Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

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  • Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

    by Alex Billington from http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/01/...p-to-the-hype/

    In only five more days a giant monster from the mind of J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves will attack New York City and tear it to pieces. But alas, I remember back in August of 2006 saying that same sort of thing, but with a plane full of snakes. Cloverfield will drop on January 18th, this upcoming Friday, as has been promised since July when we were first introduced.

    I won't deny that I have this worried feeling in the back of my mind, that I'm trying to suppress, that is wondering whether this could be the next Snakes on a Plane. I really, really don't want it to flop like that, so my question is importantly, will it live up to the hype?

    Before I get into the details on this, I will say up front that I'm expecting nothing but excellence. Everything I've heard from the few people who've seen it has been nothing but positive. I don't have a doubt in my mind (well, expect for what I mentioned above) that this is going to be awesome and that it'll do very well. However, I've been known to be wrong previously and over-predict certain situations. It's mid-January and people are all going back to school this week, so I'm just not entirely sure how it'll turn out. I can only cross my fingers and hope for the best.

    There are a couple of things really going against Cloverfield's immense success, unfortunately.

    First off, in last week's Sunday Discussion, we discussed how most January movies suck, and how studios use it as dumping grounds for bad movies. Secondly, there are extensive nationwide early screenings on Tuesday night, and after the crowds who really want to see it have all done so by then, will the buzz still carry over to the weekend when it actually counts? Like Snakes on a Plane, once the people who want to really go see it have seen it, no one else will, even if it is a great movie - at least, that's what I'm concerned of.

    On the other side of the equation, I have a feeling that Paramount's marketing team is a lot smarter than New Line's (who put out Snakes on a Plane). And when this turns out as successful as everyone is expecting it to be, it'll go to show what great marketing can do (and become a model to follow). And more than anything it will go to show how incredible Paramount is at marketing, pulling off two non-sequels in less than a year's time that both became enormous blockbusters. Transformers has already done that, now it's Cloverfield's turn.

    What do you think? Will Cloverfield live up to the hype? This is a two part question: 1) will it be as awesome as everyone wants it to be, and 2) will it perform as well at the box office as expected? What do you think? Not only do I really hope it achieves both of those, but at this moment, I actually believe it will be amazing and make money. Just wait and see!
    @TerranceMulloy

  • #2
    Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

    Not only do I think it will live up to the hype that most people have for it, but I think it will end up being one of the most profitable films of 2008. I'd say it will do around 30 million opening weekend, and will end up with a 100-150 million final BO total. I think what we have here is the true beginning to the next stage of the "giant monster" genre, or at least that's what I'm hoping for.

    The main thing that it has going against it is that The Asylum is releasing Monster to DVD on the 15th, just three days before Cloverfield opens:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLv7trkylrg

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    • #3
      Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

      Will it live up to being that movie that no one knows what it is about or cares to see?

      Probably.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

        I think that it'll do okay in the US, but not great. When it comes to horror films, Yanks tend to prefer to watch young girls being strung up by their ankles and filleted by other people.

        Giant monster movies are stupid, the box offices seems to say.

        Internationally it should be huge, though.

        But I do get the vibe that it'll deliver for most folks that would prefer watching giant lizards wrecking cities than giant robots.
        "Forget it, Jake. It's Hollywood."

        My YouTube channel.

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        • #5
          Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

          The level of expectation seems to be very high, so it had better deliver or word of mouth could do more damage than the monster.
          TimeStorm & Blurred Vision Book info & blog: https://stormingtime.com//

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          • #6
            Hype?

            Originally posted by Terrance Mulloy View Post
            This is a two part question: 1) will it be as awesome as everyone wants it to be, and 2) will it perform as well at the box office as expected? What do you think?
            Ghads! I can remember all the way back to 1976, when another film got hyped.

            "The most exciting original motion picture event of all time."

            Thusfar, respecting the first part of your question, everyone wants an awesome film, but this is being marketed like a freak show barker's tease. If was really good, why not tell a bit more about it, (besides its being a "Blair Witch Project" account of a skyscraper-sized monster attacking Manhatten)? Once suckered out of their dime, who cares to admit being suckered? No, I don't think that it'll be "awesome"; so, not everyone.

            With respect to the second part of your question. There's lots of suckers who'll line up to watch anything, without having the slightest clue about it, relying on its hype. It'll make lots of money, but, maybe, not as much as the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.

            "Revolves around a monster attack in New York as told from the point of view of a small group of people."

            I was expecting a new title, by now, so it's still "Cloverfield," eh?
            JEKYLL & CANADA (free .mp4 download @ Vimeo.com)

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            • #7
              Re: Hype?

              Yeah, "Cloverfield" is the government's code name for the case in the movie.

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              • #8
                Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

                It'd be sort of counter-productive to change the name of the movie after all the hype...
                "Forget it, Jake. It's Hollywood."

                My YouTube channel.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

                  Did anyone post this interview with the director, yet?

                  "There is a YouTube film (below) documenting an elaborate theory between the Wolfmother song, "Woman," and its connection to the name Cloverfield being chosen for the film. Tell us the real story behind the title Cloverfield? When we started the project there was going to be an announcement in the trades. In this case, they wanted to keep everything under wraps. So the movie was going to be made under this outside corporation that was basically a property of Paramount. That corporation had a name that I don't know the name of. I think Clover was the first part of it. Maybe it was Cloverdale. When Drew [Goddard, LOST writer] was putting a name to the project, there was supposed to be a name for the project like there was for The Manhattan Project. So he said, "I am going to use that weird mysterious thing," and he misheard it. He didn't even understand that it wasn't Cloverfield, it was Cloverdale. Maybe that was because of the street by J.J.'s old office, but the truth is he just misunderstood it."

                  Wow. That's dumb.

                  "We're all immigrants now, man."
                  - Zia (Patrick Fugit), "Wristcutters: A Love Story"

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                  • #10
                    Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

                    It'll be interesting to see how effective a trailer that doesn't give away the entire film is in getting asses in seats.

                    I have never been all that into giant monster movies, so my interest is pretty "clinical" at this point. But if it gets good word of mouth, maybe I'll check it out.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

                      According to Harry over at AICN, the recent barrage of viral marketing and trailers we've seen are not really that relevant to the film itself. They're sort of there to detract from the main plot. Make you think the film is something it's not. Well, apart from a giant flea destroying NYC.

                      If that's the case and the film is good. Like, really good, then this has got to be the savviest marketing feat in Hollywood for as long as I can remember. You top that with healthy Box Office earnings and you've got a sure fire hit. Cue the sequel.

                      I kind of think back to Spielbergs flawed War of the Worlds from 2005. I enjoyed it, although I didn't agree with some of Spielberg's choices, as some of it came across very uninspired, rushed and lazy (think three-hour epic sci-fi invasion movie. Spielberg style). But imagine if he'd have chosen to tell Ray Ferrier's story through a handycam POV. Would have been much more intruguing, and could have been a worthy WotW update - modernized, without steering too much away from the original story. And without having to endure Cruises public demise and fall from grace.
                      @TerranceMulloy

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Hype?

                        Originally posted by 12IronMonkeys View Post
                        Yeah, "Cloverfield" is the government's code name for the case in the movie.
                        international title is Monstrous or the local translation of it

                        about the hype

                        film is good, no doubt about it
                        it is revolutionary, it has the right dosage of "monster" and it should live up to the hype

                        not sure if I like the marketing, because they could show more in trailers or tv spot without killing the surprise or BO
                        so I hope that people go see it. the exhibitor who screened it with me said he wasn't that surprised by a movie since Passion of the Christ and expects a long runner

                        I'd love to see Spielberg's version of WOTW done that way, but to be honest, you just can't watch shakey picture for that long

                        go see it opening weekend and enjoy the ride

                        oh, and Snakes on the plane? please don't mention it again with this movie
                        This is Blairwitch with budget and monster

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                        • #13
                          Re: Hype?

                          I'm kind of surprised that IMDb or any other source hasn't included horror when describing or categorizing the movie as although, sure, it may very well be much more of a sci-fi-thriller than anything else, the subject matter alone is ripe with horrific elements.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

                            It'll be great until they show the monster.

                            Should have let Harryhausen design it:
                            http://mos.stanford.edu/ee272/proj00/kraken/kraken.jpg
                            sigpic

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                            • #15
                              Re: Will Cloverfield Live Up to the Hype?

                              I don't think it will do too well because the TV ads I've seen don't register
                              even a little with my wife or me. In fact, the first time I saw the ad, it looked
                              so cheap that I thought it was one of those commercials that try to look like
                              a movie ad, but they turn out to be for the "Monster Savings" at this weekend's
                              Ford Bonanza Year End Selloff.

                              I was actually more drawn in to the STRANGE WILDERNESS trailer because
                              of the shark with the overbite.

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