Insiders Guide To Cloverfield/1-18-08/Slusho
9/05/2007 | 
Posted by
Dave and Thomas
Essentially, the post tells of how the producers got in over their heads on a real basic action film. Fan frenzy diverted time and resources to rewrites and trying to live up to the hype.
Below is the post in its entirety. (Potential Spoilers Warning!)
"So before I go any further... If you don't want to know the details of the movie.. than don't read after this point.. I won't give away everything.. but just certain things we've all been wondering. IT IS LONG AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE AS MUCH INFO AS I CAN....So.. basically I came across this board and found a lot of interesting theories and many ridiculous ones as well.. I myself became a a fan of the trailer and (like many of you) have been trying to and out what this movie is about.
As a member of the entertainment industry.. I was finally able to crack someone (a friend I trust) inside into giving me at least some details...(No, it's not J.J or Reeves or someone big.. but he/she does work and has been on set of the movie... And since he/she, like anyone working on the movie, are on a strict gag order, I figure I will post this as my own "THEORY" in order to protect him/her. So this is my "THEORY"
So basically the trailer created a phenomenon that J.J and the producers never thought it would. After the buzz from the media and Internet about the mysterious trailer, J.j saw this as a great marketing ploy to create even more buzz over this small little film. Yes! this movie was originally intended to just be a nice cult classic that monster movie lovers would like. This is, in fact, your basic monster movie with an American touch. It is no secret that J.J is a fan of monster movies and wanted to make America have it's own monster... There is a problem though....
THE MONSTER:
The monster is not American at all.... The monster did go through its infancy and grew up under the Atlantic, but its origin, like Godzilla, came from Japan. This is where the Slusho reference comes from. Slusho does have a part in the movie, but is not as significant as people would think. It plays a small role in the beginning of the movie as to the origin of the monster. This was as much info on the monster as I can get... the reason for this is because no, including cast and crew has actually seen the monster. I don't even think J.J knows what the final monster will look like.. that is being kept very secret... The monster will be entirely in CGI where, indeed, most of the films budget will go.... There weren't even any animatronic hands or feet on set which implies that there will be no real/direct contact with the monster and cast (unless it's all CGI)..... And as for the theories of multiple monsters... NO.. sorry, it is only one gigantic monster.
To conclude, it is not Godzilla, A lion, Voltron, Rampage.. or any of the other monsters people have been thinking... it will be original and it will be a Creature of some sort (not robot)... they are still working on what it will actually look like..
THE PLOT:
So, again, I could only get so much info on the topic... But basically this film has seen more rewrites than... well.. whatever other movie has seen a lot of rewrites... a lot basically. Originally the entire film was all destruction from beginning to end, J.J wanted all action, all the time. It was, like I said, your basic Monster movie, no real plot, as long as people die and te monster destroys a lot of stuff... But after the buzz over the trailer, the producers felt that there needed to be more to the story than just things blowing up... so the rewrites began.. but there was only so much they can do.... They did give a little bit on Rob and Beth and they're crushes.. and a little bit on the brother and friends.. but for the most part. .there's no real character development in this movie... And so... the myspaces were created to give the characters a little more back story.. this way, true fans will know much about the characters when the film finally does release... but those who only have seen the trailer and never took anything out of it than another monster movie and won't get much back story on the characters... since the plan is to make most of the movie about the destruction... Though... the monster will not truly be revealed until about 30 minutes in to the movie...
THE STYLE:
Though many feel that the movie will consist of home video to give it a more "real" effect.. this is not true... The film will be shot the way we see any other movie (we'll call it Film Look) but will have parts in home video, like the trailer. In fact, what we see in the trailer is in the movie, but there are "Film Look" scenes in between that we haven't seen. As much as some people would like to see a Blair Witch style movie with this film... it simply doesn't work... everything would be too shaky and the audience will be too bored with the handheld... and if the film was shot that way.... it would suggest that, like Blair witch, the monster would be difficult to see or not seen at all.. which would not satisfy the audience.. and So I guess we get the best of both worlds with both styles integrated... Plus... who holds on to a camera the hole time..It's just not believable....
THE SITES:
So the official sites are still 1-18-08.com and Slusho.jp.. no warbloid or rage of the gods....though Slusho doesn't have that big of a part in the movie, it does have the most clues as to the origins of the monster...but I don't know, my friend doesn't know... but some one knows what they're doing.. but it's too confusing and frustrating to crack the "codes" so to speak.. And then there's 1-18-08.com.... There are still only 5 pictures with two of them having messages.... There are no real clues in these pictures.. I'm sorry.. The pictures were put up there as more teasers as to what happened that night..giving you a time frame. There are no hidden messages and if they are.. we'll never find out until the movie comes out...
But Good news... the producers are listening to the fans who are frustrated with the mystery and know that you can only hold out for so long... A reason for this is was the lousy roar that was inserted 6 minutes into staying on the site... the producers found out that you guys were outraged that a new picture or some form of information was giving.. it was just a roar.. so they want to make up for it...
TITLES and NEW TRAILERS:
So everyone has been wondering what the title will be... and you are no different from the producers... when production began.. the film still didn't have a title... Cloverfield, Slusho, Etc. were just working titles (I'm sure we all knew that) But J.J really, really wanted to get the trailer out in time for the release of Transformers since he's smart and knows that it will be seen a lot with a blockbuster like that... So what do they do... they push it with no title and what they had shot already.. hence... we all saw what some have said to be the greatest trailer ever made.. though it was all pretty much a fluke by J.J for not having a title ready... not to say that they didn't know what they were doing... I'm sure they wanted the movie to seem mysterious.. but there was not title to release at the point... And if that weren't enough.. they did decide to release the title at Comicon..but after the poster leak fiasco.... they scratched it and went back to the drawing board... It was going to be Monstrous (and they saved themselves by releasing other posters with other adjectives)... but because of the leak.. they decided to change it again... soon Overnight and Parasite were scratched and the newest "weak" title "Wreck" will soon be scratched... For some reason J.J wants to keep the title one word.. it's like his thing (Alias, Lost).. and not very elaborate titles.. just basic words... but I dunno if we'll be happy with the final title...but as for now.. they're still working on it..
Which leads to the new trailer that will soon come out that will AGAIN have no title!!!! What is up with that.. give it a title already!!.. But the new trailer will consist of actual scenes related to the aftermath of the first trailer.. This includes Rob among other friends struggling to get away from the monster (which won't be shown of course.. again)... ad find themselves at a first aid center where (as I have seen on previous posts on the new trailer).. will have "infected people".. but no.. this will not be a monster/zombie movie.. the infection is a result from a mysterious ooze that comes from the monster.. upon contact.. they get sick and may look like zombies.. but do not hunt for brains... It just makes them look like crap for some reason..
So that's my theory.. I'm sure I left some stuff out.. but I can only remember so much.... So, personally, I don't think the movie will live up to the hype.. I think we all wanted a little bit more out of this movie.. but we'll soon find out that the phenomenon was basically a fluke which went to the producers advantage.. and now we're left with the obsession of trying to find out what this movie is about and they're struggling to try and live up to the hype.. it's just a big mess.. " [...original post]
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7 comments:
Ok so i've been reading around some. I don't know if this is true or not but did they hand out slusho shirts at comic con? if so if you go through the slusho site theres lots of reference to a "Whale". Also if you go to the happy quotes about half way there is one that says something about slusho being evil but he couldnt stop drinking slusho. And then another one that said what is slusho anyways. Then there's also the create your own flavor where they all appear to be robots just throwing in my 2 cents...
-ghost-
I think they should leave the movie untitled. I think that would be so much cooler than anything they come up with.
Think about going to the theater.. "Yeah i would like 2 tickets to 'blank'?"
It would create alot of hype for the film
A drink with ingredients from Deep under the ocean? Monster movie? Slime? What about one of the characters on the 1-18-08 site saying BLOOP! It's all an enormous Cthulhu reference!
Actually, I don't see why Cthulhu would be in a non-stop action monster fest. Imagine how many purist would be upset. Although, the evidence does weigh in favor of the Cthulhu theories.
About this green slime that mutates people... Could it be how Cthulhu changes the poor souls into Deep Ones? Remember that hybrids in the Cthulhu mythos changed slowly over years.
Also, Lovecraft stated that R’lyeh is located around 47°9′S, 126°43′W. The "Bloop" was traced back to approximately 50°S, 100°'W! This was in 1997, so this movie could be an extreme reference to what that sound could have been.
This is definitely sounding more and more like Cthulhu destroying New York City.
It is GORGO!
>>Movie Clip of Original Gorgo<<
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAPd_lUz09o
>>Original Posters/Advertisement of the era<<
http://www.stomptokyo.com/img-m5/gorgo-d.jpg
http://www.mackwhite.com/gorgo1.jpg
http://www.resinfromthegrave.tv/images/assets/images/gorg.gif
http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/amg/videos/drv000/v080/v08052ovkky.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/superdog187/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-70.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/superdog187/zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-69.jpg
possiblity of what movie is about
Rom 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rev 1:18
I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
I really do not know where to begin with this post. I know I may seem like I killing the messenger here, but “Drawer2000” opened himself/herself to it. I KNOW THE ORIGINAL POST WAS ON IMDB. HOWEVER, FOR THE SAKE OF CONTINUITY, I AM RESPONDING TO THE ORIGINAL POST.
1. You claim to be in the “entertainment industry.” Now I know that could encompass anything from the CEO of a production company, to a street mime. With quality and veracity of your post, I’m leaning more toward street mime. You call the small bit of the film we have seen a “trailer”, when indeed it is not. It is a teaser. This little piece of the movie defines “teaser” better than any other we have every seen. Additionally, anyone who is actually in the entertainment industry would recognize the fact that this is the most successful advertising campaign, accidental or not, to be launched on the U.S. in years. Why would someone in the industry want to spoil that? You trust your insider friend, and the friend trusts you, but then you post on the Internet what that person told you in violation of a gag order?
2. How would your on-set mole know what the marketing strategy would be? If everyone involved in the film had a strict gag order, then there would be very little chance that someone on-set would have any idea what the marketing ideas would be.
3. JJ Abrams likes one word titles? Really? I will give you “Lost”, “Alias”, and even “Felicity”; then we move on to “Six Degrees”, “What About Brian”, “The Catch”, “Joy Ride”, “The Suburbans”, “The Pallbearer”, “Forever Young”, “Regarding Henry”, “Gone Fishin”, and “Taking Care of Business”. Wow, he really shows a liking for one word titles.
4. The monster. I agree as well that Slusho will have some sort of tie in to the monster. The Slusho site makes constant references to the “Bloop” detected in the Pacific Ocean back in 1997, and people and other animals wanting to and turning into whales after consuming Slusho. (Would it not be great if Abrams got enough scratch together to actually produce the product? ) However, for the monster to get from the Pacific Ocean to the coast of New York would mean that it traveled either west around Asia, India, and Africa; or it traveled east around the tip of South America. That is, assuming it was too large during infancy to pass through the Panama Canal. Furthermore, I can’t imagine Abrams could make a pitch to studio execs by pitching it this way…
“I’ve got a great idea for a monster movie that comes out of the ocean, and tears the heck out of NYC.
“You mean like Godzilla?”
“Like Godzilla, but different. My monster.”
“What does it look like?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, ‘I don’t know.’”
“I want to make a monster destruction movie, but different than Godzilla.”
“What makes it different?”
“The monster will be different.”
“And you don’t know what the monster will look like?”
“Right.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“I’m gonna let other people design the monster.”
“When will we see the monster design?’
“Don’t know, but guess what?”
“*sigh* What?”
“I’m gonna have a great viral marketing campaign, complete with a faux product tie-in.”
“What product?”
“Slusho.”
“Slusho?”
“Yeah, I mentioned it once a few years back on “Alias.”
“So you have a complete viral marketing campaign with a faux product and a monster movie that tears NYC apart, but you don’t know what the monster will look like?”
“Yep.”
“Sounds great. How much money do you need?”
“I figure $30 million.”
“Well, that certainly sounds reasonable.”
*End scene*
Do you really think any studio would throw $30 million on that idea? Abrams is NOT one to leave things to chance. Like Stephen King, a lot of his material, even on unrelated projects, is still intertwined. Look how complicated both “Alias” and “Lost” are/where.
You have not mentioned one thing that has not already been posted on the Internet. You claim to be in the entertainment industry, but then show a general ignorance of the industry and it’s practices.
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