NEW 14 GRAND!

-srd

1. star trek 2: the wrath of kahn – this is a no-brainer.  it’s undeniably the best of the series and can even be enjoyed by the non-trekkie.  plus, if’s heavily referenced in seinfeld, so that’s always a plus.

2. star trek (2009) – controversial!  plenty of trekkies hate on this one.  those people are idiots.  j.j. abrams took a dead franchise and showed everyone how cool star trek could be with the right hand.

3. star trek 6: the undiscovered country – i’ll always have a soft spot for this one as it’s the first i saw in the theaters with my mom.  it’s a great send-off for the original cast and nice little thriller to boot.

4. star trek: first contact – i grew up on tng so it’s was nice to finally see that crew get a proper movie.  it’s essentially a zombies in space tale.  add time travel and you’re in good shape.

5. star trek 4: the voyage home - speaking of time travel, this one never ceases to make my laugh.  sure it’s silly, but it’s a so much fun.  also, spock mind-melds with a whale.  so there’s that.

6. star trek 3: the search for spock – it’s kind of a big reset button, but it had to happen.  it gets you there with minimal muss and sets up 4 and 6 pretty well.   i could do without christopher lloyd though.

7. star trek: insurrection – this is where the suck starts.  it would’ve made a good two-part episode, but as a movie it’s pretty flat.  still, there’s a enough in there for it to not be a total waste.

8. star trek: generations – yikes.  it’s kind of a downer all around, kind of embarrassing for shatner, koening, and doohan, and kind of a tonal mess.  plus, data + emotion chip = guhhhhhh.

9. star trek: nemesis - i’ve actually seen this one the least amount of times, but i can see the massive problems with it.  kinda wish the tng crew went out on a better note.

10. star trek 5: the final frontier – i said “yikes” before, but man oh man, YIKES.  the only redeeming aspect is the “what does god need with a starship?” line.  and spock’s rocket boots.

11. star trek: the motion picture – i think i’m the only one that truly hates this movie.  it’s just so god-damned boring.  i literally can’t sit through it.  every other movie just decimated it.

if there were ever an appropriate post for the “never getting laid” tag, this is.

live long and prosper, nerds.

-srd

- july 31st -

funny people – you’ve no doubt seen the trailers for this.  it’s judd apatow, who has yet to disappoint, at least from the director’s chair.  check out the “raaaaaaaandy” documentaries over on funny or die. you can also check out clips from jason schwartzman’s character’s fake show “yo teach!”  pretty decent viral campaign.

the hurt locker – called the first entertaining iraq war movie, the hurt locker is about the bomb-squad team.  it’s also directed by kathryn bigelow, of point break fame.

- august 7th -

500 days of summer – i’ve talked about this before. cool director, cool cast, cool idea.  joseph gordon-levitt is one of the best young actors working today.  plus there’s apparently a dance number to “you make my dreams” by hall & oates.  win.

- august 14th -

district 9 – this is easily my most anticipated movie of the summer.  i think it’s the fact that original science fiction is so rare that when it looks to be really good i get really excited.  i think of everything i’ve listed, this is the only one i have to see day one.  aric, you in?

- august 21st -

inglorious basterds – this one i’m cautiously optimistic about.  deathproof was a mess, especially next to the far superior planet terror.  but i’m willing to give tarentino a second chance, based on the cast and his previous work.  besides, who doesn’t like killing nazi’s?

- september 4th -

gamer – and let’s finish off the summer with some stupid fun.  i just really like neveldine and taylor’s balls-to-wall style and it’ll be interesting to see them take on something a little lest ridiculous.  or maybe it’ll be the running man mixed with crank.  either way, sign me up.

anything i’m missing?

-srd

in my nerd-heart of hearts, it never really left.  but for many, star trek was dead, those memories of a utopian future for mankind dashed on the rocks of an underwhelming prequel series and a lackluster 10th movie.  so thank the great barrier that j.j. abrams was able to breath new life into the ailing franchise.

i will admit that i was skeptical at first (in regard to the title of that post, yes, yes there was).  but sitting in the theater last night with my mom, as the lights dimmed and the first shot of the uss kelvin flashed up on the screen, i just started smiling, and didn’t really stop for the rest of the running time.  i won’t get into a full on review as there’s a million of those out there already.  i frakkin’ loved it and need to see it a bunch more times.  bullet-list of some of my favorite aspects, coming atcha:

• chris pine’s kirk was definitely kirk without being shatner.
• bones was dead on bones.  who knew karl urban could act?
• simon pegg’s scotty was hilarious.
• i think i caught all of the in-jokes, including scotty’s bit about transporting admiral archer’s beagle into nothingness. (rip, porthos!)
• the realistic look of engineering.  in fact, all of the interiors of the ships were pretty sweet.
• phaser fights feeling like actual shootouts.
• successfully rebooting the series via time travel to skirt the canon issues.

most of all, i like that a whole new audience is being exposed to star trek.  george lucas take note:  this is how you bring back a beloved property without, you know, ruining everyone’s childhoods.  good on ya, jj.  i already can’t wait for the sequel.

-srd

ps- does this mean that years down the road we’ll have a rebooted tng?  that could also be awesome.

”When Captain Pike sits in the chair on the Enterprise for the first time, there’s a splash of light right across his eyes,” Abrams says. ”They used to do that all the time on the old Trek — a splash of light across Kirk’s face to heighten the drama. I did that on purpose. I wanted to show people that we weren’t trying to undo Star Trek. We were embracing it.”

the keylights on kirk’s eyes were ridiculous in the old show.  i’m really glad abrams threw that in there, even if it is just for pike.

-srd

the jury’s still out on enterprise with me.  i’m a few episodes into the third season (i started watching it on and off this summer during the bsg drought and now i’ve come back to it during my mourning period).  it’s definitely star trek, so i like it on that principle.  and i’d say it’s better than voyager, but that’s not saying much.  i think i just miss the highly serialized, political nature of ds9 (and then bsg).  but enterprise tried at least.  and the theme song, which i initially hated, does make me pump my fist and sing along.

plus there’s bakula.

ok, jury’s in.  i like enterprise.  i hear the finale is a supreme dissappointment, but i’m at least looking forward to the upcoming mirror universe episodes.

-srd

ps; “i’ve got strength (bam!) of the soul, no one’s gonna bend or break me!”

it doesn’t quite feel like star trek yet, but maybe that’s a good thing.  either way, i will see this with my mom, as we have done for every star trek movie since the undiscovered country back in 1991.

i’m starting to get excited for this.  terminator 3 was a complete waste of time, but 2 was monumental.  this looks like it might be somewhere in between.

meh. i’ll add it to my netflix queue.

-srd

tonight is a special night for me.  battlestar galactica, easily the best science fiction show to air on television, begins it’s final ten episodes.  i hesitated to even refer to it as a “science fiction show” because that immediately turns people off.  for whatever reason, some people hear “science fiction” and immediately think “star trek” (which i also love) and all the nerdiness and technobabble that accompanies it.  the thing is, bsg isn’t star trek.  it’s better than star trek.

yeah, i said it.  and i’ll say it again.  battlestar galactica is better than star trek.  in fact, battlestar galactica is better than anything that is currently on tv.  better than lost, better than madmen, better than dexter.  but because it’s science fiction, it gets the shaft from awards shows and audiences.  unless of course you don’t count the peabody awards, which apparently people don’t.  here’s the rationale behind the 2005 peabody award given to bsg:

Battlestar Galactica is not just another apocalyptic vision of the future but an intense drama that poses provocative questions regarding religion, politics, sex and what it truly means to be “human.” The saga is set in motion when Cylon robots revolt against their creators with a devastating series of nuclear attacks. What’s left of the human race, fewer than 50,000 refugees, roam the universe in a fleet led by the spacecraft Galactica. They must re-imagine their society even as they search for a new home. This dramatic premise, coupled with the threat from a new form of humanoid Cylons, affords diverse narrative and philosophical possibilities. Writers Ronald D. Moore, Toni Graphia, David Weddle, Bradley Thompson, Carla Robinson, Jeff Vlaming, Michael Angeli, and David Eick take full advantage to give us plotlines that are deeply personal and relatable, while never compromising their affinity and passion for science fiction. Moore, Graphia, and Eick are the executive producers. Harvey Frand is the producer. Directors Michael Rymer, Marita Grabiak, Allan Kroeker, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Robert Young, Brad Turner, Edward James Olmos, Jeff Woolnough, and Jonas Pate dazzle us, giving us a show that captivates on multiple levels. The cast includes Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, and Grace Park. For pushing the limits of science fiction and making it accessible to all, Battlestar Galactica receives a Peabody Award.

i think that does a pretty decent job of summing up everything that’s great about this show.  do yourself a favor and just watch the 2003 miniseries.  i guarantee you will be hooked.  and if you’re not, well i’m sure there’s probably a flavor of love marathon on mtv.

-srd

ps- if you’re a fan of the show and need a quick refresher before tonight’s premiere, watch “catch the frak up” parts one and two below.  spoiler alert: it’s pretty much wall to wall spoilers if you’re not current.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Majel Barrett Roddenberry, “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry’s widow who nurtured the legacy of the seminal science fiction TV series after his death, has died. She was 76. Roddenberry died of leukemia Thursday morning at her home in Bel-Air, said Sean Rossall, a family spokesman.

At Roddenberry’s side were family friends and her son, Eugene Roddenberry Jr.

Roddenberry was involved in the “Star Trek” universe for more than four decades. She played the dark-haired Number One in the original pilot but metamorphosed into the blond, miniskirted Nurse Christine Chapel in the original 1966-69 show. She had smaller roles in all five of its television successors and many of the “Star Trek” movie incarnations, although she had little involvement in the productions.

She frequently was the voice of the ship’s computer, and about two weeks ago she completed the same role for the upcoming J.J. Abrams movie “Star Trek,” Rossall said.

Roddenberry also helped keep the franchise alive by inspiring fans and attended a major “Star Trek” convention each year, Rossall said.

“I think `Star Trek’ will always be her legacy,” Rossall said.

“Star Trek” and its successors often focused on political and philosophical issues of the day. Roddenberry and her husband, who died in 1991, believed in creating “thoughtful entertainment” and were proud of the show and the passionate devotion of its fans, Rossall said.

“My mother truly acknowledged and appreciated the fact that `Star Trek’ fans played a vital role in keeping the Roddenberry dream alive for the past 42 years. It was her love for the fans, and their love in return, that kept her going for so long after my father passed away,” her son said in a statement on the official Roddenberry Web site.

Born Majel Lee Hudec on Feb. 23, 1932, in Cleveland, she began taking acting classes as a child. She had some stage roles, then in the late 1950s and 1960s had bit parts in a few movies and small roles in TV series, including “Leave It to Beaver” and “Bonanza.”

She met her husband in 1964 during a guest role for a Marine Corps drama he produced called “The Lieutenant.” That same year, she was cast in the pilot for the “Star Trek” series as the no-nonsense second-in-command. The pilot did not appeal to NBC executives and a second pilot was made, although parts of the original later showed up in a two-part episode called “The Menagerie.”

The couple married in Japan in 1969 after “Star Trek” was canceled. After her husband’s death, Roddenberry continued her involvement with the “Star Trek” franchise.

She also was the executive producer for two other TV science fiction series, “Andromeda” and “Earth: Final Conflict.”

-srd

-srd