Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Vomit count for "Cloverfield"

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Posted by Chris Mosel (Member # 1451) on 01-18-2008, 02:47 PM:

4 for the first show. 1 men's room, 1 women's room, 2 auditorium.

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 01-18-2008, 03:13 PM:

It is a PG-13 movie what can be so bad in it to make people throw up?

Posted by Chris Mosel (Member # 1451) on 01-18-2008, 03:20 PM:

Motion sickness [puke]

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 01-18-2008, 03:57 PM:

KWELL

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 01-18-2008, 04:03 PM:

We did a midnight show on Giant Screen. Didn't notice any foul stenches anywhere post-show. But I did find it difficult to watch for prolonged periods.

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 01-18-2008, 04:16 PM:

I use to have a theater that had relatively small auditoriums (150) but were quite wide so you were not far from the screen and it was 38 feet wide! When we ran Perfect Storm we had major trouble with people sitting near the screen getting ill and having to get out of the auditorium!!!

It is all a matter of how close and how big I guess! Cinearama screens in the front row for any of the original Star Wars movie major stomach jumps! [Smile]

But I like that!

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 01-18-2008, 04:44 PM:

Once Cloverfield ends up in the smaller auditoriums with smaller screens, the incidents of motion sickness should pretty much stop.

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 01-18-2008, 08:13 PM:

Shaky-cam sucks. Whoever shot this thing should take a class in how to hold a camera steady.

Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 01-18-2008, 08:22 PM:

It was shot that way on purpose to make look like it is home made on cheap camera! I am not saying that it makes sense but they have a reason!

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 01-18-2008, 08:28 PM:

Bruce the point is it isn't supposed to look like a Hollywood film! Have you seen any of the 9/11 home videos? They were all shaky cam, I don't think you could shoot a hand held movie while trying to run from a GIANT MONSTER tearing the shit out of the city. But hey maybe you can.

On the puke line though...

Had it on three screens last night, 992 people. In the Cine-Capri we had 9 people throw up from the Capri. 4 in the theatre 5 in respective bathrooms. Along with about 15 refunds/readmits for motion sickness.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-18-2008, 08:38 PM:

Yep, watched 5minutes of this today and that was 4 minutes too long for me.. way too much movement for the eye to follow - as with its mentor - "the Blair Witch Project"

Posted by Peter David Bruce (Member # 4447) on 01-19-2008, 08:43 AM:

should I take all this into consideration and suggest to management that we need to keep it OUT of our larger screens? I mean, even for the last Bourne film we had people complaining of motion sickness... this many reports for cloverfield just makes me worried about the size of the cleanup effort and the fallout.

perhaps stick it in a smaller screen, and pack all the seats? I dont know.. we havent recieved this film yet in the UK...

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 01-19-2008, 02:29 PM:

Peter, that will depend on how much business it does here. If it tanks pretty fast, then you can probably open it in a smaller auditorium.
Thankfully, not too many people are afflicted with motion sickness, so giving the movie seats will still be fiscally prudent IF the movie does well here.

Posted by Bruce Hansen (Member # 281) on 01-19-2008, 08:00 PM:

quote: Ron Funderburg
It was shot that way on purpose

DAH! But it still SUCKS!

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-19-2008, 09:28 PM:

quote: Peter David Bruce
should I take all this into consideration and suggest to management that we need to keep it OUT of our larger screens?

It might be worth considering. Movies like this (using lots of hand held video camera footage) tend to work better when shown on TV screens rather than big movie screens.

I haven't seen Cloverfield yet, but when I do I will probably sit a little farther back in the theater than the usual seats I pick.

This issue also brings up how a number of movies blown up to IMAX DMR sometimes do not work well on the giant screen. To be specific, I'll mention Superman Returns. The framing on that movie was opened up taller than the 2.39:1 version seen by most people. Still the composition didn't work. Close ups of people were way the hell too close (and blurry -thanks for videotaping in 1080p instead of using film). Rapid movement of objects across the frame were often seen as an unintelligible blur. This especially goes for the opening title sequence with all its CGI planets, pixellated lettering and other stuff speeding past in goofy, spastic, fast forwarded fashion. Ugh. That shit might look cool on a computer screen in a visual effects lab, but it plays like indescribable shit on a giant screen.

So...big tip for filmmakers: compose your shots and camera movements for the scale of screen it will be viewed!

Posted by John Joseph Fink (Member # 3619) on 01-19-2008, 10:17 PM:

I walked past an AMC on 19th Street in Manhattan today and had noticed a disclaimer notice taped to the box office window warning viewers that the style the film is shot in may cause them to have motion sickness. Anyone else carrying this warning?

Posted by Chris Mosel (Member # 1451) on 01-19-2008, 11:14 PM:

Thought about a notice, but that might put the thought in peoples heads and lead them to be sick. A kind of self fulfilling prophecy.

2 more clean ups since the first show and several refund/rain check handouts.
Edited to add tonights count

[ 01-20-2008, 12:59 AM: Message edited by: Chris Mosel ]

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 01-20-2008, 08:23 AM:

Had one guy run to the restroom last night to vomit and had one lady come out and get her money back because she was feeling ill.

[puke]

Posted by Peter David Bruce (Member # 4447) on 01-20-2008, 09:56 AM:

Ok this topic has got to the point where we have a total of 21 cases of people being sick. that is enough to argue that we should NOT be showing this in our big auditoriums. We CAN and MIGHT interlock two smaller screens if it proves to be a sell out.

(i believe my above count is right).

Not nice.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 01-20-2008, 10:30 AM:

Hmmm, I guess that trend of theatre architechs giving the finger to the SMPTE ratio formula of screen distance to first seats comes back to bite them in the ass. Putting the first row fronts seats 3 feet from the screen is a big mistake even when playing normal films which don't have the let's-save-some-money-and-eliminate-the-Steadycam-rental method of filmmaking.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 01-20-2008, 10:33 AM:

quote: John Joseph Fink
I walked past an AMC on 19th Street in Manhattan today and had noticed a disclaimer notice taped to the box office window warning viewers that the style the film is shot in may cause them to have motion sickness. Anyone else carrying this warning?

I saw a notice at my AMC placed on the doors of the auditorium entrance. It was probably done company wide just in case.

And watching about a minute from upstairs made me feel dizzy; I get motion sickness easily.

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 01-20-2008, 10:41 AM:

Two so far

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 01-20-2008, 03:04 PM:

Host Ian Punnent, on Coast-To-Coast-AM Sunday early morning, mentioned that someone got sick in the theatre when he saw the film

Posted by Blaine Young (Member # 3992) on 01-20-2008, 03:32 PM:

After two days, we've had a total of 8 reported cases of vomiting. We've got it in a 363 and 438 house. If you sit back from the screen - in the back half of the house, there is less motion sickness. I'm actually worried about our smaller houses inducing more cases. The screens are of good size, but the houses are relatively short - some with as few as 12 rows. I'm thinking it will be worse there.

Posted by Poon Limpapun (Member # 4551) on 01-20-2008, 10:38 PM:

Hi guys,

We showed the World's Premiere Gala last Tuesday ( GMT +7) and we have had guests
coming out to vomit in the toilet.

So The next day when we start our paid shows, we've displayed a disclaimer at the Box Office and provide something similar to motion sickness bags found on airplanes at the auditorium entrance.

We showed it in our 825 house and 515 house so the picture size was quite large as our screen size in the 825 house is around 26 x 12.

Only 2% of our guests felt ill during the movie, others I dont know.
Anyway, we have contacted our shopping center's ambulance to be on standby at all times incase someone has a serious illness during the movie.

It would be great if everyone could display disclaimers and arrange suitable first aid incase something happens.

Ohh and something funny happened!
We had a group of guests coming out yelling at the MOD telling us that there is SOMETHING WRONG with the projector as the Image is shaking all the time and wants their money back.

When someone radioed me..i just laughed!

Posted by Peter David Bruce (Member # 4447) on 01-21-2008, 11:18 AM:

hehe i bet we will get a few people complaining about the shakiness being the projector myself!

yesterday, of all things, i watched avp2 and there was a couple sitting in the back who complained that it was out of focus and unwatchable. i defended my cinema as they went up to complain. was it blurry? no, sorry love, it wasnt. must be your eyes.

Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 01-27-2008, 07:58 PM:

No vomiting, just numerous grumblers about how wierd it is.

Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 01-30-2008, 05:14 PM:

I'm going to see this the day it comes out (1st Feb), in the Leeds Light cinema. It's showing on screens 12 and 13, the biggest auditoriums they have - with the largest screens. In fact, I've heard this cinema has the biggest screens in the county! They are fixed-width though, so the screen shrinks considerably for scope movies.

Given that Bourne Ultimatum made me feel a bit dizzy, frequently having to look away from the screen, should I be worried about motion sickness with Cloverfield? Perhaps I should wait a few more days and see it at a cinema with smaller screens? [Wink]

Edit: I just remembered, when I saw Bourne Ultimatum there was a sign on the auditorium door. "This film is shot using the hand-held camera effect and may induce motion sickness. If you feel unwell during the performance, please see a member of staff."
Perhaps they should put up those signs again for Cloverfield...

[ 01-31-2008, 01:51 AM: Message edited by: Thomas Pitt ]

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 01-30-2008, 06:12 PM:

Thomas see it on the large screen, just sit as far back as you can and you will be ok. Thats the key here folks, not sitting up against the screen like your on a date. Site back so your eyes can see the whole screen, not sections. Do this and you should be ok!

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 01-30-2008, 07:01 PM:

I guess I don't get the intrigue for this movie:

Man who just saw Cloverfield "Hey guys, I just saw this movie that had lousy acting, an unoriginal plot and lame effects!"

Guys "Sweet!"

Man "But that's not even the best part! The camera work is so shaky that it makes you harf up your nachos!"

Guys "What time does it show next!"

Am I missing something? And is the tag line on the poster supposed to have "some" and "thing" separated or was somebody just really dumb?

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 01-31-2008, 11:17 AM:

I guess you guys are playing this using 35mm film. Theatres playing in digital, it's ROCK STEADY....none of that film jitter to make people vomit! [Big Grin]

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 01-31-2008, 11:49 AM:

I've heard about several complaints. The funniest was a lady that thought her ICEE drink had something wrong with it and was making her sick. She didn't understand why it wasn't affecting her daughter that was drinking the same thing.

The manager informed her that it was the movie making her feel sick and told her to move back in the auditorium.

Posted by Brad Allen (Member # 470) on 01-31-2008, 05:59 PM:

There is a reason it's gross dropped more than 60% in the 2nd week. [Big Grin]

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 01-31-2008, 06:11 PM:

Yep, and we are already losing it. Had no reported cases of spewing here, but did have people coming out a little woozy.

Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 02-01-2008, 09:27 AM:

Vomit count +1 for Cloverfield [puke]

Well, I didn't actually throw up but I certainly felt like doing so! Seriously, after 20 minutes of staring at the extremely shaky screen (and regular looking away from the screen) I had to leave. The cinema has a policy of no refunds on Cloverfield, since they do have a lot of signs up warning that it may induce motion sickness. However, they did give me a ticket to another movie tomorrow, which I will like [Wink]

I was expecting something on the level of The Bourne Ultimatum's shaky-cam. This was just over the top - even MY home movies aren't as shaky as this! Combine that with the fact that I was watching it on the biggest screen in the county (I didn't want to sit quite at the back as you can't hear the surrounds there), and you've got a recipe for disaster. I wonder if I would have fared better if I'd sat on the back row of an auditorium with a smaller screen?

Posted by Peter David Bruce (Member # 4447) on 02-01-2008, 05:23 PM:

heh, you print checked it too, Thomas!?

i watched it this morning, woah um yeah i dont suffer from motion sickness or anything (im pretty resilient!) but this film set a new bar. [Eek!]

first of all because the characters are moving around so much in the frame, you have to move your eyes a hell of alot, and the sheer concentration to pick out whats NOT blurry is just disorienting!

I had to take 3 breaks (first to lower the volume - see thread 'Cloverfield has blown my sub' or similar words to that effect). The bass was extreme, and my TWO subs just couldnt hack it. second and third breaks were cos i was dizzy. my boss came in and had to walk out within 5 mins. dear lord

clean print though... wish i could say the same about the seats - we just had a full house - 250+ patrons! no confirmed puke-count yet.

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 02-01-2008, 05:31 PM:

I wonder what it would be like screened on a Imax Screen or even better at a Motion Ride Park [puke]