Plot
During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.
Release Year: 2011
Rating: 7.2/10 (116,201 voted)
Critic's Score: 72/100
Director:
J.J. Abrams
Stars: Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka, Kyle Chandler
Storyline In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.
Cast: Joel Courtney
-
Joe Lamb
Jessica Tuck
-
Mrs. Kaznyk
Joel McKinnon Miller
-
Mr. Kaznyk
Ryan Lee
-
Cary
Zach Mills
-
Preston
Riley Griffiths
-
Charles Kaznyk
Gabriel Basso
-
Martin
Kyle Chandler
-
Jackson Lamb
Ron Eldard
-
Louis Dainard
Amanda Michalka
-
Jen Kaznyk
(as AJ Michalka)
Andrew Miller
-
Kaznyk Twin #1
Jakob Miller
-
Kaznyk Twin #2
Jade Griffiths
-
Benji Kaznyk
Britt Flatmo
-
Peg Kaznyk
Elle Fanning
-
Alice Dainard
Filming Locations: DeStefano's, Follansbee, West Virginia, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $50,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $35,451,168
(USA)
(12 June 2011)
(3379 Screens)
Gross: $259,713,319
(Worldwide)
(29 September 2011)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The famous bicycle from Steven Spielberg's movie E.T. can be seen as a part of metal junk that is being attached to the water tower in one of the final scenes.
Goofs:
Anachronisms:
The version of Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots shown in Joe's bedroom is a much later box that was available when the toy was reissued after 2000, and was not available in 1979.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Mrs. Kaznyk:
I'm so worried for that boy. Mr. Kaznyk:
Joe's gonna be okay. Mrs. Kaznyk:
She was everything to him. Mr. Kaznyk:
Jack's gonna step up. He's a good man. Mrs. Kaznyk:
But he's never had to be a father before. I don't think he understands Joe.Guys, I have never had a teacher aim a gun at me!
User Review
Elements cobbled together from other Spielberg films ***spoilers
Rating: 5/10
Super 8, derivative and disappointing at its best, can be summarized
using elements from the other sci-fi/thrillers that Spielberg either
directed, produced, or exec-produced.
Some annoying kids find a map (Goonies) – including a fat kid who likes
to eat (Goonies) – and they come up against the military which is
trying to track down an alien on the loose (E.T.).
The creature has created issues for the townsfolk who express concern
at a meeting with the sheriff (Jaws) and they eventually have to
evacuate because of a made-up disaster (Close Encounters).
The alien, who is a really a spider (Arachnaphobia) that has been
collecting items so that he can get home (E.T.), has the ability to
make a psychic connection with humans (Close Encounters). One of the
kids has a seemingly useless obsession that winds up helping to save
the day in a climactic sequence (fireworks here and inventions in the
Goonies) however the creature is much too smart to fall for such a
trick (Jaws - "he's either very smart or very stupid"). An old guy, who
is an expert on this creature (Jaws) winds up dying while the army
shoots through the town and tanks roll (War of the Worlds).
Then the characters put the story together in one long expositional
scene and we are not really sure how they figured it all out (Minority
Report). It seems the monster is really a misunderstood good guy
(Goonies) who makes a connection with our hero (ET, Close Encounters)
and then flies home (E.T), but not before a lot of missing people are
returned (Close Encounters) and lots of appliances fly around
(Poltergeist).
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