New On DVD: 'Cloverfield,' 'Juno'

'Cloverfield' (R) "Lost" producer J.J. Abrams finds a new, brilliant spin on the monster movie genre with "Cloverfield," a "Godzilla" meets "The Blair Witch Project"-type of thriller that is easily one of the best films of the year.

Starring a cast of virtual unknowns, "Cloverfield" starts relatively calm, with video camera footage of a pair of best friends Rob (Michael Stahl-David) and Beth (Odette Yustman) after a night in which their friendship crosses into romance. It's short-lived, though, as we come to discover that Rob is leaving New York City for a executive VP job in Japan.

Planning to send Rob out in style, his best friend Hud (T.J. Miller), Rob's brother, Jason (Mike Vogel) and Jason's girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas) throw a going-away party. Enlisted by Jason to document the event with Rob's camera, Hud captures all of the intimate moments of the festivities on camera, including his Rob's revelation about his romance with Beth.

But then all hell breaks loose. It starts with explosions and rumbling, and everyone thinks that Manhattan is being rattled by an earthquake; but when a damaged and decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty is thrown their way, Rob and his party discover instead that they're not dealing with a natural disaster but a freak of nature: a vicious, skyscraper-sized monster that's bent on destroying the city.

Leaving spider-like spawns in its wake, the beast goes on a rampage and seems undeterred by the military's attack. Against their better judgment, Rob, Jason, Lily and another partygoer, Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) embark on a trek across the city to rescue Beth, who left the party early and is now trapped and hurt in her apartment. It's all documented on video by Hud, who believes it is important to keep the camera running because it's history in the making.

Directed by Matt Reeves under the auspice of Abrams, the film is the first-best heart-pounding thriller for the YouTube generation. It succeeds on many levels, from its inventive cinematography, a snappy script (although it really feels real, like a documentary) and dazzling visual effects of the creature and the effort to rid the city of it.

In a tip of the cap to the monster movies of old, we only get glimpses of the creature in blink-or-you'll miss it moments or in shadowy form to start, until we eventually experience it in its full wrath. The power of suggestion is a smart move, as it comes off as way more frightening than most modern monster movies. (But of course, with the DVD version, you can pause if you want to see the creature before it really comes out to play.)

If there's any advantage to watching "Cloverfield" at home, you're far less likely to get nauseous by the film's dizzying photography. The whole film is told from the point-of-view of the video camera, which is handled the way you'd expect a newbie, in this case Hud, to handle a video camera: In other words, not very carefully.

That's not to say the filming is always chaotic: Reeves does a wonderful job of establishing the characters at the party and Rob's true feelings for Beth, which delivers a huge payoff at the end of the film. The film's deleted scenes aren't anything special, but one of the two alternate endings included hints a much different outcome. The film is best with its original ending, however, as the alternative take would have been far less profound. It's a great movie.

DVD Features: Commentary by Reeves, deleted scenes, alternate endings, outtakes, production featurettes and more. (Paramount Home Entertainment)

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'Juno' (PG-13): The teen pregnancy comedy "Juno" not only gave birth to a surprising box office take ($143 million domestically and $80 million overseas) in the past few months, it also raised the biggest hype of any film released in the past year -- hype that it doesn't always live up to.

Ellen Page ("X-Men: The Last Stand") plays Juno MacGuff, a fast-talking Minnesota teen that suddenly finds herself facing a crucial decision when a brief sexual encounter with her deer-in-the-headlights best friend ("Superbad" star Michael Cera) leads to an unplanned pregnancy.

But Juno isn't your ordinary 16-year-old girl. And her quirky demeanor leads to an interesting series of events when she decides to give up her baby in an open adoption arrangement with a seemingly normal couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman).

Playfully written by first-time screenwriter, former stripper and blogger Diablo Cody, "Juno" earns high marks for its fresh and witty dialogue, which is fully realized by a talented cast that also includes Alison Janney and J.K. Simmons (the gruff newspaper boss J. Johan Jameson in the "Spider-Man" movies). Watch out for Janney's laugh-out-loud funny scene during Juno's ultrasound scene.

But the idea of a 16-year-old being as self-assured as Juno is in real life is subject for debate. After all, if she's as whip smart as she seems, would she have gotten herself in the pregnancy predicament in the first place?

If you're willing to let it go and surrender to the comedy, you'll be entertained. It's a Best Original Screenplay Oscar win well deserved, delivering fresh dialogue that hearkens the rise of Quentin Tarantino with "Pulp Fiction."

DVD Features: Audio commentary by Reitman and Cody; deleted scenes; a gag reel; production featurettes and more. (Fox Home Entertainment)

'Lars And The Real Girl' (PG-13): Ryan Gosling is so brilliant he's scary in this offbeat comedy about a sheltered man who finds a partner in a life-sized mail-away doll. This character-based comedy-drama may be a stretch for most people, but will come as an original break from the norm for those who are willing to hang with the bizarre narrative. (MGM Home Entertainment)

'Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem' (Unrated): The two iconic screen species wreak havoc on Earth in the sequel to the monster flick "AVP." (Fox Home Entertainment)