1-18-08: Monster Mash

Tomorrow sees the release of Cloverfield (or, if the hype machine is any sort of indicator, The Blair Witch's Motherfuckin' Snake Project). In case you managed not to leave the underside of your rock for six months, the film tells the story of a group of young New Yorkers who, at a going-away party for a friend, find that a giant monster is destroying the city. The film is, ostensibly, shot from the point of view of one of the people operating a DV camera. The teaser trailer had people talking and jaws dropping when it premiered before Transformers*. Advance reviews (mainly at Ain't It Cool News) have been hailing this as, more or less, the second coming of genre films. One reviewer even called it "required viewing" (although this selfsame reviewer labelled the criminally underappreciated Stardust "unengaging" and "a crippled bore", but that's neither here nor there).

Am I really the only person unwilling to drink the Kool-Aid?

Now, I look forward to movies same as anyone. If a film catches my fancy, I wait with bated breath to witness it to see if it lives up to its promise. Going by the reviews, the people waiting for Cloverfield seem convinced that this film will cure cancer, end wars and get the writers back to work where they belong. I am forced to ask 'why?'

Honestly, I just don't see why people are drawn to this film. Maybe it's because I have yet to see a Godzilla movie. Maybe the film has, to me, been crushed under the weight of its hype even before its release. Or maybe it's that...it just doesn't look that interesting. Sorry to be that guy, but there it is. Maybe when it premieres on Showtime a year and a half from now (it is a Paramount release, after all), I'll have changed my tune. For now, my ass will not be in a theater seeing this film.

* - That so many people actually paid to see this film defines 'galling' (I had a free pass and some misplaced curiosity). That film is the real-life version of Ass. Look for it to sweep the Oscars in a few weeks.