Product Description

Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal horrifying event of their livesSystem Requirements:Running Time: 84 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY/MONSTERS & MUTANTS Rating: PG-13 UPC: 097361328546 Manufacturer No: 132854

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #783 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
• Released on: 2008-06-03
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 84 minutes

Amazon.com
One of the first things a viewer notices about Cloverfield is that it doesn't play by ordinary storytelling rules, making this intriguing horror film as much a novelty as an event. Told from the vertiginous point-of-view of a camcorder-wielding group of friends, Cloverfield begins like a primetime television soap opera about young Manhattanites coping with changes in their personal lives. Rob (Michael Stahl-David) is leaving New York to take an executive job at a company in Japan. At his goodbye party in a crowded loft, Rob’s brother Jason (Mike Vogel) hands a camcorder to best friend Hud (T.J. Miller), who proceeds to tape the proceedings over old footage of Rob’s ex-girlfriend, Beth (Odette Yustman)--images shot during happy times in that now-defunct relationship. Naturally, Beth shows up at the party with a new beau, bumming Rob out completely. Just before one's eyes glaze over from all this heartbreaking stuff (captured by Hud, who's something of a doofus, in laughably shaky camerawork), the unexpected happens: New York is suddenly under attack from a Godzilla-like monster stomping through midtown and destroying everything and everybody in sight. Rob and company hit the streets, but rather than run with other evacuees, they head toward the center of the storm so that Rob can rescue an injured Beth. There are casualties along the way, but the journey into fear is fascinating and immediate if emotionally remote--a consequence of seeing these proceedings through the singular, subjective perspective of a camcorder and of a story that intentionally leaves major questions unanswered: Who or what is this monster? Where did it come from? The lack of a backstory, and spare views of the marauding creature, are clever ways by producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves to keep an audience focused exclusively on what’s on the screen. But it also makes Cloverfield curiously uninvolving. Ultimately, Cloverfield, with its spectacular effects brilliantly woven into a home-video look, is a celebration of infinite possibilities in this age of accessible, digital media. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

A change in modern cinama
After watching as many movies as I have you see flaws in several movies or story lines done 101 times over. Well I found this movie to be refreshing. We open with a recording from a handy cam that makes me dread watching this being reminded of what a P.O.S. "Blairwitch" was. But I gotta say having this whole movie taped from the point of view of the people involved adds to the thrill. Add a surround sound system and this movie puts the viewer right in the middle of Manhattan being destroyed. There is no Hollywood music to distract you from the idea behind this new age American monster movie.

Really bad.
Silly, stupid, not scary, if you watch the extra's (because I wanted to see what their motive was for making such a bad film was, Godzilla, since Japan has a monster the USA should have one, I ain't kidding! Also the monster was suppose to be a Baby monster that was scared and that's why it was running around crazy.) Do not waste your time or money, thank God I didn't as I rented this garbage from the Public Library for free.

Its a B Movie and thats it...
Despite the decent special effects and the comparative newness of the film being shown from the viewpoint of a hand held video camera this essentially just an old-fashioned monster movie. For me it only just merits 3 stars and heres why:

Good points:
The held held camera view was very effective in places and did give you a sense of the panic that can occur in disaster situations. The acting was decent and as already mentioned the special effects were well done.

Bad points:
The opening party sequence went on too long. All it was trying to tell us was that a couple had split up and that could have been done much quicker. After 10 minutes had gone by, in what is a short movie, I was beginning to wonder if I was watching the right film...
I accept that you have to suspend disbelief when watching films like this, but this had so many occasions when what happened lacked any credibility in reality (I'm talking about the Helicopter crash and the girl who was impaled on the steel pole to name two examples). I also got fed up with hearing people saying "oh my God" every 30 seconds. The hand-held camera use needed to be broken up. 84 mins was too long for a wobbly picture....

Having said all that it is worth seeing, as after the slow start its certainly an entertaining rollercoaster ride. But like I said at the start this is essentially a B Movie/Monster Movie, if you expect nothing else than you'll probably enjoy a fun movie. Expect any more and you might be disappointed