Abrams II, Part 7: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. John and Mike are joined by Krissy of Educating Geeks to discuss J.J. Abrams' production of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.
Read MoreCommentary: Trek Stars 171: #Ghotocol / by Mike Schindler
Abrams II, Part 6: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Mike and John are joined by Adam of the Red Shirt Diaries to look at J.J. Abrams' production of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.
Read MoreCommentary: Trek Stars 170: The Michael Bay of Light Comedy / by Mike Schindler
Abrams II, Part 5: Morning Glory.
After a successful reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009, J.J. Abrams put his producer hat back on the following year for Roger Michell's Morning Glory. The film stars Rachel McAdams as the producer of a daily morning news/talk show. In an effort to boost ratings, she hires a legendary reporter played by Harrison Ford to anchor the show, against his better judgment.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike take a look at Morning Glory. We discuss how the movie differs from other Bad Robot productions, the filmmakers involved behind the scenes, and long-time collaboration between Abrams and Ford.
Chapters
Morning Glory (01:09)
A Bad Robot Production (22:28)
Wrap-up (38:06)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
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)
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Commentary: Trek Stars 176: Citizen Kane: Tokyo Drift
Commentary: Trek Stars 169: The Citizen Kane of Found Footage Movies / by Mike Schindler
Abrams II, Part 4: Cloverfield.
After successfully launching his directing career with Mission: Impossible III, J.J. Abrams' name had become a brand. The first movie to be heavily marketed as a "J.J. Abrams Production" was Matt Reeves' Cloverfield.
Cloverfield, is a giant monster film in the vein of Godzilla, but with a twist: The entire film is seem through the camcorder of our unexacting protagonists.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at the fourth picture in our series. We discuss the movie's marketing, the found-footage aesthetic, and what Abrams brought to the production. We also preview the upcoming sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Chapters
The Marketing (00:02:15)
Thoughts on the Movie (00:17:07)
Abrams' Contribution (00:35:11)
Wrap-up (00:58:17)
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)
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Commentary: Trek Stars 168: Chat Room on Wheels / by Mike Schindler
Abrams II, Part 3.
In 2001, the first Bad Robot production was released. Joy Ride tells the story of two brothers on a cross-country road trip who prank the wrong truck driver, with deadly results. The film stars Paul Walker, Steve Zahn and Leelee Sobieski. It was directed by John Dahl and co-written and co-produced by J.J. Abrams himself.
I this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike look at Abrams' third production. We discuss the film's tried and true horror cliches, Abrams' range as a filmmaker, and why Joy Ride is important to Abrams' history. We also look at this year's Oscar-nominated Star Trek vets, and touch on the trailer for the next Abrams production, 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Chapters
Oscars (00:55)
Joy RIde (16:25)
John Dahl (31:50)
Wrap-up (44:42)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
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)
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Commentary: Trek Stars 167: JLove is the Bomb / by Mike Schindler
Abrams II, Part 2: The Suburbans.
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)
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Commentary: Trek Stars 166: Maury the Mortician / by Mike Schindler
Abrams II, Part 1: The Pallbearer.
As the trailer proudly states, Star Trek Beyond is produced by J.J. Abrams. We all know that Abrams directed the last two Star Trek films, and we all know that he is not directing this one. So what does it mean when we see that Abrams is producing the new movie?
We try to answer that question in this new series on Commentary: Trek Stars, where we will be looking at each of the films which Abrams produced for other filmmakers. In Part 1 of this series, John and Mike cover The Pallbearer, a film starring David Schwimmer and Gwyneth Paltrow which was directed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, and co-written by Reeves and Friday Night Lights creator Jason Katims.
We discuss the heavy influence of The Graduate on this film, its place in the history of Miramax, and the contribution of cinematographer Robert Elswit.
Chapters
The Pallbearer (00:06:35)
Miramax (00:20:55)
Wrap-up (00:37:27)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
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)
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Commentary: Trek Stars 165: We're Going to Soderbergh! / by Mike Schindler
Doug Jung: Confidence.
Much has been made of Simon Pegg's contribution to the screenplay for Star Trek Beyond. So much so that people tend to forget that Pegg has a partner on the project, co-writer Doug Jung.
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Jung's first movie, Confidence. We discuss the film's intricate structure, its similarity to other films from the time period, and what it tells us about Jung's contribution to Beyond. We also remember TOS writer George Clayton Johnson.
Chapters
Doug Jung (00:01:39)
Confidence (00:03:59)
Ocean's Twelve (00:19:33)
George Clayton Johnson (00:35:33)
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)
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Commentary: Trek Stars 164: JJ is My Jam / by Mike Schindler
Abrams, Part 5: Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens
Many have criticized J.J. Abrams for turning Star Trek into Star Wars with his 2009 film. But what happens when Abrams make a Star Wars movie for real?
In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike add a postscript to their series on J.J. Abrams with a look at his latest directorial effort, Star Wars: Episode VII--The Force Awakens. We discuss the movie on the whole, Abrams' direction in particular, and the work of other Trek veterans on the crew. We also give our thoughts on the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond.
Chapters
The Force Awakens (00:01:12)
Crying in Movies (00:19:57)
Spoilers (00:48:29)
Trek Collaborators (01:04:51)
Wrap-up (01:17:31)
Hosts
John Mills and Mike Schindler
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)
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Commentary: Trek Stars 163: Zom Rom Com / by Mike Schindler
Pegg, Part 7: Recap.
Over the course of the last decade, Simon Pegg has come to prove himself not only as a fine, but also as one of the best writers in the movie business.
This week on Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at each of the five films which Pegg has co-written, including Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Run Fatboy Run, Paul, and The World's End. We also discuss Bad Robot's restoration of Phantasm.
Chapters
Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Run Fatboy Run (00:01:10)
Paul and The World's End (00:14:10)
Conclusion (00:33:12)
Wrap-up (00:48:24)
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)
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