Cool News
AICN Reader decides you must see MONSTERS at SXSW
Hey folks, Harry here with a look at one of the Fantastic Fest/SXSW flicks - a film called MONSTERS - and I've heard really strong word on this film. Here ya go...
Harry, don't know if you have anyone reviewing Monsters, but it is an surprising gem of a movie that deserves to be seen. I saw it last night at the Alamo premiere. I didn't know what to expect going in, but it was awesome in the truest sense of the word--inspiring awe. I could sum it up by calling it "Cloverfields" but that would be oversimplifying what is a complex and amazing movie.
Set some years after a giant monster infestation in Central America, the US has sealed off it's border against an alien ecology that has established itself throughout an infected zone that has claimed half of Mexico. An unlikely pair of American ex-pats must make their way home through the jungle to the "safety" of the American border. But this is not a horror film--though it is very suspenseful and has some elements of horror. It is a deeply human movie set against a monstrous backdrop. It is richly textured with engaging and subtle performances by the two leads.
The director, Gareth Edwards, worked with the main actors, Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able, to work up extensive backgrounds for the characters, and then much of the script was improvised (within parameters) in similar fashion to Waiting for Guffman or Best of Show; but not to comedic effect. They wanted to create a sense of realism, spontaneity and intimacy that I think they achieved in spades. This is a story driven movie, the monsters are not the focus. The characters are three dimensional and vividly realized, which makes you fall in love with them and care for them all the more. You truly fear for their survival.
But that's not to say the monsters have no presence in the film. They were used to tremendous effect at key points of the narrative. They don't ever just jump out at you, they have a behavior and biology that drives them. The director has created a whole ecology for the beasts, which is a subtle and integral part of the story. He put a lot of thought into where they came from and how they would adapt to our own environment and what the ramifications for that would be. It's not all spelled out on screen, but the hints are there for the careful observer.
The effects were really well done too. We were told the director did all the effects on his laptop; but you could never tell. It looks like a big studio picture that cost ten times the budget they had. Favorable comparisons to District 9 could be made. I predict big things for Gareth Edwards. He really pulled off a work of genius here.
We were told the film does not have American distribution yet, though there is a deal to release it in the UK. I would be surprised if this film does not have a distributor by the end of the festival. The best giant monster movie I've seen in years (including Cloverfield) and one that AICN followers are sure to fall in love with.
-
+ Expand All
-
Yeah!!!!
-
Looking forward to the Godzilla Reboot and Cloverfield 2 too.
-
That is a fucking amazingly cool premise. This sounds like it could be really great...I'm definitely keeping my eyes and ears open for it. Wonder if there's a trailer floating around?
-
The mess that Cloverfield was must be easily passed by most movies. If this film is action as oppossed to Horror then it may be good. I'll give it a look.
-
Anyway, i want to download Monsters but i only find Monsters of Cock videos.
-
couldn't stand it. Where on earth did they come up with characters so wholly unlikeable? I wanted them all to die within minutes.
-
but there's a pretty cool, creepy clip up online. and a few images...
http://tinyurl.com/yel6jh5
if this was really made for next to nothing, and all the effects were done by one guy, this could be pretty cool indeed.to my mind, it looks like he's got a decent camera (HMC150, HVX200) with a solid DoF adapter like a Redrock or a Letus.not sure what the footage is supposed to mean in a larger context, but it was certainly surprising, and if anyone says that they aren't at least a little intrigued, I don't want to know you. because you're miserable. -
i hope this turns out to be as good as the clip suggests.
-
I couldn't get past the first 10 minutes of Cloverfield, and the first half hour of district 9 was hard but at least they moved to regular cameras. I FUCKING HATE SHAKEY CAM!!! It is the worst thing to happen to movies since Live action remakes of 80's cartoons. This movie sounds cool so long as they avoid the dreaded shake of nauseousness.
-
Seriously. Isn't this fest supposed to be about unsigned indie films, yet it's headlined with KickAss.... Send a trailer. Don't plead for a fan following. Sorry to hear no one is finding it. It must suck to be a real indie flick in a sea of movies that already have blood deals. I think it sucks that KickAss is getting a fucking custom logo decal covered lux car and star delivery appearance at this event. I thought this fest was for indies only. Indies looking for distributors, or to show off the talents of those involved so they might get a picture deal. Upload a trailer stat. Then post it here.
-
Flame me if you want but I loved Cloverfield, sure I would have loved to see more of the big guy, but it was still an enjoyable movie for me. This other movie, MONSTERS sounds excellent and I can't wait to see it. I will be looking for this one.
-
Looks pretty fucking cool (but I loved Cloverfield)
http://www.screenhead.com/reviews/sxsw-2010-film-clip-gareth-edwards-alien-invasion-monsters/ -
Here's hoping.
-
Sorry coudn't help myself. ;^)
-
http://tinyurl.com/monsturz
-
Cool vibe to that "cliptease". I'd like to see a trailer, but it was enough to get me interested.
-
or you could use the tinyurl link above, that I provided for the clip yesterday...always good to actually READ the talkback, brother.
-
...It was good... also just watched Hurt Locker, not so good
-
Amen, man. What a bunch of wankers. That said, I actually found myself enjoying cloverfield more than I initally wanted to.
-
http://tinyurl.com/yklwtyr
-
http://tinyurl.com/ylmxn3t
-
Gareth Edwards is ambitious. He's extremely talented in VFX. Pretty good director too from what I can tell. He did a movie for BBC "Attila the Hun" doing something like 400 visual effects shots mostly BY HIMSELF in 5 months or so. Article here: http://tinyurl.com/2a53qd
-
nobody writes that good unless you're a marketing grad
-
Is this the ending to Watchmen hat I've been dreaming of? And we can build this dream together stand for something better nothings gonna stop us now!
-
For the record, I sent Harry that review. I'm not a plant. Nor a marketing grad. Just a happy SXSW conference attendee that really enjoyed the flick. I lucked into seeing it and was awestruck at what I had stumbled upon. I checked the site for a review and was astonished no one was piping up at how good this film is. So I sent in a review of my own and was surprised Harry actually used it. This movie deserves an audience, and audiences deserve to see this film. That's what this site is all about, right? Clueing people in to what is cool. Monsters is very cool by any standard. Go see it. You won't be disappointed.
-
not that I'm a stalker, but I did look him up. I'm always dubious about filmmakers claiming to do too much by themselves. but this is really the real thing.although, as a creative writing major, I hate to admit it, many of the technical requirements of a feature film are the hardest and most important part.
but you're right, this guy is the real deal. and it bugs me that people are talking about District 9 and Cloverfield as though he's just biting off their success, or worse yet, their ideas.
if he's truly made a cool, interesting movie for next to nothing, he deserves accolades. and he deserves a big movie deal for his next picture. it takes balls to do something like this, but it takes more than that to make it actually successful...it takes ability.if he's got it, then I say, pay the man and let's see what he can do with $10 million.as a wannabe filmmaker myself, I can tell you that spending (wasting, some would say) a couple years of your life on a passion project like this is scary as shit, and on the rare occasion that it's successful, doors should open as fast as possible. -
Not knocking the guy, but one of the reasons I hated Cloverfield when I first saw it (though it's grown on me now) was the fact that we only get the monster in the movie for a total of like...Seven fucking minutes. I hope this isn't like that, where everyone is talking about giant monsters but you hardly see the damn things.
-
Oh, it's a three-legged fuckface with inflatable scrotum ears. Epic fail :D
-
That build up and giant shit and all we get is a praying mantis looking monster.Maybe that wasn't the big monster that was doing all the damage. Ive havn't seen it since the theaters on opening weekend. I just remember thinking i was disapointed by the monster at the end, the one the camera guy gets eaten by.
-
I saw it on Saturday night too, originally intending to go to the Super Secret Screening, and opted for this, and boy was I glad I did. This film is amazing, and deserves a wide theatrical release. Comparisons of District 9 & Cloverfield are definitely sound, but it still very much is its own fresh, original film. Met the director Gareth Edwards afterwards and had a nice long talk with the editor Colin Goudie, both lovely guys. Seeing it again Thursday. It's THAT good.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 439 total posts 165 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 144 total posts 142 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 153 total posts 138 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 55 total posts 47 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 196 total posts 45 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 60 total posts 36 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 127 total posts 36 posts
- I am The Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day! No, I’m the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day! -- 35 total posts 35 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 513 total posts 29 posts
- The Sensorties Revisit The Friday Docback (And Still Smell)!! DOCTOR WHO Story #7 Again, The Coming Of Season/Series 7, And More!! -- 117 total posts 26 posts