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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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In honor of the not-quite-15th anniversary of True Romance (it opened on 9.10.93 in the States, and 10.15.93 in Great Britain), Maxim has spoken to the principals -- director Tony Scott, screenwriter Quentin Tarantino, stars Christian,Slater, Patricia Arquette, Gary Oldman, James Gandolfini, Dennis Hopper, et. al. -- and assembled some good material.

Scott: "When I was directing The Last Boy Scout, my assistant was hanging out with this quirky guy named Quentin Tarantino, and he'd d be around the set. She said, 'You gotta read his script.' I said, 'Yeah, right.'

Tarantino: "When you're a nobody, it's murder to get anyone to read your scripts. So my thing was making the first page fantastic, with dialogue that grabbed you right away. The original True Romance script started with a long discussion about cunnilingus. Most people said the script was racist and that the grotesque violence would make people sick. I told Tony, 'Read the first three pages. If you don't like it, throw it away.'"

Scott: "He gave me two scripts: True Romance, which was his first script, and Reservoir Dogs. I'm a terrible reader, but I read them both on a flight to Europe. By the time I landed, I wanted to make both of them into movies. When I told Quentin, he said, 'You can only do one.'"

Precisely<< previous | next >>Third Go-Round?

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 29, 2008 at 2:01 AM

comment #1

vansmith says ...

this was the seminal movie of the 90's, this was the jumpoff, more than pulp fiction. this one took film away from unrealistic sly, bruce and arnold stuff and put crime back on the streets with real lowlifes. slater was great as the regular white boy turned hero, he and the chick were overly mushy i thought to balance out the bad guys. i was given this script as a gift. tarantino's 'nigger' obsession was new to see on film.which i heard was traced back to his mother who use to date black guys..

Posted by vansmith at May 29, 2008 2:57 AM

comment #2

Deschain says ...

So I guess Roger Avary wasn't available for the interview? Ok, after the tragic accident he might not be the best chat in town but only a tiny hint from the guys that he had something to do with True Romance would have given the article more seriousness. But as it is now... pure fluff and self-praise.

Oh JW... it's Maxim not Empire.

Posted by Deschain at May 29, 2008 3:28 AM

comment #3

Ogami Itto says ...

Oh JW... it's Maxim not Empire.

Yep. Why am I not surpised?

Posted by Ogami Itto at May 29, 2008 6:06 AM

comment #4

Michael says ...

15 years...damn...one of the first dates my now-wife and I attended. An unreal cast.

Posted by Michael at May 29, 2008 7:45 AM

comment #5

D.Z. says ...

van: "this one took film away from unrealistic sly, bruce and arnold stuff and put crime back on the streets with real lowlifes."

If that clip Jeff posted last year is any indication of the rest of the film, it's just as unrealistic. Especially since I seriously doubt a girl who looked like Arquette would be into Burt Reynolds, Phil Spector and Mickey Rourke-or would even know who any of them were, for that matter.

Posted by D.Z. at May 29, 2008 8:35 AM

comment #6

Boris Yeltsin says ...

I think one of the reasons why people hate Quentin so much is because when he came around, people kept thinking that there would be all these great new films coming out, when in reality, nothing this groundbreaking came out besides pulp fiction, and then jackie brown and that was it.

I sure wish there was a chat room on this site..

Posted by Boris Yeltsin at May 29, 2008 8:47 AM

comment #7

Michael says ...

D.Z., fair point. On the commentary trace, he actually addressses this. He had written the first draft of it in the late '80's...hence the Mickey Rourke reference; Reynolds was on the downslope but still...Phil Spector who knows, but it could happen. All the refs were just left in the final draft.

Posted by Michael at May 29, 2008 8:49 AM

comment #8

Zimmergirl says ...

"If that clip Jeff posted last year is any indication of the rest of the film, it's just as unrealistic. Especially since I seriously doubt a girl who looked like Arquette would be into Burt Reynolds, Phil Spector and Mickey Rourke-or would even know who any of them were, for that matter."

THANK YOU, good god. It so seemed like poor old Quentin writing his dream girl for all to see. Then again, doesn't she also pretend to be everything he ever wanted cause she's being paid to? I don't remember it that well. Finally, there are girls (Diablo Cody) who may be into that stuff but they probably wouldn't be desperate hookers on the make...

Posted by Zimmergirl at May 29, 2008 9:08 AM

comment #9

Richardson says ...

"this one took film away from unrealistic sly, bruce and arnold stuff and put crime back on the streets with real lowlifes."

I like 'True Romance', but I wouldn't say it's "realistic". Even Tarantino says it takes place in a movie-world.

But the violence is more realistic than those other movies, and that was an important milestone in the development of the '90's style.

Posted by Richardson at May 29, 2008 9:16 AM

comment #10

Gabriel says ...

"Then again, doesn't she also pretend to be everything he ever wanted cause she's being paid to?"

Yes.

Posted by Gabriel at May 29, 2008 9:21 AM

comment #11

actionman says ...

One of my all-time favorite films and Tony Scott's best work. Bradd Pitt is fucking hilarious. The scene with Walken and Hopper in the trailer is one of cinema's finest.

Posted by actionman at May 29, 2008 9:29 AM

comment #12

Mjs says ...

This movie is not meant to be realistic in any way. It's Quentin's wet dream. A guy that loves kung fu movies, comic books, and Elvis. All Quentin. He gets a pretty whore to fall in love with him and follow him to the ends of the earth. I guarantee you, when Quentin was a nerdy youth in school, that would've been his wet dream.

Posted by Mjs at May 29, 2008 9:29 AM

comment #13

dangovich says ...

It's definitely a comic book geek's fantasy. But you won't see many movies with better supporting performances. Pitt, Hopper, Saul Rubinek, etc. I love how Hopper's face clouds over for a moment before Blue Lou shoots him.

Posted by dangovich at May 29, 2008 9:57 AM

comment #14

VoiceOfReason says ...

Damn. That article just made my day. Thanks for the link Jeff.

Posted by VoiceOfReason at May 29, 2008 10:42 AM

comment #15

D.Z. says ...

Blood: "I think one of the reasons why people hate Quentin so much is because when he came around, people kept thinking that there would be all these great new films coming out, when in reality, nothing this groundbreaking came out besides pulp fiction,"

I think I hate Quentin because Pulp Fiction wasn't, in fact, groundbreaking. Seven and Memento were the better crime films.

Posted by D.Z. at May 29, 2008 4:44 PM

comment #16