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Who’s In It? Kyle Chandler, Gabriel Basso, Joel Courtney, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, Elle Fanning, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Zach Mills
Who Made It? Directed by J.J. Abrams (Paramount)
What Is It? In 1979 Ohio, a group of kids shooting a homemade movie in the titular format witness a train wreck that unleashes its creature cargo into their nearby small town. Or… is that what it’s really about?
How’s It Look From Here? We know that Abrams adores an enigma, and he started the cryptic hints about this movie in last summer’s teaser… and has admirably somehow kept the whole thing an intriguing mystery almost right up to its release. But will that big fat question mark (and a title that’s vague to the iPhone generation) prove problematic in luring audiences accustomed to getting every beat and moment laid out in the average 2-and-a-half minute trailer?
Besides paying tribute to Spielberg’s filmography, Abrams uses the opportunity and canvas to fondly reminisce on his own early movie-making efforts — which likely parallels today’s imaginative (if substantially more high tech) young aspiring filmmakers. But will it strike the same chord with a demographic that was born a decade or two after the movie’s time period? And more importantly, will they take a chance on seeing it without a trailer stuffed with car chases and CG robots?
JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT BUMMER SUMMER
Who’s In It? Heather Graham, Jordana Beatty, Preston Bailey, Jaleel White
Who Made It? Directed by John Schultz (Relativity)
What Is It? When summer vacation rolls around, a precocious third-grade girl from an apparently popular kids book series has to watch her friends do fun things while she’s stuck with an aunt she’s never met. But like OMG, it turns out to be the bestest summer vacation like evar, probably.
How’s It Look From Here? Difficult to say, since I haven’t actually seen any promotional material for a movie that’s opening on 2000 screens… But then, I’m obviously not the target audience (despite the curious presence of Graham, perhaps best known for playing a porn star and a prostitute yet seemingly also considered ideal for a movie aimed at kids).
I don’t know if the “Judy Moody” books have the same appeal as something like “Wimpy Kid”, but NOT BUMMER SUMMER could end up being an oasis for young girls who think superheroes are icky and computerized critters are boring. And the inclusion of the grown-up star of “Family Matters” must be a big draw, right?
If SUPER 8 can’t ride Spielberg’s coattails and/or attract a crowd outside of Abrams’ core following (however large that may be), the mutants of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS could get a second chance to bring people back to the Marvel-ous swinging sixties.
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