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AICN EXCLUSIVE! UPDATED! More About The Top-Secret JJ Abrams Film CLOVERFIELD!

Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here. UPDATE! A few details I want to clarify about this. JJ Abrams is not directing the film... he's too busy with prep for STAR TREK. It's just something he's overseeing. And as far as the script goes, I fully expect Herc to pitch a little green tent when he learns that it's Drew Goddard of BUFFY/ANGEL/ALIAS/LOST fame who is writing the film. I think I poked a hornet’s nest last week when I revealed a first few details about the top-secret CLOVERFIELD, which is the film that caused Latino Review to get confused about whether or not Abrams was directing STAR TREK. It’s not their fault, frankly, because things have been airtight on this one so far. I’m not even 100% sure who’s directing it. All I know is that the film shot a trailer before there’s been a frame of real film shot, and we’re going to see that trailer soon. If I were betting, I’d say it will be in front of TRANSFORMERS, which sounds like the best place for it to play. Why? Well, check out this description of the trailer, and then go read what I wrote about it last week. Sounds pretty groovy, doesn’t it?

I just saw the Cloverfield trailer at work and it's going to be pretty intense! It is from the perspective of people's camera in NYC. A huge earthquake breaks up a going away party. The people at the party go to the roof top just in time to catch lower Manhatten erupt into a ball of fire! They make their way to the street to witness the head of the statue of liberty fly down the street, end clip with screaming! Insane! I look forward to this one!
Readers Talkback
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  • June 25, 2007 5:04 AM CST

    Gee

    by Aloy

    Now this sounds like an original concept.....

  • June 25, 2007 5:11 AM CST

    Yay!!! Another disaster flick!!! And it's set in NYC!!!

    by Shermdawg

    So original.

    Btw, I caught Deep Impact for the first time since it was released over the weekend on TNT, and if you overlook Frodo outrunning the wave on the dirtbike, it's still one of, if not the best (non alien) disaster flick around.

    Morgan Freeman f'n ruled as the prez, and he had the KFC guy as his righthand man.

  • June 25, 2007 5:26 AM CST

    Actually... isn't this about a giant monster attack?

    by Boondock Devil

    I believe everything is supposed to be shot on personal cameras so it has that blair witch vibe. I think this movie can kick all sorts of ass.

  • June 25, 2007 6:08 AM CST

    Just read Mori's previous story...

    by Shermdawg

    ...I haven't been religiously reading AICN as of late, sue me.

    ...

    Actually... dont sue me. I've aready got people considering that as we speak. :(

    Anyways, now that I know that there's a monsta involved and the entire flick uses camcorders (are they still called that nowadays?) my interest has picked up. br>
    I'm still sick of NYC in thes types of flicks though. How 'bout Miami? Hawaii? Anywhere besides New Yawk.

    Who says monsters, aliens, and mother nature are only interested in landmarks? I bet they'd like a little sun from time to time.

    I mean, when was the last time you saw Mother Nature in a thong in a flck? hmm? Never. Despite being a total milf, Hollyood has never went there. It's always NYC, or the midwest, or the earth's core for crap's sake.

    I'm rambling, and I'm about to fall asleep.... I had best shut up now.

  • June 25, 2007 6:34 AM CST

    The Jackson Five

    by Lord Thislewick

    Could take a big old shiite muslim on the studios!

  • June 25, 2007 6:35 AM CST

    Wow. Sounds...

    by BirdMnJr

    like it'll be nauseating to watch. Because I really wanna watch downtown New York explode in a fireball after seeing something similar to a lesser extent in real life less than 6 years ago. C'mon JJ, if you're going to explode part of a city, do it in one that didn't experience a devastating terrorist attack 6 years earlier. Because all that's going to do is provoke bad memories. At least for those of us who experienced it first hand...

  • June 25, 2007 6:47 AM CST

    Wait...giant monster...NewYork...provoking bad memories

    by Shermdawg

    Oh...just had Godzilla flashbacks...oh crap.

    Y'know what I'd like to see? A movie with big fucking birds.

    Remember a few years back when New York removed a nest of falcons, or hawks, or whatever the hell they were from that apartment building? Well, take that scenario, and have the birds relocate to Jersey, get contaminated with some sort of Jersey contamination (aquanet fumes), and they return and are all like really fucking big and shit. And there could be this scene where they shitbomb cabs.

    I'd pay to see that. I tell ya I would.

  • June 25, 2007 6:51 AM CST

    I see Captivity is coming out July 13th...

    by tonagan

    They should advertise that by putting up a billboard or something.

  • June 25, 2007 6:58 AM CST

    Oh, oh, oh my god...and here's a pitch for.....

    by Shermdawg

    ...one of the eventual flicks that try to capitalize on any success Transformers might have...

    Anient race of robotic aliens come to earth and setup a plan where they would pose as NYC cabs, to one day take over the city.

  • June 25, 2007 7:09 AM CST

    I swear to gawd....

    by Shermdawg

    ...that creature better not be some bullshit like his smoke monster.

    It'd be cool if it was a ginormous Hurley fucking up New York.

    I'd also pay to see that.

  • June 25, 2007 7:13 AM CST

    Eye/Stomach Ratio

    by PotSmokinAlien

    this is one crazy dude. JJ there are children starving in africa, only take what you can finish.

  • June 25, 2007 7:22 AM CST

    queue the frakn trailer alreadY...

    by couP

  • June 25, 2007 7:50 AM CST

    yes, Insane!

    by newc0253

    if this weren't a JJ Abrams movie, i'd cringe.

  • June 25, 2007 7:54 AM CST

    FUCK THIS....!!!!! TREK DETAILS....NOW..!!!

    by greigy just wanted to say

    How much longer are they going to leave us on tender hooks waiting to see who'll fill all those shoes. HD-DVD will be retro cool again by the time they get round to it.

  • June 25, 2007 8:06 AM CST

    Too soon.

    by Zufall

    How the hell could an earthquake make the Statue of Liberty's head go that far?

  • June 25, 2007 8:13 AM CST

    Lots of explosions and fire!

    by photoboy

    Sounds like the ideal trailer for a Bay audience.

  • June 25, 2007 8:26 AM CST

    ouch

    by Schih Thayde

    my AIDS hurts from all this.

  • June 25, 2007 8:33 AM CST

    comicbookguy: "Cloverfield? Worst. Name. Ever."

    by Lance Rock

    how about "Tonight, He Comes?"

  • June 25, 2007 8:40 AM CST

    torn

    by xcornealiousx

    nyc, explosions, statute of liberty head, earthquakes = LAME JJ Abrams, video cam-corders concept = cool. i will see this because its JJ, but im hesitant this is going to be ridic.

  • June 25, 2007 8:52 AM CST

    Mori, you better add a line mentioning the monster...

    by Shermdawg

    ...because someone other than me, (who obviously didn't read the previous story or checked out it's posted link) made the same mistake of thinking this was just a regular old disaster flick.

  • June 25, 2007 8:53 AM CST

    ...and...

    by Shermdawg

    I'm sure we won't be the last.

  • June 25, 2007 8:53 AM CST

    Roland Emmerich returns!

    by Franklin T Marmoset

    Destroying American landmarks since 1996!

    This can never hope to match Emmerich's mastery at breaking various statues and buildings you recognise through the power of his special effects.

    Boom! Take that, giant doughnut in Los Angeles!

    !

    Ping! Fall over, that half MacDonalds archway thing from St Louis!

    Pow! Fuck off, statue of president Lincoln that is now best remembered as being a part of the ignoble ending of Tim Burton's Planet Of The Apes remake!

    Christ, I don't even know what I'm going on about here. Sorry about that.

  • June 25, 2007 8:57 AM CST

    Man, hope that Statue head scene is only in the teaser

    by Nice Marmot

    They cut the Spidey/chopper/Towers scene because of 9-11. They already need to cut this Cloverleaf scene because monuments being destroyed is as fresh as a Foghat concert. I'm tryin to think of one that hasn't been destroyed on film. The caught on video angle isn't bad though. That alien at b-day party from Signs so worked for me. I grew up on UFO books though. MOTHMAN baby!!!

  • June 25, 2007 9:15 AM CST

    HOW SOON

    by THE KNIGHT

    till someone says too soon?

  • June 25, 2007 9:17 AM CST

    I hate when they shoot poor video on purpose

    by Cymbol

    I know, that's the point of this movie. But it sucks on a Hi-Def player. I thought Battlestar Gallactica would look awesome in Hi-Def, when I finally got to see it (recently got a 65" HDTV) it looked aweful. They should the show in grainy video, which, on the small screen gives it a more documentary feel, on a big screen in Hi-Def, it looks like someone forgot to clean the lens. Anyway, just saying, it is very distracting. I wouldn't mind seeing this movie in crystal clear Hi-Def instead. Oh well, I guess it will save money.

  • June 25, 2007 9:22 AM CST

    Hmm...

    by C00L DUD3

    Sounds pretty interesting...can't wait to see a trailer...

  • June 25, 2007 9:30 AM CST

    Cloverfield/9-11 comparison

    by Alfred Einstein

    Is there an argument FOR a disaster movie in NYC? In terms of empowerment and ownership of tragedy etc. Or is it pretty much seen as exploitation? As an outsider, I'd like to know what the locals think.

  • June 25, 2007 9:38 AM CST

    Stick to T.V. J.J.

    by lost.rules

    Stick to T.V.

  • June 25, 2007 9:42 AM CST

    JJ: PLEASE just do Dark Tower now, not this

    by Stormwatcher

    Please don't direct this. It will make money, maybe. But who cares, it sounds so mid 90's post Independence Day but with a twist! Yeah! What we really need is an HBO Dark Tower series or something along those lines which will rock. That Absorbing Man guy from HEREOS for Eddie Dean, Kurt Russell for Roland, my Jack Russell Terrier in a motion capture suit for Oy! Boom it would be sweet.

  • June 25, 2007 9:56 AM CST

    cloverfield

    by jedimindflayer

    i'm not entirely convinced that this ain't a smokescreen... all this talk about cloverfield kinda deflects from trek and dark tower, eh?

  • June 25, 2007 10:13 AM CST

    Cloverfield

    by lost.rules

    Worst.Title.Ever. And I think it's Children of the Corn, but I'm not sure.

  • June 25, 2007 10:15 AM CST

    Gotta say I agree about NYC...

    by Black And Gold

    ...being overdone on the disaster scale. Yeah, I get WHY it's used ALL the time but there are other cities in the world.

  • June 25, 2007 10:16 AM CST

    Oh yeah...

    by Black And Gold

    I still want to see it though.

  • June 25, 2007 10:42 AM CST

    Did you all forget about Mission Impossible 3?!?

    by AdrianVeidt

    I have full faith in JJ doing a full length film because MI:3 was quite possibly the best action film I had seen in about 10 years at the time it came out. I trust this man and action with my whole heart. It's not shoot 'em up action, but it's bad ass action. However, if there is a lot of running by Tom Cruise in this movie, I might retract my statement.

  • June 25, 2007 10:53 AM CST

    Is there an alien FBI agent doctor in this one?

    by Stalin vs Predator

    Will it be better than Abramseseseseses's Mission Impossible III? I.e., will it be better than boar excrement?

  • June 25, 2007 11:16 AM CST

    I was thinking the same about NYC

    by CherryValance

    That's why I was actually glad something happened to London for once in FF:RotSS. There are many other major cities that people will recognize immediately. Use them for a change.

  • June 25, 2007 11:27 AM CST

    the trivia

    by copperpot

    I think you're refering to "over thee edge" young Matt Dillon. Sterile condotown in the middle of nowhere. They shut down rec center. kids go wilding. Also two teens have sex in a half-build track house. Hope this helps.

  • June 25, 2007 11:28 AM CST

    How about an Indy trailer before Transformers?

    by Barry Egan

    Seems logical to me.

  • June 25, 2007 11:43 AM CST

    Now that I think about it

    by CherryValance

    hand held cameras are going to make it even worse. Because we saw a lot of 9/11 shaky camera real footage from either news crews or normal people cameras. I don't think I want to see a movie like that, even if it's a silly monster movie. I wasn't actually thinking about 9/11 in my first reaction, just that New York has been overused. But, yeah, sounds like a bad idea actually.

    And MI:3 was okay. It was probably the best of the MI movies but it still wasn't very good compared to most other actioners. It was on cable the other day and I realized I had no desire to rewatch it. And I never was an Alias fan so I don't really know what to expect from JJ Abrams.

  • June 25, 2007 12:14 PM CST

    JJ Abrams trailer will be on Transformers

    by thefofo

    I'm a projectionist, and we received a memo with trailers going on Transformers, and the attached trailer was entitled "JJ Abrams Movie Trailer". I was thinking it would be Star Trek, but maybe its Cloverfield.

  • June 25, 2007 12:59 PM CST

    How soon is too soon?

    by nnnuts

    Well, Japan got 2 nukes and decades of Godzilla movies I'm not sure which was worse

  • June 25, 2007 1:18 PM CST

    What about a monster attacking Mexico City?

    by The Dum Guy

    Wait, then most people wouldn't care, except those living in Mexico.

    And, I'm not being rascist, but enough with the "Too Soon" mentality. We need to stop living in the past, and cower in fear about the next terrorist attack. (I'm not serious at all).

  • June 25, 2007 3:19 PM CST

    yep pussies

    by dtpena

    and not in the british way

  • June 25, 2007 3:54 PM CST

    does the statue of liberty...

    by Hella

    ...yell "AW HELL NAW!" right before its decapitated???? i sure hope so....

  • June 25, 2007 3:56 PM CST

    Zachary Quinto for Spock!

    by polyh3dron

    He was born to be Spock and you all know it to be true.

  • June 25, 2007 4:02 PM CST

    ImpulseCaper

    by BirdMnJr

    Hey, if you knew multiple people who died in the attack, and witnessed it with your own eyes, then maybe you could comment on those of us who don't want to see giant fireballs in Lower Manhattan. Again. So fuck off. Thanks.

  • June 25, 2007 4:51 PM CST

    What, do they carry the head of Lady Liberty...

    by Bronx Cheer

    from the harbor and then drop it--KERPSLATT--on Manhattan? This sounds lame. As others pointed out, enough with the end of the world in NYC already. Go fucking blow up Chicago or Seattle. Leave us alone.

    Okay, I don't really mean that...keep making all the "let's fuck up NYC" flicks you want, just so long as you actually shoot here, because you're paying my rent.

    Actually, I DO mean it...I am sick of all the CGI fests. There are plenty of real-life disasters. Knock it off already with more movies about the destruction of this or that city etc...

  • June 25, 2007 4:55 PM CST

    I don't go for the "Too Soon" arguments. But how about

    by Bronx Cheer

    a change of locale? Loved seeing London torn up in the 28 Days/Weeks flicks. Make it meaningful and rip up something most people aren't familiar with, like maybe Ann Arbor, Michigan, or Seward, Alaska...give me some bad ass devastation in a new place. I love NYC, but I'm bored already. Thank god for Nolan shooting Batman in Chicago.

  • June 25, 2007 5:06 PM CST

    mr_sinister, nobody destroyed NYC.

    by Bronx Cheer

    NYC is still here kicking ass and taking names. I'd like to point out that more people outside of NYC and DC make 9/11 their own personal tragedy than those who live here. For the most part, people here picked up and got on with their lives. I moved here in 2004, and I don't need to make it my tragedy, nor do I want to. I have heard so many fucked up stories, talked to many people directly touched by the events of that day...and I've already had enough loss in my own life...why the hell would I want more suffering?

    Yes, it's exploitation, and no it's not. One thing to keep in mind about the rash of NYC films: the city and state have been very aggressive with tax incentives, and while shooting in NYC is a major pain in the ass logistically, it's very attractive to producers. We have first-rate crews here, and it's a fantastic city to shoot, but as soon as the tax breaks go away, then producers will go back to using Toronto and other cities as stand-ins for NYC.

  • June 25, 2007 5:14 PM CST

    ImpulseCaper, and others who cry "pussies"

    by Bronx Cheer

    I'd suggest that the people who seem hung up on 9/11 are those who either have no lives, no personal stake in the events of that day, or they exploit the memory to manipulate others...for instance, the pussies in our government. You want to cry "pussies," point your fingers at all the bastards who insisted that the air in Lower Manhattan was safe, and now that people are dying from the shit, and the evidence is overwhelming that we were lied to about the risks involved, do you see Georgie and his asshole pals coughing up the dough to cover the medical expenses for those who worked on the pile, and those residents who were assured it was safe to go back to their homes? Lower Manhattan should have been fucking evacuated, probably for at least two to three months--just like they always show in the movies. The people who worked and lived there were not cowards. No, the goddamn cowards and pussies are those who made grand gestures and speeches through megaphones, but run when the shit hits the fan. Bring that "pussy" shit to NYC, see how long you last.

  • June 25, 2007 5:25 PM CST

    Impulse, it's obvious BirdMnJr is touchy on this issue.

    by Bronx Cheer

    Why don't you show a modicum of class and instead bitch about something fake? Go bitch about CGI or Angelina Jolie or something. Or maybe you can wait for the next big fucking tragedy and lambaste people for not getting over it. Or maybe come to NYC and sit in a movie theater the next time a trailer hits the screen for United 93 or WTC or some other 9/11 flick, and see how the mood goes from festive to dour pretty quickly. Maybe people wouldn't have such a tough time moving on if filmmakers quit exploiting the tragedy for profit? Or for propaganda? Or--and this is the fault of the city, state, and federal governments--maybe you could not wait five years to start building a new structure in place of the old one? See how you feel if you have an open wound left to fester for five plus years. And maybe tourists could stop coming to Ground Zero and posing for pictures in front of the site, smiling and grinning like idiots? It's not the Chrysler Building, folks. It's a mass grave. Quit your grinning and go to Times Square.

  • June 25, 2007 5:27 PM CST

    It's a Lost tie in

    by A G

    The disaster the numbers cause. Trust me.

  • June 25, 2007 5:29 PM CST

    I think Cloverfield is a samurai movie.

    by Bronx Cheer

    Heads are always rolling in samurai flicks.

  • June 25, 2007 6:21 PM CST

    Impulse, you win.

    by Bronx Cheer

    Keep talking tough. I didn't say shit about heroes. And it's true about your bullshit. Bring that shit. Bring it right here you screaming little douche. I suggested you might be less of a dick to people who have feelings about the matter. I don't give a damn about whiny little pissants like you, people who think they're so tough they can talk shit to people on the other side of an internet connection. I told you to bring that "pussy" shit here and I meant it. That ain't New Yorker tough guy talk. I've only been here three years. I lived in LA for 25. If anything, it's SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU STUPID LITTLE NUTLICKER talk. Otherwise, shut the fuck up. Maybe you could actually read what I fucking wrote, because I made it pretty clear that these people have moved on. But expecting you to comprehend what you read is like expecting shit not to stink. I'm BORED of the NYC disaster flicks. Blow up Miami in your next flick. NYC is done, overexposed. One more movie with a shot of the Brooklyn Bridge and I'll vomit.

    And if you're too chickenshit to come to NYC and call New Yorkers pussies, then tell me where you live and I'll send a PussyGram your way.

    Did I mention you can suck my balls? I haven't showered today, so they're probably pretty choice. Mmmm, balls. Suck 'em.

  • June 25, 2007 6:23 PM CST

    And one last thing: Grow up? Are you fucking kidding?

    by Bronx Cheer

    I frequent AICN. It's obvious I have NO interest in growing up. Now, what are you waiting for? Suck my balls.

  • June 25, 2007 6:30 PM CST

    Over the Edge

    by wimps pimps psychos and sexfiends

    Great overlooked movie. A bunch of kids (a young Matt Dillon among them) terrorize a pristine gated community. The kids lock their parents in the community center while they're discussing what to do about these hoodlums and them begin to burn and destroy the community. Classic.

  • June 25, 2007 6:40 PM CST

    Tasty balls. Got 'em right here.

    by Bronx Cheer

    Okay, are we done? I am. Truce? I hope so. Now, about this JJ fellow. This is going to be a stupid movie. Lame. Don't even make it. Save the money. Glad to be of help.

  • June 25, 2007 7:28 PM CST

    its all fun and games until

    by ArcadianDS

    the stay-puft marshmallow man starts walking around untethered.

  • June 25, 2007 7:33 PM CST

    ImpulseCaper. Again.

    by BirdMnJr

    Seriously. Who raised you? Did you have any sort of moral compass when you were growing up. Just because I was personally affected by an attack that still evokes bad memories for me and many others and I don't want to see similar events replayed on a screen for entertainment value, I should "crawl into the deepest darkest hole you can find somewhere in your house"? I'm not "scared of my own shadow". I just don't want to see something that affected me deeply played for cheap thrills. Seriously, get a soul. You clearly lack one. On a more positive note, thank you for showing a sense of decency Bronx Cheer

  • June 25, 2007 7:52 PM CST

    You're welcome, BirdMnJr.

    by Bronx Cheer

    Sorry I didn't demonstrate more dignity or class.

  • June 25, 2007 9:27 PM CST

    WOOT!

    by zillabeast

    This sounds pretty damn wicked. I am looking forward to it!!!

  • June 26, 2007 4:52 PM CST

    Monster? Nu Yawk?? Donald Trumps Ego I bet.

    by Yeti

    Trust.

  • June 27, 2007 12:34 AM CST

    Looking forward more to GIANT MONSTERS ATTACK JAPAN!

    by Big Dumb Ape

    Trey Parker and Matt Stone were doing...or had announced...that they'd be doing an old style, big-ass monster movie called GIANT MONSTERS ATTACK JAPAN!, which was supposed to be targeted for summer of 2009. I thought the idea of them tackling the man in suit genre after doing marionettes in TEAM AMERICA was inspired. I'll be there opening day for that one -- well, assuming the project's not dead.

    As for CLOVERFIELD, it could be all right, it just comes down to execution like anything else. But if it's one of those things that's high on "high concept" (ie. the gimmick is that all the footage you'll see in the movie was supposedly culled from various people's camcorders that day) but then turns out to be low on pay-off (ie. we never really see a monster and so on), then the word will spread fast that it's a hollow movie overall. Not to mention that whole "it was all shot on camcorder" bit could get tiring really, really fast -- not to mention if they go overkill with "shaky cam" footage that could be TOO headache inducing and also kill the movie. In other words, the gimmick is that people caught footage as they were running around, but the end result is that we're all sitting in our theater seats constantly craning our heads around to figure out what the hell is happening on onscreen.

    But the teaser trailer sounds fun, sort of the way that the "White House gets blown up by the alien mothership" trailer got everyone excited about INDEPENDENCE DAY. The problem for CLOVERFIELD though is how people then react. What most people forget -- as a bit of film trivia -- is that the ID4 teaser played SOOOO well that Fox suddenly realized that peoples expectations for the scope and scale of what they were expecting to see in the movie was much higher than what Emmerich and Devlin had filmed. Hence Fox had to suddenly pump like another 20 million into the movie to "up" the effects work to make it a true summer popcorn flick.

    So JJ and crew might be saying NOW the whole point of CLOVERFIELD's gimmick is to keep the cost down, but if people get totally jazzed and now expect far more, don't be shocked to see the budget going up more and more as they get closer to the final release date to make sure the final product doesn't backfire and UNDERWHELM audiences...

  • June 27, 2007 1:26 AM CST

    Oh, and speaking AS a born & bred New Yorker...

    by Big Dumb Ape

    ...Even I would have to say it's a tough call on having movies set in NYC where all types of disasters strike that cause epic mayhem. Giving the argument my 2 cents, as a New Yorker, I can actually see it both ways.

    On the one hand, obviously 9/11 deeply affected everyone in our country -- NYers in particular. I'm a proud born and bred NYer. I grew up there and lived the bulk of my life there, until a few years back when I moved to LA where I now live and work. So I can certainly appreciate that there will be those who might have a particular emotion over seeing NYC hit again and again on the big screen, whether its through a mock movie terrorist attack, mob criminals going crazy and having huge shoot outs with explosions going off left and right, or even because of a giant ass monster strolling down Fifth Avenue toppling buildings.

    On the other hand, let's be honest -- its undeniable that NYC is one of the most famous, most select cities in the world BECAUSE of everything that's there. You have the sheer amount of people, which gives you great "screaming in panic" crowd scenes... you have all the corporate headquarters that are situated there, which gives you unlimited settings for politcal or mystery/murder thrillers... you have world famous sites like the Metropolitan Museum of Art or Natural Museum of History... Central Park... the United Nations... the Empire State Building... the Statue of Liberty... Yankee Stadium... I mean, the list goes on and on. Having THAT much wealth to use as background material obviously makes NYC a prime setting for a multitude of stories.

    In fact, right now I've been shopping on a preliminary basis a pitch/screenplay about...well, let's just say something big happens to NYC on an epic scale...and the one thing that the producers I've talked with so far have realized and accepted and liked is that the NYC setting MAKES the movie. Because you really could only stage it THERE due to particular story reasons. And to be frank, "Terrorists or Mob Bosses or Giant Monsters attack Cleveland" really doesn't generate the same grand scale, epic feel that good ol' New York can instantly evoke.

    And keep one other thing in mind: money. After 9/11, you had the Republican Convention and all sorts of other things taking place in NYC -- the idea being that the more "business" that could be directed towards the city was a good thing. The more business taking place there, the better it would be for helping NY get its legs back under it. So while it seems a weird contradiction at first, movies SHOT in NYC -- even though they're ironically about NYC getting hammered or destroyed -- actually HELP the city's bottom line both immediately (in terms of the production revenue it instantly brings in) as well as long term, too -- that is, the movie comes out and thus continues to popularize NYC as a location where you can "set" things, thus keeping NYC atop all other cities in the world as a preferred shooting location.

    Like I said, I can see it both ways. As a New Yorker I don't want to see people upset, I want to respect their feeings...yet on the other hand you just can't COMPLETELY STOP all movies or things from being set in NY out of post-9/11 sympathies, however well intended they might be. I mean, there's a bit of wacky logic to saying "Godzilla can't run amuck in NYC because of 9/11 and the feelings you'll bring up." Basically, I accept that you have to acknowledge the horror of what happened that fateful day...you don't trivialize it, you make sure you honor those who died and always remember them...and yet meanwhile at some point, yes, you ALSO have to accept that life does go on. At which point like most things in life, we all just have to choose "how" we want to continue on and what we're willing to accept or buy into, versus what you want to confront and object to and so on...

  • June 27, 2007 9:57 AM CST

    Yes, he's to busy fucking up, oops, shooting Star Trek:

    by Darksider

    Men In Tights In Space. Truly, this will be the final frontier.

  • June 28, 2007 3:05 AM CST

    www.cloverfieldmovie.com

    by zillabeast

    It redirects straight to Paramount's website.

  • June 28, 2007 10:06 PM CST

    Just saw this trailer before a "Transformers" ...

    by Uga

    screening tonight. Nobody knew what the hell it was (including me), and it doesn't even feature a title. It definitely stoked the audience.

  • June 29, 2007 1:04 AM CST

    Trailer was scary as hell

    by windog

    I'm kind of bummed that the trailer was shot before the movie. It scared the crap out of me. Very Hitchcockian twist with the "going-away-party" turns "disaster across town" turns "shocking Lady Liberty beheading." It had a nightmarish feel to it. Can't wait... but isn't a January release the kiss of death?

  • June 29, 2007 12:51 PM CST

    My Employer Mr. Soze..

    by TheLawyerKobayashi

    Will fucking love this... The trailer is effin perfect in amping people up for it

  • July 2, 2007 11:26 PM CST

    www.cloverfieldmovie.com and something else...

    by superorange567

    Now instead of going straight to Paramount, www.cloverfieldmovie.com is a blank page. Nothing. At all. And I noticed in the trailer for any Yellowcard fans, the lead singer Ryan Key behind the bar in one scene. Interesting...

  • July 3, 2007 10:34 PM CST

    Teaser for Cloverfield

    by gamerx

    The teaser is up at www.thegaminglife.net

  • July 3, 2007 10:35 PM CST

    www.thegaminglife.net has the teaser for cloverfield

    by gamerx

    www.thegaminglife.net has the teaser for cloverfield

  • July 4, 2007 3:02 AM CST

    well

    by slkboxrman

    im a native new yorker living in queens, and i too experienced 9/11 firsthand.....theres nothing wrong with making a disaster movie with NY getting destroyed.. its a serious cop out to even say we shouldnt do it because of this , that or the other thing.....its the same cop out that has that travesty being built in the place of the towers when rebuilding them woulda shown we have balls...i for one totally despised how TV and hollywood decided to censor the american public from any images or film of the towers, almost saying they never existed after 9/11....to ban a movie trailer, the spiderman one in particular because it showcased the towers shows we think our citizens are over emotional basket cases, and god knows alot of people in general, not only NY are..i for one wanted to see the towers...lots of us did..smoke filled the skies of my neighborhood for too many days to count and i was afraid whenever a funky lookin arab dude got on the bus, thinkin he might blow it up, and everytime i heard a low plane i flinched...but ya know what ?? time passed...now its a whole 6 yrs later...im over it, we're back to normal somewhat....bush will finally be out next year, and that will make me very happy.....when wil the crybabies and overly PC people realize its a MOVIE...if ur still nauseous call ur therapist, im sure u have one...living is my therapy, not living in fear, of the future, the past, or the present...go hide in the basement

  • July 5, 2007 10:11 AM CST

    This trailer DESTROYED that Transformers piece of shit!

    by batzilla

    True story.

  • July 5, 2007 10:15 AM CST

    mr_sinister7381

    by batzilla

    What gives? Don't be overly sensitive about this. For one, NY was not destroyed on 9/11. Just a tiny, tiny part was. In this movie, I HOPE, NY will be COMPLETELY destroyed! It is just a movie. We should not let any terrorist attack keep us from having a fun monster flick like this. If you do then...the terrorist have won. Right?

  • July 5, 2007 1:01 PM CST

    Let the terrorists have their fun and we'll have ours

    by Johnny California

    Interesting point, Mr Sinister. A few things interest me about this debate and this movie (or at least the trailer). First, it is interesting the effect disastrous events have on film. Naturally, I doubt that this movie, or even that trailer, could have been made soon after 9/11. Hell, I imagine that even EVAN ALMIGHTY would've been delayed if it was set to release right after Katrina. On the other hand, I doubt Codenamed "Cloverfield" would have even been conceived if it wasn't for 9-11. The image of those buildings in flames and that section of the city devastated had obvious psychological and social effects for the entire nation (and world, really). It's only natural that films are going to respond to that - especially the genre that specialized in this sort of destruction - monster movies. Another interesting thing is how it uses that fear everyone felt back then as the central "effect" of the movie. When the towers were hit, I was in the shower, and my roommate at the time came into the bathroom and told me "we're under attack." Imagine the disorientation that followed. I couldn't figure out if he meant, "we" the guys in the apartment were "under attack" in some metaphorical way or what. Even as he went on to say that New York was under attack, I thought he mean't figher jets or bombers, not airliners. Obviously the man-in-the-street POV is meant to evoke the same sort of disoriented panic and anxiety that was so traumatic at the time. And, wasn't that sort of the initial impulse that led Tomoyuki Tanaka to create Godzilla (Gojira) back in 1954? That's only around 9 years after the US used the atom bomb to destroy Nagasaki and Hiroshima, not to mention the preceding firebombing that devastated even more cities. I imagine many, if not all, of the Japanese who went to see the Toho movie had lived through the war, and probably as much for escape they also in some way wanted to reexperience the same kind of helplessness in the face of destruction to deal with the same sort of wounds that resulted from that experience. In this sense, maybe this film, mostly just a monster movie, is also a part of the way our society uses pop culture to deal with this new sense or realization of our vulnerability. Orson Welles once said that the theatre is a safe place for dangerous ideas. Sure, monster movies and science fiction are primarily ways to escape from life for a couple of hours, but I think we're attracted to them because they also do more than that. The best ones give a chance to deal with the monsters and fear without actually having to face its reality.

  • July 5, 2007 8:30 PM CST

    HAs anyone seen this site?

    by fedor

    ethanhaaswaswrong.blogspot.com/ I found when i did some searching for the film online. It strangely enough came from an MTV news article (which I can't seem to get back up). Take a look at who the first poster is on the second blog entry. H.P. lovecraft anyone?

  • July 7, 2007 2:35 AM CST

    New site revealed

    by buddabooshiaebay

    Check out http://www.TheParasiteMovie.com

  • July 7, 2007 2:36 AM CST

    www.TheParasiteMovie.com

    by buddabooshiaebay

    Check out http://www.TheParasiteMovie.com

  • July 21, 2007 8:30 AM CST

    project cloverfield

    by sanatanadharma

    LOL we dont need to find clues on this movie... just look at the trailer thats enough.. no need to go to thousand of sites to get the INSIDE info. in the trailer the biggest secret to discover is ""I saw it, It's ALIVE, it's huge." This was said by some person in the trailer.. which means that HE saw the monster. Which is ALIVE and its HUGE. now look at the words this person used, many possiblities exist? aint it? IF the guy saw the monster.. hows he alive.. why didnt the monster kick his a$$, i think slusho.jp is in no WAY related to this movie btw... Its a movie abt a monster.. the guys in the party are in no way related to the monster, unless ROB has done SOMETHING IN JAPAN that may upset a monster and is COMING afer him, which in no way is possible/doesnt seem good for 30 M $ budget.... There is only two possiblites for this MOVIE.. either the WORLD ENDS..or WORLD SURVIVES.. if the WORLD ENDS means that its some GODLY FIGURE... COZ monsters/things/etc., doesnt/cant have the POWER to END the world.... IMHO: jj cant make this type of movie coz if the world ends on the said date, and if that day comes and we are alive, then we are gonna go to his home and kick his sorry buTT for dishing out this crap movie aint it SO IF IT DOESNT END.. who is gonna SAVE IT... and that's where the REAL twist/climax of the story comes IF THERE IS A MONSTER DESTROYING A CITY, then there are two possibilites 1) either MILITARY SAVES THE WORLD 2) SUPER HUMAN/ MUTANTS/ GROUP OF EXTRA ORDINARY PEOPLE gather and DEAL WITH THIS MONSTER.... IMHO: the reason 1) doesnt work because i) doesnt seem good for the very reason that PEOPLE have been making the same kindda movies over and over again ii) JJ is a smart @$$ so we are staring at the 2) conclusion... GOD LIKE PEOPLE SAVING HUMANKIND FROM MONSTER THING.. but this type of movies are made like over and over again what i think is there is a MONSTER in the movie and WE cant see IT...you guys know WHY coz they have to make money.. NOW how does making money and monster related you may seem to ask by scratching your head(if you have it i.e.,) Since the movie is said to be SHOT using a camcorder/user there only a 1% possiblity that a person holding a CAM will record a monster coz either 1) HE POOP IN HIS PANTS or 2) HE POOP IN HIS PANTS again there are two possible reasons.. If he does record the monster.. then how is he gonna film the monster being taken down at the climax of movie where super humans/military kick monsters' @$$...coz how can he run around looking for the monster?? whateva... CONCLUSION: Since its 2 difficult to analyze everything at the moment.. IMHO i say that monster is NOT SHOWN/ PARTLY SHOWN in the movie coz PRODUCERS NEED MONEY.. so then there would be a sequel where people shoot/bring the monster down.. that would be on 9-9-09 cloverfield 2... which in IMHO is related to movie.. IF U SEE THE photo with two girls upside down, in the centre of the pic where people say there is MONSTER.. there is a number 3 (will be posting more on this on www.projectcloverfield.blogspot.com). I have deciphered the IDEA behind number 3 & 9.. they are like CLOSE AS HELL to the MOVIE. CODENAMED CLOVERFIELD : 1-18-08 CODENAMED CLOVERFIELD 2 : 09-09-09 till then we have to scratch our heads.. i think its not worth the effort.. but human mind is such that we WANT to see whats HIDDEN :p ciao more at www.projectcloverfield.blogspot.com