I've always loved monster movies. The big monster movies. Godzilla and his constant pursuit of destroying Tokyo, King Kong (the original movie) and his desire to just be left alone with his lady, the Sta-puft marshmallow man and his terror filled reign of deliciousness. Giant things destroying cities fill me with glee.
So I saw Cloverfield. Here's all I knew about the movie going into it. A giant monster terrorizes New York City, some kid films it while he and his friends run around and yell a lot. I did know that its movie marketing campaign was so secretive that it was kind of like that douchebag kid at a party who goes around calling himself hot shit and everyone just kind of wishes he would leave and get hit by a car.
I had my doubts about the movie, too much hype, too little information.
Now I'm really not a huge fan of the shaky-cam movement that has gotten into movies in the past few years. It always makes me feel like I just paid nine bucks to see an episode of COPS. I started to really take notice when they used it to near nauseating levels in Saving Private Ryan for the opening scene where they storm the beaches at Normandy. It kind of makes you want to vomit, but it gives you that "holy crap I feel like I'm there!" experience to the point where you want to tell the guy to put the f'ing camera down and pick up a rifle and start fighting.
Of course, most other movies can't make such a magnificent scene like that and appear to use the shaky cam to turn their movie more into a fast-cutting music video than an actual movie. (See all of the Bourne Movies, specifically the 2nd and 3rd, ten points if you don't get motion sickness)
Now Cloverfield tries out a new, borderline gimmicky concept. It starts with a going away party for this guy, Ryan. He's going away to some hot shot job in Japan, so good for Ryan. A friend of his is filming goodbyes and such when the no-named monster (all we find out is that it's really terrible) decided to play Lincoln Logs with the New York City skyline. So the camera keeps rolling, okay it's digital so it keeps recording, as the monster has its way with the Big Apple.
One thing Cloverfield has over other monster movies, such as the abysmal American Godzilla movie, is that you don't get some long scene explaining who the monster is, where he came from, why tall buildings make him so angry. He (or she) shows up, destroys things, end of story. The important story is this group of friends and why they're risking their lives to run toward the monster instead of away. When they ask a military man just what the thing is he exclaims that he doesn't know, all he knows is that it's winning. They could have totally had it where some all knowing scientist pops out who explains in detail everything about the monster, but they skip it, shrug, and move on. So once the movie picks up, it doesn't stop, no unnecessary storytelling, and even when the kids stop to take a breather things happen, no pointless dialogue. When one kid says he's going toward the monster and the other kids try to stop him he just kind of starts walking off, he doesn't stick around to have a well scripted, but entirely pointless argument in the middle of a demolished Manhattan.
Also, it has to be by far the loudest movie I have ever seen. From the roaring monster, to the tanks rockets and fighter jets, the panicked screaming, it's all assaulting your ears and it's lovely. Also I didn't notice until the credits, but besides the music played at the party in the beginning there's not a piece of music to be heard until the credits, but over the fighting and screaming there wouldn't be much place for music now would there?
The kids in the movie play the part well, there's Ryan the leader-ish one who desperately wants to find his pseudo ex who is trapped somewhere in the city, to his brother's girlfriend who tries to stay level headed, to the girl who was only at the party as a friend of a friend who tries to stay level headed after witnessing a giant monster thing play soccer with the Statue of Liberty's head (we all saw the trailer's I'm not spoiling anything). Then there's the cameraman, the comic relief who has his severe doubts about their little adventure, but Ryan is his main man, and he's the loyal sidekick.
Let's not forget that J.J. Abrams who produced Cloverfield (but he did not direct or write it, so how much he was involved in I can only speculate) is the guy behind Lost so of course there are a ton of little things, easter eggs if you will, spread out through the movie, and he has a huge hard-on for secretive internet extravaganzas that have virtually nothing to do with the movie. It makes me wonder what kind of viral internet stuff he has planned to screw with the Star Trek movie.
Anyway, the movie is good, it's only 84 minutes long so it definitely doesn't overstay its welcome, it doesn't slow itself down with unneeded exposition. Be warned though, people actually walked out of the theater because the whole shaky cam thing (it never, ever stops shaking) was making them nauseous. Even one of the girls in our group had to take a Drammamene halfway through.
Also, a final side note, the only thing wrong with Cloverfield was the 8 or so people sitting behind us. They were screaming, actually screaming at each other, at the movie, and they never, ever stopped. There were times when they were screaming so loud I thought they were part of the movie, so I have to see the movie again to get the full asshole free experience. If it was any less of a movie I would have left and demanded a refund, it was ridiculous.
Of course, Memphis is the 8th most dangerous city in the US (go us!) so confronting a whole row of obnoxious (what's a word I can use that's worse than obnoxious? Disrespectful, disgusting, soulless?) assholes at the movies may resulting in a stabbing, and I won't be the one doing the stabbing. And with the theater chain here they'd just get some 18 year old manager to politely ask them to be quiet and they might stab him too. Everyone will get stabbed. I paid 30 dollars to see a movie (my ticket, friend's ticket, 11 dollars for concessions) only to have a bunch of disrespectful assholes ruin it for me? I mean, laugh when the movie is funny, scream when it's scary, but don't talk to the fucking movie characters like they're personal friends and you're so happy to see them after so long, and since you're such good friends you should give them advice like stay where you are, don't go there, and run, bitch run! I really hope their children are born without vocal cords, or maybe some kind Memphis soul will stab them next time they ruin a movie for someone else. It's a possibility.
So I saw Cloverfield. Here's all I knew about the movie going into it. A giant monster terrorizes New York City, some kid films it while he and his friends run around and yell a lot. I did know that its movie marketing campaign was so secretive that it was kind of like that douchebag kid at a party who goes around calling himself hot shit and everyone just kind of wishes he would leave and get hit by a car.
I had my doubts about the movie, too much hype, too little information.
Now I'm really not a huge fan of the shaky-cam movement that has gotten into movies in the past few years. It always makes me feel like I just paid nine bucks to see an episode of COPS. I started to really take notice when they used it to near nauseating levels in Saving Private Ryan for the opening scene where they storm the beaches at Normandy. It kind of makes you want to vomit, but it gives you that "holy crap I feel like I'm there!" experience to the point where you want to tell the guy to put the f'ing camera down and pick up a rifle and start fighting.
Of course, most other movies can't make such a magnificent scene like that and appear to use the shaky cam to turn their movie more into a fast-cutting music video than an actual movie. (See all of the Bourne Movies, specifically the 2nd and 3rd, ten points if you don't get motion sickness)
Now Cloverfield tries out a new, borderline gimmicky concept. It starts with a going away party for this guy, Ryan. He's going away to some hot shot job in Japan, so good for Ryan. A friend of his is filming goodbyes and such when the no-named monster (all we find out is that it's really terrible) decided to play Lincoln Logs with the New York City skyline. So the camera keeps rolling, okay it's digital so it keeps recording, as the monster has its way with the Big Apple.
One thing Cloverfield has over other monster movies, such as the abysmal American Godzilla movie, is that you don't get some long scene explaining who the monster is, where he came from, why tall buildings make him so angry. He (or she) shows up, destroys things, end of story. The important story is this group of friends and why they're risking their lives to run toward the monster instead of away. When they ask a military man just what the thing is he exclaims that he doesn't know, all he knows is that it's winning. They could have totally had it where some all knowing scientist pops out who explains in detail everything about the monster, but they skip it, shrug, and move on. So once the movie picks up, it doesn't stop, no unnecessary storytelling, and even when the kids stop to take a breather things happen, no pointless dialogue. When one kid says he's going toward the monster and the other kids try to stop him he just kind of starts walking off, he doesn't stick around to have a well scripted, but entirely pointless argument in the middle of a demolished Manhattan.
Also, it has to be by far the loudest movie I have ever seen. From the roaring monster, to the tanks rockets and fighter jets, the panicked screaming, it's all assaulting your ears and it's lovely. Also I didn't notice until the credits, but besides the music played at the party in the beginning there's not a piece of music to be heard until the credits, but over the fighting and screaming there wouldn't be much place for music now would there?
The kids in the movie play the part well, there's Ryan the leader-ish one who desperately wants to find his pseudo ex who is trapped somewhere in the city, to his brother's girlfriend who tries to stay level headed, to the girl who was only at the party as a friend of a friend who tries to stay level headed after witnessing a giant monster thing play soccer with the Statue of Liberty's head (we all saw the trailer's I'm not spoiling anything). Then there's the cameraman, the comic relief who has his severe doubts about their little adventure, but Ryan is his main man, and he's the loyal sidekick.
Let's not forget that J.J. Abrams who produced Cloverfield (but he did not direct or write it, so how much he was involved in I can only speculate) is the guy behind Lost so of course there are a ton of little things, easter eggs if you will, spread out through the movie, and he has a huge hard-on for secretive internet extravaganzas that have virtually nothing to do with the movie. It makes me wonder what kind of viral internet stuff he has planned to screw with the Star Trek movie.
Anyway, the movie is good, it's only 84 minutes long so it definitely doesn't overstay its welcome, it doesn't slow itself down with unneeded exposition. Be warned though, people actually walked out of the theater because the whole shaky cam thing (it never, ever stops shaking) was making them nauseous. Even one of the girls in our group had to take a Drammamene halfway through.
Also, a final side note, the only thing wrong with Cloverfield was the 8 or so people sitting behind us. They were screaming, actually screaming at each other, at the movie, and they never, ever stopped. There were times when they were screaming so loud I thought they were part of the movie, so I have to see the movie again to get the full asshole free experience. If it was any less of a movie I would have left and demanded a refund, it was ridiculous.
Of course, Memphis is the 8th most dangerous city in the US (go us!) so confronting a whole row of obnoxious (what's a word I can use that's worse than obnoxious? Disrespectful, disgusting, soulless?) assholes at the movies may resulting in a stabbing, and I won't be the one doing the stabbing. And with the theater chain here they'd just get some 18 year old manager to politely ask them to be quiet and they might stab him too. Everyone will get stabbed. I paid 30 dollars to see a movie (my ticket, friend's ticket, 11 dollars for concessions) only to have a bunch of disrespectful assholes ruin it for me? I mean, laugh when the movie is funny, scream when it's scary, but don't talk to the fucking movie characters like they're personal friends and you're so happy to see them after so long, and since you're such good friends you should give them advice like stay where you are, don't go there, and run, bitch run! I really hope their children are born without vocal cords, or maybe some kind Memphis soul will stab them next time they ruin a movie for someone else. It's a possibility.
stosbetlp:
Soulless.. hah!