In today’s free media market, it’s impossible for anyone to fart without a five-page editorial written on it. Films are announced months before they begin shooting, and almost every plot detail is scrupulously analyzed and dissected for the general public to read. It would be extremely hypocritical for me to rally against this system, as I am part of the over-information menace, but I will say that it is nice to stumble across the occasional surprise.

According to Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net, J.J. Abrams has unleashed a whopper of a shocker onto some Transformers fans. The film critic was recently at a screening where a trailer for a completely unannounced Abrams picture was shown. The majority of the teaser was shot with home-video cameras and documented some-kind of fiery attack on New York City. No title was ever given; however, 1.18.08 was given as a release date.

I strongly suggest that you hop over to First Showing to get a complete blow-by-blow description of the trailer, which is probably for a film called Cloverfield. The use of video cameras should give the film a grainy, almost Blair Witch or Children Of Men feel, and in the extremely competent hands of J.J. Abrams (‘Lost’, Mission Impossible III) this could out to be one of the best surprises in a long time.