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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Bill Maher and Larry Charles' Religulous, the Lionsgate doc that will play at the Toronto Film Festival roughly two weeks hence but won't open in theatres until 10.3, is now playing twice daily at Laemmle's Claremont 5, about 20 minutes east of downtown Los Angeles. Here's the link to the Yahoo page showing the current Claremont 5 listings, and here's the recording.

No reference to the crybaby musical genre -- it's just that the letters "clar" and "nt" were dark when the shot was taken.

The reason for the early booking is the Academy's Rule 12, which states that to be eligible for a Best Documentary Feature "a documentary feature must complete both a seven-day commercial run in a theater in Los Angeles County, and a seven-day commercial run in a theater in the borough of Manhattan between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2008."

That means Religulous is probably playing in some out-of-the-way theatre in the Manhattan area also. No critics will be reviewing off the Claremont booking. Even though, it must be noted, N.Y. Times critic Manohla Dargis reviewed Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired off of a qualifying booking in a theatre in Yonkers last March.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 18, 2008 at 4:19 PM

comment #1

DotTheEyes says ...

I hope this ends up getting a decent release. At least, say, 250 theatres (with an opening in Annapolis, MD). I want to see it on the big screen.

Posted by DotTheEyes at August 18, 2008 5:54 PM

comment #2

actionman says ...

what's stopping critics (other thsn an embargo) from going to this theater, seeing the film, and then posting a review?

Posted by actionman at August 18, 2008 6:06 PM

comment #3

gruver1 says ...

Wells to Strongman: Industry manners. It's better to chill sometimes than be the hot-dog. No need to rock the boat. The movie is opening soon so what's the urgency? That's why.

Posted by gruver1 at August 18, 2008 6:12 PM

comment #4

seymourgrant says ...

I saw today that it was playing at a theater here in Manhattan and thought it was a misprint or something. But since it's not, I think I'll go see it tomorrow. They sure are hiding it though. It's way up in Washington Heights in a rather run down theater.

Posted by seymourgrant at August 18, 2008 6:51 PM

comment #5

actionman says ...

Fair enough.

Posted by actionman at August 18, 2008 7:24 PM

comment #6

DarthCorleone says ...

Only 1 and 3 and probably gone by the weekend. I wish I could get over there to see it, but I can't.

Posted by DarthCorleone at August 18, 2008 8:51 PM

comment #7

Yves says ...

@Wells-- It's also Religulous-- who's going to care whether it's reviewed now or a few days from now? It's not like it's the Last Temptation of Christ or some other film eligible for a massive Christian boycott.

Posted by Yves at August 18, 2008 9:31 PM

comment #8

JHS says ...

Looks like its playing at Coliseum Cinemas.......703 West 181st Street at Broadway....

Posted by JHS at August 19, 2008 12:04 AM

comment #9

EDouglas says ...

I don't believe for a second that no one will use that early opening to break the embargo. I've personally been asked to refrain from even talking about the movie online until its Toronto premiere... I think any critic in L.A. would jump on this chance as an excuse to praise/bash the movie early and I wouldn't put it past Poland or someone else to do so.

Posted by EDouglas at August 19, 2008 5:42 AM

comment #10

tjfar67 says ...

How can there be an embargo once they start accepting paid admissions to their feature?

Paramount should impose a permanent embargo for Beverly Hills Cop IV, if that is the new standard.

Posted by tjfar67 at August 19, 2008 9:53 AM

comment #11

Devin Faraci says ...

If you pay to see the movie there's no embargo. I may head over to see the film since I haven't been invited to any pre-TIFF screenings and won't be at TIFF.

Posted by Devin Faraci at August 19, 2008 10:38 AM

comment #12

tjfar67 says ...

Imagine if, say, Microsoft said, "Sure we are selling our new operating system to the public, but, as a professional courtesy, we ask all the tech writers not to review our product until we rolled out our marketing campaign."

F' em.

Posted by tjfar67 at August 19, 2008 11:03 AM

comment #13

AuggieBenDoggie says ...

181st...hmmm...might have to catch this after work this week. It's very mean, but I just love putting Maher's show on when I have my hard line conservative friends over. Watching their reaction to the show, it's very much like the hear, see, and speak no evil scene from Planet of the Apes.

Posted by AuggieBenDoggie at August 19, 2008 12:15 PM

comment #14