Discland
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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Nazi Blahs

Due respect, but Michael Cieply's 4.23 N.Y. Times story about Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner's Valkyrie -- twice-delayed and presumed to be troubled -- adds next to nothing to the story.


All it does is (a) offer a cursory sum-up of the situation that followed the announcement of the second push-back on 4.8.08 (Cieply believes that negative web reaction was the most noteworthy aspect) and (b) allows Wagner to sound tough and resolute with statements like "we will not be daunted," "anybody trying to dismiss us or write us off doesn't understand the business," "nothing is going to stop us" and "we are determined to make this work."

I obviously know what this sounds like, but I feel that the piece I threw together on August 9th provided a more interesting photograph of things as they seemed to stand 14 days ago than Cieply's piece does now at looking back and reviewing the hoo-hah.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 22, 2008 at 10:08 PM

comment #1

WrteStufLA Author Profile Page says ...

Aw, c'mon, Jeff-- you ALWAYS feel that whatever piece you earlier "threw together" out-reports the New York Times. (Or LA Times or Variety or etc.) That's why we find you to be so amusing!

Posted by WrteStufLA Author Profile Page at April 23, 2008 4:44 AM

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