MFF Special: How Far Does the Creature From It Follows Travel?
The creature from It Follows could become a Detroit tour guide when it gets tired of hunting down teenagers. It has probably covered every inch of the city and surrounding suburbs in its quest to murder its victims. In fact, not only does it know Detroit but it is familiar with the northern area of Michigan and has enjoyed a lot of the coastal areas as well.
Here it is admiring the University of Detroit
In an effort to track the movements of the monster I searched for all the filming locations and have come up with an estimated travel total that I’m quite pleased with. Director David Robert Mitchell didn’t make it easy because there are moments during the film in which you have no idea where Jay was going or why it took about 14-hours to make a five-hour drive up North (I’m guessing sleep). However, after getting a feel for the locations and timeframe I know how far the creature traveled because the layout of the locations fit its movements.
Here it is at the very nice private beach in northern Michigan
Here are some assumptions and timeframes I’ve come up with.
- The creature moves at a 20-minutes per mile pace and is always moving. Thus, the total for any 24 hour period is 72 miles.
- Jay first becomes cursed around 9:00PM at night while at the abandoned Northville Psychiatric Hospital. This is when I’ve started clocking the miles of the monster
- The film takes place over the course of 15 days. This may seem like a long time frame but the trip that our heroes take to a northern beach house in Whitefish Point in northern Michigan covers 10 of those days. I chose Whitefish Point because it is on the furthest tip of Michigan and the mileage works out almost perfectly when taking the speed of the monster into account. Also, the gang started their trip around 9:00PM and drove through the night and arrived at the beach house around 12:00PM. The total trip was around 15 hours so I’m assuming they slept, got supplies and had a long breakfast to cover the 15 hours. The total mileage is 702 miles (9.75 days walking).
- I’m assuming that the creature always reroutes itself and follows the quickest route when its prey changes locations. Since it can’t just walk through homes I think it uses surface roads, alleys, and areas that aren’t fenced off to get to its prey.
- The director David Robert Mitchell uses Detroit as a character so I’m going to use the filming locations as the actual locations in the story. The neat thing is they actually work really well in regards to the creature’s movements.
Below is a breakdown of the days and locations I know Jay visited. I could’ve easily just added up the hours and miles walked and called it a day, but I wanted to give you a feel for the creatures travels and show you the above assumptions make sense.
Sidenote: There is a 0% chance of actually knowing how far the creature followed Jay. However, since you won’t get an exact answer I wanted to make sure the timeline and math were correct to give you the best representation of the following.
Here is the creature traveling back to Detroit.
- Day One 9:00PM – 12:00AM – Jay becomes infected with the horrible curse at the abandoned Northville Psychiatric Hospital and is driven back to her house and eventually to the local hospital.
- Day Two – Jay leaves the Hospital and goes home to get ready for school. She heads to the University of Detroit around 9:30AM where she first sees the creature. The timeframe works because it had about 12 hours to pinball around and make it to the school. During this time Jay covered 63 miles. However, since the creature didn’t have to walk those 63 miles due to its course correction, it makes sense that 12 hours would only be needed because the creature started towards the house/hospital and was able to course correct to the university which is only 17 miles away from the abandoned building. After Jay runs away from the creature she goes to Clark’s Ice Cream and Yogurt then drives around for a while and goes home.
- Day Three – Jay is still awake late at night (for good reason) when a window is smashed in and the creature comes after her. She runs to a park and meets up with the rest of the gang. From there they drive to an abandoned house, Clawson High School, Jeff’s home in Troy and eventually head to Jay’s house to pick up supplies and clothes. The gang then starts driving overnight to Whitefish Point. The creature is pinballing all day over Detroit and surrounding areas and because of this it never catches up to Jay (must be annoying).
- Day Four – The crew posts up at a sweet Beach house.
- Day Five – Beach
- Day Six – Beach
- Day Seven – Beach
- Day Eight – Beach
- Day Nine – Beach – The creature finally gets to the beach after a 352-mile walk and it gets its hands on Jay. However, Jay escapes and the creature has to walk all the way back to Detroit.
- Day Ten – Hospital – She passes the curse over to Greg
- Day Eleven – Hospital
- Day Twelve– Hospital
- Day Thirteen – Hospital – We know she has been in the hospital for three days because Greg mentions that “it’s been three days and there is nothing following me.”
- Day Fourteen – Jay finally goes home and watches Greg get killed by the creature. She drives away and spends the night in some woods.
- Day Fifteen – Jay wakes up and walks toward a boat with some dudes in it. She then drives home and concocts a plan with her friends to kill the creature at a swimming pool that night around 11:45PM (the exterior for the pool is a different location than the interior. I’m sticking with the exterior location). I don’t want to spoil the rest because I’m not a jerk and there is some ambiguity.
The creature walked 1,017 miles while hunting Jay. I think this is a solid guess and the timeframe works if the following monster moves at the assumed pace. I think this total makes it more frightening because the dang thing never stops and is always moving towards you at a leisurely pace in hopes of bending you up like a pretzel.
72 x 14 = 1,008 (14 full days). 3 x 3 = 9 (first day 9:00PM – 12:00AM). 1,008 + 9 = 1,017.
If you liked this random data make sure to check out the rest of my random posts! Also, a big thanks to Brian Raftery at Wired for interviewing me about this dumb data.
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John’s Horror Corner: The Ritual (2017), a great Netflix Original creature feature.
MY CALL: This film really kept me on my toes. It never leads where you’d expect, but always tends to satisfy with its dark atmosphere and the mysterious evil force in the woods. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Ritual: For more Netflix Original horror, try Gerald’s Game (2017) or The Babysitter (2017). Some other great creature features that don’t play out to predictable expectations include Willow Creek (2013), The Hallow (2015), Grabbers (2012), Thale (2012) and Trollhunter (2010). And if you really dig horror movies that remove the secluded cabin and focus more on the horrors of the forest, check out podcast Episode 57: Podcast in the Woods.
After the tragic death of a close friend, a group of old college friends reunite for hiking expedition in northern Sweden approaching Norway—a venue chosen by their lost comrade.
Cast: Rafe Spall (Prometheus, Shaun of the Dead), Paul Reid (Vikings), Sam Troughton (Slumber, AVP: Alien vs Predator), Robert James-Collier and Arsher Ali. They all did a great, credible job as characters doing their best in a horrible situation, lost in the woods.
The consequence of a twisted knee, they are forced to take a shortcut home—bisecting the forest and cutting their trip in half in order to get their hurt friend to medical aid. Of course, this is the worst idea in horror movie history! LOL. Short cuts all too often result in death. In fact, there’s an entire horror franchise named for such time-saving strategies… Wrong Turn (2003-2014; 6 films and counting, and they never turn out well).
All the typical clichés befall this film. But I appreciate their execution. They never feel tired or stale because everything is delivered naturally. Their compass stops working, but no one makes a fuss—things break, after all, so no need for commotion. The woods get eerily quiet—but four chatty blokes in the woods might quiet the few active late-Fall birds and miles of trees could absorb some sound. They take selfies—but acknowledge their own silliness. We all know they’re in for something bad, but nothing is overly staged for forced upon us. Things creep up, they build, and we are never really sure where this ride is taking us.
Of course, things get a little weird after they stumble across a ritualistically gutted and suspended elk carcass (think Event Horizon or Predator) and then take shelter in a creepy witch house surrounded by wood-etched glyphs. Between the opening and end of the first act, this feels a lot like Blair Witch (both the new Blair Witch and Book of Shadows) meets The Descent… but it won’t lead where you expect. Loving the pacing, characters, execution and atmosphere all the way, you’re embarking on a delightfully weird path with this film.
The creature effects are solid! You never see much of the monster, but what you do see looks awesome and effective. It’s not something we’ve seen before in horror (at least, not that I’m aware), and it looks pretty cool!
Director David Bruckner (The Signal, V/H/S segment “Amateur Night”, Southbound) has a good filmography and I’ve enjoyed everything he’s done… but he was really hitting above his weight on this one! Likable characters, creepy atmosphere, unique monster… to be fair, things get REALLY weird, but only in ways I enjoyed.
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John’s Horror Corner: The Dunwich Horror (1970), an early Lovecraftian adaptation about a dark family secret and a tentacle monster.
MY CALL: An early Lovecraftian adaptation that packs less punch, but rather nostalgia as I recount the subsequent films it clearly influenced. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Dunwich Horror: For more movie adaptations from Lovecraft’s writings, try The Resurrected (1991), The Reanimator (1985) and Dagon (2001). Although not specifically of Lovecraftian origins, his influence is most palpable in In the Mouth of Madness (1994), The Void (2016), The Shrine (2010) and Baskin (2015)—all of which are more gruesome to varying degrees.
Based on H. P. Lovecraft’s original story, Director Daniel Haller (Monster of Terror) tells the tale of the peculiar Wilbur Whateley (Dean Stockwell; Quantum Leap, Dune), a young academic who visits Arkham Miskatonic University to study Necronomicon. Wilbur is a student of the occult with a fascination for Yog-Sothoth, the Old Ones, and opening a gateway to another dimension.
Wilbur’s interests lead him to Nancy (Sandra Dee), whom he bewitches with his charm and lures her to his home in Dunwich, where he has a unique family history.
To call this “horror” feels a bit incomplete. Dwelling more in the grey realm of horror fantasy it employs surrealistic dream-like horror elements, some entranced Woodstock-style nudity, a more historical exposition delivery and sexuality in lieu of monstrous make-up, scares, dread and blood. Moreover, all the violence—including a tentacle monster attack—are reduced to implied acts which, by today’s standards, pack zero intensity. Likewise, a drawn-out scene with a sacrificial virgin at the altar should have induced tension, but I never felt any.
Sure, I’m less impressed by many older horror films in terms of their execution. They were made in an era when it was easier to scare, spook, impress, wow or simply show someone something they hadn’t yet seen on the screen. Not just that, but at the time fewer stories had been told on screen. Quite to the contrary, my enjoyment of visiting this classic is noticing how it may have been the first (or one of the early films) to utilize certain techniques and motifs that would later be borrowed by Evil Dead (1981; the Necronomicon, the elemental evil POV ravaging through the woods after victims), The Kindred (1987; the tentacle monster brother), and many more.
So, yes, I enjoyed it. Would I recommend it? Not sure. I’d say no if you enjoy gore, effects, scares or tones of dread; yes, if you want to recount Lovecraftian mythology on screen. This certainly makes me want to explore more Lovecraft adaptations.
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MY CALL: This lower budget short opens splendidly, but then middles and closes with blaring financial weaknesses. However, the good that I saw has piqued my interest.
MORE Indie Reviews: Here at MFF we occasionally do horror short film and pre-release indie film reviews on request. Among recent solicited promotions are Love in the Time of Monsters (2014; feature length), Interior (2014; feature length), Smothered (2014; feature length), In the Dark (2015; feature length), Brother (2016; short), Other Halves (2016; feature length), Scythe (2016; short). The Belko Experiment (2016; feature film, mainstream theatrical release), The Barn (2016; feature length), Shallow Waters (2017; short), Burn (2017; short), Tethered (2017; short), We Love Selfies (2017; short), Cool (2017; short), Girls Night (2017; short) and Remnants (2017; short).
Disclaimer: This review was solicited by the filmmakers and/or producers who provided privileged access, directed us to a viewing medium, and/or offered permission to use image stills of the film. However, my opinion remains unbiased as I was neither hired nor paid to produce this critical review, nor do I have an investment stake in the film.
Director Roger Glass (We Love Selfies) and writers Joseph Sorrentino (We Love Selfies) and Isaac Thorne (Diggum) are all in their second or third year of filmmaking (based on IMDB entries) as they wrapped up Because Reasons on a shoestring budget of $1800. And by my experience, it’s hard to do much with such a small budget. I feel that such early films are best judged as experiments; they demonstrate one’s proficiency in camera management, editing, setting up good shots and pacing scenes for flow. All of those elements were fine, and I’d lend my compliments particularly to the opening shots (during Tiffany’s narration) introducing us to our somewhat rural setting. Moreover, Tiffany’s narration (the first 30-38 sec) sets the stage well to such effect that this felt a lot like the opening of a feature length film.
IMDB summary: “Tiffany’s not bad. She’s just bored. Tiffany (Krista West) is an all-American dream. Her mother is a successful lawyer. Her father is a CEO. She has perfect social skills. Her mind is sharp. Her instincts Killer. Unfortunately, Tiffany has a problem. She’s so very bored. She has no idea what she’s going to do with her life. That is, until the night her mother dies right before her eyes. That night Tiffany decides she’s going to go out and have some real fun. Some blood-soaked fun. Fun is powerful and power is legit. Because being bored is worse than being dead. Because reasons.” Here’s the IMDB page.
So, Tiffany has discovered a murderous pastime. That’s the idea we’re selling here with the plot, and it’s okay. It’s hard to flesh out such a notion in such a short film. The execution of on-screen murder and some basic gore effects were honestly quite poor—but, understandably, the budget offered little more effects utility than would could get from a trip your the local butcher. But rather than pick at it, I want to focus on the true glimmer and return to those opening shots with Tiffany’s narration. THAT is the scene that got me. The combination of those beautiful tranquil shots, the music, and her contemporized introduction were splendid and I’d love to see that opening expanded to several minutes before introducing us to a feature length Tiffany (who stabs people with a stronger budget).
Much as I was impressed by Tethered’s (2017) opening, Because Reasons seems to open with the vision behind the film—or, at least, this is the selling point for me that turns my attention away from the faults of a film realized for under $2000.
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SUMMARY: This week we discuss Paul W. S. Anderson’s sci-horror Event Horizon (1997), the behind-the-scenes components that made it such a visually tantalizing spectacle, and muse the origins of the evil possessing the vessel. During our journey we take time to assess Sam Neill’s physique, obsessions with haunted ships, a man’s ability to out-grapple a Tremors (1990) graboid, and how this film did “Hellraiser in Space” better than Hellraiser did “Hellraiser in Space” (i.e., Bloodline).
If you enjoy discussions about deep space voyages-gone-wrong, check out Episode 96: The Perils of Space Travel.
For more horror podcast discussions, check out…
Episode 116: Happy Death Day
Episode 115: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Episode 114: Office Horror, Mayhem & The Belko Experiment
Episode 113: Elise, her Demons and the Insidious Franchise
Episode 108: The Best Horror Films of 2017
Episode 78: Carpenter vs Zombie Halloween Rematch (1981 vs 2009)
Episode 76: The Blair Witch Pod (1999-2016)
Download the pod on iTunes, PodBean, Stitcher or
LISTEN TO THE POD ON BLOG TALK RADIO.
Please SUBSCRIBE, REVIEW, RATE and SHARE.
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Beyond Skyline is the rare B-movie sequel that is better than its predecessor on every level. The 2010 film Skyline was a subpar Sci-Fi cheapy that featured a bunch of people watching an alien invasion from their loft. I admired what it was able to do on a tiny budget but I never felt anything for the characters or the insanity unfolding around them. However, while watching the second half of Beyond Skyline I was in awe of Iko Uwais, Frank Grillo and Yayn Ruhian and their ability to destroy aliens in hand-to-hand combat. If you are a fan of Iko Uwais murdering aliens with his knees, elbows, fists and various weapons you will love Beyond Skyline.
Beyond Skyline starts off in Los Angeles and features a dour cop named Mark (Frank Grillo) collecting his troubled twenty-something son Trent (Jonny Weston) from a local police precinct. They are forced to take the subway when Mark’s truck won’t start which saves them from the initial alien attack (the blue lights from the original are back). However, the aliens eventually make their way down into the subway and after some slick battles, Mark, Trent, Audrey (Bojana Novakovic) and blind Vietnam vet Sarge (Antonio Fargas) are brought to the alien ship where the jerky creatures are sucking out human brains and implanting them into robot bodies. The foursome eventually manages to bring the ship down in Laos (yep!) where they team up with Sua (Iko Uwais), Chief (Yayan Ruhian), Kanya (Pamelyn Chee) and Harper (Callan Mulvey).
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Beyond Skyline really kicks off in Laos because once there the characters engage in an all-out war with the jerky aliens. There are multiple setpieces that hit above their B-movie weight and allow the main characters to murder their attackers in various ways (flamethrower, grenades, knives, guns, elbows). My favorite moment is a one-on-one fight between Uwais and 10-foot tall alien. The battle pits Iko’s brand of awesome butt-kicking against an alien who fights like a giant rugby player who can throw insane spin kicks in tight corridors.
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Beyond Skyline is a very fun B-movie that proves action films with low budgets can be pretty great when done right. Director/writer Liam O’Donnell works wonders with his cast/budget and the final product is a lot of fun. If you are a fan of Frank Grillo, Iko Uwais, and spin kicking aliens you need to watch this movie.
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Skin Trade (2014), Tony Jaa and Dolph Lundgren aaaand Michael Jai White deliver a mash-up of gritty hard-R police action and martial arts.
MY CALL: Three great actions stars in a decent gritty action movie. Not their best, but still more than worth the price of admission! MOVIES LIKE Skin Trade: Well, some other vengeful police action movies include Kill Zone 2 (2015; aka Sha Po Lang 2) and the far more brutal The Raid: Redemption (2011).
Okay, let’s just set the tone right here. Listen to the IMDB plot summary—it sounds like something from a gritty 1989 action movie:
“After his family is killed by a Serbian gangster (Ron Perlman; Hellboy 1-2, Pacific Rim) with international interests, NYC detective Nick (Dolph Lundgren; Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, The Expendables 1-3) goes to SE Asia and teams up with a Thai detective (Tony Jaa; Ong-Bak, Kill Zone 2, Furious 7) to get revenge and destroy the syndicate’s human trafficking network.”
It’s an interesting cast with many familiar faces. Nick’s colleague’s include Reed (Michael Jai White; Blood and Bone, Undisputed 2) and Costello (Peter Weller; Dragon Eyes, Of Unknown Origin, RoboCop). Viktor’s lackies include Kong (Sahajak Boonthanakit; Hard Target 2, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li).
To call the dialogue extremely expository would be kind, it has all the dry over-explanation of a typical 80s or 90s action movie. And in that vein, we have nudity, eastern European criminals with penchants for leather jackets and cocaine, sex slaves, and the classic “one tough cop” trope. Our tough cop is Nick, and after he crosses paths with Viktor things spiral into an old Steven Seagal movie plot. Much as in Hard to Kill (1990), Nick’s home is invaded on the evening of his wedding anniversary, his wife is executed before his eyes, and then he’s shot and left for dead as the house explodes. But Nick is… wait for it… Hard to Kill. He somehow survives, wholesale murders every Serbian he can find, and sets out to turn this flick into a vigilante police revenge movie.
The action scenes range in quality from okay to pretty good, but nothing wowing—not considering the action star power behind it. Tony Jaa’s first fight scene features some serviceable belt-fu, and Michael Jai White’s skills seemed sorely underutilized early in the film. I’m reminded of Kill Zone (2005), which outweighed its martial arts with police drama. But, like any martial arts movie, the more significant fights come later. And that they do in spades!
The Jaa-Lundgren fight was entertaining and definitely stepped things up with some Jaa stunts in a fight that merges the close-quarter stylings of Li-Lundgren (The Expendables) and Diesel-Johnson (Fast Five). However, the overall execution of these scenes was technically lacking. The action photography was just okay, often with the camera distractingly moving (mid-shot) amid fight choreography—the kind of camerawork better suited for chaotic wide-angle warscapes filled with tanks and explosions, but that obscures the finer fast-paced combat techniques from even a careful eye. The subsequent editing was so choppy that, at times, it felt like six consecutive techniques might each have their own six cuts from six different camera angles—which is fine for a Die Hard (1988) brawl, but a major flaw when hindering viewers’ ability to be wowed by Tony Jaa’s dexterous flair. I can’t help but to wonder if this wasn’t to mask the agility-skill gap between Lundgren and Jaa. That said, Jaa has his moments (however less than he deserves) and the occasional several-second shot for an impressive combination of techniques flurrying his over-sized Swedish foe.
Though not as brutal or drawn out as the Jaa-Lundgren face-off, the White-Jaa fight offered richer exchanges of techniques. Of course, this should come as no surprise. Michael Jai White is outstanding as both a fighter and choreographer and delivers a sort of “tough guy” grace in his maneuvers. I wish he had more screen time.
Director Ekachai Uekrongtham (Halfworlds, Beautiful Boxer) has achieved a very entertaining action film that strikes me as equal parts 90s-esque hard-R gritty mainstream crime movie and Asian martial arts flick. The gunfights and chase scenes were passable (if we’re being nice), and the fight scenes seemed more limited by the experience of those behind the camera than before it. But while this falls below our stars’ heydays of Rocky IV (1985), Ong-Bak (2003) or Blood and Bone (2009), it remains kindly recommended for fans of its three action stars.
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Mindhorn: A Very Funny Film That Features Some Mind-Blowing Capoeira
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I’ve watched Mindhorn two times and I kinda want to watch it again right now. There is something about cringe-worthy British fictional comedic characters like David Brent (The Office) and Alan Partridge that I love and now the world has a new idiot named Richard Thorncroft who is perfectly self-absorbed. Director Sean Foley and writers Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh) and Simon Farnaby (the dude who wrote Paddington 2) have given the world a comedic gem that features fun characters, hilarious gags, and some beautiful capoeira.
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Mindhorn centers around a washed-up British actor named Richard Thorncroft (Julian Barratt) who blew his chance at massive stardom when he left his hit television show in an attempt to make it in Hollywood. His westward trip didn’t work out so he moved back to Walthamstow and pays his rent via girdle (man-spanx) commercials. After a sick twist of fate, he is asked to bring back his Mindhorn character because a madman on the Isle of Man will only deal with the fictional character. Thus, the massive blowhard has to return to a place he slagged off in order to aid in an investigation and eventually learn that he’s “an arsehole who realizes that he’s an arsehole.”
Being that Thorncraft is an absolute shit the investigation takes a wrong turn and things get much messier than they need to be. The main suspect might not even be a suspect and instead of closing the case everything gets more complicated as more deaths accrue and people get comically shot. Since he is back in the Isle of Man Thorncroft is reunited with his ex-girlfriend Patricia (Essie Davis) who is living with his former stuntman Clive (Simon Farnaby) who holds a pretty great grudge against him. Also, Thorncroft is broke so he gets back in touch with a former costar named Peter Easterman (Steve Coogan) whose spinoff Windjammer has become a massive success in order to get Mindhorn DVDs on the market.
After all the chess pieces are in place we are blessed with a silly mystery that builds to one of my favorite comedic moments in recent years. I don’t want to spoil anything but it involves a man who has been taped into a silly costume doing slow motion capoeira to avoid being shot by an A-list actress. When you watch the scene I guarantee you will have a smile on your face.
Mindhorn is a very funny movie that juggles multiple plotlines successfully and proves itself to be very silly. If you are looking for a good laugh I definitely recommend that you check this out on Netflix and listen to this classic pop song.
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The poster for The Rock’s upcoming film Skyscraper makes me really happy. I love when movie posters feature people making impossible jumps into skyscrapers that are ablaze. There is something about the impossibility of it that makes me want to crunch the numbers and figure out how the jump was accomplished. We all know that The Rock will make the impossible 40-foot jump (world record is 29 feet) and save everyone in the burning skyscraper. However, I wanted to know the logistics of the jump and if other cinematic jumps could compete. I’ve already covered Matthew McConaughey’s jump in Reign of Fire and I had a great time putting together the logistics so I was stoked to bust out my tape measure, level, and scrap paper to make sure I got the numbers as correct as I could (there is no way to get an exact number).
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What is the distance? – 40 feet. This is very safe to assume. I am 6’4 (almost the same height as The Rock) so I asked my surprised and supportive wife to measure me in the same pose that The Rock is in. we came to the conclusion that from toe to toe is 5 1/2 feet. The Rock takes up 3/4 of an inch on the poster (I used this poster) and the distance from the end of the crane to the bottom of the open window is 5 1/2 inches (40.3 feet – 40 is easier).
Here is a graphic that breaks down various cinematic jumps by non-propelled humans.
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What is the distance between floors? – I can’t be 100% sure but I’m confidently guessing 14.6 feet. Thus, there is a very tiny dropoff between the crane and the building.
Is it possible? Only if The Rock does it and he isn’t in The Other Guys.
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Will he make it? – Yep. I’m betting he will hit the building around chest height and pull himself up after some dramatics (think Raiders of the Lost Ark).
Has Any Movie Character Ever Come Close to This Jump? – The only movie character to come close was Matthew McConaughey in Reign of Fire. Actually, he would’ve gone further if that dang dragon wouldn’t have eaten him.
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Conclusion – We have a new world record! The Rock’s 40-foot jump is the longest by a non-propelled human in a movie ever. What I find most impressive is how he was able to accomplish this jump without hitting max speed and carrying a 250-pound frame.
If you like this dumb data make sure to check out my other posts!
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- Explosions and Movie Posters
- The Fast & Furious & Corona
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- The Cinematic Dumb Data Podcast
- What is the best horror movie franchise?
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- What was the Guy’s Blood Pressure in Dawn of the Dead?
- Why Were There So Many Lemons in National Treasure?
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The Cloverfield Paradox: Space Exploration Seems Terrible
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The Cloverfield Paradox was dropped onto Netflix after the Superbowl and I love that I knew absolutely nothing about it (aside from it is mysterious). Netflix’s plan was smart because it got the internet buzzing and they were able to release it before the mystery and buzz disappeared due to the negative reviews and spoilers. The Cloverfield Paradox is the third film of the eclectic franchise and it sheds some light on how the jerky and destructive creatures made it to earth. It isn’t nearly as good as the first two installments but I found myself enjoying the familiar science fiction antics involving some very good actors like Daniel Bruhl, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Chris O’Dowd, David Oyelowo, John Ortiz and Ziyi Zhang.
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The Cloverfield Paradox focuses on a group of scientists who are testing a powerful machine called the Shephard Accelerator in space in order to potentially find a solution to earth’s energy crisis. The world’s denizens are close to a massive war and the feuds between countries have created a rift between the international crew of the space station which isn’t ideal due to the complicated nature of the mission. We are informed early on from an earthbound former astronaut that the accelerator might potentially rip open spacetime and unleash monsters, demons, and beasts from the sea (sound familiar?). However, since this is a thriller the scientists ignore the warnings and run the accelerator which leads to a whole lot of paranoia, infighting, and limbs separated from bodies.
What happens next is pure stock science fiction as scientists are picked off one-by-one in various setpieces. I wish I could say that I cared for the characters but due to the breakneck pace I felt nothing for the actors who were killed. I don’t think it’s necessary to make every character a three-dimensional marvel and the trappings of hard science fiction don’t require backstories for everyone. However, there isn’t anything distinguishable between the crew and the only two actors who stand out are Daniel Bruhl and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Mbatha-Raw stands out because of the vulnerability and humanity she brings to the role of a scientist dealing with a family in peril on earth. I bought into her character and was surprised that actors like David Oyelowo and Chris O’Dowd barely register in the movie.
What made Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield Lane work is they felt unique, assured and urgent. The filmmaker’s touch in the movies were evident and they were able to elevate their found footage and chamber thriller pedigrees. Actors like TJ Miller, John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Lizzy Caplan were able to deliver fun performances and become memorable characters that you liked. You won’t find anything like this in The Cloverfield Paradox but you will have a fun time watching people you like being killed.
If you are a Cloverfield completist or science fiction fan I recommend you check out The Cloverfield Paradox.
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