New JJ Abrams interview

[Mach5]

SalvorHardin wrote:

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He's just telling all the people who don't speak Klingon or hang around various TrekBBSes or don't know who farted and when in an episode that aired in 1967 that these movies he's making, you can enjoy them coming in fresh and without previously knowing anything about Trek.

Sure, I get that. But I would have phrased it differently, if I were him. "This movie was not made for 'Star Trek' fans" sounds rather dismissive. After all, it's the fans who kept the franchise alive for 46 six years. Without the fans, TMP never would have happened. Star Trek would just be a canceled TV show from the sixties, nothing more. I think we deserve better than "this movie is not for you".

[Desert Kris]

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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Someone should tell this asshole to stop repeating that shit like a braindead parrot. It's annoying, and borderline disrespectful.

It sounds like JJ Abrams is trying to be respectful, by keeping Star Trek alive for everybody, including fans. He made one very entertaining ST movie, and we'll see in a few months what his crew came up with next.

He didn't come out and say anything like: "Someone should tell fans...(fill in the blank about any stonewalling fan sentiment and discourse)", and he was respectful in the sense that he didn't call the fans a bunch of assholes, which is pretty would be pretty extreme talk when throwing around the word "respect".

Irony?

[SalvorHardin]

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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Sure, I get that. But I would have phrased it differently, if I were him. "This movie was not made for 'Star Trek' fans" sounds rather dismissive.

10 different people might have phrased it in 10 different ways. What matters is the point he's making.
Movie fans is an ever bigger category which includes Star Trek fans.
And besides, he doesn't stop talking after "This movie was not made for 'Star Trek' fans"

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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Without fans, TMP never would have happened. Star Trek would just be a canceled TV show from the sixties, nothing more. I think we deserve better than "this movie is not for you".

"But if you're a 'Star Trek' fan, I think you'll be really happy," Abrams said, once again avoiding answering the question directly. "There's a lot of stuff in here for you, but we couldn't just make the movie only for fans of 'Star Trek."

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Jeyl wrote:

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…………What if a Movie fan is a Star Trek fan?

Good.

You go out and find about fifteen times as many Trek fans as have been demonstrably willing to spend money on the thing since around 1997 and you may have something Paramount is willing to pay attention to.

Otherwise, you're out of luck. Buy a ticket or don't; enough other people are now willing to, for the first time, that it doesn't matter much whether you do or not.

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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I think we deserve better than "this movie is not for you".

You don't "deserve" anything. This is a business.

[Mach5]

SalvorHardin wrote:

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10 different people might have phrased it in 10 different ways. What matters is the point he's making.

He already made that point three years ago. And then some. A lot of people saw ST09, and by now, pretty much every "movie fan" knows what kind of Star Trek this is.

SalvorHardin wrote:

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"But if you're a 'Star Trek' fan, I think you'll be really happy," Abrams said, once again avoiding answering the question directly. "There's a lot of stuff in here for you, but we couldn't just make the movie only for fans of 'Star Trek."

Those are almost the exact same words from 2009. And they're appreciated, but still, starting every single interview with "I'm not a Star Trek fan", and "this movie is not for fans" is something I find unnecessary and annoying.

My Name Is Legion wrote:

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You don't "deserve" anything. This is a business.

That's not really how it works. You don't just ditch the customer once you have his money. Ask any salesman. Show him respect, and you'll live off of him for many years to come. Treat him like shit, and he'll take his business elsewhere, regardless of the product.

[SalvorHardin]

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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He already made that point three years ago. And then some. A lot of people saw ST09, and by now, pretty much every "movie fan" knows what kind of Star Trek this is.

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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Those are almost the exact same words from 2009. And they're appreciated, but still, starting every single interview with "I'm not a Star Trek fan", and "this movie is not for fans" is something I find unnecessary and annoying.

Every movie needs to be promoted. Directors and actors need to give interviews. It never hurts reminding people the basics and trying to reach new potential viewers.

One successful movie does not so easily make up for decades of "stigma".
Prepare yourself, because you'll hear it again in the next 6 months until the movie premieres. And you'll hear it again if we get a third one.

[Nerys Myk]

It's necessary to promote the film beyond the "fanbase".

Its not personal its business. You won't be any less the special snowflake because of it.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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That's not really how it works. You don't just ditch the customer once you have his money. Ask any salesman. Show him respect, and you'll live off of him for many years to come.

Nonsense.

You paid your money, you got your product. When too few people are willing to buy that product, the company's not under any obligation to keep producing it for the sake of a very few people who still want to buy it. They can go out of business that way.

There aren't enough people willing to buy what you're asking for to make producing it worthwhile for the studio. Therefore, you're not actually "the customer" that Paramount needs to satisfy at this point. They don't need or want you to "keep coming back" to buy something that it's no longer in their interest as a business to make and sell.

Paramount's businesspeople are quite able to read a balance sheet. What they're doing now works better than what they were doing before. Therefore, they'll continue to do it. Kissing the asses of a few thin-skinned fans is not on the menu, I'm afraid.

[Mach5]

Santa Kang wrote:

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It's necessary to promote the film beyond the "fanbase".

Yeah, because I'm an idiot who doesn't know that.

Shit, this has become tedious. I was "annoyed" by Abrams for like 35 seconds anyway.

My Name Is Legion wrote:

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Nonsense.

Mercedes Benz begs to differ.

My Name Is Legion wrote:

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You paid your money, you got your product. When too few people are willing to buy that product, the company's not under any obligation to keep producing it for the sake of a very few people who still want to buy it. They can go out of business that way.

That doesn't have anything to do with the point I was trying to make.

[JonnyBoy]

Movies "made for Star Trek fans"=

Nemesis (point made)

Movies "made for everyone"=

The Wrath of Khan
The Voyage Home
The Undiscovered Country
First Contact
Star Trek

[Mach5]

JonnyBoy wrote:

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Movies "made for Star Trek fans"=

Nemesis (point made)

IIRC, it was directed by a guy who knew nothing about Star Trek, cared nothing about Star Trek, and was a dick to everyone on the set.

JonnyBoy wrote:

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Movies "made for everyone"=
The Wrath of Khan
The Voyage Home
The Undiscovered Country
First Contact

Star Trek

I don't think TUC was made for "everyone", and neither was FC. ST IV definitely WAS, though. Even more so than ST09. And it still remains my favorite.

[Sigokat]

I met JJ and the cast of ST09 when they came to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait to premiere the first movie to US Soldiers. After the movie (which you had to get a ticket for and luckily I got one) the cast and JJ did a questions and answers session. JJ seemed...well...kind of bored. I don't know, I just didn't get a vibe from him that he wanted to answer any questions.

Most people asked questions of Bana, Quinto, and Pine. One soldier stood up and asked Qunito if he wouldn't mind talking to his daughter on his cell. So this soldier called his daughter back in the states really quick told her to hang on a sec and gave the phone to Zach and he talked to her for a few minutes. It was pretty cool.

I did get to chat a bit with Zach and with Karl Urban who was really cool and down to earth.

Overall an awesome experience, but JJ was just kind of blah compared to the rest. Maybe he just doesn't like interviews?

[SalvorHardin]

Sigokat wrote:

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I met JJ and the cast of ST09 when they came to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait to premiere the first movie to US Soldiers. After the movie (which you had to get a ticket for and luckily I got one) the cast and JJ did a questions and answers session. JJ seemed...well...kind of bored. I don't know, I just didn't get a vibe from him that he wanted to answer any questions.

Most people asked questions of Bana, Quinto, and Pine. One soldier stood up and asked Qunito if he wouldn't mind talking to his daughter on his cell. So this soldier called his daughter back in the states really quick told her to hang on a sec and gave the phone to Zach and he talked to her for a few minutes. It was pretty cool.

I did get to chat a bit with Zach and with Karl Urban who was really cool and down to earth.

Overall an awesome experience, but JJ was just kind of blah compared to the rest. Maybe he just doesn't like interviews?

I remember that Quinto incident from back in 2009. Pretty cool indeed.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Not everyone who works behind the camera or behind the scenes in the movie industry actually enjoys or does well with public attention. Real celebrity is the exception rather than the rule, even now, for directors and writers and producers. For someone in Abrams's position making the kinds of films he does it's doubtless a disadvantage if he doesn't enjoy the "selling" part of it - but not much of one.

[Nerys Myk]

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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Yeah, because I'm an idiot who doesn't know that.

Shit, this has become tedious. I was "annoyed" by Abrams for like 35 seconds anyway.

.

Yet you keep banging away at it.

Prancer the Sith wrote:

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IIRC, it was directed by a guy who knew nothing about Star Trek, cared nothing about Star Trek, and was a dick to everyone on the set.

Alot of directors are dicks. IIRC James Cameron isn't exactly beloved by actors.

How much "love" or "knowledge" did guys like Wise or Meyer have for Star Trek? Its largely irrelevant to making a good film.