Maybe there will be a Cloverfield sequel after all...

Sci-Fi website IO9 talked to JJ Abrams at Comic-con, and according to them:

There will be a Cloverfield 2 ... but it won't be a sequel. It will be something "surprising," said Abrams. [Here is] what Abrams told us on video about what the most important monster feature is, from the perspective of a guy who has created a lot of monsters.

Maybe that explains this sign in Pasadena (or maybe it is just BS)...

* Thanks to FringeTelevision for the story, and to Kristen S. for the photo!

Limited-Edition Bad Robot Figurine

JJ Abrams is releasing a limited-edition batch of 500 Bad Robot figurines. According to Gizmodo:

They're giving away 3 of them at Comic-con this week, where they'll be showing off a pilot of their new show, Fringe. What's cool is that they prototyped these figures in house on the same 3D printer they designed the Cloverfield monster and the new Star Trek movie's phasers on.

The Bad Robot webpage has been updated with the message "Win Me At Comic-Con".

Maybe these will be scavenger hunt prizes?

No word yet on pricing, or where they will be available. If anyone see this for sale at Comic-con, get one for me too!

Comic-Con 2008

The complete schedule has been released for Comic-Con 2008. JJ Abrams fans will want to check out the various LOST and FRINGE panels, and keep and eye out for the new LOST ARG, and possible a FRINGE ARG as well.

You can find out more info about the upcoming LOST ARG at my new blog LostARGs.com, and for more FRINGE information, check out FringeTV.blogspot.com.

LOST:

• FRIDAY 1:45-2:45 Entertainment Weekly’s The Visionaries: Showrunners— Carlton Cuse (Lost), Damon Lindelof (Lost), more ...
  Josh Schwartz (Chuck, Gossip Girl), Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), and Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) are the television producers who are changing the face of television with deeply immersive entertainments marked by distinctive, cutting edge storytelling. They have also been at the forefront of bringing "genre programming" or "cult TV" to the mainstream. Prepare for a candid conversation about creative integrity in a commercial medium and the future of broadcast TV in an increasingly digital world. Spoiler Alert! Upcoming plot developments may be teased. Moderated by Entertainment Weekly senior writer Jeff Jensen. Room 6CDEF
• FRIDAY 6:00-7:00 Exceeding Expectations and Exploring New Worlds: Feature Effects for the Small Screen more ...
  Zoic Studios moderates a discussion with VFX supervisors on their passion for creating narrative enhancing, eye-popping effects for television. Some of the best in the business discuss future trends as well as their contribution to the television series Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, The Middleman, Lost, Eureka, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Smallville, and the new fall show Fringe. Room 32AB
• SATURDAY 12:00-1:00 Lost more ...
  If the most recent season finale was any indication of things to come, you will not want to miss this panel. Co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse will discuss season 4 of Lost, leading up to the season finale. They will answer your questions and maybe even offer up some surprises of their own. Hall H
• SATURDAY 4:00-5:00 Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack more ...
  Jay Glatfelter and Jack Glatfelter have one of the oldest and biggest podcasts dedicated to ABC'S Lost with The Lost Podcast. Learn about the huge, dedicated online community for TV's most mind twisting drama. Join Jay and Jack for this special interview and Q&A session! Room 24A

FRINGE:

• WEDNESDAY 6:00–7:30 and 7:30-9:00 — Fringe Pilot Screenings — more ...
  Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly present two exclusive premiere screenings of the pilot episode of Fringe, the highly anticipated new FOX series from J.J. Abrams (Lost), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the team behind the upcoming Star Trek feature, Mission: Impossible 3 and Alias. When an international flight lands at Boston’s Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv, The Pacific) is called in to investigate. When the search nearly kills her partner, Special Agent John Scott (Mark Valley, Boston Legal), a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), our generation’s Einstein. There’s only one catch: He’s been institutionalized for the last 20 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son, Peter (Josh Jackson, Shutter), in to help. Under Special Agent Phillip Broyles (Lance Reddick, The Wire), our trio will discover that what happened on that fatal flight is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth. Fringe also stars Kirk Acevedo (Oz), Blair Brown (The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd) and Jasika Nicole (The Mastersons of Manhattan). From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe premieres September 9 and airs Tuesdays at 9:00 PM on FOX. (Please note: we will clear the room between screenings. Seating is limited. Pick the screening time that works best for you!) Ballroom 20
• FRIDAY 6:00-7:00 Exceeding Expectations and Exploring New Worlds: Feature Effects for the Small Screen— more ...
  Zoic Studios moderates a discussion with VFX supervisors on their passion for creating narrative enhancing, eye-popping effects for television. Some of the best in the business discuss future trends as well as their contribution to the television series Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, The Middleman, Lost, Eureka, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Smallville, and the new fall show Fringe. Room 32AB
• SATURDAY 4:45-5:45 Fringe Q&A and Trailer Screening— more ...
  J. J. Abrams (Lost), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman—the team behind Mission: Impossible 3, Alias, and the upcoming Star Trek feature—join fellow Fringe executive producers Bryan Burk (Cloverfield) and Jeff Pinkner (Lost), as well as stars Anna Torv (The Pacific), Josh Jackson (Shutter), and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), for an exclusive Q&A about one of the most anticipated new television series of the fall season, a drama that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between science fiction and reality. The session will kick off with the screening of a trailer for the series. Television Week deputy editor and columnist Joe Adalian moderates. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe premieres September 9 and airs Tuesdays at 9:00 PM on FOX. Ballroom 20
• SATURDAY 6:30-7:30 WildStorm Brewing— more ...
  Get the inside scoop on what’s coming up from DC’s wildest imprint from VP Hank Kanalz, superstar artist Jim Lee, editorial director Christos Gage (WildCats: World’s End), and creators Neil Googe (WildCats: World’s End), Wes Craig (Wildstorm Revelations), Brian Denham (X-Files), Joshua Ortega (Gears of War), and Jason Craig (Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash). Find out about WildStorm’s newest creator-driven books, plus the latest on The Authority, WildCats, Stormwatch, Gen 13, The Lost Boys, X-Files, J. J. Abram’s Fringe, and much, much more! Room 8

Michael Giacchino Interview

The Pioneer Kuro Loft has a video interview with Michael Giacchino, the Emmy and Grammy award winning composer for Cloverfield and Lost.

Giacchino talks about what he loves most about entertainment and how he feels sound is responsible for 50% of emotion. He also explains his process for developing the sound for Lost episodes, based on his personal emotions and crafting excitement in sound as the story unfolds.

* Thanks to Denise for the link!

Happy Birthday Lizzy!

Elizabeth Anne "Lizzy" Caplan, aka Marlena Diamond, is 26 today.

Happy Birthday JJ Abrams!

Jeffrey Jacob (JJ) Abrams is 42 today. Happy Birthday!

Thank You JJ... for Cloverfield, Lost, Fringe, Alias, Felicity, and even Star Trek! You rock!!

* Thanks to Hijinx at EvilPuppetMasters for knowing this, and to iushosh for the photo!

Matt Reeves: Cloverfield Sequel On Hold

Collider.com has an exclusive interview with Matt Reeves from the Saturn Awards, where Cloverfield won Best Sci-Fi Picture and he picked up The Filmmakers Showcase Award. He was asked repeatably about a Cloverfield sequel, answering that they have some ideas they are tossing around which are only in the baby stages, and unless they can basically "reinvent the wheel", they would rather do something else.

Cloverfield News

I've just returned from vacation, so here is the news you may have missed while I was gone:

• Amazon now has the Cloverfield Blu-ray on sale for $16.95 - only 96¢ more than the standard DVD! And Tower.com has it for $13.86!!!!
  
• The California DMV finds Slusho! offensive
• George Jones sent in this scale drawing of the LSA
• Harvey Dent noticed that the pictures on Rob's refrigerator, are the same ones from Marlena's MySpace page, and from Jamie's videos.
• The 2-hour premiere for FRINGE , the new Sci-Fi drama TV series from JJ Abrams, was pushed back until September 9th (although you can probably find it on the internet)
• The Holomove ARG turned out to be for Microsoft Visual Studio - not FRINGE as initially suspected.
• JJ Abrams will be at Comic-Con on Saturday July 26th for FRINGE. There will also be a LOST panel on Saturday, where the new LOST ARG will launch.
  
• There will be an adult movie spoof titled - Cleavagefield. "Check out these monsters!"

Cloverfield Wins Saturn Award for Best Sci-Fi Film

Cloverfield won two 'Saturn' awards from the The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.

Cloverfield was was the winner for Best Science Fiction Film, and Matt Reeves picked up an award in the The Filmmakers Showcase Award category.

Lizzy Caplan was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but lost to The Mist's Marsha Gay Harden.

Blair Witch's Daniel Myrick on Cloverfield

Den of Geek has an interview with Daniel Myrick, the co-writer and director of The Blair Witch Project, and the topic of Cloverfield came up:

Do you take it as a complement then when something like Cloverfield, ten years on, gets compared in certain ways to Blair Witch?

Absolutely, yeah. I thought it was very much in the spirit of the Blair Witch, and a very ballsy move for a high budget film to take that kind of cinematic approach. I thought they executed it on a lot of levels very well. I would have done a couple of things differently. But I think that for a film like that to get made is very encouraging.

Cloverfield HD Rental on Apple TV

Cloverfield is available for rental on Apple TV in HD for $4.99. Of course, you'll need an Apple TV boxin order to do this (the standard version is available through iTunes for $3.99). Unfortunately, it's only available in 720p, so you'll still have to get it on Blu-ray for the 1080p goodness.

* Thanks to Apple TV Junkie for the news and specs!

Cloverfield Special Investigation Mode

Here is a screenshot of the Cloverfield Blu-ray's Special Investigation Mode. The main window shows the movie and time code. On the left is a map of NYC, which tracks the locations of the Human Subjects (Rob & Friends), the Large Scale Aggressor or LGA (The Monster), and the Primary Military Activity. On the bottom are the military's notes for each section of the video. There are way too many notes to list them all here, but here are some of the more interesting ones:

Investigations are underway regarding a connection between the Chuai destruction and the Large Scale Aggressor (LSA) attack in New York.

Bold Futura's satellite "Hatsui" was instrumental in the search and identification of the ChimpanzIII fragment off the coast of New York.

It is currently accepted that this explosion and subsequent firestorm did not come from the Tagruato tanker, as it remained intact several hours later.

It is estimated that over 2,000 parasites emerged from LSA during CLOVERFIELD. Due to their destructive nature, they were as much of a rationale for the Hammerdown Protocol as was LSA itself.

Preliminary blood samples from HSPs (Human Scale Parasites) showed high levels of Katei No Mitsu ("Seabed's Nectar"), the key ingredient in Tagruato's Slusho! beverage

EMCINTYRE's companion earlier that evening, Travis Marello, drove his own car away from Manhattan Island via the Lincoln Tunnel and was at home in Weehawken, NJ for the duration of the attack.

The Large Scale Aggressor (LSA) is estimated to stand between 240 and 300 feet tall in it quadruped pose, and possibly up to 1,200 feet in length, from head to tail. Its weight is estimated at 5806.04 metric tons.

You can read all of the notes in the comments, or at CloverfieldMovieForum.com

UPDATE: Check out this photo essay by Midgard Dragon of the S.I.M. comments!

* A HUGE special thanks to Bartle from CloverfieldMovieForum for the screenshot and notes!!!!

Cloverfield Now On Blu-Ray!

Cloverfield is now available on Blu-ray! Amazon still has it for only $19.95, plus $2.98 shipping - OR get free shipping with a $25 order. Walmart and Target also have it for under $20.

Blu-ray.com has the details:

1080p high definition and framed in the movie's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. For what the movie is, it looks great. ... Fine details...look rather good ... surprisingly solid black levels ... you are seeing is exactly what the filmmakers intended for you to see, and this disc definitely provides viewers with the raw feel and gritty look that is the true star of the movie.

One important thing to note: ALL of the video in Cloverfield was shot in HD, even the scenes using "handheld" cameras.

Cloverfield devastates Blu-ray with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless track ... this one could be considered the best on the market, a sound mix many other movies of this sort could and should aspire to, and is certainly exemplary demonstration material ... The entire soundtrack is awe-inspiring, remarkable stuff. Kudos to Paramount -- what a fantastic way to truly kick off their return to Blu-ray.

The Blu-ray exclusive feature is the "Special Investigation Mode":

Next up is Special Investigation Mode. This is a clever and entertaining way to watch the movie. The movie plays in a box while the remainder of the screen provides a map showing the current location of the "large scale aggressor," "human subjects," and the "primary military activity." Facts about the characters, the monsters, and various locations around the city also appear at regular intervals in another box.

This sounds very similar to the UGO interactive map.

After reading a handful of reviews, I haven't been able to find any screenshots of the Special Investigation mode, or any mention of Easter eggs. If you see anything, let me know! FWIW, Walmart.com lists the same Easter Eggs as the standard DVD.

UK Cloverfield DVD Review

UK movie website Den Of Geek has a pretty thorough review of the Cloverfield Two-Disc Special Edition Region 2 DVD, which will be available June 9th.

• Cloverfield 2-Disc DVD Rreview
• Clover Eggs: A complete cheat's guide to the Cloverfield DVD Easter Eggs

In a nutshell, the R2 DVDs combine all of the features and extras of the Standard R1 DVD, but spread over two discs. However, there are a few bonus extras:

"Disc 1 contains the film with a commentary by director Matt Reeves ... and also has a special feature you can turn on or off where, throughout the movie, the battery life icon appears onscreen, and if you click it, you get to watch an extra mini behind-the-scenes features... After each featurette is over, the DVD returns you to the film.

The behind-the-scene videos are the same ones that can been seen on CloverfieldFiles.com, but there is no puzzle to solve before watching them! I suspect this is probably how the Blu-ray disc will work as well. The first disc also contains the "Supplemental Files" easter eggs.

The second disc contains all the other standard R1 extras and Easter eggs, plus a few new Easter eggs titled "Not Without My Baby". These short clips feature some improv from TJ Miller and Lizzy Caplan, and appear to have come from the Best Buy exclusive TJ Miller Video Diary.

* Thanks to Sarah at Den Of Geek for the review!

FRINGE - The New JJ Abrams TV Show

The next big thing from JJ Abrams is the FOX TV show FRINGE, which begins August 26th on FOX (Star Trek won't be out until May 2009).

The new event drama premiering this fall is a fantastical thriller from acclaimed writer/producer J.J. Abrams (”Lost”), Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (”Star Trek,” “Mission: Impossible III,” “Alias,” “Transformers””). Joshua Jackson (”Dawson’s Creek”), John Noble (”Lord of the Rings”) and newcomer Anna Torv star as an unlikely trio who uncover a deadly mystery involving a series of unbelievable events and realize they may be a part of a larger, more disturbing pattern that blurs the line between science fiction and technology.

Think Alias meets House meets X-files. The show also stars Lance Reddick, who you may know as Matthew Abaddon from LOST, and Kirk Acevedo, who shares a last name with me(!), and was in The Black Donnellys with Michael Stahl-David, AKA Rob from CLOVERFIELD.

The next big thing from me will be working on FringeTV.blogspot.com. FringeTV will combine show news, episode discussion, and we'll soon be following the FRINGE ARG, which appears to be connected to HOLOMOVE.

Cloverfield Kishin 4 Translated

The Cloverfield Kishin 4 manga has finally been completely translated. Almost all of the pages were translated by Christian E! and S.H. Taka. Thank you so much!

Here are all of the completed pages for this final chapter. Since most people are not familiar with manga, I have flipped the pages to make them easier to read - left to right.

* If you are "manga otaku", you can download the originals here.

Cloverfield Kishin 4 Translations, Part 6

Here is the next set of Cloverfield Kishin Manga 4 pages. To make things easier for 99.9% of the people who read this, I have flipped the pages, so the story will read left to right.

Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion!!!!

SCREEN SHOTS HAVE BEEN MOVED

Cloverfield Kishin 4 Translations, Part 5

Here is the next set of Cloverfield Kishin Manga 4 pages. To make things easier for those of us who aren't "manga otaku", I have flipped the pages, so the story will read left to right. Don't touch my mustache!

SCREEN SHOTS HAVE BEEN MOVED

Fido and Tim Cloverfield Spoof

Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom

Cloverfield Kishin 4 Translations, Part 4

Here is the next set of Cloverfield Kishin Manga 4 pages. To make things easier for us Gaijin, I have flipped the pages, so the story will read left to right. Please to enjoy!

SCREEN SHOTS HAVE BEEN MOVED

Cloverfield Blu-ray on SALE for $19.95

Amazon has the Cloverfield Blu-ray disc on SALE right now for $19.95! If you haven't already pre-ordered this, now would be a good time! If you did already pre-order this, don't worry! You will automatically get the lower price, thanks to Amazon's Price Guarantee.

BTW, If you are going to order from Amazon, please support CloverfieldClues, and use my Amazon link! Thanks!!

Cloverfield Kishin 4 Translations, Part 3

Here is the next set of Cloverfield Kishin Manga 4 pages. To make things easier for us Gaijin, I have flipped the pages, so the story will read left to right. Please to enjoy!

SCREEN SHOTS HAVE BEEN MOVED

Cloverfield Kishin 4 Translations, Part 2

Here is the next set of Cloverfield Kishin Manga 4 pages. To make things easier for us Gaijin, I have flipped the pages, so the story will read left to right. Please to enjoy!

SCREEN SHOTS HAVE BEEN MOVED

When Cloverfield Hit Contest Winner

The grand prize winner for the When Cloverfield Hit contest has been selected. Congratulations to JonPhillips for his entry Cameras A-E.



* Thanks to MidgardDragon from CloverfieldMovieForums!

Cloverfield Kishin 4 Translations, Part 1

The Cloverfield Kishin 4 manga has finally been completely translated. Almost all of the pages were translated by Christian E! and S.H. Taka. Thanks you so much!

Here are the first set of pages. To make things easier for us Gaijin, I have flipped the pages, so the story will read left to right. Please to enjoy!

SCREEN SHOTS HAVE BEEN MOVED

New Cloverfield Video Contest

The UK website LastBroadcast.co.uk, is running a Cloverfield video contest. They are looking for your best OMG face after seeing the Cloverfield monster, so send in your short clip (15-30 seconds) before July 9th for your chance to win. First place is a Samsung camcorder & Cloverfield DVD. Second and third place will receive a Cloverfield DVD.

Note: This contest is open to anyone (i.e. US residents), however... since they are in the UK, it is possible that the DVD and/or the Camcorder may be PAL.

Cloverfield's Got A Brand New Bag

Dig this crazy scene - Ecoistbags has some very unique Cloverfield merchandise, made from recycled Cloverfield billboards. These one-of-a-kind bags are available in a Tote, Messenger Bag, or Laptop Case, ranging from $45 to $58.

Cloverfield Kishin Manga, Part 4

The fourth and final story of the Cloverfield Kishin manga / comic has been released.

I have upload all of the screenshots into a Picassa photo album.

Translations are HERE!

* Thanks to Anthony T. and Merzmensch for emailing me about this!