Episode 379: The Signal (2007)

Send us Fan MailNot to be confused with the 2014 movie of the same name with Brenton Thwaites and Laurence Fishburne this is a mixture of the movie we watched before this, Cell, with a signal/pulse turning people homicidal, like The Crazies. So if you liked The Crazies this is for you.It is written by and directed by 3 friends who each took a third of the story, but what this does is give us a slightly disjointed film. Part one tells the story of Mya and Ben who are having an affair and cheating on Mya's husband Lewis. It is New Years eve, although that isn't really used enough given NYE is a huge thing and it is barely mentioned, and Ben wants them to leave Terminus, their home city and move to the country to start afresh. Mya is still new at this infidelity lark and heads back to her husband, only to find cellphones, phones, radios and TV are all broadcasting this weird psychedelic signal. And that signal is turning people crazy homicidal.She barely escapes the building with one of her husband's friends, Rod, and there are some nasty kills, baseball bats to the heads, pruning sheers to the throat. All fun stuff. Before they crash the car after Rod goes nuts and starts attacking Mya.Part two tells the story of Anna and Ken and their landlord Clarke as Anna tries to throw a New Years eve party. Looking for Mya Lewis arrives with Ben tied up and unconscious in his van, and we have a comedy house invasion, complete with talking decapitated heads and cocktails.Before part 3 has Ben and Clarke looking for Mya as Lewis chases them into Terminus.I have to say, despite the switch in tone for the second part I genuinely enjoyed this movie. Far better than Cell, not quite as good as the Crazies, but still a very good indie take on it. The acting was great, the practical FX too. The dialog was snappy and funny when it needed to be and the violence bloody when it needed to be.This joins Savageland and Interlopers in the very small club of movies on TUBI I have enjoyed and made 8 times it's budget.6/10