5000 movies: Go!

Probably because the Orbison track speaks more to the nature of Lynch's filmmaking on a whole.  His movies are typically described as surreal and nightmarish, and basically declaring that by using "In Dreams" probably left an impression on alot of reviewers and moviegoers.  Plus, it's used in what are probably…

Lynch and Badalamenti?

Yes you are.

MEMPHIS BELLE

I'm really starting to like this interpretation, (maybe because I secretly enjoy Signs alot, and now can feel justified!), but for me there's still a bit too much misdirection pointing towards aliens.  I haven't seen it in a few years in it's entirety, just glimpses on tv here and there, but I recall it's a global…

That's actually really interesting, and does make a good deal of sense, I'd like to read that article if you ever find it.  On the other hand, though, the movie is called "Signs" and focuses on crop circles quite heavily.  They "could' be demons as written in the story, but using the title and entire premise of your…

Yeah, I actually still like the whole "everything for a reason" aspect of the plot, I'm kind of a sucker for random threads coming together like that, and that part of the movie still works, at least for me.  But that was all in service of Gibson regaining his faith by interpreting the seemingly random occurrences as…

Is "Signs" a kind of counter-example, where there is just confusion and doubt the entire time, then in the big reveal the audience learns the aliens are the dumbest things of all time, and the one rule in the movie is the aliens are the worst?  I know it's well worn territory, but they are seemingly disastrously…

On the stray observations: Isn't the quote that the daughter is a petri dish with "pigtails"?

Don't you sully the memory of Ellie! 

Alan Rickman

It really is a great tactic.  When Nathan says Wilder / Coens I personally think of the giant firm in The Apartment, and Hudsucker Proxy, and how well it pays off.  That physical distortion pretty much sets up the whole alienated, small feeling that lesser movies would take 15-20 minutes of jarring artificial lights…

you really are angry.

My zipper got stuck…

I'm sure you can tie it in with all the crap imagery in Gravity's Rainbow and position the argument as Franzen being passed the disgusting, disgusting mantle. 

You could build it with a Corrections Set.

Isn't that exactly what the OP said?

I get why right off the bat people compare/contrast the two (subject matter, year of release, size and notability of cast, acclaimed directors), but they are actually quite similar, more flip sides of the same coin than ideological opposites.

Straight up called his bluff.