J.J. Abrams and company have come up with a neato little idea to generate even more viral enthusiasm for their upcoming movie “Cloverfield” — make a widget for people to put on their site, slap 5 minutes worth of footage from the beginning of the film on it, and then make the whole shebang around a contest where the site that introduces the video to more people gets a prize. Oh, Abrams, you smarty pants you.

So watch the video below and grab the widget and then slap it onto your blog or site or whatever it is you have. Or just watch the 5-minute video and do nothing like you always do. See if I care.

“Cloverfield” opens January 18th, 2008.