Finally saw it last night (what kind of lame-ass theatre takes two weeks to start playing a record-setting Hollywood film but keeps the bloody chipmunks around for a month? Ours, that's what), though I can't see it again because prices just increased from $8.75 to $9.99. D:
Anyway, these are the kind of movies I live for, even if they're flawed. You got a kick-ass monster, likeable characters, heart-pounding action sequences, and
mayhem. I think the next time I see it, the non-monster stuff will seem kind of boring, even though it really isn't. I just loved seeing it so much. It's like the tripods in War of the Worlds: more plz. They were so fucking fantastic to look at and it's the same with duders from Cloverfield. Plus with the hand-held camera, you really really don't get a good look at him too often so it's even more of a damned tease.
Of course, the settings would not give anyone but helicopters that great a view, New York City being a jungle of skyscrapers and narrow streets. I dunno how the bastard didn't just cannonball right back into the harbour, really didn't seem worth trying to find his way around a place like that. I mean, I know when
my fat ass has been bested. Retreat, man, retreat! Amazing falafels are not worth getting shot at by the stealth bomber!
I was really surprised how early we lost certain characters, especially on the Brooklyn Bridge because that entire scene was very disorienting and hard to tell what was going on. I didn't know what I was seeing most of the time, so I guess props for not being all, "omg whatshisface is dead!"
*pregnant pause* It was like, "oh shit, this bridge is coming down faster than *rude joke removed* Gotta go!" then later on, the bad news is given to a parent via cell phone. Probably more realistic that way.
Speaking of which, while I'd have loved more monster, I felt the shots we did get were extremely well done. A problem I had with WOTW was how the main characters were always right in the thick of things with everyone
else dying around them. Not a new phenomenon in Hollywood movies, but still. It's the having your cake and eating it too thing. Do you want to focus on your leads or the action? Mixing the two can fudge with the suspension of disbelief your audience has offered with buying their ticket in the first place. Just my opinion. I always thought Titanic did a good job of showing you the action and focusing on main characters: we could see things happening on the ship that they didn't know about, and when they were caught up in the middle it didn't seem too unrealistic. Same with Children of Men, everything's from Clive Owen's point of view and sometimes he only escapes with his life out of dumb luck but we still get to see what's going on in the world around him without sacrificing realism. So in Cloverfield, I loved that they didn't step into Blair Witch "just turn the camera off already, there is no point!" territory. Sure it seemed like a stretch at times to believe that he'd still be shooting anything, but hey, it's New York and everyone has a camera. It wasn't a big problem for me. How many thousands of angles did we get for 9/11, yeah? Granted that was more of a stationary event than this one, but the point is that when something happens, people need to cover it in any way they can, for any number of reasons that go through their mind as they're doing it. Besides, I'm glad Hud's face was
behind the camera for most of the film.
Sorry lol.
If anyone's interested, Cloverfield reminded me of a cross between WOTW and this Korean movie called The Host (aka Gwoemul), about an amphibious mutant who wreaks havoc on the shorelines and sewers of Seoul, leading to evacuations and quarantines. I've never seen a foreign film with action and special effects to rival a Hollywood blockbuster, so this one's really special to me, but I do recommend it for more than that. It was funny, exciting, at times heart-breaking, and an all-around good show. I'm going to get very fidgety if I don't get to see it or Cloverfield again soon, they were both awesome.
Oh, and I was giggling to myself when Of Montreal's "Wraith Pinned To the Mist and Other Games" came on at Rob's party. That's
my song, boo.
Last thing I can think to comment on are the monster's parasitic spider buddies. Oh gawd, they were
vicious. The sounds they make had me just cringing and sinking in my seat. Great reveal, though. Night-vision: friend or foe? lol Between Cloverfield and The Mist, spiders can just gtfo okay. Now I'm all itchy, ugh.
Oh, who am I kidding? I'll be at the theatre again tonight. w00!11
*E*