Know what? I like J.J. Abrams' talent behind the camera, no, really, I seriously do. It is no coincidence that Spielberg all but, took him under his wings and taught him everything there is to know about the medium, he saw something in Abrams that the apprentice proved in such well-made blockbusters as "Super 8," "Mission: Impossible III," "Star Trek," and, yes, even "The Force Awakens." Lens flare et all, the guy has talent and can shoot the hell out of an action sequence. That's why Disney gave him the ridiculously important task to reboot "Star Wars" for the millennial generation. All the snobs out there, and they are snobs, need to realize that this is a filmmaker, with a set vision, that knows what he's doing and whose cinematic instincts are only progressing with time.
With all that being said, I am fairly surprised at his stance on VOD. Yes, it might just be the future of the theatrical experience, but, no, there is no way that a filmmaker of your caliber and clout Mr. Abrams should support such an enterprise such as this one. Christopher Nolan has been very vocal about his negative feelings towards VOD and retaining the theatrical experience and it's the right stance to take as he honorable, well-seasoned filmmaker that he is.
Abrams spoke at a gala dinner for the Milken Institute Global Conference last night about cinema's future and VOD:
“There is a theater chain that I”m convinced hates movies. You go there. They’re angry with you. It’s cold. There’s no music. The lights go out when the movie starts — there’s no ceremony. It’s the most uncomfortable seats… You’re convinced there’s something in front of the projector. Meanwhile, most people in that audience have better TVs at home than the image you’re seeing ... I understand the economic realities of it, and it’s tough. At the same time, if they don’t make it worth people’s time, you better not call people to the theater and give them that kind of experience. People do want to see movies, and can’t always get to the theater. It seems like an inevitable thing that movies become available at a premium.”[The Playlist]