Clem;107902 said:Hi Graeme,
You make a good point about verité techniques and their applicability to genre pics and epic themes. One example of the successful merging of gritty realism w/ sci-fi and horror is "Alien." Scott intentionally went for a documentary feel (influenced heavily by "Texas Chainsaw Massacre) for that picture, from handheld camera-work to casual, naturalistic dialogue to the real functionality of the props and sets. Of course, that was "Alien" and Scott is a legend, but I do think he proved that an immersive, logical and believable movie can be made about utterly fantastic events. Perhaps it's because I'm an actor myself, but my chief concern about "Cloverfield" is the quality of the performances. "Blair Witch" was, to my mind, hamstrung by bad acting, and let's face it, we've been conditioned by too many bad films to associate twenty-something characters with bland monster bait. It takes a talented actor to register stark terror at a cardboard cutout in front of a green screen.
As Greg said, I guess we'll find out next week.
Clem
Clem;108027 said:Still need to see "The Descent." How's that one? Marshall's a real talent.
Clem;108027 said:As far as my acting career goes, I'd be happy to play a penguin in "Mountains of Madness."
Clem;108027 said:Graeme, I think understand where you're coming from. If we accept the premise, that sometime in the near future a titanic creature will arrive in and wreck New York, it's reasonable to assume that it will be a rather big deal, reported in exhaustive fashion by our august and unimpeachably reliable (snicker) journalistic institutions. Why, then, go to a home video shot by a twenty-something partygoer as the primary source for an epochal event? It's a good question, and I think I have a good answer for it. It'll be hard for U.S. audiences not to see "Cloverfield" as a 9/11 metaphor, and I suspect that the choice to focus on the "little" people's experience was informed by the nature of the information stream manifest in the days immediately after 9/11. Some of the most remarkable and informative narrative images were recorded not by journalists but by tourists, residents and amateur photgraphers/filmmakers. For example, the only video of the first plane to hit WTC Tower 1 was accidentally recorded by someone shooting an indpendent film. All he had to do was pan up when he heard the jet's engines. Amateur videographers have been a true game-changer in the news biz, and the advent of YouTube and other online video hosting services means that they'll be game-changers in the entertainment film biz as well.
"Dog Soldiers" was great fun, by the way, though I hear the American version wasn't as good as the UK cut. Still need to see "The Descent." How's that one? Marshall's a real talent.