A Funny List

I probably shouldn’t post this, but it is a hilarious list comparing college porn to real-life college.

It is very funny, but not safe for work!

Star Trek XI Teaser

I saw this yesterday, just before seeing “Cloverfield”!

A Review of Cloverfield

This afternoon, at 12:30 p.m., I attended a showing of the the film “Cloverfield” with a close friend.

Although it had a few minor flaws, the film proved excellent. Exciting, scary, and tension-filled. Indeed, I have not experienced such intense (movie-going) tension since 2005’s “War of the Worlds.” Although much shorter than that film, and very different from a stylistic perspective, “Cloverfield” exhibited a very similar kind of intensity.

The story follows the fates of several young Manhattanites during a massive attack on New York City. The first 20 minutes (or so) of the film is dedicated to exploring some background information on each of the main characters. This part of the film is a little bit slow, but pays off later.

The film, produced by J.J. Abrams and directed by Matt Reeves, uses the “hand-held camera” conceit to tell its story. We watch from the perspective of one of the main characters as he records the events of the completely unexpected and horrifying attack on New York City. Indeed, it is as if his perspective is ours, which lends the film additional weight.

The real “weight” of the film, however, comes from the images reminiscent of the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Many of the now-iconic images of that day — the dust-covered survivors, the collapsing buildings, the sense of utter confusion and panic — are purposefully part of this film. Although I did not lose anyone on that terrible day, these images made the film somewhat difficult to watch at times. I would strongly suggest that those who experienced the events of September 11th avoid this film.

Yet it effectively tapped into our collective deep well of fear and anxiety concerning that day and those images. It is, perhaps, an attempt to recast those images and remove some of the real-life horror from them — to defang them, in other words. This is, to my mind, an interesting goal, and definitely one with merit, looked at one way.

The characters are simultaneously two-dimensional and interesting; perhaps they were intentionally created as somewhat flat, so that we may project ourselves into their shoes. I certainly did. The hallmark of any good film is whether or not it raises within the minds of its viewers moral and ethical questions — especially those with no clear answer. This film certainly did that, on several levels.

The quibbles that I have with the film are minor and not worth mentioning. I can only report that I sat mesmerized for 74 minutes, caught up in the action and pondering its imponderable questions. I rate it a 4.5 out of 5.