Since I'm always up before 6 on weekdays, I usually don't have the chance to see midnight showings of movies. But Scott, Brian, and others were going to the midnight showing of Cloverfield so I tagged along. Oddly enough, I was able to stay awake through the movie - I most definitely didn't make it through the last midnight showing I saw (though the "nap" from 8-11pm and the Monster at 11:20 certainly helped).
I'm still not too sure what I thought about Cloverfield. It was fresh and new at least - not retreading the same footsteps of other films and not taking the easy way out at any point. My first impression was that I really enjoyed the film. The film used a lot of unknown actors and they did a great job. It's a really herky-jerky type film, but it's linear and you really get to know the characters and almost feel the fright they are experiencing. With the point of view the whole film takes on, you feel immersed in the film and through immersion, you begin to put skepticism aside and actually believe in the reality the film creates.
In the end, experiencing what the characters experience, knowing what they know, feeling what they feel, you're left with the same questions the characters have, left with wanting to know more, but still satisfied with the explanations you've received throughout. There could have been a whole backstory that they filled in on the monster, but you just don't need it. There's no need to know where it came from - just that it's terrifying. There's no need to know why it's here - just see the havoc it's wreaking. All you need to know you learn from those 4 main characters as they make their way through collapsed buildings, subway tunnels, and the eery streets of Manhattan.
I said that my first impression was that I really enjoyed it. And I did. There's still bits and pieces that I'd like to go back and see again. I think I might need to sleep on it though to fully grasp what I saw at a late midnight showing...
Nota bene: If you have a tendency to get motion sick, take something before the movie! Scott's wife, Jessica, said a couple days ago that she was going to take Dramamine, but when we arrived, she said she forgot to bring it. Big mistake. I think she made it 15-20 minutes before having to leave to throw up. And judging by the steady stream of others leaving the theater and Jessica's reports of where they headed when leaving, there were quite a few other people who couldn't deal with the unsteady camera - it's all filmed with a handheld camera and it moves A LOT.
