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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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181 - 193 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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A surreptitiously subversive, stylistically clever little gem of an entertainment.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
01/16/08
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly

Cloverfield is an intense and engaging monster movie that may very well breathe life back into a dead genre while demonstrating that there's fertile soil left to be tilled in this particular cinematic field.

Full Review Source: Mike Bracken's Horror Films | comment Comment
01/16/08
Mike Bracken
Mike Bracken
Mike Bracken's Horror Films

Worthwhile only for the scale of the destruction and the sheer audacity of its marketing campaign.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
01/16/08
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net

Quoth the false prophet: "It's only a movie."

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
01/16/08
Keith Uhlich
Keith Uhlich
UGO

Chillingly effective.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment 1 Comment
01/16/08
Michael Rechtshaffen
Michael Rechtshaffen
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An old-fashioned monster movie dressed up in trendy new threads.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/16/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Too bad the movie is a less-than-satisfying experiment with contrived fake documentary aesthetics.

Full Review Source: New York Press | comment Comment
01/16/08
Eric Kohn
Eric Kohn
New York Press

Cloverfield is simply a clever, albeit derivative, spin on a very predictable genre, and as such its easy to indulge in if you go with the inherit silliness.

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
01/16/08
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

A robust 80-minute burst of barely-controlled mayhem. Monster fans will love it.

Full Review Source: FEARnet | comment Comment
01/16/08
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
FEARnet

Will grab you in its jaws, toss you around like a chew toy for a rollicking 80 minutes (yes, it's a short – but oh so sweet – flick) and still leave you panting for more.

Full Review Source: IGN Movies | comment Comment
01/16/08
Joanna Cohen
Joanna Cohen
IGN Movies

Cloverfield has most things I deplore about movies and a couple of things I admire.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/16/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Think Blair Witch meets Godzilla, and since that isn't the first or last time you'll read that comparison, think of a movie that results in something less profound.

Full Review Source: Bronsonfive | comment Comment
01/15/08
Michael Ferraro
Michael Ferraro
Bronsonfive

Cloverfield is all gimmick all the time, it never lets up, and as a result it's hard to call the film anything other than a novelty act.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
01/15/08
Joshua Tyler
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com
 
 
181 - 193 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
all

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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