The Cloverfield Thread

[miguelnuva]

LSD your story is similar to my own feelings toward Cloverfield. It cane out at a time where Godzilla was missing and the ARG made the movie feeling it was among for a real event.

[Maverick Centigrade]

If a virus is the focus for the sequel. I wonder then if it's gonna be like a zombie thing. With the infected looking similar to Clover or the parasites.

But I don't think it can be a virus spread from the parasites because that caused people to explode. Unless it mutated.

[Garzon]

If a virus is the focus for the sequel. I wonder then if it's gonna be like a zombie thing. With the infected looking similar to Clover or the parasites.

But I don't think it can be a virus spread from the parasites because that caused people to explode. Unless it mutated.

Well, it wouldn’t be the first movie Matt Reeves has been involved in to deal with a mutated virus as a major plot point.

[_JNavs_]

I thought Matt wasn't involved in this one? I was actually going to say his lack of involvement gives me faith that he just wasn't aware of the ARG. Let's not forget that ARG has a special place on every release of the Cloverfield film, through the Special Investigations Mode. (Including that gorgeous new steelbook they just released)

[cloverfan98]

A virus sounds awful. Anything that could take away the reality of the Monster being the greatest threat in the story of a giant monster movie always ends horribly. Best example of this would be the nuke in the final act of G2014. However the whole "pandemic" angle MIGHT work if taken the following story idea I remember from the days of the OG ARG which is that Slusho with the included Seabed's Nectar, was essentially predigesting people who drank it and cultivating the masses into a digestible state for the Monster. It's arrival in NY was then the beginning of its "harvest season".

[UltramanGoji]

Unrelated, but apparently Reeves directly stated what the original monster was too: an alien life-form that fell to earth in the climax and was looking for it's mother. Makes sense and isn't too hard to figure out knowing a few specific context clues.

I'm definitely going to flat-out ignore his opinion on this one. The ARG and the DVD's Special Investigation Mode heavily implied that the falling object in the climax was the Japanese ChimpanzIII satellite that was the cause for the monster's awakening.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Unrelated, but apparently Reeves directly stated what the original monster was too: an alien life-form that fell to earth in the climax and was looking for it's mother. Makes sense and isn't too hard to figure out knowing a few specific context clues.

I'm definitely going to flat-out ignore his opinion on this one. The ARG and the DVD's Special Investigation Mode heavily implied that the falling object in the climax was the Japanese ChimpanzIII satellite that was the cause for the monster's awakening.

It wouldn't surprise me if it was amibigious amongst the staff, and differing people just filled in their blanks their own way. While sure Clover looks like a baby in some regards, it's not a human and what exactly is doing is still unclear. Wasn't there also some big thing that implied Slusho was somehow connected to the monster? IIRC Clover grew on some materials that was in it.

For some reason, I don't like the idea of Clover being an alien. I can't put a finger on it why, but I think it's too obvious and or simple. Like "Oh there's intrigue surrounding this creature! What's its backstory?" "It just fell to earth from space...".

Also keep in mind this is post-Paradox, where they're needlessly trying to connect things that they don't need to. 10 Cloverfield Lane implied that something was going on in NYC, but then switched focus to an alien invasion. Paradox showed the Cloverfield monster, and tried to connect everything. They don't need to do this, but it would be super dumb if they said, "The alien in Cloverfield was fleeing the aliens in 10 cloverfield lane and got seperated from it's mother". LAME.

[miguelnuva]

Unrelated, but apparently Reeves directly stated what the original monster was too: an alien life-form that fell to earth in the climax and was looking for it's mother. Makes sense and isn't too hard to figure out knowing a few specific context clues.

I'm definitely going to flat-out ignore his opinion on this one. The ARG and the DVD's Special Investigation Mode heavily implied that the falling object in the climax was the Japanese ChimpanzIII satellite that was the cause for the monster's awakening.

It wouldn't surprise me if it was amibigious amongst the staff, and differing people just filled in their blanks their own way. While sure Clover looks like a baby in some regards, it's not a human and what exactly is doing is still unclear. Wasn't there also some big thing that implied Slusho was somehow connected to the monster? IIRC Clover grew on some materials that was in it.

For some reason, I don't like the idea of Clover being an alien. I can't put a finger on it why, but I think it's too obvious and or simple. Like "Oh there's intrigue surrounding this creature! What's its backstory?" "It just fell to earth from space...".

Also keep in mind this is post-Paradox, where they're needlessly trying to connect things that they don't need to. 10 Cloverfield Lane implied that something was going on in NYC, but then switched focus to an alien invasion. Paradox showed the Cloverfield monster, and tried to connect everything. They don't need to do this, but it would be super dumb if they said, "The alien in Cloverfield was fleeing the aliens in 10 cloverfield lane and got seperated from it's mother". LAME.

Now I'm laughing thinking of something Clover's size running from the 10 Cloverfield lane aliens.

[UltramanGoji]

It wouldn't surprise me if it was amibigious amongst the staff, and differing people just filled in their blanks their own way. While sure Clover looks like a baby in some regards, it's not a human and what exactly is doing is still unclear.

Yeah, I believe the "baby" thing began with creature designer Neville Page who mentioned it as such in one of the DVD bonus features. I think the intention was more or less it's a baby in terms of how it reacts to the world around it; it's scared, confused, and in a totally alien world. I don't think it's literally an infant of its species although it's possible I'm misremembering.

Wasn't there also some big thing that implied Slusho was somehow connected to the monster? IIRC Clover grew on some materials that was in it.

Yeah, Slusho is made using an ingredient called "Seabed's Nectar" which was found on the bottom of the ocean floor near where the monster was first sighted. The ARG heavily implies that Seabed's Nectar either was responsible for the large size of the monster (one of its side effects is said to be Accelerated cell growth") or was some kind of substance that was found within the body of the monster itself. The parasites reportedly had large traces of it inside of the bodies.

The Cloverfield Wiki does a fantastic job at covering all the elements of the ARG, and the Special Investigation Mode on the DVD (archived here: https://sites.google.com/site/midgarddragon/home ) is essential at filling in some of the details.

For some reason, I don't like the idea of Clover being an alien. I can't put a finger on it why, but I think it's too obvious and or simple. Like "Oh there's intrigue surrounding this creature! What's its backstory?" "It just fell to earth from space...".

Personally, I think it draws away from the mystique. It's easy to say something as completely unique-looking as the monster just came from another world but it's way more terrifying to think of it as some kind of ancient behemoth that evolved naturally on our planet. It's like the Alien/Xenomorph (hate using that term...); the original 1979 film implied it was a naturally-occurring creature which made it way more horrifying due to its abstract physical appearance and the way it reproduced and metamorphosed.

The monster being Earth-born also adds another layer of the age-old kaiju byline of "man's arrogance". Tagruato's insistence on digging through the ocean floor for Seabed's Nectar is responsible for waking the monster which causes it to destroy New York. It's textbook kaiju storytelling. Taking that away detracts from the movie's original intended purpose as an American counterpart to Godzilla.

Also keep in mind this is post-Paradox, where they're needlessly trying to connect things that they don't need to. 10 Cloverfield Lane implied that something was going on in NYC, but then switched focus to an alien invasion. Paradox showed the Cloverfield monster, and tried to connect everything. They don't need to do this, but it would be super dumb if they said, "The alien in Cloverfield was fleeing the aliens in 10 cloverfield lane and got seperated from it's mother". LAME.

It was cool seeing the monsters reappear in Paradox...for like, the first time when you don't expect it. But by-and-large its insistence on trying to be an explanation for the first movie (as the Superbowl ad aggressively implied) and the general poor quality of it as a film were just a detriment to the franchise as a whole.

And hot take? So is 10 Cloverfield Lane. It's not a sequel, it's not even a blood relative of Cloverfield in any way. It has utterly no connective tissue with the first movie at all. It's a very well made movie but that name-slappage will never not be a huge disservice to fans like me who waited YEARS for more of the original movie's story and universe only to be dealt a completely unrelated script rebranded for marquee value.

Anyway, slight tangent sorry!

[JAGzilla]

A virus sounds awful. Anything that could take away the reality of the Monster being the greatest threat in the story of a giant monster movie always ends horribly.

Gojira, any King Kong movie, any Mothra movie, any alien invasion ft. kaiju movie, Godzilla vs. Biollante, Gamera: Revenge of Irys, KOTM19, GvK, and probably a lot of other examples would like a word with you.

[_JNavs_]

Yeah the whole idea of Cloverfield potentially being out there in the seabed being studied and monitored by a shell-corporation added another layer to the multi-dimensional story telling provided.

The essence of Cloverfield was that of a horror kaiju film which we very rarely saw at the time, and even now. Hell, We only knew as much as that video camera provided to us, then we only knew as much as the “Government” willingly told us in the Special Investigations Feature on the blu rays. That aura of mystery behind a film was something we didn’t think was possible in this day and age (at least not since Blair Witch)

To have all the content “explained” to us through director interviews and half-baked netflix films, it begins to take away from the magic of the movie.

[LSD Jellyfish]

Thanks UG for all the information. I recall and know exactly what you're talking about with the DVD, I have that too and remember listening to the designer talk about how it looked like/acted like a baby but I'm pretty sure he never outright says it is. I agree with everything you have to say about removing humanity's involvement in it, and that's why I don't like the supposedly final statement by the director. Clover just shows up, completely unconnected to anything, and has no actual interaction with humans other than mayhem. It's boring that way without the connection.

I agree with your hot-take about 10 Cloverfield Lane...but only after Paradox. 10 Cloverfield Lane would've been fine, if they just kept making vaguely similar scifi-horror films that revolved around mysteries and intrigue. I agree it's not a sequel, and stylistically it's completely different, but both films (Cloverfield and Lane) tie into ideas of paranoia and asking what is going on/what to do. Both also are pretty connected to fears of American society at large (Terrorism with Cloverfield, pandemics and serial killers with Lane). Despite the difference in how it's filmed, both retain a very character-oriented focus, where we know nothing except what the characters experience firsthand.

Had the third one been something completely different, titled Fields of Clover (stupid I know, just an example) and been a horror film about Monsanto or something, it would've worked as a continued anthology.

I hope we get a proper sequel to the original film, that distances itself from Paradox. Paradox has alternate dimension shennigans, so it's easy to handwave away as being a "possibility" but not a direct sequel. What's funny is Matt Reeves statement also contradicts Paradox's ideas too: in that film the monsters are sent by the rips in dimensions caused by the space expirements. Nothing to do with aliens directly coming to earth.

Glad people are talking about this series again though. I think it shows that there is renewed interest.

Added in 1 minute 15 seconds:

The essence of Cloverfield was that of a horror kaiju film which we very rarely saw at the time, and even now. Hell, We only knew as much as that video camera provided to us, then we only knew as much as the “Government” willingly told us in the Special Investigations Feature on the blu rays. That aura of mystery behind a film was something we didn’t think was possible in this day and age (at least not since Blair Witch)

You summed it up nicely.

[Legendary Gojira]

I'd definitely love for there to be a direct sequel to Cloverfield.

[Vakanai]

If it's found-footage I am out, I couldn't make it through the first one mostly due to that and the unlikable cast didn't do it any favors.

I am looking more forward to ''The MEG 2: The Trench'' and would rather have a Rampage 2 then another Cloverfield.

That being said I am always game for another monster movie, but I think they waited to long for a proper follow up for general audiences to really give a damn anymore.

Plus JJ Abrams being involved in any compacity doesn't add too much optimism for the project.

I was actually fine with the found footage style - doesn't deserve the flack it gets imo.
Now the unlikable cast I am with you 1,000%! The only sort of ok character might've been the friend recording the events, and even then not enough to care that much.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

Its pretty much confirmed it won't be found footage. As for characters they aren't any worse than anything else to come out of the genre since then.

[Vakanai]

Its pretty much confirmed it won't be found footage. As for characters they aren't any worse than anything else to come out of the genre since then.

I don't know about that. The Meg, Rampage, MonsterVerse films, Shin Godzilla, etc have all had generally likable characters outside maybe one or two out of their whole casts.
Unless you're talking about the anime trilogy, then yeah you've got a point there.

[miguelnuva]

Slusho website just went back up.

[Gigantis]

Slusho website just went back up.

That could mean something's about to come up, but IG that also depends on how far along the movie is? If it's still in the writing stage I don't imagine it's getting far anytime soon because.. Y'know, nobody is really writing anything at the moment.

[miguelnuva]

Slusho website just went back up.

That could mean something's about to come up, but IG that also depends on how far along the movie is? If it's still in the writing stage I don't imagine it's getting far anytime soon because.. Y'know, nobody is really writing anything at the moment.

Agreed but if Cloverfield was written or filmed in secret like the first 4 films maybe it's done already. There is a transformers movie coming soon after all.

[OGMechaMothra]

This website is interesting. You mix mechs that are flavors to make a new flavor. Hmm.. I wonder if this will movie will get a mech in it. Just found it interesting.