J. J. ABRAMS QUOTES II
American film & television producer (1966- )
Star Wars is probably the most influential film of my generation. That work was the personification of good and evil and the way it opened up the world to space adventure, the way westerns did to our parents' generations, it left an indelible imprint. So, in a way, everything that any of us does is somehow directly or indirectly affected by the experience of seeing those first three films.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, Pirelli, December 16, 2015
The magic that works, to me, is the magic that feels completely grounded and real and tangible.
J. J. ABRAMS
The Telegraph, Jan. 25, 2014
I remember being taught to read at a very early age. Like creepy young. I remember being in the crib, reading. My parents were very impressed. My reading speed, comprehension and overall ability has remained at that level ever since.
J. J. ABRAMS
"J. J. Abrams: By the Book", The New York Times, Oct. 24, 2013
Directing's the best part. Whenever I've directed something, there's this feeling of demand and focus that I like. And secondly, it means that you've gotten through all the writing stuff, and the producing stuff, and casting, and prep, and all those stages that are seemingly endless. So directing is sort of the reward for all the work you put in before.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, A. V. Club, Sep. 2, 2008
I had friends who were great fans of Star Trek and I don't know if I was smart enough to get it, or patient enough. What I loved about Star Wars was the visceral energy of it, the clarity of it, the kind of innocence and big heart of it. Star Trek always felt a little bit more sophisticated and philosophical, debating moral dilemmas and things that were theoretically interesting, but for some reason I couldn't get on board.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, Pirelli, December 16, 2015
I'm not someone who quite understands the science of the Force. To me Star Wars was never about science fiction -- it was a spiritual story.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, SlashFilm, December 15, 2015
If you watch the first [Star Wars] movie, you don't actually know exactly what the Empire is trying to do. They're going to rule by fear -- but you don't know what their endgame is. You don't know what Leia is princess of. You don't yet understand who Jabba the Hutt is, even though there is a reference to him. You don't know that Vader is Luke's father, Leia is his sister -- but the possibility is all there. The beauty of that movie was that it was an unfamiliar world, and yet you wanted to see it expand and to see where it went.
J. J. ABRAMS
The Hollywood Reporter, Nov. 3, 2013
I don't want to destroy too many illusions. We're walking a tightrope. If you fall on one side it's no good, because we're showing too much. If you fall on the other side it's no good, because we're not showing anything and we look like arrogant jerks.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, Wired, November 2015
On movies like Star Trek and Star Wars, you have so much that will be created or extended digitally, and it's a slippery slope where you can get lost in a world of synthetic.
J. J. ABRAMS
Wall Street Journal, July 29, 2014
I'd love to do a movie where the monster is human.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, The Fresno Bee, December 16, 2015
The comedy that George Lucas put into Star Wars kind of was, for me, the thing that made me love the movie.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, The Fresno Bee, December 16, 2015
I've just been lucky to work on things that I felt would be cool to see. It's not that I had a strategy or anything.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, A. V. Club, Sep. 2, 2008
Every once in a while, you are on the set and you look at it from the outside and you are like, "This is ridiculous."
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, The Fresno Bee, December 16, 2015
The noise you hear after people see something you do--whether it's a TV show or a movie--that always makes you see that thing slightly differently. Without question. The ability of a television series to make adjustments is something you've got to take advantage of. And test-screening a movie can be helpful too. But the part that can be dangerous is when you take those notes as gospel, instead of taking them with a grain of salt. The key is to use the response as one of the tools in your box, as opposed to using it to determine what you do.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, A. V. Club, Sep. 2, 2008
All I'll say about the prequels is if you ask someone around the age I was when the original trilogy came out, "Whats your favorite Star Wars movie?" they will tell you one of the original trilogy. If you ask someone around that age when the prequels came out, they will say one of the prequels. And it's scientifically proven and undeniable. The original trilogy was for me what Star Wars felt like. And it was what Star Wars was. The prequels had a different but apparently equally powerful draw for so many people, and in some cases a more powerful draw.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, SlashFilm, December 15, 2015
There were things about these characters that sucked me in, regardless of and despite their being on Star Trek.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, Maxim, Apr. 29, 2009
There's something about looking at Super 8 films that is so evocative. You could argue it's the resolution of the film somehow because they aren't crystal clear and perfect so there is a kind of gauzy layer between you and what you see. You could argue it's the silence of them. You could say it's the sound of the projectors that create a moodiness. But there's something about looking at analog movies that's infinitely more powerful than digital.
J. J. ABRAMS
Santa Fe New Mexican, Jun. 7, 2011
You know that in the Star Wars universe there are going to be certain things that you're going to want to see, and that's cool and that's great. But what I realized early on was it was all about point of view--meaning it's not like you just objectively throw in a star field or a spaceship or a desert planet or whatever the thing. The question is, who is that person in that experience? Why does it matter to them? What are they desperate for or afraid of? For me, you could reference all the stuff you want, but the experience of the audience in this is that they've got to be sitting with someone who happens to be on-screen going through these experiences. And then that's not just a desert planet; it could be the most desperate place in the world. Or that's not just a spaceship flying by; it could be the greatest, most heroic moment of your life.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, Vanity Fair, May 6, 2015
The most exciting thing for me is crossing that bridge between something we know is real and something that is extraordinary. The thing for me has always been how you cross that bridge.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, The Fresno Bee, December 16, 2015
We're always pitching ideas and being told "no thank you." No offense taken, because I would so much rather be told the truth that they're not interested and be able to find the right show for that network down the line.
J. J. ABRAMS
interview, Entertainment Weekly, Nov. 15, 2013