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)

No Reason

Except that this 1940 title card has...I don't know, a vibe. The starkness, the shadows, the monochrome sheen, the deco moderne lettering, the odd sideways markings on the road, the fake authenticity of it.


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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 4, 2008 at 11:54 AM

comment #1

York "Budd" Durden Author Profile Page says ...

I just watched this recently and kind of felt the same way when that card flashed on the screen.

Posted by York "Budd" Durden Author Profile Page at July 4, 2008 12:44 PM

comment #2

Pinko Punko Author Profile Page says ...

I just saw it last month- and thought the same thing. The traffic signal really bothered me. Film was OK- the female lead was really good (not the fatale, the ginger one).

Posted by Pinko Punko Author Profile Page at July 4, 2008 12:55 PM

comment #3

Mgmax Author Profile Page says ...

Oh yeah!

I love that whole string of Raoul Walsh films at Warners in that time period-- High Sierra, The Strawberry Blonde, Gentleman Jim, The Roaring Twenties, Manpower, The Man I Love. None of them nearly as famous as, say, the Curtiz films with the same stars (Cagney, Flynn, Bogart), but all aces, and good at showing you other sides of the quintessential Warners stars.

Posted by Mgmax Author Profile Page at July 4, 2008 6:11 PM

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