04.18.08 5:00 AM CDT
• TV & DVDs
• Robert DeSalvo
You saw the movie billboards everywhere in January featuring a headless Statue of Liberty facing a smoldering New York. The trailer had a shot of Liberty’s head skidding down a street and smashing into some cars (pictured). Was this a film about another terrorist attack? A new Godzilla? The long-awaited return of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? Turns out Cloverfield is a monster movie, just a much better one than anyone expected. Told from the perspective of a handheld camera (grab the Dramamine), Cloverfield follows a group of young adults having a going-away party for their pal when a giant monster attacks Manhattan. The shaky camera footage of the ensuing chaos in the streets seems eerily authentic and all too familiar as a small group tries to rescue their friend trapped high in a building.
If you’ve got a subwoofer hooked up to your home-theater system, prepare to rumble when you play this DVD, which comes out April 22 from Paramount Home Entertainment. While there are some cool extras like alternative endings and a making-of featurette that reveals more details about the monster from producer J.J. Abram and director Matt Reeves (apparently it’s supposed to be some kind of scared mega-baby lost in the city), one of the best features is the ability to catch clues you missed in the theater. Take a look again at the flashback video at the end of the movie that looks out over the ocean from Coney Island. On the right side of the screen you’ll see an object fall from space and go into the ocean. Is it the Cloverfield creature? You can debate it here…or just wait a while for the inevitable sequel to this heart-pounding monster mash.
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