1-18-08 Project Cloverfield - Warning! Spoilers

I've been handling a number of e-mails from people about the upcoming DVD release of Cloverfield. Many are worried about the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray version of Cloverfield after insiders outed Paramount Home Entertainment as rushing a sub-par version of the Cloverfield Blu-Ray to the shelves after Toshiba killed the HD-DVD format.

The next-generation of DVD's were in a format war between HD-DVD (by Toshiba) and Blu-Ray (by Sony). Studios began lining up with Blu-Ray which led to all of the major studios backing Blu-Ray except NBC Universal and Paramount.

Toshiba finally pulled the plug on HD-DVD a week or so back after facing the realization that manufacturers, studios, and distributors were not going to support their format. The big names like Warner Bros. went with Blu-Ray as well as Wal-Mart and Netflix which turned the tide toward Sony.

OK. That's the basic backstory. Now all the projects at Paramount that were being developed for HD-DVD will have to switch horses in midstream. The March 4 releases Into the Wild and Things We Lost in the Fire will be Paramount Home Entertainment’s last titles in the HD DVD format, the studio confirmed.

The rest of the movies slated for March and April have had the HD-DVD version pulled and for now only will have the standard DVD released until the studio can get a Blu-Ray version available. As Paramount Home Entertainment scrambles to get caught up with the transition it is starting to look like one of the first victims will be Cloverfield.

A bunch of interactive and viral goodies were slated to appear on the Cloverfield HD-DVD. When the format was killed Paramount was allegedly still committed to the Cloverfield DVD release date (rumored to be April 15th in the U.S., June 8th in U.K. ) with a Blu-Ray version that may not contain most of the HD-DVD features. The programmers need more time to get the Blu-Ray version ready and they fear Paramount Home Entertainment will not give it to them. Here is one of the original e-mails talking about the subject.

So Cloverfield fans should mull this thought over. Would you like to wait a few more weeks for a complete DVD that might satisfy your tastes? I know that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD formats are still a minority in DVD sales as most people still have the standard DVD setup but it is a growing technology and a prime candidate for fans to get more than just the movie.

Fans of the movie should be willing to wait as noted with the David Fincher Zodiac DVD release. The studio originally released just the movie with no extras in July of last year and then some 6 months later gave us the Fincher Directors cut loaded with tons of extras. Hopefully for Cloverfield the programmers would not need 6 more months!

Star Trek director J.J. Abrams is bringing in some scientific brains to make sure his latest adaptation of the Sci-Fi classic has scientific merit. And, he didn't skimp on the talent. Abrams got hold of a scientist from NASA who helped on their planetary visits.

It's starting to sound like a mixed bag when it comes to the original Star Trek cast and who will appear in the new J.J. Abrams directed Star Trek movie.

It is already confirmed that Leonard Nimoy will be back as Spock and that William Shatner will not return as Captain Kirk. As for the other main players DeForest Kelley (Bones) died back in 1999 and James Doohan (Scotty) passed back in 2005. I haven't heard if Uhura or Chekov will be in the new movie but it doesn't look like it at the moment.

George Takei (Sulu) looks to be out at the moment after word came this week that he will not be in the new Star Trek movie.

"TrekMovie.com has talked to sources and Mr. Takei himself to get to the truth. The answer is NO"

"The report on AICN states that Takei "recently had lunch with J.J. Abrams," however Mr. Takei tells TrekMovie.com that it was actually a breakfast last fall before filming began on the project. Takei would not go into details about his talk with Abrams because "the whole conversation is privileged," however the actor did express concern over how not commenting has been "turned into an affirmation" that he will appear in the new Star Trek movie.

"According to multiple sources connected to the film, George Takei will not appear in the new Star Trek. The film makers are fans of Takei's, but he just doesn't fit into the story they are telling." (source)

Matthew Fox knows how to keep a good secret.

He says he is forever pleading ignorant when fans -- and sometimes fellow cast members -- try to extract juicy details about the show's many secrets from him.

And often, Fox says, he's not giving those people the whole story.

As a friend of the show's creators, JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof, Fox has occasionally been privy to plotlines ahead of time, but is sworn to secrecy. (...continue)

X-Files, the sci-fi classic Television series (and one movie) is heading back toward the theaters this summer with a brand new movie. I'm curious on how this movie will play out with audiences. You have the die-hard fans who will be there. That's a given. But, I'm curious since it's been a decade since the 1st movie (and the show's peak) if the movie can still draw the casual viewer.

The cast and crew of the upcoming movie X-Files 2 gave the audience last week at Wondercon 2008 an added bonus of the first look at the film in the form of a theatrical teaser. The sequel to the sci-fi classic is due out in theaters July 25th, 2008

Leaked X-Files 2 Trailer

J.J. Abrams talks to ReelzChannel about the possibilities of a Cloverfield 2 along with his other movie projects.

Dailies | J.J. Abrams

Edward at the Tagruato Blog worked hard to get the transcript of the interview for the Cloverfield portions of the interview. Be sure to head his way and give him some of the love. The lady doing the interview is a little hard to hear at times so hat tip to Edward for the tip and transcript.

Someone has made a website at Activating Evolution dedicated to the work of Dr. Suresh, the geneticist from the hit NBC TV show Heroes. Although this is a new site to me it looks like the site first got noticed last month then either disappeared or didn't update until recently. I did come across a couple of blogs mentioning it back in January. I only became aware of the site after they advertised on another of my blogs.

If anyone has any info on whether this is a legit viral site or just a fan site feel free to let me know. Within the links you'll find another link to this fake Primatech Paper Company. This is the fake company from Heroes that Noah Bennett worked at. Here is the real Primatech Paper Website from the show which popped out a year ago.

Dr. Suresh's Dream Study focuses on Gene Mapping and is a viral site for the hit show Heroes. I really like Heroes but I have to admit I haven't really followed their viral action too closely. What really stinks is due to the Writer's Strike there won't be new Heroes until September.

I was going through some of the great images from the toy fair for my other site when I came across these dandy pictures of the Cloverfield Monster toy. Along with the Indiana Jones toys this Cloverfield monster toy is one of the best from the fair. It helps when you present the Cloverfield Monster tearing up New York City in a killer diorama.

Hasbro has made the $100 Cloverfield Monster toy that is due for release in September. Along with the Cloverfield Monster you'll get some of the parasites, interchangeable heads, and the head of the Statue of Liberty. It's supposed to roar as well. Catch the entire photo gallery here!

Neville Page has finally allowed io9.com to talk to them about his design for the recent movie monster, "Clover" (as he calls it) from Cloverfield. Right now, Page is working on James Cameron's Avatar, the movie adaptation of Watchmen, and J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek. But with the new Cloverfield Monster toy out, all we wanted to do was talk monster. And we got some good answers. Did you know Clover has more than one way to eat? Find out everything you want to know about the Cloverfield monster in our interview with Page.

What inspired your design? What sources did you draw from?

Well, once we had a direction the inspirations were definitely aquatic. Especially with the head. There is a very complex skeletal structure in there for eating, but you don't see it at all in the movie or toy. Clover also has a complex breathing system and more than one way to eat. But, again, it is hardly obvious in the film nor toy. Honestly, the biggest inspiration is less about one or two other animals, but rather inspired by biological plausibility in general (ignoring the fact that something that big could never live on land). Sometime the cart has to lead the horse and you make it cool first then justify it later, but I always try to give the creatures I design a "good reason" to be. As for the parasite, I knew that I wanted something thin and vertical and light. Kinda like a flea.

The monster looks ungainly and J.J. Abrams has said in the press notes that it's a "baby". Was that also part of the design? For it to look a bit clumsy?

I would have preferred that it be even clumsier. But then it can get comical. Yes, it was the intention that it is a baby and it is not only developing its strength, but also its land legs. The proportions are intended to feel a little like a new born deer or horse. Long, thin and slightly awkward.

Do you think there will be a sequel for sure? We know they've said that they are working on one.

I am only speculating here, but I do think so. There are so many other movies that have sequels that make you wonder why. So, if a motivation to make a movie is based on the box office success, then it seems very probable. I have asked, and I still don't know yet. Regardless, I am designing Clover 2 in my head. (...continue interview)

Phil Tippett is a living legend in the movie biz. Not only has he had a chance to work on some of the greatest movies in history but he is also one of the leading special effects wizards who has helped define the industry.

The San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at the works of Phil Tippett and his Tippett Studios which includes work on the recent J.J. Abrams monster flick Cloverfield and The Spiderwick Chronicles as well as greats Jurassic Park and the original Star Wars trilogy.

I've had a few requests to look into the Aladygma rumors. /Film found a little bit of info on the possible Cloverfield sequel codenamed Aladygma. Knowing J.J. Abrams and his ability to defy truth seekers with his magical mystery box, Aladygma is probably something different and new.

If anyone is good at anagrams take a pop at "Aladygma." Abrams and Bad Robot are know for their anagrams and obscure references so let me know if anything comes up.

A Google search finds an Aladygma website with the text "Start date 00 | 11 | 22 | 88" and "coming soon next day?" in the bottom right. This site is probably unrelated but who knows with Abrams?

Now, if you spell Aladygma backwards, and who wouldn't, and switch a letter you'll get Amgydala. This is an actual word which is means "One of the basal ganglia in the limbic system of the brain thought to control motivation and emotion. It may also contain the memory of recent events."

About a month ago Hasbro announced that a new toy based on the Cloverfield Monster would be on sale for roughly $100 and it would be released in September (see Own the Cloverfield Monster for $100). However, no pictures were released of the Cloverfield monster or the toy at that time. The press release only described the Cloverfield monster as:

* 70 points of articulation and incredible life-like detail
* Authentic sound
* 14” tall
* 10 parasites
* Two interchangeable heads
* Statue of Liberty head accessory
* Special Cloverfield collector’s edition packaging

The Hasbro site has finally loaded up some images of the Cloverfield Monster (order here) finally which marks the first official Cloverfield Monster tie-in. A huge hat tip to Eddy at the Tagruato Blog for keeping an eye out for this and letting me know when they came up.

These pictures of the Cloverfield Monster showcases how ugly the beast really is. Oddly, the lung sacks that were on the side of the head (seen in the movie quite well) are not visible or are on this model painted gray.

The Cloverfield Monster toy also requires 3 AAA batteries to help fuel the Cloverfield Monster Roar (sample Cloverfield Monster roar here) that is allegedly available on the toy.

Here is an enhanced image of the Cloverfield Monster, aptly nicknamed Mr. Grumpy Pants by some fans. This image is from the latest Cloverfield commercials which shows the Cloverfield Monster in all its glory.

Well, kinda. The clip is only a second or two but other than the end scene at Central Park it's one of the best videos of the Cloverfield Monster.

Lost episode "The Economist" features a Sayid-centric storyline which follows his percise targeting of individuals (with a gun) in a flash-forward. Back on the island, Locke's hostage may be the key to getting off the island, so Sayid and Kate go in search of their fellow castaway in an attempt to negotiate a peaceful deal.

Sayid gets caught up targeting a woman named Elsa in Berlin. He ends up falling for her and tries to warn her off the danger. Instead, he is met with a double-cross. Here are some screen-caps to help you digest the episode. Spoilers warning!

Sayid prays (l), his first target (r)


Sayid on the golf course


Berlin (l), with snow and Fernsehturm (large TV tower),
Naomi's picture of Desmond and Penny (r)


Naomi's braclet. Reads: " N. I'll always be with you. R.G"


Daniel does a test (l), Hurley is locked up by Locke in the bunkers (r)


Daniel's experiment. A small rocket launched from the boat
arrives at Daniel's exact location, only 31 minutes late.


In Ben's room Sayid sees a secret room entrance (l). Inside
is Ben's stash of clothes, papers, money, and more.


Drawer full of foreign currency.


Sayid finds Ben's passports.


Ben's Swiss passport.


Kate and Sawyer talk in Ben's room. Star charts and unique
masks adorn the walls.


Game room with pinball machines hold Sayid and Ben prisoner (l),
Elsa finds out Sayids secret.


Elsa (l) and her bracelet (r) which looks familiar
to Naomi's bracelet.


Sayid gets a helicopter ride out of town (l), and seeks medical
aide at a Berlin vet.


Ben treats Sayid. He is the one with the list of people for
Sayid to kill. He claims it is to help protect those left on
the island.

Man, do these talk show hosts sound dim. Probably because the helicopter dude calls it "Star Track" in the beginning of the video.

Next Star Trek Movie, caught while filming

The theme song, the whip, and the Fedora are back! The latest Indiana Jones movie is coming in May and this is the first look at the 4th installment of the great Indiana Jones series. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is due to open in May 2008.

The Star Trek movie may have been bumped back 6 months and the Cloverfield viral campaign looks dead but thankfully there's a new Indy movie to look forward to.

J.J. Abrams much anticipated Star Trek flick is getting the bump from Paramount Studios. Originally set to be released in most of the known world at Christmas 2008 it is official that the new release date for Star Trek is now in May 2009.

I haven't received any official word on the reasoning behind the move but some speculate the writer's strike and various rewrites (which couldn't be done until the strike was settled) is a main factor. The move to May 2009 puts Star Trek up against some possible competition in the form of the X Men - Wolverine movie and the Da Vinci Code prequel Angels and Demons.

Lost's character Sawyer now has his very own nickname generator for fans to mess with. Here's your chance to get insulted by the island redneck.

It's not too uncommon to be confused after viewing an episode of Lost. Usually, there are more questions at the end of the episode than you started out with. Take for example the Oceanic Airlines hotline that popped up last week (see Lost Oceanic Airlines Hotline)

Over at E! they have broken down the latest episode of Lost, "Confirmed Dead," to help shed some light on the clues and mysteries of the week.

• Lost Redux: Welcome, New People! >
  

The Cloverfield box office rush seems to have settled down here in the States but the monster movie is currently running through parts of Europe before ending up in Japan in about a month. As it stands, Cloverfield has pulled down a hefty total well over the coveted $100 Million mark.

The cloudy details of J.J. Abrams newest TV series, Fringe, is starting to become clear. Along with the recent news of casting Joshua Jackson as one of the leads in Fringe a few other cast members popped up.

"From previous reports, we knew that the FBI Agent would be played by Anna Torv and the scientist would be John Noble." (source)

Torv will play Olivia Warren, a young FBI agent working with institutionalised scientist Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) to tackle paranormal phenomena. (source)

Fringe, the anticipated new TV series from producer J.J. Abrams, has landed one of their leads in the form of Dawson's Creek star Joshua Jackson. The 2-hour pilot for Fringe is about to start shooting and its budget is rumored to be at least $10 Million. Fringe will show on the Fox Network and will shoot in Toronto, Ontario. (source)

Abrams has come a long way to demand that kind of budget for a TV series. Although his hit show Lost came in at $12 Million for its pilot, that kind of money was highly unusual at the time. In fact the guy who gave the greenlight for Lost (and it's big budget) got fired by ABC before the show became a smash hit.

During the 2nd episode of this years Lost we see a lot more of the viral "Find 815.com" inspired storyline than I thought we would. Tonight we got a look at various underwater videos of the wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815 found somewhere south of Indonesia in the Sunda Trench.

As various people watch the newscasts we see one scene where a hotline pops on screen. The number is 1-888-548-0034 and if you call it you get a record message from Oceanic Airlines telling you that family and friends of victims of the flight can contact their assigned counselor for daily updates.

Some Star Trek updates to pass on to you. The official Star Trek Movie forums are up and running for you fans to get in and toss around theories and ideas. Links to the forums are on the main site as well as International sites for the movie and the Star Trek Facebook page.

• Star Trek Official Movie Site >

(via Orlando Sentinel) Brilliantly executed if, in the end "just a monster movie" and utterly lacking in empathetic characters, Cloverfield is the new paradigm in low-cost filmmaking, a cut-rate Godzilla that still managed to create a HUGE footprint on the multiplex.

It opened bigger than any Janaury movie ever, and helped jump-start the box office of 2008 like no monster hit before. "Secrecy" was the early hallmark of the movie, but secrecy with carefully timed "leaks." Interest in it was narrow, but as intense as anything we've seen in recent years; Snakes on a Plane on steroids, Blair Witch revisited.

Reason enough to swap a few emails deconstructing the success with Mike Monello, who, thanks to The Monello_2 Blair Witch Project, pretty much invented this manner of movie marketing. (...continue)

I get a lot of requests for the Lost viral stuff such as Easter Eggs. Since Cloverfield is in a quiet mode let us take a look at some cool Lost happenings.

The premier of the 4th season of Lost charged to a huge ratings win on its new Thursday slot and gave us the usual mix of questions and answers. Essentially, the writers are throwing in "Flashbacks" and what they call "Flashforwards" to help flush out the story. This mix of timelines is tricky to keep track of which is why I'm glad for sites like the Lost Easter Eggs.

One particular scene of interest was when Hurley was tripping out after finding the cabin in the jungle. If you remember from last season, Locke was taken here to meet the mysterious Jacob who gives the orders to the "Others." That being said, this site takes a closer look at the person in the cabin and you might be surprised who they found out it was. (...more)

Thanks Brian for the tip. This Google Maps Mashup plots the destructive trail of the Cloverfield Monster through Manhattan. Give it a look and see how he summed up the points of interest.

Cloverfield crashes into many European theaters this weekend and I was curious on what the critics on the other side of the pond thought of the monster movie. By now the spoilers and pictures of the Cloverfield monster are all over the Internet so the mystery is lessened for anyone who can use a 'Google' search.

The ridiculous never looked so real. But the film’s early rush of oh-my-God fear fades as Rob and co cross the city. The drama dissipates; the scare factor slackens. The film’s realism gives it authenticity, but it undermines the making of great movie movements. Reality loathes dramatic licence.

The movie is at its best when it navigates the dark streets flooded by a panicking and injured multitude not knowing whether it is running from or to the frightful something that is out there. The approach of seeing the events through the shaky shooting skills of one of the protagonists relieves the story of the obligation to tell from where the monster comes, although characters speculate about the ocean depths or outer space.

No one is going to see Cloverfield expecting a cinéma-vérité exploration of disaster psychology. But they might expect better handling of the source of the terror; the filmmakers lose their nerve a little towards the end and include some aerial shots from a helicopter, the upshot being that when we properly see the monster we giggle at how traditional and almost cartoon-looking he is. It would have been better if he was more abstract or if, say, the island itself started to mutate and coil into a monster.

JJ Abrams, best known as the creator of Alias and Lost, has acknowledged The Blair Witch Project as an antecedent for his latest brainchild, Cloverfield. If Blair Witch was a YouTube horror film, Cloverfield is the YouTube monster movie. Once again a youth with a camera spends 90 minutes filming the terrible things befalling him (and, on this occasion, the entire population of Manhattan). He sticks to his task for posterity, of course, not realising that if he put the camera down, he could run a whole lot faster.

Had Japan’s Toho studio embraced cinéma vérité in the 1950s, Godzilla might very well have created even more film history. As it is, we’ve had to wait 50 years for Cloverfield, a creature feature filmed with hand-held cameras (aided and abetted by CGI) that successfully takes the monster genre to an entirely new level.

Despite the novel approach, there's a lot of things about this monster movie that are a little too familiar. It seems that every few years Hollywood likes to bomb New York, although they always start with Manhattan, never Queens or Brooklyn. And a Manhattan seems strangely stripped of older, less gorgeous people.

Whatever the criticisms, though, Cloverfield delivers more bangs for your bucks than the average blockbuster.

The Oceanic Air "New" Gold Pass Commercial as aired on January 31, 2008 after the premier of the 4th Season of Lost. The viral ads being pumped out of Bad Robot right now are centering around Lost and very little has trickled out about Cloverfield.

The above billboard photo I took here in Knoxville, TN, about one month ago. Since then someone has spraypainted "Find 815.com" over the middle part of the sign. The site mentioned is a game related to Lost so if you really dig the viral mind games of Cloverfield and Lost be sure to get started with this new one.

• Find 815.com >

Similar to the "Missing" viral posters used to promote the Blair Witch Project, the video game Grand Theft Auto IV has utilized similar viral-type advertising to promote their "Wanted" character Niko Bellic.

With its April 29 debut only three agonizing months away, it's time for Take-Two and Rockstar to up their marketing for Grand Theft Auto IV. Citizens of New York City may stumble across wanted posters (pictured above at Lorimer and Grand in Brooklyn) asking for tips in capturing Niko Bellic, GTA IVs protagonist. (source)

The new spot for Cloverfield shows the monster in action. So for all those that didn't get a chance to see the movie or are in foreign countries where it's just starting or opening soon here's your chance for a quick peak.

As you may guess, spoilers ahead...