cloverfieldWe were one of the five people not invited to a CLOVERFIELD sneak so we’ll have to rely on Len Wein for a review:

Just got back from seeing an early show of the new monster movie Cloverfield with my good buddy, Bob Skir. The picture is everything the advertising promises; thrilling, frightening, frenetic. It’s also, if you happen to suffer — as I sometimes do — from a little motion sickness, a pretty good way to help you heave your cookies. The entire film is supposedly shot on someone’s handheld camcorder and the constant, relentless jangling motion not only makes the action sometimes hard to follow, but is also ultimately quite nauseating. By the time I was two thirds of the way through the film, I found I could not look at the screen without becoming lightheaded, dizzy, and downright queasy. I spent several minutes looking down at my feet while listening to the action so as not to spew my breakfast all over my buddy Bob.


Oddly enough a cup of tea on an empty stomach has the same effect on The Beat !

1 COMMENT

  1. most of the anecdotal reviews I’ve read about the picture so far mention the queasy effect.

    Maybe it’s a giant Pokemon creature giving everyone fits.

  2. Special thanks to Len Wein and the Beat for this warning! As someone who enjoys whale watches but always ends up green and sick, this might not be my idea of a good time. At least on a whale watch I can think: “Oh cool… a tail!” Maybe it’s the 70mm/Sensurround/Cinerama effect of being in a movie theatre. Hopefully this effect will be less strong at home on my 27″ old school TV!

  6. Is it just me or do many comic book folks suffer from motion sickness? I just wonder if their senses are more oriented to static images. I’m no scientist mind you,just sort of thinking out loud.

  7. I’ve got to say that I did have to go into the lobby for five minutes about 2/3rds of the way through Blair Witch Project due to the shaky-cam. I don’t think it’s because being a comics fan makes me either prone to motion sickness or any more or less oriented to static images — I can handle roller coasters just fine (and I have an anxiety disorder).

    I think what happens with movies like BWP (or apparently, Cloverfield) is essentially the same effect as watching something on IMAX — the screen is simply so big that the shaky cam effect is overwhelming. No part of BWP made me feel anxious when I saw it again on DVD in normal TV dimensions. I suspect that watching COPS or Friday Night Lights (the series — I’ve never seen the movie) on the big screen would give me the same feeling, but then again, NYPD Blue gave me motion sickness the first time I saw an episode. Perhaps if I sat in the back of the theater for Cloverfield rather than around row 7 might give me the same proportional distance from the screen as I get from watching BWP on DVD.

    But after BWP, I can’t really take the chance. Even though I was able to go back in and watch the last 3rd of the movie, I was massively queasy for the entire rest of the day.

    — Rob

    — Rob

  9. I expected to have problems watching the camera work but didn’t because it’s not really camcorder footage, it’s steadicam footage. If you’ve ever suffered through someone’s actual camcorder footage who isn’t expert at using the camera (and the guy holding the camera in the film claims to have never used it before), the image is shaky and impossible to focus on, unlike the fottage in this film. I had no trouble watching it. Mostly I found it boring due to the bland characters. When one of them dies after heroicially rescuing one of the others, it has no impact. And a monster movie is supposed to prominently feature the monster. There’s only a couple decent shots of the monster and all told what we do see occupies about 3 minutes of the film. It struck me as someone’s idea of an art house monster movie. But it was still better that the Blair Witch Project though both suffered from being overhyped. When this film ended, people around me in the audience started complaining. “That’s it?” “That’s all?” “It’s over?” “That movie sucked!!” I think word of mouth will kill this film, just like it killed THE MIST.

  11. I loved it. I don’t know what some of you are talking about. The acting was alright (even though I wish there was less improv) and the story left me wanting more, in a good way!

    I think word of mouth will make this film a big Box-office winner, because I hope that people don’t always go to a movie to see the good guys beat the bad guys and then they say a corny line and walk into the sunset. It was different, and I love it for playing around with what is expected of Hollywood.

    Can someone help me on this whole motion sickness deal? Is it a genetics thing? I am African-American, and I don’t get sick from something like a shaky camera.

    I wrote a review, BTW:
    http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/01/19/102328.php

  12. Shaky-cam reactions like this remind me of often repeated anecdotes about early films of the 1900s where people would panic at shots of trains or automobiles zooming toward the camera. I often wonder if anyone really reacted that way. Or will people 100 years from now laugh at our unsettled stomachs and wonder how we ever sat still for steady, static camera placement for more than one or two seconds at a time? In any case, this movie only cost about $30 million to make and will probably show a profit by the end of the week. Isn’t that what really matters?

  14. I’m with you, Heidi. I love my tea, but on an empty stomach–not so much.

    I think I’ll be skipping Cloverfield. It can’t be as good as “There Will Be Blood”, anyway.

  15. I liked it a lot, and am surprised to see such an esteemed and sagacious scholar of the genre like Van Hise disparage it so.

    The audience for the early screening on Thursday night (at the Sunset Place AMC in South Miami, btw, Jim) seemed to agree.

    And I think they’ve already more than made their money back on it, so The Mist word-of-mouth thing is moot.

    Frankly, I’d like to see it again (and I don’t think I’m the only one.)

  16. I had to pass on CLOVERFIELD because of the excessive Shakycam, which annoys me to no end because I love “giant monster destroys city” goodness.

    Still, I imagine the poor employee who works at my friendly neighborhood movie theater will have one less pile of regurgitated popcorn to clean up so I guess it’s not a total loss…

  17. thought the movie was a lot of fun and exciting and different and yes, amanda had to leave 3/2 into the film for motion sickness…now we have to go see another movie and “drop in” to catch the last third…she insisted i stay and watch it to the end, which i did.
    they could have done a ” little less” shaking of the camera here and there for sure…but it really was a fun idea. I expected the movie to be exactly like the trailer promised and it delivered.

    would i see it again? no…but it was a fun ride and really well done

    ps: its gonna do great $$$ wise this weekend for sure. we saw a midnight show thursday and it was packed.

    jimmy

  18. master & commander had the same shaking effect to reproduce the ship’s movement, and i know some people who get a little seasick watching it, nontheless it adds to the feeling of the movie.
    will have to wait and see.

  20. i, too, saw a midnight thursday show. totally packed. the line started forming really early. i had a great time w/ the flick. the first few minutes of shakycam was annoying but then it seemed to even out after that. loose plot and some cheesy moments, but then again…if you can buy the monster, why not the other stuff? and the monster parts are awesome! it was a blast and i’m pretty sure i’m gonna go see it again.

  21. “heave your cookies” is a grossly under used phrase.

    I found the characters to be somewhat annoying. but over all I enjoyed the film.

  22. I liked it enough, but the character motivation was ZERO. Just couldn’t get behind the crusade to trek across the city. Maybe this movie was about the stupid things that people do in the event of a crisis, I dunno. I understand it’s not a *normal* film structure, but it came off as just one long YouTube video.

    But then… who was the audience it was aimed at? Bingo!

  23. 1010 WINS reports that this film has set a January box office record with an estimated take of $40 million.
    Compare this movie with the original Japanese Godzilla movie, with its strong Hiroshima theme and lack of monster screentime.
    A skilled director could take this and craft a strong parody of the current administration and homeland security. Terrorism=Giant Monsters.

  24. The real mystery to this film is how Beth got home so quickly! What is unique about the film is that it isn’t about the generals, Will Smith or super heroes, but the models who populate this wonderful city. It’s great to finally see how models react during a monster attack! Maybe this film is some form of vomit inducer so models can stay in anorexic shape. FAT = GIANT MONSTERS.

  25. Saw this movie last night with the wife. We stopped by UNO’s and got dinner first….I had a personal deep dish pizza (big mistake).
    I am a person who can not read in a car while it is moving and at times I can’t even ride shotgun while my wife drives.
    So we go see this movie……about 20 min in, I am already starting to get the sweats….telling my wife that I feel like I will throw up.
    So I sit looking into my hands, at my feet, at the exit signs (trying to catch the movie out of the corner of my eye)…..did no good.
    By the half way mark, I made an exit to the bathroom……was like 5 seconds from a stall and barfed on the floor…..

    I felt better after that…but when I went back I still had to occasionally look away cause the queezy feeling was still there.

    But I guess it was good, I would have preferred to watch it all the way through….so I told my wife we will buy it and watch in 15min increments.

    Note to all, don’t eat greasy pizza before watching this.

  26. Heidi-

    I took the day off n Friday to see this at an 11:30AM showing and, well, I had to leave about forty minutes in to hurl in the men’s room. That’s no reflection on the film itself — which, for the record, was merely mediocre up the point when I left — but the handheld photography did a serious number on me. I immediately left the theater and once I made it back home I had to lay down for about two hours to get over what I call “The Cloverfield Effect.”

    Realizing that I couldn’t be alone in this reaction I went to the IMDB’s user comments section and found dozens of similar accounts. In fact, just this morning I read a news story that stated the AMC theater chain is now posting a warning at the box office. I would have asked for my thirteen (!!!) dollars back, but I lost my ticket stub, presumably during my dash to growl into the porcelain.

  27. Heidi-

    I took the day off on Friday to see this at an 11:30AM showing and, well, I had to leave about forty minutes in to hurl in the men’s room. That’s no reflection on the film itself — which, for the record, was merely mediocre up the point when I left — but the handheld photography did a serious number on me. I immediately left the theater and once I made it back home I had to lay down for about two hours to get over what I call “The Cloverfield Effect.”

    Realizing that I couldn’t be alone in this reaction I went to the IMDB’s user comments section and found dozens of similar accounts. In fact, just this morning I read a news story that stated the AMC theater chain is now posting a warning at the box office. I would have asked for my thirteen (!!!) dollars back, but I lost my ticket stub, presumably during my dash to growl into the porcelain.

  28. i’m not understanding these folks who get sick watching a video image jangle around a bit. cowboy up, people. it’s not like you’re flying a plane.

  29. Haven’t seen it yet, but that’s the anecdotal report I got from coworkers too. A minority of them had to walk out for a bit, or leave altogether.

  30. I couldn’t last even 30 mins into the movie. And guess what, because we were late, we had to take the seats towards the front. Within 10 mins I was at the back of the hall and another 20 mins outside lying down on the bench of Regal – totally passed out. Motion sickness is one thing i hate most and this movie really gave me a good dose of it.

    Phew! Horrible movie experience.

  31. It’s a good thing I’m one of the few who doesn’t get seasick. I thought it was a very inventive and clever flim.

    However, I did get scared – very scared at the subway sequence.

    I hate rats.

    ~

    Coat

  32. Urgh, I had the same reaction. I didn’t have to yak or look down but I was nauseous for a few hours afterwards. Glad I didn’t have my usual buttered corn and soda. I had the same motion sickness reaction when playing, or just watching someone play, the Jame Bond game Goldeneye on the old Nintendo 64.
    I liked the short glimpse of the monster except for the low angle shot near the end where it looked to much like a Rancor…just stick a bone in its mouth!

  33. My theory is that watching this movie is much like looking at a 3D movie or a 3D image on paper. It’s like when you draw a cube on a paper… some people see a cube when they look at it, but a small percenetage of the people only se a bunch of lines… thats probably because their brains are still very primitive or they lack something that allows the rest of us to grasp abstract concepts and ideas. To make a long story short, if you get motion sicknes from watching something on TV or Theater then your’e a fucking idiot.