Cloverfield
'The Host' is glorious, a better family story than 'Little Miss Sunshine' and a better monster action adventure film than anything I've seen in ages.
'Cloverfield' isn't a terribly good movie but as a stunt it's very interesting and now we don't have to see a worse version of it. It eschews plausibility worse than any movie I've seen in years (no: really...that sideways fallen down building? Bullshit) but it's an interesting 9/11-themed video game. It also has more to say about 9/11 paranoia than 'United 93'.
'Cloverfield' isn't a terribly good movie but as a stunt it's very interesting and now we don't have to see a worse version of it. It eschews plausibility worse than any movie I've seen in years (no: really...that sideways fallen down building? Bullshit) but it's an interesting 9/11-themed video game. It also has more to say about 9/11 paranoia than 'United 93'.
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well, if we are comparing it to THE HOST, then i think this movie pales in comparison. to me THE HOST is a humorous and touching family drama set during a monster film. much like JAWS was a story of small town sheriff dealing with family, politicians, and scared citizens, rather than just a monster movie; THE HOST was a political and personal story about the people of south korea, rather than just a mutant fish movie.Hollywood Z wrote:For me, the movie was a fun, intense ride. It's not meant to be anything deep or profound, just a fun thrill ride. We're not watching The Diving Bell and The Butterfly here, so don't try to hold it in that same context. We're watching a giant monster destroying New York, so if anything, it should be classified with movies like The Host or King Kong.
CLOVERFIELD was just a geek fest. it was not as bad as the u.s. version of GODZILLA, but not as good as the most recent KING KONG. it took a little used but far from original concept (found footage, literal first person narrative), and created some pretty good scare moments and action scenes.
from a technical standpoint, the film was amazingly executed. i am almost tempted to rent the dvd just to see the making of featurettes and get a look at how they pulled off the filming of some of the bigger action scenes.
however, from a dramatic standpoint, this film could not have been more lazy. the characters were so unbelievably boring. the best part of any type of disaster film is seeing how real people react to extraordinary situations. the acting was so bad from the pretty stars you did not care when they died.
i enjoyed the film more than i thought i would, but it still relied way too much on its gimmicky filmmaking more than telling an interesting story.
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-- Amy Poehler in praise of Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow
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For me, the movie was a fun, intense ride. It's not meant to be anything deep or profound, just a fun thrill ride. We're not watching The Diving Bell and The Butterfly here, so don't try to hold it in that same context. We're watching a giant monster destroying New York, so if anything, it should be classified with movies like The Host or King Kong.
The concept of the movie, all done it first person, was a very unique approach to the film, where other previous genres would have followed a high ranking military official or have given us large, showy moments of the monster where the effects team gets to show of their skills. Here, the effects are pretty much in the background, but they're done so convincingly, especially given the degree of difficulty that comes with the very shaky camera work.
Sure, the characters are a bit bland, but a lot of that is due to the documentary style as well as the limited span of time we get to spend with the characters. Besides, yet again, this isn't meant to be anything but a ride. There are some flaws with the movie if only it is looked at out of the context it's supposed to be taken with, but if you watch it for what it is, Cloverfield is a unique, exciting, intense experience with some very technically brilliant work from the sound and effect department, especially given the size of it's budget.
The thing that made me the most upset coming out of the movie, was the teenage crowd, who responded to it the same way that the group in their age range responded to The Blair Witch Project almost ten years ago. Both Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project take first person approaches to their story, but most of that crowd expects prepackaged thrills that only Michael Bay produced remakes can supply them. For those of us that were able to appreciate The Blair Witch Project for what it was, you'll admire Cloverfield's uniqueness.
A-
Edited By Hollywood Z on 1200843446
The concept of the movie, all done it first person, was a very unique approach to the film, where other previous genres would have followed a high ranking military official or have given us large, showy moments of the monster where the effects team gets to show of their skills. Here, the effects are pretty much in the background, but they're done so convincingly, especially given the degree of difficulty that comes with the very shaky camera work.
Sure, the characters are a bit bland, but a lot of that is due to the documentary style as well as the limited span of time we get to spend with the characters. Besides, yet again, this isn't meant to be anything but a ride. There are some flaws with the movie if only it is looked at out of the context it's supposed to be taken with, but if you watch it for what it is, Cloverfield is a unique, exciting, intense experience with some very technically brilliant work from the sound and effect department, especially given the size of it's budget.
The thing that made me the most upset coming out of the movie, was the teenage crowd, who responded to it the same way that the group in their age range responded to The Blair Witch Project almost ten years ago. Both Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project take first person approaches to their story, but most of that crowd expects prepackaged thrills that only Michael Bay produced remakes can supply them. For those of us that were able to appreciate The Blair Witch Project for what it was, you'll admire Cloverfield's uniqueness.
A-
Edited By Hollywood Z on 1200843446
"You are what you love, not what loves you." - Nicholas Cage; Adaptation
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For me the concept worked, but I could care less about the characters. Walking into the theatre with a very strong smell of air freshener made it clear: people have been vomiting here. Not a very pleasant whiff of scent to catch in a packed and hot theater, though I'm proud to report that I did not find it in the least dizzying: most often I felt like I was right in the middle of the action. For some other unfortunates in the theatre, they did lose their dinner. Honestly, can't you look away if its too disorienting?? It was a tense movie, though there were some parts that were poorly done (Hud's off-camera POV comments felt ingenuine in the heat of the moment; Beth running full-tilt a few minutes after being un-impaled - itself a medical miracle! - and the whole expository setup with random, meaningless characters introduced). Was it wrong of me to not care everytime a major character died? Aah well, I guess that's not the point. For every genuinely tense or gripping shot, two terrible pieces of dialogue and continuity errors.
C+
C+
- MovieWes
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LOL!
Actually, it doesn't remind me of Hilary Swank, but it does remind me of someone else who shares the same first name as her. :p
Edited By MovieWes on 1200424052
Actually, it doesn't remind me of Hilary Swank, but it does remind me of someone else who shares the same first name as her. :p
Edited By MovieWes on 1200424052
"Young men make wars and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution." -- Alec Guinness (Lawrence of Arabia)
What did I tell you! It's Hilary Swank!MovieWes wrote:According to people who have seen the movie, this is what the monster looks like...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums....lat.jpg
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
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According to people who have seen the movie, this is what the monster looks like...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums....lat.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums....lat.jpg
"Young men make wars and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution." -- Alec Guinness (Lawrence of Arabia)
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Not exactly, Zahveed. As I said, it's a Cthulhoid monster, which means it supposedly resembles a good number of H.P. Lovecraft (here's your answer, Penelope) creatures. The difference, I believe is in the godly origins of Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, etc. So, I don't believe the monster's a Great Old One, but is probably similar in physical characteristics.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
So a high priest of elderly gods is rampaging the streets of NYC? My definition of a cthulhu might be incorrect, but if that's true then this film might be a little crazier than I first thought.OscarGuy wrote:From the rumor/speculation I've heard, it's a Cthulhu-esque monster without the origin of a Cthulhoid.
"It's the least most of us can do, but less of us will do more."
A what?OscarGuy wrote:From the rumor/speculation I've heard, it's a Cthulhu-esque monster without the origin of a Cthulhoid.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster