Thread: Cloverfield

Damn yes.

Originally Posted by Crono1000

wow. This movie was extreme. I can't say that I liked it, or that I hated it, but I think I felt both ways about this movie.

You felt both ways, did you?

Did you like the monster look though?

going to see it this afternoon. I was excited about it when I saw previews, but after I read something yesterday that compared it to a modern day godzilla, I am not as pumped.

I am more pumped to see untraceable next weekend.

Originally Posted by Crono1000

wow. This movie was extreme. I can't say that I liked it, or that I hated it, but I think I felt both ways about this movie. It was a very exciting ride. It was just like the old alien invasion ride in Disney World (which I've been told is now a kiddy Lilo and Stich ride). It was the same kind of "my life is in danger" feeling and it does it very well. Indeed, all the scare tactics, while shameless on the surface, work. You don't feel like these are actors (like in, say, Blaire Witch), you feel like this is a very real video. And it's entertaining to boot. The fear, people's reactions to the chaos, all feels very authentic.

HOWEVER, this all comes with a downside: it can be a pretty disturbing movie by the end. It makes you face your own mortality so much that if you're sensitive to things like this I wouldn't recommend it. The last scene in the movie particularly hits a sore spot that I think we've all rehearsed in our minds at some point. But it's thrilling nonetheless. I particularly had a doomsday mindset due to earlier conversations and readings that I had stumbled upon a bit that watching a movie like this really struck a nerve. But while the movie itself can leave you feeling depressed, I would have to say that that just shows how well the movie was made, and just how powerfully the movie was executed.

Good review, the movie sounds good.

this movie traumatized me.... everybody go see alvin and the chipmunks instead

Originally Posted by Titanya

this movie traumatized me.... everybody go see alvin and the chipmunks instead

Really? The trailer was good. I will watch it.

Seeing it at the late show tonight. Most reviews I've read said it's not a modern day Godzilla (FWIW). It goes far beyond the monster and deals with the humanity more.

I'm just surprised they were able to fit this type of movie in January It's usually the dumping ground for shit comedies, romantic couples movies and Victorian semi-serious foo-foo pieces.

My friend's said it was OK and my other friend's liked it so.... I guess now I am going to have to see it!

Originally Posted by P-funk

going to see it this afternoon. I was excited about it when I saw previews, but after I read something yesterday that compared it to a modern day godzilla, I am not as pumped.

I am more pumped to see untraceable next weekend.

WTF? Where's P-funk's review?

Oh,shit I get it. Must have forgot the booster seat....

I just returned home from seeing it.

It's very well done.

Some might consider the following to be a bit of a spoiler, so, if you think that might be you, stop reading.

Because it's shot entirely from the civilian perspective (versus the monster or military perspective), a lot of questions went unanswered. Which is both good and bad.

Because it's from that perspective, aside from having a giant monster, it's almost nothing like a Godzilla movie. And for that reason, the damage the monster does seems way more horrific than your average monster movie.

The downside: a lot of questions went unanswered.

I definitely recommend it though.

I went over to IMDB to read up on the trivia of the movie and some reviews.

90% or more of the negative reviews are a bunch of babies crying about the use of a steadycam. Not about the plot (minimum, but good), the special effects (which are great), of the end (which is pretty good). They're whining about the camera. It's not like that was a secret.

Fucking ridiculous.
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Originally Posted by DOMS

I just returned home from seeing it.

It's very well done.

Some might consider the following to be a bit of a spoiler, so, if you think that might be you, stop reading.

Because it's shot entirely from the civilian perspective (versus the monster or military perspective), a lot of questions went unanswered. Which is both good and bad.

Because it's from that perspective, aside from having a giant monster, it's almost nothing like a Godzilla movie. And for that reason, the damage the monster does seems way more horrific than your average monster movie.

The downside: a lot of questions went unanswered.

I definitely recommend it though.

I definitely agree. For me, I love movies like this and Signs and 28 Days Later where the story is about the characters and not the tragedy taking place. The characters are not the cause or the salvation of some alien/zombie/monster attack, but rather it tells the story of how their life was impacted by this greater-than-life event. I believe it was Steven King of all people who said a good story is about characters and their relationships. For a writer of horror novels, which are generally event based, I think that's saying something

Originally Posted by Crono1000

I definitely agree. For me, I love movies like this and Signs and 28 Days Later where the story is about the characters and not the tragedy taking place. The characters are not the cause or the salvation of some alien/zombie/monster attack, but rather it tells the story of how their life was impacted by this greater-than-life event. I believe it was Steven King of all people who said a good story is about characters and their relationships. For a writer of horror novels, which are generally event based, I think that's saying something

Exactly!

*Major Spoiler to Follow*

Just image if it was done from the monster's perspective, and at the end of the movie, you saw a man and a woman run under a bridge and then get trampled. You'd feel zero emotion. Whereas, in this movie, it's pretty damn brutal.

Originally Posted by Crono1000

I definitely agree. For me, I love movies like this and Signs and 28 Days Later where the story is about the characters and not the tragedy taking place. The characters are not the cause or the salvation of some alien/zombie/monster attack, but rather it tells the story of how their life was impacted by this greater-than-life event. I believe it was Steven King of all people who said a good story is about characters and their relationships. For a writer of horror novels, which are generally event based, I think that's saying something

If your going to make a story and no characters you might as well be a journalist just telling about events that took place....

Originally Posted by DOMS

Because it's from that perspective, aside from having a giant monster, it's almost nothing like a Godzilla movie. And for that reason, the damage the monster does seems way more horrific than your average monster movie.

The downside: a lot of questions went unanswered.

I definitely recommend it though.

Sounds very much like Hitchcock instead of getting into so many little details about the plot device it just was and his character build ups made you not even really care that you didn't know enough about it....was it like that?

He called it the maguffin or something like that....

Actually I was disappointed. Great idea, poor execution. I found for a movie that was supposed to be "real" it was way overacted....especially by the guy playing HUD.

The effects were top notch and the sound is home demo material for sure. At it's heart the story is extremely simple....think Saving Private Ryan but different.

To the movie's credit the ending was their best scene and they give you a nice long look at the monster so props for that. Did everyone who saw it stick around till the end (after the credits)? I guess there'll be a sequel.

My other pet peeve is I just didn't find it scary AT ALL. Was this thing edited down for a 14A (CDN) rating? They should have went for R and not held back.

I do have to mark it down a point for making me dizzy....I can't lie, my head was spinning at the end. The scenes at the party are shit....who films like that? It was all over the fucking place as if they added shake for "realism". The outdoor scenes I could live with. My buddies and I stuck around just to get our balance back. Do not sit near the front, it does make it worse (I knew that going in but we got to the theater late and had no choice )

I will probably rent it to give it another shot....but right now, that movie had better marketing than execution....For me, it didn't live up to the hype and it wasn't worth my 10 bucks.

Originally Posted by maniclion

Sounds very much like Hitchcock instead of getting into so many little details about the plot device it just was and his character build ups made you not even really care that you didn't know enough about it....was it like that?

The character development was great. As one reviewer over at IMDB put it, "If the movie continued on with just the people and no monster, I'd still want to watch it." But it's a gigantic monster in New York, not a bunch of birds. Of course you'd want to know its backstory.

Originally Posted by goob

WTF? Where's P-funk's review?

Oh,shit I get it. Must have forgot the booster seat....

do you have issues with short people?

Originally Posted by Rubes

do you have issues with short people?

Yes, I was sexually assalted by a team of dwarfs, led by a princess when younger......

Originally Posted by goob

Yes, I was sexually assalted by a team of dwarfs, led by a princess when younger......

did they have mushrooms on their heads?

Originally Posted by Rubes

did they have mushrooms on their heads?

No but there was little known police footage of the culprits..

shit son

I don't think it was anything worth writing about. The monster was cool, sorta. It was a cross from a Star Wars beast and a 3 toed sloth. You don't see much of it either, and there is not much of an explanation of the spider like things that fall from it, they sure don't look like offspring, but maybe they are a 'larva' of sorts.

Eh. It was something to burn up 90 minutes of your life with, if you need that.

Originally Posted by Mudge

I don't think it was anything worth writing about. The monster was cool, sorta. It was a cross from a Star Wars beast and a 3 toed sloth. You don't see much of it either, and there is not much of an explanation of the spider like things that fall from it, they sure don't look like offspring, but maybe they are a 'larva' of sorts.

Eh. It was something to burn up 90 minutes of your life with, if you need that.

There was some speculation that they were parasites.

Apparently, after the credits, they show something fiery landing to earth in the background of a video. I think it was while they were on Coney Island. Plus, also on the file, you can hear someone (the guy and girl?) say "It's still alive" or something.

I don't really know the details. I didn't stay through the movie, I'm just repeating what I read on YouTube.

Sad thing is that most of it really wasn't filmed in NYC.
The subway scene was so fake.

I would like to know where they got such a powerful camera battery.

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Sad thing is that most of it really wasn't filmed in NYC.
The subway scene was so fake.

I would like to know where they got such a powerful camera battery.

I like how they entered the subway at spring street. Walked not about 2/3rds of the way to the next stop before being attacked by those creatures and having to go into what appeared to be an MTA worker breakroom. Then, they came out and they were at 59th st......lol....At least the writers could have tried to make it more believable.