DVD Shopping Bag

FYE and Suncoast Limited Edition CLOVERFIELD Cover(2008).
© Paramount Home Entertainment

Cloverfield, the Collector and Disbelief

By: Robert T. Trate
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I took the time and to read a lot of your comments on Cloverfield. There were quite a few. There were also some heated discussions about this film. Topics such as motion sickness, Godzilla and Blair Witch Film comparisons, all of the web content and where you thought the creature came from were all discussed. All of it made me realize how great Mania is. Here is a site that allows us to create a forum where we can discuss movies with people outside of our circle of friends. Sure many times these are heated debates and name calling has occurred more than once but all in all we come to this site because we all have a great passion for movies.

Some of you know that I started on this site like you, a member. My Avatar is the themovielord. I was a long time reader of Cinescape and made the transition to Mania where I started posting my reviews like a fiend. Later, I joined the site as a columnist I didn’t post as many reviews as used to as themovielord. I did however post a review for Cloverfield because how could I not? Abbie Bernstein’s review received 7 bangs and 53 comments. I really wanted to join in the conversation and posted my own review. A member having the ability to post reviews is a phenomenal feature about this site. The Collector , another Maniac, immediately posted his thoughts on my review and what he wrote got me thinking. He said that, “The people in the film are so STUPID that it really dumbs New York down. After 9-11, do you think they would be THIS dumb?” He brought up an interesting point. Do you or I actually believe that any New Yorker wouldn’t head to the hills as soon as their city started to fall again? Of course they would, but to enjoy the movie we have to have a suspension of disbelief. There are always holes or plot points that entire stories could have been avoided if the characters had our hindsight or foresight. My favorite example of this is from Lord of the Rings. If Gandalf and Frodo could have just gotten the eagles to fly them over Mt. Doom and dropped in the one ring they could have been back for second breakfast in no time. Yet, if they did this we would have had no story, no quest, no adventure and no Gollum/ Smeagol one on one conversations.

The Collector has a great point but remember after all it is just a movie, and one about a giant monster to boot.

GIMMICKS FOR THE CLOVERFIELD

Suncoast & FYE - Limited edition swank steel book collectible packaging (pictured above).

Best Buy - Bonus Disc entitled "TJ Miller's Video Diary," containing almost 30 minutes of exclusive behind-the-scenes footage with "Hud".

Kmart & Sears - Get a free Cloverfield Ringtone.

Target - Target Deluxe Edition includes "Rob's Goin' To Japan Party Mix" music.

ACTION / ADVENTURE / KUNG FU/ THRILLERS / WESTERNS

Anatema

Animal Room (Director's Cut) [HD DVD]

Code: Black

Death Trance w/ Tee Shirt

Double

Fine Dead Girls

Flash Point

Flicks with Kicks

Identity Theft

Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan

Lost Mission

The Magic of Melies (1904-1908)

Merrill's Marauders

My Boy Jack

Mysteries

Rider on the Rain

Wounded - The Bandit Queen

ANIME

Negima - Magic 601: Magic and the Dark Arts (The Viridian Collection)

Negima - Magic 501: Magic Outside the Classroom (The Viridian Collection)

Oban Star-Racers Vol 1: The Alwas Cycle

CARTOONS/ ANIMATED SHORTS

The Book of the Dead (Kihachiro Kawamoto)

The Exquisite Short Films of Kihachiro Kawamoto (1968-1979)

Gumby: the Movie

COMEDY AND LOVE Mania Style

Light Years Away

Criterion Collection

Death of a Cyclist

HORROR

Black House

Demons and Witches

Diaries of the Living Dead

One Missed Call

The Orphanage

The Orphanage [Blu-ray]

Scared to Death

Seance

Sick Nurses

SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY

Cloverfield

Willows Way

TV LAND

Doogie Howser Collection - Seasons 1 - 4

Friday Night Lights: The Second Season

Laverne & Shirley - The Fourth Season

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Season 1

UNDENIABLE CLASSICS

She Done Him Wrong (Universal Cinema Classics)

BOX SETS

British Horror Quadruple Feature (Frightmare / House of Whipcord / The Flesh & Blood Show / Die Screaming Marianne)

Related Content

Comments/Responses

audioslave69 • Apr 22, 2008, 01:11am •

I agree 100% with u ive always said that if all people in movies where all smart the movie would be boring.

WISEGUY562 • Apr 22, 2008, 05:26am •

Amen, agree with all of the above. I think we as people sometimes come in or leave a movie with a bias and don't want to suspend our disbelief because of it. Otherwise we would be upset about most genre films and hate them. How many times does the villain put the hero in some sinister trap to die slowly instead of putting a bullet in his head or the group splits up so they can be taken out one by one or someone goes into that dark room knowing something is wrong. That bias IMO makes us decide when to accept certain things. Despite all the negatives about Cloverfield, people seemed to be heading for the hills and all the chaos just made it difficult for most. It seemed like most were doing what they probably would in such a situation, except for the filming while running.

monkeypie • Apr 22, 2008, 08:37am •

Is there any word at all on a possible (and hopefully soon) blu-ray release of Cloverfield?

snallygaster • Apr 22, 2008, 08:39am •

I had no problem believing that the Cloverfield characters would head back into the destruction zone to save their friend. With millions of people trying to evacuate the city at the time of the attack, the odds are pretty good that there were some people headed in the opposite direction for different reasons - to loot, curiosity, adreneline rush, or to save a loved one. Young adults (like the movie's protagonist) are especially prone to such risky actions (just check the auto insurance tables for proof).

I could also buy into (for the most part) the fact that the one kid was intent on keeping the camera rolling for the duration of the event. We've quickly become the most over-documented society of all time, with people flipping out their cellphone-cams for every little thing.

The biggest credibility problem I had with Cloverfield was the language. In reality, people would be dropping the f-bomb left and right (as was portrayed in the Blair Witch Project). I realize of course that any more than a couple such incursions would have brought the wrath of the MPAA upon the movie, and it would have been slapped with an R-rating. But that lack of authentic harsh language did at times pull me out of the "reality" Abrams was trying to capture.

gauleyboy420 • Apr 22, 2008, 09:10am •

Plus, people really are dumb, especially when they are in groups (herds) and in stressful situations. Just take driving on the freeway for example. Thats probably one of the easies t things to do go straight and fast, yet somehow amazingly, everyday the herd mentality kicks in, people do dumb irrational things, and ell stress and traffic jams ensue.

mlaforcer • Apr 22, 2008, 04:19pm •

I totally disagree 100% and then I totally disagree with me disagreeing 100% more and then that leaves me at a neutral position to decide that I can agree to not disagree and disagree to not agree and then I am free of all constraints in the agreeing and disagreeing departments...But if truth be told, I second said comments and opinions and thoughts and whatever else can be seconded...Peace out G!

theCOLLECTOR • Apr 23, 2008, 05:30pm •

Well, to be honest I a a very hard critic when it comes to movies. Yet, I know how to suspend belief, how else could I enjoy FF and Hellboy? Seriously though, when directors and FANS say they want realism in movies and want to make it as real as possible, then do so. Do not make the movie half-assed because you know it can gain hype. For instance: If NEWS crews are filming the monster attacking the city, why would they want to watch footage that is barely comprehensible and rarely shows the monster? You have news crews that are looking DIRECTLY at monster? Stuff like that just irritates me. The Government will not watch 30 minutes of a party and then watch 5 mins of monster from amateur footage. Yeah, right. Another example is Batman Begins. People love this movie because it is "real" Even Nolan states that he can only do a batman movie if it is done with realism. Not gimmicks. Weird, since when is driving a TANK on a roof REAL? Not Gimmicking at all. Yet, fans eat up the hype and always will. So Hollywood is doing something right. This is why we have people who know nothing of story and real element making movies. And we will continue to get garbage. I mean we are getting a remake of Freddy, Jason (already did Michael...with the horrid Halloween remake), Critters, The Thing and now Child's Play! Come on! USE THE BRAIN PEOPLE! If you want it real, make it real, you want it original, then do so.

Mania is the premiere online destination for fans of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and anime entertainment. It is the largest community offering profiles, video, science fiction movies, sci fi TV, art, sci fi comics, photos, cheats, blogs, science fiction books, forums and feedback. Mania offers insider entertainment industry info and original content for science fiction, fantasy, and horror entertainment genres including: video games, comics, gadgets, movies, television, toys, music, books, DVDs and more. © Mania Entertainment, LLC. 2001 - 2008

Cloverfield, the Collector and Disbelief

See more related content