It all started with "Transformers."
The unusual trailer [1] that preceded last summer's blockbuster raised more questions than it answered. Seemingly shot on digital video, it depicted an attack on New York City by something with a really loud roar. Soon CNBC [2] and other media outlets put together some of the pieces of "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams' newest puzzle: a monster movie in the "Godzilla" vein. The "teaser" trailer didn't even reveal the movie's name, but it provided just enough information to tantalize.
Since then, "Cloverfield" enthusiasts have been debating the movie's mysteries, minutiae -- and myths. Blogs like Cloverfield Clues [3] are typical forums for such discussions. Is the film a remake of "The Host [4]," last year's South Korean creature feature? (Nope.) Is the monster an enormous lion? (This myth, debunked early on, stemmed -- hilariously -- from the fact that some people who watched the teaser trailer misheard "It's alive!" as "It's a lion!") Is it a mutant whale [5]? (Almost certainly not.)
Is there just one gigantic monster, or are there also little monsters? And if there are little monsters, what's the explanation for them? And what about those guys in Hazmat suits in the full trailer [6]? Does one of them turn into a little monster? And what about the woman with them in that scene? Does she explode?
I know what you're thinking. This entire line of inquiry is geeky. And you're right; it is. But Abrams is "Cloverfield"'s executive producer, and if you're a fan of his TV shows -- "Lost," "Alias" and the college drama "Felicity" -- you'll probably want to geek out Friday night at Cinerama [6], where the movie makes its local debut on an appropriately monster-sized screen. (In case you're feeling especially geeky, there's a 12:01 a.m. sneak preview Thursday.)
Abrams tapped Matt Reeves, a "Felicity" staff writer, to direct "Cloverfield"; "Lost" and "Alias" writer Drew Goddard penned the screenplay. So it's a J.J. Abrams project through and through, which should mean a well-calibrated blend of suspense, efficient character development and out-and-out mystery. Rumor has it that when the movie's 84 minutes have run their course, we still won't have gotten a full-on glimpse of the monster.
But then, when it comes to "Cloverfield," rumor seems pretty unreliable. You may just have to see for yourself.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
