyed the family dynamic and the funny moments they had. That little girl and her thing with the water is priceless. Everything happens for a reason. It may not make much sense to you in that exact moment but in time all will be revealed.
I do like this movie quite a bit, but I see where Iain is coming from with the stakes of the invasion. I feel like it would've worked even better for more people if this stuff was only happening to the family, or at most the small town. Having it be a global event does confuse things. It works for me, but yeah.
One of my favorite reviews
Humidity crushes this movie. There is water everywhere on Earth. Even all the air at the surface of the planet has some water in it. This whole atmosphere should have been poisonous to them, so why come here to invade?
They were not here to invade. If you watched the movie. The guy at the radio said it was not an invasion. They were here to harvest humans.
*they left their wounded and missing behind. They were desperate.
That's why the alien missing fingers was left behind.
I definitely agree with Gary for this one, this film is wonderful and yet haunting.
It's nice to hear Ian's thoughts though. :)
I understand everyone has their opinions but imo this film is nearly perfect. Very realistic characters and oozing atmosphere. I love how it focuses so closely on the family instead of what's going on everywhere else and has so many memorable moments. It's a hidden gem and definitely my favourite M.Night movie, which I watch at least once a year.
But I strongly disagree with Ian, he really had something against this movie, creating illogical arguments that can easily be explained and missed the point with alot of the scenes, ideas and characters in the movie. But I respect his opinion nonetheless, thanks for the review guys.