RT on DVD: Cloverfield, Charlie Wilson and 2008's Worst-Reviewed Film
Summary
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Slusho, whatever that is! Cloverfield stomps its way onto DVD as not only the most exciting new release of the week, but the one most chock-full of special features. Charlie Wilson's War, The Savages, and The Orphanage are also new -- but be on the lookout as the year's worst flick to date, One Missed Call, also shuffles onto shelves. Back to Article
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Slusho, whatever that is! Cloverfield stomps its way onto DVD as not only the most exciting new release of the week, but the one most chock-full of special features. Charlie Wilson's War, The Savages, and The Orphanage are also new -- but be on the lookout as the year's worst flick to date, One Missed Call, also shuffles onto shelves. Back to Article
(1-47 of 47 posts) | Reply
 on Apr 21 2008 05:50 PM Cloverfield was AWFUL! I love kaiju films (Gamera's my hero!). I love sci-fi and horror, etc. but this film was a total waste of time. When my friend and I walked out of the theater at the end, he said to me, "I feel like I just got taken." And I agreed. In fact, all of America was suckered by J.J. Abrams super-fancy game of Three-Card Monte. Where's the queen? I guarantee she ain't hiding underneath this turd of a film. (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 21 2008 06:03 PM One Missed Call bombed? Good. (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 21 2008 06:08 PM I am very happy about One Missed Call's hilarious 00% and its complete lack of special features. It truly just hammers home the point that it's a worthless and lazy movie undeserving of any attention from any human being currently living; even the makers of it are ashamed. That's brilliant. (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 21 2008 06:18 PM Actually I don't understand why One missed call got 00% out of 100%. Because it's not that bad. Sure it wasn't scary but just have fun with it. 'Clvoerfield' could have been phenominal if there wasn't that shaky camera. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 06:32 PM shaky cam rox my sox :) (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 06:35 PM Cloverfield was one of the best times I've had in the theater this year thus far -- second being Forbidden Kingdom, then the Ruins -- I have to say it was a good start for the year. One Missed Call was the worse experience I've had in the movies since.... well, I can't remember... Though I have to say I recieved a Steak dinner after due to being right about it being so bad, w00p w00p! Definitely getting Cloverfield and The Orphanage! (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 21 2008 06:36 PM Cloverfield and Charlie Wilson's War were both pretty good, The Savages was great,and I wanna rent Starting Out In the Evening and I hear The Orphange is really good. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 06:38 PM Cloverfield was awesome, a great beginning of the year for movies in my eyes. Can't wait to buy The Orphanage, I've heard nothing but great things about it and I am so glad that One Missed Call bombed, worse experience in a theater I've had since... uh, can't remember... atleast I got a steak dinner afterwards due to me being right about it being so bad, w00p! (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 06:45 PM The orphanage was spectacular, Charie Wilson's War was also good, (Hoffman is hillarious) Cloverfield was good, just as i had expected it to be and i can't wait for the savages. So overall, I'm more than likely going to buy all 4 films... not so much One Missed Call. -MIKE (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 06:48 PM In Cloverfield the shaky cam was essential to the way they were telling the story, it wasn't a gimmick, it was a technique. The film as it was made was much more interesting, dramatic and emotional than any other of its kind, and people who were just waiting for the payoff of seeing the monster full-frame or the same tired destruction effects from Michael Bay to Roland Emmerich completely missed the point. It wasn't about just seeing things destroyed non-stop, it was meant to be an interactive experience that called upon your own imagination combined with clever and tasteful hints at what was happening to almost feel like you were in the film. I feel sorry for people who didn't get to enjoy it from that perspective. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 07:06 PM "Don't Pick up the Cell Phone!"??? Come on!!! Sounds like and Attack of the killer tomatoes sortof thing! (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 21 2008 07:27 PM I don't understand the hate for Cloverfield. The only reasoning I can see is that people are pissed that everything wasn't explained for them or they hated the shaky cam. I don't know why anyone would expect it to be explained. How could any of the characters know where the thing came from or why it was attacking? And you should have known about the shaky cam before seeing it. It just seems to me that these people didn't know enough about the movie before seeing it and expected more. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 07:39 PM In reply to this comment (#1698723) I think that's just it. People either loved Cloverfield or hated it. I for one loved it but I think the people who hated it were the people that did not put two and two together and realize what the point of the movie was. They expected the usual blockbuster type movie and expected Cloverfield to follow that formula. I'm not sure how though because the trailer told you exactly what to expect. (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 21 2008 07:43 PM Cloverfield was good. It was a good American giant-monster movie(and the only one we have besides King Kong), even if it was a sort of Godzilla rip-off of sorts in terms of the monsters proposed origin(in a way). One Missed Call should never have been made into existence. I think it made, what, a little over $20 mil at the B.O.? that's probably exactly what the budget was to make it. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 07:44 PM In reply to this comment (#1698703) if i wanted to use my imagination in a movie, i'd make the motha phuckers, when i go see one i want to see the product of someone elses imagination on screen, like vita jex said, this was clearly a well designed advertising compaign, that took the world for 10 dollars a person. BLAIR WITCH WITH A MONSTER... (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 07:57 PM Never even heard about One Missed Call, but that plot description reminds me of that scene from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. "Why don't you just take the batteries out?" (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 08:10 PM Cloverfield was horrible! I havent seen the Orphanage yet, but it cant be bad if Del Torro was involved. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 08:20 PM In reply to this comment (#1698723) thank u! to me, Cloverfield was a fresh, intense take on the staling monster genre, and it did a fantastic job of meshing the horror of a huge monster, adding a decent intimite love story under the chaos, and leaving much space for a (much anticipated already) sequel. Bring on Cloverifeld 2: the monster returns! (hope the title ain't that) lol (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 08:21 PM I too loved Cloverfield. It was and will be for a long time one of the most unique experiences I've had at the theater. From now on many films will try to "copy" what J.J. Abrams accomplished with the film. Because of that, Cloverfield's legacy as a "ground-breaking" film will only grow. For those who didn't like the film because it left them with a lot of questions, pay more attention to the final shot in the movie (the shot of the ocean from the video camera). When paying close attention you can clearly see that something drops from the sky into the ocean towards the top right of the screen. Which explains the biggest question of the movie: Where did the creature come from? Somebody give me some support with this find, cause nobody that I personally know caught what I saw. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 08:28 PM In reply to this comment (#1698763) exactly! i just really hope 4 a sequel to further add to the freshness of the film, and hopefully a severe limitation of films trying to rip off of its concept. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 08:37 PM In reply to this comment (#1698763) hey man i suggest going to 1-18-08news.com/forum and make a name there. lots of ppl who stuck to the movie since the "Transformers" trialer, and mabe one of those guys could help u out with ur question of the monster's origin (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 09:20 PM It's "1-18-08," not "1-11-08." (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 21 2008 10:56 PM Cloverfield was many things, but original it was not. Sure I can believe that JJ Abrams and crew never saw The Blair Witch project, but there's a thousand other movies, I can think of right now, they could've plucked their ideas from. Cloverfield was piss-poor. Sure I don't go to a movie like that to focus on acting-chops, but my god, that was some of the worst acting(in a wide release movie) I have ever seen. I found it incredibly distracting. I don't blame the movie for making me too sick to stay, though. Thats my problem. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 03:23 AM One Missed Call was not a Bomb... at least at the Box Office (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 05:32 AM My problem with Cloverfield was not with its shaky camera but with the actions of its characters. The entire time I keep thinking to myself who in the world given the situation would do this. Overall not a bad movie but my goodness the actions of the main characters just insulted my intelligence. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 07:30 AM Everybody should check out www.1-18-08.com, I think we found our next guy for the sequel. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the guy they want to use for the sequel. Like if we followed his view around this time. Bring on the shaky cam! (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 22 2008 07:53 AM I am very excited to see Target's Cloverfield comes with the mix from the party at the start, thats so awesome! And I am also very excited to rent One Missed call this weekend to joke sesh it. (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 22 2008 07:56 AM Cloverfield = my favorite movie of the year so far. One Missed Call = piece of monkey s*** (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 08:07 AM In reply to this comment (#1699402) Amen, superzone! But, the summer didn't hit yet! (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 08:45 AM i liked cloverfield more than i thought i would actually and it wouldnt make sense if they didnt have a shaky cam with a handheld camera. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 08:49 AM Was anyone else a bit put off by the American-interventionist white wash the audience is subjected to in CWW? I seem to remember Roberts having a line like, "Why aren't we helping the anti-communist forces in Afghanistan like we are in El Salvador and Nicaragua?" I'm not saying *the character* (or the woman it's based on, for that matter)wouldn't say something like that, but the film doesn't offer anything to contradict her point of view. Anyone familiar with the record knows that the "help" America offered the two countries in question was actually several years of brutality. Hoffman is the reason to see this movie -- it's a top-drawer, holy cow performance if I've ever seen one. (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 22 2008 10:01 AM Good point, warheart - King Kong aside, we don't really have many modern monster movies. Cloverfield was even more of a monster movie than King Kong, I'd argue, and much more in the spirit and paying homage to the classic Gojira flicks. I say, bring on Cloverfield 2! (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 10:06 AM In reply to this comment (#1698540) go to hell (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 01:14 PM Does anyone know if "Cloverfield" is coming out on Blu-Ray (I know, I'm a HD whore, but if i'm going to get motion-sickness again, I might as well see it in all its glory.)? I know that it was supposed to come out for HD-DVD before that whole debacle went down, but does anyone have any news about this? And while we're on the subject, how 'bout a "Transformers" Blu release? (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 22 2008 03:00 PM Skip Cloverfield, rent The Thing again. The characters and their 'real' dialogue are boring. Vitajex got taken, his friend got taken, we all got taken, and it doesn't matter that the camera was shaken: if you're going to spend money on fantastic gory creatures, spend a little more and get someone to help you write a script that will make your audience interested in the human creatures. (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 22 2008 03:34 PM Windors2; I got your back. It took me 2 viewings to see the splash in the ocean, but IT WAS DEFINITELY THERE! Although for me, the idea of an alien monster invading ruins the whole story. I liked the design of the creature, which looked like something which biologically could exist on this earth, although somewhere deep in the trenches of the ocean. If the sequel gives its origin as extraterrestrial, with more aliens on the way, I'm going to be mighty pissed. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 03:50 PM Fresh!?!?! There was absolutely nothing original about Cloverfield. It was an alright movie to see at the cinema, but the central characters were irritating and kept on making ridiculous decisions. While One Missed Call was a smouldering lump of faeces, it seems a bit harsh to give it "nil point". Both Charlie Wilson's War and The Savages are extremely good films. And I personally can't wait to watch The Orphanage. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 05:01 PM Lol 'Don't Pick up the Cell Phone!'? We don't even use the word 'Cell Phone". If I didn't watch so much US entertainment a would have no idea wtf that even was, we say 'mobile phone'. If you are going to dumb down the title for Australians at least do a little research. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 09:30 PM In reply to this comment (#1698723) It wasn't the shaky cam or that everything wasn't explained in Cloverfield that was the problem, those things I'm fine with. The story, dialogue and acting were the problems. It never once felt real to me because the reactions (bad acting) were so atrocious most of the time; not to mention that whole first 20 minutes and the dreadful dialogue throughout the picture. Plus the plot line of the main character going back to save his one time screw, and the others going along with him. It was a poor way to move the characters from point A to B. And need I remind everyone that the girl he goes to save is impailed (it looks as though through the chest) and can barely move, yet a few minutes later is sprinting around. Needless to say the story was pretty bad. I liked all of the scenes when the dumbass humans side stories and ridiculousness wasn't happening. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 22 2008 10:49 PM cloverfield was great. the cam could have shaked a bit less and i had hoped for mroe survivors but still pretty awesome. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2008 12:16 AM In reply to this comment (#1700662) From what I remember they were very close friends who had just finally slept together for the first time before this disaster happened. So... it doesn't seem that unreasonable to me that his character would go to such great lengths when he'd probably been in love with her for sometime. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2008 09:29 AM I'm working on this theory about movie-viewing: People's expectation and preconcept of a movie makes up NO LESS than 66% (two thirds) of their enjoyment of the movie, afterwards. Be it resolved that, in Cloverfield; -THE EFFECTS WERE ABOVE AVERAGE, protected somewhat by the 'handicam' and 'night' cloaks. there were no glaring strings, cables or threads sticking out. There was no shell or aura blur around monuments which got destroyed. The sets did not clearly look like, well, sets. I actually thought that, conceptually, the alien looked cool. -THE ACTING WAS ABOUT AVERAGE; with reasonable suspension of disbelief, one could accept that these folks were in a tense situation. No one grossly broke character. The dialogue at least supported the action, for the most part. -THE PLOT WAS THIN, DAMAGED BY LACK OF LOGIC, BUT GENERALLY CONSISTENT. good: Alien attacks, REALLY F#cks things up, New York not really prepared to deal. bad: Dude loses his brother, gets over it in about 8 minutes but goes on Lord of the Rings quest to save girl he boned and broke up with. They get UPTOWN about 50 blocks on foot in darkened subways (girls in heels) in what, 15 minutes? Everyone who is given the chance becomes heroic. None of the protagonists is overcome with fear at a crucial, pivotal moment. Helicopter does not fly high enough over city to avoid alien, despite being piloted by seasoned military troops and FACED WITH A 60-FOOT ALIEN. If it can be accepted that, generally, this is an accurate assessment of Cloverfield, then I draw attention to people's posts. It SUCKED, because it was a rip-off of THIS movie. It was GREAT because it *drew* from THIS movie. It SUCKED because the trailers made it look like THIS. It ROCKED because it was just like the trailers! Anyway, it's a theory in progress. 66% just feels about right. ...All I ask is that if you disagree, give me something interesting to work with. I've already been called a f#g, #sshole, moron, douchebag, loser-virgin, so just *assume* I'm on notice how deficient I am and save your RT breath. (Reply to this) |
 on Apr 23 2008 11:22 AM I bet I can make One Missed Call seem even worse if I rent it and The Orphanage the same weekend. A zero percent on the tomato-meter demands a viewing with a large group of obnoxious friends. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2008 12:12 PM In reply to this comment (#1701278) I like talking about this movie so don't take anything personally. You're making some nice points but I can't agree with your assessment of the plot. The main character doesn't simply "get over" the loss of his brother. During one of just a few moments where they have the luxury of time to stop and think he spends a good deal of time talking to his mother about his brother's death. The guy's mostly in a daze, but is able to focus instinctively on saving someone he loves and knows may be alive. And come on, actually taking in someone's death and coming to fully realize emotionally that they're actually gone is something that would take a while to sink in and deal with, so just how much more time would he need to stop and mourn before you would be satisfied the loss was genuinely recognized? You're also forgetting that yes, 15 minutes or so may have passed for us watching the movie but from what I recall, the footage from the handheld cuts and jumps numerous times, and you would only need one or two cuts really to understand that a good deal of time had passed, so I don't see why you felt they traveled too quickly, add to that the subway allows them to make good time going forward for the most part without impedance. Also, yes, the characters are generally heroic; all in all turn out to be a bunch of solid citizens. Is that really something to be surprised by or dismayed from a logical standpoint? They certainly seemed to display a great deal of fear, shock, fumbling to think of what to do, arguments with each other... what other interpersonal obstacles are really necessary to make this anymore believable? The only thing I could see a problem with is, yes, the helicopter pilot doesn't seem concerned enough with their safety to fly out of reach of the monster, but oh well, it serves to rob you of the Hollywood ending, and while its not necessary I'm fine with ending the film that way, it was part of a larger emotional effect the filmmakers were going for since the lovers ultimately proved to be doomed, and trying to make you feel the loss/regret over what may have proved to be a loving relationship. Really I think this movie just attacks your senses, and kind of overwhelms you and what you're able to focus on. Then there's also a lot of action-junkies who were waiting for the big destructive scenes and were left twiddling their thumbs otherwise, so I think that's really why this film is sort of polarizing. A lot of care was put into making the sparse disaster scenes more potent emotionally, and that's why I personally elevate this film above others related to it by genre. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2008 01:18 PM One Missed Call bombed? Surprising... (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 23 2008 01:38 PM cloverfield was definitely a movie that lived up to the hype. expertly crafted, and pretty freakin good considering the miniscule sub-$30 million budget. a great theater flick, through and through. (Reply to this) |
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on Apr 24 2008 07:17 AM I find it funny that some people say that in Cloverfield they did not care if the characters lived or died because I wanted for the main character's friend in the film. (Reply to this) |
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