Signs
"The Sixth Sense" had the biggest surprise ending in Hollywood history, equaling Luke Skywalker's disbelief when he discovered who his father was. Director M. Night Shyamalan's second film, "Unbreakable," had a shocker in its final frame, too. His third film, "Signs," has some deep dark secrets in its final minutes, but nothing near the surprise of the first two films.
The film looks and feels like vintage Hitchcock. Shyamalan adopted one of Hitchcock's trademarks: the cameo role. In Signs Shyamalan gives himself a speaking part: he plays the vet. His daughter's artwork adorns the frig in the film.
Hitchcock would have edited 40 minutes out of the film; it's draggy in the middle. And it's not very subtle: you know the baseball bat is going to be the weapon of choice against the aliens.
Mel Gibson plays yet another sad dad, continuing Hollywood's current preoccupation with tortured relationship between father and son. The two kids in the film are terrific: Rory Caulkin, Macaulay's talented baby brother, and the absolutely adorable Abigail Breslin as three-year-old Bo.
I realize Gibson's tortured feelings about faith were intended to add a deeper kind of suspense. But the existential arguments about God were too preachy for me. The sermons slowed down the sci-fi thriller.
Being a movie star sounds like fun, but it's not if you're playing a female police officer who has to go to the bathroom. Tony Award winning actress Cherry Jones plays a police officer who had to wear an authentic 50 pound police belt in every scene.
Interesting factoid about this movie: Filming started on September 13, 2001. after a different kind of alien appeared out of the blue and carried out a terrible and tragic attack. You've gotta imagine that intensified the emotions and created a certain resonance on the set.
Many options for videos; the choices are night and day. Check out "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable" if you go the Night route.
If you want to see Mel Gibson really express anguish as a parent, rent "Ransom." For Mel Gibson as conflicted father, see "What Women Want." The bonus there: watching him wrestle with pantyhose. Or just see Mel Gibson at his best: "Braveheart."
My favorite hostile alien movie is "Mars Attack." Hilarious. Enjoy some great scenes at the Luxor with Jack Nicholson.
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