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The Mystery of ‘Cloverfield’: 10 Years Later

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Paramount Pictures announced yet another shift in release for the next installment of perhaps the weirdest and most secretive sci-fi franchise in cinematic history, the Cloverfield series. The J.J. Abrams-produced American monster movie by way of found footage became an instant success upon release on January 18, 2008, yet it took another eight years for a follow-up. Except it wasn’t exactly the sequel audiences were expecting. Instead of the giant, mysterious beast that destroyed nearly all of New York City, we got a claustrophobic thriller with a sci-fi twist. It too raked in the profits, solidifying Paramount and Bad Robot’s plans to unleash a series of films set in the Cloverfield universe. With not just one, but possibly two Cloverfield films set to release this year, we look back at the history of the Cloverfield series, the future of the series, and the Alternate Reality Game that connects them.

Sprouted from a small seedling of an idea that Abrams had while visiting a toy store in Japan with his son, Paramount secretly greenlit Cloverfield, written by Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods) and directed by Matt Reeves (Let Me In). The entire film hinged on its secrecy; not even the cast knew what they were auditioning for. The actors weren’t allowed to read the script until they’d actually signed on for the movie.

Then there was the marketing. Attached to the theatrical release of Transformers in July 2007 was the first teaser for Cloverfield, and it fully lived up to the definition of the word. Enough was shown to let the viewer know there was something beyond the party in the scenes featured and that it was big and pissed off. But Paramount opted to not reveal the movie’s title, only the date 1.18.08. It wasn’t until November of that year, in a teaser attached to the theatrical release of Beowulf, that Paramount would finally clue audiences into the film’s title. The speculation ran wild. Would this be tied into Abrams’ hit series Lost? Would it be a new Godzilla movie?

While Bad Robot and Paramount remained frustratingly tight-lipped about the project, Paramount doled out clues in the form of the Alternate Reality Game, or ARG. This highly intricate and cryptic ARG enhanced the film in a way that had never been done before; months of clues dispersed across the internet built a backstory for diehard players that fleshed out some of the narrative that the film itself never had time to answer. The biggest of which was that Japanese mining company Tagruato, and its Chuai drilling station in the Atlantic Ocean near New York City was ground zero for the monster’s attack preceding the events of the film. Most important of all, aside from insight to the creature’s origins, is that Tagruato is a large corporation with subsidiaries. One of which was Slusho!, which was featured in  Cloverfield as Rob’s going away party was centered around his job promotion to vice president of marketing for the company. Tagruato also developed paraffin wax via their ParafFun! Wax Distributors branch, deep-sea genetic research via Yoshida Medical Research, and advanced technology via Bold Futura.

Why is that last subsidiary important? Because on January 15, 2016, a mysterious trailer featuring the word “Cloverfield” in its title would begin the speculation anew. A month later, suspicions that we’d finally get another Cloverfield came with the launch of the next ARG game. This one, also centered on the Tagruato Corporation, fixated on subsidiary Bold Futura. And who would be featured as a key employee of the subsidiary? John Goodman’s character Howard Stambler. Though much shorter than the original ARG game, this iteration would give key backstory to Howard and the relationship with the daughter he so doted upon in 10 Cloverfield Lane, and his role in the company.

As for the film itself, it proved to be nothing at all like its predecessor. While both Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield Lane feature lead protagonists fleeing from relationships, their journeys are vastly different. From New York City to a rural underground bunker, and giant demolition monster to a paranoid human monster, it doesn’t seem to have much in common besides a moniker. Until you get to the end, and Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has to contend with monsters of an extraterrestrial variety. Oh, and the clues revealed in the ARG placing this movie in the same universe as Cloverfield, though Abrams has stated that it exists in a different timeline.

Why did it take so long to come up with a sequel, though, and why was it only connected in the loosest of ways? While Abrams had always intended a sequel, especially thanks to fan demand, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim and Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla sort of made his original plan to create an American giant monster obsolete. So it reshaped how this franchise would continue, for the better I think.

The third entry in the Cloverfield universe was announced in the ARG for the avid followers. Well, sort of. The ARG for 10 Cloverfield Lane revealed a sound clip from the International Space Station, which had many looking for the next entry to take place in space. Then came the announcement that God Particle, a space thriller/horror film written by Oren Uziel and Doug Jung would be the next entry, to be released on February 24, 2017. Like 10 Cloverfield Lane, God Particle wasn’t one written with Cloverfield in mind but retrofitted into the universe. Die-hard fans of the ARG game geared up to participate, and then waited for its arrival. And waited. And waited. The release date then shifted to October 27, 2017, then to February 2, 2018, before an official announcement for April. While it still remains to be seen if and when the ARG game will commence (I think it might a month before theatrical release, considering Tagruato corps’ website has undergone recent changes), I’d like to speculate that another Tagruato subsidiary makes its entrance in the franchise. Namely ParafFun! Wax Distributors, since God Particle (or whatever it will be renamed) is set on a space station and revolves around a particle accelerator and paraffin wax is used in moderating neutrons.

Tagruato’s footage from the Atlantic seabed in Cloverfield’s ARG

While we only have months to discover just how much the currently unnamed and formerly titled God Particle will tie into the Cloverfield universe, there’s yet another potential franchise entry to consider: Overlord. Another joint venture between Abrams’ Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures, Overlord is a World War II horror film that will follow the story of two American soldiers behind enemy lines on D Day, as they discover the Nazis are using supernatural forces against them. Set for release on October 26, 2018, there are elements there that would suggest this could be another Cloverfield. Same two companies behind the series, similar genres, and a potential connection to Tagruato, considering the fictional company was founded the final year of World War II, in 1945.

Cloverfield took the box office by storm, in large part thanks to the clever and secretive nature of both Abrams and Paramount’s clever marketing. More than that, it was a fantastic film. From Rob’s human relationships to the creepy parasites that dropped from the creature, Cloverfield was a unique entry in the American monster pantheon. When the long-anticipated sequel felt obsolete thanks to similar films being released, Abrams and Paramount adapted and shifted, instead choosing to produce scripts with similar themes and retrofitting them into the same universe. There’s something inherently exciting about never being able to fully anticipate the type of film you’re going to get in the Cloverfield series, or even what type of monster, sometimes even plural. You can count on similar themes among the protagonists at the center of the film, and that it will be a genre film in some way. Most of all, though, is that you can count on evil Tagruato Corporation to be behind it all.

With two stellar films released so far, and a vast potential ahead, I can’t wait to see where the Cloverfield universe brings us next. Ten years after the release of Cloverfield, it’s still as much of an enigma as it was in 2008.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

Editorials

The 10 Scariest Moments in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie Franchise

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scariest Ghostbusters

WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Yes, Ghostbusters is a horror movie – gateway horror to be exact. Setting aside the fact that the title literally contains the word “ghost,” a foundational element of the scariest genre, the franchise follows a group of paranormal researchers who battle entities attacking from beyond the grave. After countless rewatches, the classic films and newer sequels may not scare us much anymore, but how many times have we as genre fans asserted that a film does not have to be “scary” to be considered horror?

Genre classification is nebulous and any film that centers on ghosts has a place in the sprawling house of horror. Yes, it’s true that most viewers over the age of thirteen will find more to laugh about than scream while watching a Ghostbusters film, but each entry contains a handful of terrifying moments. With Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uniting three generations of the parascientific warriors, perhaps it’s time to highlight the most frightening moments from each phase of this legendary franchise. 


Ghostbusters (1984)

A Haunted Library

scariest Ghostbusters movie

Ivan Reitman’s original film begins with a campfire tale come to life. We follow an unsuspecting librarian as she ventures deep into the stacks to reshelve a book. With her hair blowing from a spectral breeze, we watch a hardcover float across the aisle to the opposite shelf. A second book follows, but the librarian remains unaware. She finally notices the disturbance when card catalog drawers open on their own spewing cards into the air like literary geysers. She flees through the maze of narrow stacks only to come face to face with a mysterious force who blows her back with a powerful roar. We won’t see the Library Ghost (Ruth Oliver) until a later scene, but this introduction firmly positions the film that follows in the world of horror. On first watch, we can only speculate as to the ghost’s malevolence and whether or not the librarian has survived the encounter. It’s the perfect introduction to a world in which ghosts are not only real, they will pounce on unsuspecting humans at the drop of a … book. 

Shaky Ground

The original finale may not be the film’s most terrifying moment, but it has become the franchise’s most iconic image. When faced with choosing a form for Gozer (Slavitza Jovan), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) inadvertently conjures up an image from his childhood. Moments later, a set of once-cheery eyes peer through the skyscrapers. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over the city, stomping and destroying everything in its path. While there’s definitely something terrifying about a jovial mascot turned deadly killer, what happens moments before is arguably scarier. 

The Ghostbusters arrive at the luxury apartment building to throngs of adoring fans. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) plays into this hero-worship and promises an easy solution to a supernatural problem. But before they can enter the building, lightning strikes the upper floors sending massive chunks of brick and cement raining down on the barricaded street. The ground begins to shake and a giant fissure swallows the entire team. It’s a destabilizing moment made all the more terrifying by its shocking reality. Speculation about the existence of ghosts may vary from person to person, but there’s no doubt that sinkholes are very real. It’s entirely possible that the ground we’re standing on right now could spontaneously begin to crumble, sucking us down into a seemingly bottomless void beneath the earth. 


Ghostbusters II (1989)

Runaway Baby

Ivan Reitman’s sequel begins with a sly update on the life of a beloved character as Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) pushes a baby carriage containing her infant son Oscar (Henry and William Deutschendorf). When last we saw the attractive cellist, she was kissing Venkman in the wreckage of Gozer’s demise and the thought of this loveable lady’s man becoming a father may be more nerve-wracking than anything contained in the first film. We never learn much about Oscar’s real father, but we do discover that fate has a sinister plan for the adorable child. While Dana chats with her landlord, Oscar’s carriage rolls a few feet away. Dana reaches for the handle, but the buggy begins speeding down the sidewalk careening through the busy crowds. As if guided by unseen hands, the carriage twists and turns, then abruptly swerves into oncoming traffic. Cars honk and veer out of the way, but the racing carriage marks a collision course with an approaching bus. The wheels screech to a halt moments before what would surely be a deadly crash and Dana rushes to embrace her vulnerable child. This harrowing scene is likely to terrorize any parent who’s experienced the fear of trying to protect a baby in an unpredictable world.  

Sewer Screams

scariest Ghostbusters scene

While investigating the second film’s primary villain, Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg), three of the Ghostbusters venture into the sewers hoping to find a growing river of slime. Ray, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Egon (Harold Ramis) trek down an abandoned subway line while speculating about the hordes of cockroaches and rats they hear scurrying behind the walls. These vermin may be scary, but there are more malevolent monsters lurking in the dark. Ray and Egon both amuse themselves with the tunnel’s echo but Winston’s “hello” goes unanswered. Moments later, a demonic voice bellows his name from the dark end of the corridor. Waiting behind him is a severed head floating in the empty tunnel. As he tries to retreat, the team finds themselves surrounded by dozens of ghoulish heads that disappear faster than they materialized. Moments later, a ghostly train hurtles towards them, swallowing Winston in its spectral glow. Egon theorizes that something is trying to keep them from reaching their destination with effective scares designed to frighten the Ghostbusters and audience alike.  


Ghostbusters (2016)

Haunted Basement

Like its predecessor, Paul Feig’s remake opens with a spooky vignette. Garrett (Zach Woods) gives a tour of the Aldridge Mansion, a 19th century manor preserved in the middle of the busy city, and walks visitors through a troubling history of excess and cruelty. Hoping to inject a bit of excitement, he pauses near the basement door and tells the horrifying story of Gertrude Aldridge (Bess Rous), a wealthy heiress who murdered the house’s many servants. Hoping to avoid a public scandal, her family locked her in the basement and her restless spirit can still be heard trying to escape. Garrett triggers a trick candlestick to fly off the shelf, hinting at the spirit’s presence, but a late night incident shows that the deceased murderess may actually be lurking in her ancestral home. While closing up for the night, Garrett hears ominous noises from behind the barricaded door and watches the knob rattle against the heavy locks. An unseen attacker hurls him through the house and eventually drives him down the basement stairs to a sea of green slime pooling on the floor. The stairs crumble leaving the tour guide hanging on to the door frame for dear life as a spectral figure glides toward him with menacing hands outstretched. Once again, we won’t see the fully revealed ghost of Gertrude Aldridge until later in the film, but this terrifying opening sets the stage for a dangerous showdown with an army of the dead.

Mannequin On the Move

The scariest moment of the 2016 remake is arguably the vicious online hatred sparked well before the film’s release. In response to brutal comments posted to the first official trailer, the cast returned to film an additional scene in which they react to dehumanizing negativity. But another sequence may cut closer to the heart of this upsetting experience. The Ghostbusters respond to a call at a concert venue and split up to cover more ground. Patty (Leslie Jones) enters what she calls a “room full of nightmares” and immediately reverses course to avoid a multitude of mannequins stacked haphazardly in the dark. As she walks out the door, one of the faceless creatures turns its head her way. Walking on its own, this sentient prop follows her down the hall, pausing the moment she turns around. Eventually breaking cover, the mannequin chases Patty down the hall to the rest of the team. They unleash their proton packs and make quick work of the gargoyle-like ghost. Though this connection is surely unintentional, it’s a terrifying parallel to a faceless monster sneaking up to attack a woman simply trying to do her job. 


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Smoke and Monsters

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife is nowhere near as scary as the horror films playing in the local summer school science class, Jason Reitman’s legacyquel does contain its share of frights. The film opens with a harrowing scene as we join Egon (Oliver Cooper) in the last moments of his life. Racing away from a sinister mountain, Egon’s truck collides with an unseen force and flips upside down in a field of corn. The elderly scientist races back to his crumbling farmhouse with a trap in hand, intent on ensnaring this invisible being. Unfortunately, the power fails and Egon has no choice but to hide the trap under the floorboards and wait. He sits in a comfortable old chair as a horrifying cloud of smoke drifts in behind him, momentarily forming the shape of a fanged beast. Demonic hands grab him from within the chair, likely causing the heart attack that will be listed on his death certificate. But his abandoned PKE meter below the chair activates, reminding us that Egon may be deceased, but he is far from gone.  

The Terror Returns

scariest Ghostbusters moments

Ghostbusters: Afterlife turns out to be a touching tribute to Harold Ramis as his friends and family unite to complete the beloved scientist’s heroic mission. In addition to a tearjerker ending, Reitman also includes a bevy of callbacks to the original film. Not only do the Spenglers square off against the team’s first enemy, Gozer (Emma Portner), the nonbinary entity brings back the Terror Dogs that once possessed Dana Barret and Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). These demonic beasts first rear their ugly heads while Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) stops by Walmart to buy a midnight snack. While the horde of mini marshmallow men are eerie in their gleeful self-destruction, the ghostly canine that chases him through the store is the stuff of nightmares. Early iterations of this fearsome creature are hindered by ’80s-era special effects, but Reitman’s version feels frighteningly real. While Gary frantically tries to find his keys, this Terror Dog snarls at him from atop his car dashboard, leaving the endearing science teacher with no way to escape. 


Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Frozen Dinner 

After a film set in a small mountain town, the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes us back to New York circa 1904. We see the fire station in its early years as a horse-drawn carriage responds to a call. Arriving at the scene, a fireman tests the door for heat and watches in horror as his hand instantly freezes. Inside, they find jagged shards of ice surrounding and piercing a frozen dinner party. Guests are posed in various states of ice-covered surprise while an eerie record skips in the corner. A figure covered in brass armor we will come to know as a Fire Master is crouched in the corner clutching a mysterious orb. When the fireman touches this rippling sphere, the frozen diners’ heads begin to explode, an ominous precursor to the chilling threat awaiting the newest Ghostbusting team. 

Lights Out

If Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured the lo-fi gear of the 80s, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hurls us into the future. Wealthy financier Winston Zeddemore has been surreptitiously building a new containment unit to relieve pressure on the original model along with a secret lab designed to study ghosts and haunted objects. In addition to fancy new gadgets and gear, this facility contains several captured spirits like a fanged Wraith and a speedy Possessor. Lab techs assure the astonished Spengler team that they are perfectly safe, but it seems they’ve overestimated the facility’s security. Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Lars (James Acaster) are studying the aforementioned orb when the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark with a cache of haunted objects. Not only does the ancient sphere hold a deadly spirit, the proton fields containing the captured ghosts have just been disabled. These terrifying creatures begin to drift through the walls toward the defenseless lab techs, perhaps at the bidding of an evil commander. Thankfully the generator kicks on in the nick of time, drawing the ghosts back into their cells. It’s a tense moment reminding us that no matter how charming the Ghostbusters may be, they still spend their days with evil spirits just waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc.  


The Ghostbusters franchise excels at mixing humor and fear, practically setting the blueprint for the modern horror comedy. Moments from the original two films terrified a generation of gen-xers and elder millennials and newer iterations are currently scaring their kids. The fifth franchise installment effectively passes the proton pack torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and we can only hope additional films will continue to induct future generations of Ghostbusters fans into the horror family as well. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters. Read our review.

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