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)

Upcoming

August 27

Traitor

August 29

Babylon AD

College

Disaster Movie

Goal II: Living the Dream

I Served the King of England

My Mexican Shivah

Sukiyaki Western Django

Year of the Fish

Young People F*cking

September 3

The Pool

September 5

A Secret

August Evening

Bangkok Dangerous

Everybody Wants to Be Italian

Mister Foe

Ping Pong Playa

Save Me

Surfer, Dude

Moved Up

email this story
read comments (4)
post a comment

Clint Eastwood's Changeling, a 1920s kidnapping melodrama starring Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich, was going to open on November 7th. Now Universal is announcing a new date that's two weeks earlier. The limited release will be on Friday, 10.24, and the wide on Friday, 10.31.

Angelina Jolie in Clint Eastwood's Changeling.

There's no ambiguity about the title, by the way, as was indicated during the Cannes Film Festival. Eastwood's films will definitely be called Changeling, despite that festival rumble about a possible switch to The Exchange and producer Brian Grazer having told Variety's Anne Thompson during the festival that he "thinks" it'll be called that.

My reaction after catching the Cannes makeup screening: "Longish and leisurely paced. Delivers a keen sense of humanity and moral clarity. Offers a complex but rewarding story. Really nice music, as usual, that lends a feeling of warmth and assurance. Superbly acted, shot, and paced (not every movie has to feel like a machine gun).

"More than a few top-notch performances -- Jolie's leading the pack. A movie that understands itself and its subject matter completely. Some overly black or white-ish characterizations, but not to the extent that they bug you horribly. Aimed at adults (i.e., those 25 and over with the ability/willingness to process this sort of thing). Not a great film, but a very fine one. Terrible last line, though."

Back in the Saddle<< previous | next >>iPhone 3G

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 9, 2008 at 12:14 PM

comment #1

Unison says ...

I liked the last line a lot.... I'll take whatever small amount of levity I can get after 2 1/2 hours of bleak tension (even if said levity is immediately undercut by the closing title cards...).

Posted by Unison at June 9, 2008 1:06 PM

comment #2

Edward Havens says ...

Think of this... Clint Eastwood has made as many movies in the last four years as Malick has made in the last forty.

But yeah, I can see Universal moving Changeling so they can mount a good plan of attack against Gran Torino... unless GT isn't meant to be Oscar-bait material.

Posted by Edward Havens at June 9, 2008 1:38 PM

comment #3