The official trailer for Cloverfield is now available online:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/11808/

Producer J.J. Abrams sent a note to Ain’t It Cool News stating that the Ethan Haas websites are not officially associated with the movie (and it has been since confirmed that those two sites are for an unrelated video game):
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33261

Don’t bother visiting TheParasite.com – it was just someone’s idea to draw traffic to their game site and is in no way related to the film. Lame!

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Cloverfield, a.k.a. The Untitled J.J. Abrams Project, has fanboys and dedicated Lost followers abuzz.
Long story short, there is a brief trailer for Cloverfield playing before The Transformers (which I have no desire to see).  I watched it on YouTube a few days ago, but it was promptly yanked by Paramount (who, in an interesting twist, have denied the actual existence of this film). My initial impression of the trailer? The Blair Witch Project meets War of the Worlds. Sweet.

Rumor has it that the creative team behind this film are familiar names to those of us who have watched every J.J. Abrams show; Cloverfield was written by Drew Godard (Alias &  Lost), is being directed by Matt Reeves (Felicity) and produced by Bad Robot (Abrams’ company).

According to IMDB, this is a “monster movie that is shot using home video cameras from the point of view of people who are experiencing an attack on New York City,” and that the actual monster is called The Parasite. And in a not so surprising reveal, Cloverfield is in fact a fake name (due to relentless spoilers and aggressive bloggers, Abrams has been known to code name his projects).

Is it mere coincidence that J.J. Abrams is also in pre-production for the next Star Trek movie, also to debut in 2008? I seriously doubt that they are one and the same, but you never know with The Hatch Master. Can you imagine a better way to reinvigorate that franchise than a sci-fi thriller featuring the Enterprise crew battling a mysterious monster in NYC? Hey, anything is better than watching Captain Kirk time traveling in San Francisco and rescuing humpback whales (1986′s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home).

A few vague Cloverfield-related sites have popped up online, adding to the intrigue:

The official film site
http://www.1-18-08.com

The following two blogs lead you to an extraterrestrial DaVinci Code-like device in front of a bleak future cityscape. On one, you click on the symbols that pop up from the glowing orb, mimicking the order in which they appear. That delivers you a blurry video diary, presumably from a character in the movie. On the other, you move the symbols around the circumference and over the top of the orb with your mouse for the next clue (click on the far right star in the sky for a peek at the code’s alphabet). I haven’t ‘solved’ either site yet, but I’ll get to them eventually.

http://www.ethanhaaswasright.com

http://ethanhaaswaswrong.blogspot.com

I don’t know who Ethan Haas is, and I don’t care. I’m game. Literally.

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I’m not one to delve into politics, and I don’t care what your affiliation is…this is a stroke of pop culture genius. In very timely fashion (just nine days after the controversial finale aired), Hillary Clinton stars in an almost scene-by-scene parody of the last five minutes of The Sopranos series finale. Co-starring former President Bill Clinton and featuring a cameo by Vincent Curatola (The Sopranos‘ dearly departed Johnny “Sack” Sacramoni), the video was created to highlight her selection of an official campaign song. 

It is a bold move, and I love it. Well done.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/

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Today has been frustrating. I believe that the early implementation of Daylight Savings Time has severely affected the usage of many online functions, including access to email.

 

So I thought I’d post something a little different while I wait for the return of full internet functionality.  Sorry, no photos today. I’m hoping that this will even post!

 

Here are some websites I personally recommend; most are products that I love, including some from ridiculously talented friends.

 

www.clos.com

Try the Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Yum. Owned and run by a family I know and love, you have to visit their stunning winery if you’re in the area.  

 

www.containerstore.com

Pretty much my favorite store on earth. If you’re organizationally inclined (which sounds ten times better than anal retentive), you must shop here.  

 

www.dillonrogers.com

My only trendy vice; leather bracelets with words & designs that you can also customize.

 

www.giddygiddy.com

If you have a little girl, niece, etc., you have to have these handcrafted hairclips! They are adorable and make great gifts. This is my friend Teri, who is spectacularly crafty and visionary.

 

www.i-deck.co.uk

I researched all iPod speaker systems before purchasing the i-Deck, which blows the Bose system out of the water. I love the deep sound and detachable speakers.

 

www.keenfootwear.com

What can I say…I love comfortable shoes. They’re more durable than Sketchers and offer a better variety of styles, from dressy casual to the great outdoors. My second choice would be: www.bornshoes.com.  

 

www.kukunest.com

My friend Teri just launched this new collection; beautiful children’s bedding inspired by the spirit and adventure of her two daughters.

 

www.lifeisgood.com

It might seem silly, but I love this clothing line for three reasons.

* Their motto: Do What You Like. Like What You Do.

* Their shirts. They are the softest around; destined to become the ones you wear on weekends.

* Their designs. Whatever your hobby may be, it is probably represented in their vast collection.

 

www.mandarinaduck.com

Extremely functional and stylish purses, bags, briefcases, backpacks, etc.

 

www.mattnathanson.com

It is no secret that we’re good friends and I plug his music every chance I get. He is the most talented artist about to emerge. Look for an amazing new album out later this year.

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I have discovered a very entertaining and sometimes educational form of procrastination.  Check out the “Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher” videos on Amazon.com. Each episode features interviews with authors, movie and TV personalities, as well as acoustic performances by a variety of musicians and bands.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/entertainment/fishbowl

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I have a question for you. Yes, you, the one reading my blog right now.  Who are you?

 

Here’s the thing. I monitor my website statistics, and I am baffled by the results. Only five people actually subscribe to my blog (see the box in the corner of this page to bring me into double digits!), and I’ve only alerted friends and family that it even exists.  And yet I’ve managed to garner over 16,000 views of my blog in just fourteen months (not to mention that a surprisingly large number of my columns that are printed out every single day). Granted, most mainstream websites average that many hits every hour. But I am proud of my numbers! This blog is my hobby, and a true labor of love.

 

So do me a favor, my mysterious readers. Can you please either send me an email (jo@jopinionated.com) or leave me a comment on this blog? I would love to find out any of the following information: how you found my site, what you think about the content, how often you read it (and if it’s bookmarked), and maybe even where you’re from, all to gather a better sense of who my virtual audience is. I’m completely open to movie, music & TV suggestions too, so drop me a line any time!

 

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

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