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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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"Walk Hard" a year-end antidote

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"I can't tell you much about last night's [Manhattan] screening of Walk Hard-- there's a review embargo for a few more weeks-- but I will tell you this: I haven't heard an audience laughing so hard since Superbad," writes Screener's Katey Rich. "Coming after a long fall of grim (but often great) movies, Walk Hard is the perfect holiday season antidote for grownups, riotously silly but well-made, a thumb to the nose at the pretension and preening that often takes the screen this time of year."

Karger pulling for "Clayton"<< previous | next >>Leicht on "No Country"

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 28, 2007 at 4:27 PM

comment #1

Hopscotch says ...

I heard different, and it came from a devout Apatow Fan.

We'll see. God knows Walk the Line / Ray / Dreamgirls shouldn't be HARD to parody.

Posted by Hopscotch at November 28, 2007 4:42 PM

comment #2

4th grade army says ...

I saw this a few weeks ago in NYC and thought it was hilarious. Think it's another Apatow hit. I can't imagine this not doing well. It's a blast.

Posted by 4th grade army at November 28, 2007 4:47 PM

comment #3

4th grade army says ...

I saw this a few weeks ago in NYC and thought it was hilarious. Think it's another Apatow hit. I can't imagine this not doing well. It's a blast.

BTW, the version I saw had full frontal male nudity directly in front of the camera for about...oh...20 seconds. Imagine it'll be on the extended version.

Posted by 4th grade army at November 28, 2007 4:48 PM

comment #4

Rothchild says ...

They cut out the fight with Patrick Duffy. The film went from an 8/10 in my book to a 7/10 in seconds.

Posted by Rothchild at November 28, 2007 4:49 PM

comment #5

gr81lives says ...

They had a few screenings here in LA. And the audience didn't laugh that much.. It will have an ok first weekend and that's it.

Posted by gr81lives at November 28, 2007 5:08 PM

comment #6

Hopscotch says ...

Oh that Apatow backlash...it'll be here eventually.

I love John C. Reilly and REALLY love Jenna Fischer and Kristen Wiig. I hope this one works.

Posted by Hopscotch at November 28, 2007 5:18 PM

comment #7

Rothchild says ...

The Apatow backlash is going to happen soon and disappear forever the day Pineapple Express opens.

Posted by Rothchild at November 28, 2007 5:19 PM

comment #8

actionman says ...

Walk Hard looks like fun but doesn't have me goosed with excitement (I loved Knocked Up and found Superbad to be funny but uneven). I love Reilly so I'm glad he's front and center in this one...and Jenna Fischer is a major hottie so it'll be nice to see her.

I can't wait for Pineapple Express based on all of the rave reviews I have read online. An R-rated stoner comedy/action film with bloody gun fights and marijuana being smoked constantly throughout. Sounds like a fun time to me.

Posted by actionman at November 28, 2007 5:27 PM

comment #9

Zoidberg says ...

I'm excited about the film just for Kristen Wiig....
Of anyone to appear on Saturday Night Live in recent years, she's the one who most deserves a huge breakout. She's friggin' hilarious.

Posted by Zoidberg at November 28, 2007 5:29 PM

comment #10

scooterzz says ...

i was surprised at how non-responsive the crowd i saw it with was (a few weeks ago at the arclight)... it fell pretty flat...

Posted by scooterzz at November 28, 2007 5:37 PM

comment #11

snoop says ...

Saw it here in Philly on Monday. It's far more in the vein of Airplane than anything Ferrell's done even though it's get compared to his work. That said, it's not nearly as iconic as that film and doesn't even sort of approach what Mel Brooks did for satire.

Still, it's the best outright satire in a long while, far better at what it's doing (making fun of music biopics, specifically Ray and Walk the Life) then the Scary Movie its devil spawn (the sequels, Epic Movie, Date Movie, The Comebacks).

It starts of a little slow with some funny moments, then gets hilarious through the '70s before falling into a quick 30-year speed-through that's sporadically amusing. I appreciate the extra work done by Apatow and his crew to craftsome really good songs for the film (they're all great, especially the title track and "Deut").
Riley really holds the film together (vocal skills on full display) and only missteps when they make him do Will Ferrel-type stuff (one or two scenes). Meanwhile, every major character has a running gag, with Tim Meadows having the best one and there's tons of cameos. Some are good (Beatles cast and John Michael Higgins), while others are pointless.

Overall it's solid and funny but nowhere near as "quality" as Knocked Up or as clever as Brooks-level satire. It's going to be big, no doubt about it.

Posted by snoop at November 28, 2007 7:09 PM

comment #12

Aguirre says ...

caught this yesterday, and as an avid lover of the apatow universe, i'm sad to say that walk hard isn't only unfunny, it is aggressively so. i always thought that walk the line desperately needed to be knocked down a peg or two, but walk hard can never decide just how silly it wants to be, jokes fall flat left and right, missed opportunities for laughs are relentless, and the cameos (jack black's, notwithstanding) get their mileage out of the casting coups and not the humor. it is not only the worst thing that apatow has ever touched, but one of the least funny and - more importantly - more frustratingly boring films of the year. the TV SET / jake's stints on freaks and geeks + undeclared be damned, between walk hard and in the excruciating in land of women, SOMEONE NEEDS TO FORCIBLY BAN THE KASDAN BROTHERS FROM HOLLYWOOD. nepotism can be an ugly, ugly beast...

Posted by Aguirre at November 28, 2007 8:07 PM

comment #13

scooterzz says ...

really, aguirre....just simma' down....you need to relax........

Posted by scooterzz at November 28, 2007 10:57 PM

comment #14

Rosebudsthesled says ...

I saw this movie a couple of weeks ago and within five minutes I was practically falling out of my seat with laughter. There's just one great scene after another and it's so hilarious. The parody is spot on, if you've seen WALK THE LINE and RAY.

Posted by Rosebudsthesled at November 28, 2007 11:35 PM

comment #15

jeffmcm says ...

There's a Kasdan brother? I thought it was just Jake.

Posted by jeffmcm at November 29, 2007 12:28 AM

comment #16

Terry McCarty says ...

Re Jake Kasdan: ZERO EFFECT wasn't all that bad.

I guess in the blurbmeister universe of 2008, it will be too incorrect to submit this quote for THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS:
MIDNIGHT RUN MEETS UP IN SMOKE!!!!

Posted by Terry McCarty at November 29, 2007 12:43 AM

comment #17

thatrader says ...

I saw "Walk Hard" last night at a press screening and it is easily the funniest movie I've seen all year. It corrects all the problems I've had with the last few Apatow hits: no pop culture references that date the movie, the humor isn't limited to sitcom levels, and the length isn't (comes in at a slim 90 minutes with even more awesome jokes in the credits).

Posted by thatrader at November 29, 2007 6:33 AM

comment #18

thatrader says ...

*and the length isn't bloated

Posted by thatrader at November 29, 2007 8:30 AM

comment #19

Sean says ...

"Apatow and his crew to craftsome really good songs for the film (they're all great, especially the title track and "Deut")."

I'm glad to hear that, because the thing that had me exicted about the movie was Dan Bern's involvement with the songs. If somebody could capture the humor of his songs in a movie, it should be a pretty good movie.

Posted by Sean at November 29, 2007 1:29 PM

comment #20