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Movies / On DVD / Cloverfield
Cloverfield

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Cloverfield (2008)

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Reviews Counted:193

Fresh:147

Rotten:46

Average Rating:6.7/10

Consensus: A sort of Blair Witch Project crossed with Godzilla, Cloverfield is economically paced, stylistically clever, and filled with scares.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for violence, terror and disturbing images.

Runtime: 85 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:01-02-2008

Synopsis: Director Matt Reeves (THE PALLBEARER) and producer J. J. Abrams (LOST, ALIAS) turn a mysterious monster loose in Manhattan in the disaster flick CLOVERFIELD. The movie begins at a party for Rob... Director Matt Reeves (THE PALLBEARER) and producer J. J. Abrams (LOST, ALIAS) turn a mysterious monster loose in Manhattan in the disaster flick CLOVERFIELD. The movie begins at a party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who has accepted a promotion that will send him to Japan. Hud (T. J. Miller) is entrusted with the responsibility of videotaping the party--and as the trouble grows, he holds on to the camera, recording everything that happens. In fact, the entire movie is seen through the lens of his camera, reminiscent of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. As terrified people in a post-9/11 New York City take to the streets, Rob decides to head uptown to try to save Beth (Odette Yustman), the woman he loves, though he's afraid to tell her so. Rob is joined by his brother Jason (Mike Vogel), Jason's girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas), Lily's friend Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), and Hud, who has a thing for Marlena. Rob is determined not to give up, even after almost being crushed by the Statue of Liberty's head and as the military shows up to force evacuation of the city. Reeves and first-time screenwriter Drew Goddard, who previously has written television episodes of such series as BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, ALIAS, and LOST, focus in on the central aspect of the story: people trying to survive the monster attack. Very little else is explained, since the story is told completely through the video camera. And there is no additional score to heighten the drama; the only music is that which is picked up by Hud and the camera's microphone, including snippets of songs by Kings of Leon, Parliament Funkadelic, Of Montreal, and others. The anticipation of CLOVERFIELD's release was enhanced by a viral marketing campaign that included Web sites built around the main characters and even the fictional drink Slusho. [More]

Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan

Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller

Director: Matt Reeves

Director: Matt Reeves
Screenwriter: Drew Goddard
Producer: J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk
Studio: Paramount Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Cloverfield

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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A dazzling experiment that paid off immensely, this is cinematic pleasure at its purest.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/22/08
Olly Richards
Olly Richards
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Feels like one big, masterfully executed experiment in upping the ante in audience manipulation, and it works brilliantly.

Full Review Source: IGN Movies UK | comment Comment
02/07/08
Orlando Parfitt
Orlando Parfitt
IGN Movies UK

Even if there's nothing new going on here, the style and quality of this film injects a terrific sense of terror into the old monster movie formula.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
01/28/08
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Jaw dropping stuff but you will have to have a strong stomach to cope with the constantly moving camera.

Full Review Source: Heart 106.2 | comment Comment
01/28/08
Simon Thompson
Simon Thompson
Heart 106.2

If some veterans have flashbacks while watching "Saving Private Ryan," it should be safe to say that "Cloverfield" will bring back a lot bad memories for some New Yorkers. Yes, "Cloverfield" looks and feels that realistic.

Full Review Source: Watertown Daily Times | comment Comment
05/20/08
Adam Tobias
Adam Tobias
Watertown Daily Times

... exciting, terrifying and breathlessly entertaining.

Full Review Source: MSNBC | comment Comment
05/01/08
Alonso Duralde
Alonso Duralde
MSNBC

An efficiently gripping sci-fi/horror romp.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
01/18/08
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

a refreshing update on the classic genre of a big monster stomping a major metropolitan city into dust

Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/17/08
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

This conceptual hybrid %u2013 call it The Blair Godzilla Project %u2013 is competent, occasionally inventive, and provides adequate, if less than profound, thrills.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
02/07/08
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

The movie eventually falls into monster movie clichés...If you're into the movie, you won't care. If you're fed up, you'll just laugh.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
01/17/08
Andy Spletzer
Andy Spletzer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

once the film has fully run its course there is little left to take away with you beyond rattled nerves, a mild sense of nausea, and the uneasy suspicion that the true horror of 9/11 has just been reduced to a dumb-assed entertainment.

Full Review Source: musicOMH.com | comment Comment
01/31/08
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
musicOMH.com

If you like kick butt monster movies, then this one will deliver for you! Go see it right away!

Full Review Source: Sin Magazine | comment Comment
08/22/08
Austin Kennedy
Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine

It's an event movie in January, and when was the last time we had one of those? Experience it on the big screen with an enthusiastic crowd.

Full Review Source: FromTheBalcony | comment Comment
01/17/08
Bill Clark
Bill Clark
FromTheBalcony

Cloverfield is the first great film of 2008.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
01/17/08
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
PopMatters

A twitchy thrill ride that's relentless in its escalation of tension, merciless in its intensity.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
01/17/08
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

What sets the film apart, really, is that the monster is just a backdrop. The main focus centers on how a small group of people cope and react under such an extreme crisis.

Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | comment 1 Comment
01/17/08
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

CLOVERFIELD is one of those films you wish you could see for the very first time again because the impact will just never be the same on second viewing. I treasured the experience of getting to see this in the theater and it will forever leave a mark on m

Full Review Source: Bloody Disgusting | comment 1 Comment
04/17/08
Brad Miska
Brad Miska
Bloody Disgusting

Cloverfield is one of the most riveting experiences you'll have in a movie theater and one of those incredibly rare films where the final product actually lives up to the hype.

Full Review Source: The Deadbolt | comment Comment
01/18/08
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
The Deadbolt

If you can stomach it, expect to leave the theater shaken yet entertained by every jolting, unexpected minute.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment Comment
01/26/08
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

Cloverfield is the ultimate movie for people who don't feel a cataclysm has really happened until they can videotape it, upload it and stream it live to the rest of the world.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
01/17/08
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
San Jose Mercury News
 
 
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Latest News for Cloverfield

April 27, 2009: Five Favourite Films with J. J. Abrams
The blockbuster season is upon us and amongst the line-up is the highly anticipated reboot of Star Trek. RT spoke to the man in the captain's chair, J. J. Abrams, about his... More...

March 02, 2009: Abrams Plots Cloverfield Sequel-Type Thing Opens in new window
Saying "the idea's pretty sweet," J.J. Abrams has confirmed that a sequel to "Cloverfield" -- or at least a new movie "related to" it -- is on the table. More...

September 25, 2008: Matt Reeves Will Let the Right One In Opens in new window
Overture is prepping a remake of Tomas Alfredson's Swedish vampire movie "Lat Den Ratte Komma In," to be helmed by "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves. More...

April 21, 2008: RT on DVD: Cloverfield, Charlie Wilson and 2008's Worst-Reviewed Film
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Slusho, whatever that is! Cloverfield stomps its way onto DVD as not only the most exciting new release of the week, but the one most... More...

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