“Cloverfield is fantasy. The movie is meant to be entertainment  to give people the sort of thrill I had as a kid watching monster movies. I hadn’t seen anything that felt that way for many years. I felt like there had to be a way to do a monster movie that’s updated and fresh. So we came up with the YouTube-ification of things, the ubiquity of video cameras, cell phones with cameras. The age of self-documentation felt like a wonderful prism through which to look at the monster movie. Our take is what if the absolutely preposterous would happen? How terrifying would that be? The video camera, we all have access to; theres a certain odd and eerie intimacy that goes along with those videos. Our take is a classic B monster movie done in a way that makes it feel very real and relevant, allowing it to be simultaneously spectacular and incredibly intimate.”
-JJ Abrams
Time Interview
Reality TV on the big screen, Cloverfield is the monster flick for a generation brought up with ipods, YouTube, social networks and digicams. Grossing $41.5 million produced with a budget of $25 million its advertising based on a “viral” campaign in the net creating a buzz that made it a must see movie.
Cloverfield brings an intimate point of view that you don’t normally see in a monster film. With a digicam it chronicles the perils of a group of characters trying to escape the onslaught on New York. Following as they move from one location to the next, the monster isn’t far off, its a background to their journey. The film shows you glimpses (plus the crab like parasites) your curiosity growing greater as you want to see more and you eventually see it in all its glory.
The film can cause nausea due to the shaky hand held camera angles. It attempts to bring a photojournalist realism something similar to frontline war zones but comes off more like an amateur home video.
The special effects is beautifully made inserting a realism that the monster is there, making it feel your really watching someone’s video shot of a rampaging monster. Reality TV fictionalized.
The monster and its parasitic creatures is a different take from other monsters. Amphibous with articulated arms, the monster walks like a bat (minus the wings ) No scales, all leathery hide impervious to any bomb, missile or bullet. It can’t be destroyed (so far).
A prequel is being serialized in a Japanese manga, “Cloverfield: Kishin” where a boy, Kishin Aiba has some kind of relationship with the monster and the Japanese company Tagruato bears responsibility in its discovery/creation.
The film brings more questions than answers; Who survived? whats the fate of the monster and Manhattan, does it have a name? (Cloverfield is the code name for Central Park). Watch out for sequels, Hopefully soon. Teaser trailer in the next Star Trek movie? (JJ Abrams directing)
Cloverfield Monster Statistics
Height: 500 feet
Weight: 10-20 kilotons
Tough skin impervious to heat. Monster disperses devouring parasites. Once bitten victim explodes.
Artist rendering of the Cloverfield Monster (Courtesy-Deviant Art)
SPOILER-Cloverfield Monster by = Dokiestudioz on deviant ART
SciFiDrive Related Post:
Cloverfield 2
Ten Monsters to Watch Before Cloverfield
FAQ links:
Cloverfield Wikipedia
IMDB Cloverfield FAQ
Cloverfield locations-Map of Manhattan
Comic Book Resources
Geeks of Doom
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