Even if he wasn`t in the credits as co-producer, the influence of early 1980s Spielberg on Super 8 is undeniable, creating a hybrid of his family films of that time with the big CGI spectacle that today`s audiences expect and demand.
It`s 1979 and a group of kids is shooting an amateur zombie movie on a Super 8 camera when one night they witness the derailment of an Air Force train and are warned by the badly hurt man who caused it not to tell anyone. Strange things start happening in the area and it soon becomes clear that the train was carrying something that is now loose in their little town.
For months, the filmmakers kept the plot as a big mystery, generating hype and dozens of theories among fans of director J.J. Abrams. The secrecy around the film`s plot continues even during the movie, as Abrams does not reveal the real nature of the train`s cargo until the very last act, cleverly hiding whatever is responsible for the problems the characters are facing. For a moment, you even wonder whether J.J. Abrams deliberately lied and you are indeed watching a prequel to Cloverfield, but the doubts are eventually dissipatedâ€