Blade Runner was filmed with a Panavison camera / lens. This uses 35mm film, shot "sideways" and then projected in a very wide angle format. This was used, back in the day, so super wide angle projections could be produced, using bog standard 35mm film. The result, is that although the projected image appears to be 1:1 aspect ratio, you can see that the projection involves stretching the image. As a result, the lens flares in Panavision are eliptical in nature, and generally are stretched on the X axis of the screen. As its "stretched" projection, the lenses are called Anamorphic.
Its very noticable, as a look, and if this is what you are referring to, as the JJ Abrams look, then yeah, it goes back WAAAAY further than Mr A. Indeed, I THINK it was used on Blade runner, though oddly, some of the lense flares on BR appear to be circular, which means, they may have been added as an optical effect, and thusly do not conform to the eliptical lense flares seen "in camera"
In VFX, we have to take Anamorphic into effect, rendering images, to the 35mm format, but which appear squashed. But lens flares are round. Then later, when that 35mm format is stretched, when projected, it makes the footage aspect ratio look correct, but the lens flares then look stretched.
So it appears, Elite is "filmed" in Panavison. In which case, bring on some film grain, and grading controls, so we can really make ED look Cinematic
Here is a typical Panavision Anamorphic lens flare
http://www.davidmullenasc.com/logansrun8.jpg
And here is the rather splendid lens at play here....
http://www.filmanddigitaltimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Panavision-Anamorphic-front.jpg
