Super 8
Super 8
#1Super 8
Posted: 6/9/11 at 2:19pm
The early reviews have been pretty strong. With this from Entertainment Weekly: "Loving, Playful, and spectacularly well made, Super 8 is easily the best summer movie of the year — of many years. And I make that declaration with full knowledge that the season has just begun...straight out of an E.T.-era Steven Spielberg pic may leave viewers dumbstruck: How have we survived for so long on such a meager, high-cal, low-nutrition diet of processed summertime superhero sequels?"
Getting REALLY excited to see this tomorrow.
EW reviews Super 8
#2Super 8
Posted: 6/9/11 at 2:23pm
Even the one sheet poster is by Drew Struzan. Its sad that movie posters no longer have art to them. Nowadays it is all photoshopped. Nice to see a poster that looks like it came from the 80's. I am seeing this tomorrow morning. CAN NOT WAIT!
'There are three sides to every story. My side, your side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each one differently'
-Robert Evans-
#3Super 8
Posted: 6/9/11 at 2:36pmI wonder if Spielberg feels jealous that in fact he did not direct this.It would be nice to see Spielberg do a film like this again. Not just produce it but write,produce,and direct it. A small budget film. Original. Unknown cast. Nowadays he seems to focus on films like Transformers.
'There are three sides to every story. My side, your side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each one differently'
-Robert Evans-
#4Super 8
Posted: 6/9/11 at 2:36pmI can not Believe I am saying this - but I can't wait. I may go opening day. First reviews are terrific and they are supposed to get some opening day raves.
"There's no damn business like show business - you have to smile to keep from throwing up." - Billie Holiday
#6Super 8
Posted: 6/9/11 at 6:57pm
The only negative comments I've read thus far (of the reviews that actually have any merit, anyway) is that it often feels too much like old-school Spielberg. But I'll take an homage to a sci-fi genius over a piece of crap any day.
Seeing it tomorrow night! Can't wait.
#7Super 8
Posted: 6/10/11 at 2:01pm
I just got home from seeing this. After one viewing, I can quickly say this has a new home on my favorite films of all time list. No kidding, it's just that good. It's been over 20 years since I've seen a film like this and I have to tell you that it succeeds on every single level. SUPER 8 takes place in 1980 (give or take a year) and is so incredibly authentic without at all being tongue-in-cheek (there isn't one joke about the time period) and without the newer special effects you'd swear it could have been filmed then.
Watching this today, I felt like I was transported back to a time where I felt I was actually at The Plaza Theater (my favorite hometown movie theater, demolished in 1996) in the 80's, I was filled with such nostalgia for my childhood and for the young film buff who on some summer days would see 4 movies at the dollar theater back to back, that I started to cry a few times. J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg have set a new standard with this and I pray to the film Gods people try to top it.
#8Super 8
Posted: 6/10/11 at 3:43pm
I saw it this morning and thought it was okay. I was a little disappointed with it. First half was really good. But the second half just made me roll my eyes. Way too many plot holes and they went way too over the top towards the climax. It was the settle touches that really got me into the film.They made this mystery believable because there were settle little touches here and there. The fact that they did not really show you anything til towards the end worked well. It built up the way it was suppose to. I just thought the pay off was a let down. I still liked it I just didn't love it. My friend called it CLOVER FIELD with heart.
*****SPOILER*****
Why do the aliens anymore have to be 15-20 foot tall and look like giant lobsters? This aliens looked mean with his dark eyes and the way he moved. When the boy was in this monsters hands and he started talking to him saying he understood and the string section started to come in the monsters eyes suddenly looked like E.T.'s Big blue lovable eyes with warmth. The audience just started laughing and I just shook my head. The water tower turned into something like a Transformer and it just got out of hand. The town blowing up being destroyed all because of an alien that got off his leash? Oh, and why is it the Air Force and the Cops and the adults have no idea whats going on or how to communicate with this thing but the 12 year old boys do? Are suppose to believe this giant menacing creature who is pissed off is taking these people but not killing them?
I know,I know. Its a fantasy film by Spielberg but I thought for a film that was off to such a strong start it really took a turn for the worse. My hopes were very high for this as they were when I saw CLOVERFIELD and MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE 3. I like JJ Abrams and thought he did a great job with STAR TREK. I loved the nostalgia but I think they could have delivered a better climax.
'There are three sides to every story. My side, your side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each one differently'
-Robert Evans-
#10Super 8
Posted: 6/10/11 at 3:50pmI really wanted to love it. I still know a lot of my friends who I think will enjoy it and I am sure it will do more. Don't get me wrong, I am just happy an original film with no big stars is one of the big Summer movies this years. Lets hope it starts a trend. I love the Spielberg films of the 70's 80's and 90's. I'd like to see Spielberg take a stab at something like this sometime in the near future.
'There are three sides to every story. My side, your side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each one differently'
-Robert Evans-
#11Super 8
Posted: 6/10/11 at 4:15pm
I adored every ****ing frame.
It is a tribute to "The Goonies", "Alien", "E.T", "Close Encounters"...and to the late 1970's.
and finally as loving a tribute Steven Speilberg is likely to ever receive.
I loved it and as a sidebar, Elle Fanning gives a star maker of a performance. She just radiates on screen.
Go!!
"There's no damn business like show business - you have to smile to keep from throwing up." - Billie Holiday
#12Super 8
Posted: 6/10/11 at 10:52pm
I enjoyed it but am still a bit mixed on stuff.
Most of the child acting was good, including the lead kid. This actually is a major plus in my book because I have zero expectations with child actors in movies. Elle Fanning was definitely the stand out and I liked the kid who played Charles. I felt as though I totally knew those kids around that age, and they actually looked closer to real kids than whatever ABC Family is branding as Teen/Young Adult.
I thought Abrams did a good job showing the kid point of view that I thought Spielberg produced 80s films got with the sense of feeling like 'the adult' moments were behind closed doors (ie the wake confrontation between the two fathers or suddenly catching your dad collecting himself).
The movie during the credits was pretty enjoyable.
I do have some qualms.
**SPOILERS**
Okay, I get it. The secrecy of the alien/monster. Maybe the fact I have seen The Host way too many times to count (fittingly I got vibes from The Host from where the monster put is victims sans cocoon effect) that I really am more into just seeing a creature on its destructive path than conveniently not seeing it despite seeing its destruction and building up specifically around seeing that creature. At least this film was shot nicely (though easy on the lensflare, JJ) unlike Cloverfield which was a chore to watch.
But I still wish Abrams looked beyond the 70/80s Spielberg flare and checked more into the 1950s science fiction film like The Thing From Another World. Half of that movie was entirely description of the monster and its destruction. Ron Eldard's character can barely give a coherent sentence of what he saw happened to his daughter. I wish at least part of the tease involved some semblance of a description.
I agree with romantico on how incompetent the Air Force looked dealing with the matter. All that alien needed was empathy? Even ET needed a bit more than that.
And a more minor quibble was the soundtrack and moments like 'Hey-o! It's the 80s!'. The Town Hall meeting where there was a 'red scare' of what was happening (did that lady catch a screening of Red Dawn?), the walkman quip between the gas station cashier and the sheriff, and not since Forrest Gump did a soundtrack seem so obvious and somewhat uninspired choices with the times. Considering the setting was in blue-collar Ohio, I would have thought a Mellencamp or Springsteen track would have slipped in but we get 'My Sherona' and 'Heart of Glass'.
On an actual scene, I don't get why Elle Fanning is crying over the fact her father was sort of responsible for why the lead's mother died. Was she just being empathetic toward her dad because of how much of the guilt toward that event made a mess out of him? Or, did she just feel secondhand guilt as it seems the town made her father and a certain degree herself into pariahs?
And last minor quip, if that whole train station is going to be demolished from the crash, why did the car remain so friggin spotless?
#13Super 8
Posted: 6/10/11 at 11:29pm
I loved absolutely every second of it. Made me feel like I was a kid again seeing movies at the Shore 4 in Wildwood NJ (that has long been demolished). It was nice to see a summer blockbuster that was well acted, had a great story, and didn't make me feel like I was watching someone else play a video game.I can't wait to see it again.
On a side note...I hated Cloverfield as much as I loved this movie.
#14Super 8
Posted: 6/11/11 at 10:19am
good news:
From Deadline:
Secret No More: 'Super 8' Reels In $12M Friday For $35M Weekend; 'X-Men' Reboot #2; 'Hangover II' Grosses $200M In 16 Days
By NIKKI FINKE | Friday June 10, 2011 @ 11:01pm PDT
It's encouraging to see an original movie overperforming at the North American box office as well as receiving an overall 'B+' CinemaScore. Especially after Hollywood has spent the past month relentlessly beating up on what it's been deriding as a throwback in which ET meets Close Encounters meets Jurassic Park. That grade breaks down as follows: 29% of the audience under age 25 gave it 'A-', 71% over 25 'B', 56% of males 'B+', and 44% of females 'B+'. Moviegoers spent $12 million Friday on the the Bad Robot/Amblin/Paramount movie Super 8 from JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg for what should be $35M from 3,379 locations. "Sweeeeeeet," a Paramount exec emailed me tonight. These grosses do not include the $1 million made from Thursday's sneaks in about 335 theaters. Everyone is very skeptical of the reputed $50M cost but that's Paramount's claim along with the studio's story it spent $25M marketing the pic. Speaking of that, Abrams insisted on not divulging the creature in Super 8 before Friday -- but that was before tracking had been soft. Sp he let Paramount push up the release one day to influencers via Twitter. Also Thursday, JJ Abrams and Spielberg leaked online what appears to be an industrial film that explains the creature and even gave the first glimpse. Part of this reel shows up in Super 8. Refined numbers and full analysis later.
"There's no damn business like show business - you have to smile to keep from throwing up." - Billie Holiday
iluvtheatertrash
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/9/04
#15Super 8
Posted: 6/11/11 at 6:45pm
Personally found it very disappointing. I was really into the first half, and then felt that it just filled up with plot holes and got all a bit ridiculous.
***SPOILER***
How did they get out of the giant crater at the end? One second, he was in a KING KONG moment, the next they're back on the street?
And how come the kid never noticed his father had up and disappeared (been arrested)?
Sigh. I had such high hopes. But I did love the first half...
"I know now that theatre saved my life." - Susan Stroman
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#16Super 8
Posted: 6/11/11 at 9:23pm
Do I need to say SPOILERS? It wasn't empathy- that thing wanted to get the hell off this godforsaken planet and he needed the cubes to reconstitute his ship. The kid was kind to him, sure, and told him "Sometimes bad things happen" but he also knew where the cubes were: packed into those trucks. The two connected, the kid knew all about the alien and the alien knew where the cubes where- he got them, rebuilt the ship and got the hell out. The Air Force didn't want him to leave- in fact had held him prisoner.
And I thought the gradual reveal of the creature was masterful- you see glimpses of him, showing more or more until the kid and he go face to face- and the face was horrible- until you got used to it and could see the expressions. Very well done!
#17Super 8
Posted: 6/11/11 at 10:19pmLooking forward to seeing this, i have to say that article about its 12 million Friday gross makes it sound likes its done really well though, it's done OK but i think the studio must be a bit let down with that gross (especially since its on over 5000 screens). With the smallish budget though im sure they will recoup and make a good profit
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
pushdabutton
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/2/05
#21Super 8
Posted: 6/12/11 at 12:27am
- Riley Griffiths was the best part of the movie. He was the PERFECT KID! What a find!
- Joel Courtney's performance was mesmerizing. Another find! What a great kid!
- AMAZING MOVIE!!! It's E.T. for today's generation.
- I didn't care for the "look" of the alien. I wanted it to be less ugly, in a way. At least ET had charm...and some would even say cute! I can understand the alien needing to be scary...but its design ended up being a turn-off. There was no need for it to be THAT grotesque.
- 1980 was captured brilliantly!
- The first half was better than the second half, yes, but I didn't notice any plotholes that others have mentioned??
- The film during the credits was GREAT!! STAY FOR THE CREDITS!
- The score was perfectly supportive although I wish it would have been more of a stand-out as John Williams' scores were from the 80's.
- It felt so strongly like a Spielberg movie that I was stunned when I saw the director was JJ Abrahms!
- The sold-out audience here in Manhattan gave the film an immediate thunderous applause, with a second round of applause after the 2nd film during the credits.
- This film is a perfect inclusion of its represented genre during this year's Oscars.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
#23Super 8
Posted: 6/12/11 at 9:45am
Armond White sums up my feelings on the film better than I can:
http://www.nypress.com/article-22524-super-hate.html
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
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