Cloverfield

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January 2002 greeted us with Cloverfield, a monster movie that sponsored diverse reactions from its audience. Spurred by a strong viral marketing campaign, TV advertising, and online discussions, Cloverfield gained ground on the young demographic while puzzling the older folks.

The plot follows five young New Yorkers who were in a going-away party when a monster strikes. This bears resemblance to Godzilla where there is a large monster set-up in New York. This is an adventure of escaping the monster recorded from a hand-held camera which is similar to the similarly intense Blair Witch Project, all with the shaking angles, and earth-touching perspective. Unlike other big budget monster movies, Cloverfield thrives on the story’s simplicity and pace but did not do much in the “depth” department. Cloverfield exploited the documentary style “footage cinema” to a chilling effect that left moviegoers either confused or ecstatic.

Part of the show’s mixed reactions is due to the hype created by its strategic marketing. With such hype surrounding Cloverfield, expectations from critics and moviegoers also soared. First, the backlash of the hand-held camera perspective might still be fresh coming from the Blair Witch Project. Then you have a disaster movie that always end up in a sappy way. A combination of the two produced a movie that you will either love or hate. We can see the love-hate tirade in online discussions and movie reviews. With Cloverfield being the highest grossing movie in a January release of all time, we can say that the movie chipped the audience.

The media savvy that we can see from Cloverfield is much appreciated by the same kind – media savvy viewers. These are the Facebook users, Lost viewers, and fans of viral videos. This perspective is nearer to the action and provides less room for looking at the big picture. For viewers who want to look at the puzzle instead of hearing clues, they will be disappointed. Cloverfield is not for the classic-smart audience but rather a reaction to an audience who has grown from the internet media boom.

In a traditional sense, is it a great movie? Only the viewer can answer that. It is definitely a new art and a new way of watching movies. Probably, we are seeing a new standard in TV and cinematic experience. The only way to know is to watch and decide for your selves. After all, there is nothing savvy or traditional about going to movies with your friends and family!

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