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Two Tons Of CLOVERFIELD Reviews Rampage Onto The Site!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
This is the only one of these giant reader e-mail round-ups I’m going to post for CLOVERFIELD, but I wanted to give everyone in the inbox a chance to make their voice heard.
I’ve seen the film. I’ll post a review later tonight. Right now, I’m interested in reading this wide range of reactions before I start getting into my own.
Check out talkback superstar Messi with his take on it:
This might be the first talkbacker Cloverfield review. maybe not. i'm pretty sure it is.
Anyway it's talkbacker messi
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I just came back from watching it. First off there was the Star Trek Teaser.
It starts off with audio quotes about space, there were three of them, I don't remember what they were except the last one which was by JFK. Then it says "From Director J.J Abrams" and it blacks in and out of shots showing the Enterprise being built, but it's like they were building it now, in our time period. Guys on top of it welding it together, cranes etc. It shows a few shots of that and the last shot is a side shot showing the name of the ship USS ENTERPRISE, then the voice "space. the final frontier" and then it shows a faded in and out version of the Emblem and then "The Future Begins" and "Under Construction Christmas 2008". Yes. The ship looks awesome. Even though you don't get to see it in full view.
To Cloverfield. The whole thing is filmed from a video camera, but it's not bad, it's not a bad thing. I thought even though the trailer showed the potential in the idea of a monster movie filmed from a camcorder to make it seem realistic, that after a while it would would hurt your eyes because of crazy camera work. But not so. There is crazy camera work at places but for the most part it's steady and just when the action beats start where they are running or something crazy is happening does it go crazy and yes it does feel realistic. In fact very realistic.
This is a big movie by the way, the scale. I mean most big scale movies have certain set pieces that are choreographed to show certain destruction etc but this monster(which isn't humanoid by the way) fucks up ALL of Manhattan, there is no limit to what they intend the monster to do. Manhattan is up for grabs.
The start of the movie has it establishing the main players including that guy Rob(from the trailer) and this girl who he has a romantic connection with then people at the party. It's handled really well and you know who these people are when shit goes down. Everything is paced perfectly and edited perfectly to set it up when the Monster attacks. So then the monster attacks and it's insane. It's very realistic well for what I imagine a monster attacking NY would be like, including people taking photos of the Statue of Liberty's head with their camera phones, looting stores etc. There's action beats and then a storyline created where during the evacuation the Rob guy has to go rescue said girl whom he has romantic feelings with. So everything unfolds like that.
What astounded me is like I said the scale, the set design, the way the story unfolds and what happens to the characters unfolds and how it's cut together. It's big. I mean the destruction is huge, everything is torn down. And the camera work is just great especially the way they edit it. When the main players are in the centre, the monster comes out, then an RPG missile flies past and the camera turns to show the military just giving it all they have and the monster fucking shit up. Intense. The shots they decided to use were genius, especially the way they show the Monster, and this shot of the players watching tv and the tv camera showing the monster drop pieces off itself which turn into these fast moving big dog size spiders and the military trying to shoot them down. Yes, visually it is very good.
I loved how there is no explanation, it's just a monster attacking a city, people trying to survive, the military dealing with it the best way they can(they are just there, we don't know what they are going to do, what their plans are which is awesome) and then just seeing how it unfolds. I think the hype was well deserved, this is a very entertaining movie that brings a twist to something classic. This is what Godzilla 98 should have been, at least entertainment wise. Sure the Blair Witch Project had this idea before. But that movie didn't have a Giant fucking Monster destroying New York....Sinestro Corps War!
messi
I would imagine most people will enjoy the film as an experience. It’s certainly something you should see theatrically if you’re going to judge it properly. And you should pick the theater with the very best soundsystem available to you, and if possible, tip the projectionist to turn it up to unsafe levels.
Here’s one of the last reviews to show up in the inbox, arriving just under the wire:
Okay, so you probably have a million of these in your inbox, but I always like to look at overcrowded markets and shout 'ME TOO!'.
I would imagine some of this will be a little spoilerish, as I tend to waffle when I write.
So I sat down to see Cloverfield this afternoon. The first thing I thought was 'this is meant to be on a handheld camera, and yet they manage to make it look clearer by a million miles than The Bourne Ultimatum. Why is that? I mean, how did the Bourne people stray so far from the difference between static and realistic. Seriously, that movie made me want to throw up.
But I'm getting way off point.
The previews for this movie, most I'd seen half a dozen times, until the Bad Robot Logo and the Paramount logo came up, and I was treated to a scene depicting the construction of the Enterprise. That right there was worth the money, it was a thing of beauty, and then Leonard Nimoy, man I was psyched.
And then Cloverfield started.
I've been to that party. The one with everyone saying goodbye to the person who was basically the lynchpin of the group, so that person can go off and lead their big life somewhere else. The party is full of people who love the person, and of course one or two who don't even know who he is. But it's going to be a good party, I mean it has to be, it's the last party.
Of course, it doesn't work out that way.
I don't really understand Rob, but I do know how to give someone up to go somewhere better. There are days I wish I hadn't done it, but you do what you do, and the people you leave behind move on. Of course, Rob really comes up with the goods when he decides to go on his rescue mission. This is what I really liked about him. He decides that even though she's probably dead, and he'll probably die in the attempt, he has to try to save the girl. The beginning of the film, and the flashes every now and again remind us why Beth is just that important, why anyone would take such a risk.
This is something that sets this movie apart for me, it doesn't feel like it's scripted, it feels like these people are doing what people would do. They step up and prove their worth to one another over and over as they go on their quest. Some people would say 'real people wouldn't do that', but I say a real person should be willing to risk everything for someone else, be it in a small way, or a huge way like Rob Hawkins.
Now, the movie that came to my mind, when I first saw the Cloverfield teaser, was the Blair Witch Project. And at this point, if I didn't know better (and I don't, to be honest) the city of New York could well have been destroyed last May, by a giant monster, and there is now a massive government/corporate conspiracy to cover it up. I mean, I've never been to New York, it could be possible. That to me, is the level of conviction that this film has brought to the screen. It looks real enough, the thing doesn't look like a CGI monster, and Slusho (or Slurm, as I've taken to calling it) just might not have found its way to my peaceful island nation yet.
The only thing that really gives it away, is the fact that it clearly says it was written by Drew Goddard, the man behind the best (in my opinion) Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, Conversations with Dead People.
At the end of the film, as the credits started I noticed a lot of people get up and leave. For the love of god, DON'T! When the music starts, you'll thank me for that dramatic advice. The film has no score at all, the only music is the songs at the party, and unless I'm mistaken the occasional stray TV set or radio, and that does not keep up throughout. And then, at the end of the film as most people are heading back to their cars or whatever, the musical score comes to life. I closed my eyes and listened to it, and I could see the scenes and the people all over again, how the music would have played against this film, had it just been any old film. I heard Rob and Beth's love theme, the monster's theme, Hud's theme, even the little monsters (who do look a bit like baby versions of the Starship Troopers bugs) had their own theme. It was really a magical 7 or so minutes of music.
Just a quick thing I want to mention, Hud, as played (or voiced mostly) by T.J. Miller, is a comic genius. He's the guy you want in the nightmarish escape from a giant monster, he's the guy who can bring the funny to any situation. I won't tell you how or why, but I will say that he really made the movie, he was much better to have around than whiny Mike 'I kicked the map into the creek' Williams. Everything he does, from trying to pick up Marlena at the party, taking Lily's testimonal, all the way through to the end, it was all magic. From time to time he would put the camera down, and we'd be treated to a Hud on camera scene. These were basically the biggest 'shit hits the fan' moments, because they were enough to pull him away from the camera.
I'm going to go out on a limb and call this my movie of 2008. I know it's a little crazy to make that call in Mid January, but I just can't see any film brining it like this movie has done. And hell, with the writer's strike this year could always be the last year of real movies being made, so enjoy them while you can.
Nate...
So you liked it?
I’m glad to see the movie causing people to engage in such hyperbolic love letters. I always enjoy seeing people become so passionate about a film as soon as they’ve seen it. The people who fall in love with CLOVERFIELD, head over heels, are going to be unflappable in their convictions. I know why, too. What it imparts as an experience... it might not be for everybody, but for those who are open to it, it’s going to scratch an itch deeply and completely, in a way that will cause them to become very defensive when discussing it.
A quick reaction:
Hi Harry,
Long time visitor to your site, first time contributor.
My girlfriend and I have just returned from an advance screening of Cloverfield held at Melbourne's Crown Casino.
The event was organised by Universal Pictures and included a "Rob's Party" themed pre-drinks gathering in the foyer.
Someone was even walking around with a video camera asking us to say a special message for Rob.
Security was tight as we entered the theatre...all phones and other recording equipment were left with ushers and we were scanned by metal detectors.
Before the movie started, we were treated to a quick teaser trailer for JJ Abrams Star Trek movie showing "The Enterprise" under construction...very cool...
Then Cloverfield started.
Man...what an experience.
That monster tears New York city a a new arsehole.
It's tense, funny and when the lights came up, the audience sat in silence trying to comprehend what they had just seen.
I always judge how good a movie is by what my girlfriend says...and she fuckin loved it.
GO SEE CLOVERFIELD!!!!
But don't expect too many answers from the movie....after all, us geeks need something to talk about once it's over right?
If you use this scoop... call me Dirty.
Now, that enthusiasm is going to rub some people the wrong way. There’s nothing dishonest about the people who dislike CLOVERFIELD... I can name a dozen things that are valid complaints that are going to ruin the film for some viewers. But I think the people that dislike it are going to be irritated by the people who love it, and I think that anger’s going to be obvious when they discuss the film:
Will someone take the Cloverfield monster cock out of their mouths already?
We used to smarter. We use to be able to detect bull crap from a mile away. What has happened to us? In a time before now, we would recognize that all the gimmicky advertising and “cleaver” marketing was all part of a delusion. Just like in a magic trick, the filmmakers are trying to show us one hand while the other has their hand in our pockets robbing us blind. Or even worse, the other hand is jerking us off and then bluntly stopping before the big finish. Cloverfield is that unfinished hand job.
So they released a “mysterious” trailer. Basically every single movie releases a trailer. But then they had these mysterious websites. Profiles started to pop up on facebook and myspace. Amazing. Why haven’t other movies put anything on the world wide web? We creamed our pants because, oh my God, J.J. Adams is behind it. I’ll admit, at first I bite the bait.
Then some websites revealed that it was trying to go the whole Blair Witch and try to convince this did happen and the government kept it under wraps. If in fact they can keep something like this under wraps, that same government couldn’t stop the movie from being released? People went on digging. They found that the crew had various names for the projects. Another common thing in movie making. But even still, we all fell for and seem to be under some brainwashed spell.
I’m not against anyone’s opinion. People love it. People hate it, but there are a few reviews that admit the flaws of the movie yet say it was a good movie. Are we afraid to say that it is a bad movie? I for one will not be afraid. CLOVERFIELD IS A BAD MOVIE.
Not only is it a huge disappointment in terms of living up to the hype the filmmakers gave it, it goes against its concept, has weak characters and a very basic survival/rescue mission plot line. Then the monster. All this time everyone kept saying it’s not Godzilla. It’s totally different. I won’t give away too many details about it, but if you’ve seen Godzilla, you’ve basically sent his monster. But they add the little monsters. Why? It makes it more bad ass. No, it doesn’t. They pop up as a convenient mechanism to raise tension and horror. It fails for two reasons. The little monsters are easy to fight off and two we don’t give a crap about the characters anyways. Let’s do a role call. We got the brother who seems to always be arguing with his beautiful girlfriend, yet beautiful girlfriend doesn’t fail to drop hints that she wants to marry him. We got the “hero” who slept with the love of his life and never called her. How deep is your love buddy? Oh, right he is moving to Japan. Still, not even a phone call. Then the dream girl thinks it would be in everyone’s best interest to bring her latest boy toy to his going away party. Then of course the camera man. A simple guy. Always says the right funny things to break the tension. The camera guys love interest. Another beautiful girl that ignores him but through their experience she ends up flirting with him. All the cliché characters? Present and accounted for.
Needless to say, the heartbreak kid gets a panic phone call from his dream girl. She is trapped. Oh no. (Just moments before this phone call, no one else’s phone worked. They kept saying something about no signal.)
Hero says he will go to her, alone. But his friends won’t have any of that. So they head back into the lion’s den. Chase here, duck and cover, shake the camera, say something funny, repeat.
There is another random element thrown in that I won’t give away, but am I the only thinking what’s the point of that? You’ll understand when you watch it. (key line, I don’t feel so good)
I usually don’t pick apart movies in terms of suspension of disbelief but that seems to be the premise of Cloverfield. I won’t list all, but man, that is one wicked camera. Apparently they couldn’t decide whether the footage is on tape or SD card. Battery life on that baby is amazing and they even used the built in light. If the battery life isn’t enough to make you want to buy it, then check out that shock resistant. Drops, kicks, fireballs, crashes. Only maintenance you need is to wipe the lens. Another thing that got me out of the movie is the Air Force has the worse aim. There is a big ass monster that doesn’t move too fast but yet they miss and hit all sorts of sky scrappers.
What gets me is throughout the whole movie, it has gone the Hollywood way, but in the end, the filmmakers pretend they haven’t gone Hollywood and give us an anti-Hollywood ending. Not that the Hollywood ending would have made it any better but some closure would be nice. (Besides a t-shirt, what is slusho?)
That is all I got. If you want to use this you can just call me Honest Abe.
Fair enough, man. Still... it’s going to make some people crazy. Crrrraaaaaaaaaazy. Like this...
Hey Harry,
never written in before, even when I met Edward Norton on the set of The Incredible Hulk and pitched him on a screenplay. No photos due to an overly aggressive security guard who later claimed some lady spat on him after he tried to erase a photo she took of an awesome sequence when five or six Military Hummers and 20 ground troops came in and chased Ed away from Liv Tyler. They shot it at least 7 or 8 times that day. I digress . . .
I just saw Cloverfield and it's, it's, it's . . . . a mazing! ~ betcha thought i was gonna say 'lion'!
Everything Harry says of Cloverfield is pretty much bang on and is certainly the kind of film that must have made him love film in the first place.
"It will knock your socks off!" The monster is amazing, what a concept, what a close up! Best monster film ever! I am sure there will be many sequels as it rampages the United States. Don't forget to stop in to Washington, DC.
RUPERT PUPKIN
I think a lot of people will have mixed reactions, enjoying the film with some hesitations. I like these reviews because I think they’re fairly reasonable.
Like this...
Greetings programs from Geek in the City here in the great city of Portland , OR ! Home of Dark Horse Comics and damn near all the writers and artists in the comic book world. Anyway, just got back from a press screening of Cloverfield. Ran right home and banged out my thoughts. If you use this I am, as always, Geek in the City.!
Cloverfield – Spoiler Free Review
Monster movies are great fun. Not in a Star Wars or Indiana Jones way, nor in a Snakes on a Plane drunken way. No, monster movies are the kind of fun you used to have when you played He-Man versus the Transformers as a kid. Sadly, American cinema has lacked a truly wonderful homegrown monster movie for a long time. Actually, America never had a good monster movie we could call our own. Sure, we imported and wholly embraced Godzilla and his cohorts. We even tried to update him with flashy effects and The Professional. It just didn’t work. It didn’t look right. It didn’t feel right. It wasn’t right. Enter JJ Abrams and Cloverfield. After months of viral marketing, months of speculation, and months of hype… One must ask.
Do we have one now?
As a classic bigger than life and nigh unstoppable monster movie? You betcha’. Us in the good ‘ol U.S. of A. finally has a monster movie we can be proud. A monster we can call our own. A monster we can now speculate if it can take on Godzilla, king of the monsters! (I ain’t giving my two cents. First, that is a massive can of worms and secondly, to say one way or another would involve spoilers). Cloverfield is a new take on the classic monster movie. By new take, I don’t mean the marketing campaign or the shooting style. No, by new take, I mean that Cloverfield is the first larger than life monster movie with everyday folks. Until Cloverfield, we only got to watch soldiers and scientists take on whatever beast came from the depths of space or the deepest ocean. This time, we watch destruction from the street level, both figuratively and literally. I think that was a smart move on Abrams part. We don’t need another science versus monster film. Just watching people trying to survive the onslaught made for a far more entertaining and exciting film.
What about that camera "gimmick".
First, make no mistake. Marketing Cloverfield as “found footage” is a gimmick. Not saying that as a negative. If you find an angle that will bring more attention towards your film, go for it. That being said, I did have some issues with the filming style. Issues that would regularly remove me from the cinematic moment. First, Cloverfield presents itself as found footage, used by the military to analyze the attack from “The Monster”. Yet, the opening of the film has close to 20 minutes of exposition and character introduction. As a storyteller, I understand the need to present characters so your audience can feel loss when they start to drop like flies. (No, that wasn’t a spoiler. We all saw the opening 5 minutes and this is a monster movie, you know not everyone at that party is ever going home again). I also understand that if an audience is dropping their 10 bucks on a movie, they better at least get their monies worth. Cutting that opening segment turns an already short movie into an episode of Lost. Still, if we are to believe this is an analytical film, for use by scientists and the military, it is damn hard to swallow the opening going away party.
Is that nitpicking? You bet it is, and so is the following.
Again, if you are presenting a film as found footage as shot by amateurs, starring amateurs, you need to avoid perfectly framed shots. Can the everyday Joe get one or town shots just perfect? Absolutely. However, I doubt anyone would focus on romantic displays while a beast is tearing your city apart. Maybe I shouldn’t be so picky. Maybe I should just be happy we finally have a good homegrown monster movie. Don’t get me wrong. I am, and I honestly hope for a Cloverfield 2. However, if there is a second film, I could do without all the human drama beyond the desire to survive the attack. Perhaps my definition of a monster movie is far too limited; then again, I walked out of The Mist feeling a profound sense of loss and dread. Cloverfield, not so much. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have a great time. I did, but only when people were screaming, buildings were crashing, missiles were flying, and monsters were killing. Whenever the action slowed, whenever I was forced to care about the lives of the survivors and there wasn’t a monster stalking them; I just got a little bored.
Cloverfield is a fantastic experiment. An experiment of matinee quality that I sincerely hope Abrams, Paramount, and crew expand upon. Just remember, less people. More monsters!
Or this...
Harry,
Here are my thoughts on Cloverfield from the sneak perview I saw last night. If you use this call me abaddon
Cloverfield directed by Matt Reeves, produced by JJ Abrams
I went into this film thinking it would be one of those films where viewers would be split between those who loved it or hated it. I was dead wrong because I have really conflicting feelings about this film.
Examined solely as a monster movie, the film rocks. As someone who was raised on Saturday afternoons filled with Mothra, Gamera, and King Ghidorah, the movie was a blast. Big monster comes to a city, kills a ton of people, knocks over buildings, I mean the 10 year old inside me was having seriously fun flashbacks. Problem is, I am quite a bit older now and I was expecting this film to have slightly more depth than that.
In places, the film works because there is some very strong dialogue and realistic scenes scattered throughout the movie. During the monster's initial attack, when no one is sure what is happening, one of the characters voices the fears of everyone, "is this another terrorist attack?" The look of terror on the faces in that room was chilling and totally believable. The scenes of people taking pictures of the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty as well as the rioting taking place during the monster's attack were both accurate depictions of the way people could react in a crisis situation.
Much of the rest of the film, however, really makes no sense when you even begin to think about it slightly. The creature comes ashore on Manhattan, and the main characters keep running into the beast, even though Manhattan is one pretty large land mass. This could be explained by there being more than one monster roaming around, but they never say how many large creatures are attacking.
Another point that confused me, (minor spoiler), the large creature drops smaller creatures from its body, which are extremely fast and vicious. These smaller creatures are shown decimating the army soldiers they encounter, yet when our heroes encounter these creatures during one of the truly terrifying sequences in the film; they are able to beat them back with only one of their party suffering major injuries.
The monster itself is an enigma. No explanation is given as to where it came from, whether it is intelligent or not, or why it is able to shrug of direct hits from high-powered explosives with nary a scratch. During the two scenes where the audience gets a clear look at it, it appears slightly different, making me wonder if there were multiple large monsters attacking the city. I am not one who needs everything explained to me, but some small hints as to the nature of the beast, or a slight amount of closure to the end of the film would have been nice.
I went into this movie hoping to see Godzilla (1954) for the new millennium. This film strives for that, but falls sadly short. In the end, Cloverfield is, to quote Shakespeare, "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing". I would recommend waiting for this one on video.
Like I said... the people who don’t like it are going to reeeeeeeally not like it. Like this:
CLOVERFIELD
I saw the film in Boston last night at a 7pm screening. Lost is my favorite show on television, and Matt Reeves has directed some great episodes of Felicity, but this film was an atrocious misfire.
I can't imagine why anyone is impressed by this film- from my perspective it is a failure on all accounts.
From the very first frame- the acting is painfully self-aware. We are immediately dropped into the middle of a bad high school improv.
Why is it so hard for actors to act natural when doing mundane things? Why do I not believe someone saying something as straightforward as "You've never been to Coney Island? We should go today!"
This cast (except for Lizzy Caplan) didn't actually tap deep into their real or hidden selves but rather acted the way they THINK people act in these scenarios...they yelled, cried, stared blankly- but I never believed for an instant that any of them were ACTUALLY terrified.
You can't blend attempted stark realism a la hand held found footage with WB actors- it's just doesn't fly. It was comical how the only lines spoken or heard provided exposition for the plot. The tape would cut in long enough for us to hear "Hey guys I'm excited Rob's going to Japan- this party we are throwing for Rob will be great...because he is going to Japan!"
Got it...throwing a party, awesome...Japan...Rob. Why couldn't the filmmakers let us DISCOVER the plot of this film instead of telling us step by step through clunky dialogue what context we were in? Even when the monster arrives the entire film feels manipulated- every effect, zoom and focus re-shift feels placed. It never feels like "found footage" it feels like "pretend found footage shot by an experienced Director of Photography but made to feel like found footage"
There is NEVER tension, NEVER momentum, NEVER intention or directive. Even in ACTUAL documentaries the filmmaker finds a narrative thread. What was the narrative thread in Cloverfield? The fact that Rob wanted to get to Midtown to rescue the girl that he hooked up with once and then didn't call for a week?
Oh wait...because of that ONE line of expositional dialogue we know "Rob's been into Beth since college!" Thanks Hud.
One of my biggest problems with the film was how it borrowed imagery from the 9/11 tragedy.
Let me be the first to say it on this site- NOT COOL MAN, NOT COOL!
I was in New York City the day the towers fell. To see specific visuals from that horror-filled day now co-opted for a JJ Abrams monster flick pissed me off. One of the writers in this site was way into that aspect of the film- and was even glad that 9/11 inspired some visuals that weren't in an homage or "propaganda" film.
How many 9/11 propaganda films have there been exactly Massawyrm? And what exactly does a 9/11 propaganda film seek to convince anyone of? That people dies that day? That the streets were covered in death and ash, buildings folded under themselves and crashed to the streets below? Back off Cloverfield, seriously. Pick a new city to attack. Even from a filmmaker's perspective- aren't we DONE with New York? Give me a new backdrop, place these panicked characters in an unsuspecting environment. We JUST SAW I am Legend, and a million other NY based disaster flicks. MOVE ON.
It felt as if the filmmakers were knowingly doing so as they created the film- like the effects supervisors were studying shots of the towers crumbling as they built the CGI for Cloverfield. I can imagine the Director on set giving instructions on the type of panic his actors were to channel- "You know, like on 9/11" Ahh....got it.
Why is this not offensive? Were all these filmmakers on the West Coast they day the towers fell? Do they not feel the panic and terror we in New York felt and STILL feel?
That day wasn't a film, it wasn't imagined- people burned alive, people jumped to their death out of flaming windows.
That day is not meant to be a springboard for a popcorn movie. That day demands reverence and respect. There should still be a quiet awe surrounding that memory- we shouldn't be picking apart the carrion of that day and scrapping it for parts.
It's one thing to rebuild that day on film to pay homage or to give respect to the men and women that clawed through rubble to save lives on 9/11- but for Cloverfield? No thanks.
The movie meanders, from scene to scene- just clunking along loudly and angrily. The monster is beyond a disappointment- how can you say "We wanted to give America their Godzilla" and then just...give us the regular Godzilla? I mean seriously you want to know what the Monster looks like? Take one part "The Host" one part "Godzilla" and one part "Aliens" and you'll get a pretty clear composite.
When the film ends you're left thinking...okay so it was like every other monster movie...but shot shakily. Why should my mind be blown?
Boo Boo Boo on Cloverfield. The acting was piss poor (except for Lizzy again) the concept fell apart because they didn't have the balls to TRULY shoot it and treat it like "found footage", and the film had no destiny or truly defining characteristics that will make it stand out from the likes of Primeval, Lake Placid, or dare I say it...Roland Emmerich's Godzilla...
Signed, Dojo.
Is he right? Or is this guy right?
Cloverfield Vs Blair Witch
First off, The Blair Witch Project was a good film. The idea of handi-cam footage being found after the event worked well and you’d be forgiven for thinking that Cloverfield is just another pale imitation, (with a dash of Godzilla thrown in). But here are five reasons why Cloverfield takes Blair Witch over its proverbial knee and gives it a good thrashing.
1. Blair Witch started leisurely, then started hinting at danger, building tension until it became almost manic, running around an abandoned house screaming at hand prints. Cloverfield similarly starts slow with 15 minutes of character building, but then promptly explodes in your face with monster mayhem and doesn’t let up until the credits roll.
2. Blair Witch starred non-actors and had no script. This means you were forced to listen to ad-libbed lines for 90 minutes about how being lost in the woods isn’t much fun. Cloverfield doesn’t just have a script; it’s got a darn good one, (written by Drew Goddard of Buffy and Lost fame). The jokes are funny, the characters feel real and, best of all, its never boring. The actors, although all are relatively unknown, all hold their own beautifully.
3. Blair Witch was made for about a buck and a half and made 250 million. This led every idiot with a camcorder to believe that they too could reach the very same heights with their film about two kids and a camera. They were wrong. Very wrong. Just like how Scream gave birth to the self-referential horror films that we all came to know and loathe, Blair Witch let loose a wave of handheld films with no script, no substance and, ultimately, no audience. Cloverfield won’t have that problem, (and yes, I’m praying to the movie gods as I write this), as although it was made on the cheap by Hollywood standards, ($30 million), that’s still too much for anyone but a studio to finance and they won’t be making another one of these again. (Unless it’s a sequel.) (But they wouldn’t do that… right?)
4. Blair Witch was supposedly a true story. That was the pre-amble anyhow, and it got some people believing. But afterwards… yeah, they were angry. Cloverfield’s plot revolves around a giant monster eating New York, so right there, there’s no confusion. Sure, you could’ve set this film in a war zone like Iraq, or the soon to be invaded Iran. But you’d split your audience. People don’t want to see the war in theatres. They can watch that on YouTube. What you can’t see is a monster terrorizing the city eating random New Yorkers. Tell me you wouldn’t pay to watch that?
5. And speaking of the monster, the big bad… in Blair Witch you never get to see it. There’s no payoff. Partly because they didn’t have the budget for it, and partly because it’s scarier if you don’t see it. But with this new generation, that doesn’t hold water. They want to see the money shot. And Cloverfield may tease you at first with quick shots of legs and such, but then you see it, and it’s big, and its bad. And when the film is done, you’ll be a little exhausted, a little out of breath and ready to line up again.
holden
I think that’s certainly true. There’s going to be crazy immediate repeate business from some audiences. Kids, especially, I’m betting...
Hey,
My name is Matthew, and there was a special screening here in my home state of Sandy, Utah for the upcoming J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield. Thought you might be interested...
First of all, the negatives. As far as writing goes, there's nothing spectacular. There's a simple plot we've all seen before; the end result of the main characters relatively predictable from the very first screen. At some points, the dialogue is not necessarily cheesy, but just awful. The overall plot is, frankly, unrealistic. But...in all honesty, if we're talking about a monster movie, why would we care how unrealistic it is? (to an extreme, of course, and I don't feel like the film ever crossed into that territory).
The positives. Some people who were over-hyped may feel like the monster is a letdown. In my opinion, the monster will not disappoint, despite how little we actually see. Honestly, what I love the most about the monster is that even as you're walking out of the theater, you still have no idea what the heck the thing was, or where it even came from. A few theories are proposed in the film itself, but none of them are ever affirmed. You can describe (roughly) what it looked like...you know it was ugly and some kind of animal, but it's not really definable. Personally, it's the coolest and most original monster I've ever seen in a film. I can't/don't want to say much more about the monster out of respect for Abrams and the filmmakers, and anyone who does spoil the monster should be arrested.
But the strength of the film is how you are grabbed and put into the character's shoes. Like I said, you know nothing about the monster's origins. Neither do the characters, and throughout the movie, you only react to situations the way the characters do. In most "monster/scary movies" the tension is built with music, slow movement, with a jumpy two-second segment. In Cloverfield, the tension is built with surprising/shocking "What on earth...?" segments, and hence the few times the characters are actually jumped are the times that make you jump. (That may not make sense...) Basically, the scary moments are more realistic. And that's what may change the way filmmakers do scary movies from now on - you will actually feel like you're there with the characters, and the "jump" will depend on the characters, not the film's production itself. The tension is also built with chaos and frenzy through cinematography...that's due to the POV camera work. But as some have said, those who are easily sick/get migraines, beware. Don't go in with an empty or full stomach. Some people in my theater were actually bent over in their seats because it can have an extremely dizzying effect.
All in all, I loved the film. It was refreshingly original, and while it may not completely redefine the genre, it just might plant the seeds for a revolution. The weaknesses are not, in my opinion, bad enough to outweigh the good, or even bad enough to really point out. Don't walk in expecting Star Wars, but don't expect Blair Witch, either. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
Here’s a little more love...
I am a huge fan of the site. I check it at least 4 times a day to see what the latest news is. Saying that...I was priviledged enough to see an advance screening of Cloverfield in Chicago tonight. I have been waiting for this movie since I saw the first preview with no name. A lot of the people in the theatre were even asking if anyone knew what this movie was about. I think part of what makes this movie special is that no one really knows what they are getting into.
Well, Cloverfield was a pure joy to watch. We have all seen those monster flicks that pan out to show us just how big the monster is as the army swoops in. That is what makes this special. We see the panic, the terror, the absolute shit storm that breaks out from the perspective of someone who is running for their life. You see glimpses of the beast as it wrecks havoc. There are no real explanations of where it came from or why its here. It simply just destroys everything in its path. You see how people interpret an event that they cannot comprehend.
Before I go on any further, let me talk about the monster. Its big, its mean, and I still cant figure out if it is a quadraped or a triped. I have to assume it had four legs but in all the craziness of any shot that it was in it was hard to tell sometimes. There is one scene towards (wont give it away) the end that gives us a unique perspective of the monster. My reaction was literally...what the fuck just happened! The little bastards that came off of big pappa...they are like those annoying gnats that dont go away...they just have big teeth and like to eat people.
This movie brings you into the mayhem in a way no other monster film has. You really are trying to escape with everyone else and then when its time to rescue the girl you are dodging those nasty little bastards too. What really draws you in is that you start caring about the characters. You know why Rob has to go after Beth. You can see that he has always loved her and is willing to risk his life for her. You love Hud's commentary as he is filming. Through all the insanity, you see them trying to rationalize what cannot be rationalized. You see all the reactions that you would go through if you were living this nightmare.
Go see this movie. Dont spoil it for anyone else by adding your own commentary. Trust me...listening to Hud as he is filming is worth being quiet. Jump out of your seat with everyone else. This movie was worth the hype....it was worth the wait...it was worth the secrecy. This movie was simply a joy to watch and on that note...I wont give anything else up. You'll thank me.
Harry, thanks for having this site up. It is keeps me updated on all the great movies that I love to see. If you use this...call me Methos.
And, yes, a little more love:
Hey Everyone.
Just got out of a sneak screening of Cloverfield. I am not going to spoil anything for you and no matter what I say, asses will fill the seats to see the movie this weekend. It is inevitable that this movie is destined to be number one in the box office.
That being said, Cloverfield is one of the most original monster movies I have seen in a long time. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, so much so that I will be going back to the theater this weekend to see it again with a general paying audience just to see their reactions to certain things.
Yes, the Paramount suits were there and they warned us that any use of a cell phone be it for texting or recording the movie that we would be ejected from the theater immediately. They also told us to not tell anyone what the creature looked like. Well, I'd like to tell you what the creature looked like but it's kind of difficult without something to compare it to. Finally, something so original that it defies description. It is massive, the smaller creatures are frightening and the movie takes its time in letting you see what the creature looks like. But this is a good thing.
The core of the movie is the characters caught up in this whole thing. Especially the camera guy Hud. No other movie has had a character so appropriately named. He is a living Heads Up Display. He is the one to capture all this footage and happenings that will potentially change the lives of him and his friends.
And the movie is short. We are talking about an hour and a half tops. Which is good because the camera work is so raw and amateur looking that it makes you feel like you are part of the experience. But since it is from the point of view of Hud's camera, the movement can potentially give you motion sickness. When you go see the flick, make sure you see it as far back as possible.
Ultimately, I can't do much more than recommend this movie. If you want to see a genre bending movie, with some of the most intense giant monster action in a good long while, this is your movie. It is quite watchable and I can't wait to see what Abrams has up his sleeve for us next.
Nub the Squirrel
I like that this next guy isn’t sure if he likes the film or not. That’s a great reaction to a movie, and perfectly valid. I’ve seen films like that, where I couldn’t decide at first...
Harry,
Been four years since you used a review by me.
You don't write. You don't call. Clearly the love has
gone out of our relationship.
Actually...this is only the second time I sent you a
review (the first was for "The Passion of the
Mel.....um....the Christ."
I just got in from a sneak preview of one of my "must
see" movies of Aught-8...Cloverfield and had a few
thoughts I thought I'd share. Use 'em. Don't use 'em.
I just feels like I gots tah talk, yah know? Talk with
people that will geek along with me.
First off....I'm raw. Kinda like the moments after my
one and only Lance Armstrong-style cycling wreck.
Numb. The blood dripping off the end of my nose.
Looking down at the skin ripped up on my knees and
arms. But no pain. Dazed. Surreal. I know the pain's
gonna hit and I'm gonna realize you don't take chances
on a bike at 35 miles an hour. Maybe I shoulda gone to
see that 27 Dresses sneak after all.
That's kinda what I'm feeling in the aftermath of the
beast that just ripped through my mind. I can't decide
if J.J. and Reeves have pulled off something
spectacular...or if they've just knocked me off my
bike at 35 mph again and are laughing at me.
This thing was out of the ordinary from frame one. It
was a rowdy crowd in the OKC theater tonight, hungry
for some magic. Talkative, especially the chick behind
me who will, I'm sure, never get another date with the
guy she was with. But the moment the Bad Robot faded
and the movie started...silence.
I've never seen anything quite like this. I won't be
talking about the monster or any of the other
stuff...anyone who goes to see it deserves to see it
fresh. But I will say this, it's obvious almost from
the get-go that NO ONE IS SAFE in this movie. Yes,
there are your classic monster movie archetypes...but
you realize early on that nothing is sacred in this
world. Everyone is fair game. (and yes, Hud is the
best comic relief since Paxton in Aliens....I kept
thinking about the line, "Hey, maybe you haven't been
keeping up on current events, but we just got our
asses kicked, pal! " It applies here)
When I was a wee lad back in the 70's, we had a
Saturday night show called "Shock Theater". Came on at
11:30 after the late news. I remember the first night
I saw the original Godzilla. Freaked me out. That
night I woke up from a nightmare that Godzilla was
right outside my window, his giant eyeball locked on
me cowering beneath my blanket. I'm sleeping with my
window shut, blinds down and curtains drawn tonight.
Thank you very much, Abrams and Reeves, for ruining a
perfectly good night's sleep.
If these thoughts meet your tremendously high
standards... you can still call me WahooRob.
See, he was rattled. It did something to him. And then for this next guy, he rejected what he saw completely. Amazing how the same film provokes both reactions, eh?
"Are you serious?!" That about sums up the feeling of the audience in attendance tonight at the Kansas City advance screening of J.J. Abram's "Cloverfield". Tucked away in the historic Film Row district of downtown Kansas City sits the Screenland Theatre, home to art films, independent cinema and some of the more interesting advance and press screenings in town. I work in the same building as the Screenland and managed to weasel my way into the advance screening of "Cloverfield" tonight. The film started at precisely 7:00 p.m. after an intro by local radio morning show host Dick Dale of 96.5 The Buzz (who sponsored the screening), theatre owner Butch Rigby and the "captain of the anti-piracy division" for Paramount Studios gave his "don't record cuz we're watching with night vision equipment" speech. Can't say I blame the guy for being all strict about that rule because if I was Paramount I wouldn't want any more of this film leaked than what's out there already. Not that the footage is bad. Quite the contrary. For what it is this movie succeeds on most levels. I think Abrams accomplished exactly what he set out to do... redefine the monster movie. But here's the thing. It didn't NEED to be redefined. At least not like this. First let me tell you about the film and then I'll tell you why I'm disappointed in it.
Everything you've heard about the way the film is presented is correct. It is 100% "found footage" very similar to the first Blair Witch film. Through the replay of the video tape we are introduced to the characters and shoved right into the story, left to figure it out as it plays before us. This is actually done fairly well and we get to spend a moment or two with each important character before the shit hits the fan. Which is important because once things do start moving it gets hard to tell who is who and where they are due to the style of the camera work. There are enough "quiet" moments inbetween the action to allow you to catch up with the group and see who's around and who isn't which is another good thing. Nonstop "COPS footchase" style filming would have made me motionsick so the opportunity to stop and catch my breath along with the characters was really appreciated. It's during these quiet moments that we get to learn about the characters in bits and pieces and each of the main cast gets a moment to shine, something you don't always get in big budget action/monster/horror movies. We start to care about them and when something bad happens (and it does) we're genuinely concerned about each of them. Without a doubt the standout performance and most loved character is going to be that of cameraman Hud. His remarks throughout the film are the best, partly because he's closest to the mic on the camera (making him the easiest to hear) but mostly because he's me. The less than socially inclined buddy who cracks jokes and tells the most unusual stories at the most inappropriate times. He's tries to be the cool guy but just when he's almost there he keeps talking. Just like me. Rob may be the central character of the film but Hud is the reason you'll want to see it again because he's the guy you'll be quoting in the lobby after you vent your disappointment to your friends. The rest of the cast does really well with what they are given and I'm impressed. There aren't any Oscar worthy performances here but for a film like this they did well and that's due mainly to the script. The dialogue is great. You get all the pieces necessary to tell this story when you need them and it all flows well. There is a definite beginning, middle and end to this story even if its not the most popular beginning, middle or end. The important characters have story arcs and they make sense given what we know about them (which isn't much).
The camera work, for being a first person, handheld style shoot is decent and believable for the most part. It helps to know that Hud is a tall guy (at least compared to the others) so for the moments when the camera comes away from his eye the odd angles make sense. Having filmed my share of "wedding testimonials" its believable and I knew what he was doing and why. It gets frenetic at times and there are definitely moments where I wanted to shout "point the camera up! no not that way, the other way!" because the action in the background is intense! Abrams and company know how to put on a big action film and there is one clearly going on in this film. We just don't get to see much of it. Just enough to know that there's some serious shit going down and our heroes are in the middle of it. But again it all works in the context of the way the film is presented. Same with the creature. I'm not going to spoil what exactly it is (because I honestly don't know) but you do see it... clearly... and its a scary fucker. You have to see it for yourself to know what I'm talking about because the effects are incredible. Whoever did the effects did a fantastic job. I just wish we'd seen more of their work.
And I'm not spoiling the ending either. Suffice it to say, the line I opened this review with and the comparison I made should tell you what you need to know.
Now here's the tough part. The what's wrong part. Really, there isn't anything wrong with this film as its presented. We're just missing a reels worth of footage somewhere. See the film comes in at just under an hour and 20 minutes (not including the 10 minutes of credits at the end) and it really feels like something was left out. And I'll tell you what that something is... the bigger story. If this film had been another 30 minutes longer, with the video footage intercut with some establishing shots of the city, the battles, the army sweeping in and blowing shit up, the mayor ordering the evacuation of the city, the president calling for nukes, whatever, it could be a truly great, GREAT monster movie. I totally get what Abrams is doing here. He's telling the intimate, personal side of the monster movie. The part you don't usually get in a Godzilla or Independence Day or whatever other giant summer popcorn flick where the world is coming to an end and people are running for their lives. And he accomplishes that goal completely. The intimate story told here works. Flat out 100% works. I feel for these characters. In the brief time we are introduced to them I like them, I want to hang out with them, I care about them. I want to see them all safe and sound on the other end of this ride. I want to know that everything works out and they live happily every after. But this film will not be enough for audiences given all the hype and buildup surrounding it. The Paramount marketing department and Abrams did a brilliant job creating buzz around this film and love it, hate it or don't give two shits about it, it got you talking. "Did you see that trailer before Transformers? What the fuck was that?" "Have you seen the new Cloverfield spot on TV?" "Check out this Slusho website I found!" It worked brilliantly and if there was an Oscar for best marketing, this team would win hands down because it got people talking and will get people in theatres to see it this weekend. But they won't be going back to see it a second time and they probably won't be telling their friends to go see it either because its just not enough. They are going in expecting to see big budget, hardcore special effects where shit gets blown up for a a couple hours and that's not what "Cloverfield" is. I know that's not what the studio is going to want to hear but its the truth. The general feeling I got from the few bits of conversations after tonights screening suggests a level of disappointment I haven't seen since, quite honestly, the first Blair Witch film. And that's sad because what Abrams and company have done here is really great. They've shown that you can have a really truly personal story within a big action movie and people will care. But the execution this time just doesn't pay off for all the buildup over the last 6 months. Its a lot like losing your virginity. There's a lot of build up to the actual event. "This is gonna be great! This is gonna be great! I can't wait! I can't wait! ... is that it?" Only unlike sex, the next time you see this film it isn't going to get any better. This film isn't what you're expecting. There is suspense and action and drama, but not the suspense, action and drama you're hoping for. If you want an intimate look at a few people trying to survive when their world is coming to an end, this is the film for you. If you're looking for that big budget kick ass blow shit up film, save your money. And if you do find yourself in a movie theater this weekend seeing "Cloverfield", and in that moment right after the screen goes black and before the first credit rolls you think to yourself "are you serious?!" ... well don't say I didn't warn you.
I am the Mysterious Stranger and of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Thanks to everyone who sent one of these reactions in, and to all of you who will no doubt be crowding the CLOVERFIELD talkbacks all weekend. It’s worth the conversation, whether you love it or hate it.
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+ Expand All
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Plants, I tell ya!
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Zemeckis for The Hobbit
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where all the kids take turns blowing out the candles.
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still the dreaded viral marketing campaign at work. So clever...
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CLOVERFIELD is like anal sex.
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It was a fun dream. I mean, as fun as it could be to get chased by a giant Monster through Oer-Erkenschwick. ^^
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...goes to watch a movie in which a monster destroys NY and COMPLAINS that he feels reminded of 9/11? Sorry dude, but destroyed skyscrapers will always look the same.
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Kudo's to you sir. Your review and the second one were the only ones I bothered to read (I'll wait to see the sucker cinema-style rather than have a text-binge). Keep 'em coming!
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After all of this f'in ridiculous hype, am I the only one who actually HOPES this film sucks?
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...Are plain wierd. "People will either love it or hate it", except, apparently, for those who have the "perfectly valid" reaction of being indifferent or partially enthusiastic/unenthusiastic about it. Some people liked it, some didn't, amazing how just one film could provoke so many varied reactions, eh? What...Like every single other film/record/book/chinese take out meal ever produced? You have been using marijuana again. It's not good for you in the long run. Oh, and I skipped watching Cloverfield with my roommate to stay home and watch half of Blood Rayne. Jesus, I really couldn't give two fucks about Abrams blair witch knock off...But goddamn, I really should have gone.
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Deal with it. 9/11 doesn't have the monopoly on New York buildings falling down.
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that made me spit up my coffee...nothing like starting off a rant with something dumb like that and finishing it by talking about "sky scrappers"if this brain donor is the only one arguing against this in its entirety, I think we're OK.
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where the mayor runs for president and constantly refers to Cloverfield.
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way too soon. more soon than last time. less soon than yestermorrow.
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it's that simple.
retards will sit and gasp the rest with a brain will accept it as a not awful failed experiment. -
it's from the angry one, talking about what the creature looks like:"Take one part "The Host" one part "Godzilla" and one part "Aliens" and you'll get a pretty clear composite."well, no, actually I won't. that doesn't help at all...that's like saying, "my friend John looks like 1 part Ed Norton, 1 part Richard Pryor and 1 part Lucy Lui. got a clear picture? I didn't think so.never surprising that the angriest reviews also tend to make the least sense...
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actually, shot the way and from the angles it is in Cloverfield, it fucking DOES, and it would be completely disingenuous for anyone to deny it.
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....
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fuck you messi
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I mean when do you get to see such awesome shots of a monster attacking a city, it's just fucking cool to watch. a bunch of youtube fan clips edited together, but edited well together. thus = Good movie.
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giving it at least.
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excellent review. you should submit more often.
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Stellar start to '08.
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King Kong, Them, The Beast from 20000 Fathoms, It came from beneath the Sea, Tremors and never, ever forget NIGHT OF THE LEPUS
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watch the 5 min preview. the way the buildings fall is EXACTLY how the amateur video from 9/11 looked. building collapsing, people running, smoke filling the street. the imagery is obviously derived from the same images. seems a little too similar to say otherwise. i think the way the video is shot in the movie may have something to do with how eery it all seems to be.
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It's shot really well, just perfect shots, enough shot of monster then something else, then the monster. awesomeness.
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"They came from Cybertron!" someone on this site came up with it.
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Write what you know, after all. Glad to see J.J. Hasn't heard of King Kong or Blair Witch before. He's probally really amped up about this rare old Star Trek show he managed to dig up. Can't wait to share it with us ordinary, non young urban professional folk.
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Really excited and all that. Sing a song. Blow some candles. And then watch Cloverfield as I planned to months ago.
Oh no.
Wait.
I can't.
Because I live in the UK AND HAVE TO WAIT!!!!
Fuck, this sucks so much. -
it doesn't change anything, whether he thinks he's origional or stealing or whatever. the product is what matters. and the product is awesome.
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I think Americans will get a lot more out of this movie with the clear allusions to 9/11. My own view - it was ok but way overhyped - the monster is like big dinosaur - and the ironic flashback at the end is unecessary. Nice bit in the subway though.
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But your the halfwit who enjoyed Transformers quite a bit too, aren't you? I think I forgot to flush the toilet. You can have a sneak at that awesomeness too, if you would like.
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i have no idea what you're trying to get across to me. i'll reserve judgement myself once i see it. all i've seen is what's online as previews/trailers/clips. but from what i've seen so far, my reservations were basically confirmed with dojo's review. bad acting, no good payoff, and poor writing. it's a shame because i love drew goddard so much.
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Messi, sir, nice review, but how could you not mention that the voice in the Star Trek trailer saying "space, the final frontier" was Spock himself, Nimoy. I geeked out for that!
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80 minutes long. I don't recall a great film in recent memory with such a short running time. And most of it is (intentional) shakey cam? How good can it be?
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Were they building the Enterprise at Area 51? Nice review BTW. Good to see you finally using caps. hehe
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The creature is a monster that was reeking havoc on another planet. The aliens of that planet capture it and decide to dump it on another planet. They just so happen to choose Earth. I just made this up, but I do wonder where the monster came from.
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Messi, I gotta give you props just for pimping that awesomeness in every talkback I see you in. Have you seen some of the Blackest Night banners made in the Newsarama forums? Good shit.
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0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 equals.... zero! Shit, you can multiply them all together and get the same result.
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They have these things nowadays called Grammar Schools- check it out, please.
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plants!!!! i tell u...
how can it not be a lion
its imposshible!!!!! -
...one of the reasons this movie was greenlighted was that the handheld camera work kept costs very low. In between that and hiring all no-name actors, all of the rest of the money could be dumped into special effects. "Coverfield" would not have been made if was filmed with a typcial movie camera.
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a dinosaur? looked more like an alien animal creature like you'd find in green lantern.
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... during a disaster. Maybe my instinct for self-preservation is stronger than most, but when a monster attacks, or global warming sends a tidal wave through Manhattan, or the aliens show up and they're pissed... it's every man, woman and child for themselves (and that's just reality). No way I'm gonna risk getting a building pushed over on my ass just to get some bangability points from some chick.
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From just a practical standpoint, special FX guys are going to look at footage of the towers collapsing as a reference point for their own interpretation of a building collapsing. How often do we see buildings of that size collapse, so having a frame of reference may lead to images being similar to what occurred that day - after all, we all saw them. Further from this, do you expect people NOT to utilize themes, imagery etc. from that event? It was a huge moment in history, for that not to affect people or influence people would be impossible. Would you prefer it was never mentioned again? Forgotten in time? No way, and I doubt many people would say they would.
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it would be nice to believe people would be as selfless as reviewer 2 thinks but when the chips are down reviewer 2 will be shoving kids and grannies out of his way like the rest of us. Survival instinct, dude!
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dude was in love. big difference.
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Jan 17, 2008 8:08:33 AM CST
SO MESSI DOES THAT MEAN YOU ACTUALLY LIKE INVERTED NIPPLES?
by bringingsexyback
Nothing wrong with that. You can do stuff with them.
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http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8504/clo verfieldsmallslowhu 0.gif
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Rob needs to throw her into Mancrablizard's feeding trough.
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i think the point of the reviewer was that he had a problem with the tastelessness of the representation. of course we should not forget the tragedy, but for it to be shown in (what may be) a crappy film IS distasteful and unfair to those who died.
oh, and i like to think that i'm a better person than other people on this board. if there was a city-wide tragedy and i KNEW someone i cared for (wife, child, best friend) was in danger, i would do my best to help them. now, if i was rob and knew some girl i may/may not love is in danger, that's a different story. -
you are my new hero!
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Jan 17, 2008 8:13:53 AM CST
So this movie should have been THE SINESTRO CORPS WAR instead?
by spyguy
Fine with me. REBIRTH/THE SINESTRO CORPS WAR/THE BLACKEST NIGHT would make an awesome Green Lantern film trilogy.
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you can hide coins in them
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Best line ever!
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That's the spitting image of Chthulu.
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You can also put tin foil inside and get better cellphone reception.
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Until they spend 3 years in Talkback. Kinda like the opposite of going to college.
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A few days ago, I read the description of the teaser on one of the Trek sites and in the 'comments' section, Bob Orci posted and called bullshit on the description. At the time, I thought it was a bit strange for a writer to be so heavily involved in the films production, but it's possible I guess. Anyway, from all the reviews above, it appears that the description was accurate, and in the span of a 30 second teaser, they've already pissed on one part of Trek history (ship being built in space). I guess this goes one step closer to confirming that the Enterprise is indeed built in Area 51 which is just mind-numbingly lame. I know there have been numerous arguements here already about the realism of constructing a ship in space, but physics alone shows that a structure of that size would collapse under it's own weight in Earth's atmospere. Anyway, I'm curious now to see what other 'debunked' rumours turn out to be true.
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When someone has a chunk bitten off them they generally don't start making eyes at boys. and when someone is impaled and then lifted off it, they don't forget they've just been impaled.... and generally if it was throught he shoulder, you can't run your hands through your hair as you cry "I can't believe this is happening" I liked the fake whale design better too. This creature looked like the running things from dark crystal. had this been made like starship troopers it could have been absolute gold. it was pretty trashy
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No way man. make two trilogies first before rebith. A Hal Jordan Trilogy and a Kyle Rayner trilogy. The thing with Sinestro Corps War is that the story is heavier with all the backstory considered. with hal becoming parallax, with kyle becoming ion etc.
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Yap yap yap! Yapp yap yappity yap-yap! Cloverfield yap yap yappity yapp! Yappity yappity yap yap YAP!!! Chillax, dude!! Yap yap yap yappity yap yap YAPYAPYAP!!! Yap yap yap yap fellatio yap yap yap me yap yap like yap!! Yap yap, yap, yap -- YAP yappity yap yap.
Yap? YAP!!!! -
...used to smarter.
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that is def. a MiraJeff review
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HOLY fucking shit man, cloverfield is like a crow that shoots vaginas out of it's eyes and shits blowjobs. 2 minutes into the movie i looked at my pants and my dick had turned into a werewolf gun that shot tits filled with napalm out of it that blew up amazon women and their ashes turned into eva mendes getting donkey punched by a smurf that had nail guns for eyes and a hat made out of taint scrapings and then I came. the end
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Anyone else find the "We used to smarter" quote ironic?
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Wasn't that was Cumpy's review of Atonement?
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SLITHIS, MANSQUITO, the MUTANT Prophecy BEAR! American Monster Pride, Word.
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Is that like a 4am ginsu knife informercial? How does that relate to "Cloverfield"?
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Excellent movie. Highly recommended. Can't wait to see Cloverfield.
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its a movie about a huge ass fucking monster attacking NYC, what the fuck do you expect it to look like? if for some reason you are offended by this, don't fucking watch it.
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.... huh?
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fuck that is some funny shit.
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cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt cunt.
it taught me that the word cunt can fuck up your life. -
Is it me, or has New York become a cliche for these movies? We understand that it's big. We know that to destroy it, you need something big.
Why not select other cities? Is it too hard to imagine Los Angeles being destroyed? -
Destroying New York is *fun* to watch, right Al-Qaeda? Especially when the infidels jump to avoid being burned to death, right? Get your popcorn ready!
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DAMMIT! Is there a mole in Starfleet, too? A TIME-TRAVELLING mole?
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You magnificent Talkbacker superstar cunt, you.
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Here's a still pic of the monster, from apparently the same scene. http://i13.tinypic.com/6wpalx5.jpg
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it would have been talkback worthy.
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jump lemmings, jump..
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thats it. like i said, the fake whale design most of us have seen was fuckloads better
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hahahahaha
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I actually quite liked the fake whale design. Though, I haven't seen the movie. According to the site I got that from, it's a real picture but doesn't really do the creature justice. But hey, that's what the theater is for, if it comes to my podunk town.
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they already did the family thing in war of the worlds.
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I thought she was supposed to be the American Godzookie.
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does no justice, the way this thing moves and hitting buildings is fucking awesome. it's an awesome design. that looks like an alien from signs in that leaked still, but it's body is more like some alien animal that superman keeps in the fortress.
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from some idiot who still thinks this is Voltron, just to read about his heart breaking
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AND THE SECOND REVIEW (AT LEAST) IS DEFINITELY A MARKETING PERSONS (PLANT) IDEA OF HOW AN AUDIENCE WOULD REVIEW THIS FILM. I'M JUST ABOUT DONE WITH AICN I DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING I READ ON THIS BULLSHIT SITE ANYMORE.
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I'm a Brit - but am getting a bit fucked off by everyone saying that it's time American had their own monster. Has the remake of King Kong wiped out the Willis O'Brien original from everyone's mind
Of course being a Brit we have GORGO!!!!!!! -
Sweet Mama Cass on a cracker! Cloverfield is the slam-bang thrill ride that we’ve been waiting for since the firecracker hit of Independence Day! Wow, what a white-knuckle ride this is. JJ Abrams has made a movie that made this reviewer say “Godzilla who?”. This movie is an instant classic! I’ve never been so afraid in my life! This movie is filled with chills, spills, and a whole ton of thrills! They should have called this Field Of Nightmares! Hahahaha. I’m witty! If you film it, they will come! This weekend, grab your tickets (and bring a friend to hold on to) because this movie is off the hook! If you use this you can call me Dandelion Destroyer69. Hahaha flames on Optimus (see guys I’m just like you)
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Well actually even if this trailer ISN'T symbolic (which people who have seen it have said it is, much more a symbolic teaser of "Under Construction" than it is truth) it wouldn't piss on Trek lore at all, The Enterprise main components WHERE in fact built at the San Fransisco Naval Fleet Yards on Earth as per "The Counter-Clock Incident." While Animated Trek is not considered canon per say, Much of it has made it into Trek lore at this point.
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We also have Queen Kong but neither of those is GORGO!!!!!
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I like the review that started with the "We Used to Smarter" - nice.
Plus the multiple miss spellings in the review.
I'm sick of people complaining about the "HYPE" of Cloverfield. Who generated the HYPE? We did. The same fucking people posting online all day about it. Don't blame JJ or Matt Reeves for fucks sakes. They put the sites up sure, but they didn't force anyone to over anaylyze every aspect of the viral marketing.
moron -
Just check out the Lost episodes he wrote - The Man Behind The Curtain, Flashes Before Your Eyes, The Glass Ballerina, The Man From Tallahassee - basically the best ones. I hope he's doing season 4, I'm not sure. This guy's gonna rule the world one day!
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Man, that thing was scary as a kid! And who could ever forget the sleeping bag vs. rock scene, nearly soiled myself. Talia Shire's next big thing after Rocky, too. hahaha
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yup.
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The Brits do "man in suit" almost as well as the Japanese. Hey, but we had "THE GIANT CLAW"!!
Mutant Bear of Prophecy = most underated monster on the 70s. -
some guy brought his two very young children, couldn't be over 5 years old. He left very quickly after the face stabbing scene.
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the ship doesn't look that big, it was only the front of the ship being built from what I could tell.
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For "Converstation with dead people" but he only wrote one of the stories in that one, the "Dawn at home with Evil Spirit" tale. The Willow and Buffy part were written by Jane and Josh. He does deserve love for "selfless" and "lies my parents told me".. good stuff.
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Queen King - 'she's in one of her moods again'
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Jan 17, 2008 10:24:12 AM CST
"I always judge how good a movie is by what my girlfriend says..
by larry sellers
pussy-whipped much? I have nothing to say about this movie. That line just...what a tool.
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Now that I think about it, perhaps that was the scene that inspired 2for2true to stab people in the mouths with a pencil. Shitheels.
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Messi, great review, man. Question for you: Did the short running time have an effect? It seems that I would be a little dissapointed.
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2for2true, where are you? You've got some stabbin' to do now
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Making his #2 pencil known!
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was "Shitheel".
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their memory with his shitheel tactics
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I mean. Seriously.
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No animal, creature of mass that big could support its own weight on planet earth. It would break the gound, falling into it's own sinkhole.
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#2 for real, muthafucka
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Unless their is a gang of undead pun slinging storytellers on the streets of LA
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wow man
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Why bother w/ any more (pre)reviews?
Yes, I started with DUDE! intentionally. -
The monster seemed to change in size throughout the film. The water sequences had him/her bigger but at the end it seemed smaller.
Overall I thought the film was well done but the monster getting back up and just chasing the remaining survivors was a lame ending, as was when Hud was needlessly killed. -
...Are you a crazy person messi? "but it's body is more like some alien animal that superman keeps in the fortress."? What now? Come again, I think you may have some retarded messing up the lines of communication here.
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Reactions yes, but are they genuine reactions? I can go in hating a movie before I see it and even If I like it. I can convince myself I hated it, just not to be proven wrong.
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Jan 17, 2008 10:41:51 AM CST
The guerilla advertisers were out in full force for Transformers
by gibsonusa
...here on AICN. Not saying that everyone who complimented the movie was a plant, but WOW, there were a obvious flood of them here on the Talkbacks as that movie neared release...only to suddenly disappear afterwards. I wonder if it was a team in a room, or just one dude making a million identities....
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Time to sharpen my #2 pencil...
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Literally putting lead in someone.
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and then referenced it in a review of a completely unrelated movie. I'm a douche.
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But Messi is still an angry sweary kid version of the Simpsons Comic book guy!!
RIP JLA -
http://tinyurl.com/ynpshl
Behold. It also looks like the "red lungs on the side of the creature's head" are really just bat ears. Damn, our spies suck. -
http://tinyurl.com/2wckxh
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Armies fighting with a giant monster destroying NYC! Who doesn't love that?
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oh, GOD, so nice discussion , would you love enjoy something new...? it would be more interesting...sweet, hot....Wow writing words is not the same as catching my eyes and enjoying the hot video across the room and smiling http://multiraciallove.com
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Bring up the seventies and you gotta add The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant. Only us Americans can terrorize the world with a Rosie Grier/Ray Milland headed creature!! Oh, and for January, we could do a whole lot worse than Cloverfield and Rambo released in the same month. In fact, we have...Code Name:The Cleaner, Freedom Writers, Stomp The Yard, Bloodrayne, Last Holiday, Big Momma's House 2...you get the idea.
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Worst thing ever!!
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and let him know we're thinking of him *stab*
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that guy will stab you in the mouth! Pillow, that was great about "putting lead into you" hahaha
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the story of one man's cinematic journey filled with stabbings, penicl's, and finding the true meaning of love in the time of Ebola
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I found out that if you mix yellow and blue it makes green. shocking, life changing stuff right there
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you're kidding me right? one of the best single comics of this decade and last. ahh whatever, you're 15 years old. now i know not to take you seriously. you could have mentioned earier you were a young dumb fuck.
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"Behold. It also looks like the red lungs on the side of the creature's head" are really just bat ears. Damn, our spies suck"
Trust me, they are somehow connected to the Monster's breathing. They are NOT ears.
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On the screening I seen here in SF on Tuesday night, it seems there were a few people who were nauseous from too much camera jerking.
Which I suppose is fine, if you're a tweaker. But for most, I think it was a bit too much. But it seems like none of the early reviews are discussing this much.
And the main actors, aside from Lizzy Kaplan were just too fake and pretentious. Not at all believable. But the film as a whole is entertaining, but just not as groundbreaking as some of the reviews are mentioning.
If you get motion sickness, this will fuck you up. -
anyone else tired of looking at that fucking stupid add
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Bigger, Harder, Nortonier.
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I've said it on other TB's, this movie has a number of reasons why some people will not enjoy it as much as I did.
1) Shaky Cam, some will hate it.
2) It does not spoon feed you the ending. There is ultimatly no explination for the Monster's arrival or departure.
3) Some 9/11 visual references.
However, It polarized me into the LOVED it column.
I've said it before, see it, see it soon, and see it in a theater with a KICK ASS sound system. The sound design in this film is fantastic. -
You either get busy stabbin' or get busy dyin
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While they may be something to do with his breathing (like gills maybe?) According to that gif they flap like ears. Early reports made them out to be like reptile ears or Grendel's ears from Beowulf.
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In case 34 reviews on this website weren't enough, here is what I think the best way is to sum up the movie:
The term "roller coaster ride" is one of the most overused cliches for describing an action movie, but I couldn't think of a better analogy for Cloverfield. Like with a roller coaster, after a relatively short build up (the climb), the remainder of the movie is basically non-stop action for 60 minutes, with only occasional pauses. Like with a roller coaster you don't always see the next turn or drop coming, or in this case, the monster lurching around a building, which is usually the best part. Like with a roller coaster, all the jerky movement can make you sick, but to some it can be exhilerating. Like a roller coaster you don't really get any explanation for why everything is happening, but you don't get on a roller coaster expecting much plot, do you?
So, at the risk of sounding like a lame "Quote me on your movie poster" reviewer, I really liken this movie to a roller coaster. Fast, fun, scary, noisy and mostly mindless. Get on, have fun, go home. -
do they take your picture at the end of it?
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Cloverfield is a Rancor. With red bat-ear lungs. Look at those big sharp teeth and small beady eyes and inverted elbows (and possibly nipples). It's a Rancor.
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They should play this movie in mono-sound, to match the crappy shakeycam. But, of course, they use super-duper sensurround!! Which, when you think about that, you will realise it is just a movie afterall.
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Thanks for the info guys :) I've read through the comments section at TrekMovie as well and discovered that it's entirely possible in Trek lore (I'm not a Trekkie myself, more of a Star Wars fan) that parts of the ship were built on Earth, specifically in San Francisco, and then assembled in space. Judging from the photos of the cast at the Cloverfield premiere, I must admit that they've picked a good bunch...they actually look like a movie-calibre crew with lots of screen presence.
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of 2for2true, he would have stabbed him in the mouth.
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anyone know what the rest of the body looks like?
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The plot is summarized on wiki. Who lives, who dies, and how...it's all there except photos of the monster.
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While I like the two headed dude, I think we are mainly talking about huge, giant monsters. The two headed dude is just kind of a freak. Now "The amazing colossal beast" and the Ants of "them", now those were some big bastards.
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You will use this power only for good Rickey hopes?
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http://tinyurl.com/36uyjo
First pic of the USS Enterprise from the trailer now online. -
that the monster was in that girls hair in that picture
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Would he ever do otherwise?
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This is so much less of an archetypal monster... And only seeing it in a few brief scenes is a pretty big let down.
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shows how lame you are.
most of you will never be happy in life.
paper weights. -
And predictions for Sunday's game? Rickey's feeling good about the Giants' defense shutting down old balls Farve...
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If you haven't seen it yet, TREKMOVIE.com has a screencap of the new Enterprise, and she's a beaut:http://trekmovie.com/2008/01/17/first-official-picture-of-the-uss-enterprise/
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Some people liked it, some people only so-so'd it, and some people hated it.
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http://tinyurl.com/ywn8ro
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Scooped by 5 minutes. :( Props. But everyone, use my link, because I was smart and used tinyurl.
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I'm hoping Grant runs through them because I sure as hell don't want the Pats to win the Super Bowl. And I think the Pack have the best shot at beating them since the Giants won't be able to match them for a second game I think, and San Diego is gonna freeze up there in Foxboro.
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You're not that smart, I'm just lazy =P Anyway, another link won't hurt! What did you think of the new E design?
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Jan 17, 2008 1:17:14 PM CST
I always judge how good a bowel movement is by what my girlfrien
by dr gregory house
Guess we know who wears the dildo in that family.
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But the Giants have a great running back in Mike Jacobs too. Sunday should be all sorts of fun to watch. As far the San Diego Chargers go: that Rivers kid is a grade-A jackass and deserves to get fucked up by the Pats.
On to that Trek photo--am I nuts or does it looks like they are building the ship on earth? -
There's already a mega-thread going at trekmovie.com about it, apparently, according to canon, the Enterprise was built in San Francisco but assembled in orbit. Something like that.
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http://images.inmagine.com/168nwm/inspirestock/ispc025/ispc025007.jpg
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Plus the Pack's receivers are better as well, so I would think that the Pack would be able to score points on the Pats. And I couldn't agree more with you on Rivers. Such a fucking idiot last Sunday in Indy tauting the fans. Perhaps he'll get his other knee banged up this week. And that's what it looks like to me, with the Enterprise being build on Earth.I hate to say it, but 2for2true would stab the Lep in the mouth with a pencil too.
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and impales someone in the head with that #2.
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I was just disappointed that what we got was all there was. The hype and promotion, at least the way I saw it, was leading up to a big blow 'em up movie with these poor regular folks caught in the middle as told from their perspective. What we got was their story with the big blow 'em up stuff in the background and a distant second to the main story. I'm cool with that and like I said, for what it is it works and I liked it. BUT I just think people will be expecting more and like Blair Witch, where the ending was pretty controversial, Cloverfield will feel that same backlash but for different reasons. Blair Witch was a whole lot of boring leading up to a suspenseful shocker of an ending. Cloverfield is a ramped up car chase ending in an unexpected wreck and then ... nothing. I wanted it to be more and had been led to believe there would be more but maybe I was reading too much into the marketing. Still I'll buy it on DVD because the characters really meant something to me while I was sitting there in the theatre. I was genuinely scared for them and wanted more of their story to be told. This snapshot just didn't satisfy me enough. - The Mysterious Stranger
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When people only refer to movies as FILMS. "I saw a film the other day, and the film was good. My favorite thing about the film was that it was pretty, and I like the director's other films. This was a good film." It just seems so... Billy Walsh. "I don't make MOVIES, I make FILMS!" God almighty I fucking hate Billy Walsh.
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I'll call 2for2true.
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Does the Enterprise look like it has BOEING 747 JET ENGINES or is it just me? I like that they are taking a cue from the movie Enterprise rather than the TOS Enterprise. If its anything like the pearlescent movie Enterprise I'll be happy.
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Fuck it...stab all the Billies you can find 2for2true.
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Word to plants: not everyone is William Shakespeare. People rush out of a movie and give their first impressions and as a rule those immediate posts have a LOT of typos. That rings true to me. What doesn’t ring true to me is how someone can supposedly write a perfectly spelled, worded, and paragraphed soliloquy about Cloverfield, in all but minutes after they’ve supposedly JUST seen it. That always reads like someone who had a lot of extra time on their hands…like, say, the intern with a post-it-note on their PC since Christmas reading “Send fake review to AICN about Cloverfield.” Then there's how the pro-movie posts are REALLY careful to not describe what the monster looks like, as if there was a P.S. on that same post-it-note reading: “Describe Monster=FIRED.” I’m just saying.
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Get on the ball, Harry. http://tinyurl.com/36uyjo
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...but it's something...
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Yep, it looks awesome...perhaps the nacelle caps haven't been placed over those turbine-looking things yet. Still, looks like ILM is going to do a bang-up job.
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Full: http://tinyurl.com/ywn8ro
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before they paint it royal blue with red racing flames.
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if you hate them, I'll get 2for2true to pencil-mouth stab the corpse of Chaplin
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"My bad"
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Heckles, you've already been scooped, m8. Better luck next time.
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all the while laughing and calling him a shitheel. 2for2true is for real, yo.
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except for Clue. It was 2for2true in da theater, with the pencil through the mouth bitch
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Link to the pic is here already? My bad. Trying to share the geek wealth. Still a cool pic though.
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plugged the Sinestro Corps War. Good, man.
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cause he can use his pencil. He always wins though cause he stabs his opponent in the neck every time. Some call it cheating, I call it knowing your enemy's weakness. Namely, they can't function with a pencil in their neck.
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I scooped you by a good 10 minutes myself
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Never leave the one you [LOVE]
for the one you (LIKE)
because the one you LIKE will leave you
for the one they LOVE
the one you LIKE will give you goosebumps;
the one you LOVE will make you laugh
and send shivers down your spine.
When the one you LIKE cries, you feel sorry for them;
but when the one you LOVE cries, you cry for them.
True Love Doesn't Have A Happy Ending
BECAUSE True LOVE Never Ends
tonight your true LOVE will realize how much they love you.
between 1 & 4 in the morning,
tomorrow the shock of your life will occur.
if you break the chain then you will have
bad luck....
If you REALLY LIKE (or LOVE) SOMEONE right
now
AND MISS THEM and
can't get them out of
your head then repost this with
the title"never leave the one you love -
you deserve a pencil in the mouth
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anybody wanna buy it?
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I understand everyone is entitled to an opinion but, I have to say, I heavily disagree with yours. On one hand I can see where you're coming from in regards to 9/11 imagery in the film. On the other... Well, how long are filmmakers going to have to shy away from the destruction of buildings because it "looks like 9/11 all over again?" 9/11 happened and I highly doubt the filmmakers are trying to say anything that downplays that event. The thing is, its been over 6 years. Yes, it does hurt. It was a horrible tragedy that we all wish never happened but that doesn't mean the idea of a building being torn down should become taboo. Godzilla was ripping down Tokyo in the 1950's but did anyone say "Hey, buildings could really collapse. People could really die. Don't do that?" No. Because it happened 50 years before 9/11? So what? Because it didn't look real? So what? If they'd had the technology to make it look real back then they would have. Godzilla did it to New York in '98 and no one complained. Again, because it was before? Maybe everyone should boycott every film ever portraying a building collapse. By your reasoning any film that has a nuclear bomb going off should be ashamed. I mean, after all, how many Japanese people were killed during the bombings? Any movie about war? For shame! People really died in those wars.
My point is, a film mirroring real-life imagery isn't a sin. Its wasn't created to mock the real-life event. In regards to a war movie, for the most part, they're made as a form of tribute. Cloverfield isn't paying tribute to 9/11 but it isn't degrading it. If anything, I think its a brave idea. Maybe we, as Americans, aren't afraid to breach the topic of 9/11 in cinema.
Although 9/11 happened, Cloverfield didn't. Don't get so bent out of shape about a fictional film, a monster movie, destroying a building in New York. No one is going to forget what happened on that day.
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Thanks, I needed to puke and clear out my stomach
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http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h145/Eroybixby/clfsketch2.jpg
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Jan 17, 2008 2:20:38 PM CST
A remake of Emmerich's GODZILLA in nauseating Shake-O-Vision
by no respectable gentleman
... and featuring some preppie assholes to boot. I've seen it. Avoid at all costs.
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Oh man I completely agree. CWDP is absolutely the best Buffy episode ever! If Cloverfield is as good on a movie scale we may have a classic.
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http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23679
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Big mistake....hope your favorite number is 2.
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and now it's using it on us!
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Ah . . . dude, it's called spell check. Most of us have had it for about a decade. When someone's shitting all over a movie for how "stupid" it (or it's audience) are, then punctuates it by being unable to spell the simplest words or construct sentences, I just think . . . MORON!!!
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i dont understand why people ignore the parallels between this and godzilla. both films use elements from a horrific event, and put it in mainstream culture. im a cynical asshole, dont get me wrong, but the thought they are exploiting that day solely for profit shows the lack of faith in humanity as a whole. the motive of the filmakers whole is almost proven to work in what that guy said in the review above. he was in new york, and the impression that day left stuck with him forever. is that not what the filmakers are trying to do here? give those who were not there a larger life in experience (which of course wouldnt begin to simulate the terror). honestly, the whole crew behind this film did much more to honor 'merica than the new found patriots with "never forget" american flag stickers. look beyond your own selfish emotions. something happened on american soil!?!??! holy balls!!! it was an incredibly surreal day that i will remember forever, but so much happens in other countries, and the first large scale attack we've had in decades is all of the sudden the worst thing that has ever happened on earth. i love america, but i can see why the whole world hates us.
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Jan 17, 2008 2:53:20 PM CST
I bet 2for2true would have stabbed Lincoln with a quill
by just pillow talk
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Blah blah blah blah blah GREATEST MOVIE EVER blah blah blah blah PARAMOUNT FILMMAKING blah blah blah blah REDEFINES THE GENRE blah blah blah blah MASTERPIECE blah blah blah blah CORNERSTONE OF CINEMA blah blah blah blah blah J.J. ABRAMS COCK IS BURIED DEEP IN MY ASSHOLE blah blah blah blah
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Godzilla was created in the 1950's as a DIRECT RESPONSE to Hiroshima. The Godzilla character is in large part a manifestation of Japanese anxieties of living in the atomic age. The monster is supposed to be a warning on man's tampering with nature by splitting the atom. So to respond to what you said, Godzilla is inextricably entwined with the Hiroshima bombing.
This Cloverfield movie does pretty much the same thing with 9-11. It hits on the same notes and subconscious anxieties that we have, even 6 years later. Our lizzard brains, if you will. Is it manipulative? Yep, but then again, every time you walk into the theater you're being manipulated by a director. Wake up. Whether or not it's too soon(!) well, that's for the individual to judge I guess... -
HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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you say "shitheel" 3 times in a mirror, 2for2true comes out and stabs you in the mouth with a pencil???
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its a short, fun time at the movies. if you want to over analyse it and go overboard then you might wind up disappointed but if you just want to see a film that focuses on a small group of survivors during a giant monster attacks on new york then you can't really go wrong here. my favorite part?? only those who have seen will know what I mean but "exploding girl". that was great. Some of the acting is shakey at times and I really don't think the love story added much to it. it doesn;t detract either but considering how much carnage and mayhem ensues its a small price to pay and thinking about it it does add to the film as a whole in the long wrong. A good night at the movies. I think word of mouth will be strong.
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invoke thoughts of hiroshima. its kinda the whole point....and for you people who get motion sickness...well put it this way if you don;t like shakey cam this thing makes the bourne films look like david lean shot them so you might want to take some pills
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if a giant monster attacked their city.
As I said before..people run when a fire cracker explodes...I've heard of parents leaping out of windows and abandoning the kids in a burning house; hell even trained professionals run like panic riddled animals when faced with certain death.
To ask us to believe that the characters in Cloverfield would knowingly return to seek out someone, or have the presence of mind to film the event let along string together complete humorous sentences given that a GIANT MONSTER is terrorizing the city, is just to much to ask for.
For fucks sake they left NY like rats leaving a sinking ship after 9/11...and thats after they knew what had happened and that further attack was unlikely. A horrific even to be sure, but a plausible one that they could wrap their minds around and understand on some level and they STILL ran.
Now imagine these same people not running given the out of this world events of Cloverfield.
If your going to do something like this...at least make it believeable..make them cower in terror, puking and shitting themselves, affraid to move or speak their eyes red from tears of terror, strangling crying babies for fear the sound will bring the beast, as they pray for death to deliver them from debilitating horror.
THATS what Cloverfield should have been. -
Here is what I think...
The Monster is the "littlest whale" who is missing after she went looking for the tastiest ingredient, was infected by it, and transformed into the beast.
The reason it is attacking is because the Slusho company was mining this ingredient for its new drink and woke it from the long sleep.
Which basically makes Cloverfield a tale of Monster attacks due to Corporate greed...just as Godzilla was Monster attacks due to Nuclear War
Just my guess..and I seriously hope I'm wrong..as it would just be gawd damned stupid. -
How these people get to see the movies soon, and Mori/Quint/Massa does not.
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you know it's entirely possible that the movie was actually good.
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Im 25!!
I read that comic and it has it's moments, OK, but it's nothing special!
Wouldnt make a good film either!
And judging by your libral sprinkling of the word Cunt!! Your an American who has only recently been aquainted with the word, and cant help saying it!
Much like my 5 year old kid when he learnt the word fart, he wouldnt stop saying it!!
And cunt only sounds right with an English accent!!
I will be seeing Cloverfield though! -
it would own all the disaster movies.. Demon godzilla from GMK done in cgi, have a battle with a mutated whale or some shit...boom box ofice gold.. What if Spielberg or Proyas directed?
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it would have the monster playing guitar on the rooftops
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he did a great job with hellboy.
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Didn't you see this movie? What did you think?
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...are bitching and moaning about a movie they still haven't even seen... When us aussies posted reviews in the forums two days before you guys did, including posting sketches of the monster, at least we knew what we were talking about - I can't believe there are still people sitting here saying "But actually TELL US what the monster looks like..." or "You must only get glimpses of the monster, because noone seems to be able to tell us what it looks like properly..." - Un...fucking...believeable!
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god i loved seeing that on the big screen. go see the movie, it is ridiculously good.
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I was the first "used to smarter" post...doofuses...
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Plant, plant, plant, plant, plant and ... oh yeah: plant. The grass roots marketing campaign for this is without shame. And how can this be found footage if I am right not looking at the complete undecapitated statue of liberty?
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Because it's a movie? And it's fake? Maybe?
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"While they may be something to do with his breathing (like gills maybe?) According to that gif they flap like ears. Early reports made them out to be like reptile ears or Grendel's ears from Beowulf."
I saw a screening of Cloverfield on Tuesday, and trust me, those are not ears. There is a specific scene where you can clearly see the Monster (whatever the Fuck it is, because I could not really tell you) very clearly, and as you hear it breath, those sacks SWELL up and deflate, not flapping forward and backward. It is very distinct and obvious when you see the film, that they are in some way related to the breathing process. -
...about two days ago now...
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Followed by GODZILLA (that is, the original). I have no doubt that CLOVERFIELD will be good, but I've already heard too much that sounds completely irritating and stupid to make me love it. I'm pretty sure that I'll like it, though, just not love it.
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I was qouting eXcommunicated, then following with my own response. Hope that helps as you read it.
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Never cleave the one you fist fuck with a [GLOVE] for the one you (LIKE) to make swallow your urine because the one you LIKE to force to swallow your urine will leave you for the one they fist fuck with a GLOVE the one you LIKE to make swallow your urine will give you gonorea; the one you fist fuck with a GLOVE will make you laugh and send shivers down your taint. When the one you LIKE to make swallow your urine cries, you enjoy how much you humiliated them; but when the one you fist fuck with a GLOVE cries, you cry with lustpain. True Glove Doesn't Have A Happy Ending BECAUSE True GLOVE Never Ends tonight your true GLOVE will realize how much they enjoy being fist fucked with a Glove by you. between 1 & 4 in the morning, tomorrow the cock of your life will occur. if you break the chain of consensual sexual abuse/torture then you will have bad luck going to the bathroom with any dignity.... If you REALLY LIKE to penetrate (or GLOVE) SOMEONE nice and toit and willing right now AND PISS ON THEM REGULARLY and can't get them out of your toilet then repost this with the title"never cleave the one you glove cause you could go to jail if you take your sex death fetish too far.
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I love The Host too. Great fuckin movie. I own it on Blu-Ray.
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Is a Voltron movie being made? I was sure I read somewhere that this was it...
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Oh wah wah wah they used buildings collapsing in a "monster attacks new york" movie and it reminds my poor damaged psyche of 9/11. Get the fuck over it asshole! People are still using the invocation of that awful day to get away with all kinds of shit and butt-hurt cowards like yourself are still letting them.
As for the reviewer who wrote "soon to be invaded Iran" fuck you too buddy! No intelligent American wants a fight with Iran, just our dumbshit president and his rich asshole friends with equity stakes in military-industrial companies (plus the Fox News mouthbreathers). And it's a democracy where only Congress has the power to declare war and can remove the president if he doesn't listen to them, and those congressional assholes are still elected by us! So you can still do something about it! Douche. -
http://tinyurl.com/24z3db
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Dude, if it is Voltron, I want to know what we did to piss him off? Wasn't Voltron a good guy?
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asinyne, (love the screen name by the way) I'd like to piggy back on your thoughts about the obvious parallels to 9/11 that are seen in Cloverfield. My girlfriend and I discussed that exact thing after seeing the movie. What we decided is this, prior to 9/11 most American moviegoers did not have a strong frame of reference as to what the collapse of a skyscraper would look like. Obviously now, it is ingrained in my memory.
For film makers the choice then becomes:
a) Cut a scene like that entirely out of the movie. That is not very practical in a Monster attacking a city movie, nor would it make for a very compelling attack.
b) Include the scene, but make it look different. That is not practical either. We all know what it looks like, we’ve seen it and won’t forget what it looks like. I never realized how much dust is created when an event like that occurs. Post 9/11 you can’t have a building in a movie collapse and simply ignore the dust cloud racing down the street (especially in a first person POV film). It’s strong imagery for some, but anything else would just plain look fake.
c) Include the scene in the movie and offend some audience members. I don’t really see how any self respecting film director could choose option a or b.
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liberal view of the 9 11 events.
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yes but if you are offended by it or hurt by it now close to seven years on i think you might want to go and get some help. Not being rude of mocking but if this film offends you due to the imagery looking a little bit like september 11 then go and talk to a professional because you really should be over it by now.
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...So I asked him how it was. His response was, "Oh, pretty good I guess". Which means, in his garbled fanboy lexicon, poor to average. In the world of Abrams, he gave MI3 an even more enthusiastic review. So, I'm leaning towards poor. But it will make for a good rental should I want to piss my girlfriend off by renting crap no one else can enjoy, thereby getting the room to myself.
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...in movies they do this thing called "make believe". Have you heard of it? Its new to me as well but as I understand it it is a totally crazy concpet but when they make these "movies" they generally fill them with things that are not real. Like GIANT FUCKING MONSTERS or guys bitten by genetically altered spiders whihc then make him develop super powers like that of a spider. they also have people do things that most people probably wouldn;t do to help service the story. or filmS like this woul;d be FUCKING BORING. theres i plenty of reality out there pal....go for a walk..head into town. movies are fake. always have been...always will be.
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sorry.
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If I lost a family member, would you tell me to get the fuck over it and refer to my poor damaged psyche?
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Will say this is the Necons projecting Islamophobia fears on people to get their vote.
Damn moonbats have the answer for everything. -
Are the ones who have to CONSTANTLY bring their half-formed propagandist political opinions here rather than leaving them on the unintelligible kneejerk rightwing and/or leftwing nutjob blog they read it on. And this goes for both sides, since both sides appear to be completely full of shit. Not to mention retarded.
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Who cares who win? They both fucking suck and should go away immediately. Although, admittedly, leftwing nutjobs throw better parties and have better drugs. They also have more sex.
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and other entities have used 9/11 as a rationale for a whole lot of f'd up things. As far as the film and its allusions to 9/11, I haven't seen it yet so I won't comment. Showing a building collapsing is not really offensive in and of itself. But trying to exploit people's memories of 9/11 for sheer entertainment kind of is, no?
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I vote for whomever sucks less than the other asshole just like everybody else.
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It looks like 9/11, it sounds like 9/11, but it doesn't seem to have any political bent whatsoever. It seems to evoke the fear and terror of the day without a political axe to grind. Of course, I'm sure some retards will read all kinds of stuff that aren't there because they have too much time on their hands.
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Isn't it worse to have the pointless, apolitical allusions?
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I mean, if you lived in New York at the time, it was scary as fuck regardless of whether you identify yourself as a progressive or a neocon.
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Jan 17, 2008 5:55:46 PM CST
Anyone have any clue if "You can't drink just 6" has any double
by cromwell1666
I was wondering from day 1.
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thanks
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I'm saying isn't it worse to go, "Hmm...let's just scare the fuck out of people by making it all look like 9/11. Let's exploit people's fears! It'll be even scarier if you were there"
Not saying they did that but isn't that worse then "I'm going to make a smart, political movie that does show destruction in way similar to 9/11 but is done to make a comment on human nature". -
Alot.
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Or Mcloven.
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You might be gay. Take the quiz.
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on boardrea der.com and laughed out loud. Wanted to share with you fine folks. That's all.
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Personally, I'm a big fan of exploitation, empty or otherwise, so, it doesn't bother me and I don't think anything is wrong with it. If anything, I think its smart to manipulate people in this way if you're trying to make a horror movie which, at their core, are always about manipulation and exploitation of people's collective fear (well, the successful ones anyway).
In short, I do hear what your saying, but sometimes trying too hard to make a big political point backfires in a major way. -
That trying to make a political point can backfire. I do not have a problem with exploitation either since it is inherent to filmmaking. But exploiting an event like 9/11 gives me the heebyjeebies. And by heebjeebies I mean diarrhea.
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AND HIS NAME IS OJ SIMPSON!!
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when Kloipy was funny.
Besides being a predictable douche bag he doesn't have much to offer. -
Classic!and Blair Witch was shiiiiiiiiite!
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congrats, you are the 435th talkbacker to mention that. I was the first, I made a joke, and that should have been that. no one even reads the talkbacks anymore before posting...
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Do you pimp E.T? Cause I want some of that.
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I love Clovy`s huge MANTITS!He could shave his crack though!
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and he never swallows!But his behind is like a big bowl of chocolate pudding!
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from Total Recall? That's what I'M talkin about!
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all that hair was...I dont know?There where some things in it...hhhmmmmm.But it was fun,he growls a lot.
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the midget lady was hotter!
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enuff said
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of the predator having sex and I nearly vomited. Can we please stop this line of talking? Or should we continue?
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just wanna know?He seems so masculine!
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http://tinyurl.com/ylgorv
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Superman in the JLA movie and the other one is the Nightcrawler in the Wolverine movie.
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or not?
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Jan 17, 2008 7:35:02 PM CST
The movie is shit,but it'll be good reading Moriarty's analysis
by bduncan
The movie is shit (having seen it myself in Australia), but it'll be good reading Moriarty's analysis of it, compared to Harry and Massa's mediocre reviews of the film.
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And I am leaving to go come on my girlfriend.
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...who wanted to start a midget rental service. I thought that would be a pretty cool idea.
I heard Pred jizz tastes like iguana piss. -
aka "pussy with teeth". Sounds dangerous! I wouldn't mind fucking that Blue Twilek Jedi, though, and since she's a Jedi, that means she's a virgin! Which, okay, she'll suck in bed, but her blue vagina will be noice and toit. TOIT!
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and it smells funny.
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...it oozes out like Play-Dough.
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is a wise man.
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wise man.
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And inside the box...there's another
BOX
gassssssssp, now that's great story telling!
please fuck off right up the same sphincter Shaymalan went. -
Jan 17, 2008 7:44:32 PM CST
American imperialism made the Cloverfield monster hate us
by darth_inedible
Rumsfeld depth charged the marianas trench-LOOK IT UP
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but since it is blue it is ok. And she sure has some Jedi power to clean up the mess!
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:::sigh:::
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/29361/Now-HD-DVD-is-losing-the-porn-war -
Thats actually kinda gross. You could probably see every stretch mark, cold sore, lymph node, and pimple through the plastic surgery. Nasty!
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...than a monster eating a camera.
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Does anyone really need to read that many reviews of a movie? I mean, go see it or don't go see it. If you need to read all of these to help you decide than God help you.Oh, by the way, I heard you're all looking forward to Meet the Spartans. Ha!
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but just as predictable
:-P -
That was informative.
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please
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[cups ear to the crowd] Aw yeah. You people just don't learn do you. Yo dis is C.Ghost givin' a shoutout to all da Cloverfield muthafuckas out there who KNOW this shit is gonna be a Lion. Now all the hot shawties let's get fou' on da flo' and watch me kick dis!
B, b, b, b
I, i, i, i
G, g, g, g
L, l, l, l
I, i, i, i
O, o, o, o
N, n, n, n
LION!
We can dance like a lion
He is the king of beasts
And when he starts growin'
Destruction he’s sowin'
Takes down buildings like a wildebeest
Say, we can dance like a lion
We can take part in the hunt
Predatory cat will own your ass
Now everybody’s on the run
We can dance like a lion
New York City is now his jungle
Watch him eat yo’ peeps up and down the street
Kill your main dude and your uncle
Say, we can dance, we can dance
And I doth quote “[It is] huge”
We can dance, we can dance
Lookin’ for a bridge to chew
We can dance, we can dance
He’s breakin the convenience store glass
We can dance, we can dance
Blood fillin' all your safari pants
It’s the Lion Dance
The Lion Dance
The Lion
Yeah!
It's the LION DANCE!!! -
Everyone realize here that Star Wars: Special Edition still holds the best opening weekend for the month of January, set over ten years ago? lol Sadly, Cloverfield is bound to break that record. Damn it.
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hey pommy cunt. i'm not american. and cunt sounds better in another accent even better than english(whichever english). and you're a dumb cunt. Sinestro Corps war would make a good movie. you do realize that was only the first issue you dumb fuck. there are 10 more issues. fuck this cunt astounds me. but he likes superman returns so i guess it makes sense.
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...that little lizardy thing in Mortal Kombat that jumps into the chest cavity of a statue and becomes Reptile. Really liked the film overall. One moment near the end made it seem a little less "realistic", where the monster gets a close up. Can't complain though. The bombing scene is now one of my favourite things, ever.
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Now that the fanboy hype has cleared, we can see Cloverfield for what it is : borrowed inspiration, trite screenwriting and amateurish acting all in the service of a ballsy idea — that a horror movie could maybe, just maybe, have a soul. As it turns out, Cloverfield's virtues are all mechanical, but, hot damn, what it might have been. According to the thinking of producer JJ Abrams, a rabid Godzilla fan, a monster attacking Manhattan might be a cathartic way for audiences to process their lingering fears about the events of September 11th. No politics, just the raw terror of an alien attack, jangling our nerves the way Japan's 1954 Godzilla evoked panic over the atomic bomb. Cloverfield looked good on paper, and for much of its breathlessly short running time it looks mighty good onscreen. The tech boys really strut their stuff. The monster, seen in glimpses, looms menacingly. And those crablike parasites that pop off the Big Boy's hide are manic creepazoids that rate high on the ick meter. But the movie keeps hinting at a profundity — a core of feeling — that never comes. Look, I'm not that bothered that the structure of the movie is lifted from The Blair Witch Project — we're watching digicam footage found in the aftermath of destruction. It's the YouTube-ification of Hollywood — let it roll. What galls me is that Abrams, whose first feature was the underrated Mission Impossible III, has gathered his TV team — director Matt Reeves, who worked with Abrams on Felicity and screenwriter Drew Goddard, who toiled with Abrams on Lost and Alias – to create characters that literally define vacuity. These twentysometings, whom the script spends fifteen minutes letting us hang with, are instead people we'd like to hang. Where's Juno when you need her?
It all starts with a party. The guest of honor is Rob (Michael Stahl-David), a careerist about to move to Japan (nice Godzilla
name-check) to cement his status as a hateful yuppie. To record the doings for posterity, Rob's brother Jason (Mike Vogel) assigns his buddy Hud (TJ Miller) to tote around a camcorder. Assorted drunks and a hottie named Lily (Jessica Lucas) provide the forced testimonials. We even get to see Beth (Odette Yustman), the girl getting the sayonara from Rob, arrive to taunt him with her new guy and Hud, who spends most of the movie behind the camera as our YouTube guide for the entire ride, flirts with Marlena, played by Lizzy Caplan with an energy not found in the DNA of the other cast members. For all the boozing, posing and macking, these characters move around like walking MySpace profiles who don't get any hits. By now, anyone who doesn't dote on Gossip Girl will be begging for the monster to show up and stomp these annoying nonentities.
The lizard king arrives on cue. We don't see all of him at first, but we hear him roar, knock down buildings and send the head of the Statue of Liberty rolling down a street right in front of our party crowd. And then, boom, down goes the Brooklyn Bridge with a smack of his tail. The fireworks are something to see, with soldiers firing at something unwoundable. To the film's credit, it even gets off a few images that qualify as poetic, like the shot of a horse-drawn carriage without a driver moving slowly toward Central Park, where the military runs its rescue operation under the code name Cloverfield. There's lots of running and ducking and screaming that holds to PG-13 strictures, meaning you hear, "Oh, shit" instead of "Oh, fuck." Through it all, Hud documents the devastation with herky-jerky camerawork that suggests video images of Iraq and a bulldog tenacity that Werner Herzog would envy.
About the dizzying visuals: If the movie had lasted another half-hour, you'd barf. But eighty minutes of woozy is just right. Miller did some of the shooting himself; the rest was done by cinematographer Michael Bonvillain and a team of experts pretending to be inexperienced bunglers. The gimmick that would make Michael Bay blush involves the fact that Hud is taping over footage showing Rob and Beth in their happier days. Let Hud put down the camera for a sec, and up comes just the appropriate shot of our lovers making like Leo and Kate in Titanic. Nothing like a little shameless emotional manipulation to spark a movie that's already treading risky ground by exploiting a global tragedy for thrills. At least there's no Celine Dion ballad to drag us down to emo hell. We are meant to feel the heartache as Rob and the gang trudge through a dark subway tunnel on Spring Street to Central Park South. It's here that Rob, suddenly unselfish and loving, sets out to save Beth, now trapped in her fancy apartment high up (of course) in the Time Warner Center. The scene is an FX triumph that you don't believe for a second. And though the cast starts falling prey to disaster one by one, there is a bright side: less cringeworthy banter. One character, watching Manhattan on fire, announces that this is "serious shit." He's half right.
I've heard the excuse that people running for their lives rarely stop to be pithy. Duly noted. But I'm not ready to concede that it's impossible to make a monster movie with a meaning that cuts deep and characters we can see ourselves in. In 2006, South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho did just that with The Host, a film of transfixing power that used the concept of a beast rising from a river of toxic waste (America's fault) to invade the very notion of family values. -
so i don't trust that guy.
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maybe to some people. the monster has no agenda but just being in new york and incidently fucking shit up.
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This is the after-credits message. Reversed, of course, but really sounds too clear to be coincidence.
http://boomp3.com/m/bd034dfca370
Pretty creepy if you know what they do to the island at the end.
But I could be DUMB. -
In the last shot of the movie, where we see old footage left on the camera of our leading man and lady in Coney Island, something falls from the sky behind them and smashes into the water. Did anyone else see this? It was subtle. Could it be our creature plumetting from outer space a few weeks earlier? Could it be a meteorite with the bacteria that may have unlocked the monster from a microscopic stasis? Someone use this modern day technology and grab a clip of this end shot. Post here for further analysis. Anyone else catch it?
Also, I think there are many, many of the big monster and that is where the term cloverfield comes from (they pop up everywhere much like clovers in a field).
I predict a sequel with a more hollywood (non-found footage) feel that reveals our two leads are still alive and perhaps Jason as well. If this makes bank, which it will, sequel here we come. which i would not mind...but lets see the monster more than 2 minutes total. -
This is what I posted on the IMDB board about it. "IIRC, that's supposed to be the satellite mentioned in the side-story stuff, not Cloverbeast. If it crashed that close a month or whatever before, why didn't it attack earlier? Could have attracted it, I guess? Plus, the size of the thing crashing at such high velocity into water would have A. Caused a HUGE splash, and B., since it was affected, if only a little, by rockets and bombs etc., killed it or seriously f*cked it's day up. Additionally, sonar images and the fake newscasts all place it WAY away from Coney when it breaks down Chuai station, which means even if it was the thing that landed, it would have had to swim to Chuai, pull it down, and then swim back to the East Coast of the United States. More likely, Tagruato's drilling and general reputation as an evil company (gun-toting ninjas, the capture of Teddy, etc) stirred it awake."
But I take my genre WAY too seriously. Being a loser, and all.
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That movie kicked my ever living ass to all holy hell. If watching Cloverfield doesn't make me feel like I'm in the middle of a Half-life 2 movie I don't know what it does.
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Yah...you take this stuff way too seriously and have overthought it methinks. I assume all that info you just posted is from the viral marketing. as one who did not take part in all that, I would assume that they want the movie to make sense to the average viewer that did not take on any of the viral websites. in which, case, the sequel will have a scene where some military dude zooms in on the last shot and freeze frames on the splash. then lutenant Columbo steps in and says "one more question sir..." Wouldn't you pay to see Peter Faulk as Columbo in a genre flick?!
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I was really into everything for the first month after the trailer, and only in the past 3 days or so have I gotten back into it. But I can give a Terminator timeline and defend it, so yep, I overthink things.
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Just got back from seeing Cloverfield at midnight. Great stuff. First off, you guys will be laughing your asses off at how long you've been pining over the smallest of footage or pics, trying to interpret what the monster might or might not be. I call it a Gilamonster after seeing it at the end....but I won't spoil it from there. It was great how the movie stops to let you breathe for just a second and then all hell keeps breaking lose. The subway tunnel scene was great and when Hud turns on night vision a minute too late you'll shit your pants at what goes down next. Best part of the movie is shot from the chopper, seeing the bomber lay a huge shit on the monster and it's whacking away at all the buildings. We all waited around in the theatre after the credits for some supposed audio clip but there wasn't anything to it, just a bunch of static. NOT WORTH THE WAIT. I had to piss so bad...
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IT WAS A LION!! IT WAS HUGE!!
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i never understood the people who were freeze framing footage and stuff, overanalyzing stuff. watch the movie then see what happens.
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Oh my god! Oh my god!Seriously, though, I loved the film. Can't wait to see it again.
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but I got some topical cream. Cleared right up!
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the monster is in the film for probably less than 2 minutes. while the film is entertaining, it really is a crime that the monster is hardly seen. it's not even that cool looking. that's what frustrated me. it was like someone took a bat and pulled the webbed wing off of the long bone that it is attached to. it walks on those two long bones essentially. the face is this non-descript slightly beaked thing. it appears to have hind legs and a long whip-like tail. it's pretty random. it sucks that it is only seen for 5 second bursts. the perfect opportunity to give us a good 30 seconds of crazy monster viewing would have been when Hud pointed his camera at the news report where they showed a helicopter shot. they just showed little glimpses of the tail etc. i get the whole dramatic build...but come on...this is a freakin monster movie where the monster is almost a no-show.
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At the end of the film when it cuts back to Coney Island there was something that crashed into the ocean making a big splash. Only problem is No one else around me saw it. Did anyone else see it?
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I don't know if this will count as a spoiler or not, but minor warning? I'm going to compare the monster to the one thing that it actually kind of looked like...
Metal Gear Ray from MGS2. Seriously, that's exactly what it reminded me of, even though there are definitely some differences. -
Jan 18, 2008 2:18:36 AM CST
Salon's Steph Zacharek says it sucks and dishonors memory of 9/1
by greenflame0
Because Cloverfield was produced by Alias and Lost mastermind JJ Abrams and because it's being sold to audiences through a viral media campaign instead of the more common hyperadvertising, there's a great deal of subterranean buzz about the picture. In 'Cloverfield', a going-away party for a young man who's leaving the States specifically, his home in lower Manhattan -- to take a job in Japan is rudely interrupted when an angry sea monster (or perhaps just an angry East River monster) rises from the depths to wreak havoc on the city. It all sounds like fun, until you have to sit through it.
Abrams and director Matt Reeves, may think Cloverfield is revolutionary for the way it mimics the rough, homemade feel of home-video recording and for the way it calls attention to our early-21st-century penchant for recording everything as it happens : we now use our camera phones as surrogate eyes instead of actually seeing ; we interrupt whatever fun we're having to text our friends about how much fun we're having. But instead of skewering those tendencies, Cloverfield merely enlists them as a device, pretending to examine how self-absorbed we are as a culture, only to be consumed by it's own self-absorption. It's also badly constructed, humorless and emotionally sadistic - surely the work of a genius, or at least a couple of guys who know what buttons to push. These days, those two things seem to be interchangeable.
Cloverfield opens with a test pattern and some official-looking Defense Department lettering telling us that we're seeing video footage recovered from 'the area formerly known as Central Park'. It's a chilling opening for
it's obliqueness alone. The first few minutes show a young couple flirting and cavorting in a nicely appointed Upper West Side apartment : This is footage they've shot themselves as they horse around. It's reassuring evidence of the everyday quality of our lives.
But there's more on that videotape, a record of terrible events that happened some three weeks later. Nearly the first third of Cloverfield consists of setup -- it's a leisurely and confident, perhaps too confident, way of opening up a movie. We learn more about the characters we saw in that earlier footage, Rob, who's being feted by his friends before heading off to that job in Japan, and Beth, a woman who should probably be Rob's girlfriend, but isn't quite. We also meet Rob's brother, Jason and Jason's girlfriend Lily, as well as Rob's best friend, Hud, a rather annoying spud who's been charged with recording the partygoers' farewells to Rob, although he's continually distracted by Marlena, a raven-haired beauty who's shown up at the party -- his camera follows her woozily, as if struck by lovesickness.
It'd be unfair to reveal too many of the details of Cloverfield, but by now nearly everyone knows that someone or something lops the head off the Statue of Liberty and sends it rolling, like a forlorn bowling ball, down the streets of New York. That's a gripping, poetic image by itself, so poetic that partygoers and passersby who've gathered in the streets, raise their phones in unison, like a high-tech Greek chorus, to snap pictures of it.
But from there, the picture becomes less intriguing and more numbing. There are very few, if any touches of humor in Cloverfield, but there's lots of screaming and realistic approximations of human suffering : this isn't Godzilla cartoonishly chomping the heads off random citizens. The movie is unpleasant to the point of being unconscionable ; it's so relentless there's no suspense, nothing that makes us wonder what's going to happen next. The picture does build dread, but not much else and in places, it's very carelessly made : For the most part, we know it's Hud behind the lens, but in some later scenes, we have no idea who's manning the camera, as if that were a detail we shouldn't care about.
Maybe we're supposed to give Abrams and Reeves extra points for cleverness, for the way they've adapted traditional narrative into YouTube-style storytelling, using seemingly homegrown video footage to heighten the sense of immediacy. But we've already seen a far more effective version of that approach in Brian De Palma's Iraq war drama 'Redacted' and George Romero's upcoming 'Diary of the Dead' makes use of some similar techniques. It's no longer good enough to be among the first; you have to be an effective storyteller too and that's where Reeves, Goddard and Abrams fail. Is Cloverfield trying to be a fun monster movie, or is it trying to say something about the way post-9/11, we experience horrific events ? I simply have no idea. There's many people who walk around thinking, '9/11 is the most dramatic, most significant event in our lives', just as there are others who think, big deal. It was only a matter of time until we were attacked on our own soil. If 1950s horror films were really about the communist threat, as we're constantly and needlessly reminded by film scholars, then why can't modern horror films mirror our own fears about real-life terrorism ? There's no reason they can't, but there's also no reason we have to accept the cheapening of real-life tragedy as a means of entertainment. Cloverfield harnesses the horror of 9/11, specifically as it was felt in New York and repackages it as an amusement-park ride. We see familiar buildings exploding and crumpling before our eyes, and plumes of smoke rolling up the narrow corridors formed by lower-Manhattan streets, images that were once the province of news footage and have now been reduced to special effects. Kewl!
I'm not saying those images should never be used dramatically in any way. But like all potent images, they deserve some care and respect and some discretion. Why use them just for kicks, as a means to get a rise out of the audience as it recognizes something familiar and terrifying ? Cloverfield takes the trauma of 9/11 and turns it into just another random spectacle at which to point and shoot. The picture's overconfident sense of immediacy is precisely what makes it so remote. Maybe we now live in a world where we record the moment first and feel it later. If that's the case, Cloverfield leaves us waiting to feel.
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but I looked over and Kurt Russell and my girlfriend were laughing so I guess it was okay.
the 3rd reviewer brings me back, man. -
Let me preface this by saying that the only thing I've really read about this was Neil Cumpston's review, because that dude rules. Also, I tried to avoid the hype, because I didn't want to be let down...
All said, it was good. It was only about an hour and a half long... which was good, because right when I got tired of watching it... it ended. It really was the Blair Monster Project though. That shakey camera... is exhausting. The monster was pretty awesome. No spoilers here, just know that the monster was believably frightening, and HUGE. The audience that we saw it with was disappointed in the ending. There were actually "boo"s in the theater. But we are talking about the kind of people who go to a midnight showing of Cloverfield. The crowd looked like a comic book convention. All in all, I can't wait for the theater-shot bootleg of this. It'll add to the believability"handheld camera" aspect of the whole movie.
If I had to 1-10 it, I'd give it a 7.3 I guess. -
Yeah, I liked it, too. There weren't any boo's, though. I understand now why all of the reviews have been puzzling, because the movie is hard to describe. Anyway, I'm gonna go see it again and see if I can't get a handle on exactly what I think about it, Again, overall, I liked it, but it may be too sophisticated for the average moviegoer. And yes, the Giachinno piece at the end was AWESOME! I wish they would've had more of the music in the movie...
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This was a perfect marriage of style and substance, and I predict this will spawn a lot of copycat films in the next few years. Sure, this borrows its style from BLAIR WITCH, but it also raises the bar on that formula.
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Cunt sounds terible when said by an Aussie, almost as bad as a French accent!!
English accent or Ruskie, cunt just seems to belong when spoken with either an English or Russian accent!
I love it when we get called Poms! It gives us English people the right to call you Jail Dwelling mass murdering inbred rapists!! But I would never call you that, I think assclown will do for now.
And yes I did know there are more comics in that run I just have better things to do with my time than read anymore of them!
And no a good film they would not make, the target audience for this film would be tiny and even if it was a spot on adaption, you would still find something to piss and moan about!
"They changed the yellow rings to Blue...WAH!!"
Rant over.
ps Superman Returns piss's all over Smallville, thats all im saying! -
explosion in the trailer and at the beginning of the movie? I haven't seen it yet, but I was wondering, "Does the monster breath fire or something?"
That's a big fucking explosion. -
As usual JJ Abrams relies on viral websites and marketing to tell his stories that he can't be bothered to put in his actual running time limit. It got tired on TV with Alias and Lost, and it's really tired now. The ending is totally predictable. But the monster is awesome. I can only hope there is a better sequel which expands on what can currently only be found on promotional websites, you know, where you actually write a whole concise film...
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are you retarded or something?
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Something!
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thanks for describing the relationships in intimate detail you knob.
I walked out of the theatre in sydney and looked up and it felt very plausible that something could just take down half those skyscrapers. it's not a fun monster movie, and it definitely plays on your mind. -
Saw a midnight show. Loved it so much I am considering seeing it again as soon as the theaters open tomorrow. Definitely will be in my top 3 for 2008, might be in my top 20 of all time. Flawless.
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Fucking amazing movie.
And Hud was of course the best character. I love the foreshadowing that finally hit me a little while after seeing it. "If this is the last thing you see, then I"m dead." And in fact it was. Nice.
One of those movies that makes you walk out dazed for a few seconds because it draws you in so deeply. I loved it. -
"One of those movies that makes you walk out dazed for a few seconds because it draws you in so deeply. I loved it."
No kidding, I literally walked out stunned, absolutly stunned. -
You can see a small (distant that is) object strike the water, clearly not of terrestrial origin.
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Jan 18, 2008 11:35:16 AM CST
riverrun, you talkin about beth and rob on the ferris wheel?
by theredtoad
I looked in the ocean over their shoulders and thought I saw a giant jellyfish thing floating along the surface. It was pretty weird.
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are going to yell "Oh my god! Oh my god!" at periodic intervals as well as all during the end credits.
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2for2true might stab you in the mouth with a pencil for that
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First of all. I'm not Australian. Second. You poms can't play Football and now you were stupid enough to get a coach that will make your national team play even more defensive and uninspired, and people wonder why Madrid fired him even though he won them the title, or more like Barca lost it.
How many Smallville episodes have you seen? There is more action and Superman moments in half an episode than there was in the entirity of Superman Returns. An increidbly boring, bland, unmemorable film that was also badly made, had a horrible story and terrible acting and was nothing much like Superman at all.
This is why Smallville OWNS Superman Returns.
http://tinyurl.com/yv2vn6
http://tinyurl.com/2utred
http://tinyurl.com/2pgfw4
Are you seriously telling me that Sinestro Corps War would not make a good movie? How fucking stupid are you? And you say this by judging what is essentially the first 20 mins of a 3 hour movie. That would be like saying Star Wars is a shit movie but you only watched to the part where Luke buys the droids. You are hands down one of the dumbest people to ever grace this site. Sinestro Corps War is the story of the past 2 decades yet you think it's shit based on a single great Issue. Your mother should have swallowed you. -
That's good to know. Stephanie tends to go for the cerebral reviews, so I think she's reading too much into it. She has her salient points though.
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He's hardcore now.BTW, your 3 shitheels in front of the mirror killed me. I think this has the makings of the next big horror franchise. Shitheel: The story of a pencil stabber.
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not that there's a whole lot to get. The guy that's upset about it mirroring 9-11, that's his emotional response so you can't really argue with it. But I don't think you have to be a genius of cinematic history to know that the original GODZILLA was about the atomic bomb being dropped on Japan. And I don't know if anybody in Japan was pissed off about that. Yes, the movie is influenced by 9-11 (duh) but not just in the imagery, also in the way the story keeps hitting on the theme of these friends wanting to appreciate the time they have together, tell each other that they love them, etc. It's a monster movie that takes into account the emotional responses we all had to 9-11.
But the last guy REALLY doesn't get it. You're really disappointed that there's not establishing shots? I don't understand that reaction unless some friends tricked you into going to the movie and you don't really follow movies so you had no idea what the premise was. Like, they said it was a documentary about a labor dispute among workers on an organic clover honey farm.
If you saw the trailer or heard a brief description of what the movie was, though, you know it doesn't have establishing shots. What are you saying, there should be a scene where the guy from the party brings his camcorder into the White House and tapes the president talking about what needs to be done? Then he gets to go into a war room and there's a bunch of guys standing around pointing at a big computer screen with maps? Maybe there should be a part at the beginning where he's in a submarine with the camcorder and he happens to see that an earthquake opens a crack of earth with a monster egg in it and then there are scientists on the submarine who look into the camcorder and explain what happened and what it will take to stop the monster. Then the sub comes up and drops him off at the party. Also a part where a trusty dog just barely escapes an explosion.
I mean come on dude, how did you go to the movie not understanding that it's a monster movie from the perspective of a normal person on the ground? The limited perspective is the movie's way of putting you into the situation, making it feel a little more real than those other movies you are talking about that it clearly is not. If you need "regular monster movie" there are plenty available though.
I'm not saying it's some masterpiece. But it's a fun movie that is pretty much exactly what you expect if you go in with a basic understanding of the premise of the movie. A monster attacks New York, we see it from the perspective of a dude's camcorder. It's not much more than an obvious gimmick, but a good one and well done. Except that it might make you puke.
By the way, did I imagine it or was one of these reviews claiming that they tried to convince people the monster attack really happened and was covered up by the government? I thought Massawyrm was a nut when he said everybody thought Blair Witch was real, but this is taking it to another level. We used to smarter. -
So, I did a Google search to find the official Cloverfield site, and I noticed this in the AdWords section up top:
"Cloverfield" Film
www.doyouhavethecrazy.com/ Was Not As Shocking As This One! Do You You Dare To See The Trailer?
Unbelievable...is it too much to ask you to sell your movie based on its own credentials? It's not like "The Signal" is going to be "One Missed Call" or anything... -
FULL ON. MULTIPLE TIMES. You see it knocking down buildings, fighting off the military, staring right down into the camera.
They're not hiding the fucking thing, morons. See the movie before you betray your stupidity next time. -
Thank you Vern for once again being fucking awesome
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stooge.
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[spoils] I was gonna ask if any of the sleuths with the Slusho and what not had decoded that sound at the end. I couldn't hear it over everybody shushing each other, so I'm not sure what it was. You think it was supposed to leave you with the possibility that they survived?
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The creature looks a lots like rendering of Tars Tarkas, the Thark from Burrough's(edger rice not wm s.) John carter of Mars series. I was a bit disappointed after all the hype. I wanted something lovecraftian and totally inventive.
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yeh, the same thing happened to me, with people still talking..just checked wikipedia now
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yeh, the same thing happened to me, with people still talking..just checked wikipedia now and they had a link to http://boomp3.com/m/bd034dfca370 , saying that if the static at the end is reversed it says "It's still alive". it's pretty damn clear if you want to check it out, although it might be fake *shrugs*
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is someone saying "It's still alive." Sorry, don't have the link but you can find it on unfiction.com.
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Jan 18, 2008 8:03:48 PM CST
i don't like horror movies because they borrow from death imager
by alexsteed
or...
romantic comedies because they borrow from failed romance imagery.
or...
This is a stupid fucking argument. -
Jan 18, 2008 9:54:33 PM CST
It's Blair Witch + Godzilla. Good, but not spectacular...
by happyhamster
I get the feeling if you get too caught in the hype you'll be disappointed a bit. I was. I wasn't horribly disappointed though since I still found the movie pretty entertaining. But at the end of the day it's Blair Witch + Godzilla with some WB-level teen-angst tossed in.
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Some people will like the gimmick, some people won't, but establishing shots be damned.
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I wanted one establishing shot. How can a filmmaker call himself a filmmaker and not have an establishing shot? Huh? Anybody got an answer? I didn't think so.
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With the latest season of Heroes, the suckage of that show is such that even the hardest of hardcore fans are turning on it. But I still maintain it's been pretty mediocre since at least halfway through season one. Smallville has better effects, better actors, and I daresay a better "story" than Heroes (not that either one will be confused with "Citizen Kane").
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What the fuck was Hitchcock thinking? too god damn lazy to change camera angles.
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An answer that will rattle you to your very core.
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This movie sucked. It had some moments, but the characters made such stupid choices you didn't care if they died. I'm willing to suspend disbelief to enjoy a movie, but not to "follow" or care about such stupid people. Why didn't they just throw that indestructible camera at the creature? That would have killed it. Completely overhyped and overrated. Just like JJAbrams other ventures, the payoff was not there.
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And Vern. I was joking.
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is one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. But, c'mon, who commits murder out of boredom?
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honestly the worst movie ever i saw it abunch of sandle wearing faggots... im sick of the pussy movies they make to the faggots and there impossible scenairos to get the most masculine bitches around... america home to the fat and the homo
the movie is going to do well because this is america
the country where i live that needs to be completely erradicated of the homo's and liberal females i hate this country i hate the movies it makes i hate the ecomony of 8 dollars even at student discount this country needs a wake up call on how stupid they are... to be completely dupe on another Gino98... this from a drunk student -
fuck harry and his i wanna sell myself out .... the cgi in this movie is horrible.... im drunk and it still sucks... how bad is that worse than i am legend.. this how website sold out on cloverfield
Godzillla Forever no fucking cloverfield cannot leave up to it only to the hom0
of america -
Yeah you're right. I could not believe how low Heroes got with Season 2, never have I seen a show fall so hard. With Smallville it's different, the first season whilst entertaining was teen drama and basically dawson's creek with superpowers but alot more violence, but then the myth came in season 2 and got bigger. season 3 was dark yet a perfect version of a modern silver age and what you'd imagine clark's youth to be like, season 4 was more silver age and silly but still great moments and then season 5 onwards feels like a different show. More Adult, more effects, more action, the myth is coming together. But the best thign about it all, is the way Luthor is played out. Amazing portrayal. The comic book version is 'comic booky', silly and 2 dimensional, even the modern versions(ha versions). But this is a realistic Lex Luthor. Up there with Dr Doom and Galactus in awesomeness.
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the guy in the review wasn't kidding though. (but were you kidding about the second part, because if not ROPE was inspired by the real murderers Leopold and Loeb)
Anyway, if you're kidding you're supposed to do a bunch of those sideways winking smiley faces, plus a "j/k" and a couple of LOLs. Or at least call everybody homos and faggots like that other guy. That way we know you're not serious. -
Jan 19, 2008 5:29:12 AM CST
I FUCKING LOVED IT (but of course, I used to smarter)
by bass bastardson
If you like the concept, you will like the movie, but if you don't you won't. It is as simple as that. The movie 100% delivers on what it set out to be and I couldn't have been more satisfied.
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As usual. "We used to smarter". I love you Vern.
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The minute they showed that dopey-eyed, brain-dead idiot trying to figure out how to tape a banner to a wall, I said to myself, "PLEASE don't let this guy be the 'narrator' of this whole film!" ...So, of course, he was.How HAPPY I was when he finally got eaten by the monster and subsequently spat out when the monster realized he was as useless as a meal as he was as a character!:DBut those spider-things in the subway were horrifying, even though I KNEW they'd pull a "DESCENT" moment when the lead character tells Hud to turn on the camera's night-vision. And when their female friend gets bitten by one and ends up EXPLODING as a result shortly afterwards... WOW!!! Great visuals WITHOUT really showing anything!This was everything that torture porn WISHES it could be, but doesn't have the talent to... so instead, simply goes for gross shock value.I loved Cloverfield, even though most of my friends got nauseous due to the "shaky-cam" and one of them actually had to leave 30 minutes into it, because he was about to throw up.Can't wait for a sequel! But it might be better if they just leave well enough alone. :)
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