Cloverfield (Matt Reeves, 2008)

[Svevan]

The best trailer before Transformers was for an untitled film that JJ Abrams is somehow connected with. It has an IMDB page that claims JJ Abrams is the Exec Producer, but lists no director (although Drew Goddard, longtime Abrams collaborator, is listed as the writer).

Top Secret Cloverfield Movie Trailer Attached to Transformers

Slash wisely says that if you haven't seen the trailer, wait to read about it until after.

If you're not planning on seeing Transformers then I can tell you what the trailer is like: it is setup as a home video for a going away party with some cliche teen dialogue. An earthquake interrupts, the teens go to the roof, and big gigantic explosions go off in the distance in between the skyscrapers of New York. They run outside, hear what sounds like giant footsteps, and the head of the Statue of Liberty crashes into a nearby car.

Since it's shot as a home video, the trailer is violent, scary, and enigmatic - it could be a Godzilla film, but I would have thought Abrams or the owners of the Godzilla rights would've announced something. It could be a giant creature film, or an alien movie, or a terrorism movie, or something entirely new. Who knows?

Text on screen announced that Abrams is producing, and that it was going to be released in January. The marketing campaign's centerpiece is the mystery of what the movie is about, as the whole trailer is a reveal of violence that has no visible source. It's likely that this is an original property, but I doubt the whole thing will be shot as a home video (though if it is, it could be great).

[margot]

That sounds awesome. I'll be seeing Transformers but I wish the trailer was online somewhere...

[ranaing83]

The trailer was amazing. The film's been going by the fake name "Cloverfield" and there have been a couple of reports on it over at AICN. They mentioned that the person directing it is Matt Reeves, whose only feature directing credit is "The Pallbearer." He has also written for "Felicity," wrote "Under Siege 2" and co-wrote James Gray's "The Yards."

He's not quite the person that I would expect to be doing a film like this, but the teaser looks really really great, so I'm hoping for the best.

[Jeff]

They run outside, hear what sounds like giant footsteps, and the head of the Statue of Liberty crashes into a nearby car.

Hey, maybe it's a prequel to Planet of the Apes.

Matt Reeves is indeed directing, and I'll change the thread title to Cloverfield for the time being, even though that's probably a bogus title. Here is the interesting part of what AICN says, if you can't bring yourself to go over there.

So what is CLOVERFIELD? Well, word from inside the company is that CLOVERFIELD is a giant monster movie, featuring something that's being referred to internally as "The Parasite," and we're going to see a trailer for it very soon that's been designed and shot even as we speak. I'm not sure if it's going to be attached to TRANSFORMERS or if we'll see it later in the summer, but it's definitely coming soon. And the end of it should feature one of those iconic images that makes people talk about a trailer for months.

And what makes this different than any other giant monster movie? Well, as I understand it, most of the film is going to be shot using home video cameras, as if from the point of view of real people who are experiencing an attack on New York. It's designed as a fairly small picture, all things considered, and right now, they're working to make sure the script is going to deliver some wild thrills (like an earthquake that levels Manhattan or an oil tanker flipping over by the Statue of Liberty), but that it's not suddenly going to turn into a giant $150 million movie. It's a tricky balance, and if they pull off everything they're trying to do, CLOVERFIELD could be something really groovy. Not a man in suit in sight.

Those details are confirmed at something called bloody-disgusting.com. Maybe it's an adaptation of 80s arcade classic, Rampage, or an American remake of The Host. Whatever it is, the home video monster-movie perspective does sound kinda cool, but the mid-January release date doesn't bode well for its perceived quality.

[domino harvey]

We'll miss you Rob!

[Cinesimilitude]

That was that statue of Liberty's Torch that was thrown into a building at the end there right? I assume that's the major image they were speaking of...

[domino harvey]

Only one way to find out for sure

[patrick]

Other sites are saying that it's the head of the Statue of Liberty, you can't really make it out on that video.

It's a cool trailer (and I've heard it plays way better in a theater) but I'm getting a little tired of this kind of pseudo-viral marketing from movie studios. The stuff surrounding The Dark Knight is cool, but I honestly don't want to see movies taking their cues from YouTube, you know?

[domino harvey]

I'm only interested in this film because of the way it's being presented/will presumably be presented (as "real" "amateur" video footage)-- it's a good idea and if done well it could be scary as hell.

[Antoine Doinel]

More on the casting, development and budget.

[Cinesimilitude]

I don't think this is any monster movie at all. Viral marketing.

quotes from the second site:

"It is almost not worth mentioning his writings but if only to discourage mankind from putting it's faith in such "visions". Read for yourself what this "great man" wrote:

The great war of the gods will come upon the earth; the fires and terror of their rule will return for a time, but the children of the gods may be thus prepared, themselves aware and powerful…they may stand along side the gods not as equals, but as allies, feared and ready." ...

The great cycle, the beginning and the end, turns just as the plans of the gods turn once again to the world of men.

And they will come upon the earth only after the skies rain down fire and the very earth itself is made to shake and the great cities of men fall into ruins. Their plans are set and their purpose is clear; they come for war."

the site linked above mentions "Ethanhaaswasright.com" as viral marketing for Cloverfield, and the ethanhaaswaswrong blog I found myself. Ethan Haas was the name of a character on CBS' The Class, which also starred Lizzy Kaplan, one of the named stars of Cloverfield in the link above.

This movie seems to be about some sort of Apocalypse to me.

[Len]

Guess they're targeting the Lost crowd then.

[The Invunche]

Can someone read Thai?

[Cinesimilitude]

lots of sites are reporting it as sanscrit. the ethanhaaswaswrong blog comments have it roughly translated as...

Is he attempting to scare us into believing?

Ethan Haas would try to strike fear into the hearts of men. Do not be taken by the ramblings of a mad man. Brothers and sisters we are all safe.

And get this, the whois profile of the blog has a phone number than goes to an FAA recording for a hanger at Santa Barbara Airport, which was once named Clover Field.

[Narshty]

Hi-res version of the trailer. It's a stunning piece of ballyhoo, but it has to be the new Godzilla movie (listen to that roar).

[Antoine Doinel]

Thanks for the link as I won't be in to see Transformers for a week or two.

Wow. What a great teaser. I hope Abrams sticks the rumored handheld DV-cam only perspective for the whole film. It will definitely be a good twist on the routine monster-flick.

[Barmy]

I guess the budget didn't include a line item for people who could act.

[domino harvey]

how do monsters explode things

[Hai2u]

Hi-res version of the trailer. It's a stunning piece of ballyhoo, but it has to be the new Godzilla movie (listen to that roar).

Or Lost: The Movie.

[franco]

how do monsters explode things

They spit fireballs.

[miless]

Maybe it's an adaptation of 80s arcade classic, Rampage, or an American remake of The Host. Whatever it is, the home video monster-movie perspective does sound kinda cool, but the mid-January release date doesn't bode well for its perceived quality.

I believe Universal bought the rights to remake The Host...
whatever it is... I'm fuckin' there! (I do love me some Lost)

[Antoine Doinel]

Whatever it is, the home video monster-movie perspective does sound kinda cool, but the mid-January release date doesn't bode well for its perceived quality.

Perhaps, but I think it might a genius move on the part of the studio. Due to lack of star power, this isn't the kind of thing they could release in the summer. Instead they're going to drop the film not only in the midst of Oscar season and general dumping ground for studio garbage - it will be probably one of the most hyped non-Oscar film releases in a January ever. It is also two weeks prior to when Abrams' Lost is due to go back on the air for Season 4.

[marty]

Looks like the film is playing on the fear of terrorism and 9/11 which are well-founded in this day and age. Something big like that is bound to happen somewhere in the US by Muslim extremists which will no doubt dwarf the 9/11 attacks. The film looks cool, though.

[flyonthewall2983]

I'm hoping the movie will keep in tone with the trailer, and that it has absolutely no music other than possible source music.

The marketing firm that is responsible for the viral marketing also did the marketing for The Dark Knight, and also did the same for the latest Nine Inch Nails record.

[JabbaTheSlut]

What is the fuzz about this one? Uncharismatic actors acting unconvincingly in a unconvincingly camera operated home movie and then - nice explosions and all the same shit that's on the telly. J.J. Abrams... don't get me started about the mechanical dramatic structure of Alias. Anybody who owns Alias on DVD, please check Sidney's emotional moment (fucking tears - bo-hoo) timecodes.