Channel 4 has an article up about the movie and the hype. It's a good read.
http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=162206
I especially like this snippet.
The truth about 'Slusho', Ethan Haas, the name 'Cloverfield', the cast (which seems to consist of relative unknowns so far), the shoot and the budget (which the 'Hollywood Reporter' said was "believed... to be about $30 million") will come out eventually. In the meantime, whatever the facts, it's fascinating to observe this new relationship between Hollywood and online fandom, and how smart mystery-wrights like Abrams orchestrate proceedings.