J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield Questions

[Hurmoth]

^ That's what it seems like :(

[episode]

so is it a fact that this movie is going to be dome using the same method as the blair witch camera style. or is it going to have third person shots as well.

Since the very first reports, it was stated it is done with handheld cameras.

[uLLwe]

Well I think there is a big difference between Blair Witch and Cloverfield. Blair Witch had a very very small bugdet, not to say budget. Cloverfield has like 30 million $. So what they did in Blair Witch was using the cheapest equipment they could get. As you can see in the cloverfield trailer it's not produced with cheap cameras. The lightsensitivty is relative high in the dark night, and the lightning is very well. So I wouldn't compare it.

[Razorwing]

I am just worried that we might not see much of the monster, if it's constant hiding.. Well that IS what you want to do.. I wouldn't be on the street. lol.

[Rappy Veteran]

I am just worried that we might not see much of the monster, if it's constant hiding.. Well that IS what you want to do.. I wouldn't be on the street. lol.

Yeah I hope we get like a full face shot of the monster!

[RightfulSpire]

check me out

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

check me out

That sure does look like Godzilla. It has the spiky back and the "T-Rex" like posture.

[Rappy Veteran]

Yeah I was gonna say T-Rex after seeing that but I still think he/she lives in the deep...

[Razorwing]

Yeah I was gonna say T-Rex after seeing that but I still think he/she lives in the deep...

T-Rex's cousin? lol.

[Rappy Veteran]

T-Rex's cousin? lol.

If its a Dinosaur I will be so depressed.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

If its a Dinosaur I will be so depressed.

A dinosaur isn't that big, especially one that seems to be a predator. I still think it looks like Godzilla.

[goji]

No no, its another fakezilla....

[Rappy Veteran]

A dinosaur isn't that big, especially one that seems to be a predator. I still think it looks like Godzilla.

But JJ has said its not gonna be Godzilla which if it is people will hunt and kill JJ :p

[Hurmoth]

If its a Dinosaur I will be so depressed.

I don't think it is a dinosaur. But to be honest, I don't know what it is. Godzilla rights are owned by a different studio and if they had been bought, it would be public knowledge, so it can't be that, at least I don't think so. But it is definitely Godzilla-like. A friend and I have been going over the information that's been released (i.e. press info, clips, photos, trailers, etc.) and think that this is some kind of military bio hazard or alien attack.

If, whatever this thing is, was caused by the military I'm going to be disappointed. Another The Mist sadly. Hopefully not though.

[Rappy Veteran]

I don't think it is a dinosaur. But to be honest, I don't know what it is. Godzilla rights are owned by a different studio and if they had been bought, it would be public knowledge, so it can't be that, at least I don't think so. But it is definitely Godzilla-like. A friend and I have been going over the information that's been released (i.e. press info, clips, photos, trailers, etc.) and think that this is some kind of military bio hazard or alien attack.

If, whatever this thing is, was caused by the military I'm going to be disappointed. Another The Mist sadly. Hopefully not though.

Yeah I seriously still think its from the deep because of that Japanese company does deep drilling so it has to do something with it.

[Rappy Veteran]

Review from AICN...

hey harry

longtime reader, first time writer. i was at one of the Cloverfield screenings in NYC, and while the EFX and music weren't finished, i don't think the movie was that far off from being complete. anyway, i am a big Lost fan so JJ Abrams' involvement, coupled with the amazing viral marketing campaign they have used to promote the film, had me really fired up about seeing the film. just wanted to preface with that before sharing my thoughts, which i will keep as spoiler free as possible:

regarding the monster:

i don't know how much i want to give away b/c i think people are having a really good time hypothesizing about what the monster is, so let me just say that it's humongous, it's ugly, and you do see it in full view - no blair witch kind of thing going on here. SPOILER TAG i can also confirm the presence of smaller monsters (which look like the uglies from starship troopers kind of) / END SPOILER [put that in black on the website if you can]

regarding the story:

again, don't want to give much plot away, but there is a little of a backstory initially, but it doesn't take too long to get to the party scene from the trailer, and once the statue of liberty head comes rolling down laffeyette street , the movie is off and running, with NYC devolving into chaos as people avoid being caught in the path of whatever is destroying their city

regarding the movie itself:

the scares are of the "gotcha!" variety, but that is to be expected given the use of the handheld camera, which, by the way, is your POV the entire film, so those with easy motion sickness be forewarned. there are some pretty funny one liners delivered by our cameraman to offset some of the tension with levity. there are certain plot devices which require a large suspension of disbelief (esp in regards to cell phone usage), but then again, if i'm going to buy in to the fact that a giant monster is ransacking my hometown, who am i to draw any line?

overall i thought it was solid, definitely not great, and certainly not a genre redefinition. then again, my expectations were very high going in, so i might not be the best person to ask. my major critiques were:

1) it was somewhat predictable, and, as i stated before, the scares in the movie are less of the "creeping dread" variety and more of the "gotcha!" type.

2) again, i don't want to end the hypothesizing fun, but the monster isn't given much of a backstory or explanation. it just starts tearing NYC a new one one night.

that's all i got. no need to credit me on this one, just wanted to get a review out there that doesn't have everyone shouting PLANT!!1!"

[sundayx Veteran]

I haven't been going through this thread but my friend sent me a sketch of the monster (which I did not intend to see) I was wondering if anyones seen it?

[Rappy Veteran]

I haven't been going through this thread but my friend sent me a sketch of the monster (which I did not intend to see) I was wondering if anyones seen it?

What the film or the monster?...the films been shown it seems to some people.

[sundayx Veteran]

The sketch of the monster.

[Rappy Veteran]

The sketch of the monster.

Unless he has seen the movie I doubt its correct.

[sundayx Veteran]

He didn't draw the sketch, its from the internet, and it looks professional. Should I find a reference to it?

Actually if anyone is interested just Google "cloverfield monster sketch".

Edited December 4, 2007 by sundayx

[Rappy Veteran]

He didn't draw the sketch, its from the internet, and it looks professional. Should I find a reference to it?

Yeah I wouldn't mind seeing it :)

[episode]

He didn't draw the sketch, its from the internet, and it looks professional. Should I find a reference to it?

Actually if anyone is interested just Google "cloverfield monster sketch".

This one?

http://i1.tinypic.com/6u5y35j.jpg

If so, thats been posted in this thread since one of the first pages.

[sundayx Veteran]

Damn. How come everyones still so interested to know what size the monster is and what it is, seems like a clear answer to me.

[Rappy Veteran]

Damn. How come everyones still so interested to know what size the monster is and what it is, seems like a clear answer to me.

Think its because you haven't fully seen the monster in its full form its a bit like lost with smokey.