Super 8, Super Box Office!

J. J. Abrams Sci-fi flick Super 8 looks to easily with this weekend’s box office race with an estimated haul of $35 million.  Although the competition was weak with no other major theatrical feature opening this weekend; the fact that a film that’s not a sequel or a remake or from licensed property, and has no stars, could win a summer weekend remains marginally impressive.  However, massive attempts to brand it as a Spielberg film with unofficial connections to his eighties films, undoubtedly helped greatly.   So don’t pop any champagne corks about the age of the sequel and remake being over.  Many more sequences,  remakes and licensed properties hit this year.  And will likely have grosses that make Super 8‘s look tiny.

Video: New Interviews for J.J. Abrams’ SUPER 8!

Here’s an interview with J.J. Abrams about Super 8 which opens today.  More interviews after the jump.

STAR TREK 2 May Be Pushed Back to a Christmas 2012!

According to Deadline, J.J. Abrams’ sequel to his 2009 Star Trek reboot may not be able to meet it’s summer 2012 release date.  The reason?  The writers ( Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof) have been busy with other projects and have been unable to finish the script.  They’ve handed in a 70 page outline, but haven’t even begun the shooting script.  Meanwhile J.J. has been busy with Super 8 (and other projects), so he hasn’t been there to crack the whip or lend a hand.

So what do you think of this news?  Upset that the film will be delayed?  Or glad they’re taking some extra time to get it right?

J.J. Reveals More “Super 8” Plot Details!

J.J. Abrams, after keeping much of this of his upcoming film Super 8 a secret for over a year, has finally begun dropping plot details.  Here’s what we now know:

The movie is set in Ohio in 1979.  It’s about a group of six kids making a Super 8 zombie film.  While shooting this film, they photograph a trail wreck.  They also photograph an alien climbing out of the wreckage.

This is quite close to what was already guessed at.  But it verifies that the movie is a period piece, and that the children are junior filmmakers.  But Abrams thinks this is more than audiences need to know:

To me, all people need to know is that it’s an adventure about a small town and it’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s scary and there’s a mystery: What is this thing that has escaped? What are the ramifications of its presence? And what is the effect on people? … But I know that’s not enough. Look, I feel we need a little bit of a coming-out party because we are up against massive franchises and brands and most people don’t know what ‘Super 8’ means. We’re a complete anomaly in a summer of huge films … and we don’t want to be so silent or coy that people don’t care or don’t hear about it.

It may be the anomaly but it’s the film we at GR are looking forward to the most.  And we miss the days when studios could keep the plots of movies under tighter wraps.  And we admire J.J.’s ability to come close to that.

Art: Mysterious “Alien” Concept Art Leaked from Paramount!

This piece of concept art leaked from Paramount.  But no one seems to know what film it’s for.  And the image quality is too low to read the legend in the lower right hand corner.  However, this hasn’t stopped most from speculating, some of the films suggested include Super 8 (mostly debunked), Star Trek 2, When Worlds Collide (huh?!? there shouldn’t be any monsters in that), or Cloverfield 2.

What do you think?  Share your thoughts in the comment section.

STAR TREK Fans Hate Light

Example of the use of lens flares that have Star Trek fans in an uproar.

One of the more ridiculous complaints bouncing around the ‘net about J.J. Abrams new Star Trek film has been regarding the film’s use of lens flares.

In fact, fan whining and whinging about this visual choice grew to such a degree Abrams was forced to address the issue in a press conference:

I know what you’re saying with the lens flares. It was one of those things… I wanted a visual system that felt unique. I know there are certain shots where even I watch and think, “Oh that’s ridiculous, that was too many.” But I love the idea that the future was so bright it couldn’t be contained in the frame.

…They were all done live, they weren’t added later. There are something about those flares, especially in a movie that can potentially be very sterile and CG and overly controlled. There is something incredibly unpredictable and gorgeous about them.

We know fans love to complain.  But about lens flares?  Really … really?

For the record, we like the lens flares.  But more than that we champion Abrams search for a new look.  One  that feels organic and counters the sterile quality of many CGI heavy films.

Update:  We originally posted this story two years ago.  (Two years ago!) But it still gets tons of hits every day.  And generates vigorous debates.  Whudda thunkit?   You all know our stance on the matter by now.  But just to prove we’re not without a sense of humor about the whole thing, here’s Shiznit’s take on the J.J./Less Flare debate in their parody poster for Super 8.  Yup, we laughed too!

You can check out the poster they’re parodying here.