Cloverfield (DVD)

And now for something totally different and original. Amazing special effects, simple yet effective plot line, no well-known actors (making it seem more realistic), and a director who knows how to ratchet up the tension.

By now, you know the plot: While throwing a surprise farewell bash for a friend, a group of New York 20-somethings witness their city being overrun by a huge monster. And all the while, one of them is walking around with a hand-held video camera recording everything. Doesn't seem like much to work with, but the most effective stories are usually the simplest.

One definitely gets the feeling of being there in the thick of the action. With quite a few effective scare moments, this movie definitely takes a well-worn idea and makes it its own. The jerkiness and continual unsteadiness of what you see on screen won't be for everyone though. It worked for me, against all my expectations. A modern classic, bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. (5 out of 5, by Carlisle Johnson)

Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

This bold, original film follows our intrepid group as they brave the cold Manhattan night trying to rescue a stranded friend as well as evade the vicious threat to their city.

General

Studio:	Paramount Pictures
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	June 2008
Movie released:	2008
Producers:	J. J. Abrams
Directors:	Matt Reeves
Dimensions:	192 x 137 x 15mm (L x W x T)
Format:
Running time:	1 hour, 24 minutes
Region encoding:	Region 2. This DVD will play in all South African DVD players.
Audio format:	Dolby Digital 5.1
Video format:	Widescreen 2.35:1
Languages:	English
Subtitles:	Danish • English • Finnish • Norwegian • Swedish
Age restriction:	13 PGLV
Categories:	DVD > Adventure DVD > Science Fiction DVD > Thriller DVD > Feature Film
LSN:	XHD-526-0KE-2
Barcode:	5014437943538

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• Interactive Menus
• Commentary: Director Matt Reeves

Review This Product

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 | Review by: Micky B

This certainly is a very effectively creepy sci-fi/horror/disaster offering - especially as we see the whole thing as though filmed by an extreme amateur, using a hand-held digital camera. As the evening progresses: what starts off as a surprise party becomes even more than a nightmare! The horror effect of hearing the creatures outside - without knowing what they are, or even seeing them - has to be experienced to be believed! And when we do catch our first glimpse of them, or rather, it: well... Then there are parasitic, giant spider-like entities thrown in for good measure too. Many ideas are borrowed from other, similar, movies (in fact, we get still clips from King Kong; Them! and The Beast from Twenty Thousand Fathoms, among many others), but full marks for the unique way in which they are assembled and presented here. Full marks, too, for the ending; but don't expect it to be a neat and nicely rounded off one! There's a garbled radio sound clip after the end credits. Apparently, when played backwards, it says: "It's still alive!"

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