The Monster
From Despoiler - Cloverfield
The Monster is the main antagonist of the film Cloverfield. The monster rampages throughout Manhatten, destroying the city in its path. This destruction cause the United States government to sacrifice New York City in an attempt to kill the Monster with heavy ordnance in "the Hammerdown protocol". Before that, the monster killed Jason Hawkins by crushing him with its tail on the Brooklyn Bride. Its parasites bit Marlena and that bite cause Marlena to explode from her chest cavity. It bit Hud in half minutes before the Hammerdown protocol. The whisper states that the monster is still alive, however, JJ Abramms contradicts this by saying military bombing kills the creature, so therefore the Monster's fate is unknown. The Monster's origins are believed to be revealed in Cloverfield/Kishin. The Monster may have come from a nest in Japanese Bay, or another nest in the Atlantic Ocean. The Monster is never truely name, but "Clover" is generally accepted. Other names were given by the fan community.
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Appearance
The monster is a skinny, translucent white creature with two small T-rex-like legs, two long spindly arms ending in bus-sized fists, a stubby head and a long tail. Two more arm-like appendages, revealed in an interview with designer Neville Page to be exterior esophagi ending in teeth-like protrusions that it can use to consume prey, are tucked underneath its belly, between the creature's legs. The scenes depicting the esophogi were removed from Cloverfield by JJ Abramms. In Cloverfield/Kishin, the esophogi are clearly shown when the monster removes the Splinter of Amnion using smaller tubes that came out of the esophagi and removed the Splinter.
Diet
The Monster's diet covers a large array of foods. The first hint at the monster's diet was when a photo of whales the monster had partially consumed appeared on 1-18-08.com. During Cloverfield, Marlena says she saw it "eating people". The exterior esophogi are the right size to consume humans amongst other things. Other amateur video footage of Cloverfield reveal that the Monster was also seen eating horses, multiple ones at the same time.
Measurements
These are all estimations by the US Department of Defense.
- Height (quadruped pose) - 240-300 feet (73.2-91.4 metres).
- Height (standing upright) - 350 feet.
- Length (head to tail) - 1200 feet (365.8 metres).
- Weight - 5806.04 metric tons.
- Width (assuming arms are outstretched) - 740 feet (225.6 metres).
- Height of head - 45 feet (13.7 metres).
- Depth of head - 50 feet (15.2 metres).
- Width of mouth - 15 feet (4.6 metres).
- Height of mouth - 35 feet (10.7 metres).
- Length of longest tooth - 5 feet (1.5 metres).
- Length of foot - 35-40 feet (10.7-12.2 metres).
Name
Its official name (if it has one) has not been revealed. The crew members referred to it by its nickname 'Clover', while it is not named at all in the film. The fan community refers to it by a number of different names:
- Cloverfield, after the title
- Clover, after the crewmember's name (variations: Clovey, Clovy, Clovie)
- Slusho, after the fictional Japanese drink
- A Terrible Thing, after Hud's description (variations: ATT, Terry)
- Big Barney
- Mister Grumpy Pants (variations: Mister Grumpypants, Mr. Grumpy Pants, Mr. Grumpypants, MGP)
- Various titles the movie was called: Cheese, Chocolate Outrage, etc.
- Still Alive, after the famous whisper words
- Clozilla, a protmanteu of "Cloverfield" and "Godzilla".
The US Department of Defense refers to the it as the "Large Scale Aggressor", or "LSA".
Past Interpretations
Based on the poster
The official movie poster, shown here, led many people to (correctly) believe that the monster is of aquatic/amphibious nature, due to the ripples seen on the water surface that lead to a devastated Manhattan. It was also suggested that it is tall enough to rise up above sea level high enough to grab the head of the Statue of Liberty with its claw/hand.
Furthermore, as the buildings are destroyed more significantly at their bases, it was suggested that the monster has an overly-wide foundation in comparison to the rest of its body, though it is now known that this is because of the monster's low posture.
Finally, the poster showed that the monster has three claws on one of its limbs, as the Statue of Liberty and many buildings are visibly scarred with three claw marks.
Based on the roar
The roar is the sound emitted by the monster. Although it bears no singularly identifiable relationship to any known animal known so far, the most similar sound is that of whales. Other speculation is that part of the sound is a human voice greatly slowed down, and possibly otherwise edited. Because it includes a proper vocalization, it established that the monster has some form of air-breathing capacity. There is still no definitive conclusion as to the precise nature of the roar.
When the monster's roar was added to 1-18-08.com, this was the first instance where the roar could be heard completely independent of any other sounds, and was thus the main source of any analysis of the roar.
Appearances
- Teaser Trailer - The first time the roar is heard during the teaser trailer is in the party scene. It is this sound that interrupts the party right as the lights flicker out. A partygoer comments "It sounded like an animal". Later on the roof another partygoer asks "What animal sounds like that?".
- Teaser Trailer - This is followed by the second roar and the explosion.
- Teaser Trailer - The third roar, usually misinterpreted to be part of the second roar, starts immediately after the explosion.
- Teaser Trailer - The fourth roar is heard just before the head of the Statue of Liberty is seen emerging from the smoke.
- 1-18-08.com - On 23Aug07, the roar was added as a site update. This one is also different from the other roars. It is played exactly six minutes after the page loads. This became the first occurrence of the roar completely alone. The clarity and quality of the roar has lead to much greater speculation and detailed analysis.
- Theatrical Trailer - The first roar is at 01:14. The roar lasts for only 3.5 seconds, as opposed to around 6 or 7 seconds in the teaser and on the website. This first roar is no different than the previous roars, except it is shorter and ends more abruptly.
- Theatrical Trailer - At 01:26, the second roar is heard. This roar, however, starts off much deeper than most previous roars, before quickly rising to the haunting mid-range pitch that exemplifies the monster's sound. This roar also lasts about three seconds. At the same time, a piercing shriek is heard, and is most likely a cry for it's mother in pain as stated by Clover's art designer. After all, Clover is infact a newborn baby.
Variations
As well as the trademark roar, the monster is known to make other noises.
Screech
The first noise we hear from the monster other than the roar, its piercing screech may be a cry for it's mother in pain as stated by Clover's art designer.
Appearances
- Theatrical Trailer - At 01:26, the screech can be heard alongside the usual roar.
- Radio Ad - At the end the screech can be heard alongside an unusually different roar.
- New Year's Eve Special - The same screech and roar from the radio ad is used multiple times.
- Chuai boat footage - The same screech and roar from the radio ad can be heard just before the debris starts being hurtled out of the water.
- Hasbro toy - The electronic sound featured in the toy is exactly the same as that featured in the radio ad.
Growl
A low growl was the second noise from the monster to be heard other than the roar.
Appearances
- TV commercials - The growl can be heard in the fifth commercial, at 00:06.
- TV commercials - The growl can be heard in the tenth commercial.
Based on the theatrical trailer
01:23-01:24 in the trailer contain a glimpse of the monster: a green shape behind two buildings, taking up all of the space in between, and moving towards the right. Even after the movie was released and the monster revealed, debate continued as to exactly which body parts of the monster were shown in the glimpse.
The glimpse showed that the monster is undoubtedly biological. Theories fueled by this new footage include that the creature is a mutated crustacean (especially an isopod), insectoid, tortoise, water bear, dragon or dinosaur (the most popular dinosaur theory being that it is related to the Ankylosaurus).
Parasites
The idea of smaller monsters accompanying the larger one had been popularly theorized and rumored since the very beginning. The production notes were the first confirmation of this. The parasites are six-legged, four-clawed, dog-sized arthropods with the ability to walk on walls and ceilings. Although their main danger is in their rapid, bounding nature, they also possess a vicious bite that causes a hemorrphagic infection.
Near the beginning of the film, the monster scratches its back on a building (destroying it in the process) to remove a layer of parasites that are set loose to wreak their own havoc on the city. During the subway scene, the group manage to fight off three parasites, but Marlena is bitten viciously. Later at an army triage center, she mentions that she "does not feel well". She is pale and bleeding out of her eyes and nose. A minute or two later she explodes. Later another parasite is seen in Time Warner Center, though it is promptly killed by Rob with an axe. Also , Deep sea Gigantism is a probability that made the monsters large[[1]] , or the fact that they ate Kaitei no mitsu.
Gallery
 The Time Warner Center parasite |
 Several close-ups of a parasite's head |
 First views of the parasite by Tagruato sub. |
Toy
On 21Jan08 Hasbro announced that it would be releasing a toy of the Cloverfield monster. Images were released on 15Feb, followed by more soon after as the toy was on display at Toy Fair 2008. The toy is a 1/300 scale representation of the beast (14 inches/35 cm tall), features an electronic roar sound effect and contains 70 points of articulation. It will come with ten parasite figurines and a Statue of Liberty head.
It is scheduled for release on or around 30Sep08 with a price of $99.99.
Gallery
 Hasbro's monster figure. |
 Hasbro's monster figure, "Agitated" face. |
 Impressive view of Hasbro's monster figure. |
 Close-up of Cloverfield figure's "Calm" face. |
Gallery
Observing Hud. |
 Reacting to a military attack. |
 Drawing of the original clay model design. |
 Its arm near the ground. |
 Bombed by a B-2 Spirit. |
 Bombed by a F-18 Hornet on 8th Ave. |
 Passing over Grand Central Station. |
 Under Chuai station, before the events in the movie. |
 On sonar, sent by The Whistle Blower. |
 On sonar, sent by The Whistle Blower. |
