If Hitchcock had directed Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind

Rating: 7/10 (11 August 2002)

Newsweek called Shyamalan the next Spielberg. I'll go them one better. He's the next Alfred Hitchcock, a much better fit and a much better director to be compared with. Shyamalan doesn't seem to be the type who would hide a script so that only he could get his hands on it (as with Jaws). Nor would he lie about characters in his film (the origin of Indy's name). Nor would he blame others for the failure of one of his films (I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Hook, Goonies). Spielberg has done all of these things, and has lost any credibility he ever had, along with his story telling ability. No, Shyamalan will be more like Hitchcock, someone who knows how to weave an excellent tale without smarminess, pretentiousness or pointless screenplays. This is what CE3K should have been, rich in details that mean something. While Encounters was all pretty pictures and hollow characters, every scene in Signs added a layer to the climax, with people we could know. I won't spoil this wonderful film with any details. It covered a lot of different subjects while scaring me into silence during the last half. Like the best of Hitchcock's films, it will leave you a bit disturbed as you walk out of the theater. Very well done. RATING: 7 out of 10 on first look. Probably higher next time.