Tag Archives: Star Trek

Movie News & Opinions

More Benedict Cumberbatch in New Star Trek Clip

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I think the most interesting thing about all the clips and previews we’ve seen from the new Star Trek movie is definitely Benedict Cumberbatch. Not just in a  “Oh who is he?” sort of way, (although GODDAMMIT WHO IS HE?!), but more in that he’s probably the best actor of the bunch, with the possible exception of Karl Urban. I say Karl Urban, because I defy you to watch Dredd and think that dude pulled off the most menacing and accurate portrayal of Judge Dredd, all only using the lower half of his face. That’s irrelevant though, because the real meat and bones here is the fancy new clip we have of Benedict acting circles around Chris Pine. Probably because of his soothing, baritone voice and limey accent. Those brits always have inherently more authoritative voices don’t they? Here, judge for yourself:

There’s been talk about the “villain in a glass cage” trope that’s being used here, but I don’t really find that all that interesting or revelatory. Tropes exist and will continue to do so. The creation of a new one isn’t anything to be particularly surprised about, unless for some terrible reason anal-eel interrogations become a new movie trope, and every movie has a scene with a good guy getting violated anally by writhing eels while the villain taunts and cackles from the darkness. Is that how Zero Dark Thirty started? I know there was an interrogation scene somewhere… Oh god I hope my horrific prediction hasn’t come true! HOLLYWOOD, NO ANAL EEL INTERROGATION SCENES PLEASE!

Well to get that awful image out of your head, here’s a few new posters featuring Chekov and Scotty via Moviefone. Frankly I find that Chekov adorable. Much more adorable that Walter Koenig ever was. Granted Koenig was amazing in his role, but have you seen him lately? So not adorable anymore.

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Oh and lastly, a friend of mine was browsing through a bookstore and found a new Star Trek novel, where the cover art is strangely drawn so that Kirk looks halfway between Shatner and Pine and the more I look at it the more convinced I am it’s ripping my sanity in half.

Star Trek

Movie News & Opinions

New Trailer & Sneak Peek & Pics From ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

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Shocker of shockers, it’s still a month away from the release of Star Trek Into Darkness, but those bastards out there responsible for hyping the film still find it necessary to ceaselessly tantalize any and every Trekkie out there by releasing little clips or new stills. In particular a new trailer has been released, and this time it gives us a bit more of a confirmation of the growing themes for these Star Trek movies. It’s almost definitely revenge and the pursuit of it destroying you. This trailer paints a clear picture of Kirk becoming his own personal Ahab, with Cumberbatch painted as his white whale. I’m looking forward to the movie obviously, but I’m more looking forward to seeing how the film will stand up as the ever so important “middle” entry in the series, if it is indeed a thematic trilogy we’re getting with these new Star Trek films. Sure there could and probably will be more, but in the same way Wrath Of Khan, Search For Spock and Voyage Home were all linked around the character for Spock, this first three can be around the idea of revenge. I’m just looking to see how it’s all going to play out in the grand spectrum of things, because this trailer certainly makes the film look to be very, very revenge-centric. Overcome personal demons and all that. It’s literally titled INTO DARKNESS, so I suppose that’s the first clue anyway.

Also there was a new teaser that was shown on the MTV Movie Awards, which I would have never seen if not for Internet. I think the only reason I ever even put on MTV anymore is to watch that Catfish show. I have this fantasy about someone really beautiful pretending to be a total uggo, starting an online relationship with that person, and revealing that they’re actually totally gorgeous after all. Surprise! You got reverse-Catfished! I mean, that’d be a much more interesting show than one about a bunch of weird broken people pretending to be people they’re not right? How does this relate to Star Trek? It doesn’t. At all. And I’ll tell you why; It’s because there’s only so many ways you can possibly look at what generally adds up to the same series of clips, trailers, previews with a new little scene added in to make it technically new, and not just immediately groan in impatience and frustration. I’m not necessarily a child of instant gratification, but let’s just say I tend to like things as a sudden surprise than a long, excruciatingly dragged out wait. When it comes to film or TV, the journey is never the point, it’s always the destination. Unlike life, which is almost always the opposite.

Well regardless of my elaborate and terrible bitching, (because I’m a huge bitchy little emo man-baby), the clip does look goddamned neat, and the myriad pictures collected spell an interesting story. One I’m still not sure about, but why would I want to be? I’m one of those people who enjoys being surprised by a movie, and often films I’ve loved the most are the ones I knew nothing about beforehand at all. Take a look at them for yourself, and you be the judge of whether you find yourself wanting to know more about the scenes they’re from.

http://youtu.be/G36yAb0pDT8

See like I said, that teaser was interesting, but mainly composed of things we’ve seen before, with little barely perceptible snippets of new stuff. I get it though, it’s a teaser. You’re supposed to watch it over and over to try to guess. I suppose I’m just so tired from being teased all the time. It’s a love/hate relationship with film and television. It teases you relentlessly, but you always come back for more. It’s probably the most abusive relationship there is. Aside from any of those on Catfish though. Man have you SEEN that show! Goddamn!

Oh yeah. Pictures. Woo!

Last but not least, there’s also some actually pretty well designed movie posters. They’re still basically floating heads, but at least they’re good floating heads.

And last but not least, I certainly won’t add in that picture of Alice Eve in her underwear like last time, because I am a man of class and taste. However, I can’t be held responsible for whatever my editor decides to add here at the last-minute. Ahem.
Star Trek Into Darkness-International Trailer-Blonde Girl

Movie Trailers

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Gets New International Trailer!

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It’s about that time; that time being just long enough in between Star Trek teasers and trailers that people started to get ready to actually see the movie to have its secrets revealed to them, which means it’s also time for them to release a big, “show-everything-basically” trailer internationally that more or less spells out the plot of the film. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great trailer and all, but it’s had sort of a reverse effect of making me less excited. Now Benedict Cumberbatch is so clearly just an original new villain for the series, rather than some updated or remade villain like we were all thinking a while ago. On top of the basic plot being revealed, (Cumberbatch is mad at the Federation while destroying things and getting revenge; Kirk & Co are the only ones to help), it’s also more or less telling us that we’re not getting interesting reinterpretations of older characters rather it will continue it’s own new path. Which I have mixed feelings on, but here, judge for yourself first:

While I like the idea of the Star Trek franchise moving forward and creating all new everything to complement and refresh the franchise for new and old fans alike, a part of me still wishes to see everything old, but new again. We’ve been teased with Klingons and Kahn and whatnot for so long, just little hints at these things make us salivate. It raises the question, is it bad that they’re seemingly not going this way? At this point I can’t really decide one way or the other, I’m just glad the movie still looks good. I’m also glad that apparently Peter Weller is in the film, which was a shock to me, but a happy one because I f***ing love Robocop. I’m also glad that cute blond girl they’ve been showing in the trailers up until now definitely gets in her skivvies, because I’m a disgusting man-pig.

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What?! SHE HAS GREAT… ABS!

I’m sure there’s probably a bit more that the more hardcore Trekkie could get into, but more or less, this trailer was full of a lot of repeated footage, with some new stuff added in between. It’s nice to get a thematic preview of what the movie will be, and if it still turns out somehow that Cumberbatch actually IS a new version of an old character, it’ll still be surprising reveal. Maybe they  are playing some double-negative-mega-reverse-double-bluff with us about his character all along? OH GOD I DON’T KNOW ANYMORE! Let’s just have the movie come out already okay? I don’t think my heart can take this much more. Especially if it includes cute blonde girls half-naked in their underwear.

{Amanda- while the guys have their moment with the cute blonde, excuse me as I geek out over a new poster, ooooohhhh Benedict Cumberbatch!}

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And because once is never enough… in German!

Star Trek

Movie Trailers

New ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Teaser Teases You Even More!

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Here’s the problem with teasers. I hate writing about them. Not in a whiny “Oh, I don’t wanna write this” way (although I am a whiny little b**ch about things like that), but because by their very nature I don’t like them. I mean who really, actually likes being teased? I mean, I know I don’t. I know some ladies who claim they do, but that’s not the kind of thing I’m into. When it comes to my sci-fi entertainment I want it big, hard, fast and now. I want you to give me aural and ocular pleasure, and I want my needs sated, right this moment. Don’t wiggle your little teasing sci-fi movie member around my entertainment erogenous zone and make me beg, just stick that thing in so we can both come together in science fiction ecstasy! [Ed. Note: I feel like I should have censored something… Oh well.]

Aside from providing the most disgusting metaphorical description of why I hate teasers, I also hate teasers because they seemingly never end. Is it too much to just be kept in the dark until the thing comes out? I know there are a lot of nerds out there who love this sort of thing, but man, I am so not one of them. I love Star Trek to bits but waiting for this sequel is killing me. That’s the worst thing about JJ Abrams is he loves to make his fans just beg for his sci-fi wang, all bedazzled and shining with lens flare. Well, here’s some more of that proverbial sci-fi c*ck teasing for all of us Trekkies, with yet another teaser aimed to make us all cream our pants once again.

It’s more or less a mishmash of what we’ve seen before, but every little split second of new scenes is another thing to obsess over, speculate about, compare to previous Star Trek canon and spread to all of our friends on the internet. I personally can’t wait to see if Captain (Admiral?) Pike ends up as Mr. Box man like he was in the Original Series.

Ladies?
Ladies?

But the whole thing is a just a ploy, a way to keep us waiting patiently so as to build up a huge opening for the movie when it releases. It’s basic movie marketing, I know, but I suppose this strategy is for non-Trekkies, because apparently they’re the folks who need to be convinced to go see this movie. The rest of us are dying and can’t wait to see it already. CURSE YOU ABRAMS, WHY MUST YOU BE SO CRAZY SEXY CRUEL!

Movie News & Opinions

J.J. Abrams Is Your Star Wars: Episode VII Director

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Get ready fans of the Force, you’re about to meet your newest accompanying special power: Lens flare!

abrams starwars 1That’s right boys and girls, according to several sources, including Deadline.com, the Los Angeles Times, MTV.com, and the Hollywood Reporter, the next installment of the Star Wars saga will be directed by none other than J.J. Abrams. Confused a bit like me? Of course you should be because let me throw out a quote from J.J. Abrams from Empire in December about rumors of his involvement with the storied franchise:

[quote][Lucasfilm president] Kathy Kennedy is a friend and there are no smarter producers,” he said at the time. “It’s in great hands. There were the very early conversations and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to ‘Star Trek,’ and also just being a fan, I wouldn’t even want to be involved in the next version of those things. I declined any involvement very early on. I’d rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them.[/quote]

Obviously something changed. Let’s just assume that Disney threw bunches of money at J.J. to test his actual loyalty to the Star Trek franchise. It is more than apparent Disney wants to launch the franchise in the biggest way possible and landing J.J., who is very well respected amongst all the filmmakers out there under consideration for this epic film series, is a huge get for Kathleen Kennedy and the Mouse House. It was interesting to note that Ben Affleck was listed in the article sources above as a frontrunner to take over the franchise. I think that would’ve been a great choice as well as it would solidify him as one of the premier directors out there but again, if you want the go-to guy in Sci-Fi, Abrams is it (unless you can get Ridley Scott a few decades ago).

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I do like the selection of J.J. quite a bit as I do love Lost (even as convoluted as it got), Fringe and everything that he touches (except for the second half of Super 8). I’m also curious how this affects the Star Trek franchise. I think J.J. will be able to separate both franchises and make sure that we see new things as opposed to borrowed elements from both series (which, imagine if that happens, the internet message boards and trolls would be out in full force claiming one is a rip off another, people rioting at Comic-Con, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria, that sort of stuff). I have faith in this plan because Michael Arndt is writing the new Star Wars Episode VII and he did a great job in incorporating family in Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine that I think it’ll be great if we follow the story of the Han and Leia kids. Again, we don’t know the actual story yet but we can assume that there will be so many hands involved with Star Wars, Abrams job will be to make sure it all clicks together on the big screen. With the Star Trek franchise, he was pretty much ‘it’ as producer and main decision-maker, let alone director on those flicks so I’m sure we’ll see the differences enough to make both enjoyable experiences.

I will say this, as soon as this news came out, I went “Wow.” He’ll do a good job and with the team behind him, they’ll make sure he doesn’t screw up too. Although if they borrow the monster from Cloverfield and Super 8, I’m going to have a Jar Jar moment. In case you need the information, Star Wars Episode VII is due out on 2015. Start getting excited friends.

Movie News & Opinions

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Update! New Pictures, More Guns!

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Since it’s still months away from Star Trek Into Darkness‘ release, and we’ve done plenty of speculation on what little we know, it’s always a treat whenever a tasty morsel of information or update is given to us from the Abram’s scrap table. That is to say, I’m pretty sick of speculating endlessly of who Cumberbatch’s character may be, or what the plot of the film could allude to, and just wanna see the stinkin’ movie already. However, to quell the voracious appetite I and I’m sure many of you have for any and all Star Trek Into Darkness news, there’s been a couple of interesting photos published by Empire Magazine, showcasing the cast in a variety of situations, but mostly just holding guns. While there are a couple of more interesting ones, like the one with Spock in what looks like some sort of fire suit straight out of the Mass Effect game series.

While the pictures themselves may not be terribly mind shattering, it paints this movie definitely as even more action packed than the 2009′ Abrams Star Trek film. Everyone has guns! Everyone is running around! Benedict Cumberbatch is Benedict Cumberbatching! How exciting!  Now to turn into a slightly more serious note, as much as I desperately want to see the movie, I have to go and count my blessings. I have to remind myself that I will actually be able to wait for the movie to come out, and I’ll be able to enjoy it in theaters the way it was meant to be seen. Which is unfortunately not the case for everyone, including one Trekkie who is diagnosed with terminal cancer, who thankfully managed to get in contact with J.J Abrams, and will actually get to see the movie before he dies. In a case of the internet using its powers for good, it’s a pretty moving story.

via [Uproxx]

[quote]

Hello Reddit. I’ve seen some amazingly kind and generous stuff happen on here. I’m hoping there’s room for another amazing act of generosity and kindness for a friend of mine who is really sick. I couldn’t begin to put into words what he has gone through. Luckily his wife did it for me… “My amazing healthy film buff husband diagnosed with leukemia (CML) at 38 had to endure 3 rounds of chemo before they found a bone marrow donor match had a Bone Marrow Transplant, which was MORE chemo, full body radiation & lots of other horrific things….then endured/survived 3 major infections + a massive GI bleed that put him in the hospital 10+ times over 3 1/2 years not to mention 100′s of doctors visits…. he is my hero; I am his caregiver – I would do anything to help him…. he is now ravaged by a new TOTALLY UNRELATED cancer, (isn’t that a f*cker?) an aggressive and EXTREMELY rare vascular tumor that is crowding out his healthy liver tissue… they grew under treatment; there is nothing left to do but make him comfortable, at 41, he is jaundice & his liver is enlarged, his body has had enough, he has weeks to live, He was hospitalized and had to exchange our HOBBITT tickets (where the 10 min Star Trek preview was supposed to be shown) we were able to put him in a car and get over to the HOBBITT but NO PREVIEW???? we, his friends and family, the love of my life – WOULD LOVE him to be able to see the Star Trek movie but even the 10 minutes of the trailer would be AMAZING.” If there is anything any one of you or anyone you know could do to make this happen that would be an amazing, kind and generous thing. Please help. Thanks.

TLDR; My friend is dying. Would like to see the new Star Trek movie. Please help. At the least, upvote to get to front page for someone else to see. Please.

[/quote]

(Via)

I usually pretty much hate Reddit, and generally I think it’s a terrible community of the worst the internet has to offer, but occasionally something good will come along from it like this. The good news is that this fan will get to see the movie before he passes. Times like this make me think there’s hope for the internet yet, as we all aspire to exemplify the wonderful standard of humanity that is set as a precedent for us to follow in the Star Trek universe. Things like this, make it so. (sorry).

Anyhow, while there isn’t much new to mention about Star Trek Into Darkness, there’s still plenty of hilariously edited videos on youtube, compiling hours and hours of TNG footage to create… Well, here. Take a look:

http://youtu.be/jk7eyqY4bbQ

Such pure, wonderful insanity. Live long and prosper folks.