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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Super 8

    Featured In Issue 162, December 2011

    Picture5
    SoundNR
    WSR Score5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Paramount Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    14544
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG-13
    (Rating Reason):
    Intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and some drug use
    (Retail Price):
    $39.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    111
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    Not Indicated
    (Theatrical Year):
    2011
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    11/22/11
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    J.J. Abrams
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby TrueHD 7.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Super 8 follows a group of friends in a small Ohio town who witness a catastrophic train crash while making a Super 8 movie. When they realize that it was no accident, they set out to find the truth—something more shocking than any of them could have imagined. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include commentary by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, and Larry Fong; eight featurettes: The Dream Behind Super 8 (HD 16:28), The Search For New Faces (HD 17:46), Meet Joel Courtney (HD 14:35), Rediscovering Steel Town (HD 18:24), The Visitor Lives (HD 12:22), Scoring Super 8 (HD 05:29), Do You Believe In Magic? (HD 04:29), and The 8mm Revolution (HD 08:15); "Deconstructing The Train Crash" Bonus View self-guided trip from script to screen; 14 deleted scenes (HD 12:47); and a digital copy.

    The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture is terrific, with a wonderful cinematic appearance. Dramatically rendered throughout, contrast is well balanced and shadow delineation is beautifully revealing of fine detail. The color palette is nicely saturated with strong primaries and rich and vibrant hues, yet is perfectly naturally rendered. The picture is so rich and natural looking. Fleshtones are naturally hued throughout. Blacks are deep and solid. Dimensional depth is excellent. Resolution is superb, with clearly defined details exhibited in facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. This is a compelling and engaging picture experience that perfectly supports the suspenseful storytelling. (Gary Reber)

    While the credits and player identification indicate that the soundtrack is a Dolby® TrueHD 7.1-channel encoding, the soundtrack for the most part is a 5.1-channel encoding. The added two channels appear to activate only during intense dynamic moments, such as during explosions and crashes. Thus, the result is limited instead of fully employing all of the channels. When fully energized, the entire soundfield is explosive and intensely dimensional, with an aggressive surround presence. The sound is holosonic®, even when the mode is 5.1. The sonics are dynamic, with excellent fidelity and powerful sub-25 Hz bass. Michael Giacchino's orchestral music score is sweepingly expansive, with a wide and deep soundstage presence that aggressively extends into the surrounds. Dialogue is effectively intelligible, even during intense action scenes, and generally provides good spatial integration. Atmospherics and special effects are panned and directionalized throughout, for an exciting surround experience. This is an exceptionally well-crafted soundtrack that won't disappoint. (Gary Reber)

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