Throwback Review - Cloverfield (2008)

When J.J. Abrams and the boys of Bad Robot unleashed the onslaught of Cloverfield fanboy marketing on us, I was one of those fans eager to drink the kool aid. I dug the mystery, the ingenuity of the presentation. And when I finally saw the film itself, I was enthralled by the experience. Watching this film in a theater full of people excited for it to succeed… there was a special sort of energy there, and it carried over to my review.

Looking back at it now, in the wake of director Matt Reeves success with Let Me In, I’m almost embarrassed by the unhinged praise I myself unleashed – the glowing positivity is almost blinding.

Film On TV: Sifting Through Fall's New Shows, Part 2

Reading Ken Tucker’s piece about the failure of Fall TV in new show form got me thinking – this is the largest premiere season ever, and I haven’t been hooked by one new network show. There isn’t a single new show I’m excited to come home to, or read about the next day. There isn’t one serial, one single sitcom, that resembles anything more than passable entertainment. It’s been one, giant, collective strikeout.

Still there’s some potential. Some shows waiting to be seen, and others still worthy of a second shot. But with so many sophomore and veteran efforts still demanding my time, it seems unlikely that many (if any) of these shows will break through.