Caution: This Might Contain Spoilers!
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In 1979, Joe Lamb loses his mother in a steel mill accident. Four months later, Joe Lamb, and his friends in Lilian Ohio, while they are creating a zombie film using a Super 8 camera. While filming a scene they become witnesses to a horrible train crash that collided with a white truck in a major disaster. This sends Joe, and his friends, on a trail of a strange mystery involving one of their school teachers, the military, and a strange creature that is lurking in their small town.This film was directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. This film pays homage to the 70's, and to the old Super 8 style of filmmaking. The strange creature is secondary, and their relationships is third. Okay, J.J. Abrams is the director, but he mimics a lot of Spielberg's direction. The story is remains great, and very heart moving. There is some argument about the ending, but I very much enjoyed the subtle humanity behind it. The idea that everything evil, or bad, is at its core misunderstood. I liked that a real town, Weirton (in West Virginia), was used for most of the film. It added a level of reality to it. I also enjoyed how so many of the people who worked on this film were deeply passionate about the film, and its dedication to Super 8 filming style without it being too over played. I also enjoyed how they showed the finished product, of the kids filming, during the end credits. I also really loved the look of the creature. It made him frightening and yet sympathetic.
The acting was great, especially from a group of children. They really pulled this story into believability, and filled it with heart. It was even more surprising that all these actors are new to the acting biz. Joe Lamb, played by Joel Courtney) was great in his role. His eyes really expressed more about the character than his words. Riley Griffiths, played the role of Charles Kaznyk, was great in his role. He's Joe's best friend who also pushed his friends into finishing this film for a Super 8 film festival. He adds a lot of humour to the film. Elle Fanning, played the role of Alice Dainard, was also great in her role. The younger sister of Dakota Fanning, she is placed into a lot of emotional scene's that she performs amazingly. Gabriel Basso, Martin, Ryan Lee, Cary, and Zach Mills, Preston, make up the remainder of Joe's friends. They create a fun element to the film. Kyle Chandler, Jackson Lamb, and Ron Eldard, Louis Dainard, are the two parents show in this film. These two create complex characters who caught in the mystery surrounding their children.I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! It's got a great story. It does its job in paying homage to the old film style as well as creating an enjoyable science fiction film. It might be more of a Spielberg film than a J.J. Abrams films, but its still good.
Answer to last blog: Actor Ryan Reynolds also performed the super hero character Deadpool in X-Men: Origins (as well as the Green Lanter/Hal Jordan).
Que: What actor did the facial features for the creature in the close ups for this film?
Doug Jones
Derek Mears
Douglas Tait
Bruce Greenwood
(In case you were curious about what makes a Super 8 film style different. )
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