Cloverfield

1. No arguments from friends nor utter lack of agreement found online can dissuade me from the position I immediately took upon first seeing this poster way back in 2007: this cloud formation is the face of the monster! Too subliminal for some people, perhaps?

2. That is some impression clawing going on there. Post-attack, you'd think they'd be able to figure out quite a bit from that damage, CSI-style. I want to know exactly how the monster stood/held on/balanced in order to swipe at the head. There never appears to be any more tracks or damage on the rest of the Statue of Liberty; apparently while swimming in it simply swiped at the head for fun or randomness? It made for a great trailer, though, so perhaps we should accept it as "necessary plot contrivance."

3. Reminiscent of real-life tragedy as this sort of scene is, especially when the setting is New York City, I tend to agree with other critics that its inclusion in the film is cathartic and, while not quite courageous in itself, a sign that we have assimilated the 9/11 attack into our cultural fabric so that, though it will always be raw, we can reference it in art such as film because it is an essential part of us. And while trademark concerns may have prevented characters in the film from uttering the word "Godzilla" when you or I absolutely would have in such a situation, they would and do immediately wonder if the city is again under a terrorist attack and that is human nature as well. It's all about survival, isn't it?

4. The infamous date that taunted us before as we wondered what sort of movie we'd be receiving come January 2008. Now, it's the date that has insane people with time on their hands wondering: did the movie actually take place on this date, or was it in May like Rob says in the film? Or, more importantly, does it really matter to anyone?

5. An intriguing name for a monster film. Online theories range from the plausible and (I believe) officially-validated ("Cloverfield" is the name of the government/military response to the monster attack) to the sort of plausible and politely ignored by those involved with the film (the monster leaves clover-shaped tracks in its wake, so that NYC looks like a massive 'cloverfield' when it's all said and done.

6. Check out that wake that son of a gun left behind: it's a big one! And considering that the film takes place at night, which means this poster is indicative of circumstances other than what we saw in the movie. Either J.J. Abrams is a crafty genius who knew a nighttime scene wouldn't be quite as powerful (or visible!) on the poster, or perhaps this hints at a second attack? After they fix the city and Statue of Liberty? Send your theories in today!