Well, we all went to see Cloverfield a few days ago for Bristol's birthday, and boy!... ummm...well, it was interesting. As some of you may know, I do not have cable TV, and apparently any broadcast signal in the area does not know where my set is located, so I don't watch TV (I didn't want to just say, "I don't watch TV" cause I don't want to be one of those guys... I'm merely a victim of circumstance). Also, I'm waaay too lazy to read the newspaper or any form of serious/informative print/web news. I also don't listen to the radio these days because I'm catching up on the music that I was missing when I gave up on music and switched to audiobooks.Now, I mention these things because before the day that I was invited to see the movie, I had never heard of it or anything about it. I'm told that the buzz leading up to this film's release was HUGE and many people are shocked that I knew nothing about it. I didn't even know it was supposed to be some sort of monster movie.
I think this worked out better for me, because, judging from many of the reactions I heard from people leaving the theatre, expectations may have been the ruin of this film.
Before I go on, I would like to just say that if you have not seen this, but you plan to, read no further! I will give things away, believe me!
So, the movie was pretty interesting, tho. Buncha kids throwing a going away party, and hints of a love story throughout. This type of movie is limited in many ways, but I was impressed with the use of "previous footage" shot on the tape that gave insights into the story of the main character. I was also impressed by the special effects (impressed because I would think it would be difficult to make the explosions, building damage, and the carnage look so realistic with the camera jumping around every frame of every second of the entire FREAKING MOVIE!!!!... ). And the monster! Wow, talk about creepy... just look at it:
I wouldn't want to be caught out on the streets of midtown up against that thing with nothing but a video camera in my hand. Although, as cameras go, the one these guys were using could probably suffice as the blunt instrument of death necessary to bash in some heads and then continue to shoot another hour of footage. It did survive being thrown across a park and being buried in rubble after all.
So, anyway, overall I really enjoyed the movie, despite the little bit of a headache it gave me from watching it. It was fun trying to figure out what the heck was happening and looking for clues whenever possible. And although I heard many people saying they hated the ending, well... what did they expect from this kind of movie? A big scene where the they kill the monster and then some government official explains everything that happened to the civilian with a video camera?? Nope! It ended in one of only 2 possible endings. Everybody dies or somebody lives, but either way it would end suddenly and with no good explanation of what happened, because if you're trying to suggest that this is a video of actual events and presenting it that way, then you can't suddenly switch to normal movie mode where they would be allowed to tell you stuff.
Only thing that really bugs me though is this: This is the kind of movie that generates endless conversations about what various things meant and wow, what the heck was that thing, and where did it come from, and did bleeding-eyes chick throw up blood on that shower curtain, or did her head explode, or did they shoot her or what, and did the government know this was gonna happen, and was this thing coming here in peace, and (and this is a question a friend of mine actually posed) what if this was God sending an emissary from the planet He lives on in order to create more forms of life on earth (suggesting that this was how He originally created man (don't ask me, I don't know how he got there in his head either))?????
The reason this bugs me is because we will NEVER EVER EVER know any answers, so it's pretty pointless to discuss it. If they ever gave us the answers the point of the movie would be ruined because, in my opinion, this movie was created almost solely to raise questions and spark debate. I don't think they ever should give any answers either, unless they wanted to make another movie that wasn't from a video camera perspective, but they should have done that the first time and not bothered with this one if that's what they were going for.
But, yeah, pretty enjoyable movie. Don't think I'll ever watch it again.
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5 comments:
First of all, what's wrong with being "one of those guys?" When they resume putting stuff on TV that doesn't suck, I'll resume watching.
Second, I will agree that anyone who expected anything other than the ending that they got was not paying attention. The movie tells you right at the beginning how it's going to end. It says that they recover the tape in what's left of central park. How do you not gather from that that whoever was doing the filming probably dies at the end? And did they really expect an announcer to pop in at the end and neatly sum up the aftermath of the monster attack after the "videographer" buys the farm? No, to me, it was a foregone conclusion from the get-go that it would end with a dropped camera and no real answers.
Wow, the monster looks even more frightening than I remember. I must have been trying to block out the horror. Look at those hideous flippers! They are harbingers of death! Death, I tell you!!!
And clearly you're misremembering the scene where Marlena dies. There's no question as to what happens to her. Her body swells to grotesque proportions and explodes. It's not just her head, and they don't shoot her.
Lastly, the answers to some of these questions have at least been hinted at in the viral marketing preceding the film (which you admit you missed). For instance, about a week before the movie came out, there were some fake news stories posted on Youtube about a Japanese drilling rig off the east coast that seemed to have inexplicably been pulled underwater. Eyewitness accounts of the event stated that they saw a large dark shape under the water, which was promptly written off as being oil leaking from the damaged drill pipe. The rig was owned by a huge Japanese conglomerate which also owned the company that Rob was going to work for. The implication being that, like the dwarves of Moria, the Japanese delved too deeply and greedily, and freed some unmentionable horror that should never have seen the light of day.
And I don't know about you, but that thing could not possibly have come in peace. Look at the sheer evil intelligence on its face! And the flippers of death! DEATH!!!
But seriously, that thing looked like it wanted to squash the world flat. It had murder on its mind. It beheaded Lady Liberty, for cryin' out loud.
I plan on seeing it repeatedly, and then buying the DVD.
wow... of course you would make a lord of the rings analogy...
Well, yeah. Everything should be compared to Lord of the Rings as a measure of worthiness. Everything will fall short, but it's just a matter of how short.
If you watch very carefully at the end scene when it goes back to the "day at coney island" and they're on the ferris wheel. As he's looking out in the ocean you see a big meteor looking thing fall and splash into the ocean...so what does that mean about the oil rig?
What are you implying that it means about the oil rig?
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