Cloverfield (DVD)

Reviewed by Micky B - 30 November 2009

This certainly is a very effectively creepy sci-fi/horror/disaster offering - especially as we see the whole thing as though filmed by an extreme amateur, using a hand-held digital camera. As the evening progresses: what starts off as a surprise party becomes even more than a nightmare! The horror effect of hearing the creatures outside - without knowing what they are, or even seeing them - has to be experienced to be believed! And when we do catch our first glimpse of them, or rather, it: well... Then there are parasitic, giant spider-like entities thrown in for good measure too. Many ideas are borrowed from other, similar, movies (in fact, we get still clips from King Kong; Them! and The Beast from Twenty Thousand Fathoms, among many others), but full marks for the unique way in which they are assembled and presented here. Full marks, too, for the ending; but don't expect it to be a neat and nicely rounded off one! There's a garbled radio sound clip after the end credits. Apparently, when played backwards, it says: "It's still alive!"