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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Should I stay or should I go?, asks Jean Arthur's "Bonnie." But Cary Grant's "Jeff" isn't the declarative type, so he suggests a coin flip -- heads you stay, tails you go. He flips the coin. "Heads -- what about it?" he asks. "I'm hard to get, Jeff," she says, hurt. "All you have to do is ask me." He gives her the coin, a kiss, out the door, "See ya, Bonnie!" The plane he's co-piloting with Allan Joslyn is tearing down the runway when she looks at the coin. The scene starts at 7:55.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 20, 2008 at 7:52 PM

comment #1

Walter Sobchak says ...

Ewww! Black and white. Gross! How about showing clips from something newer, like "The Hulk" or something?

Really, though. Howard Hawks kicked ass. One of the great eye-patch-wearing, hard-drinking bad-asses of all time.

I never got Jean Arthur, though. I guess women liked her because she was plucky and non-threateningly cute. She always kind of bugged me just a little bit, especially when you've got a young, smoking hot Rita Hayworth floating about.

Oh wait.... this clip wasn't placed here to draw attention to some political point, was it? Oy.

Posted by Walter Sobchak at August 20, 2008 9:13 PM

comment #2

Mgmax says ...

Like George W. Bush, who won't ask the electorate to approve of the achievements he's made in Iraq...

oh never mind.

Great film. Absolutely one of my favorites. All set on studio sets and miniatures, makes no sense on its own terms (no mail service that loses that many planes could last a week) but makes perfect sense as a WWI flying picture in disguise, no, Jean Arthur may not be as good as Angie Dickinson in the remake (Rio Bravo) but Cary Grant as a heartless bastard with a breaking heart, Thomas Mitchell as a manly tragedy in the making, Richard Barthelmess, his silent era beauty gone,* poignant in his last major role, one of the all-time beautiful silver poems of black and white Hollywood.

* It's thought that he had had plastic surgery which cost him the expressiveness of the lower part of his face. It's certainly credible based on his performance here.

Posted by Mgmax at August 20, 2008 10:07 PM

comment #3

Walter Sobchak says ...

Thanks for the info, Mgmax, you right-wing nut-bar....

Barthelmess shows up in quite a few early 30's aviation flicks that are nowhere to be found 'cept on TCM....

Love the model airplanes..... ahh, the Ford Trimotor... the tin goose...

Posted by Walter Sobchak at August 20, 2008 10:29 PM

comment #4

Mgmax says ...

Yeah, look for The Last Flight (1931), which is close kin to The Sun Also Rises. It suffers a bit from early talkie stiltedness, but if you can get past that, it's very affecting. Probably the best role of the rather unfortunate Helen Chandler.

If you really want to see Barthelmess, track down Tol'able David (it's on DVD). One of the greatest silent performances, as a boy-man who eventually has to go all Straw Dogs on some baddies, despite which turn at the end, it's a charming and moving pastoral tale.

Posted by Mgmax at August 20, 2008 10:47 PM

comment #5

Pinko Punko says ...

Of course this f***er was screened tonight and I had to work. Damn it to hell. The revival house where I go has a gigantic lobby poster for this, and therefore I've always wanted to see it there.

Posted by Pinko Punko at August 20, 2008 11:22 PM

comment #6

thevisceral says ...

I saw this on TV. They had sucky CGI then. So fake. And there's no swearing at all. So gay.

Posted by thevisceral at August 21, 2008 5:02 AM

comment #7

peachtree says ...

A thread about Richard Barthelmess. Did I die and go to heaven? Peter Hogue, in an article published in the July-August 1992 Film Comment about World War I and the aviation genre, called Barthelmess the icon of the genre's Lost Generation branch, due to his work in films like The Last Flight, The Dawn Patrol, Central Airport and Only Angels Have Wings.

In December 1921, First National "adopted" Barthelmess -- they had a big adoption dinner to celebrate -- after his great success in the marvelous Tol'able David. :) I've got a clipping with a photo taken at the dinner showing the crowd all posed and looking into the camera, while off at the side Barthelmess signs the adoption papers. ;)

Posted by peachtree at August 21, 2008 5:07 AM

comment #8