SYNOPSIS: In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined. 

REVIEW: The when was the summer of 1979. The where was Lillian, Ohio. The who was a group of close friends and a girl. The why was because they wanted to make a movie, go figure. The how was in the middle of making said movie. The what was indescribable. This is an extraordinary, edge of your seat film. It is suspenseful, adventurous, thrilling, mysterious, startling, and dramatic. At the same time it is endearing, touching, and real. From the moment I first heard about this movie and that J.J. Abrams and Steven Speilberg were both involved in some capacity, I had little doubt on the quality of it. I was proven right. It is an excellent production through and through. J.J. Abrams wrote and directed this beast of a movie so it has his masterful style of mystery and suspense down to the bone, and yet there is a very human touch to it that is reminiscent of Mr. Speilberg. What a combination! Okay, okay, I’ll get right down to it . . . this is an E.T. meets Cloverfield meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind; awesome. Everything about it seems genuine, starting with the late 70s look and feel. The music, the cars, the homes, the wardrobe, the props, even the hairdos transport you back to this time. Then there are the kids and their relationship, typical of any suburban American town at the time. They are the ones that really make this movie special, similar to E.T. Among this pack is Elle Fanning, Dakota’s younger sister, who plays Alice and she can steal any kid’s heart. The star of the show, however, is Joel Courtney who gives a top notch performance as Joe Lamb, similar to what Henry Thomas did for E.T. Sorry, it’s hard not to compare. Riley Griffiths plays Charles, Joe’s best friend and director of the “movie”. He was impressive as well. All in all the kids were very genuine with their performances and they out shined the adult cast. The fact that the story is so good makes it easier for the performers though. The fact that the time setting for this movie is the 70s makes the story better by making it seem a little less science fiction and a little more down to earth. The fact that the special effects were well done makes it more real too. The fact that the cinematography keeps you wrapped up in the movie makes this a wonderful cinematic experience. The fact that Steven Speilberg is the producer confirms that fact. The fact that this is a J.J. Abrams product also confirms it. The fact that the audience gave a thunderous applause at the end of the movie at the screening I attended must mean that there is a good chance you are going to like it. The fact is that this is a great movie.