arthur_tafero

What a shame that Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel was not picked up as a series. I have one idea why; it seemed to be way too expensive. Everything in the film was first-rate; the action sequences, the acting, and especially the writing. It was more of a film to be in general release rather than a pilot for a TV show that would probably have been lost in TV land.

Allen has a knack of taking ordinary plots and turning them into interesting scenarios. This film was a perfect example of that. Let us be very clear, however. This is not a sci-fi masterpiece; it was reminiscent of Quantum Leap, but without that show's great sense of humor. In fact, this film was completely devoid of any humor, which I believe was a big mistake in the writing. You absolutely have to have some comic relief in these types of films.

There is nothing like a film that had potential going completely out of control. The Signal is only one of a very few films that make a mess of their screenplay, yet still entertain the viewer from beginning to end.

The story makes no sense whatever, but it is sure interesting to watch. The acting is fine, and I really enjoyed watching John Goodman as a sleaze. Larry Fishborne is also very good and understated as a ????? Is he a top scientist official? CIA? Who knows what he is? We eventually find out at the end of the movie, but I would never spoil that for you.

The film starts out with some fun kids, and then goes off the deep end with a Blair Witch kind of sequence. Things only get weirder after that. If you ever figure out the film, be sure to review it for me.

Take every horror movie ever made, including Frankenstein and The Exorcist, and multiply it by 100, and you would still not have the amount of horror portrayed in this film. The animation is exceptional, and the low-key approach by the participants only adds to the horror.

About a half dozen civilians were killed in Lebanon for every soldier from either side of the conflict. Wars that kill six times the civilians as soldiers is much more than collateral damage; it more like war crimes committed by both sides of the atrocities. Both sides must shoulder responsibility. There is no right or wrong here, just piles of bodies of innocent men, women and children. This, in itself, is obviously wrong. Shame on both sides.