4. Do Away With That Blasted Found-Footage Business
When the first trailer made its way into cinemas way back in 2007, one of the standout elements present was the "handy-cam" style that seemingly kept the film grounded in reality. Of course, people were far more preoccupied with the mystery surrounding the creature, but it helped the movie stand on it's own in a time when the horror genre was down in the dumps, churning out flat, uninspired remakes that failed to leave much of an impression. While this sub genre of horror had previously been seen in The Blair Witch Project, the presence of "home-video horror" had been surprisingly lacking in Hollywood, especially considering the wealth of money that the above film seemed to bring in. Of course, when Cloverfield came out, all people were talking about was the "realistic" style that the movie tried to convey. However, now it was more of a criticism, rather than praise, as people began complaining about motion-sickness. I personally never found the movie sickening, or even all that difficult to watch, but then, I was probably in the minority in that regard. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't as taken aback by the "unflinching realism" (I may have been a teenager, but damn it, I still had standards), but it was one of the most uniquely shot action-horror movies to come out in theatres in ages, so I didn't really think about it too much. However, as I look back on it, and how it's become such a huge trend in the genre these days, I wonder if it's really the way to take things. I understand the need to focus on the human drama (which was an ingenious spin on both the giant monster and horror genres, which typically put more focus on the monster), but it's something that's been accomplished through more traditional filmmaking. In fact, in Abrams' more recent Super 8, I found myself actually ATTACHED to the characters (more on that later), and yet, it didn't need the help of the whole found-footage business. While it helps to create a more raw, emotional experience, that doesn't necessarily equate into a good movie. All it really does is distract from what the movie actually is: generic. It actually creates a barrier between the characters and the viewer because we aren't given a chance to see them flourish. We are restricted to the bare-minimum of a story arc, and that's about it. When you see that the plot is about people trying to get out of a city during a giant monster attack, that's, give or take, all there is to it. With a more traditional film, we could see a much more fleshed-out experience.