No Signal (and other cellular drama)
A montage of the most overused horror-cinema plot device, post-2000.
Posted by Cell Phone Pictures on December 17th, 2009 :: Filed under Cell Phone Pictures
Tags :: cellular, drama, Horror Cinema, Plot Device, Signal
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December 17th, 2009
You got a signal here?
Just games, haha
December 17th, 2009
The hills have eyes was a funny example, they even lampshaded the trope. And as for the mist, I always thought it put out some kind of EM field that messed with the phones. How that affected the landlines though…
December 17th, 2009
haha go ahead hollywood
December 17th, 2009
lol ikr?
Failens
December 17th, 2009
haha thats alot of cell phone drama
December 17th, 2009
In the kind of film where they’re trapped in a huge forest/desert/mountain range, in the rain, at night you could perfectly feasibly have them call for help, then show the occasional cutaway to a search attempt that’s bound to take a while. Could even add some suspense if done well, since it puts a vague time limit on the threat.
Two examples; Open Water and Flight of the Phoenix, in both of which the protagonists know someone’s looking for them but also know it’s gonna take ages.
December 17th, 2009
Great Video.
Miss “What Lies Beneath” in which there is a big scene with Michelle Pfeiffer trying to reach the bridge for a signal
December 17th, 2009
Um… missing Chakushin Ari, where it’s all about the cellphone (but you would’ve had to add the whole movie) even though there’s the American copy… still, great video.
December 17th, 2009
hahaha what the hell 3:17
December 17th, 2009
This is why I avoid alot of ‘action’, ‘horror’ or ‘thriller’ films. The screenwriters and directors just keep repeating the same cliche gimmicky shit.
December 17th, 2009
There was an Open Water 2?
December 17th, 2009
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It’s not a lie. If you don’t want an Apple iPhone do NOT visit this site.
nice movie, anyway…
December 17th, 2009
No-one has ever written dialogue in which there is full signal in a horror film. Can you imagine what it would be like?
Fucking awkward;
“OMG Zombies are eating my leg! AHH!”
“Mate are you high again?”
December 17th, 2009
This kind of thing has been popping up recently (esprcially in horror and thriller movies) as an excuse why people can’t just call for help to get them out of the situation. Because if they could… well the movie would only be 10 minutes long.
Ocassionally realistic but way overused. You know, it doesn’t really matter if you can call for help, if nobody can get to where you are fast enough for it to do you any good… why not use that instead?
December 17th, 2009
Nothing can save you now Paris…
December 17th, 2009
This was really clever. And you put in a couple of movies I really love. And you used mostly horror and thriller films with the exception of Cellular.
Nicely done.
December 17th, 2009
“Wait a minute…..this has happened before”
December 17th, 2009
Ahaha. This is brilliant. And how ironic is it that there’s no signal in the movie “The Signal”? xD
December 17th, 2009
the worst movies with the worst signal….
December 17th, 2009
Of course people know that.
But it gets old real fast.
December 17th, 2009
This must have taken ages to compile. Great job and nicely edited. Now get out and get some fresh air
Very well done!
December 17th, 2009
You do realize that the cliche of “no signal” is supposed to draw on our fears of being isolated and alone right?
Still, the vid made me chuckle. Great work!
December 18th, 2009
I agree! I have been searching for a video like that for ages!
December 18th, 2009
Everyone in the movies must have T-mobile.
December 18th, 2009
Wow I’m glad cell phones in real life are a lot more reliable than in movies.