Comments on: Cloverfield http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/ Telling You What To Think Since Aught-5 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:26:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Ken Matthews http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/comment-page-1/#comment-7288 Ken Matthews Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:49:22 +0000 http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/#comment-7288 Nate & Jayemel..... for what it's worth- because of your dialogue...I'm going to see the movie...IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO ! movies have become big decisions in our house. A babysitter like time, is hard to find Before kids, my wife and I or I would see a lot to review... Stir of Echos was scary..I think that's the title- Kevin Bacon? I liked the Big Bad Swim-local dood- but you know that. also...Nate...I meant to tell you I like your mission statement thing ps- I'm sure you know by now the Jesus station didn't last that long and the oldies are crowding out that sports thing km Nate & Jayemel…..

for what it’s worth- because of your dialogue…I’m going to see the movie…IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO !

movies have become big decisions in our house. A babysitter like time, is hard to find

Before kids, my wife and I or I would see a lot to review…
Stir of Echos was scary..I think that’s the title- Kevin Bacon?
I liked the Big Bad Swim-local dood- but you know that.

also…Nate…I meant to tell you I like your mission statement thing

ps- I’m sure you know by now the Jesus station didn’t last that long and the oldies are crowding out that sports thing

km

]]> By: Jayemel http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/comment-page-1/#comment-7257 Jayemel Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:36:57 +0000 http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/#comment-7257 Most of the people who reacted so negatively to the movie simply do not have the same reaction to disaster situations that those people who enjoyed the movie do. I'm not saying that if I were in Rob's situation, I would necessarily do the same things as him; but in the case of unGodly terror, my firs instinct would be to protect those people who are most important to me. Even just watching Cloverfield made me want to spend time with my friends. In contrast, the instinct of those people who react so harshly to Cloverfield is solely self preservation. Discussions of character development ensue because the latter group of people simply don't understand how someone can act the way the characters did in the movie. Rather than attempt to understand that people do react that way and it's a much more interesting storyline than escaping, the latter group of people just bashes and moves on. Most of the people who reacted so negatively to the movie simply do not have the same reaction to disaster situations that those people who enjoyed the movie do. I’m not saying that if I were in Rob’s situation, I would necessarily do the same things as him; but in the case of unGodly terror, my firs instinct would be to protect those people who are most important to me. Even just watching Cloverfield made me want to spend time with my friends. In contrast, the instinct of those people who react so harshly to Cloverfield is solely self preservation. Discussions of character development ensue because the latter group of people simply don’t understand how someone can act the way the characters did in the movie. Rather than attempt to understand that people do react that way and it’s a much more interesting storyline than escaping, the latter group of people just bashes and moves on.

]]> By: Nate http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/comment-page-1/#comment-7253 Nate Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:05:30 +0000 http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/#comment-7253 While you certainly have a point (and it's the same point that I was trying to make, even if i didn't say it outright), i think that your idea of character development (at least as you postulated as "expository dialogue") is a little black and white. There are plenty of ways to make these people a little more rounded (granted doing thins might be too distracting to the forward momentum of the action-- see The Mist) without breaking into long diatribes (perhaps relating something from star wars to a modern day issue?). Take "There Will Be Blood" for example. You get a complete picture of how crazy this guy is without much dialogue at all. The only reason I really brought this question up in the first place is because I was trying to come up with a reason why many of my friends and a good deal of critics did not share our high opinion of the movie. It seems to have stemmed from not liking the main characters at all, and maybe, just maybe, making them a little rounder would have won them over. I didn't have a problem with them myself (after all that whiny rich hipster party stuff was over --i know, i know, that was what set up the bit of character and plot there was), but i was so wrapped up in the action that i didn't care. in some other random action movie though, i don't know that i could be so lenient. (die hard 4) While you certainly have a point (and it’s the same point that I was trying to make, even if i didn’t say it outright), i think that your idea of character development (at least as you postulated as “expository dialogue”) is a little black and white. There are plenty of ways to make these people a little more rounded (granted doing thins might be too distracting to the forward momentum of the action– see The Mist) without breaking into long diatribes (perhaps relating something from star wars to a modern day issue?). Take “There Will Be Blood” for example. You get a complete picture of how crazy this guy is without much dialogue at all.

The only reason I really brought this question up in the first place is because I was trying to come up with a reason why many of my friends and a good deal of critics did not share our high opinion of the movie. It seems to have stemmed from not liking the main characters at all, and maybe, just maybe, making them a little rounder would have won them over. I didn’t have a problem with them myself (after all that whiny rich hipster party stuff was over –i know, i know, that was what set up the bit of character and plot there was), but i was so wrapped up in the action that i didn’t care. in some other random action movie though, i don’t know that i could be so lenient. (die hard 4)

]]> By: Jayemel http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/comment-page-1/#comment-7252 Jayemel Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:59:23 +0000 http://emptybookshelf.com/nate/2008/01/22/cloverfield/#comment-7252 The debate you have explicated does not exist. Judging a movie that isn't a character piece by it's character development is like walking into a soccer game and complaining that no one is playing football. It's ok not to like soccer, but that doesn't mean there aren't good soccer games. Cloverfield is meant to be an immediate portrayl of a disaster event. It's supposed to capture what your perspective would be if you just met these people at the party and the events unfolded. No one is going to stop to explain themselves. Expository dialouge becomes assinine. Still, a unique story is necessary. There is no point in following the thousands of people who make the safe conservative decision to haul ass out of the city. It's just uninteresting. Instead, we track the young 20 something with a promising career who risks it all for the girl he loves. Part of the reason the story is so believable is actually the strength of the character of Rob. He is a charismatic leader, and in a time of crisis, people follow him, smart decisions or not...hmm, kind of sounds like Jack Shepard, doesn't it? The debate you have explicated does not exist. Judging a movie that isn’t a character piece by it’s character development is like walking into a soccer game and complaining that no one is playing football. It’s ok not to like soccer, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t good soccer games.

Cloverfield is meant to be an immediate portrayl of a disaster event. It’s supposed to capture what your perspective would be if you just met these people at the party and the events unfolded. No one is going to stop to explain themselves. Expository dialouge becomes assinine.

Still, a unique story is necessary. There is no point in following the thousands of people who make the safe conservative decision to haul ass out of the city. It’s just uninteresting. Instead, we track the young 20 something with a promising career who risks it all for the girl he loves. Part of the reason the story is so believable is actually the strength of the character of Rob. He is a charismatic leader, and in a time of crisis, people follow him, smart decisions or not…hmm, kind of sounds like Jack Shepard, doesn’t it?

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