Has any one else seen this movie?

I saw it kind of unexpectedly tonight not knowing anything about it, nor what I was getting into, but oddly enough out of everyone there I actaully quite enjoyed it and though it was a good sci-fi, suspense, emotive movie.

For those who haven't heard of it and haven't a clue its is about a monster attack on New York, Manhattan more specifically and follows the story of a small group of friends through the events. Similar to The Blair Witch it is filmed in a home-camera kind of style with various characters taking control of the camera keeping you up to date on the adventure. Now I must admit I'm not a big fan of spuratic camera work like that, that is relatively unsteady when compared to what we're used to seeing in movies, but to be honest it wasn't half bad and you should really consider sticking through it. The actual story itself, meh it's rather bland and has been done plenty of times over if you think about it, but its not about the story its about the emotion.

The home videocamera perspective is a way to get you more connected with the events taking place and the characters going though it. A way for you to easier envision yourself there as if you are going through the same exeperience. It also has a rather neat artistic appeal to it that you don't see too often. As I said the story is kind of uninventive, Godzilla anyone? Its more about human emotion and thier interactions with the situations. Yeah sure not too many people are going to drag a video camera around trying to capture these events and yes they justify it by saying they have to record what happened so people will know and so people will remember at least what these few people went through personally, but at the same time thats where the suspense comes from. When you're running down the street the camera is pointed foreward or down to the ground of course its not going to focus on the source of the attack or what is chasing you because no one thinks while running for their life they should get a better shot at what is after them for the benefit of people watching.

Anyway onto the emotion the film is a bit schizofrenic in parts switching between the events that are unfolding and events from a month prior where two of the main characters are a happy couple still together. You start at a going away party for one character, with someone filiming everyones goodbyes, at first it seems sort of like a bunch of rubbish and normal human interaction, but it serves as good way to get to know everyone and while an outsider sort of makes you feel welcomed and like a part of the group. You soon learn there is something much more dramatic at play here and as some of the other characters are trying to unfold that drama you are also working to unfold the romance story hidden in here. Of course before that can get too involved much larger problems arrise. I think the actors did a very good job in their emotions from helping other injured characters they know to the various yells and "oh shit!" comments when something intense happens.

Personally I thought it was a good movie not because of the story or because of the crazy yet artistic camera, but because of sheer ammount of emotion and interaction in it. I don't know maybe I just put aside what was going on in my life for the moment and really got into the movie feeling the same emotions as the other characters and really putting myself in their shoes and their situaion. I don't know why, but I don't know these people and I shouldn't really care too much, but yet I did almost as if I was one of them going through the same thing. I felt a kind of human connection to the characters I've not felt since FFVII, though there really isn't much backstory and character depth to be had here its just empathy. Hell maybe it was just the love story at play there of a happy couple once best friends who a month later is broken up for a mixture of reasons and mistakes thus going totally different ways in thier life, but still calling themselves friends and naturally still having feelings for each other.

Seriously this movie just gripped me so much between relatability and things I like/believe in. The core of the story is really about a guy driven by love if you will searching for his friend and former lover. I'm not gonna lie between all the things that happen and the great connection I for some reason felt to this film I almost broke down myself giving into human emotion. I don't know maybe it was just the fact that I can envision all too well what its like to loose the people close to you in turn feel a sample of all the overpowering emotions that come with that as revealed a bit in FFFF.

I haven't seen the movie.

But I did study film throughout highschool and I have to tell you one of the things I hate the most is hand held camera work. I also get annoyed at overused plots. These things alone would make me not want watch movies.

I get what you mean about characters and relating to them and such but without a good plot and good camera work I just can't get into it.

Okay some of my favourite movies as follows.

- Hero
- V for Vendetta
- House of the Flying Daggers
- The Village
- Sunshine
- Hitman

I have so many more but I can't really name them all. Something these films all have in common.

Creative Plots with underlying explainations. You can watch the movie and draw your own conclusions from them.

Another reason, colours and shots. I love a good use of colour in a film and as well as well set up shots.

Differing camera angles and styles throughout the movie.

Characters suited to their roles.

These things put together let me stop thinking about the things that I find wrong with a movie and let me focus on the movie itself so I can enjoy it, once I can do that I get very engrossed with characters and plots. Any movie that can make me cry I give a thumbs up to. Because any diector that can make a peice of art like that to draw out human emotion I think deserves the recognition.

I saw cloverfield about a month ago, it was awesome. Very unexpected ending i thought, but it was done well. A similar film is the Zombie Diaries, obviously though that is about zombies and not giant monsters.

havent seen it yet heard it sucked..

^It depends on opinion. Like I said a number of people probably don't like it mainly due to fact that its filmed in a hand held camera style which a number of people don't like. I am sort of among them, but I gave it a chance to try something new and I liked it. I'm still not a huge fan of the crazy camera, but I do think it adds a nice artistic touch to it since its not done too often seeing as most people prefer your standard stable camera views. Personally I thought it was a good way to get you involved in the film, helping you feel empathy. Though I do agree with Steph its nice to watch a film where you can just focus on the complex (Butterfly Effect) or emotional (Notebook) story at hand.

@SG I actaully kind of expected that ending. Spoilers: I mean naturally I was rooting for them to make it and end the movie with your typical happy ending, but I thought this ending was more realistic. Besides it was already 45 minutes or so after the military said they would nuke the island to kill the beast. Our characters are partialy trapped under a bridge by godzilla alien, which in a way keeps them from fleeing and at the same time its a very bad thing being that close to the monster since the military is going to bombing it. You're kinda f***ed either way honestly and its more of a choice of how to die now. Get killed bruttally by the monster trying to flee or stay put with the girl you love and die in a fiery blast/rockslide while holding each other til the end.

One other incredably predictable part was the helicopter ride. I knew the instant they got on it that the monster would end up attacking it. End of spoilers.

I didn't use spoiler font because if you're not going to watch the movie you don't care and if you've all ready seen it you already know so why make everyone highlight it when 98% of the time people are going to read it anyway.

Every single solitary last person I have heard even a DECENT review about this movie from are people who have shitty taste in movies.

It looks like crap, it is unrealistic in every sense of the word, it will never join my dvd collection.

I wouldn't put it that bluntly but I agree. It won't be something I would buy.

Yeah I watched this one, I thought it was an okay movie I guess..I kinda wished the ending wouldn't have been so vague..like maybe show a better ending...or maybe an aftermath, it also sorta reminded me of the end..of I am legend, kinda wish it showed a better aftermath.

I liked the part when they were on top of the skyscrapers trying to look for the guy's girl :p

I really liked the movie...Im a get it saturday.
But if you all watch it...it says where the monster comes from...I wont spoil it. But it DOES state where it's come from.

I never noticed that. I just remember Hud talking about how ancient fish have been found that we didn't know were still around when they are walking in the subway.

I'm consdiering getting it for all the cushy extras they tack onto the DVD like comentary which I love and maybe the making of. I wonder how many times they had to reshoot sceens to get the shot how they wanted. There's a lot of variables with a handheld camera.

Other than that I only have two other reasons to buy this movie. One, because I liked it and the second is 33% personal, 33% sappy and 34% typical assholish guy.

Basically this is one of those movies where you either like it or don't there's really no inbetween. I respect the fact that everyone has a right to thier opinion no matter how agressive they may put it and I'm not gonna argue with anyone I just feel like I should stick up for this movie because it did something out of the box. Sure its been done before in more ways than one, but it still has an artiscally different apeal to it, at least for me.

I keep meaning to watch this film. We have it downloaded (because we are pirates... ARRRRR) but we never get around to it. It does seem like one of those films you either love or hate. I hear that when you get to see the monster it gets a bit poo... Although not having watched it myself I can't say.

One film I am really excited about seeing is Iron Man... Robert Downey Jr is a cock but I'm hoping I can look past his cockishness and enjoy the film. Oh and Pixars new film Wall.e looks amazing!

i really like that they did with the ending, most american films (not trying to be stereotypical here) have pretty predictable endings, where the guy and the girl get together and everything ends on a happy note. This film broke the moulde, and i thought it did it really well.

When I watched Run Fatboy, Run I was thinking the same thing in regard to british films.

God that film looks cack... I'm not even sure the British like it. Shame cos Simon Pegg is great! You should watch Hot Fuzz or Sean of the Dead or something.

I love both of those movies. Simon Pegg is now one of my favorite actors... although he is competing with quite a few other names above his on the list.

Personally I thought Hot Fuzz was one of those stupid pardody comedy movies that everyone seems to thing is great and talks up way too much giving way more credit then it really deserves for not being that special of a movie. Like Napoleon Dynamite for example. I have never seen a more pointless waste of life, in fact sitting in one spot stiaring out the window for an hour and half would be more productive than watching that effing movie. Don't get me wrong I liked Hot Fuzz and it was a good movie, but I think people give it too much credit. I'm tired of all these parody movies like Meet The Spartans ect that rip off other movies thinking it is funny when it really just pure stupidity. Scary Movie was really the only series that did a good job with the parody humor that didn't annoy me, granted 4 movies is a bit much. You've got to draw the line somewhere.

The best way to describe the monster in Cloverfield is: (I'll use the damn font this time) Godzilla mixed with Alien considering the little guys looked like they got plucked directly out of Alien/Star Craft. (end)

If you like Simon pegg look up the series called Spaced, its really funny. one of the best series' ive seen in a long long time.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_P7dileY9sY

Big Train is also really good. It's a lot older than Spaced but still pretty funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6fmBwSgso4&feature=related

Spaced is awesome though and from Spaced you can see how they came to do Sean of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.