Trailer Trash Talk - Vol#5 by Kristen Grillo (Lost Week Edition)

Super 8 - Written & Directed by JJ Abrams and Produced by Steven Spielberg

Unless some of you herbwhorevors have yet to see Iron Man 2 or somehow managed to avoid the latest internet bizbuzz, you should know that Super 8 is Mr. JJ Abrams’s (Alias/Lost/Mission Impossible 3) latest trailer bait. Based on this so called teaser I am far from impressed, kids. Not even Stevie Spielberg’s name being splashed around can get my geek mojo aroused. Call me Ms. High Expectations but when I hear the word “teaser” I’m expecting something so delicious that it makes the ole bean move beneath my britches. So in those terms, this one and a half minute man hardly does that. What it does frankly, is remind me of an unpleasant memory in my movie viewing history.


I am immediately taken back to the summer of 2007. I was sitting in the very uncomfortable front row of the UA Midway movie theater on Queens Blvd. (bless you, Fandango for saving my infinite purchase history). My usual order of Junior Mints and H20 are in hand and I am patiently waiting for the cinematic shitstorm known as Transformers to begin. At that moment a trailer showing a bunch of NYC hipster douches throwing some party comes on. Their bulimic cokefest is then crashed by an earthquake, some Godzilla roars, followed by raining fireballs and the Statue of Liberty’s dome piece. The trailer abruptly ends with “01-18-08.” The next day, a whole internet frenzy ensues of dorks desperately trying to figure out the ambiguity behind 01-18.08. A few phony websites were constructed to keep the hype alive for 6 painful months, unlocking clues and clips of what this story was. 01/18/08 arrives and Cloverfield is a success. An ordinary one but a success nonetheless.

Fast forward two years later to….Super 8! (another working title I presume)…



While this time it’s a reckless douche in a pick up that causes the fireball party, I can’t help but feel that this is all so Cloverfield 2 to me. And for all we know, maybe it is or even a prequel for that matter. Whatever the case may be (no LOST pun intended), without more to go on here I can’t escape the feeling of this being more of the same. And since theaters are just flooded with terrible remakes and unnecessary sequels (::ahem:: Sex And The City TWO), I personally can’t take anymore repeat offenders right now. On the flip side, I do hope I’m all wrong about this and the next trailer takes a refreshing turn.

If you just happen to be someone who doesn’t really care about all that nonsense and just loves a good dose of movie déjà vu then you’ll be thrilled to hear that JJ & Co. have also created (surprise!) a website to keep the fun mystery hype alive until the movie’s release sometime in 2011. The wonderful blognerds over at www.fearnet.com have been so kind to do a little leg work & shed some informative light on the trailer’s “hidden message-turned website” and what it all means. Have a look-see here:

http://www.fearnet.com/news/b19132_uncovering_secrets_of_super_8.html

So my CCD pals, until JJ drops me a more informative trailer or a few thirsty nerds ban together and crack open more intriguing clues to the plot, my anticipation for this one remains a solid “big deal.”

Super 8: Anticipation Grade: C.