WHY DO WE want to scare ourselves? Why do we drag ourselves to a theater, first wanting to be frightened, and then acting as if someone had kidnapped us, strapped us in, and forced our eyelids open, a la “Clockwork Orange”? It’s strange that the definition of “entertainment” includes being terrified. Nevertheless, there I was with hundreds of other moviegoers watching “Signs,” M. Night Shyamalan’s latest supernatural thriller.

In one particular scene, we’re all hoping for something to jump out of the pantry. You can hear a pin drop. Mel Gibson looks in closer. And closer. You can see a shadow roaming back and forth underneath the closed door. Gibson’s character crouches, leans in against the crack of the door, and tries to sneak a peek. People in the audience are murmuring, “Oh no,” and “Don’t do it.” Too late. In complete silence, the camera zooms right to the edge of the floor, where the shadow appears. Even the air in the theater is still.