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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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"Bee Movie" is "amiable but no more"

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Last Friday Variety's Todd McCarthy called Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie (Dreamamount, 11.2) "less than inspired... amiable but no more...short on surprise and originality...content with whimsical notions and mild jokes," etc. The all-media crowd is finally having a looksee this evening and tomorrow night, myself included.

In his Hollywood Reporter review, Kirk Honeycutt said that "unfortunately, bees just aren't that funny" and "they aren't intriguing cartoon creatures. Nor is the odd story Seinfeld and his collaborators dreamed up very inspired. The film labors too hard for its comic moments and never discovers a cartoon logic that will allow bees and humans to interact."

After all that hard work and all that hoopla at last May's Cannes Film Festival with Seinfeld flying off the roof in his bee costume on a wire....jeez. The upside is that the family crowd is probably going to go for it big-time.

Langella at Four Seasons<< previous | next >>Marc Norman's "What Happens Next"

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 30, 2007 at 4:20 PM

comment #1

D.Z. says ...

"less than inspired...amiable but no more...short on surprise and originality...content with whimsical notions and mild jokes,"

So it's like his last movie?

Posted by D.Z. at October 30, 2007 4:52 PM

comment #2

PerfectTommy says ...

"The Thing About My Folks"? What movie are you referencing DZ?

Posted by PerfectTommy at October 30, 2007 4:58 PM

comment #3

D.Z. says ...

Comedian.

Posted by D.Z. at October 30, 2007 5:03 PM

comment #4

Aguirre says ...

saw this last week - worst animated film of the year. woefully unfunny, forced, and misguided... between his involvement with this and transformers, spielberg is stealing sam raimi's thunder as "patron saint of horrendous films."

Posted by Aguirre at October 30, 2007 5:23 PM

comment #5

actionman says ...

enough with the Transformers bashing. it's the best movie of its type in years. by far.

Posted by actionman at October 30, 2007 5:33 PM

comment #6

actionman says ...

Bee Movie does in fact look atrocious...haven't laughed once with any of the trailers...as the above poster commented, it looks forced and unfunny

Posted by actionman at October 30, 2007 5:36 PM

comment #7

WinslowLeachtheComposer says ...

Let me be the first:

ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......

Posted by WinslowLeachtheComposer at October 30, 2007 5:43 PM

comment #8

Nate West says ...

Movie fails to live up to buzz, eh?

Posted by Nate West at October 30, 2007 6:19 PM

comment #9

bmcintire says ...

Apparently, honey did not just get funny.
Poor millionaires!

Posted by bmcintire at October 30, 2007 6:51 PM

comment #10

Wrecktum says ...

"enough with the Transformers bashing. it's the best movie of its type in years. by far."

Best shitty movie about loud, giant robots? Agreed!

Posted by Wrecktum at October 30, 2007 6:53 PM

comment #11

OddDuck says ...

John Turturro's "performance" in Transformers made my eyes bleed. And the transformers hiding in the yard?

This was one of the worst movies I've sat through in my life.

Posted by OddDuck at October 30, 2007 7:01 PM

comment #12

actionman says ...

sorry u felt that way....too bad u can't just have some fun with GIANT FUCKING ROBOTS destroying each other. pity.

Posted by actionman at October 30, 2007 7:27 PM

comment #13

OddDuck says ...

Is John Turturro a GIANT FUCKING ROBOT? My problem wasn't with the robots, it was with the people and the incredibly stupid unfunny slapstick stuff the writer and director of this piece of shit movie had them do. And you act like it's my fault. Ha! You remind me of a fat ugly relative who tells really lame unfunny jokes and then is insulted when people look at him like he's an idiot.

Posted by OddDuck at October 30, 2007 8:41 PM

comment #14

BurmaShave says ...

You know you're in trouble when a guy named Honeycutt doesn't like BEE MOVIE.

Posted by BurmaShave at October 30, 2007 9:52 PM

comment #15

scooterzz says ...

i thought 'transformers' better than 'bee movie' but either one is a masterpiece compared to 'fred claus'......

Posted by scooterzz at October 30, 2007 10:12 PM

comment #16

PerfectTommy says ...

Back to 5 PM. DZ,I wasn't thrilled with "Comedian" either. I enjoyed portion where Jerry had an audience with Bill Cosby. I'm glad I saw it on a DVD from the library because I would have been steamed to pay theater prices for what was not quite up to an "American Masters" level doc. The thing is, "Bee Movie" doesn't look that good.

Posted by PerfectTommy at October 30, 2007 10:22 PM