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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I went four, four and a half minutes with Harrison Ford a little while ago at a small Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull party held at the Carlton hotel. Usually you get maybe two or three minutes with a major star at a gathering like this with aggressive journalists prowling around like wolves, looking for a name to bite into and a quote to take home.

Harrison Ford inside the Carlton Hotel's La Cote restaurant-- Saturday, 5.17.08, 6:40 pm

I didn't even try to talk to Steven Spielberg, who was wearing a black baseball hat and dressed like some semi-retired suburban guy driving down to the hardware store for some weed killer. He was there for maybe 25 minutes, if that. I also spoke to Indy 4 costars Shia LeBeouf (guarded, formal), John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent.

Ford and I talked about director and mutual friend Phillip Noyce, who directed Ford in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, and about Phillip's recently born daughter, Anthony Minghella's tragic death, his excellent appearance ( trim, bright eyes, good color..forget that Uncle Festus stuff!), how often he works out (three times weekly), many stunts he did in the film ("I just did the acting," he said) and some minor stuff. We'd last spoken at a San Francisco junket for Clear and Present Danger, in '94.

It was an odd crowd. Nothing but "top journalists," as one Paramount publicist said, but some of them looked...I don't know, a little weird. Like cattle buyers or Israeli used-car salesmen. They didn't have the right uptown, dark-suited vibe. Bad clothes, funny hair. Not to judge a book by its cover.

Ray Winstoine, Harrison Ford -- 5.17.08, 7:05 pm

I saw Ford give Fox 411's Roger Friedman one of those "jeez, man...I don't know" looks when they started talking. Friedman has seemingly asked something unusual or challenging, something that required a little heavy consideration.

I told LeBeouf he looked great also, adding -- this was a minor mistake -- that the program obviously agreed with him. "The program?," he asked. "Yeah," I said. "AA....no? I read you'd gone into the program after the Chicago Walmart bust." "Nope...no program," he replied, registering zero emotion, cool as a cucumber. "Just livin' my life." The guy looks rail thin -- thinner that the way he looks in Indy 4, thinner than Transformers, etc.

I spoke to Hurt about his portrayal of Warren Christopher in Recount and the hullaballoo that had broken out about the accuracy or fairness of depicting the former Secretary of State as a wimp, which the film certainly does. He said the research was up to the filmmakers, but that he knew they had based the screenplay on first-rate source material. He also said that Recount screenwriter Danny Strong is smart as whip and a mine of information.

John Hurt, Steven Spielberg -- 5.17.08, 6:55 pm

Unfair Practices<< previous | next >>Harlow on Indy 4

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 17, 2008 at 10:45 AM

comment #1

Chance says ...

"...dressed like some suburban guy driving down to the hardware store to pick up some weed killer."

Nice. That made me laugh out loud.

Posted by Chance at May 17, 2008 11:54 AM

comment #2

qwiggles says ...

""The program?," he asked. "Yeah," I said. "AA....no? I read you'd gone into the program after the Chicago Walmart bust." "Nope...no program," he replied, registering zero emotion, cool as a cucumber. "Just livin' my life.""

Ahaha!

Posted by qwiggles at May 17, 2008 12:04 PM

comment #3

breadlymoore says ...

LeBeouf, Jeff.

Posted by breadlymoore at May 17, 2008 12:10 PM

comment #4

R. Hunt says ...

I was at the "Clear and Present Danger" junket. I remember Ford coming to the doorway of the room we were using for roundtables, giving a deer-in-the-headlights look, backing off and talking to a PR handler for a few minutes before finally coming in the room. I came to the conclusion that his rough impatience with the press was probably a cover for intense shyness.

Posted by R. Hunt at May 17, 2008 12:10 PM

comment #5

breadlymoore says ...

Shia LaBeouf

Posted by breadlymoore at May 17, 2008 12:12 PM

comment #6

Roman says ...

Way, to fail with Shia Jeff. Glad he gave you exactly the kind of treatment you deserved.

Posted by Roman at May 17, 2008 12:26 PM

comment #7

Kristopher Tapley says ...

I see Mr. Kaminski in a pic there. You tell him how much you hate his guts?

Posted by Kristopher Tapley at May 17, 2008 12:31 PM

comment #8

Mjs says ...

God, Jeff, you're such a fucking idiot. Were you in any way kidding about the Shia interaction. Please tell me that didn't really happen.

Posted by Mjs at May 17, 2008 12:46 PM

comment #9

gruver1 says ...

wells to roman: yup, that's what I did , all right. I FAILED with Shia LeBouf! I did okay with Harrison Ford though.

Posted by gruver1 at May 17, 2008 12:58 PM

comment #10

D.Z. says ...

I'm surprised he only has to work out thrice a week. He either must have good genes or an intense exercise regimen.

Posted by D.Z. at May 17, 2008 1:14 PM

comment #11

qwiggles says ...

Pfft, who cares if Jeff hurt Shia's feelings. That story is socially awkward gold.

Posted by qwiggles at May 17, 2008 1:15 PM

comment #12

Josh Massey says ...

I met Gene Hackman last night at a book signing, but alas, only got about 30 seconds. I fought off the urge to beg him to do one more film and not end with Welcome to Mooseport, but maybe I shouldn't have.

Posted by Josh Massey at May 17, 2008 1:43 PM

comment #13

Feathers McGraw says ...

These kind of mistakes and screwups happen to everyone in interview situations. It's actually sort of endearing that Jeff is so up front about his. There are plenty of legit things to beat him up about (weird weight obsession, stereotypical blue state behavior, etc.) without being petty assholes about this.

Posted by Feathers McGraw at May 17, 2008 2:20 PM

comment #14

Aladdin Sane says ...

Feathers, you miss the point. It's fun being petty assholes about this. If Jeff took it all so seriously, I'm sure a good chunk of us would be banned by now.

Posted by Aladdin Sane at May 17, 2008 2:29 PM

comment #15

nemo says ...

Forget the Uncle Festus stuff? Where's the fun in that?

Glad to hear Harrison Ford is looking so good, though.

Somewhere recently -- Newsweek? -- I read a short interview with Gene Hackman. They asked him if he misses acting. He said he misses working with the cast and crew when things are on a roll -- "when things are really cooking," he said.

But he added that he did not miss all the crapola you have to go through to get to that point.

Posted by nemo at May 17, 2008 3:14 PM

comment #16