While hit film 'Cloverfield' rolls, some viewers' stomachs turn
LOS ANGELES - Thousands of moviegoers were no doubt clutching their seats while watching "Cloverfield," last weekend's No. 1 film at the box office. At least a few of them were clutching their stomachs as well.
Since the movie opened last Friday, some patrons have said they felt nausea and dizziness while watching the horror flick, much of which was filmed in a jerky motion with a hand-held camera.
Erika Hasegawa, 32, was watching "Cloverfield" at a theater in the Los Angeles-area community of Alhambra Tuesday night but had to leave in the middle of the film.
"I'm really nauseous right now - just hold on for a second," she said, before walking down the hall and retching in a trash can.
"I wish I could get my money back," she said.
It's unclear how many people felt ill while watching the movie, which follows a group of hipsters filming themselves with a camcorder while they flee a reptilian monster destroying New York City. The movie set box office records on its holiday weekend opening, earning about $46 million.
Reports of illness while watching "Cloverfield" started popping up on Internet bulletin boards over the weekend, with some people writing that they had to leave a few minutes into the movie, while others said they tried to stare at a wall as the movie continued. One poster reported vomiting several times.
A call to Paramount Pictures, which released the movie, was not returned.
Some movie chains stressed that the vast majority of viewers felt fine watching the movie.
Nonetheless, Kansas City-based AMC Theatres placed caution signs in hundreds of its theaters nationwide warning about possible motion sickness issues.
Mann Theatres CEO Peter Dobson said there were three reports of illness at Mann Theatres in Los Angeles over the weekend and one report in nearby Glendale. "I must confess I was a little surprised, but from time to time this happens," said Dobson, who added: "It's not normal to get four in a weekend."
Some experts were not surprised, given the film's use of hand-held cameras that were jerked around to boost suspense.
It's a technique that has been used in other movies - notably the "Blair Witch Project," a film released in 1999 that also prompted viewer complaints about nausea and vomiting. Both movies were filmed from the perspective of young adults holding camcorders while trying to escape from a mysterious, terrifying force.
What the eyes process visually has enormous impact on how the body reacts, according to Dr. Dennis Maceri, an associate professor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine who specializes in the care of the ears, nose, and throat. The body reacts to what we see, even if it's not real.
It's similar to the feeling some people get while trying to read in a moving car, he said. The words on the page appear to jump around, and "you can't stabilize your gaze."
Experts suggest those who feel motion sickness try to stare at a fixed point that doesn't appear to move, such as the head of someone sitting in front of you in a theater or at a nearby seat. Dramamine, a medication taken to relieve nausea, might also help. 