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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Apparently this is the final, decided-upon poster for Valkyrie (MGM/UA, 12.26) for the U.S. market. It's a fairly riveting image -- strong, exciting, tells you it's a solid thriller -- but let's be frank and acknowledge that one reason it's working is that it's pushing familiar buttons. My first thought was "kinda Reservoir Dogs-y." Then Ocean's 11 came to mind. Not that there's anything wrong or unwise about that. These are two very popular films.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 30, 2008 at 3:43 PM

comment #1

D.Z. says ...

I think you mean "City on Fire-y". [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HgbSAL8OKY This sucker used to only have two stars a year ago. That bodes badly for 'Bastards.] Anyway, looks like Joaquin Phoenix is already retiring. http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/joaquinphoenix_blog.html

Posted by D.Z. at October 30, 2008 4:09 PM

comment #2

p.Vice says ...

Considering how dull and unoriginal this poster is, it looks like they were after the most accurate depiction of the movie possible.

Posted by p.Vice at October 30, 2008 4:23 PM

comment #3

televisiontears says ...

Classic D.Z. post: Obligatory Tarantino hate, followed by the most irrelevant item he could find. I honestly hopes he starts his own blog. I would check that shit every five minutes.

Posted by televisiontears at October 30, 2008 4:33 PM

comment #4

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Tom Cruise *is* Mr. Pink.

D.Z., liar pants on fire-y, shut the fuck up...those movies have only the barest of plot threads in common, and deep down, I think you damn well know it.

R.D. is infinitely more entertaining due to the performances, dialogue, and music ALONE, NONE of which has ANYTHING to do with City on Fire.

What'syerpoint?

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at October 30, 2008 4:37 PM

comment #5

mbarlow says ...

I think the image is really striking and dynamic. Almost Saul Bass territory. Suggests a maze and a mystery and only hints at a swastika. Sells Cruise as the lead name without making him the whole story.

Helps define the movie.

Posted by mbarlow at October 30, 2008 5:01 PM

comment #6

The Hoyk says ...

"Lemme tell you what 'Lili Marlene' is about. It's about this hooker that some poor shavetail gets stuck on, because he's too dumb to know she's selling her ass under a streetlight, and thinks she really loves him. So he goes to war, does all the dirty shit you gotta do to survive, all the while mooning over this klafte, who's probably busy humping half the occupying forces by now. That's why every single enlisted man is crying like a baby when that song comes on the radio - because they know some higher-ranking piece of shit is fucking a girl they love but instinctively know doesn't give a rathskeller about."

Posted by The Hoyk at October 30, 2008 5:08 PM

comment #7

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

BWAHAHAHAHA, okay fuck Obama...Hoyk for President!

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at October 30, 2008 5:29 PM

comment #8

actionman says ...

very stylish. looking forward.

Posted by actionman at October 30, 2008 7:12 PM

comment #9

JckNapier2 says ...

The color scheme may be Reservoir Dogs and/or Ocean's 11, but the character poses are completely X-Men. As I wrote last month, Tom Cruise' pose is almost identical to the stance of Wolverine in the X-Men 3: The Last Stand posters.

http://scottalanmendelson.blogspot.com/2008/09/valkyrie-goodies-enjoy.html

Sorry to link to my own site, but it has links to the posters I'm referring to. Basically, MGM is trying to remind us that Brian Singer used to make ensemble pictures that we liked. The poster feels like X-Men while the trailer sells hard on the 'dark caper' element, ala The Usual Suspects. They desperately need to start screening this thing, and a new trailer attached to Quantum Of Solace would do wonders, but so far it's a decent ad campaign.

Posted by JckNapier2 at October 30, 2008 8:13 PM

comment #10

frankbooth says ...

This style does not exactly scream WWII to me. Feels rather Sixties. But I suppose it's kind of Bauhaus, which the Nazis were opposed to...so maybe it's actually very clever and subtle.

That or they just want it to look cool and trying to hide the film's subject matter by downplaying the Nazi angle. Which do you think is more likely?

Posted by frankbooth at October 30, 2008 8:32 PM

comment #11

Pinko Punko says ...

Just a bunch of do-gooder citizens, not, for example, NAZI F***ING GENERALS.

Graphic design wise they are being sly about the swastika, but perhaps too sly. I would give it a B- because the tagline is just sad.

Posted by Pinko Punko at October 30, 2008 11:19 PM

comment #12

D.Z. says ...

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2008/10/white_black_and.php

Posted by D.Z. at October 31, 2008 12:45 AM

comment #13

Hi Hitler says ...

Hate the poster.

LOVE the movie.

Crow is gonna be the highlight of many people's X-mas dinners methinks...

Posted by Hi Hitler at October 31, 2008 3:49 AM

comment #14

Rich S. says ...

I'm surprised that no one has pointed out the obvious, though Pinko Punko touches on it. The poster employs the Nazi black/white/red color scheme without actually showing any swastikas.

But why is Cruise walking, while the other characters are stationary?

Posted by Rich S. at October 31, 2008 4:40 AM

comment #15

nola says ...

Not crazy about it. It's not as "clean" as Dogs or Oceans

I don't like the tagline at all.

Posted by nola at October 31, 2008 5:43 AM

comment #16

renorambler says ...

I didn't realize Cruise was so tall! hahahahaha

Posted by renorambler at October 31, 2008 7:47 AM

comment #17

JoshNY says ...

"Many saw evil. They dared to stop it."

This is kind of silly, right? I don't think the Valkyrie plot had anything to do with stopping "evil." I think it was more political/pragmatic, as in Hitler is screwing Germany over and we have to stop him so the Allies will be lenient in their terms of surrender.

Posted by JoshNY at October 31, 2008 8:01 AM

comment #18