Okay, so you guys voted and you voted for JJ Abram's Cloverfield. So let's open the discussion.

Possible discussion angles are...
-What is the monster and where does it come from?;
-How, or from what, did Marlene die?;
-Do you think that specific creature is still alive?;
-Did Lily (Rob's brother's girlfriend) survive?;
-Who was your favorite character? Which one(s) did you sympathize with?;
-What did you think of the style of camera Abrams decided to use?

Naturally, discussion is not at all restricted to those options. Talk your heads off about Cloverfield!

First I just want to say that I think the way the film was set up (the whole government video file) was a really good idea. The unique style of home video filming made the film a lot more interesting and involved (for me, at least).

I think the monster was some kind of alien attack maybe...where else could it have come from? I think the way the film was set up (you're viewing a government video file that has already happened) implies that they were finally able to destroy the creature.

Also...did anyone catch the very, very last scene? The part after the bridge they are under collapses where they are at the carnival thing (actually happens earlier in the day, but occurs at the end). I was discussing it with some friends and I was told that you can hear faint screaming in the background "it's alive, it's alive!" or something like that...did anyone notice this?

Apparently, if you play it backwards, it says "It's still alive".

There's a line of thought that suggests that the monster was there on Earth for millions of years, and that the oil rig in the Hudson River delved too deeply and woke it up.

Ah, ok. Thanks for clearing that up.

That's another possibility, too. Almost like War of the Worlds, except the actual creatures are aliens but their tripods were there all along.

Oh I'm not saying that that's EXACTLY what it is, just a possibility :-p

How about Marlene's death? What do you think that was from?

Ah, ok...

I'm not exactly sure about Marlene. I attached a gif of that scene.

It almost looks like she is exploding from the inside. Maybe there was a creature inside of her or something? Or maybe they shot her in the head to prevent the spread of the disease and it made her splatter everywhere? Looking at it closer, it looks like she gets bashed from behind with a large object...

Keep in mind I won't see this movie until it comes out on dvd but just from reading reactions and stuff, I'll throw out a theory I saw because it hasn't been discussed.

The monster doesn't matter. It's not about the monster. It is just an obstacle for people to get over and also an aid to build relationships. So at its core, this movie is just about relationships and the monster is merely a plot device. So that's why discussing the monster is useless because it's not the point.
Hence why you don't get much information about the beast.

Anyways, just chew on it I guess. I can't really argue the point.

I'm a fan of hand held stuff too. It's a fun concept but not really unique. I'm not knockin' it though. When done right it's really cool and I like the idea behind it in Cloverfield.
AJ, if you want to go hog wild with home video (is it safe to assume, by association, realism?), then you really oughta look into the dogme movement.
Dogme 95 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The rules for those too lazy to click a damned link (shame on you!):

1. Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).
2. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed, i.e., diegetic).
3. The camera must be a hand-held camera. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. (The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.)
4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now.)
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. (Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.)
10. The director must not be credited

I'm not really sure why I'm talking about dogme in a Cloverfield thread but it may be on topic somehow. Hand held cameras, huh?

I'm in the process of DLing the movie now.



Haha well it's not that far off Tar, and it's actually helpful to some people who might have thought that Cloverfeild was doing something revolutionary with that.

On Marlene's death: the way it looked to me was that, by getting bit, the CF spawn implanted eggs or something into the victim. Just before she gets taken away you see a soldier with basically his entire insides imploded. I think they even yell that he was bitten. But one of the spawn might have just been hungry and bit his whole midsection off. I don't think she was killed by the men in the suits.

Obby brought up an interesting theory, actually, one that I hadn't heard before. Most people are so drawn to talking about the monster because they don't know exactly what it is, but knowing Abrams, that's intentional to misdirect from something like Obby said. I think an underpinning concept like that is entirely plausible, now that I think back. I mean, it's obvious to anybody that watches the movie that the individual relationships are enigmatic and always evolving (or devolving). Why, Rob and Beth's relationship is basically a roller-coaster for the whole film, up and down and back up in a matter of hours. I was really captivated by Hud and Marlene's relationship as well, I think towards the end Marlene was actually starting to be endeared (romantically) with Hud's boyishness.

You found a good quality video of Cloverfield? Tell me where (on msn of course )

Since I don't have a lot more to add, I'd like to say that people must be forgetful because The Blair With Project did the footage found thing back in the 90s.
And, lesser known, back in 1980 Cannibal Holocaust created the idea.

Thanks. I read it. I don't really see the point of it, though... And there's no verification process, so anyone could make a movie and call it dogme?