Don't go and see the movie "CLOVERFIELD"

[Cuban]

[minor spoilers]

This is a bad film for the cinema big screen. Shaky camera work is all well and good to play the game "this was real life footage" by using hand held cameras, but there is a limit. On the small screen TV shaky camera work does not go on for 90 minutes. In the context of news reporting the news clips last a few minutes at the most and you have a stable room around you. The reason for motion sickness is the images from the film Cloverfield that fils the screen does not match the lack of motion of your seat, brain/inner ear in confused therefore feel sick.

The film would have been better if parts were hand held and the rest conventional movie story telling.

Compare this with the Film September Tapes from 2004 which is also based on the idea of a found hand-held camera, similar in many ways to Cloverfield it did not over use the shaky camera work and is much better as a result. (September Tapes is avaliable on most Pattaya roads)

However is this not the last we will see of Cloverfield, the sequal/prequal is coming.

I look forward to about 2025, maybe it will be be remade better and the technology will be built into the hand held camreas to un-shake the footage.

[mikethevigoman]

Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

Set in New York when a party is interrupted by the breaking-news report of an earthquake, fireballs explode from the horizon, and the damage is everywhere on the street. The disasters gives way to panic as a monster is violently rampaging the whole city.

Sounds great ! where can i get a pirate copy ?

[sutnyod]

Watched the trailer on the net and agree: camera work is terrible. However, many people said they liked the movie (just the idea of it). So what to do now? Take a plastic bag into the cinema? Get the film as audiobook?

[AlexLah]

For those that watch the movie and liked it.

Please join :"The program"

[lazeeboy]

just watched it on line ,i feel dizzy and sick .confused ,and i only watched part of it ...

[A_Traveller]

Interesting, a critic in the US labelled it 'Not for those over 30', which given my age. I guess is shorthand for those familiar with YouTube/Internet Graphics/etc.

Have to say I loved it, it was a riot of data, presented in a scintillated form. How many noticed the clues in the final frames, or stayed to catch the real ending, after the credits, when I sat in the Imax presentation {35mm only but the better sound}, at least on the last point zero. The conceit, meant positively, of a recovered tape, hence the 80+ mins running time, really worked for me. Though have to say some I've spoken to didn't realise that, even given the US Department of Defence Do not Duplicate plus intro titles. It was also refreshing to have a 'monster movie' sans the Oval Office, and the scientist who discovers the fatal weakness.

Compared to say [rec] , which being remade as Quarantine, it uses the camera POV more powerfully, the bridge sequence is edited exceptionally well for example.

Can understand why it is so polarising, but can also see why it's broken records for MLK weekend.

Regards

[chonabot]

When do you people ever wake up?

Usually about noon.....

[CarlBkk]

I agree with DP25 (and others who expressed similar sentiments): this movie could potentially lead to a revitalization of what is, frankly, and industry that is overrun with cliches and tired re-makes. Just look at 'I Am Legend' (remake) and 'Hitman' (Bourne Identity, etc ripoff).

While I'm not too sure about whether I liked Cloverfield or not, I am sure that it is different from every other movie that has the Prince of Norway living in a dorm room in Manhattan, and the girl he romances eventually gets mad at him for not letting her in on his secret identity. How do you think that one ends?

BFD!

Completely agree. I went to see it without knowing a thing about it and was gripped the whole time. Original, non-formulaic, great effects not overdone and you have no idea what's coming next. The best part? The ending. The Thais nearly all remained in their seats not believing it could be over.

[tropo]

Made over 20million Quid in yankland, well your wishes didnt materialize Tropo!!!

Don't be so quick to judge its success. Word of mouth will kill it quickly.

The hype was all it had going for it...now that that's over it'll die a quick death.

[britmaveric]

Only cost 12.5 million quid - so dare say its already a success.

[tropo]

Only cost 12.5 million quid - so dare say its already a success.

Yes, just as Blair Witch Project made a good profit because it was cheap to produce, but I'm talking about success that will perpetuate more of this junk in the future. The next movie will not have the benefit of the secret hype that got people out to see this movie.

Perhaps the sequel will be shot with a regular camera...maybe that will work. We'll go to see it to find out more about the mysterious monster.

[adjan jb]

Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

Set in New York when a party is interrupted by the breaking-news report of an earthquake, fireballs explode from the horizon, and the damage is everywhere on the street. The disasters gives way to panic as a monster is violently rampaging the whole city.

It all has been done before.

[britmaveric]

Called Godzilla!!!

[adjan jb]

Called Godzilla!!!

+ a pinch of The Day After Tomorrow, a little bit of Armaggedon and a teaspoon of other Hollywood turkeys.

[bsided69]

Don't go and see the movie "CLOVERFIELD" which was released today.

I've seen a lot of bad movies, but this movie takes bad to a whole new level.

I'm sorry, but due to forum obscene language restrictions I can't adequately describe how bad this movie really is.

See it at your own risk, and if you suffer from motion sickness I suggest you take your medication because the entire movie is shot with a shaky hand held camera. A person suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease would have done a better job.

This movie is an insult to cinematography and should be banned.

You have been warned!

It wasnt that bad. At least they all got killed in the end? If you want bad? Go and see National treasure. It was so bad it made my legs ache.(figure that one out?)

[ashacat]

I think that the "generation gap" might be one of the reasons some of the older folks didn't enjoy this film

Edited January 23, 2008 by ashacat

[lomatopo]

Saw a quick blurb this film did boffo the first three days of MLK weekend, think it might have been the biggest 3-day total. JJ Abrams (Lost, Alias) is the exec producer; he's directing the Star Trek film as well.

[TheWalkingMan]

This movie will not hit the Japanese theaters until 05 April 2008 The www. imdb.com/title/tt1060277/releaseinfo database shows it as the last country, or maybe major market, to the get this flick. Crap!!!! I wanted to see this on the big screen, but I can't wait. So once again it looks like it's the streams for me!

TheWalkingMan

[tropo]

It wasnt that bad. At least they all got killed in the end? If you want bad? Go and see National treasure. It was so bad it made my legs ache.(figure that one out?)

Yes, National treasure was bad...so that was 2 very bad movies in a week...but at least they used a steady camera.

It was great they all were killed in the end, I was just hoping it would have happened an hour earlier.

[britmaveric]

I watched it again - I had more questions second time around..... why did camera battery last 7hrs?

[tropo]

I watched it again - I had more questions second time around..... why did camera battery last 7hrs?

I only watched it once, but I seem to remember the kids going into a store where they got some batteries.

The tape was about 90 minutes long right? So why did the camera batteries have to last for 7 hours?

[britmaveric]

I watched it again - I had more questions second time around..... why did camera battery last 7hrs?

I only watched it once, but I seem to remember the kids going into a store where they got some batteries.

The tape was about 90 minutes long right? So why did the camera batteries have to last for 7 hours?

Actually the lad went in electronic store for a mobile battery... and even if they did get one - you have to charge em. As for timing of movie.... started saying this was discovered footage from incident at Cloverfield, 7hrs worth of tape.

[tropo]

I watched it again - I had more questions second time around..... why did camera battery last 7hrs?

I only watched it once, but I seem to remember the kids going into a store where they got some batteries.

The tape was about 90 minutes long right? So why did the camera batteries have to last for 7 hours?

Actually the lad went in electronic store for a mobile battery... and even if they did get one - you have to charge em. As for timing of movie.... started saying this was discovered footage from incident at Cloverfield, 7hrs worth of tape.

Obviously the movie was of some interest to you as you watched it twice but why did you assume that the tape was running for 7 hrs straight? It would seem pretty obvious that if we are watching the entire footage then it was under 90 minutes. That was the whole concept of the movie...watching the entire footage of the tape from start to finish.

Why did the guy go into the store for a mobile battery if they require charging first? That doesn't make sense does it?

[britmaveric]

The odd part there was no break in time, continuity was non-stop. Mind u perhaps the military edited it???

No it doesnt make sense - no place has charged mobile batteries waiting to be bought. Unless its one of those alkaline emergency jobs.

[tropo]

The odd part there was no break in time, continuity was non-stop. Mind u perhaps the military edited it???

No it doesnt make sense - no place has charged mobile batteries waiting to be bought. Unless its one of those alkaline emergency jobs.

Some break time would have been great.

A brand new mobile phone I purchased recently in Pattaya had some charge... at least a few hours worth.

[stegee]

Don't you people get it?

The blurry shaky imaging wants to give you the impression it is all filmed by amateurs.

Give you the impression it is all reall life footage.

By watching this film you are all being prepared on watching similair footage on MS news as already is being done.

Shaky so called real footage will be the news of tommorow.

You are tricked into believing it because of the poor camera positions.

It must be real amateur becuase profs would hold the camera focused and still, please wake up you are being programmed!

When do you people ever wake up?

you mean it wasn't real??

[DragonQuest]

I suffered motion sickness AND NAUSEATED(nacious) and had to close mY eyes through more than half of the movie, this movie sucks, its the worst movie I have seen In my life, Im into the sci-fi scene but this was totally unexpected, waste of my 200 baht, i felt like a was gonna throw up and there were butterflys in my stomach, I agree with OP , DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE UNLESS YOU LIKE GETTING SEA-SICK.

Edited January 30, 2008 by DragonQuest

[lazeeboy]

a movie nightmare

[inf]

The monster was silly, and yes, there were lots of inconsistencies. But on the whole I greatly enjoyed it, and the concept that we're supposed to be seeing an amateur video tape is original and creative. It's an action movie seen from the grassroots. For once, it's also a Hollywood movie without a slushy happy ending.

As to how someone can get seasick watching a movie, I still don't understand. It wasn't that bad, and I'm used to watching movies like Atonement.

Also, the actress Jessica Lucas - the one who played the character Lily - is a real stunner, a new Halle Berry!

It's a fun popcorn movie, and vaguely reminds me of the German pic 'Lola Rennt' or 'Run, Lola, Run.'

[tropo]

I suffered motion sickness AND NAUSEATED(nacious) and had to close mY eyes through more than half of the movie, this movie sucks, its the worst movie I have seen In my life, Im into the sci-fi scene but this was totally unexpected, waste of my 200 baht, i felt like a was gonna throw up and there were butterflys in my stomach, I agree with OP , DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE UNLESS YOU LIKE GETTING SEA-SICK.

I don't suffer from motion sickness, but I suggest not to see this movie even if you don't get sea-sick. The shaky camera was only one bad thing about the movie.