As to the characters, I had no problem with them. They did and acted as some people would actually do during crap like that. Some go rescue a friend/loved one while others go loot an electronics store.

I watch it again tonight. I was debating whether to do so as I had a seriously splitting headache but I gave it a go. It was in a 600 seat theatre that was completely sold out. The film again got laughs when it was supposed to get laughs and other than that the audience was hush hush. One fool did say "dun dun duhh.." after a couple scenes though. Again, heard the same ole comments from the first time I watched it so negativity rules the day again.

I really enjoyed the trailers that were attached to this one. Got to see Hellboy 2, Star Trek, Jumper, Iron Man and the Ruins. I have no idea why the Ruins was attached because it didn't make sense to stick it with this film. Hellboy 2 looked fun and exciting. Iron Man, I can't wait for. Jumper played first and is really getting a major push.

A couple things. First off, I wasn't told this was going to happen, I just happened to find it peculiar because of two specific hints. In a movie like this, there's some dialogue that if it seems out of place, it probably has another deeper meaning.

So I'm guessing you'd consider a movie like Boogeyman scarier than The Exorcist, because it has a million times more 'jump' scares? Jump scares are cheap scares, and are used to spice up a film when it cannot create tension/atmosphere itself. This movie IS scary, but I think more of in an Exorcist way than most modern "GOTCHA!" horror/thrillers. It's different from Blair Witch in that it isn't all about what you don't see either. It's about the situation it puts you in, and resources with which you are provided, which are few (a handheld camera, and five barely capable average people), and it's ability to make this whole scenario seem so convincing that you walk out of the theater and actually check the distances just to make sure nothing peculiar is going on. And then you feel like an idiot for doing it. Just like after Exorcist I'd always check under my bed for a screaming possessing little girl, and then felt like an idiot after waking up in the morning with yellow sheets.

I think I just really GOT this movie.

I totally agree with this...And no I'm not SAYING this is the Exorcist, or on that level, but it seemed like you were yearning for a film where things jump out at you unexpectedly, and I'm not sure about most people, but I've had enough of One Missed Call/Boogeyman/When a Stranger Calls type movies where everything goes quiet and suddenly a loud crash comes followed by something jumping at the camera.

It's comparison (for me) to the Exorcist is that while obviously the sight of Regan was scary as shit (just like the monster/destruction of NYC) it's more about the whole concept of the situation, and both films' ability to make an implausible event seem plausible, and scary, not fantasy scary, but scary as in "Thank fucking GOD I'm not those people, but I feel like I could be"

SPOILERS

Since I first saw the trailer on a camera phone in July, Cloverfield has been a film that has consumed me. I watched both trailers hundreds of times, 1-18-08.com was my homepage until October, I studied the trailers, I studied the websites, I was on all the blogs, I was on Youtube, I was literally obsessed with this movie. I am a sucker for viral marketing, as the Halo 2 I Love Bees proved before all of this exploded onto the internet. But now, after keeping myself completely spoiler free the last three days, all this Slusho and Tagruato business really meant nothing. Nothing can prepare you for what Matt Reeves and J.J. Abrams have created in the most thought provoking, intense, scariest, saddest disaster films ever made, and by far, the best monster movie ever produced. My audience hated it, because they just didn't know what they were getting. We never really know what we are really seeing, which most monster movies go great lengths to explain to us everything, what the monster is, where it came from, why it's here, how they kill it, while Cloverfield does none of this, and for a really good reason.

People were incredibly skeptical of the Blair Witch "gimmick" used in the film, which in Blair Witch, it was a clever gimmick to make up for the incredibly low budget. But here, it is almost a necessity to the film's success, we go on a journey with these characters who continue to strive on, for different reasons. We don't get a big picture, we see what four people see with a video camera, and they see a lot. There's no cutting corners from seeing the monster or the destruction happening in New York City. We hardly see the monster at first, but as more buildings crumble and the skyline is only submerged in smoke, the monster comes in full view, but it's not like it matters, because it is almost indescribable. It's not a lion, it's not Cthulhu, it's better than that, it's something like an arachnid from the sea, it walks on four legs and is a lot like a spider/scorpion with sea creature eyes, and has little scorpion locust things that cause most of the grisly death in the film that you do see, as most arachnids do on a small scale. We don't know anything other than what's on the way from Point A to Point B, but we are taken on a journey that only gets worse for the people you're thrown into this apocalyptic New York City with, and the emotional trauma that is presented as things get put into place. Every character is pretty real, because it doesn't try to have characters in the traditional sense, just the people you'd meet at a party.

The film relies entirely on the journey and the imagery presented by it. The film only cost upwards of 20 million dollars to make, though it is more real and haunting in its imagery than I Am Legend or any other film with large amounts of special effects. The film starts with these characters absorbed in their own little problems, until things start to become life and death. Your best friends, your family die around you as you try to find a way for you and those you care about to survive. Friends and acquaintances helping each other survive something horrible and dying in the process, only with a whimper as everything around you is going on with a bang. The people are all scarred by what happens to them, and while it is never said, they all know that all hope is lost. What you see by the end of the film could never be portrayed traditionally with such sadness and power. Cinema can try, but can never capture the emotion of real life tragedy. But Cloverfield does. The last frames of the film are our two lovers, after falling apart, and reuniting through their self-sacrifice, letting it all go and spending their last moments in each others arms, ending off their video to let them know exactly what happened to them. Unless if 2008 is an amazing year, this is the defining moment of both the film, the year, and the monster movie genre. My little brother and the rest of the audience were complaining that there was no aftermath to the film, and they couldn't be any more wrong. This isn't about the monster, this is about the people who saw it, fought for each other, died for each other.

Cloverfield is a short 75 minutes, but you really don't know that until you look at your clock. Other than the 15 minute setup, which provides more of a feeling of realism as the film, after all, is only supposed to be about a brother and a best friend giving Rob a going away present. But the rest of the film is straight up, balls to the wall intensity. It's something that I wish could be the majority of my review, but there's not much to say other than the frantic war between the military and the monster, and the monster's feast on the civilians, while the military also tries to keep the hurt alive. Along with the special effects, which are pulled off so perfectly, there is nothing like this, and won't be for a very long time. This is some of the best action ever put on film, I'm sorry for the hyperbole, but you don't know until you see it. You really don't know, and you won't be able to imagine it, at least I couldn't. This is material that will make your heart skip beats, and it could have only been pulled off in this perspective. Who cares if we don't see the news except for the initial newscasts when we don't know what's going on in any way, who cares if we don't see the President and the government planning a way to deal with this situation. Who cares if we don't know if the monster is contained (if you listen to the very end of the credits, it's not. It's still alive.), and if it spread or what happened. If they didn't know, neither should we. When Cloverfield 2 comes out, which it will, this film was sold out at the screening I went to with 800 seats, we will probably get to know all of this in the first minutes, since all of this information, in the context of the film and how it's presented (it's a U.S. Government tape, recovered from what was formerly Central Park), but even though I wanted to know everything, since I spent so much time in 2007 trying to figure out, I'm not supposed to know, and neither are you. Those who let this bother them and were all booing and saying a bunch of stupid **** (the same people who talked through the first ten minutes about god knows what), it's your loss because you are wanting your films wrapped in a shiny bow, all Michael Bay style, because that's how you are used to your films. My audience for No Country for Old Men was the same way. You don't care how far they would have to reach for something like that, just because after thought hurts your brain.

Cloverfield could have not been done any other way, nothing could have been changed or altered for any reason. The film does what no monster movie in the past has been able to do. Create pure fear. Trembling, haunting fear that will stick with me for a very long time to come.

A+

Loved it.

One of the most exhilarating theatergoing experiences I have ever had. This film was scary, grim and uncompromisingly intense. I felt like I was actually experiencing this disastrous event. I was also surprised to find myself emotionally invested in the characters, especially Hud. I really appreciated the occasional bursts of humor from his character. ("Also a terrible thing.") He was quite hilarious. The scenes of death and destruction often disturbed me at times, most notably the scenes evoking 9/11. I was hoping that the film would freak me the fuck out, and it succeeded beyond my wildest expectations. I gasped several times throughout the film, shocked by the level of carnage and ickiness that is achieved in this film. It is definitely a HARDCORE PG-13 rated film.

Walking out of the theater, my friend and I commented on how we felt like we were still "in" the movie. Did anybody else feel this way? The film is literally IMMERSIVE.

I cannot wait to see this again. A

I think you're being a little...I don't know what the word is...but if it ever came to this point for me, it pretty much already appears like my time is up. If the person I love is trapped and I think I can get to them and see them one last time before I die, rather than
A. Die alone
B. Live the rest of my life thinking I could have saved the person I loved

I'm gonna try god-be-damned to get to that person. Reason kind of goes out the window after a 30-STORY MONSTER COMES CRASHING INTO NYC.


Completely.

I LOVED IT.

I kinda got worried with the negative/mixed reactions I've been hearing, so that might have played a role, but seriously...this is fuckin' excellent. It is, without a doubt, a film that must be seen in theaters (though I wanna see it again - got there late and ended up in the first row, ugh). It's an amazing experience. It felt so real. Brilliantly shot, giving you the sense that you're actually there (because, realistically, if the camera was even just a bit steady, it wouldn't have been realistic). I liked the characters, especially Hud. He brought laughs into a serious situation, but it seemed like a real reaction to the incident.

And, this film is fucking intense. Seriously. The monster is shown enough to get a feel for what it is, but it's really hard to describe in the same respect, which is appropriate. It was really cool. And the little creatures scared the fuck out of me, honestly. The scene in the subway tunnel had my heart racing (when he turns on the night vision - oh my God). And the scene where the bitten girl is taken? Wow.

So, so great.

***½. Possibly higher, on a second viewing of it.

BTW, Magnus and french man. You all act is if you know how you'd react in this situation. Perhaps you think you do, but until it happens, you don't know for sure. And, people do react differently (as shown in the film, too - he's the only one that really wanted to go back for her). How can you argue if it's realistic or not?

(ignore this post if I'm misreading your posts, I didn't read them, I skimmed)

I'm just saying that while not everyone would do what he did, it's completely reasonable to me that he could, so that aspect of the plot doesn't really make the movie less real to me.

Yeah, I agree. I can buy into the fact that he wanted to save her, so it worked.

I'm just saying that it's pointless to argue about what's the right way to react in a crisis, because you don't really know until you're in one.

Great movie. I don't think I have been that entertained in a movie in years. I'm not going to write a long review because so many of you already have but I'm so glad I saw this. My only complaint is how unrealistic it was at certain times.


Other than that, awesome thrill ride of a movie and I plan on seeing it again.

Cloverfield Cloverfied Cloverfield.

Fantastic movie. The monster is bad ass. The whole movie is bad ass.

Best monster movie ever made.


9 or 9.5/10

It was pretty damn good.

DAMN good.

Everything I wanted this movie to be, it was.

It was WORTH the wait.

9.8/10

A+

A-/B+.

I felt more strongly about the B+, so I gave it the B option.

It was fun for what it was trying to be, basically a 78-80 minute video of how it would look like if you were out with friends, and the city got attacked. I wasn't expecting backstory, or character development or a nice happy tidy ending.

It was just a nice fun ride.

Perhaps you might have missed this:

* Spoilers * This is the place to give us YOUR reviews on the movies you have seen. Discussion of movies is welcomed, but please do not comment if you have not previously seen the movie! Spoilers are ALLOWED inside. * Spoilers *

All I know is there's no way

The 1-18-08.com website is a fun one to check out again if no one has in a while...

thats actually a quote i see many times that makes no sense to me.

Its called plugging a variable into the equation thats out of place and seeing everything else's reactions basd upon it. an element of something that shouldn't exist still envokes realistic and believable responses from people.

EXACTLY. Holy shit I'm glad someone could put that into words better than I could

i wouldn't even say that.

This isn't people living in a fantasy world o fantastical things happening to them. This is everyday real life where the situation is 'something out of the ordinary' happened. even the characters in the movie aren't accepting this cause it is not meant to happen. but it did so they do and so should us.


woAH!

why haven't you seen the movie yet?

Loyal is correct.

I just think Magnus is scared to like the film to be honest, even though he graded the film higher than me.

i got say thinking about this a bit more, i'm upping my grade to a B. The film is excellently written. Drew Goddard is a gifted writer, he wrote some of the best episode of Buffy, Angel and Alias. Fuck LOST.

To me it was greatly entertaining. Nothing else.

i will say that considering the reactions people are getting from this movie, my initial observation of this movie is quite correct **as most things i say are of course**

you gotta go into this film with the right expectations. you set yourself up for a certain kind of movie, you'll hate it. if you are open to following the film for what its for, you'l enjoy.

i put the blame on the movie for this though, not the viewer. hence the many negative reactions to this movie outside of the forum posting audience.