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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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Death to Drillbit

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Drillbit Taylor has a 10% positive rating from the Rotten Tomatoes creme de la creme. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near the paying customers after they've seen this thing. There's a very weird climate inside a theatre when audience members starts to slowly realize they're being burned. I know a guy who says he enjoyed it, but I would imagine that most viewers will mutter to themselves, "They charged me money to see this?"

If I were Judd Apatow I would do the old Desert Hot Springs hideout routine for the next couple of weeks. Slip on a pair of shades and one of those celebrity fishing hats with the brim pulled down and get into the Prius and hightail it.

"As an admirer, mostly, of Mr. Apatow's oeuvre, I was inclined to believe that Drillbit Taylor was a cheap knockoff, that the producer credit Mr. Apatow receives at the beginning was akin to the Rolex insignia on the watch I bought for $20 on Canal Street a while back," writes N.Y. Times critic Tony Scott.

"But it makes more sense to think of this dumb little picture, with Mr. Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann, in a supporting role, and Seth Rogen, one of his alter egos, sharing credit for story and screenplay, as part of the Apatow discount line. 'You get what you pay for," the tag line on the advertisement says. I saw it free, and I still feel cheated."

Scott also mentions "risks of backlash and brand dilution." I may as well repeat my agreement with this, which I stated a couple of days ago, to wit: "On top of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, another Apatow comedy that I've yet to review but which I felt kind of badly about, this is probably the beginning of a temporary downgrade in the brand.

"It'll be restored in August with Pineapple Express, and it may be turn out that Marshall will do okay commercially. But the notion of the Apatow seal being some kind of dependable assurance of a rollicking good time is, for now, out the window."

Best Torino Tale<< previous | next >>Bill Hayward R.I.P.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 21, 2008 at 10:06 AM

comment #1

JapAdapters says ...

Y'know, I like Apatow and Seth Rogen alright and i really want to like Rogen more, but I'm starting to think you'll look back one day and blush that you reffered to him as "great."

Posted by JapAdapters at March 21, 2008 10:55 AM

comment #2

rr3333 says ...

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but didnt Jeff actually refer to Rogen as a 'Great EATER'?

(Just trying to help u out, Jeff).

I dont think the Apatow brand is going to take much of a hit. When 'Pineapple Express' is out, Drillbit will be a momentary blip.

Posted by rr3333 at March 21, 2008 11:03 AM

comment #3

christian says ...

"this is probably the beginning of a temporary downgrade in the brand. "

Turning fillmmakers into "brands" is the first step to their ultimate disposability.

Does this come from somebody having a big success and then hordes of syncophants saying that everything they do after is "great"? I hope to find out someday.

Posted by christian at March 21, 2008 11:05 AM

comment #4

mongstrol says ...

Since "you are only good as your last picture" is the way the business works, Apatow may end up in the shit-house for now.

If 'Pineapple Express' ends up being as good as people keep claiming, we can all start beating off over Judd again after it comes out.

Posted by mongstrol at March 21, 2008 11:23 AM

comment #5

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

Odd review from the Dallas Morning News:

"The jokes are funny, the acting is good (especially the three freshmen) and the film has an underlying sweetness that harkens back to 2004's Without a Paddle, which was also directed by Mr. Brill."

WTF?

Posted by MikeSchaeferSF at March 21, 2008 11:29 AM

comment #6

The Winchester says ...

This is the same argument we heard three months ago when Walk Hard tanked. And with Marshall, Pineapple Express, Don't Mess With The Zohan, and Step Brothers all coming out this summer, within a few weeks of each other, Apatow overkill will most definitely set in.

Until he actually directs a movie again, when everyone will be praising his genius.

Posted by The Winchester at March 21, 2008 11:30 AM

comment #7

mongstrol says ...

Don't Mess With The Zohan looks like a disaster, but perhaps the Adam Sandler factor will be enough for it to generate some decent coin.

Posted by mongstrol at March 21, 2008 11:50 AM

comment #8

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

Walk Hard tanked but it was actually, y'know... funny. And got more than its share of respectable reviews, unlike DT.

Posted by MikeSchaeferSF at March 21, 2008 12:00 PM

comment #9

Richardson says ...

Not only was 'Walk Hard' funny but, aside from the supporting actors, there wasn't much that would make you think it was an Apatow project.

Which is to his credit -- I think he has more range (at least as a writer) than he's generally given credit for.

That said, 'Pineapple Express' is not going to be the huge runaway hit that 'Superbad' was, since marijuana comedies have a very low ceiling gross (I think it will raise that ceiling, but not very far).

Posted by Richardson at March 21, 2008 12:10 PM

comment #10

actionman says ...

I could see Pineapple grossing like $60-70 million domestic; they'd be that happy with that, no?

Tropic Thunder will be huge I think.

Posted by actionman at March 21, 2008 12:33 PM

comment #11

JD says ...

Wilson is also at the core of Apatow's inner circle, if not quite as much as Mann and Rogen. Not only are they close friends, but he helped get Wilson his first post-Bottle Rocket acting break in The Cable Guy and they co-wrote an unproduced script together a few years back. Still, I think this was a basically a paycheck -- and maybe a a career-building exercise -- for all involved. Just cause the critics hate it, doesn't mean it won't make money...

Posted by JD at March 21, 2008 1:29 PM

comment #12

Movie Watcher says ...

Isn't is always like this? Some director/actor has a big hit, repeats it, realizes "Hey, I can make a lot of money doing this." Apatow/Rogen, et al should go away, make a good movie, and come back when it's done. Of course, they could do exactly that with Pineapple express. We'll have to wait and see.

Posted by Movie Watcher at March 21, 2008 1:57 PM

comment #13

Terry McCarty says ...

MikeSchaeferSF wrote:
Odd review from the Dallas Morning News:

"The jokes are funny, the acting is good (especially the three freshmen) and the film has an underlying sweetness that harkens back to 2004's Without a Paddle, which was also directed by Mr. Brill."

WTF?

When I lived in Texas, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS had a good, though mainstream, critic named Phillip Wuntch. Haven't read the paper in a few years, but I remember that a few other critic/reviewers besides Wuntch were added--maybe this was to make sure that just about everything in release would get positive marks.

Posted by Terry McCarty at March 21, 2008 1:57 PM

comment #14

Richardson says ...

"but he helped get Wilson his first post-Bottle Rocket acting break in The Cable Guy"

I thought Ben Stiller gave him that job, I hadn't heard it was from Apatow's reccomendation.

Posted by Richardson at March 21, 2008 3:42 PM

comment #15

LADODGERS23 says ...

I am always curious if the studios and or producers know they are making a bad movie while filming?? Come on there's got to be somebody on set or studio exec knowing that am movie like Drillbit is horrible and can try to fix it?? Maybe I am wrong..

I saw it and it is painful to watch!

Posted by LADODGERS23 at March 21, 2008 3:49 PM

comment #16

iamwhoiam says ...

As someone who hated Knocked Up and 40 Years Old Virgin, and finds Owen Wilson to be one of the most annoying actors out there (Followed closely by Luke...), i can't say i'm too sad.

Posted by iamwhoiam at March 21, 2008 4:41 PM

comment #17

K. Bowen says ...

To defend the Dallas Morning News a bit, comedy is a mess to review sometimes, because maybe that picture just happens to hit yiour funny bone and no one else's, or maybe you were just in the mood to laugh your ass off that night. Or maybe you've been covering South by Southwest for a week plus, as they have been, and you're just happy to see something that isn't trying to impress people with its seriousness.

Posted by K. Bowen at March 21, 2008 5:06 PM