Rampage in "Cloverfield"
Media / 2/12/2008 12:14:39 AM
Welcome guest writer, Jude Mire, back here at Killer-works! This time he had the stomach to sit (in the third row no less!) through the latest horror flick craze, Cloverfield, without getting motion sick. I, however, had to leave the theatre after the first fifteen minutes. (Ya, I get car sick too. Blech*) Jude tells me (and you) all about it...
Last summer I saw the teaser trailer for
Cloverfield, but I
didn't know it. A shaky hand cam bobs around a party until it's
crashed by loud roars, earth tremors, and explosions. As it builds
to jarring climax everything cut away to; "coming from J.J.Abrams".
That's it. No movie title, no further explanation, nothing.
I pondered the possibilities; a new American Godzilla? Aliens? A
modern Elder God invasion? I even dared dream of a
Space Giants
remake. Surely something was destroying New York, but what? I didn't
expect much clarification to be forthcoming. Abrams has made a
career of shows that answer questions with more questions and
prolong anticipation for years.
As it turns out, the movie is a hand-cam perspective of a group of
friends caught in the middle of a giant monster rampage. It is in
many ways reminiscent of an epic disaster flick and is unlike the
usual survival horror. This isn't a slow tide of zombies, it's
Twister, only this time, the tornado is hungry and likes to eat
people. The characters don't try to solve it or retaliate. The
extent of the plot is; find the people you care about and run like
hell!
The movie is strangely realistic. When you think about it, the
concept of a giant lizard eating New York, is ludicrous. So how on
earth do you draw an audience in and make them believe it?
Cloverfield tackles this big issue by putting the viewer in the
small shoes of the characters. The choice of limiting perspective is
at times nauseating, frustrating, and confusing. All elements I'm
sure any of us might be feeling if put in their situation. The
characters, while somewhat shallow, behave in understandable ways.
The grainy imagery and off kilter camera work looks more like
something your buddy's cousin would shoot than a major motion
picture, and it helps make it feel more real. We've all seen
disaster footage, and Cloverfield shows us a disaster with
accuracy that lends credibility to an otherwise unbelievable threat.
Much of the terror in the film is unspoken, implied, and only there
if you imagine it for yourself. "Did you see it?" someone
asks. "It... it was eating... eating people." comes the
trembling reply. We get no glimpse of the scene mentioned, but,
depending on your imagination, you can see it. Since Cloverfield
shows you only one tiny perspective, vast areas are left open,
unexplained, and subject to daydreaming. When I saw the trailer I
wondered what it might be. Now, after having seen the movie, I still
wonder. Was this a genetic government test or prehistoric beastie?
There is no right or wrong answer.
If you're looking for an explanation from the movie, you'll be
disappointed. But that's not really the point of Cloverfield.
It gives you half a story on purpose, so that you can participate,
fill in your own blanks, personalize it.
As for my interpretation? Well, lets just say Godzilla has looked a
lot worse.
City Stompingly,
Jude W. Mire
Jill's p.s. OH!OH! Now you can get the DVD here at our
Killer-works Store
. You can always
reach Jude at his Killer-works
email. And if
you're too shy to write him directly, send us your thoughts here at
Killer-works
