the signal is an american horror film written and directed by independent filmmakers david bruckner , dan bush and jacob gentry .

it is told in three parts , in which all telecommunication and audiovisual devices transmit only a mysterious signal turning people mad and activating murderous behaviour in many of those affected .

the film 's three interconnected chapters ( " transmissions " ) are presented in a nonlinear narrative .

each of them manifests elements of ( besides the overall genre of psychological horror ) , respectively , splatter film , black comedy , and a post-apocalyptic love story .

the signal was met with a mixed but largely positive critical reception .

the signal ( 2007 film )

alien vs . predator ( 2004 ) · aliens vs . predator : requiem ( 2007 )
the signal ( 2007 ) . directors - david bruckner , dan bush & jacob gentry . stars : anessa ramsey , clark poythress . moria - the science - fiction , horror and fantasy film review .
— here is the uncensored red band trailer from the signal courtesy of ign .
during driving at speeds above 25 mph ( 40 km / h ) , the tire pressure monitoring system ( tpms ) of the 2007 - 2012 nissan sentra receives the signal transmitted from the transmitter installed in each wheel , and gives alarms when the tire pressure becomes low .
the film is both an impressive
calling card
work for the filmmakers and a failure as an actual film .
so is the signal a indie dramedy ? is it a horror movie , is it a science fiction mindfuck ? or how about a suspenseful thriller ? the signal is all of these things . i’m not going to reveal any more story details in this review because i think you’re better off going into this film without knowing what to expect . ( one thing the signal isn’t is the 2007 indie horror film bearing the same title , which , to make things even more confusing , also premiered at sundance . )
the signal is an independent science fiction horror / psychological thriller film written and directed by david bruckner , dan bush , jacob gentry and produced by alexander a . motlagh—four filmmakers who have been collaborating since 1999 in atlanta , georgia . the movie was completed for the 2007 sundance film festival on a budget of only $ 50 , 000 and shot over the course of 13 days .
peter sciretta is a film geek and popcultured fanboy living in los angeles . he created / film in 2005 .
— we get a behind the scenes look at the story and characters that make up the signal .
earthy indie - folk rockers ola podrida have contributed their warm cover of joy division’s classic “atmosphere , ” to the horror film , “ the signal . ”
alien ( novel ) — the novelization of the film by alan dean foster .
alien ( 1984 video game ) — the video game based on the film .
alien : the illustrated story — the comic book adaptation of the film by heavy metal .
signal breakdown ( sd , 4 minutes ) - - this decent epk is heavy on clips and a tad repetitive , but should please fans all the same . it focuses on lewis’ path of destruction and the ramifications of a signal like the one portrayed in the film .
three - part tale of horror sees a strange signal start to drive people crazy .
after entering villainous bsod lewis electrocutes himself by punching his fist through a monitor displaying the signal .
is so simple in terms of its premise that the film plunges us into the midst of its outbreak of mass insanity with no explanation ever offered as to the cause of the signal ) .
— magnolia pictures has released their first ' webisode ' which was inspired by the release of the signal .
this is straight out of the gm service manual and it states 2 antennas . diversity antenna system this diversity antenna system is comprised of 2 antennas , 1 radio antenna module , coax cables , and an fm composite signal from the radio to the left antenna module . in am mode the system functions as follows : the antenna module takes the signal from the rear am antenna . the antenna module amplifies this signal and sends it to the radio . in fm mode the system functions as follows : in this mode the radio supplies 5 - 8v over the fm composite signal wire and this switches the module into fm mode . the antenna module takes signal from the front antenna and mix that signal with the signal from the rear antenna . the antenna module amplifies both signals and sends the combined signal to the radio . the fm composite signal also provides a feedback signal to the antenna module , which indicates the quality of the signal . diagnostic aids poor am and fm radio reception is dependent on multiple influences , some of which may not be vehicle related . areas which have high rf traffic or block the signal path may cause a degradation in radio reception . radio reception may also be influenced by items within the vehicle , but not part of the radio system . such examples are aftermarket electrical accessories or other items which may generated noise in the vehicle electrical system .
the signal itself - - yep , the television transmission in full… ad nauseum . true to its nature , the signal is fairly maddening to try and soak in and will only satisfy fans’ curiosities for a moment .
the signal is the kind of science fiction movie that i love — intense , mysterious , original and extremely ambitious . what is the signal ? it’s a puzzle that keeps you guessing and working to figure it out .
the signal begins with a film - within - a - film , what appears to be an excerpt from a faded , 1970s - era gorefest along the lines of wes craven’s the last house on the left . suddenly it is interrupted at a crucial moment by “the signal , ” a pulsing , infuriating blur of light and feedback . the camera pans back to reveal that the movie , now supplanted by the signal , was being aired on a television in a darkened room . it’s a compelling opening to this flawed , but intelligent horror film about violence , complicity , and the media .
if you get hung up on having to have every little thing in a film explained , then you’ll feel disappointed with the ending . the cause of the signal is never spoon - fed to us but there’s enough hints along the way that we can gather what it’s doing to the people of terminus . but be prepared ; we never get a concrete cause as to what the signal is or where it came from . i didn’t need it either ; the film is done so well that the signal itself becomes like a mysterious character that simply serves as the protagonist in the film . as ben points out :
the signal is told in three parts , in which all telecommunication devices broadcast only a mysterious “signal” turning people into murderous psychopaths . the film is broken up into three chapters ( “transmissions” ) , each of which had different directors during shooting . each part manifests elements of the following genres : splatter film , black comedy , and a post - apocalyptic horror - love story .
we ' ve got another exclusive look at the upcoming zombie - like horror film .
the cinematic release of the film ran 119 minutes , while later video and dvd versions ran 116 minutes due to the different frame rates between film and video . mcintee , 14 .
the real - life surprise of the actors gave the scene an intense sense of realism and made it one of the film ' s most memorable moments . during preview screenings the crew noticed that some viewers would move towards the back of the theater so as not to be too close to the screen during the sequence . in subsequent years the chestburster scene has often been voted as one of the most memorable moments in film . in 2007 , the british film magazine empire named it as the greatest 18 - rated moment in film as part of its
18th birthday
issue , ranking it above the decapitation scene in the omen ( 1976 ) and the transformation sequence in an american werewolf in london ( 1981 ) .
sahr ngaujah dan bush jacob gentry a . j . bowen anessa ramsey david bruckner scott poythress justin welborn the signal
toyota camry discussion for years 2002 - 2006 & 2007 - 2011 , as well as solara discussion for years 2004 - 2008 . topics of discussion range from fuel economy , safety , modifications , performance all involving america ' s favorite family car , the toyota camry .
the brief glimpse of ken and anna ' s relationship prior to the signal indicates that they were hardly normal to begin with .
window tint vs radio signal ? gen 6 . 5 - toyota nation forum : toyota car and truck forums
it doesn ' t take long for the the signal ' s promising beginning to fade into a haze that leaves the viewer exhausted and irritated .
as a brief grindhouse - era film plays ( a very realistic recreation by co - director jacob gentry ) , it is interrupted by a pulsating , blurry signal . the signal looks almost organic , and we can almost make out shapes in the psychedelic colors , but not before they become distorted and turn into something else .
later , after lewis forces the signal upon him , he becomes even more speculation obsessed , without becoming noticeably more violent .
“the signal” tracklist 01 . don’t look back 02 . transmissions 03 . crash 04 . where did she go ? 05 . escape from terminus 06 . do you have the crazy ? 07 . jealousy monster 08 . signal waltz , 1st movement 09 . flashbacks 10 . infected 11 . signal waltz , 2nd movement 12 . past the noise 13 . terminal 13 14 . what is the signal ? 15 . anything’s possible 16 . atmosphere – ola podrida ( all unidentified tracks by ben lovett )
in a crazy bizarre film , this scene stands out ! ! that’s saying something .
this is a piece of metacinema , a horror film being broadcast as a late - night movie within the story world of the signal , also serving as a distorted programme of what is to come , in what will be a reflexive dramatisation of the psychology of horror . the prologue was in fact cut up and rescored from an earlier short film , the hap hapgood story , originally made by jacob gentry for the 48 hour film tv project – and it is the only suggestion during the otherwise tender character interactions in the opening 15 minutes of the signal that there are terrible human outrages in store .
this is a piece of metacinema , a horror film being broadcast as a late - night movie within the story world of the signal , also serving as a distorted programme of what is to come , in what will be a reflexive dramatisation of the psychology of horror . the prologue was in fact cut up and rescored from an earlier short film , the hap hapgood story , originally made by jacob gentry for the 48 hour film tv project – and it is the only suggestion during the otherwise tender character interactions in the opening 15 minutes of the signal that there are terrible human outrages in store .
there are a handful of low - budget indie time travel movies coming up , and we like this trend . in this one , a physicist invents a device that is able to create small wormholes and bend spacetime . but then shit starts getting weird , including a random dahlia appearing out of nowhere . and a woman who may not be who she appears . you can watch the trailer ! writer - director jacob gentry helped make the underrated 2007 indie film the signal ( read our interview with him here . )
with big hollywood movies , more directors and writers usually spell disaster for a film . too many cooks in the kitchen can create a big mess of a film . such is not the case with
none of the rabbit holes in the signal go that deep . but you do leave persuaded that you ' ve discovered some talented people .
you really need to go out and immediately watch the signal . this is a film that has gotten a lot of positive feedback from the festival circuit and from pretty much everyone who’s seen it . it’s a definite indie horror classic that’s extremely well made with fantastic acting , a great story , and plenty of gore and violence for the hardened horror fan . check out the signal ; i love every second of this film and can’t recommend it enough ! !
a sensor - transmitter integrated with a valve ( installed on each wheel ) transmits a detected air pressure signal in the form of a radio wave . an antenna located in passenger - side front pillar receives the air pressure signal transmitted by the transmitter in each wheel . the tpms reads the air pressure signal received by the antenna , and controls the warning light and the buzzer operations . it also has a judgment function to detect a system malfunction .
back to one podcast : keith poulson on developing as an actor in the ny indie film scene .
[ the signal ] was replacing my thoughts … it’s a trick . change the way you look at things , the things you look at will change .
if you know the characters , you know the story . but till the very ending , this film has no semblance of a narrative . perhaps the director thought that ' snapshots from the lives at a traffic signal ' would be amusing enough for the audience , but it is not so . as was the case with corporate , traffic signal begins to get involving towards the very end and a few scenes from the second half are moving .
this sometimes magnificent , decidedly strange film is a portrait of a terrible , rapacious man .
technically the film is okay . there is not much effort made to make the film look exceptionally good or shoot it differently . it ' s functional , as is the background music . the songs are strictly okay , but the one song yehi zindagi , picturised with montages of the protagonists ' lives , is where the film comes alive for a few minutes .
inside terminus : the making of the signal ( sd , 15 minutes ) - - serving as a nice companion piece to the directors commentary , this featurette looks at the film’s pre - production , 13 - day shoot , special effects , and tonal balance .
quoting what was quoted earlier in this thread . .
the antenna module takes the best signal from 1 of the 3 fm antenna patterns on the rear window .
about 1 minute into the credits , a video effect similar to
the signal
is shown for a few seconds , and then the credits roll on .
the signal essentially creates hallucinations and makes people think they’re in extreme danger . it creates paranoia , like seeing someone holding a knife when there’s no knife , or hearing someone threaten you when they in fact hadn’t said a word . the longer you’re exposed to the signal , the worse the effect will be .
nominations were announced today . at first glance , no one film jumps out as the big player , but
misdirection is a key ingredient in the film . director eubanks wanted the viewer to continually feel they nearly have a grip on where the film is going ; only to have their notions fall apart when the direction changes again - all the way to the very end .
have really taken this warning to heart . the team of david bruckner , dan bush and jacob gentry has created a film where an electronic signal sent through the television , the radio , phones , etc . changes normal people into raging homicidal maniacs . the mysterious signal distorts perceptions and scrambles receptors in the brain so people’s logic is skewed and they do things they normally wouldn’t do…like kill everyone in sight .
silsila is the
manager
of one traffic signal , that is he collects the
hafta
( protection tax ) from each signal squatter plying his trade . there ' s tsunami , a little scavenger boy , there ' s . . . see full summary »
the blu - ray edition of ’the signal’ offers all of the supplemental content that appears on its standard dvd counterpart . the video features are only presented in standard definition , but fans will find a surprising amount of depth for such a modest , low - budget film .
batter up : lewis ' s weapon for the first half of the film before switching to a tank of bug spray .
brown note : although not everyone who is affected becomes violent , no one can encounter the signal without having their perception of reality altered .
delves into each of these questions and more to make a completely terrifying and entertaining independent film .
i’m not gonna beat around the bush on this one : i absolutely love the signal . it’s a near perfect genre flick that contains elements of romero’s the crazies while remaining a wholly original film . this is the third time i’ve watched it and the signal is one of those films that gets better with each viewing . helmed by three directors ( more on this below ) , the plot of the signal is told in three parts from three different perspectives . but this isn’t an anthology film ; we get one coherent plot simply told from three different points of view . for the first time ever i’m gonna tell you to stop reading this review , turn off your computer , and go watch the signal ( available from netflix and it’s having a run on the pay cable channels ) . well what the f * * k are you waiting for ?
the signal is a 2007 american horror film . in the fictional city of terminus , lovers ben and mya are awakened when a barrage of seemingly random sounds and colors begin emitting from ben ' s television . the couple quickly discovers that telephones are similarly affected . ben dismisses the disturbances and tries to persuade mya to finally leave her husband lewis . after making tentative plans to leave terminus with ben the next day , mya returns to her apartment building , but something is terribly wrong . her neighbors are acting strangely and seem to be growing increasingly agitated and violent . her husband lewis most of all . . .
the signal is electrifying , deliciously mad and twisted filmmaking . it ' s certainly not for everyone , but chances are it will inspire many .
per custom sounds website urltoken if it is the comfort series it has a metal alloy layer . that would interfere with your radio signal . gator1939
originally , the film was to be directed by walter hill , but he pulled out and gave the job to ridley scott .
t his one ' s a strange film - - a series of staccato , punctuated episodes and incidents about folk living around a traffic signal . when you hear of it , it sounds like an interesting concept . but however you may try stretching it , it just does not have enough meat for a full length feature film .
the signal is a decent horror flick that had the potential of being a great film . the problem with this film is that it starts off promising enough , but halfway through it loses its strength , and becomes a decent flick . what could have been an effective horror flick is brought down by a weak second half . the film is watchable , but it could have been reworked a bit because there are some good ideas on - screen . the films cast do a pretty decent job here , and the plot is pretty interesting as well . the films faults lie in the second half of the film where it falls apart . i think it ' \ s a shame because this could have been a memorable horror flick with an effective plot . unfortunately , the signal leaves you wanting a bit more from the story , and as a horror film . this is a low - budget psycho slasher film that almost gets it right . the script was good , but like i previously stated , if only there could have been a bit more effort put into the second half , it would have made the signal a much more memorable ride . there are some elements that work well , but most of them don ' t quite get there . however you do see the potential of a very good horror film here , it ' s just too bad that some ideas fell flat . overall a decent horror flick that is worth watching , but it leaves a lot to be desired as well . for a low - budget film , this is a decent try ; if only the script would have been reworked a bit , then the signal would have been a terrific film .
the signal is a high concept film with big production value and an intimate character story , completed on relatively low budget — under $ 4 million . the low - fi fx work not only looks great , but feels unique . the practical fx that was done by legacy , formerly the stan winston studio . the film also features beautiful , incredibly artful cinematography , and compositions that you wouldn’t expect from a genre film of this budget level . its no surprise that director william eubank is a former cinematographer .
: the signal messes with peoples ' perceptions . several scenes are re - shot with a different character to show how the perceptions of the infected are warped . in particular ,
. a very funny slasher / horror film , a electronic signal is being transmitted on the phones , tv and radio which make people kill each other there are only a few sane people left , very comical scenes . this film changes the course of infectious zombie movies . opens like a 1970 drive in movie and turns to pure fun . 4 1 / 2 stars
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
we find someone embracing the strange ; dedicating not just a film to it , but letting it , for the most , and brilliant , part letting that strangeness move and alter the film in frustrating , tantalizing , and often unknown and unknowable ways .
premiered at sundance film festival last year , it generated a lot of buzz . it follows three different perspectives ( broken down into segments or “transmissions” in the film ) that are each written and directed by three different people .
what saves this film is the cast that has given noteworthy performances . kunal khemu manages to shoulder the film , and neetu chandra is graceful and watchable . sudhir mishra , with his towering personality and evocative eyes , looks every part the enigmatic mafia don .
made in 2007 ( shot in less than 2 weeks and on a $ 50 , 000 budget ) , the signal was released in 2008 after the filmmakers needed to find a song to replace an unlicensed cover of lou reed’s “perfect day” ( they settled on a joy division cover instead ) . the film’s plot is simple – a signal , transmitted via phone , radio , and television , is inexplicably turning people into psychopaths . not mindless zombies , ( not even semi - mindless like the tool - wielding ones in the crazies ) but rational , resourceful , conversational psychos who genuinely believe they should be killing the people they’re killing . no other crimes – no theft , rape , jaywalking , white - collar crime ; just murder . set in the ( i believe , fictional ) city of terminus , the film revolves mainly around mya ( anessa ramsey ) , her husband lewis ( a . j . bowden ) , and her boyfriend ben ( justin welborn ) .
in 2002 , alien was deemed
culturally , historically or aesthetically significant
by the national film preservation board of the united states , and was inducted into the national film registry of the library of congress for historical preservation alongside other films of 1979 including all that jazz , apocalypse now , the black stallion , and manhattan . in 2008 the american film institute ranked alien as the seventh - best film in the science fiction genre as part of afi ' s 10 top 10 , a cbs television special ranking the ten greatest movies in ten classic american film genres . the ranks were based on a poll of over 1 , 500 film artists , critics , and historians , with alien ranking just above terminator 2 : judgment day ( 1991 ) and just below ridley scott ' s other science fiction film blade runner ( 1982 ) . the same year , empire magazine ranked it thirty - third on its list of the five hundred greatest movies of all time , based on a poll of 10 , 200 readers , critics , and members of the film industry .
that strange signal , however , is coming not just from the television , but from radios , phones , and every other connected device – and as mya makes her way back home to lewis , perhaps for the last time , she bears witness to the signal’s unsettling effects on its human receivers . deranged servants to their own primal impulses , victims of the signal suffer hallucinations that play out their anxieties and desires , even as they remain utterly , forcefully convinced of their own sanity .
the opening sequence is an excerpt from
the hap hapgood story ,
a winning entry in the 48 - hour film festival directed by jacob gentry .
the name of the city in the film is terminus . the movie was filmed entirely in atlanta , georgia which was originally called terminus when it was settled in 1837 .
originally , no film companies wanted to make the film , including 20th century fox . they stated various reasons , most being that it was too bloody . it was not until walter hill came on board that 20th century fox agreed to make the film , on the condition that the violence was toned down ; even after agreeing to make the movie , fox still rejected the first cut for being
too bloody
.
traffic signal also has a major drawback in that it ' s been dubbed , where a story like this was asking for the more - real sync sound .
that strange signal , however , is coming not just from the television , but from radios , phones , and every other connected device – and as mya makes her way back home to lewis , perhaps for the last time , she bears witness to the signal ' s unsettling effects on its human receivers . deranged servants to their own primal impulses , victims of the signal suffer hallucinations that play out their anxieties and desires , even as they remain utterly , forcefully convinced of their own sanity .
in some ways the signal reminds me a lot of pontypool . the stories and very different , but the tone and atmosphere are very similar , and both can be considered “thinking man’s horror” .
i don ' t know about those series ( classic , comfort , pinnacle ) . they sound like llumar films . i wouldn ' t use a dye - based film . i like 3m films because of the daily experience with their film and adhesive products . the 3m colorstable is a nano - carbon , non - metallic film . it ' s better than dye - based for not much more . $ 350 is probably for a ceramic based film ( pinnacle ? ) . and if they are selling the pinnacle then the price should be ok . the question would be if you want the extra heat rejection but the film may be thicker ( distortion ) .
gms update to the document earlier . both are off gms website antenna system important : radio systems with the antenna ( s ) in the glass are subject to posssible interference when an aftermarket window tint is applied . diversity antenna the diversity antenna system may use both front and back windows with an integral antenna built between the glass layers of the windshield and as an appliqué to the rear glass . any damage to the antenna requires replacing the glass . this system is designed to deliver the best radio signal reception possible . two antennas are used to form a diversity system . the primary antenna is part of the rear window and looks similar to the defogger grid . this antenna receives both am and fm signals . the secondary antenna is part of the front windshield and receives only fm signals . the antenna reception signals are sorted out by the radio antenna module . the radio antenna module is enabled when the radio is turned on . when the am or fm band is selected on the radio , the antenna module connects the rear window antenna directly to the radio . in addition , when the fm band is selected an enable signal is sent to the antenna module . superimposed on this enable signal is the strength of the signal being received by the radio tuner . the antenna module switches between the antennas , monitoring the radio signal strength and combines the signals and phase aligns them to create one strong signal
an interview with writer / director boots riley about his incendiary new film ,
sorry to bother you .
leads many to compare it with the philosophy of many zombie films . the sudden violence of the film certainly lends itself to the comparison , as does the brutal scenes of gore . still ,
no one knows for sure what exists in the signal . although many people have heard newscasts ( possibly about murder or terrorism ) and have seen faces and woodlike structures within the transmission of the signal . some people also believe that the signal is the 70 ' s style opening sequence of the movie , shown on ben ' s tv in the beginning , that has been scrambled . the scrambled version of the broadcast has created a superfear of paranoia that subliminally enters the mind and makes some people think everyone is out to get them , but basically the signal just makes people become utterly confused and unable to distinguish between what ' s real and what ' s unreal and between normal behaviour and unusual behaviour . the only problem with this theory is that not everyone was tuned into the same channel that was on ben ' s tv . ( although that really wouldn ' t matter because the signal was on every channel plus all radio stations and even mobile phones ) .
the success of alien spawned a media franchise of novels , comic books , video games , and toys , as well as three sequel and two prequel films . it launched weaver ' s acting career by providing her with her first lead role , and the story of her character ripley ' s encounters with the alien creatures became the thematic thread that ran through the film sequels aliens ( 1986 ) , alien 3 ( 1992 ) and alien resurrection ( 1997 ) . the film also led to two crossover films with the predator franchise , alien vs . predator ( 2004 ) and aliens vs . predator : requiem ( 2007 ) , as well as a prequel series comprising prometheus ( 2012 ) and alien : covenant ( 2017 ) .
their movie premiered at 2007 ' s sundance film festival , but its homemade feel is of a piece with the pseudo - do - it - yourself horror philosophy of
cloverfield
and
george a . romero ' s diary of the dead ,
two current horror movies that suggest the genre ' s prerogatives have undergone a paradigm shift . the subtexts are visibly close to the surface .
the signal
is like a romero zombie movie in which the zombies aren ' t dead , they ' re just really temperamental . evil here is technology - born . maybe our cellphones and satellite dishes are giving us all the crazy . if the message is ,
turn off your tv , put your phones away , and watch more movies ,
you ' ll get no argument from me .
there will be blood establishes itself as a film of darwinian ferocity , a stark and pitiless parable of american capitalism .
a behind - the - scene book was released to accompany the film , titled the book of alien , containing many concept sketches and production photographs , as well as details on the making of the film . topps released a set of trading cards based on the film . a soundtrack album was also released on vinyl featuring selections of goldsmith ' s score , and a single of the main theme was released in 1980 . heavy metal also produced an alien calendar for the 1980 year .
the epic game franchise is getting a huge film adaptation , directed by duncan jones ( moon ) . it’s the war between humans and orcs over the future of azeroth , with good and bad people on both sides of the conflict . everything we’ve seen from this film so far looks just jaw - dropping , and we were excited to hear how many practical effects the film has . fingers crossed that jones can actually pull this off .
with a strong focus on characters and dialogue , the film offers a cast of unknowns and non - professional actors , making the audience feels like it is participating in a discovery on multiple levels . forgoing jump scares and the traditional horror tropes , the film provides a surreal , primal , unexpected and unsettling journey through a society gone mad . we hesitate to tell you more because the signal , which is currently streaming on netflix , is something you need to experience for yourselves .
one thing that really impressed me with this movie was the ending . there is no definite answer as to how the movie ends . the signal has affected everyone in some manner , and the movie seems to end in a few different ways before the actual ending . the final ending leaves the film wide open as to closure , but not in a way that you would be expecting a sequel .
alien garnered both critical acclaim and box office success , receiving an academy award for best visual effects , saturn awards for best science fiction film , best direction for scott , and best supporting actress for cartwright , and a hugo award for best dramatic presentation , along with numerous other award nominations . it has remained highly praised in subsequent decades , being inducted into the national film registry of the library of congress in 2002 for historical preservation as a film which is
culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant
. in 2008 it was ranked as the seventh - best film in the science fiction genre by the american film institute , and as the thirty - third greatest movie of all time by empire magazine .
if transmission one slowly raises the film’s horror to a pitch of explosive intensity , then jacob gentry’s transmission two : the jealousy monster disorients the viewer even further with a violent swing in mood . this time showing the insanity that has afflicted terminus from the deluded perspective of the insane themselves , the film’s middle section plays itself out as high farce – with a bodycount .
the signal ( 2007 ) official trailer # 1 - horror movie hd subscribe to classic trailers : urltoken subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken like us on facebook : urltoken follow us on twitter : urltoken a horror film told in three parts , from three perspectives , in which a mysterious transmission that turns people into killers invades every cell phone , radio , and television . welcome to the fandango movieclips trailer vault channel . where trailers from the past , from recent to long ago , from a time before youtube , can be enjoyed by all . we search near and far for original movie trailer from all decades . feel free to send us your trailer requests and we will do our best to hunt it down .
critical reaction to the film was initially mixed . some critics who were not usually favorable towards science fiction , such as barry norman of the bbc ' s film series , were positive about the film ' s merits . others , however , were not : reviews by variety , sight and sound , vincent canby and leonard maltin were mixed or negative . a review by time out said the film was an
empty bag of tricks whose production values and expensive trickery cannot disguise imaginative poverty
. h . r . giger later commented that alien was a third - rate film , and said that he was secretly glad that he didn ' t
get a fair mention in the screen credits .
the film rambles on with a series of disconnected happenings - - an executive and his wife fight in their luxurious car at the signal , a regular believes giving money to beggars will help his prospects , flower girls fight in the middle of the road , a beggar boy lies about his father being dead , just when the ' dead ' man sits up behind him .
’the signal’ features a competent 1080p / avc - encoded transfer that does a decent job handling a variety of gloomy interiors and heavy shadows . colors have been intentionally robbed of deep reds , but the resultant palette doesn’t suffer from the abundance of blue and brown tones left in their place . skintones look fairly natural , blacks are inky , and contrast is spot - on for a film drenched in murky set design and lighting . while there is a bit of crushing and noise in the darkest shots , there isn’t any significant artifacting , edge enhancement , or dnr . detail is also impressive , especially when considering the film’s meager budget - - the film’s textures and edges may not be as sharp as those in the most expensive flicks on the market , but close - ups and exterior shots are quite crisp and three dimensional . better still , ‘the signal’s hdv source generates the same rickshaw atmosphere as the sd dv - captured footage in ’28 days later’ without falling prey to that film’s pesky resolution and clarity issues .
: not where the signal came from , what it ' s supposed to do , or how to stop it . . . but how you spend your last day when the apocalypse rolls around .
like many of the best comedies and tragedies , this weimar - era silent film understands how each mode is often a hair ' s breadth from the other .
, although is not as effective . the episode does however offer up the films single most demented moment  where scott poythress announces that he can electrically stimulate life back into sahr nguajahs severed head and then proceeds to have a conversation with the decapitated head , which even demands a cigarette from him . scott poythress gives a rather funny performance while under the influence of the signal .
jonathan liebesman ( ninja turtles , battle los angeles ) directs this remake of the popular book turned into a 1995 robin williams film . we don’t know how it’ll differ from that film but i’d expect bigger effects and a slightly different story , enough to warrant its existence .
’the signal’ may not be the latest and greatest evolution of horror to invade your home theater , but it’s a surprisingly solid , well - crafted thriller that offers a great cast and story . despite the low - key , low - budget nature of the production , magnolia has released the film on blu - ray with a faithful video transfer , an excellent dts hd ma audio track , and a heaping portion of supplemental features . while it can’t go head to head with more expensive flicks on the market , ‘the signal’ manages to defy its straight - to - video roots and budgetary limitations to present a film that looks and sounds much better than one might expect . this release is definitely worth a look .
when a woman returns with her husband and son to reopen the orphanage that raised her , she quickly discovers the creepy secret behind her son & apos ; s new friends . producer guillermo del toro may have been the bold - faced name attached to this 2007 spanish supernatural horror , but director juan antonio bayona gets the credit for his ability to extract more from less . like fellow countryman alejandro amenábar & apos ; s the others , bayona eschews an overreliance on cgi in favor of more gothic elements and traditional ghost story signifiers — bring on the dark basements and eerie lighthouses — leading to a slow - burn horror film that rewards patience over cheap shocks . jn
creating an account with urltoken gives you access to more features and services , like our weekly newsletter and other special features just for the film community .
the battle over the script came to a head when it came time to apportion screenplay credits for the film . according to o ' bannon , the film was originally to be credited solely to hill and giler . [ 4 ] as a result , o ' bannon filed a complaint with the writers guild of america , who eventually ruled in his favor . despite an appeal by hill , the film ultimately credited its story to o ' bannon and shusett , and the screenplay to o ' bannon ; hill and giler were not mentioned at all . however , despite this official ruling , it is certain hill and giler contributed at least some aspects to the finished film .
that’s too bad because the film feels truest when michael is grappling with his contradictions . his struggle , as well as the film’s moody thoughtfulness , the lumet touches and the agreeable presence of sydney pollack in a small role , overtly invokes 1970s american cinema . but mr . lumet and mr . pollack didn’t give hollywood its social conscience , which comes and goes and depends on the audience to sustain it . in some ways , michael is a grimmer , compromised version of erin brockovich , the freewheeling legal clerk in the short skirts who leads the charge against social injustice in mr . soderbergh’s populist 2000 drama . ( michael has to be dragged . ) the main difference is that the earlier film’s optimism feels like a faded signal from a faraway land .
the third transmission falls along the lines of a horror / love story where both interested parties find the wife , and the final twisted showdown comes to a peak . even in the ending , the line between what is actually happening and what is being fed into their minds by the signal is blurry .
. given how obsessed with sex he is ( he has almost no lines not revolving around women ) he may have been affected by the signal as well and become obsessed to the point of not noticing the chaos around him .
with so many horror flicks out there to watch , it’s completely understandable that one or two of the really good ones may have escaped your netflix queue . the signal , written and directed by david bruckner , dan bush and jacob gentry , is one of those . a film about a group of citizens living in the seemingly quiet fictional metropolis of terminus , the narrative is divided into three segments—crazy in love , the jealousy monster and escape from terminus . the film provides an almost indefinable blend of genres—horror , science fiction , comedy and the deep , dark relationship drama .
: jim parsons maintains a supernatural level of obliviousness to the situation around him . this adds some great comedy to the film ' s second act , but unfortunately leads to
lean budget does creep in , the sound design is still pretty solid . the broadcasts of the signal itself are backed by a hellish amount of bass , and even if the surrounds are used a little unevenly , they ' re really effective at ratcheting up the tension . the film ' s dialogue can sound kind of strained at times , but that ' s not all that surprising for a lower - budgeted flick .
if transmission one slowly raises the film ' s horror to a pitch of explosive intensity , then jacob gentry ' s transmission two : the jealousy monster disorients the viewer even further with a violent swing in mood . this time showing the insanity that has afflicted terminus from the deluded perspective of the insane themselves , the film ' s middle section plays itself out as high farce - with a bodycount .
the hap hapgood story ( sd , 9 minutes ) - - glimpsed for a few , brief moments at the beginning of the film , the directors’ 2003 slasher short is available here in its full glory . i found myself shrugging my shoulders on this one , but completists and fans of the “48 hour film project” will get a kick out of its inclusion .
directors’ commentary - - directors david bruckner , dan bush , and jacob gentry sit down for a unique discussion about the trials and tribulations of bringing a $ 50 , 000 production like ‘the signal’ to life . however , instead of patting each other on the back for their individual contributions to the film , each transmission’s director is kicked out of the room so his two remaining comrades can talk about his portion of the film behind his back . it’s a small but crucial decision that easily makes this track worth a listen . to my relief , i found that the directors have a wonderful report with each other as well as a knack for avoiding technical chit - chat in favor of engaging accounts of the low - budget production . they discuss their casting process , their work with the actors , the genesis of the film , and the areas in which they succeeded and failed in their final visions . in the end , if you even remotely enjoyed ‘the signal , ’ be sure to listen to this excellent commentary .
silsila is the
manager
of one traffic signal , that is he collects the
hafta
( protection tax ) from each signal squatter plying his trade . there ' s tsunami , a little scavenger boy , there ' s rani - a gujrati girl selling ethnic clothes on the sidewalk , and there ' s dominic - a drug addict and the prostitute who feels for him . then there ' s silsila himself , who ' s an orphan , and reports to jaffer bhai the local goon . jaffer bhai in turn reports to haji the leader of the local mafia . and the hafta , from each traffic signal and territory haji controls , seeps upward to the politicians . life is routine , until silsila and jaffer bhai get caught up in a chain of events which threatens the very source of their livelihood - the traffic signal itself , and silsila must either remain mute with fear or protest . . .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
vampire clay a
film of eerie earthenware and earthworms - that - turn . . . with enough idiosyncrasy to earn itself the s… urltoken 2 hours ago
it ? s new year ? s eve in the city of terminus and chaos is this year ? s resolution . all forms of communication have been jammed by an enigmatic signal th ( more… )
also if u gona use fm transmitter from inside the car the tint will lower a signal being situated in between the transmitter and the rear window antenna . i don ' t mention night driving with tinted front doors - not 2 easy 2 c mirrors .
the signal
has a spirit of casual elan , as if a few mildly buzzed buddies had tossed around some ideas for a fun exploitation film one night - - maybe after the cable went out in the middle of a game - - and then persuaded some friends to hang out with them and shoot it on spare evenings and weekends . this is a compliment .


black swan is a 2010 american psychological thriller film about a ballet dancer directed by darren aronofsky and starring natalie portman , vincent cassel , and mila kunis .

after the 83rd academy awards , in which portman won the oscar for best actress for her role in the film as a ballerina , controversy arose over how much credit for the dancing in the film was being given to her and how much to her " dance double " , american ballet theatre soloist sarah lane .

in a march 3 , 2011 blog post ( written prior to the dvd release ) for dance magazine , its editor-in-chief wendy perron asked why a visual effects video clip showing lane 's face being replaced by portman 's was once available online but later removed from the internet prior to the oscars .

she also speculated as to whether portman 's omission of lane 's name during her acceptance speech was a case of " forgetfulness in the heat of the moment ?

or was this omission , and the deletion from the video , planned by the studio 's publicity machine ? " it was also noted that lane is credited as " lady in the lane " and as " stunts " rather than as portman 's double in the theatrical release of the film .

this led to a number of responses regarding portman .

aronofsky and fox searchlight released a joint statement that argued : " we were fortunate to have sarah there to cover the more complicated dance sequences and we have nothing but praise for the hard work she did .

however , natalie herself did most of the dancing featured in the final film . "

benjamin millepied and kunis also argued in defense of portman 's dancing .

lane responded through an essay published in the wall street journal ( portman declined through a representative to write one as well ) and an interview on 20/20 that her interest lies primarily in defense of ballet as an art form that can not be mastered in a year .

the dvd of black swan was released on march 29 , 2011 and includes the featurette with sarah lane .

black swan dance double controversy

sarah lane was natalie portman ' s dance double for
black swan .
it seems natalie portman ' s black swan dance double still has her feathers ruffled .
the big
black swan controversy
- what you need t . . .
the big
black swan controversy
- what you need to know . . .
[ xxxii ] adam markovitz , “black swan director darren aronofsky defends natalie portman in body - double controversy” , entertainment weekly , 28 march 2011 .
doesn ' t sound like this controversy is going to get resolved anytime soon , especially since portman acknowledged the black swan camera crew in her oscar acceptance speech—but not her dance double .
read more on kimberly ' s black swan assignment here . read debra levine ' s review of black swan on hufpo here .
ballerinas having a throw - down catfight ? looks like , controversy or not ,
black swan
got it right after all .
he has seen countless productions of swan lake .
the original script had this idea of being haunted by a double — and swan lake is about a double , a white swan and a black swan — so the connections started to come alive .
natalie portman is staying mum about her black swan dance double ' s claims that she only did a small portion of the dancing in her oscar - winning performance .
that’s a lot of popular appeal for a film about a ballerina preparing to dance the dual role of odette ( the white swan ) and odile ( the black swan ) in “swan lake . ”
janica smith says odile , the black swan , comes more naturally to her .
sarah lane was making a name for herself in the ballet world long before she played the dance double for natalie portman ' s troubled character in
black swan .
the
flashdance
dance double controversy didn ' t affect sales at the box office back in the day , and the feud with lane over
black swan
will likely boost sales of the dvd , which , conveniently , comes out on tuesday .
when asked about the black swan dance double controversy , natalie portman dodged the question , saying ,
i had a chance to make something beautiful with this film and i don ' t want to give in to the gossip .
[ e ! ]
“i just want to be perfect . ” | black swan ( 2010 ) – fictionmachine
[ xvii ] darren aronofsky , “directing black swan” , american cinematographer , december 2010 .
abt dancer sarah lane served as a
dance double
for natalie portman in the film .
blackout . . . some have accused studio fox searchlight of downplaying the role of natalie portman ' s dance double in black swan . photograph : c . foxsearch / everett / rex features
really ? when i looked her up on imdb she is credited as natalie ' s dance double .
on the set : ' black swan ' s ' natalie portman , darren . . .
american ballet theatre soloist sarah lane sits down with dance channel tvapos ; s stuart brazell for an intimate conversation about her career , dance background and of course . . . black swan .
its plot revolves around a production of tchaikovsky ' s swan lake ballet by a prestigious new york city company . the production requires a ballerina to play both the innocent white swan and the sensual black swan . black swan received five oscar nominations , including one for best picture .
do you think portman danced most of her scenes in “black swan” ? share your thoughts below .
@ quincette ( 45 ) , thanks for posting the link to that black swan vfx reel .
phot : natalie portman as embattled ballerina nina in
black swan .
credit : fox searchlight
natalie portman ' s character loses her grip on reality in black swan . photo by niko tavernise .
when i tell non - dance people that i write about dance and especially ballet , their first question is usually to ask what i think of ' black swan ' . the short answer is that i believe
aronofsky had also seen numerous productions of
swan lake
and he connected the duality of the white swan and the black swan to the script . when researching for the production of black swan , aronofsky found ballet to be
a very insular world
whose dancers were
not impressed by movies
.
the nasty post - oscar battle between natalie portman and her dancing double , sarah lane , over who did what on the
black swan
dance floor is a flashback to the 1983 dance blockbuster
flashdance ,
which was panned by critics but a box office smash .
sarah lane , american ballet theatre star and dance double to natalie portman in
black swan ,
has again gone public with her accusations that she did most of the dancing for the part that won portman an oscar .
natalie ' s portrayal of the black swan was the single most talked about performance in film this year .
[ vi ] david gritten , “black swan : natalie portman interview” , the telegraph , 17 january 2011 .
loder , kurt ( december 2 , 2010 ) black swan , reason ; accessed december 22 , 2015 .
okay , maybe not big or fat , but the dance community is certainly unhappy with portman , as the latest issue of dance magazine contains allegations from portman ' s dancing double on
black swan
that portman didn ' t actually do the legwork in her oscar winning performance .
sacramento state ' s sacramento / black art of dance will celebrate its silver anniversary with a performance this week .
but the one thing she ' s remained tight - lipped about is the controversy around her
black swan
dancing double , sarah lane , who said last month that she did the work that won portman a best - actress oscar for her starring role in the film .
[ ix ] christina radish , “mila kunis interview black swan” , collider , 24 november 2010 . ( urltoken )
[ x ] susan wloszczyna , “black swan stars step deftly into roles” , usa today , 22 july 2010 .
[ xxvi ] amy kaufman , “black swan director ruffles actresses’ feathers” , los angeles times , 28 november 2010 .
it seems ballerina sarah lane isn ' t ready to drop her feud with the black swan filmmakers just yet .
the ballerina who stepped in for natalie portman in black swan to be the double for moves the actress could not do has said the star performed only a minuscule amount of footwork .
soon , they will be freed from the rigors of moviemaking . this is the final week for filming dance scenes in the psychological thriller black swan , opening later this year .
the confidence students learn through dance can be transferred to many other fields . photo by damon plant , courtesy stem from dance
@ eve – “you guys are generalizing when you say everybody who believed black swan’s cgi lie is an idiot . ”
black swan is a 2010 psychological thriller directed by darren aronofsky and starring natalie portman , vincent cassel and mila kunis .
in her first television interview , sarah lane , the professional ballerina who was actress natalie portman ' s dance double in
black swan ,
accused filmmakers of lying about how much lane danced in the film , and trying to cover it up .
film buffs – check out the ballet drama “the red shoes” . anyone think that moira shearer did or did not use a body double ? no controversy is necessary regarding the black swan body double dancer . she should take the payment that she was guaranteed per whatever contract she signed , and remain silent . her professional career may be jeopardized by her publicity seeking behavior .
many ballet professionals find “black swan” extreme , even offensive . yet the film offers some truths about their art form , say the two dancers preparing to dance odette - odile here .
natalie portman can ' t catch a break - - or , to hear her body double sarah lane tell it , caught a lot of them during the filming of
black swan .
lane , a soloist with the american ballet theatre and natalie portman ' s dancing double for
black swan ,
has spoken out to let everyone know that she did the tricky stuff .
“black swan” director darren aronofsky issued this statement on the furor today : “here is the reality . i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film . 111 are natalie portman untouched . 28 are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math that’s 75 % natalie portman . ”
the release of
black swan
in the united kingdom was brought forward from february 11 to january 21 , 2011 .
black swan
went on to gross over $ 106 million in the united states and over $ 329 million worldwide .
[ xviii ] decca aitkenhead , “vincent cassel : black swan theory” , the guardian , 21 january 2011 . ( urltoken )
' twenty - eight are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math , that ' s 80 percent natalie portman . '
in a written statement , “black swan” director darren aronofsky said , “here is the reality . i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film — 111 are natalie portman untouched . twenty - eight are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math , that’s 80 percent natalie portman . ”
in a new 20 / 20 interview airing tonight , natalie portman ' s dance double from black swan gives her first tv interview explaining why she thinks the filmmakers need to come clean about the amount of dancing the star actually did for the oscar - winning role .
“there are 139 dance shots in the film , ” he says . “111 are natalie portman untouched . 28 are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math that’s 80 % natalie portman . ”
[ v ] pamela jahn , “black swan : interview with darren aronofsky” , electric sheep , 16 january 2011 . ( urltoken )
[ xiv ] pamela jahn , “black swan : interview with darren aronofsky” , electric sheep , 16 january 2011 . ( urltoken )
[ xxii ] terry gross , “to become a “black swan” , portman had to go dark” , npr , 30 november 2010 .
natalie portman wedding : ' black swan ' actress marries benjamin millepied
. the huffington post . august 5 , 2012 .
there are others who are more savagely competitive and sensual such as lily ( mila kunis ) , who becomes nina’s understudy . the white swan is odette and the black swan is odile and in this movie , each character is also a symbolic character . nina is the white swan . the sexy new dancer from the west coast , lily ( mila kunis ) , is the black swan .
the lack of double - casting is a superficial way in which “black swan” diverges from reality . more fundamentally , wistrich says , a dancer with nina’s severe emotional immaturity wouldn’t survive in a major ballet company .
one other notable thing : the difference in body types between “the red shoes” and “black swan . ” considering the recent controversy between the “new york times” dance critic and a certain prima ballerina , it’s interesting to see what real ballerinas looked like in the 1940s compared to how one perceives they should look in the 2010s .
as e ! online points out , this is just the latest controversy for portman , who has become a popular target seemingly from the moment she hit the stage to accept her academy award for her role in
black swan
as a ballerina who becomes unhinged after landing the lead role in
swan lake .
wendy perron , editor - in - chief of dance magazine , a choreographer and a dancer , said she knew of lane’s role in “black swan” and wondered why a soloist ballerina whose technical skills were vital to the complicated dance sequences was being cast out of the limelight .
update ( 3 / 26 ) : black swan fimmakers issue statement : “natalie did most of the dancing featured in the film . ”
actor vincent cassel also compared black swan to polanski ' s early works and additionally compared it to david cronenberg ' s early works .
[ iv ] adam batty , “black swan : interview with darren aronofsky” , clothes on film , 17 january 2011 . ( urltoken )
a month after natalie portman took home the oscar for her portrayal of a prima ballerina in darren aronofsky ' s dark thriller
black swan ,
controversy erupted regarding whether she had actually performed the dances in the film . portman ' s ballet body double , sarah lane , claimed that the majority of the dancing was performed by professionals .
in a written statement ,
black swan
director darren aronofsky said ,
here is the reality . i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film - - 111 are natalie portman untouched . twenty - eight are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math , that ' s 80 percent natalie portman .
ballet dancer benjamin millepied talks about fiance natalie portman , what he learned working on ' black swan ' and what projects are up next .
i dont know why ppl involved in the black swan movie just dont give credit where credit is due to her stand - in dancers .
wendy perron , editor - in - chief of dance magazine , a choreographer and a dancer , said she knew of lane ' s role in
black swan
and wondered why a soloist ballerina whose technical skills were vital to the complicated dance sequences was being cast out of the limelight .
sarah lane says
black swan
producers asked her to keep quiet on her role . watch the full episode from 20 / 20 : urltoken
natalie portman doesn ' t keep the oscar she won for black swan on display because it would be like ' worshiping a false idol . '
to recap the story , prince seigfried is walking in the forest and meets odette , who has been turned into the white swan by an evil sorcerer . they dance to tchaikovsky’s divine score , and he vows eternal love . the next night , the sorcerer appears at the castle with odette’s double , the black swan , odile . in a glittering dance famous for its 32 consecutive fouetté turns , odile captivates the prince and makes him break his vow .
sprouting feathers , nina ' s arms start to become black wings as she finally loses herself and is transformed into a black swan . at the end of the act , she receives a standing ovation from the audience .
nina auditions for the part , performing flawlessly as the white swan , but she is unable to emulate the characteristics of the black swan . upset , she approaches thomas and asks him to reconsider her as the lead role . thomas forcibly kisses nina which causes a change of character & bites him , convincing him that she has the ferocity to play the black swan .
here is the reality ,
aronofsky said in a statement put out by fox searchlight , the studio behind
black swan .
i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film - - 111 are natalie portman untouched , 28 are her dance - double sarah lane . if you do the math , that ' s 80 percent natalie portman .
perron wrote her opinion in a blog that was soon picked up in the national media , and “black swan” filmmakers moved swiftly to defend their star .
when aronofsky proposed a detailed outline of black swan to universal pictures , the studio decided to fast - track development of the project in january 2007 .
in “the new yorker , ” joan acocella describes ballet movies as a genre and finds that “black swan” is a variation of “the red shoes . ”
thanks to reader jeff ( who i noticed is also mentioned in perron’s blog , linked to above ) for pointing me to the controversy .
in a way , the authenticity with which black swan highlights this particular dimension of ballet draws attention to what aronofsky left out : the thrill of moving , the joy of creating art with your body , the high of a great performance . black swan is a brilliant snapshot of ballet’s dark side . but , although we all know the vicious black swan is the sexier role , it’s too bad moviegoers will miss out on seeing the beauty of the white .
[ viii ] katey rich , “interview : darren aronofsky on music , scares and gender in black swan” , cinemablend , 2 december 2010 . ( urltoken )
[ xv ] katey rich , “interview : darren aronofsky on music , scares and gender in black swan” , cinemablend , 2 december 2010 . ( urltoken )
the whole dance world , natalie and her dance shot counting director all pretended or believed she became the dance for this role . they had young ballerinas in training believing portman learned the dance in her off time between gigs . i saw them online constantly , so that is true . the lie sold tickets and stole awards .
the black swan controversy keeps on spinning . in an interview with abc’s 20 / 20 that aired friday , sarah lane — the dance double who has contended portman did “5 percent” of the full - body dancing in the film — said that the filmmakers who have come to portman’s defense are “completely lying . ” director darren aronofsky said in a statement last month that , of the 139 dance shots in the film , 111 are of portman “untouched , ” while 28 are of lane : “if you do the math , that’s 80 percent natalie portman . ”
portman has kept quiet since the war of words began last week , but she was very candid about using a dance double for the complicated routines in interviews before the oscars .
sarah lane , who served as natalie portman’s dance double in the ballet drama “black swan , ” says she “definitely” wasn’t given the credit she feels she deserves for her work on the movie . portman’s performance won the oscar for best actress at the academy awards earlier this year ; she didn’t thank lane from the stage . now , with a debate about her contributions to the film brewing on the web , lane is speaking out . the dvd of “black swan” is due out this tuesday .
critics and fans cheered as natalie portman danced her way to a best actress win in the movie “black swan” at this year’s academy awards . now wendy perron , editor in chief of dance magazine , is questioning whether enough credit has been given to sarah lane , who performed some of the actress’ dance moves in the movie .
it seems ballerina sarah lane just isn ' t ready to drop the black swan controversy yet . she is speaking out again about the fact that she did most of the dancing in black swan and producers told her to keep quiet about it . black swan director darren aronofsky has come to actress natalie portman ' s defense refuting the claims that portman only did about 5 percent of the dancing in her oscar - winning role . now , lane is speaking out in an interview with abc news ' 20 / 20 , claiming that she was featured in most of the film ' s full body shots . however , black swan editor andy weisblum tells 20 / 20 that lane is exaggerating what she did in the film . check out the clip below : sarah lane on 20 / 20
perron wrote her opinion in a blog that was soon picked up in the national media , and
black swan
filmmakers moved swiftly to defend their star .
[ xii ] peter knegt , “darren aronofsky , natalie portman and winona ryder on the making of black swan” , indiewire , 21 august 2014 . ( urltoken )
in the days that followed , others associated with the film have rushed to defend portman , who won her first academy award for her performance in “black swan . ” on saturday , “black swan”‘s distributor fox searchlight released a statement in which they praised lane’s double work but asserted that “natalie herself did most of the dancing featured in the final film . ” and just yesterday , director darren aronofsky released his own statement :
in other words , forget what he said earlier , he’s not going to stake his professional dance reputation on performing publicly with her . he knows the truth . but he’s willing to say what he needs to to protect his black swan connections .
the consistent contempt and double standards the mainstream media shows vs . anything remotely connected to the right…
jennifer beals dance double , marine jahan , told
entertainment tonight
that producers hid her involvement because
they didn ' t want to break the magic of the film .
announced that millepied had accepted the position of director of dance , beginning september 2014 .
sarah lane is upset over the controversy surrounding her , natalie portman and “ black swan “ , because she feels many people view her as greedy and angry over the misrepresentation of her contribution to the film , especially the request made by the film’s producer that she not give any interviews prior to the academy awards .
update , 5 : 50 p . m . est : director darren aronofsky released a statement today via fox searchlight to defend natalie portman’s performance in “black swan . ”
black swan
producers told lane to keep quiet , according to an april article in huffington post . lane could not be reached for comment for this story .
it is an incredibly confronting moment of violence , and is arguably the point at which black swan makes its ultimate transition from paranoid drama to full - blown horror .
here is the reality . i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film—111 are natalie portman untouched . twenty - eight are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math , that ' s 80 percent natalie portman .
‘i was also very interested in dostoyevsky’s the double , ’ he explained , ‘which is a story about a guy who wakes up and his double’s there – it starts to replace his life . and then i went to see a production of swan lake , which i thought was just a bunch of girls in tutus . i didn’t know what it was . then i saw that there was a black swan and white swan , both played by the same dancer , and it was kind of a eureka moment : i was like , “oh wow , so there’s a double…” then it started to come together . ’ [ iii ]
she thanks her hair and makeup people but not her dance double ? ? ? ? ? ? no not everyone thanks their doubles but they don’t thank their hair and makeup people either .
natalie portman may be keeping quiet , but her “black swan” director darren aronofsky isn’t . after sarah lane , portman’s body double , claimed in an interview friday the oscar winner had only performed 5 % of her full body dance sequences on screen aronofsky has issued a statement to ew making it clear the american ballet theatre soloist knows not of what she speaks .
' i do have a double for the complicated turning stuff , ' portman told ew last november .
knerr says that lane plans to discuss her career , experiences and her role in
black swan
during a 30 - minute q & a after the master class .
ironically , a film about a ballerina who is haunted by a doppelganger is dealing with critical comments being made by a dance double who worked on the movie–and now the director is weighing in .
85 : seconds of the first dance sequence that portman allegedly danced alone , on pointe .
speaking of perfect natalie and how she does everything perfectly , forever , there’s a new chapter in the ongoing saga of “ who the hell did the dancing in black swan ? ” i know , you thought it was over , right ? i’m not even going to recap everything , just know that natalie’s dance double sarah lane has been claiming for a month now that she did all of the big dance sequences in black swan , and everybody else from the film has been like “no , natalie is perfect ! ! ” the last chapter we had was natalie portman finally saying something about the controversy – and referring to it as “nastiness” . because sarah lane = nasty to perfect natalie . well , sarah lane sat down for an interview with abc news… and she makes some good points :
her claims to entertainment weekly come following portman ' s fiancé and black swan choreographer benjamin millepied saying earlier this week that natalie had performed most of the moves in the film .
. as incentives for the contest winner , she offered her designer rodarte dress , worn at the red carpet premier of black swan , along with tickets to her next premiere .
all this drama and controversy surrounding the movie reminds me of the drama , competition and hatred there is in the real world of ballet . it’s kind of ironic .
“i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film . 111 are natalie portman untouched . 28 are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math that’s 80 % natalie portman . what about duration ? the shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second . there are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement . even so , if we were judging by time over 90 % would be natalie portman . ”
in march , lane , a soloist with the american ballet theatre , told entertainment weekly that the public had been misled about how much dancing portman did in
black swan .
sarah lane , an acclaimed dancer with the american ballet theatre , served as natalie portman’s dance double in the movie “black swan . ” shortly before the movie was released on dvd this week , a controversy was kicked up about who actually performed the bulk of the ballet in the film , which tells the story of a dancer who loses her mind but finds her true artistic self . director darren aronofsky claims that portman , who won an oscar for her role , performed 75 % of the on - screen dancing in the movie , while lane says portman performed only about 5 % . the wall street journal asked portman and lane to write essays about their experiences on “black swan . ” portman , through a representative , declined . ( you can read the director’s defense of portman here . ) after the jump , you can read lane’s take on “black swan , ” screen credit , and her love of ballet .
both movies featured dance doubles that felt snubbed . the only difference seems to be the oscar .
it will be bittersweet for the sacramento state dance company as founder linda goodrich prepares to retire .
btw , urltoken has an article about the body double for portman from her new movie , your highness . it was the body double who actually dived into that cold lake in belfast , because portman didnt want to .
swan
one of the best mangas you ' ve never heard of . . .
another inventive element of black swan is its remarkable score , produced by regular aronofsky composer clint mansell – formerly of the band pop will eat itself . rather than develop melodies himself , mansell adapted and remixed pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky’s own compositions for the swan lake ballet . he also worked with the electronic music group the chemical brothers to develop the film’s occasional sections of dance music .
after making the fountain in aronofsky & producer mike medavoy had screenwriter john mclaughlin rewrite
the understudy ,
aronofsky said mclaughlin
took my idea of swan lake and the ballet and put [ the story ] into the ballet world and changed the title to black swan .
the critic said of the thematic mashup ,
aronofsky . . . never succeeds in wedding genre elements to the world of ballet . . . white swan / black swan dynamics almost work , but the horror - movie nonsense drags everything down the rabbit hole of preposterousness .
the black swan controversy keeps on spinning . in an interview with abc’s 20 / 20 that aired friday , sarah lane — the dance double who has contended portman did “5 percent” of the full - body dancing in the film — said that the filmmakers who have come to portman’s defense are “completely lying . ” director darren aronofsky said in a statement last month that , of the 139 dance shots in the film , 111 are of portman “untouched , ” while 28 are of lane : “if you do the math , that’s 80 percent natalie portman . ” “i’m not speaking because i feel like i should be heralded , ” lane said to 20 / 20′s elizabeth vargas .
“here is the reality . i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film . 111 are natalie portman untouched . 28 are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math that’s 80 % natalie portman . what about duration ? the shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second . there are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement . even so , if we were judging by time over 90 % would be natalie portman .
here is the reality . i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film . 111 are natalie portman untouched . 28 are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math that’s 80 % natalie portman . what about duration ? the shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second . there are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement . even so , if we were judging by time over 90 % would be natalie portman .
last week , a silly controversy erupted over how much dancing natalie portman did in black swan . benjamin millepied , the film’s choreographer ( and portman’s finacee ) told the la times that portman did “85 percent” of the dancing in the film . her dancing double sarah lane responded by telling ew that portman’s work only comprised 5 percent of the full body shots . lane also says there was a cover - up and that producers asked her not to speak so as not to jeopardize portman’s oscar chances . now director darren aronofsky has stepped in to try and put the matter to rest . he says that the of 139 dance shots in the movie , 111 are portman and 28 are lane . hit the jump for his full statement and my thoughts on this “controversy” .
[ xi ] lisa rosen , “barbara hershey’s intimate dance” , los angeles times , 18 november 2010 .
the company is preparing to open the season with the
swan lake
and he director , thomas leroy ( vincent cassel ) , is looking for a new principal dancer after he forces another dancer , beth macintyre ( winona ryder ) into retirement . thomas wants the same ballerina to portray the innocent , fragile white swan as well as her mysterious , sensual twin , the black swan .
20 / 20 segment - excellent little documentary . really helps you understand why lane ( and ballet ) deserves more credit . includes beautiful footage of lane dancing , and interview with her , and interview with wendy perron , the dance magazine blogger who helped bring this controversy to light .
“here is the reality . i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film . 111 are natalie portman untouched . 28 are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math that”s 75 % natalie portman . what about duration ? the shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second . there are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement . even so , if we were judging by time over 90 % would be natalie portman , ” aronofsky says .
natalie portman ' s ballerina double says she deserves credit for role in film . for more , click here : urltoken
i wonder if np didn’t win the oscar for her performance would this be a big deal to the body double… .
this seemed a trifle odd , because black swan really didn’t seem like the sort of movie that critics and award ceremonies liked to praise . they were correct in that the film is heavily influenced by roman polanski’s early films – particularly repulsion – and they were also correct in that portman’s performance really is exceptional . what most critics and audiences seemed to miss was that black swan was a horror film .
according to the website , the critical consensus is ,
bracingly intense , passionate , and wildly melodramatic , black swan glides on darren aronofsky ' s bold direction—and a bravura performance from natalie portman .
while most moviegoers would not immediately catagorize “ black swan ” as a special effects film , by digitally imposing lane’s movements into portman’s performance , the question is raised of special effects vs . actor’s abilities .
in
black swan ,
portman played a talented and tormented ballerina , whose searing descent into madness is mirrored by her incredible dancing on stage . but a recent controversy sprang up after lane claimed to not only have danced in some of the movie ' s most unforgettable scenes that earned portman a best actress oscar , and that filmmakers asked her to refrain from talking about her role .
last week a minor controversy rose up around black swan , when natalie portman ‘s body double sarah lane claimed that fox searchlight had prohibited her from doing interviews before the oscars so that voters would believe that portman had done the majority of her dancing in the film . portman ' s fiance / baby - daddy benjamin millepied responded to the original article , claiming that the academy award winner had done “85 % ” of her dancing . now , director darren aronofsky has issued a statement defending his star and himself .
‘here is the reality , ’ said aronofsky , ‘i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film . 111 are natalie portman untouched . 28 are her dance double sarah lane . if you do the math that’s 80 % natalie portman . what about duration ? the shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second . there are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement . even so , if we were judging by time over 90 % would be natalie portman . ’ [ xxxii ]
it ' s hard to believe the world is still talking about how much ballet dancing oscar winner natalie portman performed while shooting black swan , but here you go : in an exclusive interview with 20 / 20 - - that was tweeted out by @ breakingnews of all places ! - - portman ' s dance double sarah lane goes on the record , again , to discuss what might be the myth of natalie portman : ballet queen .
here is the reality . i had my editor count shots . there are 139 dance shots in the film . 111 are natalie portman untouched . 28 are her dance double sarah lane ,
aronofsky said .
if you do the math that ' s 80 % natalie portman . what about duration ? the shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second . there are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement . even so , if we were judging by time over 90 % would be natalie portman .
[ … ] portman did behave unethically regarding her honors for “black swan . ” check the transcript of her academy award acceptance speech . she thanks many people connected with the film , but never [ … ]
he said : while the visual - effects studio involved with black swan , look effects , did not respond to several phone calls and emails from the daily beast , black swan director aronofsky confessed to entertainment weekly , “there are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement . ” millepied added in an interview with the los angeles times that they achieved long dance sequences without heavy use of cgi “by getting more movement going , which in turn added to the camera movement—that is basically what i did . if we had kept things more classical , more restrained , less fluid , it would have been harder to trick the eye . ”
but it appears as if it ' s a bigger deal when it ' s a dancing double as opposed to a singing double , as famously used by natalie wood in
west side story
or audrey hepburn in
my fair lady .
sarah lane , natalie portman’s dance double in “black swan , ” told the wall street journal this weekend that she did the overwhelming majority of the dancing in the film . “i should specify the actual percentage of dancing that natalie did , ” lane said in one email . “they are saying that it was 85 - 90 % of the dancing but i can tell you honestly that it was about 5 % of the on - screen dancing . ”
[ … ] fictionmachine . ( 2015 ) “i just want to be perfect . ” | black swan ( 2010 ) . 5th august . [ online ] [ accessed on 1st november 2016 ] urltoken [ … ]
photos : courtesy kimberly prosa debra levine writes about dance for the los angeles times . she blogs on arts•meme .
when you ' re hired to be someone ' s body double , shut the fuck up and stop being bitter about it .
for lane , the silver lining in this controversy may just be that ballet is taking center stage in a national discussion . an unanticipated opportunity to share the commitment and dedication of all ballet dancers .
according to westcott :
controversy is too complimentary a word for two people using their considerable self - publicising resources to loudly complain about their credit once they realized how good the film is .
but while those teapot - based tempests just show the kind of crap celebrities have to deal with once they become successful , the allegations by lane are a bit more serious , as they call into question the very reasons portman won the oscar in the first place . lane , it should be noted , is listed simply as an extra in the
black swan
credits , rather than a double - - and if you ask portman ' s baby daddy ,
black swan
choreographer benjamin millepied , this is all just a case of sour grapes .
lane points out dancing was the real star of the film . “it was everything to the movie . it’s called “ black swan . ” she’s a ballerina who goes crazy . you can’t make it realistic if you don’t have realistic dancing . it was a huge part of movie . and i know that’s why they wanted to hire a soloist or a principal from one of the biggest ballet companies in the world to be the double . i’m not just any double that you get , i’m not a stunt double that goes in and crashes through a mirror . it’s a lot different what i do . ”
as a movie , “the black swan” does have some excellent special effects . like perron , we liked the on - stage transformation of nina into a black swan with wings , but we also thought aronosky went overboard with the cgi . the moment nina plucks a feather from her skin reminded us of the 1986 version of “the fly” with jeff goldblum . nina’s leg becoming more anatomically like a swan’s seemed silly since people rarely notice the different joint leverage when drawing . too much was revealed , taking away much of the thrill of this thriller .
granted , the movie’s success has far less to do with its ballet - world setting than with its psychosexual horror story . nevertheless , “black swan” has generated heightened interest in city ballet of san diego’s “tchaikovsky spectacular” program .
fox searchlight pictures distributed
black swan
and gave it a production budget of $ 10–12 million . the principal photography was achieved using super 16 mm cameras and began in new york city toward the end of 2009 .
benjamin millepied ,
black swan ' s
choreographer - actor who is now portman ' s fiance and the father of her baby , also dismissed lane ' s claims in an interview with the los angeles times .
the blindness worked both ways : i was struck at the time by how few horror film enthusiasts were talking about it . while the arthouse crowd greedily consumed black swan , the horror fans seemed to generally stay away .
is it ' strictly ' fever or has ballet become trendy ? whatever the reason , dance is definitely getting more exposure in popular culture . here are the some of the best adverts using ballet and dance to sell their products .
he said : in a word , no . although portman failed to mention her dance double in any acceptance speeches or interviews—as is customary in hollywood—and there’s no mention of lane anywhere in a black swan featurette that’s surfaced online centered on portman’s grueling , five - hour - a - day ballet training , in a feature on the film published in the new york times back on nov . 26 , at least some credit is given to lane . “the difficult pointe work and turns were performed by a body double , sarah lane , the american ballet theater soloist , ” wrote the times’s julie bloom .
spotted out with her fiancé and baby ' s father benjamin millepied , 33 , in new york today , she has since remained cordial about the controversy , saying she does not wish to get involved .
amy westcott is credited as the costume designer for the movie and received several award nominations . a publicized controversy arose regarding the question of who had designed 40 ballet costumes for natalie portman and the dancers .
ciara and husband russell wilson dance as they head to south africa for their honeymoon . . . two years after wedding
' she definitely put her work in , ' prosa , one of her dance doubles , told the huffington post .
i enjoyed my chat with dancer kimberly prosa , one of two body doubles for actress natalie portman in darren aronofsky ' s black swan . the film , a psychological thriller with dazzling special effects , opens nationwide december 3 .
review aggregator rotten tomatoes gave
black swan
a score of 87 % based on reviews from 273 critics , with natalie portman ' s performance being lauded & reports a rating average of 8 . 2 out of 10 .
1 . there was a huge amount of controversy surrounding the use of portman ' s body double , sarah lane . lane claims that only 5 % of the full body shots shown in the final ' black swan ' were portman herself , and yet her involvement was played down by the film ' s stars . it has even been suggested that digital enhancement was used post - production in certain scenes to put portman ' s head onto lane ' s body . as i have said above , i think portman did a great job in her role and have no problem with her use of a body double for the more difficult ballet movements . but lane ' s contribution should have been properly acknowledged .
this controversy is so inside and stupid . it is obvious that there are disgruntled people ( and lane has cause for not getting proper credit at the end of the film ) but my god , enough !
this whole thing started when wendy perron of dance magazine wrote a blog entry about the black swan blackout . see urltoken . then millepied responded with his la times interview , and then lane responded . and then comes the 20 / 20 story . with all the attention the story got , i just don’t believe that lane pitched it to abc .
sarah lane , a soloist with the american ballet theatre who worked as natalie ' s dance double on the oscar - winning film , continues to claim the 29 - year - old actress did hardly any of the full body shots seen in the movie .
however , lane has no reason to be upset , according to both
black swan
director darren aronofsky and choreographer benjamin millepied , who also served as portman ' s dance partner and is now her fiance . aronofsky released a statement in late march refuting lane ' s accusations that she had done about 95 % of the on - screen dancing .
friday’s edition of abc’s 20 / 20 featured an interview with abt ballet dancer sarah lane , natalie portman’s body double in the film black swan . according to lane , producers of the film wished to keep quiet about the extent of her appearances in the film . meanwhile , several people involved in making the film have claimed that portman performed about 85 % of her own dancing . dance magazine’s wendy perron also weighed in on the topic appearing on 20 / 20 and writing with this article .
recently , there has been some controversy regarding a ballerina named sarah lane and her performance in the film , black swan . she has come out to announce that she performed most of the dancing and that natalie portman , who recieved an oscar for her acting in the film , is getting most of the credit . not surprisingly , the producers and even director darren aronofsky have asked lane to keep this situation hush hush . in the credits , the american ballet theater soloist is listed as a “body double” with no mention at all for the dancing that she was hired to execute .
kirk honeycutt of the hollywood reporter gave
black swan
a mixed review , writing :
[ black swan ] is an instant guilty pleasure , a gorgeously shot , visually complex film whose badness is what ' s so good about it . you might howl at the sheer audacity of mixing mental illness with the body - fatiguing , mind - numbing rigors of ballet , but its lurid imagery and a hellcat competition between two rival dancers is pretty irresistible .
board members often have experience in the for - profit sector that can be invaluable to dance companies . photo via thinkstock .
shaina branfman baira and bryan strimpel baira dance outside their home . photo by effy grey | effyography , courtesy the bairas .
[ when prosa ' s gnarly feet were shown in preview screenings of black swan , they elicited gasps of horror ( but yawns in a ballet studio ) . they ' re the result of special - effects make - up . ]
contractually , lane said there was no clause in her contract stating that she could not speak out about what went on behind the scenes although she said black swan producer ari handel did specifically tell her not to talk about the film .
a claim by natalie portman’s ballet double from the movie black swan alleging that the oscar - winning actress did not perform the majority of that film’s dance sequences has quickly been challenged . sarah lane , the american ballet theatre soloist who doubled for portman during some of that film’s most difficult dance sequences , told entertainment weekly that the oscar - winning actress did only 5 percent “of the full body shots” in the film . but the filmmakers insist that simply isn’t the case , saying in a joint statement released by fox searchlight , “we were fortunate to have sarah there to cover the more complicated dance sequences and we have nothing but praise for the hard work she did . however , natalie herself did most of the dancing featured in the final film . ”