J.J. Abrams the creator of the television series Lost, hit us hard with a mysterious, title less trailer last year. Not much was known about the film other than the fact it seemed some kind of monster attacks New York City and tears the head off the Statue of Liberty. This trailer will later be known as the movie CLOVERFIELD, which just like the TV show lost would be a film full of mystery.
CLOVERFIELD is about a group of metro-sexuals living in New York City who are throwing a surprise party for one of their friends when something big happens in the city. At first they are not sure what’s going on. Could it be another 9/11 attack? That’s what it seems like at first, but it’s much worse than that as a large creature is attacking the city and destroying anything in it’s path. With Manhattan island under attack, the group of city dwellers must find a way off the island, but little do they know that their is more to contend with than just one big Godzilla like monster.
I don’t watch a lot of prime time television, and I’ve never been into sitcoms in general. So I really don’t know much about Lost other than the fact that my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins watch it religiously. So being that I heard so many good things about Lost, I figured the screenplay by Drew Goddard should be a decent one. On some levels it was and others not so much. I did enjoy the “along for the ride” feeling the script threw at us from the get go, but did not care for the way the story developed. Because, lets face it folks, if you saw the film your just as clueless as to what’s going on as the characters in this film. Speaking of characters I really didn’t care much for any of them, didn’t care if they lived or died. I felt none of them really had anything special about them, they kind of felt like they were your typical city people who hold the basic yuppie jobs and have no personalities. One thing the script did have however, was substance when it came to the suspense. CLOVERFIELD does have some very well written scenes that will make you feel very uneasy.
The overall acting was actually not half bad, but nothing memorable, like I mentioned above I really didn’t care much for the characters in the film, but felt that the actors in this movie did give a solid performances. The film did have some very good production value, especially with the effects which made you as the viewer feel like you right in the middle of New York City. I saw a lot of 9/11 like influence within the shots used to make this film gain it’s realistic feel. I think that’s what really gives CLOVERFIELD it’s freighting feel, but being a New Yorker it’s something that I don’t like to be reminded of. But overall the film has some great production value and visual effects.
CLOVERFIELD is a film that is very similar in terms to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT as it is shot in the point of view perceptive of the people going though this ordeal in New York City. Where Blair Witch felt like a real film all the way though, CLOVERFIELD did not. There were camera shots used in this film that looked at times to give off that more polished Hollywood camera moment, than it did a shaky handed amateur with a camcorder. It’s not a bad movie, as it does have some suspenseful moments and is a pretty decent monster movie, but in my opinion it’s nothing special. Just another monster film that is fun to watch.
The Blu-ray Disc has a lot, and I mean a lot of specal features that the makes the DVD version of CLOVERFIELD look like crap. Almost all the features appear to be in High Definition format such as the deleted scenes, and alternate ending, as well as most of the featurettes such as, I Saw It! It’s Huge!, Clover Fun, CLOVERFIELD visual effects, which I found to be a neat little feature, and Document 01.18.08: The Making of Cloverfield, which goes though the whole conception of the film and everything. There is also commentary with director Matt Reeves as well. But the best feature on the disc is something that is only available with blu-ray technology it seems. The Blu-ray disc has this special investigation mode, which has this enhanced viewing mode with a GPS tracker, and a creature radar, which is a really cool and fun feature that gives you the feel of being part of the movie. For fans of CLOVERFIELD this blu-ray disc is a must. It has all you can ask for in a movie.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
