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"Cloverfield" review


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"Cloverfield" review
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-18, 15:09



Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan and T.J. Miller
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Rated: PG-13 (violence, terror, disturbing images)
Trailer: Click here!

A small, quiet movie with hardly any sort of pre-release hype or build-up...



But seriously, I enjoyed this movie a good bit. Caught the first showing today at noon, to almost-packed theater! It was surprisingly good, and I don't feel the least bit bad for the $6.50 I paid to see it. In fact, I wouldn't have minded spending full nighttime admission price (and believe me, that's saying a lot).

I guess the major buzz on this thing is if you took "Blair Witch", Godzilla, a bit of 9/11, an indie "relationship" movie and John Carpenter's "The Thing" and threw it all into a blender, this would be "Cloverfield". But that's true...that's exactly what it is. But they did it right and they did it well.

It's creepy and eerie, without any buildup, musical stabs or false leads. It's just "holy crap, this is horrible! WTF is that thing?!?"

The thing I liked best is what I was hoping I would, going in: we, as the audience, don't know one bit more about what's going on than the poor saps throughout. It just "is", and it's just there. Other movies - "Godzilla", "Armageddon", etc. - we're privy to the goings-on, peeking over the shoulder of the government and military, learning the why, when and where of it all. This movie, you're simply "one of the group" trying to get your butt to safety and away from this...whatever-it-is.

The movie never tells, because these characters never have that sort of info and access; and neither do you.

I actually found it a bit chilling and eerie at times, because of how real and straight they played it. I would imagine if something like that happened in real life, everyone would be as completely wound-up, frazzled and half out-of-their-minds (and the little moments of humor that come in, that's just people being human...when you're scared out of your mind, you'll do or say things to comfort yourself and those around you, so that comes through as well and just makes it seem a bit grounded and real.

It's actually played a bit low-key, with natural dialogue. It feels like you're just watching some regular movie about a guy and a girl and their friends and suddenly there's this weird thing taking place, but the movie just continues on, with this "attack on the city" as background/framing. Hard to explain; you just have to see it.

And I actually recommend that you do. It's quite a sight to behold, the effects, sound and large-scale mayhem. Nothing looked blatantly CGI. It looked like there was some monster running around downtown at night, destroying buildings and basically carrying on like a complete a-hole.

I reference 9/11 above not in any sort of cheap, disrespectful way; but 2-3 scenes in this movie really play that angle up (the "walking wounded", covered in ash and dust, the cloud of smoke from a collapsing building chasing people down the street and you dash into a corner market and watch the white dust come by past the window...we all saw footage like that on that horrible day). Some people, who were there in New York that day and in the thick of it, might be a bit disturbed or unsettled by a few scenes, simply in terms of "wow, that looks a lot like what I was doing...".

There is no musical score/soundtrack (other that background music on stereos). But no film-based musical cues, keeping with the "amateur footage" vibe of the thing. It's like "The Blair Witch Project" at times, including a few on-camera confessionals/goodbyes. But it worked for me.

The little parasites that drop from its body (the monster scratches its back on a sidescraper) were described in some earlier, full-of-crap "reviews" as "Volkswagon Beetle-sized" beasts, but that's completely wrong. They're more like tricycle (or small ATV) in size, and reminded me quite a bit of those creatures in Alien with the tails and spider-y legs that attach themselves to people's faces. But they move very fast, on multiple legs, and they make an eerie chattering/squishy sort of sound. And they pop up a few times when you least expect it, for some extra, more intimate thrills.

I'll never go walking through subway tunnels with night-vision camera or goggles...I'm just sayin'.

Is it the greatest movie I've ever seen? Of course not. Is it the most watchable, not-sure-what's-happening-next thing I've seen in ages? Definitely!Without a doubt. This isn't your typical disaster flick, where you've got Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, etc. to root for (and you know they're going to come through). This is a cast of expendable unknowns.



So I really enjoyed that part of it. Even walking out afterwards, you realize you never got any sort of indication of what this thing is, or where it came from. But you don't really care because it's gripping and entertaining enough, and you just attach yourself along for the ride.

Another thing this movie does well is the sound...the loud footsteps, the roar, the destruction. And, yes...even the silence at times. Amped up the suspense and fear a good bit, IMO.

A very neat, watchable "you are there" take on the monster-eats-a-city genre; because of the ways it's shot, the lack of background and exposition and an unknown cast, you truly have no idea what's going to happen next, but, chances are, it ain't gonna be pleasant: a solid 8-out-of-10...I'd almost nudge it to nine; we're talking an 8.8 or so. Chances are you'll enjoy it, only because it's such a different, neat take on this sort of movie...we're not riding along with the heroes, military or scientists; we're the people down in the street, screaming, running and freaking out.



************

The nitty-gritty (spoiler summary):

Spoiler (click to toggle):
Spoiler (click to toggle):
Um, pretty much every main character buys the farm (like "Blair Witch"), and the monster basically cornholes New York City for about 1:10 solid. You definitely see it (in quick glimpses at first, but and more as the movie unfolds), including a day-lit shot toward the end that is quite creepy; there's something going on behind those eyes, IMO. And you're left with the impression that the thing was never destroyed, and that its rampage continued/continues...
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709
¡Damned!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
 
2008-01-18, 16:10

"Cloverfield", huh? Sounds kinda interesting. Maybe I'll catch it once it comes to DVD.
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Brad
Selfish Heathen
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
 
2008-01-18, 17:01

Of course, the real question here is did the Star Trek teaser before the movie make you salivate?
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2008-01-18, 17:02

The monster was....

Spoiler (click to toggle):

Eerie, creepy, disturbingly "wrong".
Like an enormous mutant human with long batwing-style arm stumps.... seeing it dragging itself around in the daylight scene was... odd. It's oddly blasphemous in some strangely inexplicable manner.

But... it was also disappointingly mundane.
It looked like a standard bogroll monster from a zombie-style videogame.


They did capture what felt to be a really accurate experience, but I did feel frustrated at not learning what the beast was, where it came from, etc.

Very frustrated at there being no full resolution to the picture... I'm conditioned to expect closure.

The producers won't be able to do a sequel without approaching an answer for some of the questions about the monster, but they'd be ill served to simply switch formats or explain everything.

Should it remain a movie series or become a television series?

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
Captain Drew on Twitter
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-18, 17:26

Neither. It should just be what it is, and go down in cult-film history, IMO. Why ruin something kinda cool and novel by making it "product"? That's my thinking on it, anyway...

I actually like the "not knowing". Keeps it creepy and mysterious, and we can all fill in our own blanks.

Brad, my theater didn't show the "Star Trek" teaser. I was looking forward to seeing it, but no dice.

It's currently up at AICN, a crappy cell phone vid...
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screensaver400
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Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2008-01-18, 17:27

From the trailers, I get the impression that only young and good looking people live in New York and, consequently, are the only ones killed by this monster (or the parasites).

Is anyone over 30 or otherwise ugly affected by this monster?

If not, I'm happy to know that when something like this happens for real, I'll be completely safe.
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ghoti
owner for sale by house
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC
 
2008-01-18, 18:32

Heh, the NY Times review ends with the sentence "Rarely have I rooted for a monster with such enthusiasm." I have also read other reviews that basically say that while the special effects are good, the characters are not developed and you don't care about them at all, and that there are lots of things they do that normal people simply wouldn't do.

Thoughts?
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CitizenTony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Dallas
 
2008-01-18, 19:18

I just got back from seeing it and first, yes, the Star Trek preview looked good. But there wasn't much to it.

Spoiler (click to toggle):
Cloverfield. The effects were good. Much better than some of the viral marketing crap that kept cropping up. NY really looked devastated, some of which in such a realistic manner. Then they went and revealed a building leaning up against another building and the realism vanished. The scene in which the helicopter went down actually had me feeling like I was in there with them. When it hit the ground, except for the camera still rolling and them surviving, it felt very real. You've seen the scene from the outside plenty of times in other movies, but it's never been so real.

The monster was a bit of a let down. For the damage it causes, it sure is small. I mean, it's really big, but no where near as tall as a skyscraper. When they're standing on the leaning tower and see the monster, it's a long way down and I can't see how it would manage to topple the building in question. From the scene in the Helicopter, we see that it's arms are really long, and it smacks a building causing great damage. But that building's structure isn't affected at all.

The little monsters were cool, but like many others in games and movies. Like kids in sitcoms, they were there when the movie needed them and mysteriously missing when it didn't.

Which brings me to the action. It's loud, people are yelling, screaming, and crying. Yet when a cell phone rings, it all magically fades away. There was a scene in which the four idiots are walking down a quite street while talking when the monster appears a few block in front of them. No sooner than the monster shows up, a missile zooms just a few feet above their heads. They turn around and there is the army, with tanks and guns and missile launchers, apparently tip-toeing about in slippers half a second before.

Another scene, at the end right after the helicopter crashes. Our stars are limping away from the crash after having been there for a few minutes to gather themselves and rest. Mr. camera man runs back to get the camera, and bam, the huge monster is right above him. Earlier in the movie you could hear every step the monster took. Now in wide open central park the monster is sneaky and quiet hiding behind trees for his big reveal?

The people were typical monster movie fodder. Boy has problem with girl, who is on the other side of town in the thick of it. Boy must rescue girl with friends that are too stupid to make their own paths in life and must follow boy to certain death. People die, we mourn for a few seconds and move on. They find a nice secure little bunker like area, and instead of waiting it out, must move on. I know that in order to have a movie like this, everyone has to make stupid decisions or there would be no plot, but does it have to be the same one every time?

The whole rescue scene with Beth was bad enough, but I've never seen a shoulder heal so fast.


Anyway, go see it. It's worth the price of admission and really does get you involved in the feel of the movie. Just be sure to turn your brain completely off before the thing gets going.

As for the lack of explanation, I think there will be sequel of some sort. in the last scene on the ferris wheel you see something fall into the water by the cruise ship. Surely there's a reason to show that. Though it will probably be some obscure website thing in a few weeks when the audience starts dying down to generate more buzz.

I wouldn't mind seeing a parallel movie leading up to, involving, and going past the night in the movie. Told from the people that know more.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-18, 19:19

Well, my take on it is this: the characters aren't "developed" because it's not a typical movie, spanning lengths of time or delving into "character study". It's "found footage", after all. It's some schmo's going-away party video (and then all hell breaks loose).

So how much "character" and depth do any of us display in such scenarios?

Again, I like that we don't know much about the monster or the main players. They're just some NYC twenty-somethings, caught in the moment. Sure, they're probably not the kind of people I'd hang out with (they struck me as a skootch vapid and self-absorbed, well on their way to full-blown yuppiedom and oblivitardation), but it doesn't make me enjoy the movie any less.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-18, 19:25

Quote:
Originally Posted by CitizenTony View Post
As for the lack of explanation, I think there will be sequel of some sort. in the last scene on the ferris wheel you see something fall into the water by the cruise ship. Surely there's a reason to show that.
I watched that scene like a monkey on meth...I figured they weren't showing this wide expanse of ocean just for the hell of it. But I never saw anything "fall into the water", or anything else. Believe me, I was looking too...



I was focused on the water's surface, so maybe I missed and was looking at another part. I was looking for any sort of ridge/crest, or bubble action taking place.



Here's what's funny to me...after months of hype, there will be those (snotty reviewers and your more high-brow, self-appointed "culture guardian" types) who'll set out after this movie and rip it to pieces, just because it's a gut reaction to the build-up or hype. It's not a bad movie by any stretch, but I know so many reviewers who revel in that whole "contrary curmudgeon" schtick, and will lay into something for reasons that extend way past the movie itself.

I expect a bit "Cloverfield" backlash, half-fueled by some of the very mother-humpers who've been talking about it for six months straight.

People are funny.



All the more reason, IMO, for the thing to hit, do its job (one week or three months?) and simply go away. Just become a huge DVD rental/purchase phenomenon, spark debate about the whole "what" and "why", etc. But only have this one film to base it all on. It would kinda ruin it, for me, to see a parallel or alternate take on it, in the military command centers or mayor's office.

I still love the idea of not knowing exactly what the hell this thing is, or where it came from.

On that full shot of it, as they were flying away in the chopper and the jets were bombing it, it was quite freaky-looking, how its limbs were formed (pretend your elbows bent the other way), so I'm sitting there going "is it some sort of undersea crab-like thing? Or did it come from another planet?"

I like thinking about those sorts of things more than actually knowing the "official" answer...

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Souflay123
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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2008-01-18, 19:43

Last night, this morning, I went to the arclight midnight showing, this is a cinema with reserved seating so no waiting in line. YAY! But I thought overall the movie was really really good, the party in the beginning was a bit to long, but gave us a bit about the people. everyones reactions, after the big boom was quite realistic. run to the roof to see what going on, though like in the subway it was a bit predictable, but what do you expect. the few end shots of the monster are very satisfying overall. I like how some of the best shots are though the news casts. If you stayed though the end of the credits, we think that someone say's "help us/me." I felt very much for the last two. The camera guy is very funny, and it is rare that you can find a film like this with scary shock moments and also humor. I will bet there will be a second one, and i would hope that it would tell us about where the monster came from. One thing is that the monster reminds me of Grendel from Beowulf. And also there posters, have really great art. I would give it an A.
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CitizenTony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Dallas
 
2008-01-18, 19:43

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
I watched that scene like a monkey on meth...I figured they weren't showing this wide expanse of ocean just for the hell of it. But I never saw anything "fall into the water", or anything else. Believe me, I was looking too...



I was focused on the water's surface, so maybe I missed and was looking at another part. I was looking for any sort of ridge/crest, or bubble action taking place.

I'd read about it last night and was watching for it. Just a bit to the left of the cruise ship a smallish black object zooms into the water and makes a tiny splash. About half a second before he swings the camera back onto himself, at the end of the water scene. Speculation is that it was a satellite, but I don't know why that would be.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Here's what's funny to me...after months of hype, there will be those (snotty reviewers and your more high-brow, self-appointed "culture guardian" types) who'll set out after this movie and rip it to pieces, just because it's a gut reaction to the build-up or hype. It's not a bad movie by any stretch, but I know so many reviewers who revel in that whole "contrary curmudgeon" schtick, and will lay into something for reasons that extend way past the movie itself.

I expect a bit "Cloverfield" backlash, half-fueled by some of the very mother-humpers who've been talking about it for six months straight.

People are funny.

I suspect you are correct, and I'm glad I didn't hear much about it until a few days ago, other than the preview in Transformers. I was pretty excited for the movie, but don't pay attention to hype because it always leads to disappointment and internet flame wars.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
All the more reason, IMO, for the thing to hit, do its job (one week or three months?) and simply go away. Just become a huge DVD rental/purchase phenomenon, spark debate about the whole "what" and "why", etc. But only have this one film to base it all on. It would kinda ruin it, for me, to see a parallel or alternate take on it, in the military command centers or mayor's office.

I still love the idea of not knowing exactly what the hell this thing is, or where it came from.

On that full shot of it, as they were flying away in the chopper and the jets were bombing it, it was quite freaky-looking, how its limbs were formed (pretend your elbows bent the other way), so I'm sitting there going "is it some sort of undersea crab-like thing? Or did it come from another planet?"

I like thinking about those sorts of things more than actually knowing the "official" answer...

I'm torn. On the one hand I really, really want to know what the monster was and everything else about it. At the same time, I'm fine with them leaving it as is and never talking about it again. Sadly, in this time of threes, I fully expect to see a few more movies with this monster in it.

Either way, I'm happy.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-18, 19:47

Well if they gotta do a sequel, I wouldn't mind it tearing the shit out of L.A./Hollywood...leave NYC alone and go do some damage where it might actually do a little good.



"Oh, it just threw Paris Hilton's car - with her in it - into the Pacific Ocean! Spontaneous celebrations are breaking out all over the city. Back to you in the studio, Jim...".
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CitizenTony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Dallas
 
2008-01-18, 19:57

I want to see something destroy Dallas for a change. Or at least somewhere I've been so I can relate to it. NY, LA, London, Tokyo, etc. have all had their turns.

Maybe, Cloverfield: Greenland, For once a monster comes up in an isolated local.
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Foj
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlanta
 
2008-01-18, 20:26

Iceland could be taken out pretty well by a big monster like that.
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faust
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2008-01-19, 19:37

Got into a fight with the gf that was a long time coming so I went and saw this during my cooling off time.

That said, I really liked it. It was tense in parts and that made me forget that I was at the movie alone cause I was pissed, worth a third of the price there.

The visuals were great, the scenes outside the apartment in the street and in deli were really like what NYC looks like on 9/11 - just it was dark out instead. The teaser shots of the monster were just enough that I felt myself leaning left and right in my seat, partly to get away and partly because I just wanted to see more. Worth another third of the price of admin.

Was the last third of the ticket worth it, the story and acting? Probably. The actors were rough but that was their job and the story line was a bit flawed but aren't they all in movies like this.

Go see it, worth the 90 minutes and the time out of the house.

As for the last scene, caught it. Now just trying to remember how much time went by between CI and then the night of the party.

Last note - I will never get in a helicopter. Never ever
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-19, 20:42

I think it was about a month between their Coney Island date and the events of that night. I think the Coney stuff was stamped early/mid April-ish, and the night of his party was in mid-May?

Something like that. Not sure on the exact dates/time spans, but I know it was April and May for each. Could've been days, or several weeks.

What did you see, exactly? I'm kicking myself for not catching it because I knew damn well that shot lingered too long...



I was probably looking at the wrong part of the screen. However, I've told everyone I know that if they go see it, to be sure to keep their eyes open in this part and let me know what they saw.

Man, I don't wanna lay out another $6.50...but I enjoyed the movie and there were enough other things I want to see again, that I actually might. If tomorrow is another cold, dreary and damp day, I may go see this again.

It'll definitely be a first-day DVD rental (or outright iTunes purchase)...

As for the helicopter, yeah...



Spoiler (click to toggle):
"Yeah, yeah...that's the shit right there! Yeah...". **KA-POWWW!**

Uh-oh.

That would suck. Kinda weird that the hardened, tough soldiers - in full combat gear, armor, helmets, etc. - in the chopper all died, and these three kids in Gap clothes walked away.



I thought they were getting a bit too cocky in their celebration. I was ready for that..."this thing's gonna reach up and do something, I just know it...he'll eat the helicopter or smack it out of the sky...they're being way too happy and relieved."
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LudwigVan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2008-01-19, 21:23

Quote:
Originally Posted by CitizenTony View Post
I just got back from seeing it and first, yes, the Star Trek preview looked good. But there wasn't much to it.
It's only a teaser, so I for one wasn't expecting much anyway (this judging from the [badly taped] videos of the thing on YouTube). Salivation? No. Intrigued? Yes.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-19, 22:36

Behold my dorkitude...sitting here awaiting the final (10:45) showing of the day. Haven't been to a movie on Friday or Saturday night in about 70 years. I could be everyone's dad...wall-to-wall teens and twentysomethings.



Not as crowded as yesterday at noon, oddly enough. But it's filling up a bit.

Hope I don't have to commence with the smacking/choking...wish me luck with that.

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CitizenTony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Dallas
 
2008-01-19, 23:08

Quote:
Originally Posted by faust View Post

Last note - I will never get in a helicopter. Never ever
Spoiler (click to toggle):
The scene reminded me of the ending of Jurassic Park, where they fly away slowly looking over the island watching the dinosaurs do their thing. Graceful there. Here, you have a monster with super long arms that's going berserk. Really easy. If the monster heads north, you fly south with speed. flying along with the beast is asking for it.


Anyway, as long as there are no giant monsters around, I'd still get in one.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-20, 00:44

Okay, I'm back...and I'm bringing it.



Just to be safe (and so I won't have to make judgement calls about what's a "spoiler" and what isn't, I'm putting all of the following into a spoiler tag. Click and read at your own risk...

Below is what I picked-up on/noticed/pieced-together from this second viewing (BTW, seeing it in a somewhat crowded - the crowds really picked up in the five minutes before the thing started - Friday/Saturday night crowd is the way to see it...people were digging it). Oh, and this time, unlike yesterday's matinee, they did indeed play the "Star Trek" teaser. A few folks seemed to lose their shit over it.



Okay, on with it...

Spoiler (click to toggle):
  • The dates the movie takes place: April 27 (Rob and Beth's morning together and Coney Island excursion) and May 22/23, the night of Rob's party...the attack begins after midnight, sometime after 12:20am on the 23rd
  • The movie starts and ends at 6:42am! Rob waking up in Beth's apartment is how the movie begins, and it's 6:42, according to the time-stamp and verbal confirmation from Rob, who says something like "it's 6:42 and it's already a great day". This is April 27 (later in the day is their Coney Island trip, where...
  • ...you bet your butt something hits the ocean...I was looking for it and I saw it (and so did others in the theater because there was a huge gasp and "hey!" from many, probably after reading about it online the past 24 hours). The scene opens - this is the very end of the movie, after Central Park is bombed, and the scene opens on a shot of Coney Island and the ocean in the background. Rob and Beth are up in some sort of high ride (parachute drop or ferris wheel?), but they don't have the camera pointed on themselves yet. The camera nudges to the right a bit, where a large white boat - I keep hearing "cruise ship", but on second viewing it's more like a large luxury/Trump yacht, to my eyes - comes into the frame. About 1-2 seconds after seeing the ship, from the upper right, cutting down at a slight downward/left angle something black zooms out of the sky and crashes into the water beyond the ship, further on the horizon. It makes a definite splast. It's visible as can be, but you kinda have to be looking in that area of the screen...yesterday I wasn't. There's no shape to it, just a black form (not the monster itself - no legs, tail, etc. - but perhaps some sort of craft? Which leads me to...
  • ...I truly believe this thing's from outer space. There is nothing else that thing could be, and there's no other reason to show it in this type of movie without it meaning something. It crashed, the thing probably lived underwater for a few weeks and then came ashore on May 22 for whatever reason. But it's not a plane landing on the water, it's not a bird (much bigger to be that far away, and still some sort of decent size in comparison to the yacht thing that's actually closer to us, the viewer/camera. It has to be as big as a pickup truck or so, and perhaps it's an egg or some sort, dropped/launched from a ship? Anything's possible. But it's there, it's fast movie/dropping (like a thrown rock). No sort of smoke or vapor trail, just a black object falling from the upper right to slightly lower left, but a fairly small splashdown of white spray. Right when that happens, the camera pivots back around to Rob and Beth...you barely have time to process it, but it's there. No lie. Next time you see the movie, focus on the white yacht, then look up and wait for the object to drop out of the sky and follow it down. I think it's from outer space, and those parasites on it are poisonous and certainly otherworldly (almost like those creatures in "Pitch Black", upon seeing it again tonight). Very nasty. Even if they kill the big monster, there are probably dozens of these little bastards running around all over the place. Their bite kills...in the worst way, withing 15-20 minutes.
  • At Rob's party, his brother Jason is wearing a Slusho T-shirt
  • The military triage unit set up in the department store...they knew they were dealing with some sort of infection/bite issue because they wheeled a guy past whose stomach/chest cavity were all blow out and missing (from exploding). You can hear one of the doctors or soldiers pushing the gurney say "another bite victim". So a few moments later when Marlena is bleeding from the eye and looking all woozy, that's why the medical staff freaks and yells "we've got a bite!"...they know what's going to happen to her, and they're getting her into some sort of decontamination/containment tent it looks like. Right when they do, you see her silhouette open from the chest/stomach and she sprays blood on the wall and collapses down to her right. It looked like something was coming out of her, perhaps another one of those parasite creatures, like in "Alien"? Not sure on that, but there were two guys in haz-mat suits with her when she popped, so they were covered in goodness-knows-what.
  • The soldier Rob is arguing with is longtime character actor Chris Mulkey. I thought it was when I saw him yesterday...I was sure tonight. Look him...you're recognize him from tons of movie and TV work. That's about the only recognizable face to me in the entire movie (and I wish they'd gone with an unknown or unfamiliar face because, for a brief second, it took this out of "amateur found footage" vibe and seemed like a "movie", recognizing him. I know the actors who played Jason and Marlena - Mike Vogel and Lizzy Caplan respectively - have done stuff, but I don't know how recognizable they area to most folks. I've never seen them before (but I wouldn't mind seeing Caplan in my bathtub later on).
  • After Marlena dies, and the soldier leads them out and tells them where to find the chopper, he mentions that the government is enacting the "hammer down" protocol, which means they're giving the military one more chance to handle it by conventional means, but after that they're "willing to level the city" to kill this thing. "Midtown?" Rob asks..."Manhattan", the soldier responds, and there's just this "this can't be" look in Rob's eyes
  • Immediately after this scene, they walk out into the alley and Hud (camera guy) is sad about Marlena's death. He stops and Rob and Lily come back to him to offer comfort. There is a barrel sitting in the alley with the biohazard symbol on it, and it's leaking something onto the alley ground...ewww! I assume it's body waste and other stuff from people who've exploded? But it's just sitting out there, leaking goo into the alley...the camera even lingers on it for a second, but I think it's by accident because Hud is talking/crying and not really "aiming" it, it seems. I just thought that was interesting...
  • They reach Beth's apartment, which is, I assume, the place the movie started in, with Rob filming out the window?
  • You can hear the footsteps of the monster in Central Park after the chopper crashes...it gets louder and closer, but for some reason they don't see this thing. Rob and Beth run away, Hud runs back to get the camera and WHAM! The monster appears, looming directly over Hud for a daytime shot. The first real, well-lit look at its face and body. Seems to have extra, shorter arms sticking out from his torso. Some sort of breathing sacs on its face/jowls, a red sort of membrane that fills and empties as it breathes. It notices Hud and leans over, looking directly into the camera...the camera is autofocusing on this thing, so it's jumping between blurry and clear, but on two or occasions you get a perfectly clear, full-screen/frame face shot. Evil, angry eyes, black with a little white under them...freakishly human in their stare
  • After the chopper crash, you hear radio communication (the soldiers/pilots are dead) saying "bombing begins in 15 minutes, with a signal at five til", or something like that. And then it says "if you can hear the siren, you're in the bomb zone"...or words to that effect. That's important to pick up on, because a few moments later, after Hud buys it, and Rob and Beth are taking shelter in the little Central Park bridge, Rob is talking to the camera, giving his name and what's happened. You hear air raid sirens go off, just as he's about to start and he just has this horrible, "okay, this is it" look on his face...he can hear the sirens, so he knows he and Beth are in the destroy zone and won't make it out alive. Rob, talking to the camera and giving his account/testimonial, says "it's 6:42am, Saturday, May 23...". Anyone else catch this, the "Rob twice using the camcorder in Beth's presence at 6:42am" thing?
  • Based on the opening government caption/stamp about the area "formerly known as Central Park" and the siren/bombing/Hammer Down protocol, it's to be understood that New York City - Manhattan anyway - is no more.
  • The score at the end - "Roar! (Cloverfield Overture)" - is the only soundtrack music. At the end of it (and the credits), you'll hear static and garble. You can't make it out - sounds like "help us" almost, but not quite. However, there are sites on the Internet that have isolated and played it backwards...where it clearly says "it's still alive". Search around and you'll find it online at several sites.

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2008-01-20 at 01:43.
  quote
Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2008-01-20, 00:59

Spoiler (click to toggle):
"that's something else. Also terrible."
  quote
Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2008-01-20, 01:18

Spoiler (click to toggle):

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
It's actually played a bit low-key, with natural dialogue. It feels like you're just watching some regular movie about a guy and a girl and their friends and suddenly there's this weird thing taking place, but the movie just continues on, with this "attack on the city" as background/framing. Hard to explain; you just have to see it.

And I actually recommend that you do. It's quite a sight to behold, the effects, sound and large-scale mayhem. Nothing looked blatantly CGI. It looked like there was some monster running around downtown at night, destroying buildings and basically carrying on like a complete a-hole.
This was cool, and disappointing at the same time. For a movie that is trying to stress its realism, it really does take some suspension of disbelief to think any of our lovable idiots would seriously climb a 50 story building to rescue a friend who is most likely to be dead. When she turns out to not be dead, it's just even sillier. Ultimately, you end up having to look at the movie as sort of. A love story with a giant monster. But, then it is still bound by certain love story movie conventions.

Which, if you think about it a little. Many times the movie played out in a sort of adolescent super-man fantasy. "Oh if only a giant monster would attack the city, so that I could demonstrate extreme courage and fearlessness to save the girl that I secretly love!" Something tells me JJ Abrams was never too popular with the ladies growing up.

Quote:

I reference 9/11 above not in any sort of cheap, disrespectful way; but 2-3 scenes in this movie really play that angle up (the "walking wounded", covered in ash and dust, the cloud of smoke from a collapsing building chasing people down the street and you dash into a corner market and watch the white dust come by past the window...we all saw footage like that on that horrible day). Some people, who were there in New York that day and in the thick of it, might be a bit disturbed or unsettled by a few scenes, simply in terms of "wow, that looks a lot like what I was doing...".
Near the beginning, after the first roar, you can hear a couple of people murmuring things like "are they attacking again?" or "is this another terrorist thing". Not sure if those are direct quotes though, they are jumbled with a lot of other talking, and I was paying attention to other stuff.


Quote:
Um, pretty much every main character buys the farm (like "Blair Witch"), and the monster basically cornholes New York City for about 1:10 solid. You definitely see it (in quick glimpses at first, but and more as the movie unfolds), including a day-lit shot toward the end that is quite creepy; there's something going on behind those eyes, IMO. And you're left with the impression that the thing was never destroyed, and that its rampage continued/continues...
Apparently, after the credits, some garbled audio plays that sounds like "help us" when played forwards, and "it's still alive" when played backwards. The internet wins again.


Last edited by Wrao : 2008-01-20 at 01:31.
  quote
drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2008-01-20, 02:14

There's an interview with the Director of Cloverfield on io9.com that should be read by the movie's uber fans... like Pscates.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-20, 02:35

Ha...thanks!

Not sure why I liked it so much. I was half-expecting a complete piece-of-crap/waste-of-time. But it's really not. It's supremely watchable and fun/creepy. A perfect, flawless movie? No way. Silly at times, and completely unbelievable at others? Of course!

But it's still a great 90 minutes at the movies, and do you know how rare that is getting to be these days?



Give me this over some lame-brain "Scary Movie 16" parody, or the latest flop from The Rock or Jessica Alba. Or some "feel-good romantic comedy" with Drew Barrymore and/or Hugh Grant. Or Adam Sandler attempting to be serious. Or DeNiro attempting to be funny.

  quote
Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2008-01-20, 02:42

Spoiler (click to toggle):
So, who thinks the monster is still alive?

On the one hand, the audio at the end says "it's still alive". On the other hand, the film begins with "footage retrieved from cloverfield incident" as if to suggest it has long since 'resolved'.

Seems like a sequel of some sorts is inevitable.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-01-20, 02:48

Spoiler (click to toggle):
I think it is, definitely (alive). It could've moved on, or they could've driven it somewhere. Or they could've simply gone in after the bombing and retrieved the bodies and found the camera, with the thing still on the loose.

But yeah, I'm afraid we've not heard the last of this. I hope we have, just so it stays this isolated, neat thing and not get lamed-up with too much explanation/reveal.

But you know how the movie biz works...if this thing makes a killing (and with a less-than-$30 million budget, it's probably going to), simple greed and "hey, we can do this shit again!" will factor in, and they'll practically be forced to come up with something else.



I'm not nuts about seeing another full movie...however I wouldn't mind some fake websites (scientific and government), where maybe some things are explained. Or perhaps when the DVD is made available, they'll pack it with gobs of neat extras...fake documentary on the "attack on New York City", or all sorts of smaller things like that.

I think you can have an extension of this story, or fill in the some of the blanks, without going the tired "expected sequel" route. In fact, putting a bunch of stuff together for the DVD actually makes more sense, because they can explore different approaches and avenues: fake newscasts, documentaries, military/government input and "press releases", scientific journals and videos, an "aftermath" sort of thing ("Remembering Central Park"), video-based FAQs, bonus shots and additional "found footage" from other citizens, etc.

It would all make for a very cool, must-have DVD, with lots of variety and value! I'd much rather see them go this route than to try and churn out a straight sequel that probably won't be nearly as novel or pleasantly refreshing. But I would love to buy a cool, feature-packed DVD...

That's where it will make its money anyway, so why not make it something really enticing and worth owning, as opposed to just slapping the movie on there and maybe one interview with the director and some E!-type "behind the scenes" footage? This thing is begging for a kick-ass two-disk DVD collector package kind of deal, if any movie ever was!


Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2008-01-20 at 02:59.
  quote
CitizenTony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Dallas
 
2008-01-20, 02:52

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao View Post
Spoiler (click to toggle):
So, who thinks the monster is still alive?

On the one hand, the audio at the end says "it's still alive". On the other hand, the film begins with "footage retrieved from cloverfield incident" as if to suggest it has long since 'resolved'.

Seems like a sequel of some sorts is inevitable.
Spoiler (click to toggle):
I think it was still alive at the end of the movie, but maybe dead or gone when they find the footage. Which I think was found something like 5 years later according to something I read that quoted the time frame in the opening shots of the film. Somewhere in all the government text.
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zsummers
Avast!
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: New York?
 
2008-01-20, 03:16

DON'T SIT TOO CLOSE TO THE SCREEN.

That is all.
  quote
drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2008-01-20, 03:55

I have to say that I'm not a huge fan of the movie... let's just say that the monster let me down.
But if they decide to do a sequel I will probably go see it..... maybe.

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
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