Jj Abrams

News, Reviews & Features

Review: Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker is good, but conflicted

Movie Review | Matt Looker | 19th December 2019

There’s no denying that Star Wars: The Last Jedi created a massive disturbance in the force, as if a million voices suddenly cried out in entitled outrage and were suddenly empowered to act like total asshats on Twitter. All Rian Johnson really did was evolve his film beyond the tropes, cliches and traditions that have become the hallmarks of every episode in the saga until that point. Bury the past - or literally burn it down - and move on. Forget the old and make way for the new, otherwise how can there be any progress? After all, "we are," muses Yoda, "what they grow beyond". But if that proved a divisive move, then what JJ Abrams does with this final instalment is equally controversial: ignore that new approach entirely and return to the safe familiarity of the old template. There’s important plot development, of course, but it is housed within a return to the brand adherence and fan service that The Force Awakens originally offered. Skywalker rises, but Episode 9 of 9 simply stays on target.

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Discussion: Impossible - Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Movie Feature | Ali Gray, Matt Looker, Becky Suter, Ed Williamson | 22nd July 2018

Another installment of the most original feature series in online history: the one where four people get together over email to force themselves to talk about the Mission: Impossible movies, instead of just enjoying them like everyone else on the planet. Today: Mission: Impossible III, directed by Jonathan Jonathan Abrams.

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If other monster movies had 'blood relatives' like 10 Cloverfield Lane

Movie Feature | Ali Gray | 21st March 2016

10 Cloverfield Lane is the latest mystery box from man/magician JJ Abrams: a revolutionary new sort-of-sequel to his 2008 monster movie classic Cloverfield. He calls it a "blood relative" but what this means in real terms is "a sequel in all but name only". It's a technique that could catch on in the monster genre - spin-offs that springboard off an iconic monster attack but focus on something way less spectacular (and way cheaper to create). We humbly present the next 10 revolutionary new sort-of sequels to monster movie classics. That's right, JJ. We've bust your mystery box wide open.

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10 Cloverfield Lane

Movie Review | Matt Looker | 18th March 2016

What a nice, interesting surprise. A Cloverfield sequel that nobody was expecting dropping a trailer out of nowhere and coming with a tantalising-yet-head-scratching title implying a connection to the first film that makes no sense whatsoever. I'm excited, but also... confused? Like a dog hearing somebody whistling on the TV. I have no idea what's about to come next, but it sounds fun.

And this, as it happens, is the film's greatest strength. Because there are so few films released now that make us feel like dogs hearing somebody whistle on the TV.

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Star Wars is dead, long live Star Wars

Movie Feature | Ali Gray | 24th December 2015

The Force awoke a few days later than most for me, but on Monday 21st December, I sat in a small cinema in Hammersmith and readied my body for Star Wars. Sweaty palms? Check. Slightly elevated heartbeat? Check. Stupid grin plastered on face despite nearby proximity of colleagues who consider me an otherwise professional and functional human being? Check. There are have been few cinematic experiences in my career where I have legitimately broken out in goosebumps, but Episode VII was one of them: if a new Star Wars trilogy can no longer be considered a once in a lifetime event, then it's still a rare treat to savour. Excitement, thy name is The Force Awakens.

But then a funny thing happened when the movie started rolling.

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Trailer breakdown: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Movie Feature | Ali Gray | 16th April 2015

STAR WARS! WAR STORES! TRAMOPOLINE!

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A brief history of New Star Wars Trailer Day

Movie Feature | Ali Gray | 28th November 2014

Happy New Star Wars Trailer Day everyone! While the world and its web awaits the first non-shitty-camcorder footage of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, let's bide our time by learning a little about this most prestigious of national holidays. Are you all wearing your traditional Imperial robes? Then I'll begin!

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Literally everyone has auditioned for Star Wars Episode VII

Movie Feature | Neil Alcock | 7th October 2013

The internets are pretty jizzed right now about the fact that Saoirse Ronan auditioned for Star Wars Episode VII, as revealed in the Empire podcast, but nobody seems to have picked up on her most revealing comment: "Yeah, I did [audition for Star Wars Episode VII]… I mean, everyone did. Everyone has auditioned for it." In a Shiznit exclusive, we spoke to literally everyone about their Ep 7 auditions, and here are just some of their remarkable stories...

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Something about this Star Trek Into Darkness poster seems a little off

Movie News | Ali | 16th April 2013

I can't quite put my finger on what's weird about it.

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Why doesn't Finch build a front end for The Machine?

TV Video | Ed Williamson | 12th April 2013

This is why the government didn't want it, you mug. Like you expect everyone at the NSA to deal with some cumbersome command-line interface every time they want to run a query. Stick a GUI on it with a few buttons and dropdowns if you're such a bloody genius and maybe we'll talk.

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