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Beyond the satisfaction of pausing the monster mid-strike to scrutinize its features — which I guarantee will be your first instinct — the take-home version of Cloverfield has a number of advantages on its multiplex counterpart. I will forego a plot synopsis (please see abundance of amateur reviews overpopulating bloggerfield), but note that the film was shallow, underdeveloped and unmemorable. However, Cloverfield's special effects were immaculate and its anxious, epileptic cinema vérité and stylized ambiguity are an impeccable homage to our culture of fear. This is where the DVD shines: the surplus of extra features effectively builds on these aesthetic and social-psychological qualities and the intimacy of home viewing (particularly through a lower def medium) allows a more rigorous suspension of disbelief. It looks like what we're used to watching on our computers and TV: it looks like home movies, it looks like Scariest Police Chases, it looks like 9/11.

The extras are the highlights of Paramount Home Entertainment's release. The viewer gets a glimpse into the identity of the elusive monster and hears the crew discuss their artistic ambitions and social revelations. Director Matt Reeves's commentary is captivating and the mini-docs — 01.18.08, I Saw It! It's Alive! It's Huge! and Cloverfield Visual Effects among them — are entertaining and illuminating. I Saw It! is particularly enjoyable as it is explores the evolution of the monster and provides the only steady view, primarily through CGI development and a small model that is not cutaway or jittery. Conversely, anything that deals directly with the film — cut footage, extra endings, "Cloverfun" — seems to suggest why the film was only an hour and ten minutes long.

Despite the enormity of Cloverfield — from the staggering monster to the iconic, headless Lady Liberty used in the pervasive marketing campaign — it seems suited for the small screen. I'm not necessarily referring to the home theater experience, which will no doubt be enhanced by the gritty, naturalistic soundtrack of crumbling cement, twisting steal and unearthly howls produced by Skywalker Sound. Rather, I speak to the sizeable number of us who will watch it in bed on our laptops or as we recline before the glow of our G5s. With a concept spawned from the obsessive digital documentation of our culture and collective YouTube exhibitionism, and a film propagated through aggressive viral marketing and message board speculation, the creature naturally settles into the murky virtual pond from which it emerged. I recommend watching it this way.

— Greg Christie