Cloverfield - (Bendovafield)

[TheStuboy]

Way back in the mid 1990s, two stus received a camera. One stu immediately began filming disaster movies with it, the most successful of those being Crape. It was a hit for its time and featured break-out Ubstudios effects better or equal to some Hollywood productions. The film is made entirely in stuboy-vision, or simply put, shakey camera.

12 years later, Stuboy-vision is still in use in many Tony Scott, and other Hollywood films, including 2008's Cloverfield.

Now you've seen the previews, you know what the shakey camera looks like, but let me tell you, on the smaller screen, things are exaggerated.

::::::::::::SPOILERS----SKIP THIS BEFORE YOU SEE IT------:::::::::


You are handed your friend's brother's camera and your mission is to document his last few days in New York City after he finds an uber good job in Tokyo Japan, where Gozzzillaaa lives. Anyway, you and your friend and his girlfriend make your way to the party and you bring the camera along, checking out the sights, filming people's boobs (which I would do) and talking to a girl you want to get to know better. Your name is also Hud. Towards the end of the party, things start to turn sour for your friend's bro. All of that is quickly halted when an earthquake occurs, and then the shit hits the fan. As fast as you can say run, you're frantically trying to escape the city from a scary monster that looks like a Pterodactyl only with legs that walks around. You don't know what is happening. Unfortunately, your friend doesn't make it, and his bro and two girls are all you have left to document. You run into the subway, thinking its safe but soon find out otherwise. You then make it to the girl's apartment and have to find her at all costs. From there on, its up to you to document everything on video. This description of course is exagerrated as well, and the movie does a better job than I do explaining things. The point is, there's a scary monster wreaking havoc on the city, you're scared as all get out, you've got to find your friend's bro's gf, and make it out of the city alive. Can you do it?



======END SPOILERS=======


This is one of the first times I've actually seen Stuboycam put to good use in Hollywood. It looks real, it feels real, it even smells real. Or was that the fat dude next to me. Anyway, this film feels very much like Crape's grown up brother, and I'm proud to say that. Remember that stupid movie Godzilla 2000? That was nothing compared to this. I couldn't see any other way of filming the movie, and making it more realistic. Nicely done.
The monster is pretty original, and we hardly ever see it, which is also a good thing.

There are several comical moments during the chaos too, which proves we're all human, we always try to make the best out of the worst situations.

The film also touches on things we know would happen, looting, military confusion. Heck, nobody in this film knows where the monster came from, why it's there, or how to kill it, besides bombing the hell out of NYC. At least, Cloverfield is good ol' fashioned fart fest fun entertainment, at most, its one of the best disaster films since Independence Day. We all know what a waste of time Godzilla 2000 was. This movie isn't.

The pace is fast and furious and flatulent, the acting is somewhat genuine.. the only flaw is a few hokey moments here and there.

I really liked the camera feel of this film, it makes it more personal. I was amazed that even the CGI doesn't look too bad, is Hollywood actually getting it right now?

Cloverfield has its moments, but is a good way to start off 2008. I believe its worth the hype. What do you think?

3.7 stars out of 4.



For the last time, my name is MICHAEL Stahl, not Nick Stahl. Plus I have a David too.


For some reason, this reminds me of that James Bond game where you had to scale a building somewheres. Uh oh, here comes the giant butt monster, AHHHH!!

[Kaing of Kaings]

Ell, I saw it...

I wont give too much away since Stuboy already talked about it. First off, this is better than the 1998 American version of Godzilla where Godzilla attacks NYC. That movie could have been cool but was ruined by a stupid love story and bad acting. This one stars unknowns but, for the most part, the acting seemed good.

One thing I will disagree with Stuboy on this film is the shaky camera. There were parts where I was like, Hold the God Damn Camera Still!!! That still can ruin a movie faster than you can say flatch. This movie has the benefit of being filmed by an amateur so you would expect it to be like it was. In real life, if a monster attacked NYC and some Stuboy was given a camera to film the monster, this is what it would look like. Just don't film the monster out in the open in Central Park. You will regret it.

Anyway, I was kind of excited for this film and I did follow the hype a little bit. Hype can ruin a movie and I think it did a little for me. I was entertained at many times and like Stuboy said, there were some hokey parts. This is pretty much The Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla 1998 only better than both but still not excellent. I did think the party sequence at the beginning kind of dragged on but once the quake hit, it didn't stop.

I give this 3.3 stars out of 4. Not a bad way to open the year but overall, I guess i'm kind of disappointed. Call me old fashioned or old flatulent but I like Monster movies where you can see the monster more often. I will give the director and writer credit for the new concept applied to a monster movie, I just wish there were more steady cam shots. There are some really cool shots in this film though and one toward the end that makes the whole thing worth it.



Food 4 Thought, When a Giant Monster is walking down the street and there is an army dude firing a rocket behind you...do not stand in front of him. You may receive a foreign object up the ass.



First publicity still of the monster....wait a minute...