cloverfield Strideo I think there a only a few "found footage" style films where they are shot and edited to try and maintain the premise that whatever the films shows is whatever that camera filmed over the course of an event on one video tape. I think there are even fewer films done in this style that make it work well. If it works well then the movie can feel more immersive and even blur the lines of reality a little and make the viewer feel as though they're watching a documentary or footage of an actual event. If it doesn't work well it can feel kitschy and contrived. I think Cloverfield brought a lot of interesting elements into play in one film and it gave the movie some unique strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand I really liked the sci-fi/horror aspect of the giant monster and the chaos it created from the perspective of some random inhabitants of the city but on the other hand sometimes I felt like the "found footage" aspect of the movie sometimes got in the way of actually telling the story and literally left us in the dark about what was going on like in the tunnel scene where they are chased by the smaller monsters. Cinematically not revealing the creatures because it is dark builds tension and anticipation within the audience but at the same time not letting the audience get a good look at them because the movie is mimicking the amateur camera work of a guy with a camcorder running for his life can feel frustrating instead. One other thing that I thought was a bit of a strain on the movie's premise was the idea that occasionally the camera failed to record over sections of the main character's holiday on Cony Island for whatever reason giving us these poignant scenes of a happier time juxtaposed against the chaos and horror. While this does help extend the narrative of the story it also asks the audience to stretch their suspension of disbelief a little further in order to accept that this is all just happenstance. But overall I think its a good movie and worth enjoying just for the ride and the spectacle of it in spite of its flaws, although for me it probably won't attract many repeat viewings of my own accord. If anyone is looking for another unusual monster movie I would recommend the South Korean film The Host which I think is actually a superior movie with far more engaging characters and a wider range of moods including some dark humor. ... 091228 what's it to you? who go blather from