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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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Raimi/Ryan Not a Problem

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HE reader Terry MCarty just asked "which do you think is the worse idea or intention -- Sam Raimi reviving the Jack Ryan franchise or Peter Berg directing a remake of Dune?" Answer: Berg doing Dune.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 19, 2008 at 11:50 PM

comment #1

D.Z. says ...

I agree Dune's a dumb idea, when there's already a mini-series. You can't sell toys off of it, and it doesn't have broad sci-fi appeal.

Posted by D.Z. at March 20, 2008 12:27 AM

comment #2

Malone says ...

Raimi, while capable of greatness, is certainly one of the most overrated hacks working today. The SPIDERMANS were pure crap.

Berg, meanwhile, has become one of the more interesting and underrated directors today. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS was a home run, and THE KINGDOM was a top-notch, if a little lightweight, thriller.

Berg should direct the new Jack Ryan revival and Raimi couldn't possibly top Lynch's nor Sci-Fi Channel's DUNE.

Posted by Malone at March 20, 2008 12:39 AM

comment #3

Aladdin Sane says ...

The mini-series was great. Haven't seen the Lynch film (it's on my list). I think that it could be good and Berg is quite a capable director. Still, it doesn't really need to be done.

Posted by Aladdin Sane at March 20, 2008 12:45 AM

comment #4

The Winchester says ...

I agree with Malone, it would make more sense if the projects were switched. The Kingdom is essentially a Tom Clancy movie, and Raimi putting his own spin on Dune would be fascinating.

Still, after Simple Plan, I'm convinced Raimi can do anything. Although, he should have taken a break between Spidey flicks to make ANYTHING else, and recharge himself. Nolan fit Prestige between Batmans. Just sayin...

Posted by The Winchester at March 20, 2008 1:00 AM

comment #5

candice208 says ...

I agree this! The people on marrymillionaire.com which is a celeb dating site are beautiful and handsome!

Posted by candice208 at March 20, 2008 2:06 AM

comment #6

Josh Massey says ...

I'll see anything Berg does. The guy hasn't made a bad movie yet (yes, including Very Bad Things).

Posted by Josh Massey at March 20, 2008 4:02 AM

comment #7

giantman says ...

I admit to being somewhat interested in a Berg directed Dune, since I still believe no one has done it justice yet. On the other hand I still believe no one can do it justice, since it is truly a cerebral and not a visual story.

But, I hear the people on that millionaire site are beautiful and handsome... so we have that.

Posted by giantman at March 20, 2008 4:53 AM

comment #8

moorish says ...

Aside from that one bad scene where his aunt talks about what it means to be a hero, Spider-Man 2 is genius. That is all.

Posted by moorish at March 20, 2008 5:04 AM

comment #9

Rich S. says ...

For those fans of the Dune miniseries, it is my understanding that John Harrison, who wrote and directed it, is somehow attached to the Berg film version. So they're probably headed in the right direction.

The one thing I enjoyed about The Kingdom was the glare of the exteriors in Saudi Arabia. None of the versions of Dune thus far has captured the desolation of the vast deserts of Arrakis. In light of The Kingdom, I'm interested to see how Berg does.

I would like to see Raimi do more stuff like The Gift or A Simple Plan, but oh well. At least Drag Me to Hell is on tap next.

Posted by Rich S. at March 20, 2008 5:05 AM

comment #10

Mgmax says ...

Is there a third choice?

Posted by Mgmax at March 20, 2008 6:05 AM

comment #11

abuseintake says ...

How about Guy Maddin directing Dune?

Posted by abuseintake at March 20, 2008 6:49 AM

comment #12

actionman says ...

I think both ideas are great.

Would love to see Raimi attempt a more realistic thriller. His best film is still A Simple Plan. Berg is one of my favorites at the moment, so seeing him tackle a big-budget sci-fi film is an interesting proposition. The fact that it won't be a "kiddie" sci-fi film is what makes me excited.

Posted by actionman at March 20, 2008 7:15 AM

comment #13

wayne76 says ...

Something about another Jack Ryan thrilled--regardless of director--illicits a big "Feh" out of me.

Peter Berg is a-ok with me. He hasn't given me a reason to doubt his abilities at this point.

Posted by wayne76 at March 20, 2008 8:09 AM

comment #14

storymark says ...

If DZ thinks Dune is a bad idea, I know it'll work out.

Posted by storymark at March 20, 2008 9:09 AM

comment #15

thorsen1nk says ...

Lynch's Dune is, at times, the best and worst sci-fi movie I've ever seen. It's got some of the most laughably bad effects I've ever seen, but its production design is genius far future, and it's got some surreal, spiritual moments which transcend the genre.

Given Dune's place in my heart, I'd like to see someone with more of the "vision thing" than berg, who's a decent enough director but too workmanlike for my taste. I would've said Peter Jackson pre-King Kong, but now I'd be more into Ridley Scott or Ronald D. Moore, the guy behind the superb remake of Battlestar Galactica.

Posted by thorsen1nk at March 20, 2008 9:30 AM

comment #16

George Prager says ...

How about Andrew Dominik reviving the ERNEST franchise?

Posted by George Prager at March 20, 2008 9:48 AM

comment #17

insidah says ...

The disastrous film adaptation taught everyone a lesson: some books are too dense and complicated for a two hour adaptation. Now, here we go with a new generation of arrogant assholes totally ignoring the lessons of their filmmaking elders.

Posted by insidah at March 20, 2008 9:53 AM

comment #18

Jay T. says ...

Sam Raimi has become such a huge disappointment. A Simple Plan was a beautiful (and very underrated) film that mixed drama and tension in a way that few movies are able to pull off, and yet since then it's been a bunch of spider-man crap. I was fine with the first one - he deserved a big payday, but I wish he'd return to another simple story and make better use of his talents. I wouldn't call him a hack so much as a sell-out.

Oh, and I'm not going to question anything Peter Berg does after getting shafted with Friday Night Lights (he gives us the best sports TV show of all time and it can't even get a full two seasons?! What a waste).

Posted by Jay T. at March 20, 2008 10:08 AM

comment #19

JohnCope says ...

I agree with thorsen1nk. Berg is a perfectly competent director but he's never given me any reason to think of him as a "visionary" and that's what Dune needs. Count me amongst those who loved Lynch's version for all its flaws and found the Sci-Fi channel version so encumbered by literalism that I could barely make it through the first ten minutes. Really, I don't understand why someone would rather see a banal, grindingly literal adaptation of a text rather than one mediated by a distinctive, presiding vision. Yeah, give it to Maddin, that would be fascinating; at least if Jodorowsky can't be lured back (which I know he can't be). Better yet, how about Tarsem?

Posted by JohnCope at March 20, 2008 10:14 AM

comment #20

DavidF says ...

Three word's:
David Fincher's Dune

I read DZ's opening comment and laughed cuz I thought it was someone making fun of DZ. Really! But it's not...it's really him.

Posted by DavidF at March 20, 2008 10:31 AM

comment #21

Monument says ...

I'm still waiting for the rumored 4 hour cut of Lynch's Dune to see the light of day, if it exists that is.

Posted by Monument at March 20, 2008 10:50 AM

comment #22

Filthy Rich says ...

Raimi can't direct action. Remember the sequence in Spidey 2 with the train? God, I had such a headache from that - he thinks good action directing is just make everything stupidly, superfast. He should stick to directing thrillers like Simple Plan and The Gift and avoid the big paycheque, corporate gigs.

And Berg directing Dune? Ok, he can direct action and drama but Dune? Borrrrring.

Do something new.

Posted by Filthy Rich at March 20, 2008 11:32 AM

comment #23

Geoff says ...

Never undstand the appeal of DUNE. Don't like the book. But then again, I've always despised Tolkien, so what do I know?

Posted by Geoff at March 20, 2008 11:34 AM

comment #24

MovieBob says ...

What precisely did Raimi "sell out" to? He started out doing "geek" genre movies, did "geek" genre TV for awhile, then right back to "geek" movies. The 'serious' stuff (Simple Plan, For Love of The Game) have been the deviations, not the norm.

Posted by MovieBob at March 20, 2008 11:35 AM

comment #25

CinemaPhreek says ...

The Jack Ryan franchise is dead, unless they decide to make it a period piece.

Which I could see working. We are probably just getting to the point where people have become nostalgic for the last of the Cold War, when you enemy was flesh & blood commies and not nebulous "Islamofascists" of such.

Posted by CinemaPhreek at March 20, 2008 11:37 AM

comment #26

Rich S. says ...

The mention of Jodorowsky just gave me an idea. What if Berg were to use the production drawings H.R. Giger did for that film? I remember seeing some of them in Starlog when I was a kid. One was a mountain with the Baron Harkkonen's face carved into the top, but then the face pulled back to reveal cannons or missiles or some such coming out of the eyeholes of a skull.

Never happen, but that would be something.

Posted by Rich S. at March 20, 2008 12:40 PM

comment #27

Eric Stanton says ...

Jay T, last I heard NBC was in negotiations with DIrect TV to split the costs of producing a third season of "Friday Night Lights." The prospects of a renewal were supposed to be good.

Did that fall through? It would be a shame. I just got caught up with the first season of FNL on DVD and I was thrilled with it - it's an amazing show, and considerably better than the (good) movie.

Posted by Eric Stanton at March 20, 2008 12:51 PM

comment #28

Monument says ...

Jodorowsky Dune info:
http://www.duneinfo.com/unseen/jodorowsky.asp

Giger Dune info:
http://www.duneinfo.com/unseen/giger.asp

Posted by Monument at March 20, 2008 1:04 PM

comment #29

christian says ...

"Raimi can't direct action. Remember the sequence in Spidey 2 with the train? God, I had such a headache from that - he thinks good action directing is just make everything stupidly, superfast. "

Raimi is easily one of the best action directors around. His style has influenced many of today's directors. That train fight and the bank fight are great because you can actually follow the action! It's not random ADD editing like 90 percent of most films today. Raimi is kinetic but choreographed. Please!

Posted by christian at March 20, 2008 2:15 PM

comment #30

Jay T. says ...

I guess I misinterpreted the artistic integrity that was Spider-Man 3... yeah, that an Evil Dead II are practically the same thing. Nothing's changed, sure.

Posted by Jay T. at March 20, 2008 2:49 PM

comment #31