Transcript
Zach Sheets: Hello and welcome to the Everything Action Cast podcast week of June 8th, 2026. your host, Zach.
Chris Prime: your co-host, Chris.
Zach Sheets: And this week we're heading back to 1979 2011 and talking about Super 8's because it's celebrating its 15th anniversary. It came out on June 10th, 2011. And also Super 8 was produced by Steven Spielberg bringing a new Steven Spielberg alien movie this week in theaters, Disclosure Day.
Zach Sheets: think it's the first time he's been back to Aliens since War the Worlds. He's been doing a lot of like, you know, based on true events or based on his own life kind of movies, but he's finally back to like the Aliens.
Zach Sheets: And Super 8 teamed up between Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams right after J.J. did the first Star Trek. It's actually sandwiched between the Star Trek movies.
Zach Sheets: And Super 8 definitely feels like a melding of their styles and their tones. like It's got like the J.J. Abrams kind of like you know visual flares, like the lens flares, obviously. And then it has like his like mystery box structure where it's kind of you're unraveling this mystery throughout the whole movie.
Chris Prime: Yeah, and it also has that frantic group that has to do something together. like No one does anything alone.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: Which I think and both directors have movie characters where there's like companions. So you can feel like there's a lead, but you know there's like he it's like a group of companions doing things all at the same time.
Zach Sheets: And then like Spielberg side, it's got like, you know, but it's focused on a bunch of kids. And it kind of has like, it's like sort of an E.T. story.
Zach Sheets: And it has kind some of those. was like, it's got like quite a few like chaotic family scenes where like everyone's like talking over each other.
Chris Prime: I'm not sure if that's a Spielberg thing or a J.J. Abrams thing.
Zach Sheets: I think that's definitely more of a Spielberg thing. That was like, he really started doing that in like his, like E.T. and like some of the like 80s movies and that kind of like everyone started doing that after him. was like this like naturalistic, like it's not like, all right, you you speak, then you speak, then you speak. It's like everyone just start talking all at once.
Zach Sheets: That's like, it's like more like realistic.
Zach Sheets: And I feel like both of them kind of have like a thing with like dads too. Like both their movies, all movie both their movies have like kind of like a dad issues or dealing with dads.
Chris Prime: Yeah, I feel like that's the middle ground. Either dads or some family member. I think J.J. Abrams had Loss, which had sort of like surrogate dads.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: E.T. from Silverberg, of course, where it's like Elliot didn't know his dad.
Zach Sheets: Yep.
Zach Sheets: Last Crusade was all about Indy and his dad. And then like JJ, like, start star Star Trek, like his like Kirk's dad dies before he's born or when he's but like right when he's born.
Chris Prime: Star Trek.
Zach Sheets: which see yeah that that that's That's a major theme of Super 8 along with what is what is going on with the Air Force and the city like these odd alien things going on.
Zach Sheets: And yeah, so it's 1979, which it's it's definitely, it's J.J. Abrams' like childhood because he was born in 1966. So like all the kids are like around, sure, the age he was when he was 1979. Like 12, 13. Mm-hmm.
Zach Sheets: twelve thirteen
Chris Prime: Yeah, it's just like nostalgia for both these guys, but Spielberg was like already in his like 20s or late 20s. think during this time, like Spielberg was like like movies for he was already making Jaws.
Zach Sheets: Oh, Johnson's 75, yeah. So yeah, he you know he's he already cranking him out.
Chris Prime: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: it's i think it's JJ's nostalgic for Steven Spielberg movies, but also like his childhood. His childhood watching Steven Spielberg movies.
Chris Prime: Yeah, I can see, like, they both can relate it on this one ground. I feel like you really don't see, like, this was, like, sort of a, like, hey, remember that time kind of moment for both of these guys.
Chris Prime: But I don't know if Spielberg ever did another team up where it's such a big generation gap. Like, more so.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, and then, and movie like, movie where it's, like, so clear, like like, he had, seemed like he had a lot input, or, like, at least, like, a lot of his, like, style and themes were, like, in in it as well. Like, yeah, he'll produce a lot stuff, but it'll be, like, kind of just, like, a name only. Like, it doesn't really feel like a Steven Spielberg movie, just because it's just his name's on it, but he didn't really, like, do anything. It's like, sure, I'll put my name on it.
Zach Sheets: And then this this feels like a classic Spielberg movie, but with like you know the more modern J.J. Abrams visual style and some of the more modern stuff in it. it
Chris Prime: I also think it's the more modern pacing of what the audience was in for. I think it is a reintroduction to people who didn't like the film techniques from Spielberg, like the classics.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: So this was a, this is the middle ground where you have J.J. Abrams, like pacing, frantic pacing, but you have the slowness at the right moments that Spielberg was the master of, of like creating tension and like,
Chris Prime: making you care and yeah the all thing I think more so that gets come across during like the the action sequences that like slowly ramp up and then there's like a break where it's like the characters are like what's that like you know like it's it doesn't have the the like by comparison by most modern movies like you you hear cues early for like get ready for this
Zach Sheets: In awe, the awe of Steven Spork, yeah.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: Where in this, it's it catches you off guard at times. And I think both guys are good at like pacing those details. And as we get into the movie more, we'll talk about like the the big like set piece draws that made this movie feel like a summer blockbuster.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, especially especially the the train crash, which we'll get to in a little bit. but But it kicks things off. it's So yeah, 1979. You've got you've got Joel Courtney playing Joe Lamb, who's like our main character. He's basically like our Henry Thomas.
Zach Sheets: And then it right from the start, it's like it's a kid his mother has died in a apparently horrific steel mill accident that Like, i it's artistic the way i do it, but, like it's like, people talking about it is, like, what actually happened. Because they they kind of show this, like, very, like, tasteful, like, a guy is, like, taking the numbers off of a days, days, accidents, like, counter.
Zach Sheets: Like, days since last accident counter, it was up to, like, 700 days. Now it's not down, like, one. And they cut to like, the funeral. then everyone at the funeral is just talking about, like, how horrible it was.
Zach Sheets: So it's like, did show's fall into like a machinery? or like like what what actually happened
Chris Prime: I'm thinking, like, the way it's so, like, shot and paced, it's as if, like, as if the mom, like, was abducted by aliens or something. You know, it's sort of the towns in mourning.
Chris Prime: It's got this, like, coldness that happens when, like, I don't know, like.
Zach Sheets: We'll call this because that's a winter.
Chris Prime: but Right, but in the sense of like, it may seem super tragic, but we don't know how tragic. It's just, everyone keeps commenting. And I get it, they wanted to to show sadness without drawing the focus, because you forget, like, it doesn't, this opening, you forget that, like, it's about an alien.
Chris Prime: You know, like, it just, it's just like, oh it's about this family drama. And then it's like, put that on the shelf, let's go make this movie. So, Yeah, it's a little, it starts off with just this emotional beat that's so strong, and then it never gets back to that same level again.
Zach Sheets: And everyone's everyone everyone's also commenting about like how Joe's father, like, hopefully he'll step up because they didn't have the best relationship. It was like, like joe Joe was like super close to his his mom. And then his dad's kind this like, you know, a typical 70s dad, like very like, no not emotional kind of distance.
Chris Prime: But like, it's the 70s dad thing. So I don't know what what was different between like every besides like the dads that really love their family, you know, like I guess they ate dinner every night and then they cared about their daughter's clothing.
Chris Prime: I there's no other, and you know, like every other dad was either like yelling at their daughter or, or you know, their child or just like getting hassled by like the cops.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: You know, I there's no like other example we see of like another dad in this town. Like two extremes. It's either the dads that didn't care or really care. That's it.
Zach Sheets: it It is odd. there's like two There's like two dads that need to like kind of figure out how to be a dad and relate to their their children.
Chris Prime: How to be a dad.
Zach Sheets: Because you get...
Chris Prime: Yeah, like that, that's kind of like over what like because even the. Alice's dad who is responsible, which I'm not sure if that's like revealed early. It's something I just kind of like forgot, like that Alice's dad is the one that caused the accident at work.
Zach Sheets: you don't You don't find that out like way later, I think.
Chris Prime: But like, are we supposed to not know that that's her dad?
Zach Sheets: No, I mean, i think I think when Joe goes to her house and is like, oh, hey, it's your dad is that guy. OK.
Chris Prime: But how do you not know the last name?
Zach Sheets: Yeah, I guess. I mean, yeah, you wouldn't know an adult's first name. You wouldn't know their last name. be like, hey, Mr. Dannard or to whatever you're saying.
Chris Prime: Yeah, yeah. So that's why I'm like, that doesn't make sense. And this is such a small town that everyone knows. You know, everyone... So, like, how did you not know...
Zach Sheets: He's
Chris Prime: and he didn't ask about that for four months?
Zach Sheets: like, oh, that was weird when my dad like arrested a guy threw him out of my mom's funeral.
Zach Sheets: yeah, it doesn't...
Chris Prime: You know what's weird, too, is that also the company where this happens, it seems like they never, like, did anything else. It's not like another co-worker stopped by and was like, hey, you know, just checking in on it.
Chris Prime: Because it makes it seem like a year passed. It's like four months is nothing when you come into the grief. You know, like, it's that's ba that's only like.
Chris Prime: It's almost like 20 weekends. So I'm like, that's nothing.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, I mean, Joe seems mostly okay after to four months. Like he's, you know, he's carrying around his mother's necklace. like It's kind of like his, one of his main things, but like he he, like he's having, he and his friends are having fun making like a, a super eight movie.
Chris Prime: summer movie
Zach Sheets: yeahp His friend Charles is the director. like He's like like trying to get entered into like this contest. and I do like the constant... Charles is reading like magazines and books and he's like getting all these like different ideas of what he needs to like add to the movie.
Zach Sheets: It's like, we need like we need like a wife character. So you care about this guy. know, like, i think that's what, I mean, that's what books say. You just, it's like an emotional tie to like him or something. And he's also talking about like, like, kind talking about like production value, like using like all the, like this horrific things are happening as production value.
Chris Prime: It must be exhausting to be friends with, like, director.
Zach Sheets: A director.
Chris Prime: Yeah, director, or producer, just always seeing what you can use, you know, from your site at the time. And especially a kid where you're so excited about learning, so you learn by doing, which is great method.
Chris Prime: However, like, again, super exhausting. And then... Uh, this is the J.J. Abrams, like, self-insert. Like, I guess they both can relate. Both both movie directors and producers here can...
Zach Sheets: yeah charles Charles is the Spielberg and like the J.J. Abrams. Like he's the director.
Chris Prime: Combine. Yeah. But he's probably, like, it's probably taken out of both, like, real things that they both have done, where it's, like, you know, film value and then, like, screaming at, like, people or even just saying, I hired this person so I could flirt with them. Yeah.
Chris Prime: which i which Which one was that? think that's a Spielberg move.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, charles Charles would be canceled if this was like a but a but if he was a modern director.
Zach Sheets: but yeah, yeah they're they're making like a like a zombie movie. It seems like they're heavily inspired by like Night the Living Dead. That would have like just come out, or like it came out like 10 years ago. Yeah, I guess it was it it out for like 10 years. so They had seen it and they were inspired by it.
Zach Sheets: Like, there's a look Like, one of the places they' in their in the movie within the movie is, like, Romero Chemicals and stuff like that, so...
Zach Sheets: And, uh... But yeah, so they they... Like, so Charles, uh... Hires, uh... This girl, Alice, who they know from school, who's been by Elle Fanning, to be, like, the the wife character for, Uh...
Zach Sheets: martin who is uh by Gabriel Basso who became the night agent that's the what he's currently doing it was it was
Chris Prime: Yeah, a lot of, like, this is, like, a lot of big breakout roles. I think Ella Fanning, like, before this, would just remember being, like, such a young child actress and then being, like, a voice actress in, like, anime things.
Zach Sheets: being being like Dakota Fanning's sister it's like there's another one
Chris Prime: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: It's like, oh, and they're also like she's also like insanely talented? Yeah, I don't know i don't what's going on at the Fanning House, but apparently like they're just like like pumping out is like like insane actors.
Zach Sheets: I do love, one of my favorite things is like, like Alice, like is this kind of like, i don't know anything about acting. Like but what am I supposed to be doing here? And then like, she like switches on, but there's like, like an Oscar worthy performance.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it's like, was she practicing this? And it's like...
Zach Sheets: That's just like off the cuff. That's just like her like improvising.
Zach Sheets: Well, she looked at the script once like, oh, okay. I just read this. i just remember this and read it. but she's like gives us like super like emotional performance
Chris Prime: But she's not even like in the drama club or anything. So, again, is it just like things that she watched and just does well or respite.
Zach Sheets: she's just like a a natural like an insanely natural gifted actress
Chris Prime: But okay, the other thing is what happened to her mom?
Zach Sheets: Oh, I think she i think she left. i think she just, like, had, like, she just, like, left the the family.
Chris Prime: Okay, so that that's like her anchor moment because I guess that pain gives her the motivation to like tap into something deep. Because good actors kind of pull from real sources or, like, know the pain very intimately.
Chris Prime: It's just that, like, this small town is full of, like, I don't know, like, emotional children that and just, like, came together perfectly to film this movie.
Chris Prime: who happened to be at a train yard, like at the perfect time. Like it's like too many quinn, quinn instances, you know, like i think it would have been one thing uh, they were filming the movie and they were really bad at it, like really bad at it.
Chris Prime: That's like one thing. But I think that genuinely they had like a, like a evil dead quality movie coming through like that.
Zach Sheets: Yeah. like it's
Chris Prime: That's like the weird accident.
Zach Sheets: it's It's too good for kids to make.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it's a slightly it's like J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg couldn't help it that like even their meta versions had to have a a decent movie, like a decent premise and and sort of like film the right way. It might not look the right way, but they had all the right parts.
Zach Sheets: And they're actually doing like so so some like sophisticated like like makeup and like special effects. and they have like They have squibs.
Chris Prime: Yeah, that's crazy, right?
Zach Sheets: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: For middle school kids?
Zach Sheets: But yeah, they said so they decide they decide to film at the local train depot, which doesn't seem that local. It seems like it's like way, way, way, way outside town, like in the middle of nowhere.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, they go there to film like this one scene, and then a train's going by, they're like, oh, shoot shoot the train we can have in our scene. Which then, it's funny because then it's like they have to yell their dialogue to be heard over the train.
Chris Prime: Maybe they'll ADR it later.
Zach Sheets: Do they have ADR?
Chris Prime: i mean, you just... I don't know if they could. either is It was all shot in film, so you couldn't re-dub it.
Zach Sheets: I mean, they do have like a boom mic. So I guess it's if it's cool so they can pick it up. And you see the i mean you see like the the full the full thing later in the credits.
Zach Sheets: So I guess that scene worked, I guess. But yeah, there's a, while they're filming, a pickup truck drives into the middle of the train tracks and then causes a insane crash. Like one of the most, like over the top train crashes in movie history. Yeah.
Zach Sheets: But but would would would a pickup truck like cause that big, like would it derail a train? I don't think it would. like I think the train would just like blow through that pickup truck. I'm not sure how it would cause like this huge accident, but it it does.
Zach Sheets: Unless Dr. Woodward had like explosives in his truck, which he didn't. It's like he just drovevis just hit the like the the front of the train with his truck.
Chris Prime: I don't know, like, how could that one pickup truck really derail, like, this military train that wasn't, like, a special train?
Zach Sheets: That's what I'm saying, yeah. Because, like, we've all seen footage of a train just, like, barreling through cars and not even slowing down.
Chris Prime: Yeah, just sort of, like, maybe the the first leading, like, engine part of the train gets a little bumpy, but everything else doesn't, like, do backflips.
Zach Sheets: yeah this is, like it's like, the truck hits the train and, and like, every car is, like, every car is like flying on top of each other and and flying in the air, crashing down, exploding, flipping.
Zach Sheets: and then
Chris Prime: Everything is like rocket propelled. It is as if physics sort of took a nosedive. And then i don't know, like. There was like another train that crammed into that train.
Chris Prime: Like if you haven't seen it, it does feel like the first crash happens and then somewhere in the back, another train hits that first train and then just like more parts keep coming because it's like impossibly huge how this explosion happens from a simple pickup truck, which is not like obliterated.
Chris Prime: It's like it has a little front damage.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, its he got like you like clipped it kind of like moved off the side of the tracks.
Chris Prime: yeah He was perfectly... He was in the safest spot causing the train wreck. Everything else was, like, in the hot zone.
Zach Sheets: a
Zach Sheets: And I think the crazy about this whole scene is that the kids like come through are like completely unscathed. Even though it's like it's like hellish explosions are going off and like train cars are falling from the sky around them. They're just like, wow, that was crazy.
Zach Sheets: we got a little sit our faces, we're okay.
Chris Prime: How'd they all not, like, suddenly... temporary death you know like it's it's such a loud explosion and it it was that train also had like i don't know like chemicals and and things
Zach Sheets: There was a few there's a fuel tanker, I think, that blew up at one point.
Chris Prime: it in itself was his own problem which you know like that that's not addressed
Zach Sheets: But yeah, there there's like, I think one of the kids is like, I gotta cut. It's like, alright. So all of you should be dead. all all of you i don't know how you survived at like this like it's insane explosion, like destruction.
Chris Prime: Also, I didn't get how none of the friends were like, I'm out. Like, I don't want to film anymore.
Zach Sheets: Yep. Well, Alice does. Alice is like, I'm out. That was too crazy. which She's like the only smart one.
Chris Prime: Well, she's like the new person. I get her.
Zach Sheets: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: Her first night filming, and then this just happens, and to them, this is just like a Tuesday. They're just like, oh, yeah, like, a lot of accidents happen around us. We have no idea why.
Zach Sheets: But yeah, but they see they see the somehow still alive Dr. Woodward. This is like the like honors science teacher at the school, too. So they they know him as like a teacher at the school.
Zach Sheets: But then he apparently was like a top secret Air Force government scientist.
Zach Sheets: And then, yeah, he tells them to like forget what you saw here. I'll kill your you and your entire family.
Chris Prime: Okay, to be fair, yeah i kind of was trying to figure out what his story was. Alright, get this. So that science teacher, you find out later that he used to work for the military that's like studying the alien, right?
Zach Sheets: yep
Chris Prime: He was let go of, let's say, 68? So he's been hanging out this town for 10 years waiting to derail this train?
Zach Sheets: i mean was he because you also find out that he like psychically linked to the alien So were they like, so like still communicating across like distances or was he just like, was just plotting like, Oh, like how, how did he find out they're moving?
Zach Sheets: Like if he's not in the air force anymore, like how is, or like working for them, how you know like where the train is going and like, they're moving the alien and they're moving like the aliens, like, like cubes and stuff.
Chris Prime: No idea.
Chris Prime: But like, let's say they are cycling, right? So the alien knows about humans and not every human is evil. Because they forget that part at convenient times.
Zach Sheets: Well, i think I think he says in Because later on, they watch like a a movie, like like another like Super 8 movie, or like a kind of film strip movie that they filmed at the... i don't Not Area 51, or maybe maybe it was, who knows? but it's just like At the secret government facility.
Zach Sheets: and he's And then it's like, Woodward's talking, he's like, we tortured him so much that he turned evil. like we like He just wanted to escape, and they they they kept him here and locked him up, and then he like went crazy.
Chris Prime: then he But he's still linked to this alien and it doesn't help the alien from not going crazier or like something.
Zach Sheets: I'm going him get out.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, there is there is a really weird thing with the alien where i think ultimately you're supposed to be like, oh, I'm glad he got away. I'm glad he got out. But then it's like, he's like murdering people.
Zach Sheets: it's like It's like if E.T. was going around like like killing people, and then at the end you're like, oh, well, at least he escaped. he's good's He's good now. Okay. Yeah.
Chris Prime: That that like will save him, just give him absolute freedom now that he's mentally broken. but it does yeah I don't know, but yeah we should get into that as the story goes, because it does not paint the alien in a better picture.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: but yeah so like For me, when you find out that this hyso-scientist's whole plan was to somehow know that this train was coming...
Zach Sheets: derail it, and then hope hope hope his alien your friend escapes with like with all of his alien queues, which are his ship, or part of his ship.
Chris Prime: derail it and just hope for the best.
Chris Prime: But there is something the movie doesn't do well is to address that the alien actually is a peaceful alien.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, yeah.
Chris Prime: It sort of implies that because the doctor helps. But if you think about the military's guy, his obsession really is insane. But if he just didn't kill the scientists later, it really sounds like that doctor is brainwashed by an alien to convince that it's a good guy.
Zach Sheets: Yes.
Chris Prime: And then the military is like, that thing's actually like a killer alien. We know we've been hunting it. Like it took us a while. Like, I also don't know why the military allowed the scientists to stay in the same town as this.
Chris Prime: Like, wouldn't you keep track on the guy that got possessed?
Zach Sheets: Why don't
Zach Sheets: Yeah, i mean I don't think they cared about the town until like the crash happened. But yeah, like maybe not send your train through a town where you know where you it's like a known, like disgruntled scientist who knows your secrets it lives.
Chris Prime: No, no, I think the scientists, the the underground facility where they did the testing was under the town.
Zach Sheets: No, I don't know don't think it was.
Chris Prime: You don't think it was?
Zach Sheets: No, they were transporting the alien from whatever where their facility their secret facility and then just happened to like crash in this tiny town in Ohio.
Chris Prime: Like another town?
Chris Prime: Really? I thought it was this this, like, town had a secret tunnel system.
Zach Sheets: No, the alien dug the tunnel system.
Zach Sheets: that's what That's what the alien's doing besides like capturing or seemingly killing people, but then we find out like he's like been capturing them.
Chris Prime: which not for good reasons either. Well, we'll talk about that.
Zach Sheets: no
Chris Prime: So, okay. Okay. So, yeah.
Zach Sheets: yeah because because
Chris Prime: Well, i mean, they can't predict. Okay. That makes the train crash even crazier because like, how unless the alien was like, kind of like, Hey, I'm passing through this stop.
Chris Prime: You got to meet up. Like, you know i mean Like it, it's playing landmark telephone with the the scientist guy saying, Hey, I'm over here. see if you can get there.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, because Dr. Woodward has like he's a map with all the all the stops on it, or like all the like the like possible like places he can intercept the train. So he knows the entire route of the train, and then he decides like to hit it like outside of his town that he lives in. and
Chris Prime: He's like, well, i don't have to go far. I just have to, you know, go down the road and there it is.
Zach Sheets: yeah
Chris Prime: Yeah, that's crazy. Like just the like plotting and then it's like his whole obsession while also waiting for summer school to let out.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, I gotta finish the school year before I like do my crazy alien escape.
Zach Sheets: like Or luckily, the train's not coming before summer vacation. like or It's coming during summer vacation.
Chris Prime: like
Zach Sheets: Oh, yeah, they get out school and they're like, oh, let's go to the train station tonight and film at midnight.
Chris Prime: It's just like, see what I mean? Like, this is like, that train crash happens the day of like middle school letting out.
Chris Prime: Yeah, that's why i I'm just going like, the what are the odds?
Zach Sheets: and yeah You also find out later that he he has like like an entire like secret trailer or like a secret room at the school where all of his research is. like He has like all this like secret government documents in this like tiny like middle school in Ohio.
Chris Prime: and like a shack.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: Someone getting there just started showing stuff on the new... like it's like I found this film strip with like aliens. like Aliens are real. The science teacher had it.
Zach Sheets: But yeah the air but the air force yeah, the Air Force sweeps in and like next basically the next day it starts like you know covering everything up. And then... found it funny... They set up a scene before the train crash everything where Kyle Chandler, who is Joe's dad, Jack, they're setting up to be like, oh, he's an alcoholic, he's after his wife But then...
Zach Sheets: because when it after like etra is like wife died but then when all this stuff starts going down, like, he is, like, insanely competent. Like, he is, like, like like a super cop.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: Yeah, he he's just, like, action ready. Which I did not really suspect that. I always thought he would be that, like, bumbling cop that's, like, he really can't back up what he means, but then it's like, oh, no, he's, like, he's almost like a spec ops, like, like, soldier.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: He just knows how to blend in, knows how to keep cool, Yeah, like, it doesn't quite make sense, but that's our, like, action hero for the rest of the movie.
Zach Sheets: Well, the sheriff gets like picked off by the like the alien at like a gas station. so then Kyle Chandler basically has become... like He's the de facto sheriff. And then like he is like hoarding everything.
Zach Sheets: And then also is i able to listen in on the the the military channels.
Chris Prime: The military?
Zach Sheets: And he's like organizing all the other like deputies. And he's like running the town hall meetings.
Chris Prime: Yeah, so that's i'm like, he's really good at being a cop, just really bad at being a dad.
Zach Sheets: Yes.
Chris Prime: But it's really not much of a difference. Just like, say I love you now and then.
Zach Sheets: He's just like, um'm I'm sending you to baseball camp.
Chris Prime: Like, did Joe play baseball?
Zach Sheets: You need to get away from those f freaks that make movies.
Chris Prime: But it's like, did the Joe even have like play sports? Yeah.
Zach Sheets: No, I think the thing was like, oh, you got to start playing a normal kid to play sports. like you know I don't want you to be like this like movie-making freak with your friends.
Zach Sheets: Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, like do normal American things like play baseball.
Zach Sheets: Which, did which also, it just never comes up. Like that they had that one like, like depressing like dinner at the like the local bar where it's like, I'm sending, I'm sending the baseball camp and then just nothing does come up again. It's like totally separate like storylines.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it it almost seems like this movie, well, this movie has a problem with like, starting subplots and then just dropping them. Because no matter what, it's so much like other drama and stuff going on, but the thing has to lead to the alien.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: Once you look the alien in the mix, forget every, like, minor drama point that didn't find a finish line or, or like, lead into where the alien plays a part into it.
Chris Prime: It's not like the alien later on plays baseball with Joe, you know, or, or it's like the alien brings back Alice's mom.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: Like, you know, it like none of that comes back.
Zach Sheets: a
Zach Sheets: Yeah, there's like there's a lot of like just like random so there's a random scenes where the alien like is like just like kind of attacks someone. Or like is like doing something strange, like digging digging into like the ground outside of like a cemetery or gathering like gathering stuff at junkyard.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: Or like stealing car parts.
Chris Prime: Or making all the dogs run away.
Zach Sheets: Well, guess I guess the dogs sense that like some something odd is happening and they just ran away.
Chris Prime: Or the alien got them and ate them.
Zach Sheets: Maybe, yeah.
Chris Prime: That's the thing, it's like this movie tries to make the alien seem like friendly E.T. or something, but in actuality it's not.
Zach Sheets: It's the chlorofield monster.
Chris Prime: more, yeah, it's more close to the Chlorophyll monster. If anything, then this is a Chlorophyll prequel where at the end, like, the kids get eaten by, like, the alien.
Chris Prime: But, okay, also, the alien doesn't play a part in the kids' movie either. Like, the the movie they made, was they they still make that same movie. They don't switch gears. They're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we saw an alien.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it did a whole bunch of town destruction, which
Zach Sheets: Well, I think the thing is they they didn't see the alien. Like, the camera caught it, and then they watched, like, I think Joe and Charles watched the like footage, like, way late into the movie.
Zach Sheets: Like, like it was, like, the third They're like, oh, we should might watch that, like, the footage from the train accident. it And like they're like...
Chris Prime: I get that, but I'm saying in terms of how the alien plays the role in the other subplots, a movie that Charles makes has nothing to do with that alien either.
Chris Prime: And
Zach Sheets: No, yeah, it's a zombie movie. Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: and wait and also, one last thing, is like they since he's all excited about like re like you know getting quality like reusable shots and all that, the town was a war zone. How did you not include that in your short film?
Chris Prime: like It looked like it got messed up.
Chris Prime: And like streets were on fire. There were tanks. and they were like All these other things. And it's just like, nope, we film exactly how I wrote it down in the draft.
Zach Sheets: maybe thiss Maybe it's the next day that we didn't see at the end of the movie. And we're walking around town with like the Super 8 camera or just filming like destruction.
Chris Prime: yeah I think about Peter Jackson's King Kong. And how Jack Black was that obsessed film director who was filming everything to kind of put together his movie.
Zach Sheets: We'll find it in the edit. We'll find the movie in the edit.
Chris Prime: Yeah. I am surprised Charles didn't do that.
Zach Sheets: Just constantly filming.
Chris Prime: Like, like film everything. We'll figure it out. And then that's it. And because he didn't get a shot the alien, he makes a zombie movie.
Zach Sheets: I mean, I don't know how expensive Super 8 film was, but I mean, it's still film, so it's not like you have like unlimited shooting.
Chris Prime: I get that, but...
Zach Sheets: Because I think the whole thing is Super 8 was like that was like a cheaper way of shooting movies and stuff. That's why like kids and like you know Spielberg did it stuff like that. so And GGMs did it.
Chris Prime: Yeah, but it was just cheap but available. like so That's why i'm like, the whole joke would be he's always buying more film. Or he's trading stuff to that camera guy for film.
Zach Sheets: Stealing money from his mom, like he says one time. He's like, I'm going steal some money from my mom.
Chris Prime: I mean, that house, Charles is like a family of like five kids or something. Yeah,
Zach Sheets: think it was like i'm like eight kids at least, I think.
Chris Prime: yeah so it's like the mom's just like, whatever, money doesn't stay in this house.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, they're they're like a classic Spielberg family where just like there's like tons of kids. It's say it's like absolute chaos every time like every time you cut to their house.
Zach Sheets: yeah But yeah, there's basically it's basically like there's like two... like Joe is in like here's it's kind of investigating things. There's weird stuff going on. I'm going find out what's going on while we're making We're also making the movie, but I'm trying to like figure out like what was digging near my mom's like cemetery. And like in like why is the gu why why is the Air Force here now?
Zach Sheets: And then his dad is also like investigating, but that he gets arrested. And thrown in jail for like like the whole like middle of the movie.
Chris Prime: Yeah, he just says, okay, well, i I mean, is Alice's dad supposed to be like the classic drunk dad?
Zach Sheets: Yeah, he kind of seems like what they were saying Kyle Chandler ought to be. He's like, oh, um'm like I'm drinking. like I'm a wreck. like I can't deal with my wife's death. and i have to deal but okay I can't relate to my son. i'm just going to drink my problems away.
Zach Sheets: But then, he like we said, Kyle Chandler is like yeah is like super competent. like That isn't effective at all. And then, yeah, Alice's dad is like the classic like you know drunk alcoholic dad.
Chris Prime: Who just can't stop getting into accidents. Or being hassled by like. The military or police.
Chris Prime: Like. He crashes his car chasing after his daughter.
Zach Sheets: Oh my god! Their high-speed chase like they have after their fight. like it's like a full like He's like going like full speed.
Zach Sheets: And she's like on her bike. It's like, going to run your daughter over if you go that fast.
Chris Prime: Like. Come on man. Like. you're <unk>re not really liked in this town already.
Zach Sheets: yeah then he Yeah, and he smashes his car into the other car. like That's like a... like He should be like horribly injured, too. but then he sees Alice like getting like picked up by the alien.
Zach Sheets: So like he's like, oh my god, that something grabbed my daughter.
Chris Prime: You know, it's also weird. It's like he he doesn't know what an alien looks like after this, like, car accident where he's got like you know a concussion
Zach Sheets: yeah
Zach Sheets: Who knows what, like, yeah, he could be seeing things, like, he could be hallucinating.
Chris Prime: yeah and like does he tell the cops like hey an alien took my daughter and like get in the drunk tank
Zach Sheets: Yeah, and I don't think anyone helps until, you Kyle Chandler, like, breaks out of, like, a military facility steals, like, a military, like, outfit and, like, gets back to town.
Zach Sheets: like and he like he Like he knows how to handle like like an M16.
Chris Prime: Well, okay, so it's 1979, so maybe the dad went to Vietnam?
Zach Sheets: Vietnam,
Chris Prime: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: maybe, yeah. i don't think they mentioned that at all, but...
Chris Prime: Well, maybe it's implied based on, like, the post-Vietnam years, and the dad is just like... But that's the thing. The dad doesn't really have that, like, moment where he's like, you know, son...
Chris Prime: you know i still I haven't learned to love since the war. The only person that taught me how to love was like you know your mom. Now she's gone. like she He doesn't have that moment.
Zach Sheets: My dad wasn't there either, so like I'll try to be better than my dad or something.
Chris Prime: Doesn't even have that. It's just more like a, hey, hey dad, thanks for saving me from like you know the military, I guess.
Zach Sheets: we both didn't get killed by this alien.
Chris Prime: The alien of like, who we don't even know is like a good guy. He's really not.
Zach Sheets: No, yeah, the only the only thing we we know, we've seen the alien, like, brutally attack people, and he's clearly harvesting people to be food for, like, his journey home. because we And we literally see him eating, so like, he's eating a person underground, and, like, like one of the kids, like, Carrie's like, he's eating someone. Like, he's eating a person.
Chris Prime: See, I get it if the alien was eating the... Sorry. If that alien was eating the military team, like all the the people that abused it,
Zach Sheets: Yeah, it's just just them. like not and Or like could like sense if someone was like evil or good or something. and like not if it If it thought you were like a good person, wouldn't attack you.
Chris Prime: the the alien is straight up like snatching anybody it sees.
Chris Prime: So we're not on Team Aliens for just like very good reasons. like I guess as a kid where you don't really know morality well, and it's like you just kind of want to see cool things.
Chris Prime: But on a rewatch about this, you're just like, that alien is just... I get like it's feral. like it It sort of distrusses the species that kidnapped it for twelve 12, 13 years?
Zach Sheets: And we're torturing it and like doing all sorts of experiments on it.
Chris Prime: Question mark?
Chris Prime: Which, after 13 years of experimenting, what are you doing? Just like, alright, we're gonna like throw battery acid on this alien and see if it likes it.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: Like, what? And then just like every day a new thing? you run out of things to do so they just need transport it to some other facility to do god knows what?
Zach Sheets: yeah it's like It's like a crazy evil alien versus like an evil like Air Force colonel. Noah Emmerich is just like equally evil. like He like kills Dr. Woodward with like some sort of like lethal injection.
Chris Prime: Yeah, so like, the he's evil, he makes the monster evil, the alien into a monster. monster But you think, okay, alien kills the evil colonel, that's it, right? Maybe stop being less evil?
Chris Prime: Nope. Monster now just keeps being a monster.
Chris Prime: So I don't understand, like, that's i'm like, oh, but we don't know if the alien wasn't like that to start with. And that's why Nolan, like, that's why the colonel just like, I got to keep doing this. Like.
Chris Prime: This alien crash land on Earth and like ate my family. We, you know, we don't know that.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: I need to do a false flag like forest fire to like evacuate the town to get everyone out of this town so we can just like blow each other town up and kill this alien.
Chris Prime: I mean, for all we know, like he actually is like a good guy up until like, see, if he didn't kill the scientists.
Zach Sheets: Hmm.
Chris Prime: It's like, I understand why this colonel is like, you understand, like this alien is actually really evil. Like it shouldn't be allowed to like leave and like, you know, hang out with kids.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, you were saying like that'd be a great twist if like it turned out like the alien was like it wasn't building a ship was building a weapon. And it's like like but like it convinced the kids who are like psychic link. It's like you got to help me build my ship. I need i seem to get home.
Chris Prime: Yeah, like I like that twist. it it just It plays on what Spielberg and J.J. Abrams are leading to about this like very feel-good 80s thing. Then you realize that it's like, oh no, that like monsters sometimes are obvious.
Chris Prime: like Sometimes this monster is just a monster.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: That's why I'm like, I didn't... I kind of like this movie and I kind of don't at times just because the monster shows itself that it's a monster and there's not enough like moments where the monster's sort of like, oh, forgive me.
Chris Prime: it sort of just goes like, yeah, like, I want to live.
Zach Sheets: Well, it it definitely doesn't earn like that last scene where Joe is like get picks gets picked up the alien and is giving him like like the Goonies speech.
Chris Prime: my god, yeah.
Zach Sheets: Where it's like, bad things happen, but you can you can still live. You can still live. And then the alien's like, hey, you know what? You're right. I'm good now.
Chris Prime: Psychic link to you? But that's the thing. The alien had a psychic link to the kid to understand that? Or did the alien always understand English? I have no idea.
Zach Sheets: I mean, i it would have been like way too much of an E.T. ripoff, but like the alien should have had this some sort of like link with Joe for like the entire movie.
Chris Prime: It should have been after that accident, right?
Zach Sheets: And he's like, yeah.
Chris Prime: The alien psychic links with Joe. And like the trauma of bad things happening to both of them.
Zach Sheets: They're like, yeah, they're like kindred spirits. Like, it's like, oh, your mom, you're like something horrible happened to you. Something horrible happened me. Like, we're like the same.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it's like, I feel pain, like pain is universal between species. It doesn't matter like that. It's like from your mom passing or or the military doing weird torture to you.
Chris Prime: It's pain is pain. But then it's like, did the scientists not have anything for the monster to understand? Even though it's psychic linked with him? You know what i mean?
Chris Prime: Like the the monster didn't learn pain through the scientist to be like, hey, I'll get you out because the monster just doesn't seem grateful at all for the scientist for stopping that train.
Zach Sheets: and
Chris Prime: There's no like note that the monster leaves behind for the scientist or like this the scientist like forget the kids don't know the scientist is dead.
Zach Sheets: no yeah he's He's killed in a secret like a secret like room in the Air Force base.
Chris Prime: That was just like a one off thing for them. They're just like.
Zach Sheets: He's injected with lethal chemicals and to kill him.
Chris Prime: So that's not brought up again. No one goes, yeah, we killed the scientists. And then the monster doesn't seem to care, even though it made it do.
Chris Prime: The scientists did its bidding of like figuring out the train routes, like colliding with the thing. And then i don't know, like telling the kids to get away.
Chris Prime: Like the scientists didn't even give the kids like a mission. was Hey, continue my work. Like the, you got to do what the monster wants. Like it,
Zach Sheets: He says yeah she says, keep your mouth shut or they're going to kill you and all your your your entire family.
Chris Prime: So I get the military straight up not the good guys. But I if they if they were more just like men in black where it's like we have to keep the silent.
Chris Prime: You know, we're not we're morally gray. But like that's because like the monster can corrupt people's minds. And yeah, I would like to have the military be like more like ambiguous but then maybe one guy takes it too far for some strange reason but then maybe like we don't need to know and that's like the thing about this movie that i think just sits like different for me because i kind of want like the classic spielberg where this is the good guy this is the bad guy you kind of get a little bit of both but like honestly it's like
Chris Prime: now i'm like the more the more re-watches the more it really questions it you know and there's certain movies that like spielberg that like you re-watch it and they just get better or they get more like uh enriched from just having your memories remembering when you watched it and stuff like that super eight i think is a movie that like i've seen three times and it's and like each time it's the same question like hey is the alien a good guy
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: And by the end, it's not. It's like a straight-up horror movie with the alien like chasing the kids.
Zach Sheets: And then it has like this big like triumphant kind of awe-inspiring Spielberg ending where it's like, look it! We're helping him! He's going home!
Chris Prime: it's It's too triumphant. when you
Zach Sheets: And he's standing in the burning rubble of our town.
Chris Prime: We did it. We sent our friend an alien. we We sent Bruce Greenwood back. Because apparently the alien's played by Bruce Greenwood.
Zach Sheets: oh my god, yeah.
Chris Prime: What?
Zach Sheets: Just doing growling noises. It's like... ra ra
Chris Prime: It's like, was Frank Weller busy? What?
Zach Sheets: Yeah, what yeah that's that's that's totally a Frank Welker thing, just like having to make weird noises.
Chris Prime: Frank Welker or the dude from Star Wars, Clone Wars and Bad Batch.
Zach Sheets: Oh, did he Bradley Baker?
Chris Prime: Yeah, Dee Bradley Baker. Like, just you don't need another kind of actor that not really known for monster work.
Zach Sheets: Because, yeah, he doesn't have dialogue. You no you don't hear like the alien's thoughts. Yeah.
Chris Prime: understand. if See, thing it's like I think they tried they thought about it. They're like, hey, Bruce Greenwood's a pretty good actor. Maybe at at one point he mind melts with like one of these characters and like you hear his voice.
Zach Sheets: It's like, i'm I'm talking to you in the language that you understand, like your your language.
Chris Prime: give us Give me your delicious human meat.
Zach Sheets: yeah
Chris Prime: We don't get that at all. yeah That's why I'm like, I'm definitely more on the like, this alien, I think you need to burn it because it's it's gonna like eat all your townspeople.
Zach Sheets: It would have been great if like it's this like big like Spielbergian like the ships flying off and everyone everyone's just like, oh, wow, look at it. And then it's like a laser like shoots out of the bottom of the ship blows up the earth.
Zach Sheets: The
Chris Prime: Yeah, and it's just like the message is like, don't trust things.
Zach Sheets: entire town is nuked.
Chris Prime: Or, okay, since we're getting to the end of this, like, it would have been weirder and funnier that, like, this is actually the Super 8 movie that Charles makes, like, years later, based on his experience with the alien.
Chris Prime: Like, that happens, and then it's, like, it cuts to, like, the end.
Zach Sheets: but
Chris Prime: you're like, what? And then it zooms out or something. Then it's, like, an older Charles is, like, sitting in the movie theater, and just like, what'd you think about that movie?
Zach Sheets: Yeah. It cuts like 2011 and Charles, like now he's like a a major like Hollywood but director.
Chris Prime: yeah He's like as old as J.J.
Zach Sheets: He's a J.J. Abrams.
Chris Prime: Abrams.
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Chris Prime: it's just it's it's it's ja It's the full circle of like the J.J. Abrams of where he seems himself now sitting at like the China Theater and just like turning to his friends who were there with him.
Chris Prime: And then it's like, yeah, they're like, hey, man, like we get it. But remember, the alien got away before all that. It's like, yeah, I know.
Zach Sheets: JJ Averson's stage. like like It's like, let me welcome to the stage like a talented filmmaker. like Charles, whatever like whatever his name is.
Chris Prime: Oh my god, yeah.
Zach Sheets: Charles Zanuck.
Chris Prime: It becomes like the the Wolf of Wall Street kind of style where like the guy introduces himself and then it's just like, oh my god, this movie.
Zach Sheets: Yep.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: I don't know. I kind of like the idea of it being something that inspires the movie and then the super is just like catalyst. Cause like you said, a lot of these directors who started in the classic form of movie and movie making and storytelling, they had a super eight camera. They filmed things that they saw and inspired by, or even took like a few elements from their life and then made like the fantastical element.
Chris Prime: And it's not like you took a huge stretch. Like a lot of this movie, before the alien shows up, is just family drama.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: It's not like the alien at the beginning, you know, like an E.T. where it shows up and it fixes a lot of the family drama, or like it it it changes a lot of things. If you cut away a good amount this movie, this this is like, you can replace like the alien with a Jason Voorhees character.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: And it's the same thing. so
Zach Sheets: The monster really is like a slasher for like a movie, just like stalking people, and like just like grabbing them and like seemingly killing them. But then you find out, oh he's just like cocooning them for like a intergalactic snack.
Chris Prime: For later. But like. that I mean. Some so other killers. They kidnap everyone. And then. At the. the The movie. Aliens. Does the same thing. Where.
Zach Sheets: hmm.
Chris Prime: and The alien. Doesn't always kill the prey. Like it just. Takes people back. To its lair. And then later on. You find out like. The. The overall. Master plan. Of the alien. Is to like. You know.
Chris Prime: Take over. Or breed. Or. Like. Have food. Like you said. So. like this could have been alien earth too like this this is own structure which is like different storytelling i i just feel like it didn't quite land that whole uh like nostalgia punch because of our modern views of like foreign monsters and
Chris Prime: And you just don't trust aliens without like proof. You just this alien is just like, yeah, man, I get it. And it's just like, oh, yeah, the children get tricked. But like children get tricked all the time. That's like half of the Spielberg movies is like them always getting tricked.
Zach Sheets: It would have been if they played up the whole like ET phone home if they were like trying to help the alien the contact like its like species or something and they they see but then it it's like an invasion.
Chris Prime: It like signals the invasion.
Zach Sheets: It's like oh no
Chris Prime: I feel like that's something else. Like, that can't be from...
Zach Sheets: That's like a Twilight Zone like our limits kind of thing or something.
Chris Prime: my god, that's like, yeah, it's like to serve humans.
Zach Sheets: It's like
Chris Prime: It's just like, that's how it ends with the Twilight Zone, where it's like, oh my god, it was a cookbook all along.
Zach Sheets: e
Chris Prime: Or to serve mankind or something.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, to Surf Man.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it could very Twilight Zone-y, but i I... I don't know, like... In this movie, it's it's meant to be a summer blockbuster movie. You're supposed to watch this during the summer because I remember seeing this in theaters during the summer and just seeing it on the big screen first time.
Chris Prime: Great experience. The explosions, the the horror scenes, you feel it. It's great. and Like follow up rewatches. Yeah, you start picking at this.
Chris Prime: And at the end, it really it's either you you like what's going on or you've got questions like us.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Zach Sheets: Well, wild that it doesn't even show you like a like yo for like two weeks later, four months later, but some sort of time jump after like the alien flies away. Just to show like david i've everyone's been changed by this experience. Maybe Joe and like his father have like a better relationship now, or like you know they're they finished a movie or something. But it's just like it's a hard to cut. It's like, well, your town is destroyed.
Zach Sheets: good luck. you have you have nothing you You're all homeless with like nothing do know
Chris Prime: Yeah, an actual chemical spill probably happened during this.
Zach Sheets: Because it's like every, like, when there's like the scene where kids like running through like a literal war zone where like the, like tanks are going off and stuff. And I think also like the, like the military but says like that they're just going off their own because the alien is like interfering with electronics or something.
Zach Sheets: So they're not even like aiming, like they're not a anything. They're just like shooting wildly because like they're all their like artillery and but tanks are just like shooting because of the alien. Yeah.
Zach Sheets: So it's not even targeted like, oh, we're trying to like not hit these houses. It's like everyone's houses are getting bombed out and blown up and businesses are getting blown up. This
Zach Sheets: like this like this town is like decimated.
Chris Prime: Yeah. And like a lot of people are affected by not just the military being there, but the fact that they were a whole like group of townspeople just eating in space.
Chris Prime: Do the kids tell them that they found the people? like Do they lie to keep the like the overall phenomenon experience of the alien wholesome for everybody?
Zach Sheets: ye Oh, it's like, oh, they died in the fire. The forest fire that we we all know is real. and so That's what the same thing happened to, like, Dr. Woodward. He died in the fire.
Zach Sheets: They should have submitted, like, Woodward's, like like, his, like, film footage as, like, their movie. It's like, here's our movie.
Zach Sheets: it reveals aliens are real to the world or whatever at least this film festival he entered
Chris Prime: Say that again.
Zach Sheets: in they should have like sent like the Woodward's film like his like like archive footage of like the alien ship and everything to the film festival
Chris Prime: Oh, yeah. Like if they they figured out how to make their zombie movie make sense about the phenomenon and that's like it's from the footage. So they're able to like I mean, that's true. Grilla, like filmmaking, just sort of grab what you can get. Right. And then fix it and edit, fix it in post and all that.
Zach Sheets: But also, like, reveal that aliens are real.
Chris Prime: Yeah, but like the town gets it. It'd been funny if they submitted it, but like the they're like, it goes and they go all the way. This movie's too impossible. Like the premise is too big and it's like, nah. like And it's like, you know, the Charles like, no, this is based on like real events, but the film festivals are like, no, like stop lying. That's like if someone really did make a horror movie that was just like a found footage movie, but it's actually like real found footage and then it's like, this ain't real.
Zach Sheets: Today, I'd be like, oh, that's AI.
Chris Prime: Yeah, now it's like an AI. It's like, oh, you AI that, you AI that. It's like, that that that time, that alien had five fingers. It was like six fingers. It's like, that's a six-finger alien. It's no, it has to be five. No, you're wrong.
Chris Prime: They just get into like a Twitter beef about that.
Zach Sheets: yeah i i do really like i do like that they showed like basically the entire movie that the kids made during the credits.
Chris Prime: Yeah, I like that short film of it.
Zach Sheets: With... it including scenes that they we didn't see that they must have shot like before the movie started or like like off screen we didn't see.
Zach Sheets: yeah yeah you kind of get you to see like how like it all like kind of works like works together.
Zach Sheets: but yeah, overall, I mean, it's it's a... it's a you know, a fun little movie. definitely had Definitely some, you know, the alien definitely needed to like, if they wanted it to be like a sympathetic character, they definitely need to have more interaction with the kids or at least want like some sort of like connection with the kids. They would want to like help it or something. But I guess that would it more like 2ET, I guess. They'd probably be like, oh, this is just a ripoff of ET.
Zach Sheets: But with the but now but like a not not cute alien. Now it's like a giant like Cloverfield monster alien.
Chris Prime: Yeah, it's like they they try to just either make a chlorophyll monster or like make an E.T., but when to put it together, it's like confusing for us.
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Zach Sheets: and yeah just And just like we said, like the all the aliens' actions are just like... like if that's They're not really... They're not really the actions of a like creature you want to like sympathize with.
Zach Sheets: And also, like the like like joe like the whole like thing where Joe like he like gives up his mom's necklace at the end, too. for some like It's like oh i i like, I had like that one-minute scene with the alien. now I'm over like i get i' over my grief now.
Zach Sheets: I can let my mom go.
Chris Prime: Again, it's only been four months.
Zach Sheets: Yeah. and blue i
Chris Prime: I can't... You can...
Zach Sheets: I'm symbolically letting my mom go
Chris Prime: Oh my god. And it's like, you can still take the photo out of the jewelry locket.
Zach Sheets: And it's like, that's the final piece that completes like the the ship. Oh, and also, Joe's line was like, he's building a model, like me.
Chris Prime: but like is joe also kidnapping people and using them for like snacks i
Zach Sheets: Yeah, that was just like a shoehorned end of like, Joe builds models and it's the aliens building a ship like a model. Yeah.
Chris Prime: yeah i mean okay so this movie did really well in like
Zach Sheets: Mm-hmm.
Chris Prime: reviews and then just like revenue it it did like this movie like i know we're like bashing out on like the most obvious parts but i guess like again nostalgia it was a nostalgia bait it was like a great summer blockbuster movie but yeah if it's not summer like it's not like the right conditions it's just this isn't a halloween movie even though it feels like it should be a halloween movie
Zach Sheets: Yeah.
Zach Sheets: And they were definitely doing the same. They were trying to do like the Cloverfield thing, which i'd I don't really remember too much about like the the viral marketing campaign, but apparently it had like like a huge...
Chris Prime: Thank you.
Zach Sheets: They were doing like you know secret websites and flying find clips across the internet. And there was a Portal 2 tie-in, where it's like you played Portal 2, but you were in like a Super 8 little like segment.
Zach Sheets: i was I was reading my old review on the site from 15 years ago. and i was like i was talking about the marketing campaigns. I'm like, and i'm like i don't remember it being like that overwhelming.
Chris Prime: I mean, by today's standard, I think you don't need such a like multimedia marketing thing to promote a kids
Chris Prime: adventure sci-fi thing. Stranger Things pretty much like topped it, and now anything that gets close to that level like gets compared to it. And if it doesn't have all the right parts, and especially if it can't stick the landing, I don't think it's going to live up to it.
Chris Prime: Because even Stranger Things is debatable if it stuck the landing or not.
Zach Sheets: yeah
Chris Prime: And the Super 8 kind of doesn't stick the landing for us these days because we're just like, what was it all about? Like, what was... Is the alien coming back later?
Zach Sheets: no yeah most of but most of my issues with super 8 are the ending it's this it's like way it's like way too rushing this like emotional connection to the alien most of the rest of it is like is like yeah I'm fine with
Zach Sheets: And, yeah, anything else, Chris, or?
Chris Prime: yeah I think we talked a lot about this, about what we thought about, but I still don't know if the alien's good or bad or not.
Zach Sheets: Yeah, we need, like, a sequel where, like, the like now yeah it's like all the fall all film crew kids are, like, making an actual, a real movie now. They're all in Hollywood. then it's, like, an alien.
Chris Prime: I know the Super 8 happens.
Zach Sheets: whatever Whatever the format is now, like, digital.
Chris Prime: four k just just Yeah, IMAX
Zach Sheets: IMAX.
Zach Sheets: he but yeah it's like the brand of camera it's like sony sony red 1826 d
Zach Sheets: but uh yeah i think they'll do it for this week Come back next week. Speaking, so with this movie had a you know meta movie about zombies. And we're watching one of the OG zombie movies, Day of the Dead.
Zach Sheets: Because it's finally it's fun getting a like a big like fancy 4K collector's edition next week. So we'll dive into the George Romero classic next week. And you can head over the site. And we've got all kinds of stuff there. We've got news, reviews, trailers. You can check out all the like Summer Game Fest presentation posts. We've got, there was like Sony, Summer Game Fest Live, Xbox and Nintendo. Nintendo was like actually like earlier this week with a the Ocarina of Time remake or re yeah, remake being announced. It was kind of like leaked along with Star Fox.
Zach Sheets: And all kinds other stuff is up there as well. however Check all that stuff out. And yeah, so for Chris, I'm Zach and we will see you next week.
