I saw CLOVERFIELD last night with Suzanne and our buddy Paul. Wow. I can't talk too much about it without ruining whatever there is to be ruined about it. I'll just repeat what Harry Knowles has said on his AICN site...ignore the hype. Everything you've read about this movie is crap. There's no big secret, no big mythology. The title CLOVERFIELD is meaningless unless it's some kind of inside joke. There's nothing to figure out. All the pre-release viral crap you saw on the Internet...forget it. Just go see the movie and take it for what it is.
Suzanne and Paul didn't like it much but I did. I thought it was one of the most amazing, clever and outright shocking films I've seen in a long time. I think they'd let the marketing B.S. sink in and were disappointed there was no payoff. I didn't let that happen to me. I've learned not to go into anything with any preconceptions. It paid off with BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and it paid off here. The first 20 minutes or so are hard to get through because the video camera conceit is hard to get used to and the setup is just sort of boring. But once the action starts, the stuff you saw in the trailer, all hell breaks loose and you get used to the shaky-cam pretty quickly. There's one scene early on that's very reminiscent of 9-11 that Paul and I agreed was probably in poor taste but was excusable in the context of the film. And there was one scene in a subway station that was personally disturbing to me...a little close to home. But that's going to happen from time to time, I suppose.
I'll post my thoughts in more detail once the film has been out for a while and everyone gets a chance to see it. I can only recommend that you go soon, while the movie is in the "good" theaters...before they bump it to all the theaters with screens smaller than the average HDTV. The sound design is very important to the impact of this movie and it would behoove you to see it presented in a theater with a good sound system.
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I'm not sure I'll see it... but here in Lynchburg the good theater is actually the cheaper one, so that's a nice benefit I can wait for the spoilers and more opinions before I go :)
Is that the one at Candler's Station? I think I only saw one movie there before I moved away from Lynchburg for good. Before they built River Ridge Mall, I used to go to Pittman Plaza and that one that used to be outside the Fort Twin Drive-in on Timberlake Road. I saw DAY OF THE DEAD there. I'm still amazed they got that.
That would have been awesome to see DAY on the drive-in screen. Remeber being little and my parents taking me to the Cicero Drive-In. I saw Carpenter's THE THING on the outside air...good memories...but to see DAY out there in the open...waiting for the dead to reach your car...man O man!
Glad CLOVERFIELD turned out good, will have to take it in next weekend...but I am one of those who dug a bit to find out what the monster looked liked...due to my love of giant monsters...I didn't care about the why, how, when...but the who/what got to me. Gotta say I am impressed by its design...I will not go into detail...
sharon and i went to see it last night and...wow!
i loved it! so much, i might go again tonight. and yes, matt--it HAS to be seen in the theater--a good one--with great sound! the place just rocked with a few of the earlier explosions and thunderous crashes! the theater was filled but there wasn't a peep in the house all night--we were all just so absorbed! i would hate to've missed it and waited for it on dvd--just don't have that sound quality at the house. (yet!)
we'll talk more later...
McGill, sadly, I didn't see DAY at the drive-in but, rather, at the indoor theater just outside it. But that would have been great. I only got to see one double-feature at the Fort Twin. Mike and I went with our parents and his friend David. The first movie was BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS (great flick) but I don't remember the second. Mom packed a picnic pack with fried chicken and biscuits. Very sad day when the Fort closed down. They had a flea market there on weekends for years and years and I got many, many back issues there. Dad informs me that the flea market is also now a thing of the past. Sigh.
Does it boggle anyone else's mind that they used to (and still may) show porno movies at drive-in theaters? I mean,...what the hell?!!
Thanks for talking about a film without giving the entire plot away! I’m looking forward to seeing the flick not so much because I think it will be anything overwhelming but, because I think it will be more in line with those kind of movies that I grew up loving in the sixties and the seventies. Definitely sounds like a popcorn flick.
I'd like to try and see it but my available time for the next few weekends is kinda shot. If I can get away one night during the week I will. I do wanna see it though. Unfortunately my ability to get to the movies this past year has been shot to hell.
As far as porn in the drive-ins, that is a very disturbing thought and thanks for the image that is burned into my skull now!! =)
Matt-
Haven't seen it yet.
Saw "in the name of the king" instead. I did notice a sign at the box office warning how the sound (in "cloverfield") may upset some people (or some thing like that).
I actually haven't paid too much attention to reviews or the hype for this one , so I'll probably see it next. Maybe tonight.
Havent seen the flick but the trailers kinda reminded me of something along the lines of Godzilla movie.
Yep the ole Fort is gone and everything with it. I remeber seeing ficks at the Drive-in and working at the green and gold. Loved the free movies and popcorn and the dates I got from there were pretty nice as well. I got a ton of books at the flea market as well some in execellent condition but I don't miss selling the hotdogs there LOL
matt--
there was, until sometime in the late 80's, a drive in by us that showed x-rated films. it had, of course, been a regular drive-in but i guess the idea worked for them for a while. that it was back in the woods a bit, away from the road with no houses to be affected, helped i'm sure. and the funny part is, i went. two or three times i think. and the way it went was this; you and a few buddies got a couple six-packs, went in and hung out with a lotta other packs of cars doing the same thing. and there were cars fulla girls there too. it was really just a place to go and party. i think we laughed and laughed watching the x-rated version of mash once. i forget what the porno name for it was.
but it wasn't there for creeps or dating or people trying to have fun in the backseat--it was too wild for that.
funny.
No CLOVERFIELD for me until this Friday. Too much going on during the week to catch an evening show. Luckily, I've got Friday off since I'm hitting the Ween show Thursday night. Sleep in and then check out some monster madness.
Gordon, I'd forgotten you worked there! I thought I had a good memory. Guess not.
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