Those of you who couldn’t wait until the weekend to check out Transformers may have seen a little oddity during the trailer screenings. Reports have been flowing in of a creature feature teaser trailer, teasing us with no title, only the Bad Robot sign that Lost fans will recognise. The film is in fact Cloverfield (tentatively titled), the new film by producer JJ Abrams.

While I haven’t been to the cinema recently, a few days ago several Youtubers posted cameraphone recordings of the trailer. But before you whisk yourself to the world of amateur videos, wait, because they have all been removed by evil overlords Paramount. I managed to view the clips, and the result is impressive. The trailer shows handheld footage of a party. A loud noise causes those hedonists to rush up to the top of their skyscraper to see what’s happening, only to witness distant explosions light up the New York skyline. They run for cover as fiery shrapnel rains down on them.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cloverfield is entirely shot from consumerist cameras, using a cast of relative unknowns who had no idea what they were involved in. Considering Abrams created Lost, it’s no surprise that he’s using the veil of mystery to generate excitement and anticipation about the film, which is due for release early next year. Personally, I think Cloverfield is a great idea. It’s The Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla, and portraying the story through amateur footage is a wonderful way to ensure that the sense of disaster remains close to the audience. Now if only Abrams will change that awful title.