1-18-08

[Junkyard]

You know.... I could also go with Cthulu. I may even prefer a good Lovecraft based film to an American Kaiju film. Maybe.

[Tripe]

Shaky cam work might be a good way to update the old H.P. sauce, since we never really see everything in the stories, only hints of the horror.

[Junkyard]

Wait, you've never read any of those alien invasion stories by Lovecraft? I lie awake at night in terror of Rugose Cones, whatever the hell that means.

[Scrivener]

To Mr. Nobody, who suggested that the movie being released in January was a bad sign:

I posit that it may actually be an attempt at counter-programming.  January is usually the time when the Oscar-bait films get trolled through theaters, after having their qualifying "limited release" in L.A. to qualify them. "1-18-08" would have no competition of its kind in January, so anyone with a yen for an actiony, stuff-blowing-uppy movie will be drawn to it.

Remember, summer used to be the movie dumping ground, avoided by would-be blockbusters until "Jaws" showed Hollywood the error of its ways.  "Nobody goes to the movies in summer.  Why would people want to sit in an air-conditioned theater when it's hot?" was the level of their thinking before first Bruce chomped that theory, then Luke Skywalker blew it to atoms two years later.

So maybe, just maybe, Abrams and company are on to something here.  Of course, it will only matter if the movie's really good ... or at least makes a load of cash. (You know which one the studio will prefer.  Some Hollywood thinking never changes.)

[Mr.Nobody]

To Mr. Nobody, who suggested that the movie being released in January was a bad sign:

I wasn't trying to suggest that the January release was a bad thing.  Sorry if thats how it came across.

It's true that even the summer movie season seems to be coming earlier and earlier every year.  300 came out in March, and there have been some big April releases over the past few years.  Maybe movie studios are actually being smart for once, and releasing a summer type movie during the winter when there's little competition. 

But due to the fact that there are no big name actors/actresses and that typically big budget movies don't come out in January or February,  I think this movie is going to take a 'less is more' approach, since they may not have the budget for big action sequences.  I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, but I wouldn't get up my hopes too high for huge action scenes.  Plus the first person view would limit what they could show. 

I just thought that the trailer teased at some big action that I'm not sure it will be able to deliver on.   Then again as CGI gets less and less expensive, smaller budget movies these days can afford some pretty impressive visuals.   Of course this is all just guesses at this point.  For all I know they'll switch away from the first person view once the action starts.

[MarkAndrew]

Is this the possibly Cthulhu thing I read Abrams was going to do?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. A Lovecraft movie? I would wet my pants. Where did you hear that, TripeHound?

Actually I think it was here somewhere, hang about.

Here it is, it was in What is your favorite H.P. Lovecraft story and/or film 

Kind of liked The Shadow out of Time, in terms of story, but I haven't caught any of the movies that especially blew me away.  There's talk that Big Daddy Cthulhu might be making an apperance in J.J. Abrams next film, but nothing's confirmed.  Suppose that's old news now.

It was the first I'd heard of it indeed the only I've heard of it but still, intriguing. Also I'd prefer to see Dagon myself.

I liked that brief 'future' segment in Hellboy where some kind of 'Old One' was floating around a burning city and plucking up humans with titanic tentacles. 

[Rude]

A friend of mine is working on this film... which, unfortunately means that i'm going to have to keep my mouth shut.

Why?  Your friend obviously didn't.

Well, maybe if you ply me with alcohol until three in the morning...

Seriously though, i think he was just excited to find out that i already knew so much about the film. And after a few months of working in secret, you have to talk to somebody or else you're likely to explode! Then again, like i said before... it was a long night of drinking.

Anyway, i'm not going to let anything slip. But i can talk about the marketing campaign, which i think is a work of genius. I've never heard of people so excited about a film... especially when they don't even know what it's about, or what it's called. Apparently people love this online, searching for clues, kinda' thing. But i just don't see what it has to do with this film.

I mean, it worked out very well for LOST. But that show deals with mysteries and the like. The LOST Experience online game worked well with those kinds of themes. It was cryptic, it added to the storyline, it kind of expanded the world of LOST... and it helped to keep the hardcore fans entertained in between seasons. But what does all this have to do with a movie like... uh, 01-18-08? Because, like someone mentioned before... once the movie actually comes out in theaters, that's it. So it's basically it's just a big interactive commercial. But an extremely popular one!

-Rude

[the long undertow]

Not to rain on anyone's Cthulu parade (actually, to do just that), but the Cthulu speculation came from a Lovecraft quote on the Ethan Haas page, which was thought to be related to Cloverfield.  It's pretty well accepted that the two aren't related, so there goes the connection.

It's funny how sometimes the fan speculation/hopes end up being more interesting than the actual movie.  The jury is still out on this one, but even though I'm not a huge Lovecraft fan, I can't imagine an original monster idea standing up to the epicness of the Cthulu mythology.

[Tripe]

Not to rain on anyone's Cthulu parade (actually, to do just that),

And for that, you shall be eaten last when Dead Cthulu rises.

[Junkyard]

Undertow has an interesting point: What if the fans end up coming up with millions of specutlations, all of which end up being better movie concepts?
What if this is just a remake of Quick Change?

[Steve-O]

A friend of mine is working on this film... which, unfortunately means that i'm going to have to keep my mouth shut.

Why?  Your friend obviously didn't.

Well, maybe if you ply me with alcohol until three in the morning...

Hey, I already did that!

Rip off!

[the long undertow]

Not to rain on anyone's Cthulu parade (actually, to do just that),

And for that, you shall be eaten last when Dead Cthulu rises.

Isn't that better than being eaten first?  That way, I get to laugh at all of you as you get eaten, and for all you know, I get off scott free.

[Tripe]

Not to rain on anyone's Cthulu parade (actually, to do just that),

And for that, you shall be eaten last when Dead Cthulu rises.

Isn't that better than being eaten first?  That way, I get to laugh at all of you as you get eaten, and for all you know, I get off scott free.

Not familiar with the Mythos I see, being eaten first lessens the madness and suffering

[the long undertow]

Not to rain on anyone's Cthulu parade (actually, to do just that),

And for that, you shall be eaten last when Dead Cthulu rises.

Isn't that better than being eaten first?  That way, I get to laugh at all of you as you get eaten, and for all you know, I get off scott free.

Not familiar with the Mythos I see, being eaten first lessens the madness and suffering

I think the whole madness aspect gets played up a little too much.  Considering how medicated and desensitized people are today, I think we would manage to exhibit panic pretty well, but not madness.  And if I can stave off the madness, there's a chance that being saved for last means not getting eaten, right?  I mean, how many insignificant creatures would Cthulu want to eat before he just gets tired of the whole endeavor?  I can only imagine eating 20-30 ants at most before I don't want to eat any more.

[Tripe]

Not to rain on anyone's Cthulu parade (actually, to do just that),

And for that, you shall be eaten last when Dead Cthulu rises.

Isn't that better than being eaten first?  That way, I get to laugh at all of you as you get eaten, and for all you know, I get off scott free.

Not familiar with the Mythos I see, being eaten first lessens the madness and suffering

I think the whole madness aspect gets played up a little too much.  Considering how medicated and desensitized people are today, I think we would manage to exhibit panic pretty well, but not madness.  And if I can stave off the madness, there's a chance that being saved for last means not getting eaten, right?  I mean, how many insignificant creatures would Cthulu want to eat before he just gets tired of the whole endeavor?  I can only imagine eating 20-30 ants at most before I don't want to eat any more.

You know, it was a throwaway line, you're just making it tedious.