Cloverfield

( 33 )

Overview

Producer J.J. Abrams teams with writer Drew Goddard and director Matt Reeves for this frenetic tale of a powerful destructive force that descends upon New York City, and the four desperate people who put their lives on the line to embark on a perilous rescue mission. Rob Hawkins Michael Stahl-David is a young American professional who has recently been offered a coveted new job in Japan. Eager to send his older sibling off in style, Rob's younger brother, Jason Mike Vogel, and his girlfriend, Lily Jessica Lucas, ...
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More About This Product

Overview

Producer J.J. Abrams teams with writer Drew Goddard and director Matt Reeves for this frenetic tale of a powerful destructive force that descends upon New York City, and the four desperate people who put their lives on the line to embark on a perilous rescue mission. Rob Hawkins Michael Stahl-David is a young American professional who has recently been offered a coveted new job in Japan. Eager to send his older sibling off in style, Rob's younger brother, Jason Mike Vogel, and his girlfriend, Lily Jessica Lucas, organize a surprise going-away party to take place the night before Rob boards his Eastern-bound flight. As the party gets underway, Rob's longtime friend and current love interest, Beth Odette Yustman, shows up with another man as the dejected guest of honor's best-pal Hud T.J. Miller encourages partygoer Marlena Lizzy Caplan to wish him an on-camera farewell despite the fact that they barely know one another. Moments after Beth storms out following a bitter skirmish with Rob, the entire New York City skyline goes dark. Power is quickly restored, prompting partygoers to turn their attention toward the news, where they learn that a freight tanker has been overturned in New York Harbor. Racing to the rooftop in hopes of getting a better look at the situation, the group is terrified to witness a massive explosion that rains debris across midtown Manhattan, causing mass chaos and unparalleled destruction. But the worst is yet to come, because it soon becomes apparent that this is not the work of a terrorist or an act of war, but a massive creature beyond human comprehension. Now, as the military moves in and the streets of New York City become a virtual war zone, Rob, Lily, Marlena, and Hud race to rescue Beth and get out of the city before the powers that be unleash the ultimate weapon of mass destruction on one of the most populated cities on the planet.
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan
A much-debated source of cinematic speculation ever since the mysterious untitled trailer debuted before Transformers in the summer of 2007, producer J.J. Abrams' attempt to create an iconic American movie monster combines Godzilla-style mayhem with Blair Witch Project-style storytelling in a way that's sure to rattle both monster movie fans and disaster film junkies alike. Presented as found footage discovered by the U.S. government in "the area formerly known as Central Park," Cloverfield opens as New York couple Jason Mike Vogel and his girlfriend, Lily Jessica Lucas, prepare a warm going-away party for Jason's brother, Rob Michael Stahl-David -- a promising young professional who has recently accepted a high-profile job offer in Japan. As the party gets underway, Rob's mentally deficient best friend, Hud T.J. Miller, wanders the room on a mission to videotape as many fond farewells for his soon-to-be-departed pal as possible. When, in the middle of the party, the lights flicker out and a massive explosion rocks midtown Manhattan, the group quickly discovers that they are dealing with a destructive force the likes of which humankind has never seen -- leaving Hud with the camera still in hand, ready to capture the entire ensuing ordeal. Reviewing a film like Cloverfield is a trick endeavor if one chooses to respect the remarkable lengths to which the producers of the film went in order to keep the primary aspects of the plot a secret, yet by placing the film in a historical context both cinematic and otherwise, it's easy to see why it is so effective in rattling viewers who are capable of stomaching the disorienting camerawork. Note: Viewers who suffer from severe motion sickness will either want to take a healthy dose of Dramamine and sit a safe distance from the screen, or simply wait to watch the film when it comes to home video. Cloverfield's familiar but intriguing means of folding fictional horror into a very real cultural context can be easily understood with just a little historical perspective. On August 6, 1945, humankind officially entered the nuclear age when the United States Army Air Force unleashed the fury of the atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima dropping yet another on the western Kuyshu city of Nagasaki within the course of the next 72 hours. Just nine short years later, Japanese filmmaker Ishiro Honda tapped into the atomic fears that plagued Eastern society in the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to give birth to one of the most instantly recognizable monsters in movie history -- Godzilla. Though the version of Godzilla that ultimately reached American shores had a decidedly campy slant thanks to a particularly shoddy dub job and the awkward insertion of additional scenes featuring well-known English-speaking actor Raymond Burr, Honda's original cut of the film was a much different, and decidedly grimmer affair. At the time, the citizens of Japan were still reeling from the trauma of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in a similar manner to how contemporary Americans are still reeling from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and Godzilla embodied everything that their post-nuclear society feared most -- namely wide-scale destruction and the as-yet-to-be-determined effects of nuclear warfare. While the titular character gained popularity around the world in the following decades, the fact remained that Godzilla was a distinctly Japanese creation -- a sort of cautionary mascot for the atomic age. Compelled by the prospect of creating an American counterpart to Godzilla, producer Abrams called upon a creative team that included screenwriter Drew Goddard and director Matt Reeves to make that concept a reality. The result is a film that, despite suffering a few minor flaws in terms of storytelling, accomplishes that lofty goal in a manner that is at once deeply unsettling, highly entertaining, and consistently thrilling once the action gets under way. The greatest strength that Cloverfield possesses is its ability to recreate that suffocating feeling of dread that washed over Americans just after the fall of the Twin Towers. The film's early scenes of destruction eerily parallel the amateur footage that saturated the media following 9/11, depicting massive clouds of debris swallowing up entire city blocks, and confused citizens wandering the streets in a dreamlike haze. While some may argue that Cloverfield loses a few points for originality once the viewer grasps the true nature of the disaster and the primary plot gets under way, the breathless pacing of the film ensures that the viewer isn't likely to be bored for any more than a few moments throughout its scant 85-minute running time, and there are enough surprises to keep even the most demanding viewer giddily off guard. A tense scene in a subway tunnel makes masterful use of both sound and the night-vision function on your typical consumer-grade video camera, a treacherous trip across a collapsing rooftop is dizzying not just for the shaky camera work, and a final confrontation involving a helicopter and a close brush with the source of the widespread destruction will no doubt satisfy monster movie addicts who feared that they might not get a good look at the "terrible thing," given the film's handheld production style. While the actors are all commendably natural, it's a saucer-eyed Lizzy Caplan who truly stands apart from the pack as a girl intensely traumatized by the horrors she has just witnessed, yet somehow able to muster the courage of a hero when the situation demands it. While her prickly zinger in one subterranean scene feels just about as forced as the film's predictably ironic coda, that's a small complaint to register for a film that delivers as many grimly enjoyable, panic-induced jolts as Cloverfield does. In an era when Internet hype and creative marketing can effectively build a film up so much that it's impossible to meet expectations on opening day, odds are that viewers who settle into their seats knowing what to expect both thematically and aesthetically aren't likely to walk away disappointed.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 1/1/2013
  • UPC: 883929301614
  • Original Release: 2008
  • Source: Paramount Catalog
  • Presentation: Wide Screen
  • Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Language: English, Español, Français
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 19,860

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Lizzy Caplan Marlena
Jessica Lucas Lily
T.J. Miller Hud
Michael Stahl-David Rob Hawkins
Mike Vogel Jason Hawkins
Odette Yustman Beth Mcintyre
Technical Credits
Matt Reeves Director
J.J. Abrams Producer
David Baronoff Associate Producer
Michael Bonvillain Cinematographer
Bryan Burk Producer
Sherryl Clark Executive Producer
Will E. Files Sound/Sound Designer
Chad S. Frey Set Decoration/Design
Drew Goddard Screenwriter
Crew Goodard Screenwriter
George R. Lee Set Decoration/Design
Doug Meerdink Art Director
Ellen Mirojnick Costumes/Costume Designer
Rip Murray Asst. Director
Douglas Murray Sound/Sound Designer
John Pollard Art Director
Guy Riedel Executive Producer
Kevin Stitt Editor
Alyssa Weisberg Casting
Martin Whist Production Designer
Ed White Sound/Sound Designer
Jane Wuu Set Decoration/Design
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 33 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(14)

4 Star

(7)

3 Star

(2)

2 Star

(4)

1 Star

(6)

Your Rating:

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 33 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Fun creature feature

    I'm really glad I waited to see Cloverfield on video instead of in the theater. There's so much shaking of the camera that on a large screen, I think it would've made me ill. On a small screen, while still pretty intense, it's a little easier to focus on what's happening. And it's easier to see how the film comes together, which I really appreciated.

    What I found most impressive was that the hand-held camera manages to avoid feeling staged or contrived: it's surprisingly believable that some guy on the run for his life would obsess over filming what's happening. And the wild angles and sometimes barely heard dialogue reinforce the impression that while Hud is documenting this event, he has other things that need his attention. I did occasionally feel as though I was waiting for the characters to be killed off one by one, which kind of detracted from the realism a bit, but overall this was an enjoyable film to watch.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    Kick-But Movie!

    I say this was a kick-but movie!I loved the movie.Great monster!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    responding to previous reviewers questions.

    I can understand if people disliked the movie. It is a unique experience, one I believe needed to have been seen in the theater, but it can not be repeated, like the matrix bullet time etc... Most monster/horror movies explain the reason for the invasion, the monsters&amp #8217 origin and why it&amp #8217 s attacking. But if this really happened then we really would not know squat. A monster attacks and you are telling me that the government or some eccentric scientist is going to know what it is and why it is attacking in the same night it appears? Not likely. The movie by itself was a treat and a fun experience, however, it would be possible and to come out with a sequel to begin to expound on the plot but it would be necessary. I personally would love to see a sequel but I don&amp #8217 t want JJ Abrams and co. to go over board as some do with sequel in trying to reproduce or reinvent what they accomplished. The main point wasn't so much plot but an experience that really couldn't be done with any other plot. The fact that JJ Abrams and co. that the tape was being recorded over the protaganists recorded date with his girl and going back and forth between the two was a creative way to break up the story and allow some investment in the protaganist and the women he is trying to save. I hope this helps.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    WHAT WAS THE POINT????

    I was SO happy when HUD got chomped and that wacked out girl he liked Explode. I just didn't get the movie and I am a die hard Horror, Sci-Fi movie goer. I mean Godzilla had better plot. 1st Person camera view was good idea I guess but what was the point, it was all over the place. The only character I liked (Jason) was killed early on. Poor guy but then again maybe he was the lucky one. He didn't have to go thru the rest of the movie. I am still trying to figure out what the purpose of the movie was. I mean was that monster thing an alien delivery? Just appeared unannounced? Cute little klingons dropping off the mother ship (monster). Could someone intelligently explain to me the plot? Besides carnage and destruction. I said Intelligently please.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Awesome movie

    This was an awesome movie. I'm wondering if they'll follow it with another one. Perhaps they'll find another "video". I'm just tired of hearing people complain about the way the movie was filmed... It's suppose to be that way. If you were running for your life, like these people were, then I seriously doubt that you could hold it perfectly still. Remember this is basically a documentary about the event.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Blair Witch meets Godzilla

    The first 20 minutes of this film is a poor choppy cutscene of a group of attractive teenagers making total jackassses of themselves. I could not relate. Not at all interesting. I own video cameras and so do my friends..our camerawork is not nearly as poor as what is done to make this movie a 'realistic feeling home movie.' The cheapest home cameras are very easy to keep stable. The giant monster terrorizing the city is cool, everyone involved in the creation of it did very well...the rest of the movie is garbage. When the B-21 dropped what appeared to be napalm on the monster and it shrugged it off, no fire on the monster, completely unscathed....I left the room.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A good surprise

    Going into this movie I wasn't expecting a lot, but the commercials made me curious. Heck, I wasn't expecting to ever see the monster either. But, after it was over I was happy to say that it was worth the price of my ticket, and my friends agreed. The camera work is shaky, but that's how it's supposed to be. It took me a few minutes to get used to it, but after that I was fine. Little boring in the beginning, but that's all character development. I think it's a great new-age Godzilla movie. I say this, yet I won't buy it. It was a one-time watcher for me. I'd recommend it for a rent first.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Enough already!!

    OK, shooting the movie from the perspective of average joe was not a bad idea and could have worked for me, bu JESUS, bouncing the camera around like a five year old for the whole film?? Add in boring performances from the actors and you have a real stinker. What a waste of time. Im just glad I didnt waste money to see it in the theatre

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Creative and Thrilling

    Cloverfield grabs you from beginning to end as you follow a group of people trying to survive a city being destroyed by something extraordinary. You are along for the ride with the characters and no one else. All is seen through the view of a handheld camera, so of course it is going to be shaky as the protagonists run for their life. Real people would not have the patience or care about quality if they were trying to survive in this type of situation. For all the gripes about things not being explained...you have got to be pretty thick to not understand that you only know what the characters know. How could an audience know any more than what is retrieved from a video camera? There is no omnipotent, all knowing storyteller feeding you information. The film leaves that part for you to speculate as you feel like one of the many running for their lives. Not too hard to understand at all.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A reviewer

    Before I saw this film, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it at all because it wasn't the typical type of film that I would go to see, however I actually found this film quite enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the interesting viewpoint, in which someone in the movie documented his experience, it made it seem more real. Many other reviewers mentioned that they disliked the bouncing and shaking of the camera, however to me this just made it seem even more life like. If I was in this situation, the camera would definately be moving. I applaude the hard work and creativity put into this film and I strongly reccomend it to everyone.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A great monster movie!

    Cloverfield is the the Godzilla "not the American one though" of this generation. It has an innovative perspective "civilians documenting the monster attack via camcorder", a cool-looking monster, and had "or still has" an awesome viral campaign. For those of you whining about the camera, you "hopefully" knew what you were getting into. I know I wouldn't ever see a movie in theatres/buy on DVD if I had no idea what I was about to see. Fairly slow at first "even a movie like this needs some character development", turns into a non-stop 80 minute rollercoaster. I can't wait for the Cloverfield game and Cloverfield 2 "Yes, both have been confirmed"!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    I've only walked out of 2 movies in my life.

    Who's Harry Crumb and Cloverfield. I even sat through Nothing But Trouble and Drop Dead Fred. So, I am a glutton for punishment. But Cloverfield was poorly acted, poorly scripted and even more poorly filmed. I felt like I was on a helicopter ride in the middle of a hurricane. I was literally sick to my stomach, from the poor story-in addition to the camera work. It just made no sense to me.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    GREAT FILM!

    I was skeptical at first. I thought it would be another stupid Godzilla stile movie. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was quite an exceptional film. I bought it the day it was released with out ever seeing it before. I had heard good things, but I was blown away. It had somewhat of a storie line, not a real deep one, but good enough.The cinematography was hard to get used to at first, but now I can see why the home video stile was used. It truly adds a personal affect, and makes it seam like what’s happening is reality. The special effects are extraordinary, adding to the realism. If you have a good surround sound system you will especially appreciate this film. There is no added music to the movie but it’s not needed it adds another element of realism. Over all I found it to be a great suspenseful film, and I highly recommend getting it.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A Rollercoaster Wreck! by Dianela Miller

    This movie is one of the most aggrevating to watch. Constant motion and not smooth enough to enjoy. It's a Blair Witch style, attempts to instigate suspense, but it doesnt have the right formula. Not well done at all. Causes media attention because it's different, making audience leave theatre in diasappointment. Not worth ticket.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Exactly what it says it is!

    First things first: Watching this movie will not make you a better person. You will not learn a lot from it. It is not High Art. What it is, and all it ever wanted to be, is a darned good monster-smashes-up-city movie. And that's more than enough. Whether you can't stand the main characters and want them to get smashed or whether you can relate to them and earnestly want them to escape almost doesn't matter. The fact is that this is really the first movie of its genre to get into the lives of the people on the ground. I am not a horror movie fan. I don't like tons of gore, tons of jump scares. But I loved this movie. You may have heard the stories about motion sickness - I suffer from it myself, and I felt ill the first time I saw it on the big screen. But I liked it so much I simply went and saw it again in the theatre! I'm sure on a smaller screen the effect will be lessened. For yet more fun with it, check out the record of the online game which played out before its release. A simple googling of "Cloverfield wiki" will bring up a list of sites. It fills in some of the details the movie simply can't, by virtue of its perspective. (And full credit to the filmmakers: the perspective is never, ever broken.) I am buying this movie April 22, the release date. The only other movies I've ever bothered to make sure of the release date were the Lord of the Rings set.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    waste of money & time

    did not have a synopsis on the dvd--camera was all over the place--did not see what was destroying the city--totally bad movie--was really confused whoever rates it as good is crazy.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    clover what the heck??

    the trailers everything without revealing the monster looked awesome. then when the film comes and you're like what...the..heck..was..that? don't get me wrong i like a monster movie like everyone but that just depends. the monsters especially those little ones in the sewer were f'd up but i didn't like the film that much and not only because of the ending...but of that annoying camera and camera person and its shakiness for god's sake will you just stand still for like a minute or something...geez....okay to see at least once and forget about it after a while.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Enjoyable.

    This may not be a movie for people who use specific guidelines to determine merit value. Then again, it may be. If you're the type who thinks a monster movie should be judged by a different standard then, say, Amistad, you're like me! And I enjoyed watching this artfully done monster movie.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    worst movie ever

    If you'd like the horrible camera work in blair witch project and the horrible acting then this movie would be right up your alley, not explaining anything about the monster or its purpose might be JJ abrams "Style" but it definitly doesn't add anything but frustration to this movie. so unless you want a pricey coaster this movie is worth the film it is on

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Brilliant and Innovative Film...

    I love all of J.J. Abram's films. He continues to find ways to take film and cinematography to the next level. I will suggest that you take a motion sickness pill or be mindful of who you watch this with since it is shot with a home camera style!

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 33 Customer Reviews