It made close to $18 million on Friday. It's doing pretty well as a movie experience!

I was worried that the big theater we saw it in* was about 2/3 empty, but the friend I went with told me it's just that people have mostly stopped going to it for fear of all the gangs hanging around.

Gee, thanks for letting me in on that info after picking that particular multiplex to go to!

• Seriously, this one theater occupies the whole top floor of the cinema by itself, and has an Imax-sized screen. The monster was almost life-size!

Well now I'm glad we're not showing Cloverfield. So far other theatres have had several complaints of nausea and I just got my first report of an actual puking.

A coworker at the bookstore gave it a big thumbs up, but also reported vomit sightings (actually, almost stepping-ins) at the theater.

eww!

So I just watched Lady in the Water.

The opening prologue went on really long, and it ended up being almost completely irrelevant. Then the movie was boring for about half an hour or more. I was wondering whether it was really worth my time to sit through the movie.

Then it got interesting. Then it got really interesting. Then it got silly. And it was cool, interesting, silly, interesting, and then silly again.

Plus, there's all this awkward meta stuff that I would love if it were done well. I mean, he names the narf Story, for crying out loud, but the commentary on narrative seems completely arbitrary and almost self-mocking.

While I didn't hate it, I appreciate the concept and wish it had been better. M. Night was trying to make a fairy tale for adults, but I'll take Pan's Labyrinth instead.

Laga! That blues bar is in my hometown! That's pretty much the only reason I might see that movie is to see Shreveport. Though I understand it's supposed to be set soemwhere else.

Also, wasn't Jilli supposed to see Sweeny tonight?

Also, wasn't Jilli supposed to see Sweeny tonight?

cackles delightedly

Yes! Oh, oh, oh. My GOD, that was pretty. I had immense fun, and (even tho' I knew how it ended) I really wanted those two wacky kids to make a go of it and end up in a little house by the sea. Yes, Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett are my new OTP. Predictably, I want every single outfit HBC wore. I already have the boots and the stockings, and a skirt that is very similar to her picnic skirt. I need the rest.

Pete ... had the opinion he has about most Tim Burton movies: he thinks Tim needs a stricter editor to trim the movie down by about 20 minutes. (Pete thinks Tim is too self-indulgent.)

In Cloverfield news, I apparently am not going to go see it. My PseudoSibling called today to let Pete know I shouldn't see it, because there's a section with giant spiders. WTF? People who have seen Cloverfield, is this true?

Jilli, it is untrue, but there are spider-like creatures. In that they have long, thin legs and can walk on walls. But they don't act like spiders at all.

Cloverfield made almost it's entire production budget back in one day. This weekend should cover the production budget, distribution and marketing. It's a major success.

So, whilst opinion is definitely divided (people are basically saying to me 'It was great fun!' or 'Worst. Movie. Ever!'), the marketing definitely worked. JJ the cash cow continues.

P-C, you liked Cloverfield a lot more than I did. I found it entertaining, but I just couldn't get over how stupid the characters were and that I wish the story hadn't been told from that one perspective the whole time.

Also, I hadn't realized the movie was PG-13, so I really wish it had been scarier. I don't think I jumped once when watching the movie.