The operative words here are execution and congruency. The dialogue fit the action and the characters, the action fit the scenario, and the way it was filmed fit both. The filming and direction let the action really be larger than life, which helps the 2008 CGI stand up today. Not by quality, but by feeling. Some sequences were just stunning, like the attack as they ran for the subway entrance. As much as i was nauseated by the 45 minute mark, they didn't waver from the perspective nor the style and i respect that. Yea, there's some stupid stuff, but it's easy to overlook if you're in it for the show, which is fine sometimes and its really not worse than a lot of the crap out there. They worked hard enough to set up the characters where their choices made sense for them, and who need to be a bit of the horror movie choices mentality to make this work.
I actually remember the viral marketing campaign, which was a pretty big deal.
Did you catch this? I certainly didn't until someone mentioned to me to check it out on YT.
Agree with your write up. I particularly like the point about sticking to its stylistic guns throughout the film - something a film like Saving Private Ryan (say!) would have benefited from doing. Cloverfield is definitely in the upper tier of found footage movies for my money. One thing that's done really well is the less-is-more ploy of only giving you the briefest glimpses of the monsters for most of the film - it's like you just see this incredible destruction and these impossible creatures in your peripheral vision and could almost pretend it wasn't really happening - you're almost urging the camera to linger on a particular scene, but tantalizingly, it never does. The only slight bugbear I have with it, as I have with almost all found footage, is why on earth would you keep filming? In that situation, recording the shiit going down around you for posterity would probably be the least of your concerns! It's a problem all found footage movies face though - coming up with a rationale for the film to exist.
Did you catch this? I certainly didn't until someone mentioned to me to check it out on YT.
Agree with your write up. I particularly like the point about sticking to its stylistic guns throughout the film - something a film like Saving Private Ryan (say!) would have benefited from doing. Cloverfield is definitely in the upper tier of found footage movies for my money. One thing that's done really well is the less-is-more ploy of only giving you the briefest glimpses of the monsters for most of the film - it's like you just see this incredible destruction and these impossible creatures in your peripheral vision and could almost pretend it wasn't really happening - you're almost urging the camera to linger on a particular scene, but tantalizingly, it never does. The only slight bugbear I have with it, as I have with almost all found footage, is why on earth would you keep filming? In that situation, recording the shiit going down around you for posterity would probably be the least of your concerns! It's a problem all found footage movies face though - coming up with a rationale for the film to exist.
I actually missed it. I noticed it mentioned in the IMDb trivia and then was like wait what?! When I went back, it was actually pretty clear in HD on my TV, so I'd like to think I would have caught it. I was snacking during that section and may have been focusing on getting the last chips out of the bag haha.
Not showing the monster for a long while was actually a great call. Not even for suspense but for keeping the focus on the characters and their situation. This wasn't a movie about a monster IMO.
Funny that you bring that up about filming, because the screenwriter was very aware of that and tried to sneak this one in there:
I wish there was a public database of all scripts. Hollywood could even make some money off of this for aspiring screenwriters or fans. But then again, it would hurt some of the free resources currently available.
And speaking of making some coin. If they need a AAA poster child for VR, and it feels like they do, Cloverfield is it. Literally, just take the movie, as is, and turn it into a game. They don't even need to change the ending. You have an installed fan base, a blueprint, a story. It takes place in Manhattan which has already been modeled to the Nth degree. That's more than half the battle, and probably a cherry on top.
Black Mass [7.5/10]
I almost feel a bit genreous here. They did a good job with the whole Boston thing. There was obviously effort there. The cinematography was also commendable. The film looked good. Score was both subtle and intense, effective really.
Other than that, the script and the pacing really let this one down IMO.
This is something hard to get right, but I think the time jumps just don't do the subject matter justice. I don't often say this, but if they were going to use this method of storytelling for this story, they probably needed another half an hour to really cleanly finish each several year arc.
The dialogue was verbatim predictable on multiple occasions. And not "I hope this is the line" predictable, but "man it would be cliched is he said... Never mind." predictable.
Then there's Johnny Depp's performance. It's definitely a welcome change from his recent... years. But I think he was ultimately constrained by the script too. I get that he was a character, a personality, but it was formulaic. There was little depth. Setup, intimidate, rinse, ahem, repeat. No doubt, he was intimidating, but that is party due to our prior knowledge of the character being portrayed. It's set up from even before we sit down in the theater.
I'm generally not a fan of movies about organized crime, and really, this hasn't turned that around. But then again, this one wasn't really about organized crime.
I actually missed it. I noticed it mentioned in the IMDb trivia and then was like wait what?! When I went back, it was actually pretty clear in HD on my TV, so I'd like to think I would have caught it. I was snacking during that section and may have been focusing on getting the last chips out of the bag haha.
Not showing the monster for a long while was actually a great call. Not even for suspense but for keeping the focus on the characters and their situation. This wasn't a movie about a monster IMO.
Funny that you bring that up about filming, because the screenwriter was very aware of that and tried to sneak this one in there:
Catch this "What "exactly or am I just being dense again.
Best non Japanese Godzilla movie to date. The absence of the monster harkens back to forbidden planet and further up the chain Spielbergs decision to write the plague ridden mechanical shark out of Jaws as much as he possibly could. In each case the director is left with a wide open path to increase tension all the way through.
Catch this "What "exactly or am I just being dense again.
Best non Japanese Godzilla movie to date. The absence of the monster harkens back to forbidden planet and further up the chain Spielbergs decision to write the plague ridden mechanical shark out of Jaws as much as he possibly could. In each case the director is left with a wide open path to increase tension all the way through.
When does a spoiler embargo generally end? 8 years too soon?
Just in case, not that it's really a spoiler:
when they're showing the footage Rob took from the Ferris wheel in the very last clip, and they're showing the view of the sea, just before it turns back to Beth, you can see something large falling out of the sky and splashing down into the ocean. This footage was like 2 or 3 weeks before the attack. Official word is that it's a satellite that fell and woke up the creature. This apparently was added to tie into the viral marketing campaign. Word has it that JJ insisted. Pretty nice little bone for people that followed the lead up.
When does a spoiler embargo generally end? 8 years too soon?
Just in case, not that it's really a spoiler:
when they're showing the footage Rob took from the Ferris wheel in the very last clip, and they're showing the view of the sea, just before it turns back to Beth, you can see something large falling out of the sky and splashing down into the ocean. This footage was like 2 or 3 weeks before the attack. Official word is that it's a satellite that fell and woke up the creature. This apparently was added to tie into the viral marketing campaign. Word has it that JJ insisted. Pretty nice little bone for people that followed the lead up.
Yea not sure where I read that so I wouldn't quote me on it , maybe I combined two different things, but he was definitely the one that confirmed it. It was part of the origin story so I don't know at what point they decided to add it, but it's something that would take one guy probably a few hours and given how brief and faint it is, it's an Easter egg at best.
Black Mass [7.5/10]
I almost feel a bit genreous here. They did a good job with the whole Boston thing. There was obviously effort there. The cinematography was also commendable. The film looked good. Score was both subtle and intense, effective really.
The cinematography was good but one thing that irked me, and I think it was a stylistic choice, was the skin texture of the actors - it's like you can see every pore in their skin in every shot. It was distracting to the point of not focusing on the dialogue at times. I'm not really sure how to explain it... maybe just me!
Yea I can see that, the "raw" look. I was too distracted by the ridiculous fake looking blue contacts or whatever they did to Johnny Depp to pay too much attention to that. Edit: I get that they were trying to make him look like the guy, but I don't think it was necessary enough to do in a distracting way. WraithApe
Laika at it's best. Awesome beautiful family adventure animated movie with surprisingly deep themes. Btw great banter from Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey. They both work very great in this movie.
Captain America Civil War: 9.9/10
The best Marvel movie from the best Marvel hero movie series. Thoughtful and entertaining.
Suicide Squad: 4.5/10
Will Smith and Margot Robbie (mommy) are awesome in their roles but other than that the film is a ******* DISAPPOINTMENT
The pacing is **** and most of the cast are subpar or ok. Story wise it's a sleepwalk with boring gun fights. C'mon David Ayer, get your **** together. You can do better (End of Watch).
I have to say though the soundtrack is good.
10 Cloverfield lane: 9.9/10
Twisty mystery thriller keeping me on the edge of the seat. Good lord.
Tremors [8.2/10]
One of my every not and again re-watches and semi-guilty pleasures. I actually didn't realize this was made in 1989. What actually brought on the realization was the little girl on the pogo stick, who I recognized as later being the girl in Jurassic Park. The still movie looks pretty good for being made >25 years ago with a relatively small budget and almost all principal photography being shot on location out near Death Valley. Practical effects rule all for longevity, not there aren't some questionable points.
It feels odd giving this a higher score than Black Mass just before, but this movie is just put together so well. Horror-comedy in IMO a complex genre to nail. There are so many places where one can go wrong and only few have done it well in my experience. It’s just a fun movie. The best thing about this is that they were able to get this down to a PG-13 rating by cutting out about 20 f-bombs, since this really is a movie to be enjoyed by all.
If one can get past some likely issues with the laws of physics, this movie makes sense in its simplicity. They’re a little leeway given with some of the timing but nothing too criminal. The fact that they put enough effort into shoring up potential plot holes in a movie that wasn’t meant to be assessed critically is partially what makes it work, and hold. The performances reflect this as does the dialogue and the characters’ actions, from games of rock paper scissors to schemes like the unmanned mini tractor and “fishing”.
What’s also interesting about this “feel good” horror, that that almost all the main characters don’t end up as Graboid grub.
"Be advised, however, that there are two more, repeat, two more motherhumpers."
Rosemary’s Baby [8.9/10]
If Hitchcock did the supernatural. This one was just so well crafted and the script was incredibly tight. They kept the question of Rosemary’s sanity and whether there was a plot against her going strong until the very end. The tension and suspense wasn’t created from the possibility of evil, but from the question of what if everyone was plotting against me, almost like a satanic Truman Show. It shows the viewer the fine line that once could toe between paranoia and conspiracy when faced with the ostensibly preposterous notion of the supernatural. As the numbers begin to add up, at what point does one trust their instincts when faced with taking actions that society would characterize as certifiable.
There are areas which lend primarily to dramatic effect, but at that point, you’re already invested to a degree where this isn’t a bother. And really, these are far and few between. Some even end up working incredibly well within the confines of the story, such as Rosemary eating the raw liver when struck with hunger, which was presented as a sort uncontrolled delicacy, where one could relate but also question themselves.
Without being in touch with the sociopolitical and specific cultural factors at play during the time of this film, its hard to say, but it feels like this film began to herald a change in the landscape, that a something had died and that something new had begun, change billowing with uncertainty and anxiety and sedate acceptance.
Overall, the movie would probably try the patience of most a modern audience, but is without a doubt a powerful and well crafted work.
Shadow of a Doubt [8.6/10]
Interesting one. Kind of hard to rate actually.
Some very nice shots. Interestingly, I watched the bonus feature showing the production drawings, which were spectacular, and many key shots were incredibly similar. Makes me wonder what the process was, whether the production artists supplied the ideas for key camera angles, or vice versa.
Definitely has a slow and deliberate build-up. For my money, I think the film could have shaved 15-20 minutes by ending it at one of the two possible ending points before the actual ending, which would have left the situation open and tense. Not a very audience-friendly ending I’ll admit, but one I would have probably preferred.
I think this is largely misattributed to being Hitchcocks personal favorite of his films. Something about the movie though stands out, something deranged yet peaceful, but in an unsettling way. There are some uncomfortable undertones here but they are probably less subtle now than they were then. Strong performances really bring this one home.
The Equalizer [8/10]
Not gonna say much here. Pretty great ride that was well done and keeps you locked in. Some of It is played fast and loose but that’s the kind of leeway that a film of this style gets because we all know what it’s really about for the viewer. When Denzel has to come in and point out that the character is devoid of… character, even for this genre, its kind of saying something. And Denzel puts on a great show too. Not usually a fan, but he delivers here. A bit over the top at the end but its something to expect. Should have watched this earlier.
Big Trouble [7/10]
Kind of a ballsy movie. So ridiculous, its hard to be upset with it to any reasonable extent. But not ridiculous in the standard Hollywood way; More in an unorthodox creative way. The original author was a newspaper columnist, Dave Barry, focusing on comedy and current events. This is an action comedy set over a couple of nights at a breakneck pace with an ensemble cast which probably got this advice “I want you to call to mind everything you’ve done as an actor. Got it? Now forget it.” Its hard to single out a performance because they were all fun and over the top. And music is used to great effect. I think this one is a bit underrated and definitely worth a watch if you just want to see some stupid fun that’s not run of the mill. Heck, the Hypnotoad is pretty much a character.
Audition is such an uncomfortable movie. So very good and so very uncomfortable.
Tremors "I think I scared it!" awesome film perfectly executed.
Rosemary's Baby. Mid to late 60's boundary pushing from Polanski. Shock value was high and it was a must see upon its release. Paved the way for The Exorcist and myriad other films that started sprouting up in the 70's Was a huge risk and departure from the physical horror of the 60's into the psychological horror genre. Once again, another film that does not put a step wrong.
Equalizer. I guess if you were a fan of the series you had to figure they missed the entire point and just made a generic superdude caught in circumstance films. I could have (and should have) lived without seeing it. I'd have rather seen it carried out true to the original concept with someone like Bill Nighy taking up the role.
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, maybe I combined two different things, but he was definitely the one that confirmed it. It was part of the origin story so I don't know at what point they decided to add it, but it's something that would take one guy probably a few hours and given how brief and faint it is, it's an Easter egg at best.
