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Super 8: Beware the Hype Monster

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:28:17 PDT

I dare you to say that you're not curious about Super 8, J.J. Abrams's 1979-set film about a group of kids who witness a spectacular train crash. The film has generated a lot of hype for what it doesn't show in trailers and promos, and it's the mystery that's the big draw. The previews do reveal that something escapes the crash and then stalks and terrorizes a small Midwestern town, which Abrams uses as a premise for a sentimental, nostalgia-filled portrait of a group of boys making a movie.

Joel Courtney leads the charge as Joe, a sensitive boy who has just lost his mother in an accident. He and his newly widowed father (Kyle Chandler) are figuring out how to get along with each other without the woman of the house while dealing with their grief. Joe's group of buds help distract him from his home life, as they fill their Summer vacation by making a movie for an amateur film festival. When they're filming a climactic scene near the train tracks, they watch - and film - an intense accident that has some pretty distressing repercussions. With Steven Spielberg on hand as producer, Super 8 often feels like one of his classic sci-fi standbys, but it's just not quite as memorable. However, it's still a fun, heart-pumping ride (the train crash is one of the best action sequences I've seen in a long time). To find out what else I thought, just

The movie owes a great deal of its charm to its disarming young cast. They're wonderfully drawn: there's bossy director Charles, firework-loving Cary, hopeful actor Preston and wide-eyed Martin. Their all-boy dynamic is unsettled when they add a girl to the cast, and Alice (Elle Fanning) shakes up the production with her sophistication and impressive acting skills. She also represents an element of growing up; the boys are on the verge of discovering girls, but the movie doesn't push it any farther than the first blush of a crush. It's very innocent in that way; ultimately, Alice, Joe's mother's death, and the ensuing crisis become key factors in the boys' coming of age.

Abrams is a master of the creepy buildup. Mysterious objects show up in the train crash, the town's dogs run away, electronics go missing. Then, while you're trying to figure out what it all means, he brings out the thriller as the monster begins attacking unsuspecting townspeople. Unfortunately, Abrams isn't a master of follow-through, and there are many loose ends that never get tied up.

Super 8's other shortcoming is in its inability to choose a distinct genre; it wavers between coming-of-age tale, a monster movie, and then a family drama. But, this is still a highly entertaining movie. It's worth it to see for the buoyant sense of humor and the jaw-dropping, spine-chilling moments, even if it doesn't quite live up to expectations.

Download of the Day: Super 8

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 May 2011 04:42:51 PDT

Not to be confused with other vintage video camera apps with similar names, Super 8 (free) comes courtesy of J.J. Abrams's new film Super 8, and doesn't just turn your videos into retro styled masterpieces - it's also stocked with a bunch of hints about the upcoming movie.

Besides the standard filter, lens, and effects that you get in other retro camera apps, Super 8 also comes with movie editing capabilities so you can cut scenes together and add your own credits. The app can upload your movie to your movie folders, or you can export to your computer and email to friends. Supposedly, the movie tie-ins are subtle and won't take away from the app itself, which is great since I'll probably want to use Super 8 long after the movie has been released.

Tom Has Katie and a Career's Worth of Costars Showing Support as He Picks Up Humanitarian Honor

Allie Merriam — Fri, 06 May 2011 06:55:38 PDT

Katie Holmes and Connor Cruise were by Tom Cruise's side last night as the actor picked up an award from the Wiesenthal Center at the Four Seasons Hotel in LA. Tom earned the Jewish human rights organization's humanitarian honor, and the distinction was earned due to his longtime support of their Museum of Tolerance in addition to work bringing Nazi atrocities to light. He was especially able to reveal WWII abuses in the film Valkyrie, playing a German soldier who attempted to assassinate Hitler. Tom had friends and business partners from movie projects of the past, present, and future on hand to wish him well. His old Jerry Maguire buddy, Cuba Gooding, Jr., turned out, along with his Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol friends like Jeremy Renner, who's actually taking over the MI franchise, and Paula Patton. J.J. Abrams, who wrote the script for the latest installment of the action series, was on hand to emcee the proceedings. Even Malin Akerman, who nabbed the lead in Tom's new film Rock of Ages, came out to show love for the superstar. Malin and Tom's other costar, Russell Brand, was off jet-skiing in Miami, though, and couldn't make it. Tom was touched about the prize and made a short speech from the stage. Tom Cruise said of his humanitarian award, "It's a tremendous honor. For me and my family this is really a very special evening and I look at what Simon Wiesenthal accomplished with his life, what this museum represents . . . Our challenge, ladies and gentlemen, is to make sure that we do all in our power to see to it that there will be no more Auschwitz Birkenaus, no more Rwandas, no more Darfurs on our planet. That our children and their children may be free to live in a world where men and women are judged by their accomplishments and deeds rather than by their race or religion."

Super 8 Trailer: Super Promising, Super Spielberg-esque

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:31:33 PST

Finally, some satisfaction! JJ Abrams's Summer movie Super 8 has been shrouded in mystery, but now we have the full trailer! The Super Bowl spot didn't give away that much, but this clip affords us much more of the story. In the late '70s, a young kid passes the time in his small town by making Super 8 movies with his friends (including Elle Fanning), much to the chagrin of his father (Friday Night Lights' Kyle Chandler). When a freighter derails in town, the mystery begins - strange happenings start up, and the kids find themselves in the middle because they've accidentally captured footage of the incident. Though no one actually mentions the word aliens in the clip, you know that whatever was in the crashed freighter is probably not just some large circus animal.

After being teased for so long, I'm happy that this trailer doesn't just look interesting, it looks downright great. Abrams appears to be really mining his influence from producer Steven Spielberg, from the youthful main cast to the heartfelt-sounding score. The movie comes out June 10, and it's already making it to the top of my most anticipated Summer blockbusters list.

Get excited for the movie, when you watch the trailer after the jump.

Link Time - Bill Hader Explains SNL's Stefon

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:30:09 PST

Bill Hader reveals the inspiration for Stefon - Gawker TV
10 children's movies that adults will love, too - Moviefone
Is Jersey Shore about to come to an end? - TV Squad
Here's what Beavis and Butthead will be watching when the series returns - Vulture
Tootsie and other well-known cross-dressers from the movies - Rotten Tomatoes
Martin Scorsese replaces Ridley Scott for The Wolf of Wall Street - MTV Movies Blog
Michael Emerson will star in J.J. Abrams's pilot Person of Interest - The Wrap
10 actors who have bared all on the big screen - TrèsSugar
Guillermo del Toro is taking on Pinocchio - Deadline

Super 8 Trailer: Action, Explosions, but No Aliens Yet

Lauren Bradshaw — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:18:23 PST

As I sat watching the trailer for Super 8 during the Super Bowl, one of my friends remarked, "Is this a sequel to E.T.?" Obviously this is not the case, but the preview does channel producer Steven Spielberg's earlier work between the music and the central character, a young boy.

Spielberg and director J.J. Abrams have been tight-lipped about their latest collaboration, yet all signs point to Super 8 being an alien sci-fi movie. A panicked Kyle Chandler and Elle Fanning look toward the sky, people get dragged through grocery store aisles, and crazy explosions erupt. But we don't actually get to see the extraterrestrials, which only adds to the suspense. The film comes to theaters June 10, but take a look after the jump.

Link Time - Sienna Miller Makes Plans For New Year's Eve

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:40:56 PST

Sienna Miller is the latest actress to join New Year's Eve - MTV Movies Blog
10 best true crime TV shows – TV Squad
Truly terrible movie theater behavior - Moviefone
Awesomely '90s pop culture dolls (Full House! NKOTB!) - Flavorwire
NBC orders a pilot of the historical series about Playboy Bunnies - Vulture
J.J. Abrams works on a new TV crime drama, Pulp - TVLine
Matt Damon is returning to 30 Rock! Tina Fey spills (spoilery) details - EW
Robert De Niro named jury chairman of this year's Cannes Film Festival - Slash Film
The Social Network returns to theaters tomorrow - The Wrap
Would you say "I do" to these 10 memorable movie proposals? - TrèsSugar

Link Time - A New, More Romantic Poster For Blue Valentine

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:30:58 PST

Ryan Gosling nuzzles Michelle Williams in this Blue Valentine poster - Cinema Blend
Check out this new exclusive trailer for Justin Bieber's Never Say Never - Moviefone
Top 10 Thanksgiving episodes! - TV Squad
Take a moment to relive the early beginnings of The Vampire Diaries - TV.com
Tour Anne Hathaway's apartment from Love & Other Drugs - CasaSugar
Will there be a Grey's Anatomy musical episode? - Vulture
Ace of Cakes gets axed - TV Guide
Jorge Garcia (Hurley!) will join J.J. Abrams's new project, Alcatraz - EW.com
Mia Michaels is leaving So You Think You Can Dance - E! Online

TV Show Check-In: Undercovers

Lauren Bradshaw — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:30:45 PDT

Looks like Undercovers is sticking around - at least for a little while. NBC recently ordered four more episode scripts of the spy series, which isn't as encouraging as an episode pickup, but it's not a death sentence either. But here's the question: are you loving it?

The J.J. Abrams creation has a few obvious things going for it: besides Abrams, there's hot leading man Boris Kodjoe, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who's proven that she knows how to kick ass. I think the show has upped its action sequences since the pilot, but the series still tries a little too hard to make its central duo a cutesy couple. Another episode airs tonight, so tell me, have you been tuning in?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Link Time - Breaking Dawn Won't Be Shot in 3D

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:30:59 PDT

Despite rumors, Breaking Dawn will not be shot in 3D - Moviefone
4 reasons why Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men's Sally Draper) could get an Emmy nod - Movieline
The 10 hallmarks of a J.J. Abrams project - Vulture
Watch Jersey Shore's Snooki teach David Letterman how to fist pump - TV.com
Who's your favorite new Glee character? - PopWatch
Where to find your authentic, blood-spattered True Blood costume - PopCandy
Sad: new show Lone Star is facing cancellation after its low premiere ratings - TV Squad
Announcing Bravo's news series Top Chef All-Stars - YumSugar