The story behind the marketing of Cloverfield is almost more amazing than any of the trivia surrounding the movie itself, so I will do my best to include both.
For anyone who saw the movie - and if you haven't you should - the coolest part about the trivia is that it explains literally everything. No shot isn't there for a reason, no number or word isn't shown unless it connects to something else. It all fits together so well that the trivia, combined with the movie makes you feel like you're looking at a freshly completed cross-word puzzle. Or so I could imagine, having never finished a cross-word puzzle myself. Either way, without further adieu, Cloverfield.
CLOVERFIELD (2008)- The first trailer for this movie played before Transformers (2007). It showed a giant explosion in the heart of New York City and the Statue of Liberty's head being thrown down a street. It was shot with a hand-held video recorder. There was no title.
- Jason (Mike Vogel) can be seen wearing a Slusho! T-shirt throughout the movie. Slusho! is a drink from J.J. Abrams' show "Alias" (2001) as well as a codename of the film's, and the shirt is the only time the beverage is acknowledged during the movie, with far more information hinted about it on the Internet.
- The film was shot in 34 days, in Los Angeles under the fake title "Slusho" and in New York under the fake title "Cheese". The Ferris wheel scene, the last in sequential order, was filmed on the first day. The scene inside Beth's parents' apartment, the first in sequential order, was filmed on the last day.
- While shooting in New York, the movie piggy-backed on the filming of I Am Legend, using the crowds and shooting permits to shoot their own scenes at the Brooklyn Bridge. In fact, the destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge shown in both I Am Legend and Cloverfield looks striking similar when watched in quick succession.
- The title "Cloverfield"; initially just a codename for the movie, is named for the boulevard in Santa Monica where the Bad Robot offices were located during the making of the film.
- The title "Cloverfield"; initially just a codename for the movie, is named for the boulevard in Santa Monica where the Bad Robot offices were located during the making of the film.
- The only reason people knew about the film at all was that J.J. Abrams Lawyer opened a company called Cloverfield sometime in 2005. All funds for the film were funneled through there, so no studio was publishing costs for Abrams' new movie.
- The new company, set up by Abrams' lawyer had a website. It turned out it was a Japanese company that made the specialty drink called "Slusho" (referred to above), the secret ingredient to which was a mysterious deep-water plankton that they were farming.
- There are suggestions that the deep-water plankton has something to do with waking the Cloverfield monster, angering the Cloverfield monster, or bringing it to earth in the first place. Or perhaps all three.
- The teaser trailer, as was planned, was shot before principal production began with digital cameras.
- The film has no music score and music for the end credits do not begin until 1 minute and 30 seconds after the credits start rolling.
- Prints were shipped to some theaters under the name "Bertha".
- The movie is viewed primarily from the point of view of Hud, the character who uses the camera the most. H.U.D. is short for Heads-Up Display, a method for overlaying information onto a view of one's surroundings such as Timestamps on video footage.
- During the first weekend of the release, many theaters posted signs warning guests that the hand held camera movements may cause motion sickness. My friend Kent actually barfed in the theatre.
- Lizzy Caplan (Marlena) did not know what she was auditioning for. She thought it was a romantic movie until her second audition, where she read a scene from "Alias" (2001). It wasn't until after she was offered the role that she found out it was a monster movie, and the actors weren't allowed to read the script until after they signed on.
SPOILER: Right before the credits, in the last Coney Island scene, as the camera looks out at the ocean, you can see a large but far away object fall into the ocean and make a splash.
SPOILER: After viewing a cut of the film, Steven Spielberg suggested giving the audience a hint at the fate of the monster during the climax. This resulted in the addition of the broadcast overheard on the military helicopter's radio, as well as the sounding of air raid sirens, both to signal the forthcoming "Hammerdown" bombing mentioned earlier in the film.
SPOILER: Hud was originally going to survive, but producer J.J. Abrams suggested having him getting eaten by the monster, allowing the audience to vicariously experience this. The scene was then planned as having Hud getting eaten instantly after turning around, but it was decided that the audience deserved a good look at the monster, which resulted in the longer shot with the monster leaning down to inspect Hud before biting and killing him.
SPOILER: It was originally intended for the Brooklyn Bridge to be destroyed by one of the monster's hands, but it was decided that this seemed too deliberate. It was changed to the monster's tail destroying the bridge, which seemed more accidental.
SPOILER: According to Director Matt Reeves in the DVD documentary, the last shot of the film, when Rob and Beth are on Coney Island, was the very first shoot of principal photography, while the very first scene in Beth's dad's apartment was the very last shoot of principal photography.
- The teaser trailer, as was planned, was shot before principal production began with digital cameras.
- The film has no music score and music for the end credits do not begin until 1 minute and 30 seconds after the credits start rolling.
- Prints were shipped to some theaters under the name "Bertha".
- The movie is viewed primarily from the point of view of Hud, the character who uses the camera the most. H.U.D. is short for Heads-Up Display, a method for overlaying information onto a view of one's surroundings such as Timestamps on video footage.
- During the first weekend of the release, many theaters posted signs warning guests that the hand held camera movements may cause motion sickness. My friend Kent actually barfed in the theatre.
- Lizzy Caplan (Marlena) did not know what she was auditioning for. She thought it was a romantic movie until her second audition, where she read a scene from "Alias" (2001). It wasn't until after she was offered the role that she found out it was a monster movie, and the actors weren't allowed to read the script until after they signed on.
- After signing on, the principle actors were allowed to read the whole script only once. From then on they were only given the shooting pages for that day, all of which were then collected at the end of the day and destroyed.
- The decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty in the street is inspired by the poster for John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981), which depicts the head of the Statue of Liberty lying in the middle of the street.
- In the teaser trailer, the voice yelling "I saw it! It's alive! It's huge!" is that of Director Matt Reeves.
- The voice in the mysterious radio broadcast that plays after the end credits is director Matt Reeves.
- One of the original ideas for a title for the movie was "Greyshot," both a reference to the hand-held style of filming and the name of the bridge in Central Park where Rob and Beth take refuge.
- The voice yelling "Oh my God!" repeatedly when the head of the Statue of Liberty lands on the street is either producer Bryan Burk of J.J. Abrams. Both claim that it's them.
- The opening party scenes were filmed without music, and the guests in the background were silently pretending to talk to one another. All the music was added in post-production.
- The film begins on April 27 and ends on May 23 at the exact same time: 6.42 AM.
- Images from King Kong (1933), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), and Them! (1954) are hidden within the film. Each image is seen extremely briefly, for only a single frame, during a camera edit. The "Them!" picture is shown at 00.24.06, the "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" picture is shown at 00.45.27, and the "King Kong" picture is shown at 1.06.55. A brief clip of Rob and Beth at a train station is seen with the "King Kong" image at 1.06.51.
- The head of the Statue of Liberty is shown about 50% larger than actual size. CG supervisor David Vickery said in an interview that many people imagined the head being much bigger than it actually is, and that the size was increased due to complaints that the head looked too small in the trailer.
- Cameo: [Laetitia Casta] Model in the poster inside the Sephora shop exterior where Lily, Marlena, Rob and Hud stop after running from the Brooklyn Bridge, before Rob enters the electronics store.
- The rats used in the tunnel scene were specially-trained and colored with a dark, charcoal-like substance to give them the appearance of wild, dirty tunnel rats. The rats in the final shot were completely computer-generated.
- J.J. Abrams has used the number 47 extensively on past projects. In "Alias" (2001) it played great importance as a page on Rambaldi's manuscript, and as a recurring pointer to important motifs. It should come as no surprise that "Cloverfield" is the designation to the case of the images found on Area US-447. Also, in the scenes where they're taking the stairs up to the top of the skyscrapers to save Beth, one of the floor numbers filmed is the 47th.
- One of the promotional websites, Jamieandteddy.com (password "jllovesth"), shows videologs (vlogs) made by the title couple about their relationship (which turns sour). Jamie Lascano is only seen at the party unceremoniously unconscious on the couch, and Teddy Hanssen is nowhere to be found (although on 1-18-08.com, he is now identified as "missing"). The actors who play either of the two are not confirmed. Though it has been speculated that Jamie is played by Blake Lively, this is incorrect.
- The crossfire sequence was shot in one night on the Warner Brothers New York Street lot in Burbank. The extras playing soldiers fired real blanks from their weapons for the first couple of takes until 10:00 pm, when noise ordinances forced them to use quiet flash bulb alternatives.
- Eric Leven -- the visual effects supervisor -- refers to the monster as "Clover".
- According to Neville Page, creature designer -- the monster is a baby in a new environment -- "spooked" and looking for its mother.
- The decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty in the street is inspired by the poster for John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981), which depicts the head of the Statue of Liberty lying in the middle of the street.
- In the teaser trailer, the voice yelling "I saw it! It's alive! It's huge!" is that of Director Matt Reeves.
- The voice in the mysterious radio broadcast that plays after the end credits is director Matt Reeves.
- One of the original ideas for a title for the movie was "Greyshot," both a reference to the hand-held style of filming and the name of the bridge in Central Park where Rob and Beth take refuge.
- The voice yelling "Oh my God!" repeatedly when the head of the Statue of Liberty lands on the street is either producer Bryan Burk of J.J. Abrams. Both claim that it's them.
- The opening party scenes were filmed without music, and the guests in the background were silently pretending to talk to one another. All the music was added in post-production.
- The film begins on April 27 and ends on May 23 at the exact same time: 6.42 AM.
- Images from King Kong (1933), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), and Them! (1954) are hidden within the film. Each image is seen extremely briefly, for only a single frame, during a camera edit. The "Them!" picture is shown at 00.24.06, the "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" picture is shown at 00.45.27, and the "King Kong" picture is shown at 1.06.55. A brief clip of Rob and Beth at a train station is seen with the "King Kong" image at 1.06.51.
- The head of the Statue of Liberty is shown about 50% larger than actual size. CG supervisor David Vickery said in an interview that many people imagined the head being much bigger than it actually is, and that the size was increased due to complaints that the head looked too small in the trailer.
- Cameo: [Laetitia Casta] Model in the poster inside the Sephora shop exterior where Lily, Marlena, Rob and Hud stop after running from the Brooklyn Bridge, before Rob enters the electronics store.
- The rats used in the tunnel scene were specially-trained and colored with a dark, charcoal-like substance to give them the appearance of wild, dirty tunnel rats. The rats in the final shot were completely computer-generated.
- J.J. Abrams has used the number 47 extensively on past projects. In "Alias" (2001) it played great importance as a page on Rambaldi's manuscript, and as a recurring pointer to important motifs. It should come as no surprise that "Cloverfield" is the designation to the case of the images found on Area US-447. Also, in the scenes where they're taking the stairs up to the top of the skyscrapers to save Beth, one of the floor numbers filmed is the 47th.
- One of the promotional websites, Jamieandteddy.com (password "jllovesth"), shows videologs (vlogs) made by the title couple about their relationship (which turns sour). Jamie Lascano is only seen at the party unceremoniously unconscious on the couch, and Teddy Hanssen is nowhere to be found (although on 1-18-08.com, he is now identified as "missing"). The actors who play either of the two are not confirmed. Though it has been speculated that Jamie is played by Blake Lively, this is incorrect.
- The crossfire sequence was shot in one night on the Warner Brothers New York Street lot in Burbank. The extras playing soldiers fired real blanks from their weapons for the first couple of takes until 10:00 pm, when noise ordinances forced them to use quiet flash bulb alternatives.
- Eric Leven -- the visual effects supervisor -- refers to the monster as "Clover".
- According to Neville Page, creature designer -- the monster is a baby in a new environment -- "spooked" and looking for its mother.
- There are rumors stemming from this comment from Page that Cloverfield II will surround the mother coming to earth as well.
- According to Annie Pomeranz - visual effects producer - puppets were used in the scene involving the "parasites" inside the tunnel but the scene turned out to be more interactive than originally thought and CGI animation was required. However, Matt Reeves - the director - states that the scenes with the puppets were too "goofy".
- According to Annie Pomeranz - visual effects producer - puppets were used in the scene involving the "parasites" inside the tunnel but the scene turned out to be more interactive than originally thought and CGI animation was required. However, Matt Reeves - the director - states that the scenes with the puppets were too "goofy".
SPOILERS:
SPOILER: Right before the credits, in the last Coney Island scene, as the camera looks out at the ocean, you can see a large but far away object fall into the ocean and make a splash.
SPOILER: After viewing a cut of the film, Steven Spielberg suggested giving the audience a hint at the fate of the monster during the climax. This resulted in the addition of the broadcast overheard on the military helicopter's radio, as well as the sounding of air raid sirens, both to signal the forthcoming "Hammerdown" bombing mentioned earlier in the film.
SPOILER: Hud was originally going to survive, but producer J.J. Abrams suggested having him getting eaten by the monster, allowing the audience to vicariously experience this. The scene was then planned as having Hud getting eaten instantly after turning around, but it was decided that the audience deserved a good look at the monster, which resulted in the longer shot with the monster leaning down to inspect Hud before biting and killing him.
SPOILER: It was originally intended for the Brooklyn Bridge to be destroyed by one of the monster's hands, but it was decided that this seemed too deliberate. It was changed to the monster's tail destroying the bridge, which seemed more accidental.
SPOILER: According to Director Matt Reeves in the DVD documentary, the last shot of the film, when Rob and Beth are on Coney Island, was the very first shoot of principal photography, while the very first scene in Beth's dad's apartment was the very last shoot of principal photography.
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3 comments:
Hahaha i'm not a smelly idiot! Mike Denby, whether he wrote that comment or not, watches Gossip Girl and loves it, he's already on season 2.
Anyone who admits that they would like the show but refuses to watch it because they are "too busy" (aka not comfortable enough with their heterosexuality) is a smelly idiot, like ol' anonymous up there said.
It's just quality programming, and you can't argue that. It's science.
I would like to make a correction.......
Eric Grimes is NOT a smelly idiot..... He is just kinda stinky and thinks he owns Mint Chip... Plus.... Super amazingly smart with really horrible timing on really Dumb things to say! Oh and ...... By stinky I mean... Candy Cane in Hot cocoa On a cold day!!
XO
Better??
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