Field of Clovers ...

Movies movies movies ... Hollywood never ceases to disappoint. Well ... except for Million Dollar Baby (I dare ANY of you to explain why that movie was popular, as I literally began plucking the hairs on my arm during the movie to entertain myself). But generally there is at least $10 worth of entertainment from anything that brightens the silver screen.

And so it goes with Cloverfield- the newest thriller that shows the buildings of New York City being tossed about like the Lego's of a temperamental 2-year-old on speed. First of all, why is it always NYC? Between The Day After Tomorrow and Artificial Intelligence there are hardly any buildings left to destroy! I guess it's more exciting to watch human beings running and screaming for their lives instead of cows going for a swim in a tsunami. But still, let's give NYC a rest and wipe out an area of little worth ... like, um ... Texas (minus Austin)?

Anyway, Cloverfield is effectively the combination of Godzilla, War of the Worlds, and The Blair Witch Project. Persons who are motion-sickness-challenged, please be advised- the blurred images and jostled scenery feel quite like Mel Gibson out for an evening drive. The lady behind me in the theater said "I'm gonna puke", and that is the kind of immersing movie experience that I would prefer to forgo (leave the surround sound to the speakers, sweetheart). Luckily she kept it together.

The characters of Cloverfield, however, had some trouble keeping it together. When I say "it", I'm really talking about their friggin' common sense and decision-making abilities. "Hmm ... my girlfriend is trapped in a region of Manhattan where an unidentified biting object is reeking havoc on the city, certain to result in death and unpleasant dismemberment of all appendages.... LET'S GO !!!!!" Sigh ...

It could be the love of my life trapped in the Trump Towers- I am out of there, bitch ... Well, now that I say that, I have to wonder... If it's the love of your life, is life worth living without him/her? Even if your exit to the afterlife involves a considerable amount of bleeding and tangled limbs?

Regardless, the characters were silly and had delusions of grandeur when they thought they could take on the UBO without losing a few friends along the way. But hey! Lady friend is stuck in the tower. Screw the dragon and rescue the princess!!!

I enjoyed the effects and the 1st person perspective of Cloverfield. Scenes of mass panic and the psychology of crowds has always been fascinating to me, and so I got my fill with this movie. I was also able to leave the theater without being afraid of the sunset, which I cannot say about I Am Legend.

As I stepped out into the (comparatively) quiet streets of Washington, DC, I had to wonder: what would happen if some ginormous monster started causing destruction all around me, ruining lives and crushing the world without a care for the consequences?

Hey wait ... how did I get started talking about the Republican party??? (oooooooh COLD .....) Sorry, that one just seemed too easy, and I'm not clever enough to REALLY insult the beast.