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Since there was no football this weekend of any kind for the first time since late-July, the wife and I decided to check out some films. Yes, films. On Saturday, we went and saw “Cloverfield.”

Unless you’ve been living in a closet for the last few months, you’re aware of the really solid marketing campaign put forth by the “Cloverfield” people. I really didn’t get into it too much; although it intrigued me and I checked out the new trailers and stuff like that, I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high should this movie turn out to be another “Independence Day” or “Armageddon”. It ain’t that, though.

The movie is based on a group of friends living in Manhattan who are having a going-away party for a member of their group, Rob. Without going into too much detail, what first is thought to be an earthquake or terrorist attack turns out to be something incomprehensible–some type of monster is attacking New York City.

There isn’t much more to the plot. What makes this movie so good is the originality of the camerawork and the realism that photography brings to the story. Everything is seen through the lens of a camcorder, held by one of the group members, Hud. Therefore, everything is a little shaky (some people have complained about motion sickness while watching the film; I really didn’t notice anything and I am usually sensitive to that kind of thing). However, this causes numerous instances of ‘What was that?’ or ‘Did I just see what I think I saw?’ by the viewer. Only a few times does the viewer get to see the monster for more than a few fleeting seconds, but it is terrifying nonetheless.

“Cloverfield” is quick, fast-paced, original, and realistic, and is one of the best experiences I’ve had in the theatre in a while. If you at all like suspense, sci-fi, monster movies, or anything of that ilk, I definitely recommend going to see this. Still need another reasont o go see it?

Fine: Jessica Lucas stars as “Lily”, and she has a definite Rosario Dawson thing going on, which I like.

Cloverfield: 3 and a half stars
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Then, on Sunday, with still nothing to do, the wife and I caught “Juno”. Ellen Page stars as “Juno”, a smart and funny 16 year old who gets knocked up by her friend/boyfriend Paulie, played by “Superbad” star Michael Cera.

The thing that stood out about “Juno” is the acting. Yes, the screenplay was really good. But this cast, from Page all the way down to her parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) and Juno’s best friend Leah, played by Olivia Thirlby, was really good. Every single one of them played their part well.

“Juno” is getting a ton of love from critics and is even getting nominations for awards, including 4 Oscars. While I’m glad that a comedy is getting some Best Picture consideration, I don’t know if “Juno” is one of the five best movies of the year. Then again, the Oscars usually pick films that 95 percent of the movie-going public would never see, so maybe its about time a solid comedy with realistic characters got some pub.

Juno: 3 stars
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One more thing: I noticed that “Meet the Spartans” was the number one movie of the weekend. When I first saw the commercial for this film, I thought to myself, ‘Who the fuck is going to see that piece of shit? That thing is sure to stink like hot garbage.’ Then I remembered that there are a ton of stupid people out there who think that shit is funny. So, I thought I would do my part to try to ensure that movies like this are never made again.

If you went and saw “Meet the Spartans” this weekend, I want to tell you about a cool new way to catch a wicked buzz! Go into the garage and into whatever car is parked in said garage. Start the car, but be sure to leave the door closed. Breath it in, kid! You’ll be sure to feel the mad hallucinations within about 15-20 minutes! Sweet!