2008 Woodie Awards
Cloverfield: Nauseating to watch
Matthew Howard
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Life!
It is possible that the new "mockumentary," Cloverfield, could be the first film since the 1925 version of Phantom of the Opera to send some of its viewers to the hospital.
In Phantom, the star, Lon Chaney, donned homemade makeup and slipped into the role of "The Phantom." At that time, viewers were so shocked and frightened by his appearance that six filmgoers suffered heart attacks. So, you would wonder why, with producers and directors and even actors knowing the effects that certain techniques can have on viewers, such a movie was made--especially after previous debacles.
So far, Cloverfield has sent nearly 25 people to the hospital with "extreme nausea," according to CNN. What makes Cloverfield so hazardous to its viewers? Unless you've seen it, there is no way to convey how dizzying the camera-work is.
Producer J.J. Abrams, the man behind Lost and Mission Impossible III, decided to film the movie with everyday digital camcorders opposed to the high-tech, expensive ones familiar to Hollywood.
He also decided against using a tri-pod and decided to have the actors film the movie, even as they were running.
This resulted in extremely shaky camera work that left the viewers quite helpless as the camera pitched all around the screen. It panned from actor to ground to sky mercilessly--moving so quickly that some things were merely a blur on the screen.
This type of camera work simulates motion, but its intensity is too much for the eyes to take in all at once. So, you can begin to understand why many moviegoers, including myself, became nauseous during the film.
About an hour into film, I began to feel my double chicken-cheese steak rising in my stomach. I, along with two others in the theater, excused myself. About five minutes later I returned and sat through the last half-hour without incident.
The film opens up with a surprise party for Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) who is leaving for a job in Tokyo the next day. During the party we find out that Rob has had an affair with a close friend, Beth (Odette Yustman).
In Phantom, the star, Lon Chaney, donned homemade makeup and slipped into the role of "The Phantom." At that time, viewers were so shocked and frightened by his appearance that six filmgoers suffered heart attacks. So, you would wonder why, with producers and directors and even actors knowing the effects that certain techniques can have on viewers, such a movie was made--especially after previous debacles.
So far, Cloverfield has sent nearly 25 people to the hospital with "extreme nausea," according to CNN. What makes Cloverfield so hazardous to its viewers? Unless you've seen it, there is no way to convey how dizzying the camera-work is.
Producer J.J. Abrams, the man behind Lost and Mission Impossible III, decided to film the movie with everyday digital camcorders opposed to the high-tech, expensive ones familiar to Hollywood.
He also decided against using a tri-pod and decided to have the actors film the movie, even as they were running.
This resulted in extremely shaky camera work that left the viewers quite helpless as the camera pitched all around the screen. It panned from actor to ground to sky mercilessly--moving so quickly that some things were merely a blur on the screen.
This type of camera work simulates motion, but its intensity is too much for the eyes to take in all at once. So, you can begin to understand why many moviegoers, including myself, became nauseous during the film.
About an hour into film, I began to feel my double chicken-cheese steak rising in my stomach. I, along with two others in the theater, excused myself. About five minutes later I returned and sat through the last half-hour without incident.
The film opens up with a surprise party for Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) who is leaving for a job in Tokyo the next day. During the party we find out that Rob has had an affair with a close friend, Beth (Odette Yustman).