PARAMOUNT STUDIOS - CLOVERFIELD IS 'MORE ENJOYABLE' ON DVD, SAYS ABRAMS

CLOVERFIELD IS 'MORE ENJOYABLE' ON DVD, SAYS ABRAMS

Box office smash Cloverfield will be more fun when viewed at home, according to producer JJ Abrams.

The monster movie broke box office records on its US release, spurred by an innovative viral marketing campaign.

But according to Lost creator Abrams, the film - which shows a mysterious monster attacking New York City through the eyes of a group of young friends trying to survive the disaster - will be a more enriching cinema experience in the comfort of viewers' own homes.

"The thing about this movie - probably more than any I think - is that it is better on DVD than in the theatre," he was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.

"The movie is like a videotape. It lives on your TV. In many ways, it is supposed to be viewed on a monitor."

From only a $25 million (£12.6) budget, Cloverfield took $46 million (£23.2 million) in its opening weekend at the US box office, earning some $166 million (£83.6) globally.

And Abrams believes the movie's strength lies in its refusal to show the monster, with the majority of the film comprised of jerky handheld video camera footage as the group attempt to flee the city.

"We really tried to take the position that less is more," he told the Associated Press news agency.

"When you're not actually seeing things but anticipating them, it can be much more terrifying."

Industry reports claimed in January that Paramount studios was attempting to sign Abrams and writer/director Matt Reeves to produce a Cloverfield sequel, with the movie's ambiguous ending fuelling the rumours.