Synopsis:
Director Matt Reeves (THE PALLBEARER) and producer J. J. Abrams (LOST,
ALIAS) turn a mysterious monster loose in Manhattan in the disaster
flick CLOVERFIELD. The movie begins at a party for Rob (Michael
Stahl-David), who has accepted a promotion that will send him to Japan.
Hud (T. J. Miller)...
Director Matt Reeves (THE PALLBEARER) and producer J. J. Abrams (LOST,
ALIAS) turn a mysterious monster loose in Manhattan in the disaster
flick CLOVERFIELD. The movie begins at a party for Rob (Michael
Stahl-David), who has accepted a promotion that will send him to Japan.
Hud (T. J. Miller) is entrusted with the responsibility of videotaping
the party--and as the trouble grows, he holds on to the camera,
recording everything that happens. In fact, the entire movie is seen
through the lens of his camera, reminiscent of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.
As terrified people in a post-9/11 New York City take to the streets,
Rob decides to head uptown to try to save Beth (Odette Yustman), the
woman he loves, though he's afraid to tell her so. Rob is joined by his
brother Jason (Mike Vogel), Jason's girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas),
Lily's friend Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), and Hud, who has a thing for
Marlena. Rob is determined not to give up, even after almost being
crushed by the Statue of Liberty's head and as the military shows up to
force evacuation of the city. Reeves and first-time screenwriter Drew
Goddard, who previously has written television episodes of such series
as BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, ALIAS, and LOST, focus in on the
central aspect of the story: people trying to survive the monster
attack. Very little else is explained, since the story is told
completely through the video camera. And there is no additional score
to heighten the drama; the only music is that which is picked up by Hud
and the camera's microphone, including snippets of songs by Kings of
Leon, Parliament Funkadelic, Of Montreal, and others. The anticipation
of CLOVERFIELD's release was enhanced by a viral marketing campaign
that included Web sites built around the main characters and even the
fictional drink Slusho.
