Thousands of Southern Californians were no doubt clutching their seats while watching "Cloverfield," last weekend's No. 1 movie at the box office. At least a few of them were clutching their stomachs as well.
Since the movie opened last Friday, some patrons said they experienced nausea and dizziness while watching the horror flick, much of which was filmed with a herky-jerky, hand-held cameras.
Erika Hasegawa, 32, was watching "Cloverfield" at a theater in Alhambra on 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 into a trash can.
"I wish I could get my money back," she said.
It is unclear how many people felt ill while watching the movie, which follows a group of young hipsters filming themselves with a camcorder as they flee a reptilian monster that is 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" popped up on Internet bulletin boards over the weekend, with some posters writing that they had to leave a few minutes into the movie. Others said they tried to stare at a wall as the movie continued. One Internet poster reported vomiting several times.
A call to Paramount Pictures, which released the movie, was not returned.
Executives at some movie chains stressed that the vast majority of viewers felt fine.
Nonetheless, AMC Theatres, which is based in Kansas City, Mo., placed caution signs in hundreds of its theaters nationwide warning about possible motion sickness.
Mann Theatres Chief Executive Peter Dobson said there were three reports of illness at Mann theaters in Los Angeles over the weekend and one in Glendale.
"I must confess I was a little surprised, but sometimes from time to time this happens," Dobson said. "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 shaken to boost suspense.
It is a technique that has been used in other movies -- notably the "Blair Witch Project," a 1999 film that also prompted viewer complaints about nausea and vomiting. It also involved young adults filming themselves with camcorders while trying to escape a mysterious, terrifying force.
