Signs (DVD)

Six months ago, Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) was the Reverend of a church in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, but one day a freak accident caused the death of his wife, this intern caused Graham to question his faith and in doing so quits the church. Now he lives a peaceful life on his farm with his brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), and his two children, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin). Then one day he wakes up to find a crop circle in one of his fields. He dismisses it as local pranksters, but as more and more crop circles start to appear, he realises that something unusual is about to happen. His brother still thinks it is pranksters, but the children ...  Read the complete review

When you combine a story line of crop circles, extraterrestrial aliens and a lingering family tragedy, you may be forgiven for thinking that you are on to a sure-fire winner. Signs is a movie that comes with all of these assets and yet... Set in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Signs is the story of the Hess family. Made up of father, 2 children and uncle, Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) is the disillusioned patriach to his brother Merrill (Joaquin Pheonix of Gladiator fame) and 2 children Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin). Within the first few frames, the audience is introduced to the concept of crop circles with Gibson discovering the unearthly ...  Read the complete review

"Signs" is the fifth film from director M. Night Shyamalan, but "Signs" is the third in a trilogy that deals with the paranormal. The wave began with "The Sixth Sense" a well-crafted minimal ghost story with a good cast. "The Sixth Sense" was followed by "Unbreakable" which was a cold and boring piece about a man who might possess super hero powers. A few years later when the film director had thrilled the world and made a shit load of money he decided that the next subject matter would be aliens and crop circles. "Signs" tells the tale of a pastor named Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) who's wife is ...  Read the complete review

Signs is a 2002 science fiction thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Pheonix. Graham Hess (Gibson) is a former reverend who has been a widower for the last 6 months since his wife died in a traffic accident. Living on a farm with his two children, son Morgan (Rory Culkin) and daughter Bo (Abigail Breslin) and younger brother Merrill (Pheonix) he discovers crop circles in his field. Believing it to be local pranksters, the family soon discover that these circles are appearing around the world and may be the result of alien activity. Conflict arrises when it becomes apparent that Graham has lost faith in God, ...  Read the complete review

I think it is safe to say that all of M. Night Shyamalan's films are 'love them or hate them' experiences. For me, I have a bit of both depending on what the film is, but 'Signs' is undoubtedly the jewell in the crown of one of Hollywood's most interesting directors. The story revolves around rural America, where crop circles start appearing on Hess (Mel Gibson's) fields. At first the retired preacher whose lost his faith since his wife's death thinks it must just be trouble makers in the neighbourhood, but then the aliens come! First off, this is not a Hollywood blockbuster of huge budget and special effects madness; there are some alien ...  Read the complete review