DVD Talk reviews "Super 8"

From DVD Talk

Super 8 gets off to a great start and keeps the momentum going. Our band of amateur filmmakers is immensely likable; they are, as one crew member points out during a production documentary, "just beginning to notice girls, but still dorky". The early "train derailment" sequence is mighty impressive, but make no mistake about it: Super 8 isn't all action and suspense. More often than not, it follows Joe's crumbling family life after his mom dies in a factory accident...and eventually, his interest in the talented young Alice. The characters are memorable and performances are excellent; so much so that I often forgot a dangerous creature was lurking about. Even so, Super 8 maintains a strong sense of mystery, while the obvious love-letter to budding young filmmakers serves as an interesting backdrop.

Joel Courtney
"The Young and the Beautiful"

This month's New Zealand/Australian magazine "Girlfriend" has a two-page article titled "The Young and the Beautiful". In that list they include: 

  • Joel Courtney
  • Elle Fanning
  • Jake T. Austin
  • Hailee Steinfeld
  • Chloë Moretz
  • Kodi Smit-McPhee

What a great looking group of kids! 

 

Joel Courtney
Super 8 –Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Combo Pack

Teen Hollywood has a sneak peek of whoat's going to be in the Blu-Ray/DVD: 

“Meet Joel Courtney” centers on the film’s star and is a basic “day in my life making the film” kind of featurette. We see Joel at his hotel learning lines, in his trailer and on set, going to set school and his revelation that he didn’t know who Elle Fanning was and was both scared and stoked when he was locked in a room with her.

...

“Deleted Scenes” – 14 of them are mostly extended scenes but a few things are new. You see Joel’s character give Elle Fanning a walkie talkie so she can be part of the guy gang and they talk about telling his dad all they’ve seen. A new scene includes the gang buying Army clothes for their movie at an Army Surplus store. Well worth a watch.

Joel Courtney
Super 8 Blu-Ray/DVD

Coming out on 22 Nov 2011. Don't miss it! 

The lack of Spielberg is a bummer, but understandable considering the man's insanely busy schedule. Maybe Joel Courtney won a bet to be the only child actor to get his own featurette.

The lack of those amazing trailers with James Horner's Cocoon theme, however, is a letdown. But if I had to choose between those trailers and the goods Paramount has ultimately offered, I'd take the latter in a heartbeat.

  • Commentary by writer/director J.J. Abrams, producer Bryan Burk and cinematographer Larry Fong
  • Featurettes (with play-all function)
    • The Dream Behind Super 8 (16:28)
    • The Search for New Faces (17:46)
    • Meet Joel Courtney (14:35)
    • Rediscovering Steel Town (18:24)
    • The Visitor Lives (12:22)
    • Scoring Super 8 (5:29)
    • Do You Believe in Magic? (4:29)
    • The 8mm Revolution (8:15)
  • Deconstructing the Train Crash - a self-guided trip from script to screen
  • Deleted Scenes (12:47) - 14 total scenes, mostly character exposition

Super 8 on Blu-ray would be a "super" purchase for the imaginative, nostalgic and fun J.J. Abrams film alone. The stellar high definition presentation and worthwhile bonus features are akin to getting a mysterious monster on top of an already solid film premise.

Joel Courtney
Hamilton Awards to 'Super 8'

From the L.A. Times

Three titans of sci-fi/action movies –- J.J. Abrams, Michael Bay and Jon Favreau –- found some time to chat backstage Sunday night at the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards. It was all light talk and photo ops until the ceremony began, when the filmmakers wandered in separate directions, pulling pieces of paper out of their pockets –- speeches they had written for presenting awards to collaborators on recent projects. Abrams asked to borrow a pen from a publicist, making some final revisions. Favreau stood some feet away, mouthing his speech to himself.

The awards, presented by the Hamilton Watch Co. and Los Angeles Confidential magazine, honored several filmmakers for their work this year. There also was a lifetime achievement award for Vic Armstrong, best known as Harrison Ford's and Christopher Reeve’s stunt double. At the event held at the Conga Room at L.A. Live, presenters were filmmakers and actors who had collaborated with the honorees on various projects.

Abrams presented the film editors award to his longtime collaborators Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey, who were honored for Abrams’ summer hit “Super 8.”

Joel Courtney
Working with JJ Abrams

From Museum of Sound

Working on a J.J. Abrams production isn’t all secrets and mystery; there’s also a lot of joking going on too. “Super 8″ cast members Joel Courtney, Ryan Lee and Riley Griffiths shared their memories from working with the notoriously secretive director in this exclusive behind the scenes clip from the upcoming Blu-ray, hitting stores on November 22.

The clip also shares with us a peek of Abrams giving his young stars Courtney and Elle Fanning direction during a scene from this past summer’s homage to the early films of producer Steven Spielberg. “J.J. is super nice,” Courtney told cameras for the clip. “He’s very interactive in his directing, and he knows what he wants.”

Joel Courtney