Richardcall.net

“I saw it, its alive and huge!!”

Cloverfield, the latest movie from producer/writer JJ Abrams (Lost, Alias, Mission Impossible III), is a “disaster” movie filmed in the same way as The Blair Witch Project. The plot is about a group of people who’s evening starts out as a going away party and ends up dealing with “something” big happening. I thought the movie was well done but a bit sappy in the inside character story line, but if the movie was to do well you still have to follow the normal formula.

If you have not see the move do not read any further or else have the ending spoiled.

1)Was filming this movie in a first person point of view good or bad?

I’m not too much on the “boo scary’ movies or the overly CGI’ed movies, I prefer to be psychologically challenged, scared and stuff left to my imagination. The Blair Witch Project that was the first time I have ever felt fear while watching a movie. By seeing and hearing the confusion first hand allows for more association with the fear the character are feeling. This move had moments where fear filled me. When the helicopter crashed near the end. Having the camera view happen from inside instead of seeing the crash happen form the inside portrayed in a very accurate the fear and anticipation you might feel if you were actually one inside the helicopter. Very similar to the first car crash scene in the movie Adaptation. That scene, as with this movie, creates the surprise and chaotic atmosphere of the event.

One of the things i haven’t liked about other types of movies similar to Cloverfield, such as Armageddon, King Kong (Peter Jacksons version), Deep Impact, Transformers, or Independence Day, is that they show me too much. it almost as if they are saying “Look what we can do with computer graphic” instead of “let me tell you a story”.

2) How was the story telling?

This story is told from a piece of film that was probably found, unedited after the events and viewed. Very similarly to the Blair Witch. The film makers added a very interesting and very good way of telling a back story. When the video cuts back to a previously recorded video that the main character had taken of his time with the girl they rescue. makes there connection very believable but the love story between then was way to sappy and unrealistic for my personal taste. But It is needed to be able to pull the masses to the theater. I felt as if the the other sub-story between the guy with the camera and the girl who showed up at the party was a bit more realistic and the dialogue written very well, I myself have been in the same situation and said very simular things.

The general overall storytelling I liked. I feel that stories like this are way better to see. Brings a personal feel to the situations and characters. That is why I liked the way Signs was told form the point of one family as opposed to how War of the Worlds was told.

I feel character connection is very crucial to telling any story, especially this type of story.

3) how was the Movie filmed?

Again this was filmed from the stand point of the characters involved via a video camera. I felt the jerky footage and quick camera turns added to the suspense and anticipation of the creature creating the destruction. It brings more fear when you see bits and pieces of it instead of seeing it all at once. A lot is left to the imagination up till the very end. I also feel the hard edits, grainy picture, bad lighting added to the over all effect of the movie. The only problem i had with it was that the camera had one hell of a battery. But leave it to me to notice something like that.

4) Did you like the film?

Yes I did. I feel is was worth the 9 bucks i dropped on it. Over all I give the movie a B+. and i would say it worth seeing.

Final Notes:

I know most main stream moviegoers won’t like the way this movies is done because they have been and are used to being spoon fed the movies and being shown exactly what is happening. Movies should play on your imagination, fears and beliefs weather good or bad. I would hope that people will embrace the type of film making in this film and prefer to be challenged to used there head and play on how they feel as opposed just being an just an observer.