edited by Jonathan Doyle

Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

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Radcliffe's hormones

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Watched the trailer again for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner Bros., 7.13), and you're left with one main impression, which is that it's a hormonal coming-out party. Daniel Radcliffe has developed a weight-lifter's bull neck and has basically turned into Sammy Stud (the Katie Leung kissing scene, his plans to do Equus in the spring) along with a fiercer, angrier look in his face when asked to register deep emotion. Boys of 11 and 12 are into imaginary realms and barely notice the scent of girls -- not so when they reach 16 and 17, and no amount of formulaic CG diversion can hide this simple fact.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 25, 2006 at 12:21 PM

comment #1

cjKennedy says ...

I'm not going to launch into a big defense of the Harry Potter franchise because the franchise doesn't need it and honestly I found both the books and movies to be rather boring (though I've read and seen them all...go figure)

It's clear though Wells doesn't really know what he's talking about since the 'hormonal coming-out party' he's referring to is clearly written into the book the movie is being made from.

Yes the actors are aging faster than they are in the books (shocking how books and real life are different isn't it?) but they are aging in the books as well....it's kind of what the books are about.

Don't you hate it when you say you're not going to do something then you do it anyway?

Posted by cjKennedy at November 25, 2006 1:14 PM

comment #2

jeffmcm says ...

Does Wells think he's giving the movie a needed attack when he is in fact merely describing it?

Posted by jeffmcm at November 25, 2006 1:36 PM

comment #3

Arrow77 says ...

What I find pathetic is the amount of space Wells gives to a franchise he doesn't like despite the fact that these films are essentially made for teenagers. Jeff, there's three movies left and all of them will be popular. Are you going to find something new to complain everytime a trailer or a poster is released?

You don't like the films, we know it. Now it's time to move on to something else.

Posted by Arrow77 at November 25, 2006 1:44 PM

comment #4

The Movie Man says ...

Love the books, but the only movie that really captured the charm and the joy of the novels was Cuaron's take on Azkaban. I actually think his film is better than the book. The others seem to be just summaries of the books to me with no real life. That said, I don't hate them, and I agree that's its really not worth spewing a bunch of venom over. People certainly gush over worse movies every year.

Posted by The Movie Man at November 25, 2006 1:49 PM

comment #5

Devin Faraci says ...

Yeah, Harry Potter 5 finds our hero quite hormonal and very, very angry. He's quite the sullen teen in the book - something that I felt JK Rowling took to such an extent as to make me dislike him by the end of the book. It's very realistic, though.

Posted by Devin Faraci at November 25, 2006 2:34 PM

comment #6