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(About Our Ads) "THE SIGNAL" (2008) (A.J. Bowen, Anessa Ramsey) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Extreme Extreme Heavy Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate Mild Extreme None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy Minor Moderate Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Horror: Various people must contend with a mysterious transmission that turns ordinary residents into homicidal maniacs. PLOT: In the city of Terminus, Mya Denton (ANESSA RAMSEY) is trying to figure out what lie she's going to tell her jealous husband, Lewis (A.J. BOWEN), about where she was while having an affair with Ben (JUSTIN WELBORN). Her priorities change, however, when some sort of odd transmission infiltrates TVs, phones and more, delivering a signal that causes those exposed to it to turn into homicidal maniacs. While others aren't as fortunate, Mya manages to elude Lewis and goes on the run with Rod (SAHR NGUAJAH), another survivor of the outbreak from her building. At the same time and elsewhere in the city, Anna (CHERI CHRISTIAN) was preparing a party when her infected husband tried to strangle her, resulting in her killing him in self-defense. Soon arriving on the scene is their landlord, Clark (SCOTT POYTHRESS), as well as the lascivious Jim Parsons (CHAD McKNIGHT). As the killing spree continues throughout the city, both Lewis and Ben try to find Mya, albeit for different reasons. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Those who are into violent, zombie-type films might be interested. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For strong brutal bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and brief nudity. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: A.J. BOWEN plays a jealous husband who wants to know where Mya has been and may or may not be infected by the mysterious signal. Either way, he kills various people while trying to find his wife, uses strong profanity, and briefly drinks. ANESSA RAMSEY plays his cheating wife who has an affair with Ben, and must then contend with being caught in the middle of the homicidal spree. She uses strong profanity. CHERI CHRISTIAN plays a wife who kills her husband in self-defense, but then appears delusional and in denial about what's occurred. JUSTIN WELBORN plays Mya's lover who tries to find her when she disappears following the outbreak of killing. He uses strong profanity and briefly smokes. SCOTT POYTHRESS plays Anna's landlord who similarly must contend with the killing spree, as well as encountering Lewis. He briefly drinks. CHAD McKNIGHT plays a lascivious man who shows up at Anna's place, makes derogatory sexual comments, uses strong profanity, drinks some, and must contend with Lewis. SAHR NGUAJAH plays Mya's neighbor who helps her escape, but then makes a bad choice. He uses strong profanity. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated horror film. Profanity consists of at least 52 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as is some nudity (bare butts) following an unseen sexual encounter. Violence includes people killing others via various means, often very brutal in nature, and with bloody/gory results. Those scenes and moments of potential peril might be unsettling, suspenseful and/or scary to viewers (particularly younger ones and/or those with low tolerance levels for such mayhem), while various characters have varying degree of bad attitudes. Some of the action and other material might be enticing for some kids to imitate, while various characters drink and one briefly smokes. Tense family material (both comedic and dramatic) is also present. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, we see a close-up view of a flashing screen (near the end of the film). For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, varying amounts of camera movement (including bouncy/shaky handheld footage) occur in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE When Lewis asks Mya where she was and what she had to drink, she replies gin and tonic and a shot of tequila. Lewis is uptight and acting paranoid, accusing his friends of drinking his beer. Anna holds a drink. Anna asks who wants cocktails, and we then see her, Lewis and Clark holding drinks. Jim arrives carrying a bottle in a brown paper bag. Jim, Lewis and Clark have drinks. BLOOD/GORE In what turns out to be a cheesy horror film (within this film), we see a bloody woman who's crying in anguish. A man then hacks into her or a nearby tree and then drags her away, while others (who are bloody to varying degrees) are strung up or caught in barbwire. The killer then comes up behind one woman, but the film begins having projection/transmission problems, so we don't see that through to the end. Mya encounters a wounded and bloody man, but then scrambles to get in her car as others approach (and she then drives off). We see blood on Mya's shirt. Infected by the signal, Lewis struggles with one friend over a baseball bat, and then repeatedly bashes another friend with the bat, with very bloody results. We see a dead and bloody body on the floor, while an infected person snaps a woman's neck with hedge clippers (with bloody and graphic results, including the body convulsing). We see a dead body on the roof. Mya has blood on her. We see dead bodies in a hallway. We see Lewis bloody and taped to a chair. We see a flashback image of a man with a bloody hammer hole in his head, and there's the motion of a deadly blow, but we don't see the impact. Rod is bloody after being shot, and then even bloodier after Mya purposefully crashes her car (to stop him from hitting her -- she has blood from her mouth), resulting in his face smashing into the dash. Anna is slightly bloody, while her apparently dead husband is very bloody. In a flashback, and while prepping for a party, Anna's infected husband starts strangling her, prompting her to stab something into his neck, with very bloody results. We see a shadow of struggling, including that of a decapitation and blood spurting out, followed by an actual view of the bloody head on the floor. We see another view of the previously severed head. Lewis slams his drinking glass to Jim's head, and then repeatedly kicks and stomps down onto him (we see some of that impact, with bloody results). Lewis sprays bug spray into Anna's face, blinding and giving her a chemical burn on her face. We see Ben at Lewis' van, and his face and hand are very bloody. Ben hits Lewis many times, with us seeing some of the impact and related blood, but then realizing this is an imagined scene. After previously being hit, Lewis gets up and pursues Ben and Clark. They get into a room and close the door, with Lewis then smashing a sledgehammer into the door. Ben grabs Lewis' arm, with Clark then screwing Lewis' arm to the door. Lewis then yanks his arm away, with very bloody results. A crazed Clark drills into a severed head to jump-start it back to life, and succeeds, with the head asking for a smoke (and Ben gives Clark one for the head). We see bodies everywhere at a train station. We see a girl who's missing most of her face, with bloody/gory results (in an imagined scene). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE All of those who kill or attempt to kill others obviously have bad attitudes. Mya cheats on Lewis with Ben, and then prepares a lie to tell Lewis. Lewis is suspicious of Mya when she returns home, and drills her with various questions. He also accuses his friends of drinking his beer. Besides making sexually derogatory remarks, Jim also makes a stereotypical American Indian war cry sound. A man refers to a woman as the "used up, adulterous whore that she is." FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary, especially to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Mya encounters a wounded and bloody man, but then scrambles to get in her car as others approach (and she then drives off). Infected by the signal, Lewis struggles with one friend over a baseball bat, and then repeatedly bashes another friend with the bat, with very bloody results. We see a dead and bloody body on the floor, while an infected person snaps a woman's neck with hedge clippers (with bloody and graphic results, including the body convulsing). That man then comes after Mya who tries to flee and is grabbed and pulled into another room by her friend who's also seeming infected and won't let go of her (with Mya worrying that the clipper man is going to get her). Mya causes that woman pain to release her grip, and manages to close the door with the clipper man nearby (followed by pounding on the door). That entire sequence is quite intense. We hear distant screaming. An infected cop shoots Rod, followed by Rod repeatedly striking that cop (in the distance). Mya is upset about that and tries to leave, but Rod catches up and gets into her car where he proceeds to hit her in the face repeatedly. As a result, she purposefully crashes the car, thus causing Rod's head to smash into the dash. In a flashback, Ben comes across Lewis bound in a chair, and unties him (which we know is a bad idea based on what Lewis did earlier -- but Ben doesn't know that). As Anna lies on her bed, her dead husband suddenly rises up from the floor next to the bed. Anna hides under her bed while seeing a man's feet as he walks around the bed. Lewis sprays bug spray into Anna's face, blinding and giving her a chemical burn on her face. He then sprays more spray into her face, causing her to scream, and then does so down her throat, killing her. Lewis causes Clark to be affected by the signal by exposing him to it. We see a flashback to Lewis hitting Ben with a baseball bat and then chasing him, with more such hits, including to the head. After previously being hit, Lewis gets up and pursues Ben and Clark. They get into a room and close the door, with Lewis then smashing a sledgehammer into the door. Ben grabs Lewis' arm, with Clark then screwing Lewis' arm to the door. Lewis then yanks his arm away, with very bloody results. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Baseball bat/: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others. See "Violence" for details. It's implied that Rod used a makeshift weapon to spear a killer in an earlier scene. Ben pulls a knife out of Clark. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "New Year's f*cking Eve," "Rip each other's clothes off and f*ck your way to freedom," "Put the f*cking bat down," "You almost f*cked my wife," "F*cking snapped," "I'm not gonna f*ck around," "You f*cking (crazy) bitch," "Turn the f*cking radio off," "Don't f*cking follow me," "The most f*cked up day in the history of mankind," "What the f*ck?" "I was admittedly a little f*cked up earlier," "Open the f*cking door," "F*ck you want?" "You gotta be f*cking kidding me," "I'll f*cking kill you," "You wanna f*ck around," "You f*cking people never quit," "Take a good f*cking look," "Shut the f*ck up," "Say your f*cking name," "I couldn't find sh*t," "Some seriously insane sh*t going on out there," "A ménage a three, I guess," "Used-up, adulterous whore that she is," "Sure as sh*t," "Shut the hell up," "This sucks," "Dude," "Shut up," "You idiot," "He's dead, tired," "How the hell do I know?" and "What the hell are you talking about?" The action, fighting and other stunts might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Ben has a tattoo on his back, while Mya has one on her shoulder. Clark wears tinfoil on his head. JUMP SCENES A door suddenly opens. Mya uses headphones to mask the horror of walking through a scene of carnage, but is then suddenly grabbed from behind. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 52 "f" words (3 used sexually), 5 "s" words, 1 slang term for female genitals ("p*ssy"), 1 for breasts ("boobs"), 3 hells, 3 uses of "G-damn," 2 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "God," "Jesus Christ," "My God" and "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY A woman shows some cleavage in a movie within the movie. We see Ben's bare butt, while Mya is in her bra in bed (when she gets up, she pulls up her panties and we briefly see the side of her bare butt). They've presumably had sex, and she says she's never done this before (cheated on her husband) and doesn't know "how to do this." About meeting at the train station, Ben says they'll rip each other's clothes off and "f*ck your way to freedom." The "f" word is used sexually. Jim makes various sexual remarks, including what sounded like him saying he's going to pee in a woman's butt; that he "would totally f*ck an Indian, take her to a teepee and make her feel his "corn;" asks if there's any "p*ssy" there tonight; comments on Anna having "nice boobs" and adds that he wouldn't mind "cleaning out my pipes tonight." That's followed by a line about a "ménage a three." A man refers to a woman as the "used up, adulterous whore that she is." Anna kisses Clark while delusional that he's her husband. Ben and Anna passionately kiss, while standing (and he's shirtless). SMOKING A crazed Clark drills into a severed head to jump-start it back to life, and succeeds, with the head asking for a smoke (and Ben gives Clark one for the head). There's a flashback to Ben smoking. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Lewis is suspicious of Mya when she returns home, and drills her with various questions. In a flashback, and while prepping for a party, Anna's infected husband starts strangling her, prompting her to stab something into his neck, with very bloody results. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The effect of technology on people's everyday lives. How people can turn violent with the "right" stimulus. How the film's three directors handled their individual segments and differentiated and/or tied them in with the others. VIOLENCE In what turns out to be a cheesy horror film (within this film), we see a bloody woman who's crying in anguish. A man then hacks into her or a nearby tree and then drags her away, while others (who are bloody to varying degrees) are strung up or caught in barbwire. The killer then comes up behind one woman, but the film begins having projection/transmission problems, so we don't see that through to the end. A person bumps into Mya. Infected by the signal, Lewis struggles with one friend over a baseball bat, and then repeatedly bashes another friend with the bat, with very bloody results. We see a dead and bloody body on the floor, while an infected person snaps a woman's neck with hedge clippers (with bloody and graphic results, including the body convulsing). That man then comes after Mya who tries to flee and is grabbed and pulled into another room by her friend who's also seeming infected and won't let go of her (with Mya worrying that the clipper man is going to get her). Mya causes that woman pain to release her grip, and manages to close the door with the clipper man nearby (followed by pounding on the door). That entire sequence is quite intense. Mya uses headphones to mask the horror of walking through a scene of carnage, but is then suddenly grabbed from behind. We then see that Rod has her taped/bound (to see if she's infected). It's implied that Rod used a makeshift weapon to spear a killer in an earlier scene. We see flash images of mass killing. We see a flashback image of a man with a bloody hammer hole in his head, and there's the motion of a deadly blow, but we don't see the impact. An infected cop shoots Rod, followed by Rod repeatedly striking that cop (in the distance). Mya is upset about that and tries to leave, but Rod catches up and gets into her car where he proceeds to hit her in the face repeatedly. As a result, she purposefully crashes the car, thus causing Rod's head to smash into the dash. In a flashback, and while prepping for a party, Anna's infected husband starts strangling her, prompting her to stab something into his neck, with very bloody results. Rod tries to hit Clark with a shovel, followed by them struggling. We see a shadow of struggling, including that of a decapitation and blood spurting out, followed by an actual view of the bloody head on the floor. We see a miscellaneous person who's on fire. Lewis sprays bug spray/insecticide into Clark's eyes. We see that Lewis has Ben tied up in his pest control van. Lewis kills Anna's neighbor who drops by (he thinks she's infected, but she's not), repeatedly bashing his pesticide canister onto her, killing her (we don't see the impact). Later, Lewis says the girl came back to life, so Clark repeatedly hits the body (we don't see the impact). Lewis slams his drinking glass to Jim's head, and then repeatedly kicks and stomps down onto him (we see some of that impact, with bloody results). Lewis seems to go in and out of being affected by the signal, and he grabs Clark, takes him out of the room, and we then hear sounds of violence and screaming. Lewis sprays bug spray into Anna's face, blinding and giving her a chemical burn on her face. He then sprays more spray into her face, causing her to scream, and then does so down her throat, killing her. We see Clark alive, but tied up. Ben hits Lewis with the latter's insecticide canister. We see a flashback to Lewis hitting Ben with a baseball bat and then chasing him, with more such hits, including to the head. Ben hits Lewis many times, with us seeing some of the impact and related blood, but then realizing this is an imagined scene. After previously being hit, Lewis gets up and pursues Ben and Clark. They get into a room and close the door, with Lewis then smashing a sledgehammer into the door. Ben grabs Lewis' arm, with Clark then screwing Lewis' arm to the door. Lewis then yanks his arm away, with very bloody results. A crazed Clark drills into a severed head to jump-start it back to life, and succeeds, with the head asking for a smoke (and Ben gives Clark one for the head). Lewis strangles Clark and then knocks Ben to the floor where he stomps on his hand and kicks him. He then picks up Ben by choking him with a pole around his neck, followed by gouging his eyes, while Ben pushes into Lewis' arm wound, causing him pain. A man is electrocuted from punching a TV screen. Reviewed December 20, 2007 / Posted February 22, 2008