Also, can one really purshase Slusho! merchandise?
Yes, you can really buy Slusho merchandise.
As for what the movie is about, at ComiCon Abrams gave a (very) brief talk where he said that when he was in Tokyo a few years back he noticed how popular Gojira (Godzilla) was among the Japanese people and said that he wanted to create an American monster, one that Americans could love as much as the Japanese loved Godzilla. Cloverfield is the result.
So, while Godzilla ravaged Japan after being awakened by American nuclear weapons testing, Cloverfield ravages New York after being awakened by the Japanese seafood industry? This hardly seems like a fair comparison. Abrams must seriously dislike sushi.
I thought Cloverfield was that big orange monster in the Bugs Bunny cartoons.
“Ahhh! Look out! Cloverfield is attacking the city!”
Oh no, Tagruato is decidedly a Petroleum company. Seabed Nectar is a petrochemical incidental. That is, it was an accidental discovery by joint operations with Yoshida Medical Research subsidiary and the Companies founder’s maternal obsession with his Mother’s search and disappearance seeking out the deepC nektar as a chef.
[Spec on]I’m actually starting to believe that Cloverfield is actually a modern vehicle for The Shogun Warriors to compete with The Transformers Movie. Their marketing approach is to pose it as a horrible monster/disaster movie omitting the heroes (protagonist). It’s a wild theory and I think it’s off the wall, and I am totally unsure of this thesis, but the way to find out is to see if there is a licensing arrangement between cloverfield’s parent production company and Marvel Comics, or Mattel corp.[/Spec off]
… each Tagruato drilling platform is named after a shogunate.
Hmmm… so the monster is likely a petroleum byproduct? That seems to make a little bit more sense, assuming that the creators are hoping to duplicate Godzilla’s resonance as a manifestation of national anxiety. Cloverfield could represent concern over global warming and dependence on foreign oil. Although if they’re really trying to capture the national zeitgeist, I would have expected a prominent connection to terrorism. Maybe they feel that an attack on New York landmarks is an explicit enough reference.
My overall impression is that the addictive ‘mystery ingredient,’ rather than simply taking its victims over like The Stuff, results in physical transformation under certain circumstances. Given the emphasis on keeping the ingredient cold, I think it’s likely that one trigger is heat-- which would support the theory that the disaster is initiated by global warming. The ‘monster’ from the trailer is the result of the transformation taken to its ultimate extreme, probably the mother of the Tagruato CEO, who disappeared on a sea voyage according to the Slusho! website.
I’m also picking up a strong vibe that the movie may well turn out to be a tongue-in-cheek satire.
Does anyone know if these websites were up before the trailer hit theaters, or did they appear afterward?
I believe that was Gossamer.
Oh man…I just got an image in my head of him being the monster in that movie.
They have a message in Japanese first, which is repeated in English, saying that due to the large number of calls, your call has been routed to an answering service. There are no updates, but if you leave a message someone will call you back.
Were you aware that the other “photos” can also be flipped over and some have things on the back? I’m afraid they shed little light, however.
The one of the guy getting something shoved in his face says:
“Don’t forget who takes care of you! Love J.”
The closeup of several faces with a cup says:
"Lascano, Platt and Robbie - Jan 2008
Robbie,
Here, use this photo to send a message of my hotness far and wide!!!
I’m gonna miss the hell out of ya!!
Love, Jamie"
(The “i” in Jamie is dotted with a little heart.)
The backs of the others are blank.
No, the monster isn’t a petroleum byproduct. It is incidental to deepsea oil recovery. I believe a sleeping giant.
As to my Shogun warrior theory… Other Marvel connections…
[ul][li]HUD’s myspace page with a special comic wank and marvel tribute design.[/li]
[li]War beneath the waves![/ul][/li]
It’s very likely not the Shogun warriors but it’d be cool if it was. I’m actually hoping it will be a Lovecraftian elder god awakening and usurping of the mortal coil, but I don’t think I could be so lucky.
Paramount, eh? Parker & Stone of South Park fame have said that their next film will be a Godzilla-esque rubber monster movie. You don’t suppose. . .