Now on DVD: THE SIGNAL

It didn't technically play Fantastic Fest, but it opened at the Drafthouse and it did screen at SXSW ... plus it's really damn good so here's a blog entry. (Deal with it!) THE SIGNAL might just be the very first non-anthology to be directed in episodic fashion by three different directors. And I don't mean "episodic" as a knock; I mean one guy directed Act I, another guy did Act II, and a third lunatic did Act III. (Those directors would be David Bruckner (I), Jake Gentry (II), and Dan Bush (III).) Can YOU spot the tonal divergences?

Shot in Atlanta on a budget that wouldn't cover gasoline costs on most productions, The Signal is a sci-fi horror movie that also has the audacity to include humor, heart, and intelligence as part of the equation. Well-acted, handsomely shot, and engaging in true "sci-fi" fashion, this is a very good indie flick. The Magnolia DVD hits shelves this week, and the release is littered with some very fine extras -- but if you want the "deluxe" treatment, you'll have to visit Best Buy, because they have an exclusive 2-disc edition that's got even MORE goodies.

Plus, ladies, the movie's got some really nice man-ass in it.