Cloverfield

[noyes]

cloverfield needs to shut the hell up.

[grand theft sparrow]

could this be the first movie better watched as a crappy bootleg?

I've always thought that Blair Witch would have been more effective if it was released initially on unlabeled videotapes left to be found in public parks, Salvation Army stores, and subway platforms.   

[squints]

could this be the first movie better watched as a crappy bootleg?

I've always thought that Blair Witch would have been more effective if it was released initially on unlabeled videotapes left to be found in public parks, Salvation Army stores, and subway platforms.   

i felt the same way about august underground

[MacGuffin]

Only Gumshoes Can See This Movie
Buzz Proliferates After Mysterious Trailer for Film From 'Lost' Creator
Source: Advertising Age

Hollywood has always had chutzpah, but the most recent work from "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams may represent the ultimate in outsourcing: We, the moviegoing public, are now responsible for finding out what a movie is about. Isn't that what marketing departments are for? 

Two weeks ago, moments before the opening credits of Michael Bay's summer blockbuster "Transformers," audiences were exposed -- and exposed seems the right term for a viral-marketing campaign -- to a recondite trailer for another Paramount film, one produced by Mr. Abrams.

In it, a surprise bon voyage soiree in New York City is rudely interrupted by a distant explosion and an ominous groan. The 20-something hipsters frantically run into Gotham's streets to investigate, but they're nearly bowled over by the severed head of the Statue of Liberty, caroming off a nearby skyscraper like a Brunswick Fury Pearl taking down a recalcitrant 10-pin.

The credits flash, and a release date appears: In theaters 1-18-08.

That's it. No title. No recognizable stars.

No YouTube
Audiences erupted in applause. YouTube was quickly infected. Within hours, Paramount, feigning horror, had its killer lawyers demand the ubiquitous and mysterious "Cloverfield" trailer be quarantined, citing copyright infringement.

The result has been exactly what the studio and Mr. Abrams must have been hoping for: a worldwide (or at least, a worldwide-web-wide) dissection of the trailer, repeating endlessly before the hoi polloi. Instantly, it became the Zapruder film of geekdom. Conspiracy theories abounded, and grassy knolls were identified: Much online speculation centered on EthanHaasWasRight.com, a site that was part of the movie's nascent online mythology.

It wasn't, or so Mr. Abrams himself claimed when he surfaced to tell fanboy site Ain't It Cool News that the "official" site for the movie is 1-18-08.com. Visitors to that site find what appear to be time-stamped stills from the movie. Mr. Abrams did say, however, that there were other sites to be found.

The man himself
Who cut the "Cloverfield" trailer? Paramount isn't saying. Execs at and spokesmen for the studio did not return calls seeking comment. But a person at a postproduction house that works closely with Paramount on all its trailers told Ad Age that the trailer "came out of left field for all of us" and that the consensus was Mr. Abrams had cut the trailer himself.

The trailer-house insider was puzzled by the lack of clear branding on the untitled film. "We try and push the title of the movie [in a trailer], so people will associate the 'Wow!' experience with the movie. I don't know if this will backfire or not."

Whatever the case, "Cloverfield" is clearly an initiative that will require constant feeding with new, related websites -- such as, perhaps, Slusho.jp. The Slusho name appears on a T-shirt in the "Cloverfield" trailer. Whether it's a fluke or germane is anyone's guess.

Keeping an eye out
And so, rival studios are also watching "Cloverfield" -- if that is, in fact, its title -- with abounding interest.

Said Doug Neil, senior VP-digital marketing at Universal Pictures, "We like our materials to always be on-message. There's always a risk if fans are discovering that [message] on their own."

Whether viral marketing grants Hollywood immunity from clutter or becomes a pox on its house remains to be seen, but one thing seems clear: Even in an age of media overload, Mr. Abrams' latest message is anything but "Lost."

[edison]

Apparently someone found the poster in a comic book store in CA and took a really crappy pic of it here

[Kal]

Monstrous?

Is this the new Snakes on a Plane?

[john]

Bullshit.

At least, I imagine it to be. I doubt the first "official" word about the title that would leak would be from some poster found in a random comic book store.

Though, if this IS how they're sneaking early word out there, it's kinda charming marketing.... almost makes up for that terrible title.

I haven't been following this all that closely... it's not entirely my bag, plus "from the director of The Pallbearer" doesn't send me into film geek convulsions of ecstasy... but Cloverfield seemed a much better title.... suitably vague, a tad ominous.

But Monstrous? Really?

"Monstrous... from the creators of Mission: Impossible 3 and The Pallbearer"

It's like the studio realized that even the dullest of audiences have started to come to the conclusion that January is a dumping ground for pure shit at the cinema... but, hey, if they throw some clever marketing behind it, and hype it up months in advance... maaaayyybeee people will think they're in line for something special. Something different.

Maybe it could be... and maybe this is a legitimate poster... either way, save for the title it's a nice little image. But the more I hear about this, the less I want to see it.

By the time November rolls around that the three minute long trailer is before every Paramount DVD I buy and before every film I go see, I'm sure I'll have already be sick of this film.

Now I'm sick of typing about myself being sick of, presumably, being sick of this film.

Rock my world, Cloverfield/Monstrous... I fucking dare you.

[Stefen]

WORK.

[OrHowILearnedTo]

but, hey, if they throw some clever marketing behind it, and hype it up months in advance... maaaayyybeee people will think they're in line for something special. Something different.

It worked for 300

[grand theft sparrow]

Cloverfield : Blue Harvest :: Monstrous : Revenge of the Jedi

Perhaps?  Hopefully?  Monstrous sounds like it should work as a title but I bet this whole 1-18-08 marketing stemmed from execs balking at the name and no one's decided on one yet.

[MacGuffin]

J.J.'s Mystery Movie: Secrets revealed!
An exclusive peek at the new teaser poster for J.J. Abrams' latest cinematic enigma -- codenamed ''Cloverfield'' -- and a few other hush-hush details
Source: EW

J.J. Abrams sure knows how to tease. Earlier this month, the pop auteur (Alias, Lost, and Mission: Impossible III) ignited a firestorm of curiosity by blowing the head off the Statue of Liberty in a grainy trailer for a nameless film. Now he's upping the intrigue with this teaser poster.

Unofficially known as Cloverfield (the name of a street in L.A. where Abrams has an office), the film, at press time, does not have an official title. If you're looking at that gargantuan hole bored in the Manhattan skyline and thinking, It's a monster movie! — congrats, you're right. Scripted by Lost writer Drew Goddard, the movie reunites producer Abrams with Felicity co-creator Matt Reeves, who's directing and shooting it cinema-verité-style on digital video. (Think Blair Witch and the City.) The cast is made up of relative unknowns, with the lead being played by Michael Stahl-David (The Black Donnellys). As for the monster itself, contrary to Internet speculation, it isn't a parasite, and it ain't a colossal Asian robot, either. (Some suspected Abrams was mounting a live-action version of the Japanese anime/manga classic Voltron. Nope.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comic-Con '07: 1-18-08
Source: ComingSoon!

J.J. Abrams spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at the San Diego Comic-Con this afternoon about 1-18-08. His stay on stage was brief, but here's what Abrams says...

- He's not revealing the title just yet. We've still got to wait...patiently.

- "I want a monster movie," says Abrams. He said he's wanted to do one for a long time and was inspired by a recent trip to Japan with his son. He wants something "insane" and it's almost done shooting.

- He thinks America should have their own monster and the dailies are looking great.

[modage]

last night when i was walking home i walked through this...





but i had no idea what it was for until this morning.  it was literally one block from my apartment.

more here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigspider/sets/72157601138027914/

[MacGuffin]

JJ Abrams Is a 'Wreck' Over Monstrous Movie...
Source: Bloody-Disgusting     

I can pretty much guarantee that by us reporting this, it will either be denied or changed - again. We learned exclusively here at Bloody-Disgusting that JJ Abrams' monster movie was in fact going to be titled "Monstrous", but was changed the second it hit the web (man we all gossip way too much!) Now it's our turn to ruin a possible title for the Matt Reeves' helmed giant monster movie, which wrapped last month in Los Angeles and New York... the title just might be..........

   
WRECK

[grand theft sparrow]

Is this the new Snakes on a Plane?

Yes, I'm afraid it is.  Though this time, they're at least limiting the Snakes on a Plane-ness to testing the title.  Monstrous would work if it was intended to be a throwback to 50s monster movies but it's intended to be a monster movie for the post-9/11, youtube generation.  Wreck is a title for a Fast and the Furious car-porn movie.  They should just call it, "***OMG, scaryst thnig EVAR, 4 realz" and leave it at that.

[Pubrick]

They should just call it, "***OMG, scaryst thnig EVAR, 4 realz" and leave it at that.

that would be awesome. but they seem to be going for one word, so maybe something like:

TERROR

(that's pretty good actually)