There's been plenty of hype for the new feature film from JJ Abrams, the man behind hit TV series Lost and Alias. And here's a little taster …
The first trailers for Cloverfield debuted six months ago and were, as you'd expect, fairly cryptic. Rather than climaxing with the name of the film, the screen simply presented a date: “01.18.08” (for the US release) and a line revealing that Abrams was producing. Since then it has slowly become clear that this is an apocalyptic monster-hits-New York tale, with street-level, Blair Witch-style shaky handheld cameras replacing the usual panoramic helicopter shots of the Big Apple's destruction.
Abrams has more than a touch of the geek about him – he's directing the next Star Trek movie for a start, and the viral campaigns for Cloverfield have been lapped up by the fanboy element. Others think the hype has all been a bit too much.
You do seem to be taking you life (or your digestion) in your hands if you go. A friend of mine was offered a “barf bag” when she went to see the film in the States last week – that's a bag to be sick in, not an unwholesome alternative to popcorn. And two Times reviewers have confessed to being made ill by the stroboscopic effects.
Still, Cloverfield has smashed January box office records in the US. It opens today in the UK. Will you be going?
