It’s been over six years since the devastating events of 9/11, and already we’e getting films about it. This new thriller follows in the very lengthy tradition of the monster movie genre. Monster movies in the 50’s and 60’s were often allegories for America?s worst fears, such as nuclear testing or the Red Menace. There is a shot of a Manhattan skyscraper crumbling to the ground, and images of panicked citizens running in the streets, covered in soot and dust, taking refuge in nearby stores as chaos surrounds them. Let’s be honest: the filmmakers could have set this story in any city, but they chose New York for a reason.
A sort of Blair Witch Project crossed with Godzilla, Cloverfield tells the story of a monster invasion in Manhattan through the eyes — and lenses — of a group of twentysomethings. And critics say it’s one of the most intense cinematic offerings of the new year. The film begins at a going-away party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David). Just as the festivities get into full swing, a crisis grips the borough it turns out a creature is on the loose, and the partygoers wade out into the terrifying urban landscape, recording the bedlam on their camcorders. The pundits say Cloverfield may be a gimmicky take on old monster movie tropes, but it’s also economically paced, stylistically clever, and filled with scares. At 70 percent on the Tomatometer, Cloverfield is a monstrously fun time.
The story of Cloverfield does not begin with a surprise party or with found footage of a disaster. It started here in the real world, when a trailer appeared in movie theaters in July 2007. It showed a going-away party in New York City interrupted by some sort of large-scale attack. As fiery debris fell all around the characters, they rushed outside to see the severed head of the Statue of Liberty crashing down onto the street, right in front of them. The trailer ended by name-dropping producer J.J. Abrams (Lost), followed by “1-18-08.” It was certainly attention-getting, but it revealed very little of what the movie was about. More intriguingly, it didn’t even tell viewers the movie’s title.
Star(s) to watch : Jessica Lucas (”The Covenant”, “She’s the Man”) as Lily Ford, & Mike Vogel (”The Deaths of Ian Stone”, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”) as Jason.
Genre : Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller.
Release date : January 18, 2008
Official website : http://www.cloverfieldmovie.com/
Poster : http://movies-update.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/cloverfield-202×300.jpg
Trailer :
