Cloverfield Review

It can be said as the first most anticipated blockbuster movie of the year 2008. Cloverfield started out a year ago a secretive movie project, codenamed "01.18.08." by the director, Matt Reeves -fueled by a rather smart online marketing ploy involving a soft drink and "leaked" info and pics. Even though hardly anything know about this movie apart from the official poster, trailer and casting, the movie was hyped to the stratosphere by the movie fans online.

So how was the movie fare to the audience when it was finally released a few days ago. For me, this monster movie really doesnt deserved the hype it created. No, it not a bad movie, just it can be better especially the storyline. More on that later.

Cloverfield was shown like viewing though a hand held video camera. It's about a group of friends in Manhattan, New York, planning and video taping a surprise farewell party for Rob Hawkins, who was going to Japan to hold a high ranking job. This previously upset his girlfriend Beth McIntyre , who did show up in the party but in the end left after a argument with Rob. It beginning to feel almost like a romantic comedy scenario when suddenly things gone very bad. A Godzilla-sized monster appeared and went on a unstoppable rampage through Manhattan. Worried about Beth's safely, Rob, along with a couple of close friends, set out to her apartment miles away to rescue her.

Technically, the movie really shine here. The "Blair Witch Project" camera view throughout the movie really get u into the action. You almost feel you were there with the characters, living through their most intense and dangerous moments of their lives. Still, the jerking and spinning around of the view can really put off some people. While people like me, who clocked hundreds of hours playing first person view video games (Half-Life, Quake, Halo etc) can truly enjoy the experience.

The SFX department really work hard to bring the monster to live and create the destruction it brought. The creature was far more intimating and invincible than the Hollywood version of Godzilla. And those little things it spawn really reminded me of Starcraft's zerdlings. How cool is that.

Still, great SFX doesnt make great movie and storywise, there a lot of work to be done. While the flow of plot was rather good, there a lot of loose ends. The whole plot was too generic if u ask me- boy and friends find girl, one by one friend drop death, boy finally found girl, tragic twist in the end etc etc.

By the end of the movie, it may leave you feeling unsatisfied which many of the audiences did. I got the feeling this movie act like a introduction to a sequel. Well, that's what i think. It a decent movie and one of the best monster ride out there nonetheless.

Back To Singapore..... Again

I went to Singapore the other day... last Saturday actually, to attend a career fair held at Suntech City Convention Hall during the weekend. So any result this time? Well, i can say it was a tiresome experience that doesnt worth the trouble i went into.

Prior to the visit, i not very optimistic about the chances that this job fair got to offer. The fact is, i went online to find out more about the companies which involved in the fair. Well, mostly from the manufacturing, hospitality and insurance industry. Almost none from the creative industry. Well, almost b'cos there one particular company with the word "art" in its company name ( as it turn out later, it wasnt worth even to remembering its full name). Nonetheless, i gave chance a chance and prepare myself to go there- portfolio burning, resume printing etc etc.

When i arrive there at noon, there was already throngs of people waiting in line to get themselves registered (which was required for any big fair like this). After registering which took a while, i went in and browse around to familiarize myself and to look around the companies' respective booths. Nothing here interest me much, which was rather disappointing. Anyway, there was a lot of people here, from different walks of life. Young parents who brought their misbehaving kids, middle aged uncles, fresh grads and foreigners apart from Malaysians like myself. The most troublesome thing that u required to do here before you apply for any job was u have to upload your resume in the main sponsor site- JobsDB.com. Since you have registered earlier, they gave out a id card with a barcode to hand round ur neck and filmsy cloth bag with the big sponsor logo to put in ur "goodies" (flyers, bousers, free angpow packets etc etc).

There were a lot of laptop booths set upped for the upload purposes but so were there hundreds of people waiting in line for the same reason too. Things didnt help when most took their own sweet time to even type out their name. Luckily there 're helpers hired to help to speed things up but not much anyway. After waiting for almost eternity for my turn, I just whipped out my id card, scan it, took out my pendrive and just load my resume, filled in some info and then log off. All that just took at most 2 minutes. I cant even believe some people can spent more than half an hour to did theirs- i waited behind one before getting off to somewhere else. And when you done you'll get a green sticker from another counter to prove you have uploaded ur resume. Did it worth it? Well, i can only applied for one suitable job of all the jobs out there. Sigh~~~ And that job was not even from the company which the word "art" in its name. The booth was there all rite, but the staffs seems to be MIA the whole time.

Hungry, tired and frustrated, i spent my remaining day McD'ing, window shopping and browsing creative related magazines which yield better experiences and worthwhileness before retiring to my aunt's house. And no, i dun even want to write what my aunt nag this time for my unemployment. Not worth mentioning them. This time i went back home the next day.