Super 8 (J.J. Abrams)

[MorallySound]

Bootleg version of the teaser trailer: http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/super-8/bootleg-teaser-trailer

The next super-secret project from Abrams, going with the "Cloverfield"-esque marketing approach.

[Reverenddave]

So next summer's blockbuster movie is based on a low budget motel chain?

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6622/283657313398bc50108b.jpg

[aoiookami]

hmm, video in that links seems to be removed, but you can find others by running a google search. I must say I'm interested!

[Horrorphilly]

It looks pretty cool.I'll check it out, is it come out this summer or next? I assume this one.



sean

[Franco]

Hey, but it's a small monster than the one in Cloverfield I guess.

It's supposed to fit in a train wagon, right? (According to the trailer...)

F.

[Mr. Cole]

My friend who saw the trailer before it was yanked explained it as area 51 relocated to Ohio by train but there was a problem.. And some big mother punching a door trying to get out.

I miss trailers like this that only hint at what you might expect to see

[KR~!]

Can't say much based on the trailer, but I always like a good monster flick, done is a fresh new way. I hope it is good.

[Franco]

Here is the bootleg trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_HMtIpmI6A

[Erick H.]

The opening scenes reminded me of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS,the train bit is rather like the old Cecil B. DeMille classic THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.

[spawningblue]

It looks pretty cool.I'll check it out, is it come out this summer or next? I assume this one.

Next year unfortunately...

sean

The opening scenes reminded me of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS,the train bit is rather like the old Cecil B. DeMille classic THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.

Apparently he is a huge fan of Spielberg and this film is a homage to him.

Either way, this looks good! Even though it didn't live up to the hype, I still really enjoyed Cloverfield and will be happy to check this one out as well.

[MorallySound]

Full quality teaser: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/super8/

[fattyjoe37]

Love the trailer. Abrams is fast becoming one of my favorite filmmakers and this looks like it'll live up to his reputation.

[baggio]

Wow, this thread seems dead with the movie opening tomorrow and 81% Rotten Tomatoes.

Especially with the kids making a a zombie movie on Super 8mm to open the story...

[rxfiend]

I can't wait to check it out this weekend. Been waiting for this since last year.

[Hatchetwarrior]

I plan on seeing this within the next few days, JJ Abrams has yet to due wrong so I'm excited to see what the final product is. This is only one of two movies that plan on seeing in theaters this summer, the other being Cowboys Vs. Aliens.

[spawningblue]

Going to see this this weekend. I'm pretty excited to see a summer movie with the feel of yesteryear. This has and will continue to be a busy summer for movie for me!

Already saw Thor and X-Men and enjoyed them both quite a lot. Hopefully more people go to see X-Men so we get a sequel. It was definitely a return to form for the franchise after part 3 and Wolverine.

Going to see Pirates tonight thanks to some free tics I got with the Blu Rays.

[JGrendel]

The previews look really good, so I'm excited. Hopefully it will be playing in my neck of the woods.

[dave13]

i love jj abrams, but this looks a little too Speilbergian. it seems like an ET homage. please let me know if this isn't the case. i'd love for it to be worth seeing.

[mcchrist]

I'm with dave13 on this one. To be honest, if I see that trailer one more time I will be killed by overwhelming boredom! Other than Star Trek, I can't say I'm behind JJ Abrams that much and I don't have a need to see this one.

[JGrendel]

Is it just me or does this movie look like a cross between Star Trek & Transformers?

[Workshed]

It looks like your basic Spielbergian "And a child shall lead them..." tale, where the children are all in threatening-but-never-life-threatening situations and will discover the secret to saving the day before any adult does (the adults will perish, of course, but never if top-billed).

High octane, disposable summer fun, but it feels well tread.

/late-in-the-week cynicsm

[fattyjoe37]

Saw it last night and it was great. It screamed 80s movie not just with its setting, but also the characters and the tone of the film. It's honestly a perfect "family" horror film like The Monster Squad or Gremlins. There are still stakes and scares, but it maintains a sense of fun and adventure throughout. My favorite movie Abrams has made and my favorite so far this year. Everyone complains that things aren't like the good old days in horror anymore, well this is like the good old days and every horror fan should be checking it out.

[Vortex]

Lame movie. The train crash is beyond ridiculous, and so is the guy who crashed head on into it surviving. The attempts at humor aren't funny, the characters aren't interesting and the lead kid's little chat with the alien at the end is laughable. Creature design was alright though.

[SaxCatz]

Lame movie. The train crash is beyond ridiculous, and so is the guy who crashed head on into it surviving. The attempts at humor aren't funny, the characters aren't interesting and the lead kid's little chat with the alien at the end is laughable. Creature design was alright though.

You can't honestly believe that. The film is fantastic and, while I don't expect everyone to worship at its alter, if you went into the film expecting it to be what it is- JJ's homage to Spielberg's glory days of Jaws, ET and Close Encounters- and claim to be disappointed then you are just doing so for the sake of being contrary.

[chancetx]

It's very enjoyable and definitely has that retro 80s film vibe. I thought all the kids were fantastic actors and made their characters very interesting. My only critique would be I'm not sure how successfully the film rides the line between Spielberg-ian youthful fantasy and Abrams-ian adult horrors.

While much of the kids' interplay is reminiscent of "The Goonies" and "ET," its often set against truly terrifying sequences recalling "Alien," "Jurassic Park" and "The Crazies." I don't have kids but I'd be reluctant to them go see this. And I had a hard time feeling love/sympathy for the alien at the end after it had killed a good chunk of the townsfolk. True, he wasn't there by choice and was just surviving, but it made the "ET" ending feel unearned. That, and the fact that the alien is introduced VERY late in the movie.

Despite my quibbles, I had a great time and would definitely see it again. I can't imagine any fan of 80s sci-fi/fantasy/horror wouldn't enjoy it on some level.

[Vortex]

Oh, I believe it. After the whole train crash segment, I was ready to leave the theater and only stayed because I was with a friend. The chat I mentioned was just as bad. Just because they're all self-aware with the other kid saying "Wait... WHAT?" doesn't make it any less stupid. And yeah, the humor's great. Let's show a kid projectile vomiting when he's in danger. So funny!

[rxfiend]

I took my family to see it yesterday and we all liked it. My kids, all boys ages 9 through 13, loved it actually and were talking about it way after we left the movie theater, something they don't do very often. I like the fact that the movie does feel like something that could have came out in the 80s.

I will be picking this up on blu-ray for sure!

[Dobby]

Getting ready to watch this flick. I have very very low expectations for this. Will give my 2 cents after I watch it.

[FilmFiend]

I live in Ohio, and Super 8 was filmed in Weirton, WV ( at least a lot of it from what I understand) across the Ohio River from me. It's only about 10 minutes away.

Weirton just had a big Super 8 parade recently and they left all of the 1970'/80's looking prop signs on the buildings for the occasion. They somehow got Chilly Billy Cardille to show up too. It was really a good little boost to an area that is fast becoming a ghost town every year. Since the steel mills have been nearly shut down so many people are leaving the Ohio/WV/PA tri-state area.

They also had a special premiere of the movie too at the local mall. I think there were only 150 tickets available through a lottery system. Ryan Lee who played Carey I think was there too and he did a q&A session with the audience. He also signed autographs and took pictures with fans.

JJ Abrams did not attend, but had sent a special video stating that he knew the Weirton, WV setting was exactly perfect for the type of movie he wanted to shoot.

I haven't seen the movie myself yet. It just seems too "family friendly" to me.

My favorite local fimed movie is "Stage Struck" with Gloria Swanson that was shot in New Martinsville, WV back in '25. :)

[Myron Breck]

I've only seen the poster...and I was a little shocked at the similarities to ET. Should I wait for video?

[SaxCatz]

Oh, I believe it. After the whole train crash segment, I was ready to leave the theater and only stayed because I was with a friend. The chat I mentioned was just as bad. Just because they're all self-aware with the other kid saying "Wait... WHAT?" doesn't make it any less stupid. And yeah, the humor's great. Let's show a kid projectile vomiting when he's in danger. So funny!

Well, there's gotta be a contrarian in every group.
Intentional or not, it looks like you are it.;)

[Dobby]

This movie was just a big train wreck. Saw it for free so I can't complain too much.

[indiephantom]

It was very subpar I also got a free pass, so that was okay. ending wants to be E.T. so badly, and how many Spielberg-related flicks have ended this way...even Crystal Skull

[Steel76]

Of the ones who didn´t like the movie, how many of you grew up on classic movies like E.T., Close Encounters, Gremlins, The Goonies, Lost Boys and The Monster Squad?

[MorallySound]

Caught Super 8 last night and loved it. To all the people complaining it's too Spielbergian, or borrowing a lot from his early fare like E.T., did you guys not clue in that it's an homage to that era of filmmaking? Hell, the film opens with the Amblin identifier. That's like saying "House of 1000 Corpses was too Hooperian".

I though Super 8 did a great job of balancing the homage to those early Spielberg and Amblin films (which I grew up on) while maintaining an original and entertaining take on the stranded alien film. The cast was great, the action was thrilling (while a little over the top at some points [but really, the same could be said for The Goonies, etc., but we all love those flicks and no ones complaining]), the creature design was unique and well thought out, and the best part was it was like those old PG 'family' flicks before the PG-13 existed where it blurs the line between should this have been PG or R fare, such as Gremlins, where at its core it is a family film but there are elements of language, violence, and horror that would give kids nightmares. Hell, I jumped a few times myself.

Overall, Super 8 exceeded my expectations. I went in knowing it was an homage to films I loved as a kid and was gladly surprised when I was taken back to the feeling of watching those films while it also brought a fresh take that successfully built both adventure and suspense. Abrams' has crafted a fantastic summer film that feels like the filmmaking of the late 70's/early 80's, where we had high concept family films that still managed to incorporate realistic family drama and manage to serve up some danger and genuine scares as well. The only complaint I have is the 'J.J. Abrams lens flares', while no where near as prevalent as I imagine they are as in the Star Trek reboot (I've only seen the trailer), the few scenes they do show up in Super 8 they are distracting and really do not need to be there. Other than that, I can't find anything I didn't enjoy about the film, it took me back to those childhood days when you first discovered E.T. or Jaws or Close Encounters of the Third Kind or The Goonies, etc.

Highly recommended if you also grew up on the same fare. Or if not, still give it a shot and don't over analyze it. ;)

[buck135]

This movie was just a big train wreck. Saw it for free so I can't complain too much.

Is it worth a Netflix rental?

[Hatchetwarrior]

I saw this last night and had a lot of fun with it. Sure it's no master piece, there was one particular moment that broke my suspension of disbelief:

When the dr. crashed his truck into the train and managed to survive.

Other than that I thought it was a great little homage to early Spielberg, and was a lot more flesh out character wise than a lot of other summer blockbuster movies. If you go in with an open mind you should find it at the very least entertaining.

8/10

[Dobby]

Is it worth a Netflix rental?


That all depends on your personal preference. To me this entire movie was a waste of film, time and energy. I'd say if you enjoy CGi pukefests you will love it. I couldn't find a single redeeming quality to even remotely recommend this. Still you should sit back and watch everyone's reviews poor in. Then you may be in for a surprise or two. Remember for everything that sucks balls there is millions of deep throaters that will say I love it!

[shape22]

I managed to catch a matinee today. It's a competent movie. And it's heart is in the right place. But overall I found it uninspired and underwhelming. It's enjoyable enough as disposable entertainment. But it lacks the magic of the films it channels.

I knew going in that it was going to be derivative of some of the other films mentioned above. But the homages are so clumsy and omnipresent that they eventually detracted from my enjoyment of the film. Too many scenes reminded me of similar ones in better movies--never a good thing. And the plotting and numerous character arcs are extremely predictable and derivative. Abrams slavish channeling of iconic films robs the film of any true sense of drama or mystery. If you're familiar with Spielberg's output I don't think you'll have much trouble figuring out where you're headed.

I did like the measured pace and the focus on the characters over set pieces. If you go in expecting balls-to-the-wall monster mayhem you're going to be disappointed. Not only does the creature remain in the shadows for an extended period--it's not even a focal point of the story until the third act. It's obvious that Abrams learned some lessons from Jaws--and that he's not interested in Bay-like mindless spectacle.

As others have mentioned, there are some strong performances from the cast of kids. And the way they relate to each other is definitely one of the film's more compelling elements. But the plot unwisely hijacks one of the more interesting main players for an extended period. I thought that was a big mistake. Half of the kids are cardboard cut-outs and not fully realized characters. Not surprisingly they fail to fill the void when one of the real characters disappears.

The special effects are definitely a mixed bag. I'm not a fan of CGI because you can really see the seams when it's overused--as it is on several occasions here. The 1st big set piece reminded me of the ridiculous dinosaur stampede scene in King Kong. There didn't seem to be any heft to the incredibly heavy objects that are threatening the main characters. If the rest of the film stuck with a cartoony vibe I'd assume Abrams handled those shots that way on purpose. But it's apparent from some other scenes that he's shooting for legitimate scares. So the sloppiness of some of the effects in that early scene bothered me.

I agree with the others that the climax is fairly unsatisfying and ludicrous. Had the film ended in a less predictable way I don't think I'd have walked out with such an overwhelming sense of deja vu. Ironically enough, in Spielberg's best films you really feel that a lot is at stake and a happy ending isn't guaranteed. Here I always had the feeling that it was all in fun and everything would be all right.

I really enjoyed the Star Trek reboot and thought Abrams did a great job of walking the fine line between honoring his source material and being handcuffed by it. I wish he'd taken this one in a slightly more original direction.

Am I over-analyzing? Absolutely. If you grew up watching E.T., Jaws, The Goonies, etc. you'll probably have some fun with Super 8. But Abrams shows enough talent that I expected a little more out of this one.

[buck135]

That all depends on your personal preference. To me this entire movie was a waste of film, time and energy. I'd say if you enjoy CGi pukefests you will love it. I couldn't find a single redeeming quality to even remotely recommend this. Still you should sit back and watch everyone's reviews poor in. Then you may be in for a surprise or two. Remember for everything that sucks balls there is millions of deep throaters that will say I love it!

Lol. You're a riot Dobby. I can't say I'm a big fan of CGI, though I'm apparently only one of only six people that loved Sucker Punch.

[indiephantom]

Excellent review Shape22,

I feel I need to chime in again since I am of the earlier Spielberg era. Truth be told, I think some of those films are a mixed bag, but nearly all of them are better than this because they have far more confidence in the stories they are telling.

Am I the only one that found it disappointing how little the Super8 film actually had to do with the plot? I mean, I thought it would have been more interesting had their film been something that the kids had to fight to preserve...that would have added an interesting element of suspense that would have also harkened back to those earlier films.

There were too many moments, especially in the latter half of the film, where Abrams seems to want to put a jump or a scare into every moment out of fear that the audience will become bored. Any interesting character developments are washed aside. I think we should have been with the kids even more. The adult subplots dragged or interrupted.

The CGI calls attention to itself and never allows the audience to get fully caught up in the nostalgia that the film seems to want to deliver. It only made me remember how much I'd rather be watching one of the earlier films, however flawed they might have been.

[SaxCatz]

The people that are slamming this film yet would be willing to champion oh-so-many of our beloved genre films make me sick. Sorry, I know that we're all entitled to our opinion but I have to feel that the haters here are hating for some reason other than the film itself.

[Kolpitz]

Lol. You're a riot Dobby. I can't say I'm a big fan of CGI, though I'm apparently only one of only six people that loved Sucker Punch.

I'm one of the other five then.

[mcchrist]

The people that are slamming this film yet would be willing to champion oh-so-many of our beloved genre films make me sick. Sorry, I know that we're all entitled to our opinion but I have to feel that the haters here are hating for some reason other than the film itself.

I simply don't have a desire to see it, I've been complaining for months how the Super 8 trailer, just the trailer, bores me to tears. Having grown up with 70's and 80's Amblin stuff, I have a soft spot for them, but only because I grew up with them. This does absolutely nothing for me and every theater experience I've had now for two months has been marred by an agonizing two minutes, I'm serious. I know it's not fair to judge a movie by its trailer, but I know someone else's cup of tea when I see it.

A lot of you love it, that's great! It's not for me.

[shape22]

The people that are slamming this film yet would be willing to champion oh-so-many of our beloved genre films make me sick. Sorry, I know that we're all entitled to our opinion but I have to feel that the haters here are hating for some reason other than the film itself.

I wouldn't categorize myself as a "hater." I like Spielberg and Abrams. And I was looking forward to seeing this on the big screen. I even avoided all of the propaganda, hype, and reviews of Super 8 so I could see it without knowing too much in advance.

I rarely go to the movies any more. And the few times that I do, I certainly don't go looking to be disappointed. I just wasn't enamored with the film. And my biggest disappointment is easy to explain. I wanted to enjoy it as much as you and some others did. Unfortunately, I didn't.

It's important to note that this was a very high budget production. As such, I think it's fair to hold it to higher standards than smaller projects. So I don't see the hypocrisy in praising more modest films that might not be as good as Super 8 on an objective scale. For me it ultimately comes down to one question. How well did the filmmakers make use of the resources they had at their disposal? Given the size of the budget and the talent involved with Super 8 I just hoped for a little bit more than a reasonably entertaining 2 hours.

[Kolpitz]

It's important to note that this was a very high budget production. As such, I think it's fair to hold it to higher standards than smaller projects. So I don't see the hypocrisy in praising more modest films that might not be as good as Super 8 on an objective scale. For me it ultimately comes down to one question. How well did the filmmakers make use of the resources they had at their disposal? Given the size of the budget and the talent involved with Super 8 I just hoped for a little bit more than a reasonably entertaining 2 hours.

In this day and age, $50 million is hardly a very high budget, especially by summer blockbuster standards. Granted, it's still more than low budget horror films but it's a pretty modest budget, nonetheless.

[indiephantom]

Can't force myself to like a film, sorry. I've loved many new films from the past couple of years, so in no way do I feel guilty about NOT having enjoyed this film. I found it incredibly boring, too.

[shape22]

In this day and age, $50 million is hardly a very high budget, especially by summer blockbuster standards. Granted, it's still more than low budget horror films but it's a pretty modest budget, nonetheless.

You're 100% right. I was speaking in terms of the genre and should have been more clear about that. I certainly didn't mean to suggest the film was as expensive as one of those Transformers movies. I'd still maintain $50 million is a high budget for a genre film with no big-name stars.

[MorallySound]

In this day and age, $50 million is hardly a very high budget, especially by summer blockbuster standards. Granted, it's still more than low budget horror films but it's a pretty modest budget, nonetheless.

Agreed. $50 million is definitely small potatoes when it comes to summer blockbusters, or even standard Hollywood fare. For instance, The Hangover Part II's budget was $80 million.

[Kolpitz]

Agreed. $50 million is definitely small potatoes when it comes to summer blockbusters, or even standard Hollywood fare. For instance, The Hangover Part II's budget was $80 million.

How Do You Know cost a staggering $120 million.

[shape22]

How Do You Know cost a staggering $120 million.

Comparing film budgets isn't always comparing apples to apples. High percentages of the budgets for many Hollywood films go to above the line costs--fees paid to creative talent such as actors, directors, and producers. That's certainly the case for any Reese Witherspoon movie or guaranteed cash cow sequels to huge comedy hits. I read that $25 million of the budget for The Hangover II went to the 3 lead actors and the director. And Witherspoon supposedly commands $15-$20 million per film. Due to Super 8's mostly no-name cast it probably isn't fair or meaningful to compare it to those films in terms of budget. Obviously most of Super 8's budget was devoted to the physical production of the film--not the cast. I'll bet the below the line costs of Super 8 and The Hangover II are a lot closer than you might expect.

In terms of the genre, the Elm Street remake had a reported total budget of $35 million. The Rite had a total budget of $37 million. Priest had a total budget of $60 million. Season of the Witch had a total budget of $40 million. Drive Angry had a budget of $45-$50 million. And keep in mind, these are some of the most high-profile genre releases of recent days. Typical horror films have much, much lower budgets. But regardless, only 1 of these films had a higher budget than Super 8.

If anyone can locate a budget breakdown for Super 8 I'd be very interested to see it. There's no doubt that Abrams made good use of the budget. Aside from some occasionally dodgy CGI it plays like a much more expensive picture.

[Demon]

DEADPIT On The Road review is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4E55xmdITA Find out if your right or wrong :)

[shape22]

DEADPIT On The Road review is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4E55xmdITA Find out if your right or wrong :)

Their love of the genre is commendable. But they need an editor even more than Peter Jackson. Was anyone else able to sit through this whole video?

[spawningblue]

I really enjoyed this, maybe even my favourite movie of the year so far.

Definitely felt like a long lost Speilberg flick from the 80s, minus newer CG of course. Not that they were terrible, but I wish they went with puppets and old school effects instead of CGI as it would have fit the film better.

The acting was surprisingly really good. Usually when I see that one of the main cast members is a child I get worried, seeing that pretty much all of the main cast were children had me running for cover. Thankfully they all did a great job and were very believable while delivering their dialog.

The music was great as well, and again was a real throwback to my times as a child.

Can't wait to watch this again!

Unless Captain America or Cowboys and Aliens blow me away (As it doesn't sound like Green Lantern will) this may end up being my favourite movie of the summer.

1. Super 8
2. Thor
3. X-Men: First Class

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

[othervoice1]

Went with my son (turns 15 in about a week) to see this tonight- I liked it - he said he enjoyed it too but he was kinda disappointed in the ending. I didnt have a problem with the ending myself but wasnt blown away by it either. I thought the kids in the movie all did great

[JGrendel]

I haven't seen this yet but from what I'm hearing it can't be any worse than Battle: Los Angeles which don't get me wrong I enjoyed.

[Marclar]

I haven't seen this yet but from what I'm hearing it can't be any worse than Battle: Los Angeles which don't get me wrong I enjoyed.

I watched Battle: Los Angeles with interest...but I ended up not liking the movie because it had to much Hollywood propaganda to restore the credit of American Army and to boost up the support for it. It was much too obvious and it did not work.

Super 8, on other hand, is a completely different animal. I liked it a lot. It is definitely done as a homage to some good old classics and was very good at that. It is a much much better piece of cinematic work than Battle for Los Angeles.

[soxfan666]

I enjoyed Super 8 as did my step-son, even though a friend of his said is was "lame."

[Mutilated Prey]

Finally got around to watching this and I found it to be only mildly entertaining at best. While there was enough action and intrigue to keep me interested there were times where I felt I was watching The Goonies. Most of the kids in this were very annoying.

[Chunkblower]

I can dig a lot of the criticisms leveled at Super 8 but, you know, this movie tickled a very specific spot in my heart in such a way that I was able to overlook its flaws. The character of Charles was me at that age almost down to a T- from his obsession with horror and sci-fi flicks, to the Halloween and Dawn of the Dead posters hanging on his wall, to him directing a "movie" as a pretense to spend time with a girl he has a crush on, right down to having that very girl "stolen" from right under his nose by his best friend. The actor who played him even shares my last name. The main difference was, at that age, I was rail thin rather than a bit pudgy.

So, yeah. Deeply flawed film that still warms my heart, makes me smile and will probably grow to be one of my all time favorites.

Man...I wish I still had the footage from my film, Halloween 6: The Fate of Michael Myers.