Commentary: Trek Stars 167: JLove is the Bomb

Abrams II, Part 2: The Suburbans.

iTunes | Stitcher | Download | RSS

Running Time: 54 minutes 21 seconds

---

In 1999, J.J. Abrams produced his second feature film, The Suburbans. The movie, directed by Donal Lardner Ward, looks at a one-hit wonder from the 80s which is attempting to stage a comeback in the 90s. The cast features Ward, Abrams favorite Tony Guma (who co-wrote the script with Ward), up-and-coming star Will Ferrell, and 90s icon Jennifer Love Hewitt.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John look at this lost film from Abrams' pre-Bad Robot career. We discuss the historical context of the film, Abrams' motivations for making it, and how slang has changed over the years.

Chapters

The Suburbans (00:01:55)
Abrams' Contribution (00:21:25)
Wrap-up (00:45:45)

Hosts

Mike Schindler and John Mills

Production

Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars...

Commentary: Trek Stars 98: I'm In Chains Sweetie, I'll Be Home By 9:00

Meyer III: Houdini.

Throughout his career, Nicholas Meyer has shown a fascination for the psychology behind larger-than-life historical figures. His new television mini-series, Houdini, is no exception.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at the show, which was scripted by Meyer and stars Adrian Brody as the title character. We discuss the surprisingly high-end production value, the unusual formal qualities, and the Arthur Conan Doyle subplot. We also touch on the involvement of two Star Trek movie directors' fathers.

Running Time: 47 Minutes 26 Seconds

---

Hosts

Max Hegel and Mike Schindler

Topics

Houdini (1:11)
The Style (09:00)
Doyle (25:20)
Wrap-Up (38:49)

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars...

Commentary: Trek Stars 97: Only Half a Mess

Lindelof, Part 6: World War Z.

Despite its enormous popularity, Damon Lindelof's television series, Lost, is often criticized for its ending. But that did not stop Marc Forster and his team from hiring Lindelof to re-write the third act of the troubled Brad Pitt vehicle, World War Z. The movie went on to huge box office success, and much of the credit went to Lindelof and his co-writer, Drew Goddard.

On this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds to look at Lindelof's most recent cinematic endeavor. We discuss the similarities between the movie and the novel upon which it was based, the structural issues associated with the film, and how Lindelof and Goddard wrote the best ending possible for the movie. We also marvel at the cast of the audiobook.

Running Time: 56 Minutes 45 Minutes

---

Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

Guest

John Mills

Topics

World War Z (1:45)
Thoughts on the Film (12:44)
The Ending (25:34)
Final Thoughts (37:56)
Wrap-Up (44:32)

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars...

Commentary: Trek Stars 96: Spectacle Creep

Lindelof, Part 5: Star Trek Into Darkness.

Last year on Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike looked at the films that Damon Lindelof had written up to that point. Since then, Lindelof has written two more films. The first of these was Star Trek Into Darkness.

In this episode, we return to Lindelof's body of work to examine his work as a Star Trek writer. We discuss the concept of "spectacle creep" and how it applies to Into Darkness, the similarities and differences between Into Darkness and The Wrath of Khan, and the challenges of telling a small story on a big scale. We also remember the work of Next Generation director Robert Wiemer.

Running Time: 48 Minutes 37 Seconds

---

Hosts

Max Hegel and Mike Schindler

Topics

The Parsec Awards (1:17)
Into Darkness (5:13)
Spock vs. Khan (15:57)
Kirk's Sacrifice (27:01)
Final Thoughts (32:29)
Robert Wiemer (39:31)
Wrap-Up (41:46)

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars...

Commentary: Trek Stars 95: A Crazy Possessed Typewriter

Abrams, Part 4: Recap.

For someone held in such high regard by the film industry, J.J. Abrams has a fairly short resume when it comes to directing. As of now, he has only directed four features, including Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, Super 8, and Star Trek Into Darkness.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max recap their look at Abrams's directorial work. We also discuss his upcoming film, Star Wars: Episode VII, and answer a listener's questions about Max's opinion of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

Running Time: 1 Hour 19 Minutes 53 Seconds

---

Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

Topics

Mission: Impossible III (1:05)
Star Trek (2:56)
Super 8 (32:40)
Star Trek Into Darkness (34:48)
Star Wars: Episode VII (41:04)
Final Thoughts (44:49)
Listener Feedback (51:10)
Closing (1:14:56)

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars...

Commentary: Trek Stars 94: What's in the Box?

Abrams, Part 3: Super 8.

In between Star Trek films, J.J. Abrams took a break from the franchise to direct his passion project, Super 8. The film, about a group of kids who accidentally film the wreck of a government train transporting an alien, is Abrams's homage to Steven Spielberg-era sci-fi blockbusters.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds to look at Abrams's most personal movie to date. We discuss the motivations of alien, what's inside the mystery box, and of course, lens flares. Max also answers a listener's question about what movies he thinks are good.

Running Time: 1 Hour 7 Minutes 46 Seconds

---

Hosts

Max Hegel and Mike Schindler

Guest

John Mills

Topics

Super 8 (3:40)
The Alien (12:11)
The Mystery Box (20:59)
Lens Flares (30:45)
Final Thoughts (40:28)
Listener Mail (50:15)
Closing (1:03:11)

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars...

Commentary: Trek Stars 93: A Giant Group of Talented Weirdos

Abrams, Part 2: Mission: Impossible III.

Before relaunching Star Trek, J.J. Abrams adapted another Desilu television show for the big screen with Mission: Impossible III. 

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by Tysto to look at Abrams's first feature. We discuss why Tom Cruise gave him the job, how it differs from the other Mission: Impossible films, and how it influenced his work in Trek. We also debate the merits of the script.

Running Time: 49 Minutes 38 Seconds

---

Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

Guest

Tysto
 

Topics

Mission: Impossible III (4:22)
The Show (10:21)
The Movies (14:13)
Similarities to Alias (23:43)
The Writing (28:07)
Final Thoughts (38:06)
Wrap-up (39:19)

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars...

Commentary: Trek Stars 76: The Berman Cube

Rick Berman.

It could be argued that, with the exception of Gene Roddenberry, no one has played a bigger role in shaping the Star Trek franchise than Rick Berman.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at the choices Berman made on a conceptual level, and how they influenced the direction of the franchise. We discuss how he balanced Roddenberry's vision with Michael Piller's creativity on The Next Generation, the choice to set Deep Space Nine on a station, whether or not Voyager was designed to replicate TNG, and the reason why Enterprise was always destined to take place on a starship. We also look at how the fans' view of Berman's contribution has changed with distance.

Running Time: 44 minutes 28 seconds

---

Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

Topics

Rick Berman
The Next Generation
Deep Space Nine
The Movies
Voyager
Enterprise
Final Thoughts

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars…

Commentary: Trek Stars 71: Better Than a Public School Education

Bole, Part 2: Small Potatoes.

Cliff Bole will always be known first and foremost for his contribution to Star Trek, but he also had a huge impact on another sci-fi series, The X-Files. Four episodes of the '90s cult classic were directed by Bole, including some of the very best. 

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at Bole's first X-Files episode, "Small Potatoes." We discuss the series as a whole, the difficulty of balancing grotesque crimes with humor, and the apparent freedom Bole was given in this series which may have been absent on Trek. We also examine the merits of The X-Files as an educational tool.

Running Time: 42 minutes 49 seconds

---

Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

Topics

The X-Files
Small Potatoes
Bole's Contribution
Final Thoughts

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars…

Commentary: Trek Stars 70: Blue-Collar Directing

Bole, Part 1: Trek.

Last month, the world lost legendary Star Trek director Cliff Bole, who helmed 42 hours of Trek—including 25 episodes of The Next Generation—more than anyone else in the show's history. Among those 25 was "The Best of Both Worlds," commonly considered to be the best TNG episode, and one of the best television episodes, of all time.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max kick off a new series looking at the work that Bole did in another beloved franchise, The X-Files. But first, we are joined by TNG expert Larry Nemecek to discuss Bole's work in Trek, his industry origins, his hits and misses, and his blue-collar approach to filmmaking. Larry also gives us a taste of what Bole was like as a person.

Running Time: 1 hour 5 minutes 14 seconds

---

Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

Guest

Larry Nemecek

Show Notes

Read Bole's obituary and sign an online guest book.

---

Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

---

More recent episodes of Commentary: Trek Stars…