Hacker News Reader

Comment by echelon | Hacker News Reader

"Signs" was one of my favorite films of the 2000s, if you don't nitpick about the water. Suspenseful, well acted, leaves you guessing, eager for more.

Suffice to say, I eagerly anticipated "The Village" from the moment the first trailer dropped. The costumes looked cool. The colors, the creatures, the mood and the mystery.

I don't think I've ever left a theater quite so disappointed. The twist ruined what had been a magical experience for the better half of the film. I wanted the magic to endure, but I got slapped with a bad episode of "The Outer Limits".

Shyamalan remains a fantastic filmmaker for his hits, but this one hurt me. I don't wait for films anymore.

View on HN

I felt exactly the same about signs, and really loved the village.

I don’t really like the world we’ve built, and I fantasize about leaving it behind. That’s a major reason I lived in the Yukon for years (many people living more like the village than outside it)

These people (the village founders) had an idea and went for it. I really like that.

Signs is the worst movie I’ve ever seen. The plot makes no sense and it’s not like it has good character development or dialogue so that leaves nothing.

Yep. Signs was the movie that revealed to me my irrational fear of aliens walking in the distance for uncertain purpose.

Not joking, I am a big strong man but I was holding onto my girlfriend and shaking like a leaf during that movie.

Then the water scene happens and ruined the whole movie for me.

But I still get hairs standing up on the back of my neck if I think too long and hard about 7' tall aliens walking sideways in the distance. (Actually getting creeped out just typing this out).

I love it that there is a thought that can disturb me. I don't know where it comes from and I can't exactly control it.

Anyway, same thing with the Village. Great mood. Great cinematography. Great acting. Supernatural horror ominous period piece. So much well crafted build up that ended with an unfunny rehash of the ending of Monty Python's Holy Grail. Total cop out to the rest of the story. Unforgivable.

I'm a fan of the "aliens are demons" and "the water is holy" (you know, because he's a priest) interpretation.

It's a stretch, but makes the water fit into the story better (in my opinion).

Reply on news.ycombinator.com