Super 8: Out now!

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Villain
They're just for entertainment, my friend. It's not a documentary so get out your popcorn, leave the cynical hat in the car, and enjoy yourself. It's hard to pay attention to the good parts if your rolling your eyes at the ceiling the whole time. ;)
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đź‘Ť
 
Villain
Expand your imagination for a minute 'ludes! :lol: It's okay if things aren't 100% "realistic" because if everything were held to that standard, it would ruin so many movies.
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It's called suspension of disbelief - the ability of the audience to put their scepticism aside and be willing to believe the fictional. While the alien elements are obviously science fiction, I find it's much harder to suspend my disbelief for the more outrageous elements if I cannot suspend it for the more realistic parts.
 
Anyone going to see this over the weekend?
 
I just got back from seeing it a few hours ago. I found it a bit sad, but overall it was okay. I like the fact that you never really see the alien (Sort of, not to spoil anything). Out of ten, I'd give it a seven, maybe seven and a half.
 
Thanks for that. I might go see the late show tonight.
 
I grew up in the trailing years of the old-school Amblin films, and for the most part, I feel like JJ was able to do a fitting tribute to them. Having Spielberg as a producer certainly helped things along, as it did have a very Spielberg-esque feeling to all of it.

What I found most difficult about the film was that, while I enjoyed every moment of it and definitely feel like it was a great film, it just did not have the impact that I was anticipating. It is really unfortunate, because in a world where we are swimming with superhero movies and kids films based on terrible books... Super 8 is original, emotional and packed with amazing performances top to bottom.

I think Super 8 is going to end up being one of those films that is very polarizing, and I feel like it is going to cater to a very specific crowd of people. That's okay in my mind, but if the movie doesn't perform well, I can't see many more like it being made. That, unfortunately, is a loss for everyone else.
 
I just saw this last night. Unfortunately I didn't think it was that good a movie. Actually I think I enjoyed the "mini movie" in the credits more than the movie itself.

The movie lacked any kind of impact. There was nothing to feel emotionally attached to and it was hard to get engrossed in the film. It is one of those movies that I'll have completely forgotten by next week. It also lacked any depth.

The one annoyance in the movie though has to be the train wreck. Looked great but it was so ridiculously unbelievable. Then, knowing how unbelievable the wreck was they bring attention to it with one line but don't explain anything.

This and Rango have definitely been the two worst movies I've seen for the year.
 
J-PaP
There was nothing to feel emotionally attached to and it was hard to get engrossed in the film.
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Uh-huh. It was just JJ Abrams apeing Steven Spielberg. It was trying so hard to be an Amblin film (and it made no secret of the fact that it wanted to be one) that it started working against itself.

J-PaP
Looked great but it was so ridiculously unbelievable.
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Exactly - simply physics dictates that when the truck hits the train the way it did, the truck should burst like an over-ripe melon and the train should simply keep going, not cartwheel over itself like a Cirque du Soleil performer with ADHD. This is a problem because the audience sees it and cannot suspend their disbelief enough to accept it. And since this is one of the more (supposedly) realistic elements that drivers the plot, the audience cannot suspend their disbelief for anything else they see. It's a basic failure of storytelling, which is typical of Abrams (who seems to think that audiences wil accept whatever he's offering because he's the one offering it). He should have gone with a derailment more in line with the one in THE FUGITIVE. Much more realistic.
 
Sam48
I just got back from seeing it a few hours ago. I found it a bit sad, but overall it was okay. I like the fact that you never really see the alien (Sort of, not to spoil anything). Out of ten, I'd give it a seven, maybe seven and a half.
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I agree with this opinion, although they showed a lot more of the alien than I expected them to. Bares a pretty striking resemblance to Cloverfield as well. đź’ˇ
 
R1600Turbo
Bares a pretty striking resemblance to Cloverfield as well.
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Well, Abrams conceived the idea for CLOVERFIELD and produced it. A lot of the choices - like the handicam footage - were poorly received, so he no doubt decided to have a second bite at the apple.
 
I personally liked the handicam style footage.

That's also what I like about Abrams, he's one of the only people in Hollywood that actually thinks outside the box any more.
 
So, what's in that train, Chuck Norris? :lol:
 
R1600Turbo
That's also what I like about Abrams, he's one of the only people in Hollywood that actually thinks outside the box any more.
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Outside the box? The whole film is little more than a love letter to films like ET. That's not outside the box. It's inside. So far inside that the film isn't even aware that there's a box.

Also, Paul Greengrass was doing steadicam overload with THE BOURNE SUPREMACY and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM long before Abrams was.
 
interludes
Outside the box? The whole film is little more than a love letter to films like ET. That's not outside the box. It's inside. So far inside that the film isn't even aware that there's a box.
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Not really a surprise as Steven Spielberg produced it.

I like JJ's style, many others do not. To each their own.
 
Bump.

DVD / Blu-Ray comes out on Tuesday. I was hoping someone would have a steelbook version, but it looks like the only place to get one is from another country. So I'm just going to get it from Target and use this for a few bucks off.
 
Major bump...

Brought this back just to say that it was filmed in my grand/parents old home town. Was awesome to see that I recognized almost every scene.. It was also interesting to see them film day scenes while it was about 10:00 pm, and the house which had the entire side of it blown out by the tank is down. The kid's house is only a block or so away from one of my grandmothers:
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And the "town meeting place" in the tent like building just across from the church, been in there for a Greek wedding...
I was surprised they didn't include the rec center though.. It was cool to see them go into the steel mill though, and hear my grandfather say how he remembers seeing the "no accident" sign when he used to work in it. I have never been in the mill yet, but hope one day I can run through it.. It is truly a massive building to stand beside, and then realize that there were tons more of them up the Ohio river.
The movie was alright by me. 7/10, not including any bias that it was made in my parents ht.
 
So quite a big thread bump, I saw this on TV for the first time a few days ago. Wasn't ever interested in it when it came out.

It had so much potential, well acted with an interesting setting, characters and a tension which builds and builds then about 3/4 of the way through it falls apart like a good extra hour of the movie is missing.

One minute it's all havoc then... Oh ET's off home, wave bye bye everyone! The end!

Ruined by the lamest ending ever. Needed way more fleshing out in the backstory and also the conclusion. This is one movie that could do with a sequel or prequel.
 
Well, it is JJ's film that finally got him to Star Wars.
 
Swagger897
Well, it is JJ's film that finally got him to Star Wars.
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I think JJ works best when there is source material laid in front of him like a franchise. When he is left to make his own story up he often misses large chunks of sense! :lol:
 
Robin.
When he is left to make his own story up he often misses large chunks of sense!
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Super 8 is a mess. A bloated, self-congratulatory mess. So much of it is Abrams applauding his ability to imitate the likes of Spielberg that he forgets to include anything that actually made Spielberg great. You'd never find any of the great directors - like Spielberg - making a film like this.
 
prisonermonkeys
Super 8 is a mess. A bloated, self-congratulatory mess. So much of it is Abrams applauding his ability to imitate the likes of Spielberg that he forgets to include anything that actually made Spielberg great. You'd never find any of the great directors - like Spielberg - making a film like this.
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Except for the fact that Spielberg produced it.
 
I agree it is very bloated with way to much emphasis on style over substance. JJ thinks the world of himself here! I was left wanting so much more, rarely have I ever seen a film so hyped lacking so much basic movie making 101. On paper it probably sounded great which is why Spielberg was involved. So close to brilliance it hurts!
 
Well I enjoyed it, along with most of his recent projects. But I'm easily entertained since I don't look into the movies more than necessary or it personally ruins the experience.
 
Well, excuse me if I happen to like films with a little bit more substance than what Abrams produces.
 
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