Cloverfield DVD

Cloverfield DVD > Reviews > Terrifying video with great special features!

Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Matt Reeves - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over more

Ranked 10 out of 11 in the Ciao Hitlist The best Science Fiction & Fantasy DVD'S

Overall user rating Cloverfield DVD 13 reviews | Write a review | Add product to list

A highly-classified video tape confiscated by the U.S. military shows the devastating effects of a monster attack on New York City. Crudely shot on handycam by a group of friends...
more...at a party, the film quickly evolves into a blow-by-blow account of the most surreal and terrifying ordeal of their young lives. The first 20 minutes or so could easily be mistaken for some glossy American soap opera, populated as it is by successful, good-looking people. As the camera clumsily weaves its way around the party guests, we're treated to snippets of conversations that provide a back story to the characters' lives. Suddenly and without warning, a series of earth-shattering tremors rock the city, causing mass panic in the streets below. It soon becomes apparent that this is no natural disaster as the city is ripped apart by some gargantuan and malevolent force.
Creature features such as this are often only as good as their special effects will allow, and CLOVERFIELD scores very highly in that department. The visuals are simply stunning and so seamlessly executed that they'll have you ducking for cover. In fact, some of the effects are so uncomfortably realistic--buildings collapsing into plumes of smoke, bits of debris falling from the sky--that they will inevitably evoke painful memories of 9/11. The filmmakers were careful not to reveal the monster too early on in the film, as the anticipation of seeing it for the first time is half the fun. Instead, they tease the viewer with flashes of a giant tail or leg in between skyscrapers. This makes the final reveal that much more satisfying, as the unknown becomes known. But where the film tantalises, it also frustrates as it offers no answers to the most obvious questions; what is this thing? How did it suddenly appear out of nowhere? What's its beef with New York City? Ironically, it's this very inscrutability that makes the film so intriguing, as we are reminded that wanton acts of destruction--such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11--always leave questions unanswered. Shot in real-time in a cinema verite style similar to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, CLOVERFIELD's exploitation of the digital video format is a bold move that pays off handsomely.





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Terrifying video with great special features!
A review by shadowtreader on Cloverfield DVD
July 9th, 2008


Author's product rating:   Cloverfield DVD - rated by shadowtreader

Did you enjoy it? Loved it 
Story Satisfactory 
Characters / Performances Outstanding 
Special Effects Outstanding 
How does it compare to similar films? Good 

Advantages: Great movie, great for horror and scifi fans, special features offer great insight .
Disadvantages: Film is a bit tedious, and supplemental files cannot be viewed from the menu .

Recommend to potential buyers: yes 

Full review
A brilliant DVD. Cloverfield is an amazing, intense experience. The handheld camera angle makes the movie much more involving, and in turn a much more terrifying piece. The acting is good, the characters are really realistic and you really feel emotionally attached to them. The monster, named Clover, only really appears in a few scenes, but these scenes are extremely well shot and are very scary.

The special features consist mainly of the Cloverfield Supplemental Files, a series of featurettes and documentaries related to the film which provide a much more accurate insight into the Cloverfield universe than the director commentary. These videos can be started at certain points throughout the movie.

The DVD is robust and a great purchase for any fans of horror or science fiction. 
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More details
Soundtrack Unmemorable 
How does it compare to others by the same director? Good 
Value for Money Good 
What format are you reviewing? DVD 

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