Review: Cloverfield (2008)

When I heard about a trailer being released for 10 Cloverfield Lane, I got all excited and then when I tried to recall the plot of the original, Cloverfield, I came to the sad realisation that I never actually watched it. I think once a movie has been on your mental ‘watch list’ for 8 years, that’s when the long term memory workers decide it’s time to throw it away. If you don’t understand that reference, go and watch Inside Out already!  I had completely forgotten about this film until I heard rumours about the sequel but I do remember that I enjoyed it when I did!

Anyway, after trying to get into too many heavy Oscar contenders I decided this would be the perfect break. Cloverfield is a found-footage action/horror that follows a group of friends in New York City as they try to escape a devastating monster attack and rescue their friend who is stuck in Midtown.

All I looked up before watching this was that very straight to the point plot summary, and so I must have been about 20 minutes in when I got very close to taking the DVD out of the player and checking it. See, the movie starts with the friends all together at a leaving party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David) but it really drags, to the point where I honestly thought I was watching the wrong movie. If I remember right its all very shaky camera work as its supposed to be a home movie but it gave me a stinking headache!

Not long after that though there’s what seems like an earthquake, the lights all go out, and then I know for sure I’m watching the right movie. Every moment from here has me on the edge of my seat! Found footage movies take a lot of stick I think, but I’m on the fence. I think it worked amazingly well here, we didn’t see much of the monster at all which adds to the suspense, it does give me a nasty case of motion sickness! I was okay with Cloverfield because it’s quite short and I watched it at home, but in the cinema I might have struggled.  Honestly, for me this achieved what I think Godzilla was trying to achieve a few years back, the suspense of what is happening rather than the fear of the actual monster, for me this did that, Godzilla didn't!

The funny thing is, I mentioned this movie to my Grampy who wasn’t very fond of it at all! Although, to an extent I couldn’t argue with his complaints. He said that not much really happened. Well, I suppose the whole movie’s plot is one escape/rescue attempt, but I think the suspense alone makes this a great movie to watch. There was a moment when the gang rounded a corner to find themselves face to face with the military that made me jump a mile, and the helicopter scene where the military were bombing the monster from the sky actually made me do a little scream!

It’s all got me very excited for 10 Cloverfield Lane. Plus, the trailer gives nothing away at all, which is even better! I’m still wondering whether it’ll be a follow up from the events of Cloverfield or another side of the same story. I think I’d be happy with either!  Should be good and they've waited long enough that just the idea of a sequel is a surprise...

 

Review: Mean Girls (2004)

So, um, funny story everyone. You know that classic teen comedy that every girl, guy, grown up and their dog has seen, Mean Girls? I haven’t. Well, I have now obviously. But yeah. I really don’t know why, I haven’t been avoiding it or anything, it’s just always been too far down my watch list for too long, I guess.  I'm not sure how we are friends!!

Can you keep a secret? I need to tell you what gave me the final push to see it. One of my bridesmaids is also getting married next year, and I’m one of her bridesmaids (I know, right?) and whilst I was getting my first tattoo, she was with me, as well as her other bridesmaid. Still with me? They were both saying the three of us should get tattoos together, all themed around their favourite movie, Mean Girls. Of course, I had to tell them it was my favourite movie too.

They’re going to be love hearts, with the famous quotes in them. I can’t remember what I was allocated, it might have been ‘so fetch’, but the more this conversation went on, the more I wondered if they were joking, and so I figured that if I’m going to end up with a Mean Girls tattoo, I should probably watch the darn movie!  Having planned a group tattoo with a group of friends of mine, I would not recommend this!  We never quite got round to actually getting said tattoos, which was kind of fortunate as less than a year later there was a big hoohaa and we no longer speak.... my advice never, ever, get matching tattoos with anyone!

So, our main girl Cady (Lindsay Lohan) is the new girl at school, and winds up mixing with ‘the plastics’, Regina (Rachel McAdams), Gretchen (Lacey Chabert) and Karen (Amanda Seyfried). When she falls for Regina’s ex-boyfriend, the plastics put her in her place, and Cady vows to take them down.

I think the main thing I took away from this was the amount of lines I already knew that I can now visualise, but also things friends have said that I never even knew were lines from Mean Girls! It took me a while to get over my friend texting me ‘Boo, you whore’ when I had to cancel plans, I genuinely thought she was really mad at me!  I think it may have been at lease 5 years since I used a Mean Girls quote in everyday life, I'm clearly slacking...

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting amazing things from Mean Girls. There are films that 10+ years ago I may have loved, that I probably wouldn’t rate well anymore, and I think I expected everyone’s fascination with Mean Girls to be the same sort of thing, but I really did enjoy it! It was funny throughout, but some lines really made me laugh out loud, which I don’t tend to do when I watch something alone. Did anyone manage to keep a straight face for this line?

“If you’re from Africa, why are you white?”

“Oh my God Karen, you can’t just ask people why they’re white!”

I really love this film, I can honestly say I haven't watched it enough!!  In fact, I feel like I need to watch it right now.  I still love the slutty jingle bell rock scene and who doesn't LOVE Regina George in all her vileness, Rachel McAdams is a special kind of awesome.

All in all, despite the cliches and the predictable nature of it, I really enjoyed Mean Girls, and I’m kicking myself for not watching it years ago. That tattoo won’t be so bad after all I guess, ha! Thankfully it hasn't been mentioned since... phew!!