Hey, I really liked "Cloverfield." Some of the dialogue and character moments pushed it a bit, but overall I found it to be a fun and terrifically engaging movie, one that in an odd way has stayed with me in the week since we saw it. Some people are really put off or even sickened by shaky handheld camera work -- if you're one of them I'd strongly suggest waiting for home video and the small screen. Liz and I saw it at The Grove on one of their huge stadium screens, so every bump and jerk was seismic. The employees were handing out sick bags, which is certainly a first in my cinema-going experience. It reminded me of the famous gimmick used during the original release of Hitchcock's "Psycho," when posters warned those with medical conditions or weak hearts not to see the movie. Audiences, of course, flocked to it in droves to find out what could possibly be so scary. In the case of this guerilla-style, YouTube-era monster movie, though, I think the desire to prevent motion-sickness was sincere. It's a very bumpy -- but genuinely thrilling -- ride.

The creature effects are great and the filmmaking is really sharp. But the movie works because of its totally postmodern device -- it's supposed to be "found footage" from a home video camera recovered from "the area formerly known as Central Park." Moviegoers today are pretty hip to Hollywood's tricks and so telling the story of a huge action movie from the point of view of a small group of friends is a fresh take. Increasingly, we tell our personal stories to each other and view each other's lives through shared digital media --- YouTube videos, shared pictures from cell phones etc. So this is an effective frame to tell a larger-than-life story and make it seem intimately real.

I know there are quite a few people who vehemently disliked it, but for me the movie succeeded.

I'm just baffled by the title, though. How the code-name/working title (which is named after the street over here in Santa Monica where the production company is located) became final. . . ? It makes me believe that you can create any title you want for a film and it doesn't matter as long as you have a catchy poster and a prominently displayed release date.

-jw