1-18-08

[Chaos]

Apparently, they are calling this turd "Cloverfield."

[Variety of Cells]

Everyone seen the new trailer? It looks pretty good - personally, I like the Blair Witch style.  Oh, there's a 5 minute clip at this link:

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/12/14/check-out-5-minutes-of-cloverfield/

Ahhh, I see.

It looks like they are trying to create a spiritual remake of the original Japanese Godzilla.  Godzilla was the nuclear bomb personified as a monster that tore through the city.  And there's no question that these 5 minutes of cloverfield are trying to mimic the feeling of 9/11.  It's taking that horrific event and turning it into a living creature that is destroying New York.  I'm interested to see how long they keep with this theme, or if it will turn into your basic monster movie mid way through. 

[RobtheBarbarian]

I hope the whole movie isn't filmed with the camcorder-o-vision. It'd be like Shakycam: The Revenge. It doesn't make anything scary for me; it just pisses me off because it strains my eyes and makes it so I can't see what I want to see, and anything scary that is shown has it's impact lessened by a dense fog of frustration.

I think it would actually be great if the first 15 minutes or so is from the perspective of the (unfortunately hip) partygoers and their handheld, and then toned down to something like the camerawork in 28 Days Later. That way it could ooze panic and confusion without crossing the line into irritating.

It looks like they are trying to create a spiritual remake of the original Japanese Godzilla.  Godzilla was the nuclear bomb personified as a monster that tore through the city.  And there's no question that these 5 minutes of cloverfield are trying to mimic the feeling of 9/11.  It's taking that horrific event and turning it into a living creature that is destroying New York.  I'm interested to see how long they keep with this theme, or if it will turn into your basic monster movie mid way through. 

There's definitely a feeling of how it was like on 9/11 here, but I wonder if that's intentional. Any great urban disaster experienced as a ground-level average person will have the same elements (watching the news for shreds of information, for instance).

[Zardoz!]

Oh great, if they try to make the monster the embodiment of 9/11 giulani will be drafting it as his running mate....

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

That's our Zardoz!

*laugh track*

[Junkyard]

There's definitely a feeling of how it was like on 9/11 here, but I wonder if that's intentional. Any great urban disaster experienced as a ground-level average person will have the same elements (watching the news for shreds of information, for instance).

It's interesting, that, without any bad intent, artists of various types are using experiences we got from 9/11 to more accurately depict domestic attacks.

[Zardoz!]

So, do you think they'll give the monster an origin of sorts or do you think they'll claim that "explaining things just detracts from the experience, man!"?

[GregMcduck]

Well, as it stands, some Japanese company that makes slushies pissed some sleeping underwater monster up, and it attacks New York.

I'm not making that up.

[Zardoz!]

Well, as it stands, some Japanese company that makes slushies pissed some sleeping underwater monster up, and it attacks New York.

I'm not making that up.

A stupid, worthless, useless reply that's nothing but an irritating waste of time.

Just what I expect of you.

Oh well, there are some people who do nothing but annoy, harass and generally irritate others, I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're one of them.

[GregMcduck]

THAT'S OUR ZARDOZ!

(laugh track)

P.S. I was not making that up, that's the actual plot of the movie.

[RoninFox]

Well, as it stands, some Japanese company that makes slushies pissed some sleeping underwater monster up, and it attacks New York.

I'm not making that up.

A stupid, worthless, useless reply that's nothing but an irritating waste of time.

Just what I expect of you.

Oh well, there are some people who do nothing but annoy, harass and generally irritate others, I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're one of them.

Pot, meet kettle.  Kettle, this is pot.



Hmm come to think of it, this isn't pot calling kettle black as much as it's pot calling, say, orange juice carton black.

[mrbasehart]

Come on people, it's Christmas! At least wait a few days before the slinging matches can continue....

As for Cloverfield, I like the shaky-cam effect.  It puts me right in the movie, and not being able to see some of the action helps with the suspense.

It looks like they are trying to create a spiritual remake of the original Japanese Godzilla.  Godzilla was the nuclear bomb personified as a monster that tore through the city.  And there's no question that these 5 minutes of cloverfield are trying to mimic the feeling of 9/11.  It's taking that horrific event and turning it into a living creature that is destroying New York.  I'm interested to see how long they keep with this theme, or if it will turn into your basic monster movie mid way through. 

That's an interesting analogy, one I'd never considered before.  I'm hoping confusion and terror reign throughout the movie, frankly.  Switching between style would seem to break the flow of the movie.

[Variety of Cells]

Come on people, it's Christmas! At least wait a few days before the slinging matches can continue....

As for Cloverfield, I like the shaky-cam effect.  It puts me right in the movie, and not being able to see some of the action helps with the suspense.

It looks like they are trying to create a spiritual remake of the original Japanese Godzilla.  Godzilla was the nuclear bomb personified as a monster that tore through the city.  And there's no question that these 5 minutes of cloverfield are trying to mimic the feeling of 9/11.  It's taking that horrific event and turning it into a living creature that is destroying New York.  I'm interested to see how long they keep with this theme, or if it will turn into your basic monster movie mid way through. 

That's an interesting analogy, one I'd never considered before.  I'm hoping confusion and terror reign throughout the movie, frankly.  Switching between style would seem to break the flow of the movie.

Same here.  Theoretically, I feel fiction is the best way to deal with something like 9/11 at this time.  You don't have to worry so much about being politically correct or offending as many people, and you can more accurately depicted how that day felt, instead of exactly how it was. 

Though if the movie is horrible, it might piss off just as many people. 

[RobtheBarbarian]

According to wikipedia the whole film is done with the hand-held look. Guess I'll have to sit this one out.

Watching a movie like that is like watching a home movie of a holiday as filmed by a 5 year old. "Ok, now get uncle Ted opening his pres- no! Get uncle Ted..... move the camera! Not the dog, uncle Ted!" I remember watching a movie like this once and noticing my body actually convulsively beginning to get up out of my seat as if I could leap into the movie, smack the guy with the camera and do his job myself.

[bettertomorrowamy]

Can I come with you if you do watch it?  I'm interested in making a home-movie style movie of people puking while watching home-movie style movies.