TJ Miller Interview

StarPulse.com has an exclusive interview with TJ Miller, who plays HUD (aka Hudson Platt).

He confirms that he is the "man behind the camera" in the trailer.

You've also got a role in this untitled JJ Abrams project.
Yes it is. I can't talk about it at all with you.

Will audiences get their fair share of T.J. Miller in this?
Audiences are going to get less than any share of T.J. Miller. They're going to get a fraction of what is considered a fair share of me. You will probably see my face for possibly 3 minutes and twenty-five seconds. It's possibly the weirdest situation I've been in. But you'll hear me, and I'll be present in the movie for the entire duration of the film.

Is that information that you are able to reveal?
Yeah, I think so. You can say that it's safe to say that because I'm behind the camera and you're going to hear a lot more of me than you're going to see. And you can get that from the preview. In the preview you don't see me at all, you just hear me. It's going to be crazy. It's going to be everything the JJ Abrams fan wants out of a movie and probably more.

Is it hard to keep a secret this big?
I'm not a guy who runs out and is like, "Look what happened to me!" But I think it's strange because in every other film, they want you to talk about it as much as you can. They just want people to be aware of it, and in this one I just got a call because I spoke to a PA who is on the trailer but isn't on the movie and I talked to her about the film in some bar and it got back to them. They said that this was a huge problem, "You can't go out drinking and talk about the movie." I didn't know she wasn't on it. They're furious about how secretive it is. Nobody can really confirm what is going on in the film. You just can't. It's even almost hard for me to confirm anything. I didn't get the script until after I signed onto the project, and even when I did get the script I wasn't told what was going on. It's a very strange project to work on.

What would happen if somehow it slipped out?
It's JJ Abrams. I'd never be able to work with him again or I would have to be in Mission Impossible: 4. Both of which are disconcerting to me.


For more info on TJ Miller, check out his official website: TJMillerDoesNotHaveAWebsite.com

* Thanks to DougBThree at Unfiction for finding this!

Cloverfield Nominated for "Most Anticipated Movie"

Cloverfield was nominated for "Most Anticipated Movie" at the Spike TV's Scream 2007 Awards - the awards show that celebrates "The Best in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror and Comics voted by you!"

Also nominated: The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy 2, Iron Man, Wolverine, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

And the winner is...?

* Thanks to Joe from the comments for finding this!

International Release Dates

IMDB has a list of international release dates, although it is not quite up-to-date, so I have added a few more that were found by Euchre at Unfiction. If you know of any other international sites or dates, please leave a comment below.

Here is a current list of release dates, which I will try to keep up-to-date as new info is released.

Australia ... 01-17-08
USA ......... 01-18-08
Belgium ..... 01-23-08
Estonia ..... 01-25-08
Iceland ..... 01-25-08
Mexico ...... 01-25-08
Argentina ... 01-31-08
Germany ..... 01-31-08
Spain ....... 02-01-08
UK .......... 02-01-08
France ...... 02-06-08
Netherlands . 02-07-08
Sweden ...... 02-08-08
Chile ....... 02-21-08
Russia ...... 02-21-08
Norway ...... 02-22-08
Turkey ...... 03-21-08

The Paramount International website has a few more countries worth exploring.

BTW, The French Cloverfield site shows a release date of 06-02-08 (in addition to a French subtitled trailer), but they list their dates in Day-Month-Year order, so it's really 02-06-08.

Jessica Lucas (Lily Ford) News

The Canadian news site CANOE.ca has a story about 22 year old Canadian actress Jessica Lucas, who plays Lily Ford.

Tonight on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Lucas will continue her four-episode arc as Ronnie Lake, a sought-after young hot-shot investigator.

Just prior to taping her CSI arc, however, Lucas spent several months working on the Abrams movie which has been dubbed Cloverfield in common parlance, but whose name has not officially been revealed. Abrams is the creator of TV series Lost, Alias and Felicity, and was the director of Mission Impossible III.

First publicized prior to theatre screenings of Transformers, Cloverfield is scheduled to be released on Jan. 18, 2008. Plot rumours have centred on monsters attacking New York City, but Lucas wouldn't shed any light on the specifics. You know, sworn to secrecy and all that.

"It really is kind of crazy, isn't it?" Lucas said of the Cloverfield buzz. "The hype has been unbelievable. And it doesn't even have a name yet. The trailer created such a stir.

"When they first explained to us what they were going to do in terms of marketing, it sounded pretty weird. But obviously it has worked. And there are going to be more trailers coming out very soon, so that will give people even more reason to get excited."

Lucas plans to spend the next couple of months helping to promote the movie.

"The CSI thing just wrapped up so I'm going to have a little bit of down time right now, although it won't be for long," said Lucas, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Vancouver. "We already are planning all the promotion we're going to be doing for Cloverfield, or whatever you want to call it. So that's going to be my focus."

* Thanks to EW for emailing me about this!

Previz From The Third Floor

The "previz" work for 1-18-08 / Cloverfield was done by a company called The Third Floor.

Previsualization is a film making technique that uses 3D computer graphics to create rough versions of movie sequences - usually complex shots incorporating visual effects or stunts. This allows the film producers to see a rough version of the sequence before the costly full-scale production starts.

Cloverfield is mentioned in the Bios of Barry Howell and Nick Markel, and in the News section:

After being tapped by JJ Abrams’ production company to work on the super-secret “Cloverfield” trailer, (as seen in front of Transformers); The Third Floor delivered previs for the entire feature – coming soon (01-18-08?) to a theatre near you!

The Third Floor's other works include: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Evan Almighty, Beowulf, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

The Reel section has a six minute video of their work, including some very short scenes of the Cloverfield trailer. I created a YouTube video with just the Cloverfield footage here.

UPDATE: The Third Floor has asked that I remove the YouTube video. However, you can still see the full six minute video on their site. The Cloverfield scenes are at 0:26, 1:39, and 5:36.

* Special thanks to Robbie for emailing about The Third Floor!

JamieAndTeddy Video #3 - The Ex

A new video has been uploaded to JamieAndTeddy.com.

Jamie has some 'splainin to do after a night out with the girls. She ran into Teddy's ex who wants to cause some drama. Plus, there's a mystery woman in Jamie's bed - Marlena's Cousin? Hmmm.

Here is the direct link: http://www.jamieandteddy.com/video3.mov
I have uploaded it to YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0A9jxiuSh0

Things I noticed:

• Teddy's gift on the nightstand, still unopened
  
• A bottle of Pepto, presumably used after the long night of drinking.
  
• "Lily and Jason are fighting" must be referring to Lily Ford and JJ "Jason" Hawkins
• "You’re the one that’s off saving the world" could refer to Tagruato's slogan - Exploring Our World, Ensuring Our Future
• "I know exactly what I’m going to do to prove to you" - I'm guessing a Teddy Bear tattoo.

Here is a quick & dirty transcript:

Hey it’s me, um… It’s really early in the morning and I just wanted to catch you before you started your day. I have to explain last night, if it’s not too late um.. I ran into your skanky ex girlfriend and she basically threatened me and said that she was going to tell you that I was making out with guys on the dance floor, which is 100% not true. And I would expect you to believe me over her. I mean she obviously still likes you and it’s really obvious. And I’m not going to entertain but, I just wish that you would trust me, I mean, ya know I went out with my girlfriends and you’re the one that’s off saving the world and, you know, following your dream, but you left me here. Ya know and I just.. I’m lonely and I went out with my girlfriends and it wasn’t a big deal. Just please believe me and I mean, last night was horrible. I lost my purse with my phone in it and my wallet and my keys and everything. And I tried to text you but I didn’t.. I couldn’t. And I’m going to call you immediately when I get my new phone today but I just want you to know that I’m not perfect. I’m trying to be perfect. I’m doing everything that I can to make this relationship work under the circumstances. And, I mean, you know, everyone can’t be like Lily and Jason, ya know? They’r- which by they way they are not perfect. They fought all night long. So, and I’ll tell you about it when you call me. Um, but anyway I just support what you’re doing and I do understand it. I mean I don’t really understand it but ya know, I do support you and I’m lonely and waiting for you to come back. Just believe me and I know exactly what I’m gonna do to- [person pops up pillow and is revealed next to Jamie] Oh wow, I don’t even know who this is. I think it’s Marlena’s cousin. It’s a girl. But, um, I know exactly what I’m going to do to prove to you, and um, I think you’ll like it. And I love you and I’ll talk to you soon. [camera shuts] GE- [end of video]

* Thanks to Matt Dark at Unfiction for finding the video and for the transcript!

Slusho Distribution Email Reply

I received a response today to the email I sent regarding Slusho! distribution:

Dear Dennis,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a distributor of Slusho! brand happy drink and joining the Tagruato family! We would be very excited to work with you in spreading the joy of Slusho! all over the world!

In light of a storm of false claims of business purpose, we have been forced to institute a verification policy. The first step is to forward documents of authenticity. We will need a copy of your articles of incorporation before proceeding with Slusho! distribution opportunity. We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause you.

Sincerely,
Tzigane Koga, Customer Service
Office of Daiske Kagashima

"Exploring our world. Ensuring your future."

I put the full email header info in the comments.

UPDATE: According to Unfiction reports, everyone is getting the same email.

Slusho Contest - We Are Coming, We'll Find You Soon!!

A mysterious eighth button was added to the Slusho home page, in addition to the new Distribution Opportunities page. While there is no English label for the new page, the Japanese label - 競争 - translates to "Competition". However a better translation that also matches the underlying link is CONTEST!

It's anyone's guess as to what kind of contest we'll get. What do you think it will be? What would you want to see? Are you worried they are coming to find you?

* Thanks to MrToasty for the translation, and to Euchre for finding the contest link.

Slusho Now Hiring!

The whole Slusho gang is back (even the hammer, cheese, and oven mitt make an appearance), and they are hiring for new recruits to distribute Slusho in America. Now if we only knew someone looking for a marketing job...

Here is the message:

Join the Slusho! Team soon!!! Distribution Opportunities available by contacting us through our parent, TAGRUATO! Extensive research reveals that our incredibly tasty flavor mixtures would be loved throughout the West! Become a pioneer, spread Noriko's dream and purchase a Slusho! machine for your store today! We will send representatives and scientists who will train you on how to operate our machine, and preserve the flavor of our special ingredient, Seabed's Nectar!! And what is more, we will have the special flavor tasties delivered bi-weekly, right to your storefront!!! We are highly optimistic that the FDA and other such organizations will quickly approve our ingredient for consumption in the West. They need only look to the East to see its remarkable health benefits - it is nutritious and thrifty!

TEL +81-3-5403-6318

18KagashimaD@tagruato.jp

The parent company Tagruato is mentioned, and the logo is in the background, so there is no doubt the two are officially connected. The email and phone number match the Tagruato site, so it looks like this may turn out to be a little more interactive. I recorded the voice mail message on October 3rd, and it appears it hasn't changed since.


If you would like to call Japan for yourself FREE, you can use your computer to call using Skype VoIP. Sign up, and your first 10 minutes to anywhere in the world is free.


* Thanks to Ed from 11808.blogspot.com for the heads-up!

100 Days Until 1-18-08

100 more days until 1-18-08! Interestingly, it has been 99 days since the trailer came out on July 3rd, which means we are officially at the halfway point!

Here is a brief history in time:

July 3 - Transformers Movie / 1-18-08 Trailer Premiere / 1-18-08.com found
July 6 - 1-18-08.com Picture #2
July 9 - 1-18-08 Trailer available on Apple.com
July 10 - Slusho.jp website found - Contact, History, Download pages
July 12 - 1-18-08.com Picture #3
July 20 - 1-18-08.com Picture #4
July 24 - Monsterous Poster found in LA
July 26 - Comic-Con / JJ Abrams speech / 4 Posters released / Slusho T-shirts
July 27 - 1-18-08.com Picture #5 / Hidden Messages found on two photos / Myspace pages found
July 28 - Slusho.jp updated - Store, Happy Talk, Flavors pages added
Aug 9 - Slusho orders recieved / Japanese newspapers in orders
Aug 21 - Slusho.jp Happy Talk updated
Aug 24 - 1-18-08.com - Roar added
Aug 31 - Jamie talks about Teddy Hanssen on MySpace
Sep 12 - JamieAndTeddy.com found / Video #1
Sep 29 - 1-18-08.com Picture #6
Sep 30 - Tagruato.jp found
Oct 4 - JamieAndTeddy.com Video #2
Oct 5 - Slusho.jp Happy Talk updated again

Slusho.jp - More New Happy Talk

The Happy Talk page at Slusho.jp was updated again.

Here are the new quotes:

• BLOOP!
• I Slushoed myself!
• I heard if you drink slusho you become as big as whale, is that true, also what new flavors are you guys adding? Also about the slusho, can you tell anymore information about where that special slusho came from or what's It all about?
• on red crab 6 times
• I'm trying to find a copy of the hit theme song, but my phone's music service doesn't offer it. Can you tell me where I can buy a copy so I can have the ringtone?
• I like inviting Slusho to the party in my mouth.
• I am HAPPY! Thanks Slusho for making me ZOOOOM!
• I luv slusho... bring it 2 england... please????????????????
• Most Honorable Satoshi, I really like the Slusho Zoom flavors of Mikan and Nashi mixed together. Please tell me about your secret ingredient. I promise I won't speak of it to anyone, honest. A devoted consumer in America, thank you -- Billy
• Slusho! heals.
• Is there any combination that don't taste good?
• How should I mix the Slusho flavors to get the best results?
• Slusho! makes the world a better place

You can see the old Happy Talk quotes here:
New Slusho Happy Talk
Slusho Happy Talk

The first two are duplicates, but the rest appear to be fan submitted. In fact, Red Walrus from Unfiction is claiming "on red crab 6 times" as his own submission.

And for the person who wanted the Slusho ringtone for their phone (like I have), I have all the Slusho Music here.

* "I said Cornbred" not an actual quote :)

JamieAndTeddy Video #2 - The Gift

There is a short new video on JamieAndTeddy.com. The password is still: jllovesth

Jamie got a gift from Teddy, but she's not allowed to open it until December 9th.

You can download the video directly here (QT - 7.7MB), or check it out on YouTube here (now working!).

Is this an allusion to when we might get the next trailer and/or the title of the movie? I hope not... December 9th is "forever away!"

Here is the transcript:

[plays harmonica]

Alright, I finally figured out how to work the camera, and I have about 15 horny girls waiting to go to girls night down stairs, so I have to make this really quick.

I'm here talking to you right now because of two reasons:

1. Because I miss you, I miss you so much, and...

2. Because you really f-ed me up with this gift, you can not - thank you by the way - but you can not send a girl a gift and tell her to open it on December 9th... which is forever away. You just can't do that! But, I gave you my word and it's gonna sit here right at the edge of my bed until, until you say that I can open it, because I gave you my word.

And I also got your text message, sorry...

[whispering] I got you text message earlier, I have to be quiet...

And I got, I just figured out the answer to your question - six, six times. And the answer that you got wrong is

[whispering] Corn Bread

you got it wrong

[off camera] lets go, let do this!

All right, all right. I have to go, i love you , I miss you so much, and I'll talk to you soon...

[off camera] come one

* Thanks to Alex for emailing me about this!

Tagruato - Drilling Is Their Business, And Business Is Good

The main focus of Tagruato Corporation is deep sea drilling, specifically for petroleum:

Slusho! History
Ganu also liked to experiment ... he became a lead ocean scientist. His accomplishments are many, he is very big.

Tagrauto: About Us: Company History
In 1989, a brilliant young engineer named Ganu Yoshida was in search of an avenue to support his off-shore drilling revelations. Recognizing the potential still of the crumbling 力の手 (Hand Of Power) company, Yoshida and his investors purchased all shares from those who had led the dream astray.
...
First order of business was to build the Jimmu Drilling Station in the Inland Sea, named after the founder of Japan and the descendent of the sun goddess Amaterasu. The company’s new focus had been discovered -- deep sea Petroleum excavation. Over the next 15 years, twelve more drilling stations were built all over the globe, each more efficient and productive than the last.
...
Today, as drilling prepares on our fourteenth deep-sea station, Tagruato stands on the brink of joining the elite corporations of the planet earth.

Tagrauto: Investor News: Tagruato announces plans for "undersea construction sites"
Next time you drive by a large construction site demolishing a building or putting up new infrastructure, imagine it underwater.

... Tagruato has long been developing vehicles and machinery that will operate at the same capacity as the bulldozers and cranes you pass on the freeway each day, but also function at the ocean's greatest depths. COO Danno Jo, right hand man and cousin of CEO Ganu Yoshida, has been overseeing the revolutionary project.

"There are great reservoirs under the ocean floor that no one can get to due to obstruction by physical elements," explained Jo at the December 18th press conference. "With these new technologies in place, Tagruato will destroy any barrier."

Another benefit of these new technologies is the ability to actually construct drilling stations from the ground up. In the past, the process has been to build the various parts of the station in Tagruato's mainland factories, ship them across the oceans on aircraft carriers, and then reassemble them underwater. The process can be costly and time consuming.

"We can now skip that step," said Danno. "In a perfect world, we'll never have to work from the surface again."

Tagrauto: Deep Sea Drilling

Tagruato explores the final frontier on planet earth -- the deepest recesses of our oceans. Our scientists and engineers have created drilling technology that can withstand degrees of extreme pressure, cold, and heat never before thought possible. This groundbreaking feat of industrial triumph allows for research and retrieval in areas previously unexplored by man.

Tagruato covers the planet. We have fourteen drilling stations strategically positioned around the globe, each a billion dollar marvel of modern engineering. ... Capable of excavation at distances exceeding 7,000 meters of water and 9,200 meters of seabed, the greatest depths of the oceans have been opened for business.

The implications are vast and bountiful. Tagruato boasts sole ownership of the functionality designs implemented in our drilling stations. This gives us unparalleled access to the natural resources that lie below the ocean floor. Namely Petroleum, the most sought-after resource in the world.



Here are all the stations listed on the interactive map:

Station	Location	Date Opened	Workforce	EU.R.R.
Jimmu Station	Inland Sea	Fri, Jun 14, 1991	176	5.4 billion
Suizei Station	Sea of Okhotsk	Fri, Sep 4, 1992	114	2.1 billion
Annei Station	Ionian Basin	Fri, Sep 11, 1992	124	2.2 billion
Itoku Station	Java Trench	Fri, Sep 18, 1992	91	1.5 billion
Kosho Station	Chukchi Sea	Sat, Feb 25, 1995	76	0.690 billion
Koan Station	East Siberian Sea	Sat, Feb 25, 1995	107	3.3 billion
Korei Station	Greenland Sea	Sat, Feb 25, 1995	88	1.7 billion
Kogen Station	Weddell Sea	Sat, Feb 25, 1995	197	8 billion
Kaika Station	Puerto Rico Trench	Sat, Feb 25, 1995	62	0.3 billion
Sujin Station	Diamantina Trench	Sat, Nov 7, 1998	314	17 billion
Suinin Station	Mariana Trench	Tue, Jan 30, 2001	273	13 billion
Keiko Station	South Sandwich Trench	Sat, May 17, 2003	207	9 billion
Seimu Station	Eurasia Basin	Tue, Mar 15, 2005	281	15 billion
Chuai Station	Mid-Atlantic Ridge	Opening September 2007	355	in development

Contacting Tagruato

The contact page for Tagruato shows an address, phone number, and email address:

18 Palace Plaza
36-40-10 Marunouchi
Marunouchi, Tokyo 118-8336
Japan

TEL +81-3-5403-6318
18KagashimaD@tagruato.jp


The address does not work in Google maps (unless I'm doing something wrong).

The email address appears to be working, but there is no automatic reply like on the Slusho site.

The phone number works, and has a recorded message in English and Japanese:

Thank you for calling Tagruato. Due to high call volumes, your call has been transferred to an automated answering service. There are no updates at this time. After the tone, please leave a message, and one of our associates will find you as soon as possible.

I recorded the call so you can hear the message for yourself:

Tagruato Message - English (64Kbps MP3, 125k)
Tagruato Message - Japanese (64Kbps MP3, 165k)

Dizzy has confirmed in the comments that the Japanese and English messages are the same.

If you would like to call Japan for yourself FREE, you can use your computer to call using Skype VoIP. Sign up, and your first 10 minutes to anywhere in the world is free.

UPDATE: It looks like Marunouchi is some kind of business center. There is a map of all the buildings, but no Tagruato.

MySpace Update - Rob and Beth

It looks like Rob and Beth have a lunch date!

Rob Hawkins - Oct 2 2007 10:26A
Hey I'm gonna be in your building tomorrow. We're doing a presentation for a classical radio station that has offices there (I can barely contain my excitement. At least its a better client than the stray cat adoption agency). Anyways, how 'bouts I take you to lunch?

Beth - Oct 2 2007 10:31A
Yay! I'm so excited! You certainly don't have to 'take' me, but I'd love to join you for lunch! Anything to avoid another meal with Hungry Helen. And my boss is out of town this week so I should be able to steal away for longer than normal. Call me at the office tommorrow!

Rob Hawkins - Oct 2 2007 10:38A
Ok pefect. So I'll see you tomorrow then. Let's go to a deli so I can have your pickle.