Super 8 and a Quick Review of the Science Fiction Genre

The first time I saw the teaser trailer for Super 8, I was intrigued. The first time I saw a full-length trailer, I was downright giddy. With whiz-kid J.J. Abrams directing and legend Steven Spielberg producing, the planets appeared to be aligning for a hidden gem to appear out of the absolute crap-fest that is this summer's lineup of movies Hollywood decided to release. Though I haven't seen the movie yet (it's released on Friday) Super 8 seems as though it has a retro Sci-Fi feel, slightly reminiscent of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET: The Extra Terrestrial, and Back to the Future.

While I'm extremely excited for the release of Super 8, I wanted to take time to reflect on the genre that has captured the imagination of the world through film time and time again. The genre that can take us to places we only dreamed of going. The genre where aliens are commonplace, computers have minds of their own, and some of humanity's most important questions are asked. The genre which really captures all of the greatest aspects of film: the genre of science fiction.