johnnyherbert

I absolutely loved Cloverfield even though I am no fan of the shaky cam. The movie is interesting because it's so damn different. It takes a worn concept and invigorates it by applying an innovative approach. The style will anger and offend some viewers but, if you're able to accommodate the camera, the movie delivers. There are moments of high tension and the sense of danger feels closer and more real than in any recent motion picture. The missteps - the greatest of which is the interminable introduction - are forgivable because the payoff is strong. In some ways, Cloverfield gives the impression of having been produced on a low budget, but the special effects are first rate. The monster and the devastation it causes look real. We believe. And, ultimately, that's the reason why Cloverfield works - because this film takes you into the heart of the maelstrom and leaves you there.

One of the earliest roles of Clint Eastwood. A plane on its way to Japan is forced to land at sea just off the Japanese coast. A small American boy survives the ditching but is separated from the rest of the passengers and crew and is picked up by a Japanese fisherman, who takes the boy back to his village. The boy is befriended by the fisherman's son, but when they see Japanese police swarming over the village, they are afraid that they've done something wrong and run away, although the police are only searching for the missing boy. There's not much here to see but this is a decent action flick.

Talk about underrated. Wow! Sean Penn plays a drifter traveling to Vegas when his car gives way close to a town called Superior, Arizona, filled with weird folks. The narrative twists and turns in a serpentine fashion, rarely proceeding in a predictable or straightforward manner for more than a few minutes at a time (hence, the title). Film noir aficionados will recognize and/or expect many of the plot's contortions, since there are various requirements that have to be met by any entry of the genre. However, anticipating certain occurrences doesn't necessarily diminish our enjoyment, and the film takes so many detours that at least one or two of them are bound to surprise even the most jaded movie-goer. This is a very underrated film which was butchered on release.