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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November 12

Slumdog Millionaire

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A Christmas Tale

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Dostana

The Dukes

Eden

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November 21

The Betrayal

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Wee Hours

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Night-before, post-midnight screenings of big summer movies are routine, but I was especially intrigued to hear about 6 am showings of The Dark Knight in this 7.9 N.Y. Times story by Michael Cieply.

One of the most vivid screenings of my life happened when I attended a 5 am showing of THX 1138, which was being shown as part of 24-hour science-fiction marathon. I was barely awake but felt very alive and open-pored. I had seen this George Lucas film at some funky-ass repertory theatre, and at a too-late hour if I correctly recall. I was okay with it after seeing it there. But the 5 am wake-up screening was a revelation in that I came out floored by THX 1138. Every little thing that Lucas intended, I got. Especially the humor.

I've been convinced ever since that the very early wee hours (following a few hours of sleep) are the best time to see a movie.

I'm going to keep checking Fandango, but if anyone hears about a 6 am Dark Knight screening in Los Angeles proper, please advise. Why haven't I seen The Dark Knight in a regular press screening?

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 9, 2008 at 4:34 PM

comment #1

moneyB says ...

TDK is showing at the Bridge at the Howard Hughes Center on Thursday evening, July 17 at 3:05am (sold out) and at 6:05am (tix still available, but only in the front few rows)...

Posted by moneyB at July 9, 2008 5:16 PM

comment #2

moneyB says ...

oh, and the above screenings are for the IMAX presentation...

Posted by moneyB at July 9, 2008 5:18 PM

comment #3

BurmaShave says ...

Does it count if we attend the midnight screening that lets out 5 hours later? I kid I kid.

Posted by BurmaShave at July 9, 2008 5:35 PM

comment #4

MathewM says ...

Speaking of early morning movie watching: I have a rather vivid memory of watching Dancer in the Dark at 4 or 5 am. Probably the best and only way to enjoy a Lars Von Trier film.

I remember reading about Napoleon or some other famous generals drawing up their best strategies at wee hours of the morning.

Posted by MathewM at July 9, 2008 6:58 PM

comment #5

The Winchester says ...

When I was a projectionist for AMC, the Thursday nights before movies opened I had the lucky job of screening all the prints I had just built up before they're screened for the public. I've had far too many 5 AM (ayem) screenings, many terrible, but I feel it definitely added to my enjoyment of The Truth About Charlie.

Posted by The Winchester at July 9, 2008 8:04 PM

comment #6

Mjs says ...

When I was a projectionist for many years I also did the early morning screenings. Sometimes I'd start one film around 1, then another around 3:30 in the morning. The two most (least) memorable? I watched Freddy Got Fingered around 2 in the morning. Honestly, it probably made it slightly more tolerable.

The worst was when I had to screen The Thin Red Line starting at nearly 3 in the AM. That was tough. I watched it again years later and realized it was actually a great film, not worthy of all the curses I gave it that night.

Posted by Mjs at July 9, 2008 8:11 PM

comment #7

PhilipGalasso says ...

I saw There Will Be Blood after being up for 26 hours, and was of all things energized afterward, totally invigorated by the film. I promptly got soused and passed out, but that's beside the point.

Posted by PhilipGalasso at July 9, 2008 9:29 PM

comment #8

Jeffrey Kunze says ...

Jeff,

I have strong reason to believe that the reason why you have yet to experience an advanced screening of "The Dark Knight" is due to the fact that you irreparably smote the delicate esteem of Warners Bros. studio, after cruely deconstructing the (semi)truth behind our somewhat lackluster advertisements for crowd-pleaser "No Reservations".

Sincerely,

Jeff Kunze, WB Vp., Marketing and Communications

Posted by Jeffrey Kunze at July 9, 2008 9:50 PM

comment #9

LYT says ...

All-media screening is Monday. It isn't at 6 a.m. though.

Check the Arclight, Jeffrey. They've done a few crazy round-the-clock type things recently for other "big event" movies.

That's if it's opening there.

Posted by LYT at July 9, 2008 10:40 PM

comment #10

D.Z. says ...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3iecef08e72cf7ae2a81b4ccc82d398594

Posted by D.Z. at July 9, 2008 11:15 PM

comment #11

frankbooth says ...

That's crazy talk. Never trust anyone who's chipper and fully functioning before noon. That person is probably an early-bird weasel who will steal your socks out from under you first chance he gets.

As for watching movies in a sleep-deprived state, I first saw Dune on opening day at 11 a.m., after staying up all night because I was young and unemployed and I could. And I have to say, the film made a lot of sense to me in that state.

Posted by frankbooth at July 10, 2008 12:27 AM

comment #12

DarthCorleone says ...

I'm getting too old for midnight screenings. On any given night starting a movie at midnight can easily result in my falling asleep, no matter how good, loud, or highly anticipated the movie is. I've tried the early morning showing in lieu of staying up with the thinking that it gives the whole movie a Christmas morning feel.

Posted by DarthCorleone at July 10, 2008 2:11 AM

comment #13

hcat says ...

Another former projectionist here, I had to watch the first scream movie at 1 am in an empty theater, and I dont mean empty auditoruim but an entire empty building. Considering that Craven's previous film was Vampire in Brooklyn I was not worried about being creeped out. You know that feeling of uncertainly that makes you all of a sudden sprint up the steps of a dark basement, well after the movie was over I was booking all over the place to shut off the breakers, lock all the doors and get the hell where people were.

I have also grown to love early morning viewings, I love being one of the only people in the theater for a 10 am show and would love to go to 7 am ones so I wouldn't take such a large chunk out of my day.

'I watch more movies before ten a.m. than most people watch all day'

Posted by hcat at July 10, 2008 7:49 AM

comment #14

lazarus says ...

I'm still in shock that Jeff said something positive about George Lucas, and that no one else took a potshot either.

Posted by lazarus at July 10, 2008 8:38 AM

comment #15

The Winchester says ...

In a strange dove tail with a previous post, the only time as aforementioned projectionist that I just couldn't take it anymore, and got up and left the theater, was Eddie Murphy's The Adventures of Pluto Nash. I remember lasting until about the third reel, then I was out.

And I agree with hcat that the early morning shows are the best. And the cheapest.

Posted by The Winchester at July 10, 2008 9:00 AM

comment #16

hcat says ...

I also like drinking in the morning as well, but that is perhaps another conversation

Posted by hcat at July 10, 2008 11:14 AM

comment #17

acd562 says ...

Could it have been a 50-hour science fiction marathon in 1975 at the Plitt Century City Theaters as part of Filmex that you saw THX 1138 at 5am? I was there for all 50 hours and slept only through a showing of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" since I'd seen it countless times before and unbelievably they showed it completely silent.

Posted by acd562 at July 10, 2008 12:57 PM