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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Blue Costner

An unnamed major film critic recently asked a journalist friend about "that Kevin Costner baseball movie." Baseball movie? "Yeah," the critic said. "It's Costner doing the usual jowly working-class schlub thing...what, it's not a baseball movie?" No, he was told. My friend then said to the critic, "You know, if someone like you -- a film critic who ostensibly keeps up -- isn't getting what this movie is about, the marketing for Swing State is doing something wrong." I'm sorry -- Swing Vote!


Wilshire Blvd. near Gayley, heading east -- 7.22.08, 10:55 pm.

Santa Monica's Montana Avenue near 16th Street -- 7.22.08, 8:45 pm.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 23, 2008 at 12:10 AM

comment #1

Marty Melville says ...

"a film critic who ostensibly keeps up -- isn't getting what this movie is about, the marketing for Swing State is doing something wrong."

The marketing I've seen (TV only) is an easily sussed neo-Capra/Sturges story about a presidential election being decided by one middle-class schlub...

So there are there are two things going on here; either that critic is a dumb as a post or Costner's career is so very dead that his image in a trailer or on a movie poster only correlates to his last true hit.

Posted by Marty Melville at July 23, 2008 12:48 AM

comment #2

markj says ...

I'm amazed Costner still takes hits when today's blockbusters are stuffed full of balsa wood like Orloondo Bland. And Waterworld may be seriously flawed but at least they went out into the elements and filmed it for real, instead of standing around in a green box.

Posted by markj at July 23, 2008 1:09 AM

comment #3

BurmaShave says ...

People thinking this is another Costner Baseball movie is the best thing that could ever happen to it. I hope it's as smart as it should be. Costner actually looks really charming in it. I'm really glad he keeps headlining films, though MR BROOKS was my least favorite movie of last year. He was actually pretty good in it though. He's probably just a childhood era comfort for me, to be honest.

And why the fuck does Matthews have to be the talking head in this? I feel like it's been every political movie. I love the guy, but he's overexposed in this context. As awesome as he was on 30 ROCK he absolutely ruined MAN OF THE YEAR even more than it already was. Anyhow, point is... jesus, sometimes even I dont know.

Posted by BurmaShave at July 23, 2008 1:16 AM

comment #4

LYT says ...

Used to be that the McLaughlin group was in every political movie. Hardball's about the closest equivalent to what that used to be (loudmouth free-for-all commonly spoofed on SNL)

Posted by LYT at July 23, 2008 1:52 AM

comment #5

BurmaShave says ...

Funnily enough, Chris Matthews on McLaughlin appearing in DAVE is the only one of his movie appearances I can stand.

Posted by BurmaShave at July 23, 2008 2:22 AM

comment #6

EDouglas says ...

Obviously doing something wrong if they can't get the (extremely simple) name of the movie right.

Posted by EDouglas at July 23, 2008 3:50 AM

comment #7

corey3rd says ...

At least he didn't think it was political version of "Swingtown." Although it would be hilarious as a comedy about a bi-sexual baseball player. The follow up could be "Pitching For Both Teams."

While waiting for Dark Knight, this couple comes out of Mama Mia. The woman says, "I didn't know it was a musical." The guy says "It was nice."

Posted by corey3rd at July 23, 2008 5:44 AM

comment #8

Sam Adams says ...

I was staring at the bus shelter ad over the weekend and thinking the same thing -- but the confusion must be on purpose, no? Why else put such a nondescript picture on the poster without the slightest thing, not even a tag line, to indicate the plot of the movie? If it weren't for the check mark in the logo, you might conclude the title was just a baseball pun. How will "low-information moviegoers" react?

Posted by Sam Adams at July 23, 2008 6:01 AM

comment #9

snackyx says ...

My friend then said to the critic, "You know, if someone like you -- a film critic who ostensibly keeps up -- isn't getting what this movie is about, the marketing for Swing State is doing something wrong."

It gets even worse: your friend, who appears to at least attempt to keep up with these things, has the title wrong--its SWING VOTE.

Posted by snackyx at July 23, 2008 6:21 AM

comment #10

actionman says ...

I never made it to Blue Plate, though I have heard good things.

Swing Vote looks alright, I'd Netflix it at the very least; maybe a matinee.

Posted by actionman at July 23, 2008 6:29 AM

comment #11

Joel says ...

I'd say it's a bigger indictment on the movie critic than the marketing of the film. It's in your best interest to do research in whatever industry you happen to be in, even if it doesn't directly affect your job. A movie critic has it easy when it comes to this - ads are on TV and entertainment sites abound. If a critic can't even keep up with Swing Vote, then what is he or she doing?

All in all, I think this points to why I don't trust movie critics all that much.

Posted by Joel at July 23, 2008 6:41 AM

comment #12

Josh Massey says ...

I can't believe a political movie starring three conservatives (Kevin Costner, Kelsey Grammar, Dennis Hopper) is getting any attention here.

(Yes, Hopper. He's on record for having voted for Bush twice).

Posted by Josh Massey at July 23, 2008 7:11 AM

comment #13

adorian says ...

I just don't even understand the basic concept. Since each presidential election involves tales of hundreds of missing or flipped votes per county (Ohio) and madness (Florida) and missing ballot boxes that may not have been counted or may have been counted twice, how can just one vote from one guy determine the whole thing?

It might be cute as a very short fantasy skit on SNL (if they ever go back to doing short skits again), but I don't buy the concept, so I'm not going to bother with this one. It reminds me of that comedy when the royal family of England got wiped out and John Goodman ended up being the King. Just because somebody can pitch it doesn't mean the rest of us will catch it.

Posted by adorian at July 23, 2008 8:30 AM

comment #14

George Prager says ...

Ii just read part of some thing on Gary Sinise and conservatives and Hollywood and something else and this and that (this is what blogs have done to my attention span). The one thing that seems to connect all of these Bush/McCain supporters (Sinese and Hopper included) is that they are all recovering alcoholics. I guess you need to fill up all that emptiness when the booze is gone and "Patriotism" is a seductive hobby.
Anyway, I like Kevin Costner and would see a good movie starring him in a second (and I like some of his less than good movies), but the concept of this movie is so 1998.

Posted by George Prager at July 23, 2008 8:41 AM

comment #15

lbeale says ...

Has everyone forgotten "The Upside of Anger?" Costner is terrific in that, Joan Allen was robbed of an Oscar nomination, and the film is funny, sweet and filled with great moments. Far as I'm concerned, Costner still has the goods. And my wife thinks he's still incredibly great-looking.

Posted by lbeale at July 23, 2008 8:56 AM

comment #16

corey3rd says ...

better yet - Costner is a bi-sexual Joe Lieberman guy who votes for the party that knows how to party with him. He's the perfect Swing Vote.

Posted by corey3rd at July 23, 2008 9:17 AM

comment #17

MilkMan says ...

Sometimes I feel like Kevin Costner is my spiritual twin. Back in the mid-90s I too felt like The Messiah. One time I was driving my mom back from dinner, we were on the 134 headed east, and I said Hey mom, watch this, I'm going to close my eyes and drive with no hands, which is exactly what I did, much to my mom's consternation. That we didn't drive off the road or get in an accident only cemented, to me, at least, the fact that I was indeed the Son of God, much like Coster seemed to have felt when he made Waterworld and The Postman. Soon after, though, my mom made me go see her gyno, who wrote me a prescription for Effexor, which essentially quashed my campaign to turn the San Fernando Valley into paradise on earth, not to mention seriously hampered my abiltiy to have dreams about saving children from Mall Spree Shooters. As a matter of fact, the Effexor made it so I couldn't dream about anything. Sleep was a void, a black hole that I seemed to fall into without any memory of having done so. But now that I am drug free I am having dreams again, and they must be very similar to the dreams that Coster is having, dreams that involve mud-crusted pick up trucks, corn-shucking, and freckled farm girls in blue sun dresses smelling of freshly picked strawberries.

Posted by MilkMan at July 23, 2008 9:45 AM

comment #18

LYT says ...

"The one thing that seems to connect all of these Bush/McCain supporters (Sinese and Hopper included) is that they are all recovering alcoholics."

It's Hollywood. Everyone's either a recovering or current alcoholic.

Between Grammer and Hopper, I wonder which plays the conservative? Or will this be one of those movie worlds where they never name the parties and the candidates speak in really broad generalities?

Posted by LYT at July 23, 2008 10:05 AM

comment #19

frankbooth says ...

For the recovering addict, removing all choice is sometimes the easiest way to stay on the straight and narrow.

Posted by frankbooth at July 23, 2008 10:38 AM

comment #20

alynch says ...

LYT, Grammer's the republican and Hopper's the democrat.

Posted by alynch at July 23, 2008 10:53 AM

comment #21

berg says ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ_U0QJ3dx0&

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvLrRC567zQ&

Posted by berg at July 23, 2008 11:42 AM

comment #22

Terry McCarty says ...

Can't help being reminded of the ad campaign for Paul Schrader's LIGHT OF DAY (a big close-up photo of Michael J. Fox) two decades ago.

Posted by Terry McCarty at July 23, 2008 1:19 PM

comment #23

Sendyhong says ...

Recently, quite a few celebrities and pro athletes were said to appear on the millionaire luxury club "R I C H L O V I N G.C O M" to hook up with hot girls, ladies, models... OMG!!! Are these famous guys fond of internet dating for now?? Maybe they are indeed so rich that they feel boring sometimes to need new things? It was reported on MSN Charlie Sheen has found his girl there last May.

Posted by Sendyhong at July 24, 2008 3:08 AM

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