J.J. Abrams

Pleasure in the Rubble: Why the Summer's Last, Smallest Blockbuster Was Its Best

The Best TV Writer Panel Ever?

When the invitation went out from the Writers Guild of America, It seemed too good to be true. Norman Lear, Carl Reiner, James L. Books, Steven Bochco, and more, all on the same panel? And yet last night at the WGA Theater in Beverly Hills, to celebrate the organization's 101 Best Written TV Series ... More >>

Star Trek Spoilers and a Mayor With Baggage: Readers Respond

A Brief History of the Lens Flares Technique -- and the End of Film

With Star Trek Into Darkness, J.J. Abrams Boldly Goes Back to Khan

Eight Great Shows You Haven't Binge-Watched on Netflix Yet

Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti Duel Over Celebrity Vote in L.A. Mayoral Race

It's always fun to see who the cool kids -- i.e., celebrities -- line up with come election season, and this year's mayoral race is starting to attract that kind of attention. L.A. City Councilman Eric Garcetti recently rolled out a video starring a gushing Salma Hayek. Now it's City Controller Wend ... More >>

How a Star Wars Art Show Came to Be

See also: *Boba Fett as a Girl *The Creation of That Super Bowl Ad With the Imperial March Sung by Dogs The star of L.A.-based artist Lekit's Opheleia looks like she's had a brutal day. Her cheeks are sunken, her eyes dazed. Her dress falls off her shoulders, revealing an impressive tattoo collect ... More >>

Five Artsy Things to Do This Week, Including Memories of a Drive-by Gallery

This week, an artist stages a tiny exhibition at Central Library and a century-old Rodin sculpture plays a part in an afternoon-long performance. 5. J.J. Abrams inspires an art book The Lost Issue , the catalog for the "Lost (in L.A.)" exhibition at Barnsdall Park, a show of French and Angeleno art ... More >>

Democratic War for L.A.'s Richest

Betsy Butler and Torie Osborn woo the carbon-counting strata of Assembly District 50

2011 Village Voice/L.A. Weekly Film Critics' Poll

Parsing the data

Jorge Garcia from Lost: His Secret Standup Comedy Performance Last Night at the Laugh Factory

Julie SeabaughJorge Garcia, Suzanne Whang, Eric Schwartz​ Jorge Garcia has overcome polar bears, Smoke Monsters and time-traveling islands. Standing alone and blinded by spotlights in front of 300 audience members who expect you to make them laugh is another challenge altogether. Few know tha ... More >>

Top 10 Artworks Inspired by Cult Movies From the 'Crazy 4 Cult' Book and Art Show, Including Fight Club, TRON and Back to the Future

​Sometimes life imitates art. Or maybe it goes the other way around. But at Gallery 1988, art imitates art at the annual "Crazy 4 Cult" exhibit, a conglomeration of pieces inspired by some of the most celebrated cult films in history. The show, which opens again on July 8, has featured art ri ... More >>

Michelle Obama Charges $10K for Photo Op, 'Private Time' at L.A. Campaign Fundraiser (Unless You're J.J. Abrams)

This could be you, for 10,000 dolla!​The first lady landed quietly in Los Angeles this morning, avoiding another #ObamaTraffic nightmare with an early arrival at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. There to greet her were director J.J. Abrams -- basking in "Super 8's" critically acclai ... More >>

Five Movies Coming Out This Weekend, Including Super 8 and Steve Coogan

Super 8​ This week in our print edition, LA Weekly critics review five movies coming out this weekend. Also check out Sam Wasson's confrontation of Terrence Malick, as he writes, "Perhaps it's time to reach for the light, prop up against the headboard and give this relationship some fresh cons ... More >>

The Creative Pros

Hammer Conversation

Super 8 Review

JJ Abrams meets Steven Spielberg

Fringe-Worthy

Hollywood Backs Harris as Cooley Pulls Away

Why ugly and grumpy Steve is beating smart and beautiful Kamala

Edgar Wright and J.J. Abrams in Discussion at LAFF 2010

© Universal PicturesMichael Cera wields the flaming sword of geek chivalry in Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World​ At this year's Los Angeles Film Festival, there has been plenty for the genre crowd to get excited about, from last week's Christopher Nolan conversation to the upcoming ... More >>

'Star Wars', 'Star Trek' or 'Battlestar Galactica'? We Ask at Wumpskate's 'Star Skate'

Monday night, fans of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Spock, William Adama and more outer space heroes congregated at monthly roller rink party Wumpskate for "Star Skate." The theme party brought together science fiction tunes (S.P.O.C.K.'s "Dr. McCoy," The Timelords "Doctorin' the Tardis") with costumes and dozens ... More >>

Star Trek: The Motion Pictures

Reevaluating the Enterprise enterprise, midnights at the Royal

Of Both Shadow And Substance: Gallery 1988 Fetes 'The Twilight Zone'

Nicole CamposCasey Weldon, "Twilight Zone Vs. Twilight" (triptych)​It's timely that, four days shy of national Geek Pride day and two short of the finale of one of the most anticipated genre TV series of the decade, Gallery 1988 would dedicate its latest art-as-pop-homage exhibition to The Twi ... More >>

NBC's Latest Cooking Show: Caterers Who Are Spies!

Catering usually means insanely long hours, mediocre pay, a big pile of worn-out cooking clogs, and -- unless you work for Wolfgang Puck Catering -- very little glamor. But who needs real life when you've got NBC. Jay Leno's home network has just picked up a new series from J.J. Abrams called Underc ... More >>

Trekkies Storm Hollywood & Highland "Star Trek: The Exhibition" for Abrams' DVD Release

Nicole CamposRod Roddenberry, posing with a key piece of Trek legacy, Captain Kirk's original uniform.​It's one thing to wait for a big DVD release, run out, grab the disc, run home and watch it on your killer entertainment system; it's quite another to watch it on the bridge of the Enterprise ... More >>

Paramount's Black Friday

Lesher out, Weston out, Goodman In

Survivor, Hollywood-Style

MGM Tells Fiscal Truths, William Morris Lays Off, Chris Hemsworth Lands Thor

Summer Movies Blast Off With A Howl

Box office is on fire but fanboys flame Star Trek and Wolverine

Movie Reviews: Big Man Japan, Management, Not Forgetten

Also, Brothers at War, The New Twenty, The Skeptic, The Brothers Bloom and Next Day Air

'Star Trek' Disappoints Some Latino and Gay Fans

Heard in the Laemmle Grande lobby downtown after a Star Trek screening got out Saturday night:"Scotty was Irish -- no, Scottish. He was Celtic. But how come no Latinos?! Que pasa?!!!"The man's exasperated comment echoes frustrations by Latino trekkies who love the movie but wonder why the Enterprise ... More >>

Movie Reviews: Adoration, Julia, Little Ashes, Revanche

Also, Next Day Air, Our City Dreams and more

Lost in Space: J.J. Abrams' Younger, Buffer Star Trek

Cobrasnake Gives Star Trek Some Love, Gives You Limited Editon T-Shirt... If You Act Fast

Mark "Cobrasnake" HunterFor those who saw our recent "Cobrasnake: Star Trek Dance Party" slideshow, you know that nightlife photographer Mark "Cobrasnake" Hunter -- a longtime Star Trek and JJ Abrams fan -- recently stormed the club circuit with a series of Trek-themed parties that featured photo bo ... More >>

The 10 (or 17) Best Films of 2008

Coming soon to a theater, er, HDTV near you

Last Night: J.J. Abrams Launches Lost Kubrick Figurines at Meltdown Comics

Hey, Lost fans – did you hear about the big event at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood last night? The one launching the new line of Kubrick figures – the tiny Lego-plus-like figurines originated in Japan that have become all the rage amongst toy collectors – based on characters from the show? Fi ... More >>

Twilight Freaks and Star Trek Geeks, Handcuffs and Honchos

Just a typical week in Hollywood

Fringe Too Eager to Score: Our First Date With J.J. Abrams' New Show, a Lost Opportunity

Pilot doesn't let viewers get to know the series the way they did with Abrams' Lost

Spaced: The Next Frontier, on DVD

The long-awaited release of the British pop-culture phenom loved by Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino

Diary of the Dead: George Romero's Back

Reality bites

Cloverfield Is a Horror

Monster mash

Secret Agent Men

How the tenpercenters formed a road map to peace during the strike’s dark days

It's Ugly Out There

Networks throw mad money, but catch only two beauties

The Ensemble Age

Shows of actor armies are taking over prime time

Cruise in Control

The Syracuse kid saves the world in style

Curb Your SUV

Laurie David put celebrity activism in the driver's seat

Spies vs. Spies

The CIA makes a comeback