[709]

A new poster and some additional info (if Harry is to be believed) on the title came out recently:



Abrams also let it be known that it was not a Godzilla film...but he did say that "America needs it's own Godzilla." By the clawmarks on the SOL it does indeed look like this will be a true blue monster movie. Color me ecstatic.

(also, if the powers that be deem it worthy, maybe we could trim the Cloverfield posts from the Transformers thread?)

[jdcfsu]

The trailer on this is just incredible. I love that JJ is keeping a huge majority of this film, including the title, a secret. Too many movies are spoiled before they're released and it looks like Abrams & co are taking every precaution to prevent that... and build up a nice amount of hype as well.

Let's just hope that the "monster" isn't some sort of Dharma Initiative experiment gone awry.

[Moogs]

What trailer? Link?

[MCQ]

This trailer (teaser)?

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/11808/hd/

[Kickaha]

"Monstrous" was previously attached to this film as the title (but debunked by Abrams) - where did you get Colossus from? Was it one of the other two supposed titles bandied about?

[Wrao]

It's kind of sad that so many people instantly assume that it is going to be a remake of something. The concept of an original movie, let alone an original monster movie, in hollywood has become so foreign, people don't even question it anymore. When I first saw the trailer, godzilla didn't come to mind at all, but then almost everyone I talked to afterward said "you mean that new godzilla trailer?". Then, once the godzilla rumors started to die down a bit, People started saying it was going to be a remake/adaptation of some obscure 80s monster flick called Parasite.

Well, I thought the trailer kicked ass when I saw it before Transformers. But, since then, I am starting to get a little annoyed with the hype this thing is getting, somehow it is kind of spoiling the effect of the trailer. Still though, It will probably be a fun movie and I'll probably go see it when it is released.

[Moogs]

Originally Posted by Wrao It's kind of sad that so many people instantly assume that it is going to be a remake of something. The concept of an original movie, let alone an original monster movie, in hollywood has become so foreign, people don't even question it anymore.

Amen, brother... amen.

[rasmits]

I'm not a huge fan of the 'handheld camera' thing - but I'm sure that's just for the teaser.

Well, I hope anyway.

But about people thinking it's a Godzilla remake, I can obviously understand. Godzilla is by far the most popular, most remade monster movie of all time. When I think of an unknown creature stomping its way through a city, I think of Godzilla.

From all we know now, the premise is basically a Godzilla remake. What should be interesting is how different it will be.

[Wrao]

Originally Posted by rasmits I'm not a huge fan of the 'handheld camera' thing - but I'm sure that's just for the teaser. Well, I hope anyway.

It is all being shot with handheld cameras.

But about people thinking it's a Godzilla remake, I can obviously understand. Godzilla is by far the most popular, most remade monster movie of all time. When I think of an unknown creature stomping its way through a city, I think of Godzilla. From all we know now, the premise is basically a Godzilla remake. What should be interesting is how different it will be.

Right, but that is only true insomuch as a Playstation is a Nintendo.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by Wrao It is all being shot with handheld cameras.

Cool! Kinda "America's Funniest Home Videos" combined with the whole "giant monster stomping through the city" genre. I'm there!



I'm assuming, then, this monster will, at some point, accidentally hit someone in the nuts with a whiffle ball bat?

[Moogs]

THAT


Looks



SWEET!!

Just the whole vibe of the thing. If they do the movie that way I think it would be pretty killer. The sound the thing makes, the sort of random home-movie-ness about it... just... rad. I normally don't get into stuff like this but for some reason... I want to see this immediately.

Maybe we're all just victims of subliminal advertising within the trailer.

[709]

Originally Posted by Kickaha "Monstrous" was previously attached to this film as the title (but debunked by Abrams) - where did you get Colossus from? Was it one of the other two supposed titles bandied about?

Harry's hint in the second link was to "ask Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin" about the title...which of course is Colossus of X-Men fame.

[Moogs]

Realism question... for those familiar with NYC geography, etc... is there anything in the part of the city where they show the giant fireball, that could asplode in that way in real life?

I know there was that one terrer plot to blow up the fuel facilities that feed JFK but they're in another part of the city, aren't they? Of course some hollywood effect there as most likely nothing short of an atom bomb would make that kind of initial spherical burst... but still I'm curious. What will be really cool is if it's a long movie and the thing is moving from city to city, or there's more than one. Rather than the Godzilla remake type deal where it's in Manhattan the whole time. Sort of like in War of the Worlds remake, where the machines are all over the place, and you see the struggle in different types of environments.

Personally I would like to see Philly get smeared. Maybe Jersey too.

[Moogs]

I am actually kind of irked I saw this teaser so soon... probably there will be another within a month or so. Hope this isn't one of those movies where the trailers are awesome and the movie is meh. 300 was like that AFAICT. OTOH, LotR movies trumped the trailers and then some....

[Engine Joe]

Originally Posted by Moogs Realism question... for those familiar with NYC geography, etc... is there anything in the part of the city where they show the giant fireball, that could asplode in that way in real life? I know there was that one terrer plot to blow up the fuel facilities that feed JFK but they're in another part of the city, aren't they?

Jersey was where the initial "firebomb" would have been, the pipelines from there to southeastern queens being the wick. That'd hit Staten Island, but not anywhere in Manhattan or Liberty Island.

[ghoti]

It looks great, and the hand-held camera style can work really well (like in Strange Days or Children of Men). I only hope they're not going too much Blair Witch Project, that would suck (the blackout when they're running from the falling fireballs kinda looks like that). Also, hopefully the plot will be better than Godzilla ...

[World Leader Pretend]

Originally Posted by Moogs I am actually kind of irked I saw this teaser so soon... probably there will be another within a month or so. Hope this isn't one of those movies where the trailers are awesome and the movie is meh. 300 was like that AFAICT. OTOH, LotR movies trumped the trailers and then some....

The FULL LENGTH 300 movie could have just as well been a giant trailer.

[Moogs]

Heheh. BTW, I have watched this trailer about 18 times now. I need help.

[Windowsrookie]

I think "the sound" sounds like a slowed down voice. It looks good, but with those camcordery shots I'll probably get a headache watching it.

[drewprops]

It will indeed be a Colossus if it can withstand the weight of its own (growing) hype.



.

[Moogs]

Yah. This one will have some weighty expectations. Chances are good for a letdown but we'll see I guess. I think the first full length trailer should give a better clue.

As for the voice of the beast, it probably is a bear or something that they did some uber-modifications of to make it sound other-worldly. Whatever it they did, the sound effects kick ass.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by 709 Harry's hint in the second link was to "ask Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin" about the title...which of course is Colossus of X-Men fame.

Jesus that's geeky.

I love it.

[Koodari]

I haven't seen one good disaster movie. Ever. There's something about their very nature that makes them suck.
Now maybe this won't be a regular one, but prognosis doesn't look good.

[Kickaha]

Well, there's disaster movies (Towering Inferno, Volcano, Poseidon Adventure, Day After Tomorrow), which pretty much all do suck, and then there are Big Assed Monster movies (Godzilla, Them, Rodan, Gamera), which pretty much rock. Even the worst BAM movie (US Godzilla) still had moments of coolness, while the disaster movies all try and focus on 'human relations' in the face of 'adverse conditions'. Bleah. If we want to see that, we'll rent Schindler's List, y'know?

[Moogs]

Plus there's something inherently more personal about seeing a BAM from the perspective of an individual instead of from the perspective of a outsider looking in, which is what all movies are generally. Though I agree too much Blair Witch stuff and it will kill this flick dead inside 10 minutes. A little bit of edgy, squirmy camera work is good. Constant "OMGS" and wide-eyed people yelling into the camera = suckage.

Blair witch = suckage.

Anyway, the difference here is: a) real actors; b)real extras / cast / not just 3 weenies running around in teh woods; c) real special effects, made to look more authentic because they're captured by amateur video (hopefully). This could just absolutely pwn or be a OK (which would be a like a huge let-down because the teaser is so bad ass everyone expects BAM goodness).

Colossus vs. War of the Worlds Machine-Pods driven by Queen Alien, controlled by Predator...ZoMG!!!!

[World Leader Pretend]

The Day After Tomorrow was probably the first film that made me truly board watching. I just couldn't stand it.

War of teh Worlds just pissed me off because that stupid Dakota Fanning girl should have died sooo many times, but of course she didn't. What happened to survival of the fittest?

[drewprops]

Originally Posted by World Leader Pretend The Day After Tomorrow was probably the first film that made me truly board watching.

I abhor viewing dried, planed wood as much as the next guy.....

[ghoti]

J.J. Abrams was one of the screenwriters for Armageddon (did some research on IMDB). Armageddon, easily the worst among many crappy disaster movies, and kind of a meta-disaster movie because it was such a disaster in itself. Makes me wonder what to realistically expect from 01-18-08 ...

[Wrao]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Well, there's disaster movies (Towering Inferno, Volcano, Poseidon Adventure, Day After Tomorrow), which pretty much all do suck, and then there are Big Assed Monster movies (Godzilla, Them, Rodan, Gamera), which pretty much rock. Even the worst BAM movie (US Godzilla) still had moments of coolness, while the disaster movies all try and focus on 'human relations' in the face of 'adverse conditions'. Bleah. If we want to see that, we'll rent Schindler's List, y'know?

Not only that, but Disaster movies can't be too risky or too over-the-line. They have to still, at the end of the day, handle having the human race survive with a pretty solid outlook for the future. The few disaster movies that have shown(or tried to show) *real* disaster and the absolutely terrifying fallout of real disasters become obscure and largely forgotten.

You ever see the movie The Day After? Made in the 80s, centering around a bunch of people's lives the day before nuclear apocalypse, the day during and the day after. That movie was *BLEAK*, and in the end there were only tiny glimmers of possible hope for surviving.... a little bit longer. There were a couple of movies like that. But beyond that, people don't really want to see real disaster movies. They want to see well known monuments blow up, but then have Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum save the day with some catchy one liner and a Mac.

[Moogs]

Yah seriously, it would be awesome if the BAM actually *won*, or you're left wondering if it will win. Truthfully, I think that is what sucks about Monster/Disast-o movies. People always prevail, when in real life, they don't. Ergo, they're utterly predictable.

As for Dakota Fanning in WotW, I don't care that she didn't die so much as the constant screaming and panic-attack BS made me *want* her to die. Jeez. That movie, minus all the divorced parents baggage and screaming, could've been pretty damn good. They just took it in the wrong direction about half way through. All that father-son BS was a ridiculous distraction.

Also, a valid point about JJ Abrams being the guy from Armageddon, however unless the writer and director are the same, that line of thinking doesn't hold too much water. While the producer has some creative input, generally what you end up seeing on the screen is a combination of the writer and the director's vision.