In 1979 Ohio, several youngsters are making a zombie movie with a Super-8 camera. In the midst of filming, the friends witness a horrifying train derailment and are lucky to escape with their lives. They soon discover that the catastrophe was no accident, as a series of unexplained events and disappearances soon follows. Deputy Jackson Lamb, the father of one of the kids, searches for the terrifying truth behind the crash.
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Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Joe Lamb: Joel Courtney
• Alice Dainard: Elle Fanning
• Charles Kaznyk: Riley Griffiths
• Jackson Lamb: Kyle Chandler
• Nelec: Noah Emmerich
• Jen Kaznyk: AJ Michalka
• Cary McCarthy: Ryan Lee
• Louis Dainard: Ron Eldard
• Martin Read: Gabriel Basso
• Cooper: Bruce Greenwood
• Preston: Zach Mills
• Mrs. Kaznyk: Jessica Tuck
• Mr. Kaznyk: Joel McKinnon Miller
• Peg Kaznyk: Britt Flatmo
• Dr. Woodward: Glynn Turman
• Overmyer: Richard T. Jones
• Mr. McCandless: Tom Quinn
• Elizabeth Lamb: Caitríona Balfe
• Lydia Connors – Ch 14 News Anchor: Amanda Foreman
• Donny: David Gallagher
• Sheriff Pruitt: Brett Rice
• Edie: Dale Dickey
• Breen: Beau Knapp
• Mr. Harkin: Bingo O’Malley
• Kaznyk Twin: Andrew Miller
• Kaznyk Twin: Jakob Miller
• Boy in EVAC: Robert B. Quiroz
• Baby Joe: Koa Melvin
• Town Hall Citizen (uncredited): Tiffany Sander McKenzie
• Sitcom Actor: Greg Grunberg
• Weapons Commander: Patrick St. Esprit
• Tina: Katie Lowes
• Deputy Rosko: Michael Hitchcock

Film Crew:

• Producer: Steven Spielberg
• Supervising Sound Editor: Ben Burtt
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Dennis Muren
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Johnson
• Casting: April Webster
• Foley Mixer: Tony Eckert
• Additional Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Juan Peralta
• Visual Effects Producer: Chantal Feghali
• Color Timer: Jim Passon
• Costume Design: Ha Nguyen
• Writer: J.J. Abrams
• Original Music Composer: Michael Giacchino
• Editor: Maryann Brandon
• Editor: Mary Jo Markey
• Director of Photography: Larry Fong
• Music Editor: Ramiro Belgardt
• Rigging Grip: Jack Serino
• Makeup Department Head: Deborah La Mia Denaver
• Conductor: Tim Simonec
• Sculptor: Craig Abele
• Rigging Grip: Keith Seymour
• Producer: Bryan Burk
• Executive Producer: Guy Riedel
• Production Design: Martin Whist
• ADR Recordist: David Lucarelli
• ADR Mixer: Charleen Richards
• Set Designer: Thomas T. Taylor
• Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld
• Set Decoration: Fainche MacCarthy
• Supervising Sound Editor: Matthew Wood
• “C” Camera Operator: John Skotchdopole
• Casting: Alyssa Weisberg
• Associate Producer: Udi Nedivi
• Co-Producer: Christopher Patrick
• Creature Design: Neville Page
• Still Photographer: François Duhamel
• Music Supervisor: George Drakoulias
• Art Direction: David E. Scott
• Sound Effects Editor: David Acord
• Sound Recordist: Zach Martin
• Casting: Patti Carns Kalles
• Key Set Costumer: Aimee McCue
• Costume Supervisor: Virginia Burton
• Location Casting: Donna M. Belajac
• Casting Associate: Jason James
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Andy Nelson
• Transportation Captain: Alana Stelling
• Foley Artist: Sean England
• Set Designer: Tammy S. Lee
• Set Designer: Aric Cheng
• Leadman: Grant Samson
• Dialogue Editor: Cheryl Nardi
• ADR Editor: Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Russell Earl
• Title Designer: Andrew Kramer
• ADR Editor: Brad Semenoff
• Music Editor: Will Kaplan
• Music Editor: Paul Apelgren
• Dialogue Editor: Richard Quinn
• Assistant Sound Editor: Jeremy Bowker
• Hair Department Head: Michael Reitz
• Visual Effects Editor: Samuel Craven
• Sculptor: Kenneth Garrett
• Studio Teacher: Laura Gary
• “A” Camera Operator: Philippe Carr-Forster
• Transportation Coordinator: James Lowder
• “B” Camera Operator: Colin Anderson
• Unit Publicist: Amanda Brand
• Additional Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Christopher Scarabosio
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Anna Behlmer
• Visual Effects Editor: Jim Milton
• Visual Effects Supervisor: John Knoll
• Costumer: Lilia Mishel Acevedo
• Set Costumer: Alejandro M. Hernandez
• Sculptor: Duncan Crawford
• Script Supervisor: Dawn Gilliam
• Visual Effects Producer: Robert E. Evans
• Digital Intermediate Producer: Nick Monton
• Digital Intermediate: Mike Chiado
• Foley Editor: Luke Dunn Gielmuda
• Location Manager: Demian Resnick
• ADR Mixer: Ryan Young
• Digital Intermediate: Michael Landon
• Sound Recordist: Scott R. Lewis
• Foley Editor: Malcolm Fife
• Sound Effects Editor: Adam Kopald
• Key Makeup Artist: Jamie Kelman
• Additional Sound Re-Recording Mixer: James Bolt
• Transportation Coordinator: Marc Scott
• ADR Engineer: Derek Casari
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Christine Felman
• Key Costumer: Ed Fincher
• Assistant Editor: Nona Khodai
• Key Hair Stylist: Jeri Baker
• Hairstylist: Coni Andress
• Assistant Art Director: Adam Davis
• Sound Recordist: Ryan Cole
• ADR Mixer: Mark Binder
• Compositor: Meng Liu
• Assistant Sound Editor: Lisa Chino
• Digital Intermediate: Ian Sullivan
• Assistant Editor: Kerry Joseph Blackman
• CG Supervisor: David Weitzberg
• Sound Effects Editor: Dustin Cawood
• Animation Supervisor: Paul Kavanagh
• CG Supervisor: Hilmar Koch
• Visual Effects Producer: Jill E. Hughes
• Supervising Music Editor: Alex Levy
• Construction Coordinator: Terry Scott
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Eric Withee
• Electrician: Paul Postal
• Sound Mixer: Mark Ulano
• Casting Assistant: Jessica Sherman
• Animation: Jean-Denis Haas
• First Assistant “C” Camera: Eric Laudadio
• Foley Artist: Ronni Brown
• First Assistant Editor: Julian Smirke
• Location Manager: Paul Schreiber
• Carpenter: Frank Kilmartin
• Second Assistant “C” Camera: Mark Connelly
• Compositing Supervisor: Jay Cooper
• Construction Coordinator: Buster Pile
• Rigging Grip: Chad Herr
• Chief Lighting Technician: Jim Grce
• Construction Foreman: Michael G. Richer
• Sound Mixer: Eric Pierce
• Graphic Designer: Clint Schultz
• Associate Producer: Ben Rosenblatt
• Casting Assistant: Laura Zech
• Rigging Grip: Chris Muchow
• Set Dresser: David A. Dwyer
• Associate Producer: Michelle Rejwan
• Electrician: Denair Isaac
• Digital Intermediate Assistant: J. Cody Baker
• Pilot: Bill Richards
• First Assistant Editor: Matt Evans
• Co-Producer: Tommy Gormley
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Kim Libreri
• Grip: Nick Zinobile
• Assistant Sound Editor: Jeremy Molod
• Dolly Grip: Michael Wahl
• Ager/Dyer: Carol Demarti
• Additional Grip: Rich Schutte
• Armorer: John Patteson
• Boom Operator: Adam Blantz
• Techno Crane Operator: Brian McPherson
• Electrician: Jared Wellman
• Construction Foreman: Mike Matesic
• Grip: Roger Peterson
• Second Assistant Director: Ian Calip
• Studio Teacher: Maura Gannett
• Grip: Don Yockey
• Grip: David Jose
• Rigging Grip: Brian Powers
• Transportation Captain: Byron Roland
• Electrician: Dan Jones
• Transportation Captain: L. Chip Crosby Jr.
• Leadman: Kevin C. Brady
• Assistant Editor: Joel Griffen
• Ager/Dyer: Dominick De Rasmo
• Musician: Karl Vincent
• Musician: Jeff Bunnell
• Makeup Artist: Bonni Flowers
• Set Dresser: Timothy Barnhill
• Grip: John E. Tremba
• Dolly Grip: Mike Moad
• Sound Recordist: Nathan Nance
• Grip: Adam W. Erler
• Rigging Grip: Todd Liggitt
• VFX Artist: Bastiaan Koch
• Rigging Grip: R. Sean Griffith
• Electrician: Pete Klingenberg
• Grip: David Pipik
• Electrician: Nick Yost
• Costumer: Virginia Smith Phillips
• Costumer: Melanie Cargioli
• First Assistant “B” Camera: Mateo Bourdieu
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Ale Melendez
• Visual Effects Production Manager: Lisa Todd
• Second Assistant “B” Camera: Thomas A. Barrios
• Grip: Andy Waldron
• Set Decoration: Mike S. Huffman
• Art Department Assistant: Tuyet van thi Mach
• Art Department Coordinator: Leia Pratapas
• Assistant Property Master: Don Bracken
• Assistant Property Master: Steve Guerino
• Assistant Property Master: Patrick A. Smith
• Construction Buyer: Don Cooke
• Construction Foreman: Randy Syracuse
• Construction Foreman: Chip Eccles
• On Set Dresser: Merdyce McClaran
• Property Master: Robert Scott Kyker
• Scenic Artist: Lara Lampenfield
• Scenic Artist: Mika Metz
• Scenic Artist: Danica Walton
• Sculptor: Daniel Soltis
• Set Dresser: James Hardy
• Set Dresser: David Holowach
• Set Dresser: James A. Fleming
• Set Dresser: Bobby Pollard
• Set Dresser: Tom Gregg
• Set Dresser: Leo Welsh
• Assistant Chief Lighting Technician: Carson E. Mayne
• Camera Operator: Trent Ellis
• Electrician: Lee Johnson
• Electrician: Erica Kim
• Electrician: Neil Kinkead
• Electrician: Edwin E. Lool
• Electrician: Jeff Tapley
• Electrician: Tuan Bruno Nguyen
• Electrician: John Leonetti
• Electrician: Shaun Breedlove
• Electrician: Benjamin Macensky
• First Assistant Camera: Benjamin H. Bernard
• First Assistant Camera: Don Duffield III
• Generator Operator: Don Easy
• Generator Operator: Marion Mauran
• Grip: Paul Armbruster
• Grip: Allen De Silva
• Grip: Ben Giacometti
• Grip: Tony Willard
• Grip: Leonardo Larosa
• Grip: Mario A. Veloso
• Grip: Jon Thurner
• Libra Head Technician: John Bonnin
• Rigging Grip: Kyle Drevlo
• Rigging Grip: Max Gerson
• Rigging Grip: Paul F. Guyer
• Rigging Grip: Scott Nelson
• Rigging Grip: Chris Soronen
• Rigging Grip: Tom Valentin
• Second Assistant Camera: Rodney Sandoval
• Video Assist Operator: Mike Pickel
• Assistant Costume Designer: Michi Tomimatsu
• Costumer: Heather Wind
• Costumer: Lindsey Tervo-Clemmens
• Key Costumer: Stephen Oh
• Key Costumer: Laura E. Little
• Studio Teacher: Craig Schoenfeld
• Studio Teacher: Terri Patterson
• Animation: Michael Midlock
• Compositor: Thomas Hansen
• Digital Compositor: Manuel Voss
• Digital Compositor: Fangfei Li
• Digital Compositor: Anthony Kramer
• Visual Effects Production Assistant: Courteney Smith
• Visual Effects Production Manager: Sonia Niu
• ADR Recordist: Doug Mountain
• Cableman: Juan Cisneros
• Scenic Artist: Joshua Hogan
• Prosthetics: Gary Archer

Movie Reviews:

• Andres Gomez: Unsuccessful children movie trying to follow the tradition of The Goonies or E.T. from overrated J.J. Abrams.

  Tons of money are wasted on FX trying to hide a weak story and a set of terrible dialogues supposedly coming from children that are totally overacted and annoyingly always shouting.

  You don’t miss anything if you skip Super 8.

• Gimly: I kind of liked the making-a-movie-within-the-movie aspect of _Super 8_ a lot more than the chief plot with the monster and the train and the badman government and the blah blah blah. Which isn’t ideal, but saying that obviously means I liked something about it.

  _Final rating:★★½ – Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

• John Chard: And I just knew then that I was there, that I existed.

  Super 8 is written and directed by J. J. Abrams. It stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard and Riley Griffiths. Music is scored by Michael Giacchino and cinematography by Larry Fong. The film tells the story of a group of young teenagers in Lillian, Ohio, 1979, who are filming their own Super 8 zombie movie when a train derails and crashes, releasing an unknown being into their midst. As the town is threatened and mysteries start to mount up, the youngsters must come to terms with not only that, but also growing up mentally and physically.

  It’s feels nigh on impossible to come across a review for Super 8 that doesn’t contain the name Spielberg. With the film overtly Spiebergian in themes and production, and the bearded maestro of the film geek masses on producer duties here, his name hangs over Abrams’ movie like a watchful father figure. If that bothers Abrams, or indeed if it detracts from the quality of his movie? Then that’s up for debate by those not enamoured with Spielberg’s movies of the late 70s and early 80s. But to my mind it’s a blessing, a triumph of sorts to be mentioned in the same breath as the beard and those wonderful movies of his. Part homage, part nostalgia harking, Super 8 is still one great, sweet and affecting J.J. Abrams movie.

  Abrams himself is on record as saying that Super 8 is born out of two movie ideas he had, this while also being drawn from his own recollections in childhood, and the two movie idea shows. It’s very much a two part picture in structure, part Stand by Me coming of ager, part Goonie like monster hunt. Nothing wrong with that, mind. However, with that comes some form of irritation to those who venture in expecting a big ole alien attack movie. Oh for sure he exists, and he is big and mean, although he has just cause, but the creature is not the centre piece of the movie. It’s the human characters that form the basis of Super 8, be it the kids adjusting to their changing emotions and hormones, or the single parent fathers coming to terms with absence of love and grief, Super 8 is brimming with human heart. Yet never is it schmaltzy.

  PRODUCTION VALUE!

  Aided by Fong’s warm metallic hued photography and Giacchino’s beautiful heart tugging score (both energised in Blu-ray), Super 8 always carries a magical mysticism to it. The warm glow of nostalgia cloaks the proceedings, never cloying, always smile inducing, offering comfort as the narrative deals out observations about the need to let go while playing out as a deft, if unsubtle, meditation on grief and growing pains. The cast do wonders for their director, Fanning and Courtney are exemplary, so much raw emotion and energy, it’s unfussy and believable acting. Griffith’s, too, is wonderful as the booming voiced wannabe director, a tender nod of the head to the many young amateur directors out there; of which Abrams was once one himself. While Eldard and Chandler as the two fathers are most affecting, the pangs of juggling single parenting with loss are deeply portrayed.

  Of the director himself? He crafts it with care and precision, a knowing of the pulse beat of the thematics to drive it forward. His attention to period details are admirable, from the dialogue sparks involving Walkman’s and Soviet paranoia, to the items located within the bedrooms and houses of our young protagonists, he is a man who knows his late 70s and early 80s onions. Spielberg was far from finished as a film maker of note at the time of Super 8’s release, but it did feel then that the torch was deftly being passed sideways. After the excellence of Star Trek he followed up with this most delightful of movies, where Abrams showed in his work a love of cinema that’s wholly infectious. 9/10

• Peter McGinn: Sometimes I feel like my interests and taste really follow the road less traveled. This is to say that Super 8 surprised me by becoming one of my Favorite.Movies.Ever. There I said it.

  It seems to merge genres slightly: science fiction, of course, a bit of coming of age, a slice of movie-within-a-movie – is that all?

  I think I have watched this movie three times, and probably will again. It reminds me of Monsters, another low key sci-fi/monster movie I really like. The train scene about twenty minutes into Super 8 is a blockbuster scene, so much so that I believe most movies wouldn’t be able to keep the rest of the film from being anti-climactic. Usually a tremendous scene like that is saved for the end of a movie, but the plot required to be right where it was. But although the action and suspense ramps down a bit following it, the movie goes to work on building up the rest of the plot and growing the characters.

  The young actors starring in this movie are terrific, in my opinion, which may place me in an unfortunate minority. But judge for yourself, and try not to set the bar of excellence higher than we do for adult actors. They are smart and witty at times, but are clearly kids with kid behavior at other times, rather than miniature adults with adult lines.

  So you notice I used the words ‘favorite movie,’ not best. I am sure there are hundreds of movies better made than this one, but I doubt I would want to watch too many of them multiple times like I have watched Super 8.