RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
edited February 2007
Maybe it's just me but I think that Damon's an excellent choice to play Kirk. Brody as Spock...not sure about that one but Sinise as Bones is a good call.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I'm not liking the idea of Damon as Kirk. Shatner over-acted the part, Damon doesn't act enough IMO. The two are worlds apart for me.
And Sinise and Damon on the screen together? With Sinise's presence, I'll half expect to him to say "Damn it, Jim! Get out of that chair and let me show you how to command a starship!"
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
I'm not liking the idea of Damon as Brody. Shatner over-acted the part, Damon doesn't act enough IMO. The two are worlds apart for me.
And Sinise and Damon on the screen together? With Sinise's presence, I'll half expect to him to say "Damn it, Jim! Get out of that chair and let me show you how to command a starship!"
I really cannot argue with your discomfort over these alleged selections, darenhat but if you think about it, if Damon is chosen for that particular part the last thing he should do is play it like Shatner. That's the thing- no one can play it like Shatner. For the last 40+ years that's all we know of the character- Shatner.
I have a Damon bias anyway because he's a much better actor than his sister Affleck. 8-)
I sort of agree with Tony's speculations that we may end up with a reboot of sorts... It may be the shot in the arm the franchise needs.
Although whomever plays Kirk, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Talk about living up to something...
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
I suppose we can't really have Shatner playing Kirk anymore because he is too old ... and fat. So a replacement has to be found, but Damon? For now, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and hope that he is a good enough actor to play the character of Kirk well, but no-one can replace Shatner.
As for Spock, well, there can only be one. Leonard Nimoy is still around, so why not hire him to play Spock one more time? Surely with make-up technology the way it is it wouldn't be too hard to make Nimoy look a hell of a lot younger than he is.
I like the idea of Gary Sinise as McCoy (R.I.P. DeForest Kelley). He has the looks, and I have no doubt he can act the part.
It's difficult for me to be objectionable with this. I don't like it. I think it's a terrible idea from the get-go.
I personally have no desire whatsoever to see any of today's actors in the prospective role of an original series starship crew member. I know it's fashionable nowadays to go back in time but that's how I feel about classic Trek. I think a more feasible idea would be an animated series with Shatner and Nimoy providing voice-overs. Get Ellison or Bradbury to pound out some scripts akin to 90s Batman or something.
As for motion pictures, I wouldn't mind seeing Picard's crew again.
As somebody who grew up on Star Trek (the original series) I'm not wild about the direction this film is apparently taking either. I'd much rather the series go forward rather than revisit established characters and timelines. But reboots seem to be the fad of the moment so like it or not this is what we're going to get.
It is also somewhat disappointing to me to see that Abrams is using many of the same creative people he employed in MI:III and Lost. Obviously he feels comfortable with them and wants to probably take his vision of Trek in a different direction. But I would have liked to see him use a real sci-fi writer to at least come up with a storyline and maybe use some of the creative talent from previous shows and movies (which had some very good illustrators, make up artists and the like) to give a sense of a little continuity to this next effort.
Given the creative team he appears to be putting in place, I will be curious to see what the look of the film is like. I always enjoyed the hardware of the 23rd Century and I'll be curious as to what the Enterprise, other ships, phasers, uniforms, sets and so on end up looking like.
As Rogue said, I don't envy whoever ends up in these characters' shoes. Their likenesses and mannerisms have been engrained in the public consciousness for over 40 years and anyone who takes over the roles - especially the big three - will be walking a very tricky tightrope. If you copy the original actor's style (Shatner's dramatic pauses, Spock's stoic silence, McCoy's irascibility) you run the risk of falling into parody. If you go in a completely different direction you might be bashed for not being true to the character. DeNiro probably went thru this when he played young Vito Corleone in Godfather II. He pulled it off but I think it'll be a lot tougher with these characters because they are so colorful and have been around for so long. There are also rumors that Shatner and Nimoy may briefly appear in the film - possible bookending the story. If true it will be interesting to see how they fit them in.
As for another TNG movie, I think they (along with Rick Berman and the rest of his crew) pretty much wore out their welcome at Paramount after Insurrection and Nemesis. Both movies were unmitigated critical and commercial failures (and Generations wasn't much of a film either). Besides, most of them are well into their 50's and they're in pretty much the same predicament as the TOS cast was in their last couple of movies.
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,990Quartermasters
edited February 2007
I agree that Sinise is a good choice for McCoy---a bit older than Kirk, etc.
As for Damon and Brody...I don't know, but as a huge Trek fan I'll just have to fall back on my optimism (it got me through the Craig Wars ) and hope for the best.
I'm just glad they're going to make another Trek movie...and one can never rule out the possibility of a happy surprise...
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Here's a few of my favorite movies from the genre known as science fiction.
Bladerunner (Ford was the man)
2001: A Space Odyssey (Hal is my science teacher)
Star Trek 1-4 (there be whales here!)
Logan's Run (I hit carousel 6 years ago)
Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back (that's their real names, none of this New Hope, episodes 3 and 4 crap)
It Came From Outer Space (because Barbara Rush is hot, hot, hot!)
War Of The Worlds (not the Tom Bozo version)
Forbidden Planet (because Anne Francis is hot, hot, hot!)
Earth Versus The Flying Saucers (because CGI sucks)
The Time Machine (because this was George Pal's real masterpiece)
The 2 Doctor Who picture with Peter Cushing (don't care if the time lord was changed to kindly old man, these things are great!)
I agree that Sinise is a good choice for McCoy---a bit older than Kirk, etc.
As for Damon and Brody...I don't know, but as a huge Trek fan I'll just have to fall back on my optimism (it got me through the Craig Wars ) and hope for the best.
I'm just glad they're going to make another Trek movie...and one can never rule out the possibility of a happy surprise...
TOS was my favorite and seeing as the cast are all basically septagenarians (or dead), it makes it that much easier for me to accept this new incarnation. Not sure about Damon myself but I really hope they do a good job of it and I'm already very curious to see what the look of this film will be like.
Here's a few of my favorite movies from the genre known as science fiction.
Nearly every one of those movies is in my collection too; it's been nearly 12 years since I renewed in Carousel. {[]
As to a few other sci-fi films I have:
Barbarella (Jane Fonda keeps getting her clothes torn off, good enough for me)
Planet of the Apes (Linda Harrison in a burlap bikini).
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (any movie that ends with the Earth being blown up gets my attention).
Alien & Aliens (Slimy bugs and Sigourney Weaver in skimpy underwear).
Demon Plant (Mario Bava looks thru a time machine and gives us his version of Alien).
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered County (Captain Kirk brings peace to the galaxy, gets it on with supermodel Iman, and then punches her in the mouth).
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Anakin decapitates Dracula, Palpatine beats up a frog, Grievous is revealed to be a Robot Chicken).
Demon Seed (The voice of Robert Vaughn gets the hots for Julie Christie, and then he does something about it).
Soylent Green (Some great furniture on display; and I defy anyone to watch Charleton Heston and Edward G. Robinson in their last scene together and not be moved).
It's difficult for me to be objectionable with this. I don't like it. I think it's a terrible idea from the get-go.
I personally have no desire whatsoever to see any of today's actors in the prospective role of an original series starship crew member. I know it's fashionable nowadays to go back in time but that's how I feel about classic Trek. I think a more feasible idea would be an animated series with Shatner and Nimoy providing voice-overs. Get Ellison or Bradbury to pound out some scripts akin to 90s Batman or something.
As for motion pictures, I wouldn't mind seeing Picard's crew again.
I agree, Alex. I don't like it one little bit. It's time for the filmmakers to stop their fixation with the past. This constant fixation is lazy and unimaginitive, and it rarely succeeds. Whatever happened to the vision and creativity that brought about the original Star Trek in the first place?
[quote=Moore Not Less[/quote]Whatever happened to the vision and creativity that brought about the original Star Trek in the first place?[/quote]
Amen! Unfortunately Gene Rodenberry cannot be reproduced with any of today's clones. I know that when I complain, I'm a very easy target of unbridled cynicism, but the heck with optimism, the proof is in the product. And I haven't seen a worthwhile sci-fi endeaver in a long while. Label me what you will.
Tony's faves are also in my collection. Planet of the Vampires and the first two Aliens, count me in... Heck, I brought one of my first real serious girlfriends to a double bill of Aliens and Maximum Overdrive and they both still "hold up" today.
Anyone remember the terrible and often malinged Saturn 3? My pops brought me to this one, and the only think I recall was being chilled by a creepy looking robot and being rather pleasantly suprised, hormone speaking, by Farrah's boobs.
I'm also a big fan of the Val Guest directed and brilliantly written Nigel Kneale Hammers like Quatermass, X: The Unknown and so forth. Sci-Fi "explotation" genre with intelligence. (it can and has been done)
Anyone remember the terrible and often malinged Saturn 3? My pops brought me to this one, and the only think I recall was being chilled by a creepy looking robot and being rather pleasantly suprised, hormone speaking, by Farrah's boobs.
Oh yeah, I have it and I was also pretty surprised by Farrah's little show the first time I saw it. I kinda like this one (and not just because of Farrah). The movie had some wild production design and I always found the ending - as the ship descends towards a very sinister looking Earth while an unsuspecting Farrah looks on - very very disturbing. BTW, her name in the movie was ... Alex.
Not to mention The Black Hole -{
Disney recently released a widescreen anamorphic version which I have yet to pick up. I like this one in a guilty pleasure sort of way. The FX are fantastic but the story is really really weak, not to mention Maximillian Schell's bizarre to the point of being comic performance; "And you are his daughter. Yes! The same eyes. The same eyes!" )
Disney recently released a widescreen anamorphic version which I have yet to pick up. I like this one in a guilty pleasure sort of way. The FX are fantastic but the story is really really weak, not to mention Maximillian Schell's bizarre to the point of being comic performance; "And you are his daughter. Yes! The same eyes. The same eyes!" )
The scene where Ernest Borgnine searches the ship and meets one of the faceless 'droids' scared the socks off me. And Maximillian killing Tony Perkins. Hey, they don't make them like that anymore. This was one of the last major epics created "old school."
Going back to Chuck Heston Sci-Fi. Soylent Green, The Omega Man, and the first 2 Apes films -{ (you can keep the rest...)
I've been re-reading Isaac Asimov's robot series (I Robot, The Rest Of The Robots, The Caves Of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots Of Dawn, Robots & Empire...) and there's definitely a great film lurking in there. I'm not counting the Will Smith movie from a couple of years ago, which really only used an Asimov title and a few of his ideas shoehorned into someone else's plot (remind you of any other series we might know? ).
PS Guilty pleasures time: Plan 9 From Outer Space, anyone? )
I've been re-reading Isaac Asimov's robot series (I Robot, The Rest Of The Robots, The Caves Of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots Of Dawn, Robots & Empire...) and there's definitely a great film lurking in there. I'm not counting the Will Smith movie from a couple of years ago, which really only used an Asimov title and a few of his ideas shoehorned into someone else's plot (remind you of any other series we might know? ).
For some Reason Asimov has a hard time holding my attention. I read a lot of his books but I'm damned if I can remember anything other than the broad strokes. Now Arthur C. Clarke on the other hand, I can quote almost verbatim. Go figure.
PS Guilty pleasures time: Plan 9 From Outer Space, anyone? )
Only if it's in a double bill with Tim Burton's "Ed Wood".
PS Guilty pleasures time: Plan 9 From Outer Space, anyone? )
Only if it's in a double bill with Tim Burton's "Ed Wood".
Ah, another of my favourite movies. Not exactly SF, but very enjoyable. I watched that with Son Of, and he asked to see some of the original Ed Wood films. Plan 9 we both enjoyed, but Bride Of The Monster got turned off well before the end- it's just bad, not "so bad it's good" like Plan 9.
PS Guilty pleasures time: Plan 9 From Outer Space, anyone? )
Only if it's in a double bill with Tim Burton's "Ed Wood".
Ah, another of my favourite movies. Not exactly SF, but very enjoyable. I watched that with Son Of, and he asked to see some of the original Ed Wood films. Plan 9 we both enjoyed, but Bride Of The Monster got turned off well before the end- it's just bad, not "so bad it's good" like Plan 9.
Blasphemy, Bride is Ed's most accomplished film. As for Burton and Depp's tribute, much as I love Landau's performance, there are many factual errors within, and this is coming from a long time Wood-Phile.
How about It! The Terror From Space, is this not the true blueprint for Ridley Scott's Alien, or what!?
Blasphemy, Bride is Ed's most accomplished film. As for Burton and Depp's tribute, much as I love Landau's performance, there are many factual errors within, and this is coming from a long time Wood-Phile.
How about It! The Terror From Space, is this not the true blueprint for Ridley Scott's Alien, or what!?
(1) "Ed [Wood]'s most accomplished film"? Surely that's an oxymoron (and I say this with love as a fellow Wood-Phile.)! I became Wood-oriented during the Medved TV series many years ago, and catch his stuff whenever I can- I only have the two that I mentioned, but I'm always on the lookout for more.
(2) Oh yes, the biopic is filled with factual errors (Ed's meeting with Orson Welles; Lugosi's dogs; the timescale) but it's made with genuine love and respect.
(3)On It! I'm with you totally; the parallels with Alien are clear.
One of my favourites is the lesser known Silent Running. Bruce Dern spends most of the film alone on a huge spaceship tending to the world's last plant and nature reserves. The robots and effects don't seem very state of the art today but it is a beautiful film. When Dern (in a scene that gives the film its title) runs around the cargo hold they cut to shots of a forest with light flashing through the trees. All very moving with songs by (I think) Joan Baez.
Blasphemy, Bride is Ed's most accomplished film. As for Burton and Depp's tribute, much as I love Landau's performance, there are many factual errors within, and this is coming from a long time Wood-Phile.
I viewed Ed Wood more as entertainment rather than a faithful biopic. There were a ton of factual errors but all the wonderful characters swept me into the moment and I was able to suspend my disbelief. And Landau's performance is absolutely priceless. PULL THE STRING!! PULL THE STRING!!!
How about It! The Terror From Space, is this not the true blueprint for Ridley Scott's Alien, or what!?
I've read a lot about this movie but have never actually seen it. Just might pick it up from Amazon next time I make a purchase.
One of my favourites is the lesser known Silent Running. Bruce Dern spends most of the film alone on a huge spaceship tending to the world's last plant and nature reserves. The robots and effects don't seem very state of the art today but it is a beautiful film. When Dern (in a scene that gives the film its title) runs around the cargo hold they cut to shots of a forest with light flashing through the trees. All very moving with songs by (I think) Joan Baez.
Silent Running was a visually stunning movie, especially considering that Doug Trumbull shot it on a shoestring. I remember being mesmerized by it as a kid; but upon viewing it as an adult I found it painfully depressing. Watching those forests be destroyed, seeing Bruce Dern slowly going insane, and the last shot of the little robot all alone as he waters the plants is almost too much to take.
As somebody who grew up on Star Trek (the original series) I'm not wild about the direction this film is apparently taking either. I'd much rather the series go forward rather than revisit established characters and timelines. But reboots seem to be the fad of the moment so like it or not this is what we're going to get.
It is also somewhat disappointing to me to see that Abrams is using many of the same creative people he employed in MI:III and Lost. Obviously he feels comfortable with them and wants to probably take his vision of Trek in a different direction. But I would have liked to see him use a real sci-fi writer to at least come up with a storyline and maybe use some of the creative talent from previous shows and movies (which had some very good illustrators, make up artists and the like) to give a sense of a little continuity to this next effort.
Given the creative team he appears to be putting in place, I will be curious to see what the look of the film is like. I always enjoyed the hardware of the 23rd Century and I'll be curious as to what the Enterprise, other ships, phasers, uniforms, sets and so on end up looking like.
As Rogue said, I don't envy whoever ends up in these characters' shoes. Their likenesses and mannerisms have been engrained in the public consciousness for over 40 years and anyone who takes over the roles - especially the big three - will be walking a very tricky tightrope. If you copy the original actor's style (Shatner's dramatic pauses, Spock's stoic silence, McCoy's irascibility) you run the risk of falling into parody. If you go in a completely different direction you might be bashed for not being true to the character. DeNiro probably went thru this when he played young Vito Corleone in Godfather II. He pulled it off but I think it'll be a lot tougher with these characters because they are so colorful and have been around for so long. There are also rumors that Shatner and Nimoy may briefly appear in the film - possible bookending the story. If true it will be interesting to see how they fit them in.
As for another TNG movie, I think they (along with Rick Berman and the rest of his crew) pretty much wore out their welcome at Paramount after Insurrection and Nemesis. Both movies were unmitigated critical and commercial failures (and Generations wasn't much of a film either). Besides, most of them are well into their 50's and they're in pretty much the same predicament as the TOS cast was in their last couple of movies.
I grew up watching DS9, but I agree entirely with what you're saying. Going back in time re-hashing well-established characters is a huge risk, and I don't think that this is one risk the producers should be taking. I also agree that they should be moving forward from Voyager onwards, rather than take a two century step backwards. For the first time since I became a Trek fan a little more than a decade ago, I'm not looking forward to this new movie at all.
While I also have to agree that the TNG crew is dead and buried, why not do a DS9 or VOY film? I would much prefer that than to watch a film about Kirk and Spock's past. All it takes to get Star Trek back on the right path is a little creativity, and I'm afraid that is sadly lacking among the people in charge of the franchise these days. Perhaps the franchise has died with Gene Roddenberry ...
While I also have to agree that the TNG crew is dead and buried, why not do a DS9 or VOY film? I would much prefer that than to watch a film about Kirk and Spock's past. All it takes to get Star Trek back on the right path is a little creativity, and I'm afraid that is sadly lacking among the people in charge of the franchise these days. Perhaps the franchise has died with Gene Roddenberry ...
Neither DS9 nor Voyager were as popular ratings-wise as TOS and TNG and ultimately I think Paramount probably didn't have faith that either cast could bring in a large enough audience of Trek and non-Trek fans to warrant a feature film.
Berman and Piller definitely had hopes for a DS9 movie and I believe that was one of the reasons Sisko was left in limbo with the prophets in the last episode. But once the show ended it quickly dropped off the radar and hasn't really been much of a hit in syndication.
As for Voyager, the whole premise of the show was to get back home. Once they accomplished that in the last show I got the impression that Berman & Co. didn't know what else to do with that cast and wanted to move on to something else.
Moving away from Trek for a second, here's a little info on the direct to DVD Babylon 5 movie:
Silent Running was a visually stunning movie, especially considering that Doug Trumbull shot it on a shoestring. I remember being mesmerized by it as a kid; but upon viewing it as an adult I found it painfully depressing. Watching those forests be destroyed, seeing Bruce Dern slowly going insane, and the last shot of the little robot all alone as he waters the plants is almost too much to take.
The ending is a choker I find it moving when one of the robots gets hit by the buggy thing. I haven't seen John Carpenter's Dark Star for a long while but I remember watching it at some unearthly hour years ago and finding it quite funny. That film was a big influence on Alien believe it or not.
I haven't seen John Carpenter's Dark Star for a long while but I remember watching it at some unearthly hour years ago and finding it quite funny. That film was a big influence on Alien believe it or not.
Dark Star was co-written by Dan O'Bannon who, coincidentally enough, was one of the writers on Alien.
How about It! The Terror From Space, is this not the true blueprint for Ridley Scott's Alien, or what!?
I've read a lot about this movie but have never actually seen it. Just might pick it up from Amazon next time I make a purchase.
Buy it with MGM's flip side, The Creature That Challenged The World, because IT only runs around an hour. (Get your money's worth)
Be prepared though, for astronauts constantly lighting up cigarettes, (even though oxygen is a problem), and the fairer sex's duty primarily being coffee and sandwiches.
How about It! The Terror From Space, is this not the true blueprint for Ridley Scott's Alien, or what!?
I've read a lot about this movie but have never actually seen it. Just might pick it up from Amazon next time I make a purchase.
Buy it with MGM's flip side, The Creature That Challenged The World, because IT only runs around an hour. (Get your money's worth)
Be prepared though, for astronauts constantly lighting up cigarettes, (even though oxygen is a problem), and the fairer sex's duty primarily being coffee and sandwiches.
) ) ) That's part and parcel for those 60's movies; it's part of the charm.
Did you ever see Ib Melchior's Angry Red Planet? It was another very entertaining "B" movie from around 1960 regarding the first expedition to Mars. It also had a lot of those 60's stereotypes and the Martian locales were positively trippy ( owing to the odd atmostphere of course ). Still it was a very clever movie for its time.
I've read a lot about this movie but have never actually seen it. Just might pick it up from Amazon next time I make a purchase.
Buy it with MGM's flip side, The Creature That Challenged The World, because IT only runs around an hour. (Get your money's worth)
Be prepared though, for astronauts constantly lighting up cigarettes, (even though oxygen is a problem), and the fairer sex's duty primarily being coffee and sandwiches.
) ) ) That's part and parcel for those 60's movies; it's part of the charm.
Did you ever see Ib Melchior's Angry Red Planet? It was another very entertaining "B" movie from around 1960 regarding the first expedition to Mars. It also had a lot of those 60's stereotypes and the Martian locales were positively trippy ( owing to the odd atmostphere of course ). Still it was a very clever movie for its time.
Oh yes, with great pride do I own it. The "bat-spider-rat-crab" and that annoying red filter used in the planet scenes. I really hate it when filmakers used those, akin to the terrible final vehicle for the late Dorothy Stratten entitled Galaxina, all the scenes in "insert adjective here" Vision were extremely hard on the eyes.
Sid Pink's Journey To The Seventh Planet is another good one. Stalwart John Agar leads an expedition team to a planet where all men imagine Swedish babes! And I love the 60s optimisim in the prequel, (all countries will live in complete harmony at the year 2001) How sadly ironic.
Oh yes, with great pride do I own it. The "bat-spider-rat-crab" and that annoying red filter used in the planet scenes. I really hate it when filmakers used those, akin to the terrible final vehicle for the late Dorothy Stratten entitled Galaxina, all the scenes in "insert adjective here" Vision were extremely hard on the eyes.
Sid Pink's Journey To The Seventh Planet is another good one. Stalwart John Agar leads an expedition team to a planet where all men imagine Swedish babes!
Saw it many many years ago, on a double feature with Voyage to a Prehistoric Planet, I think. When I was much younger Friday nights and Saturday afternoons were dedicated to the Creature Double Feature on Channel 56 in Boston; they played all these movies and I just ate them up. Sadly, they've completely disappeared from television. It's really sad that I have over 200 channels on my satellite system including the Sci-Fi channel but it seems I never ever see these kinds of movies on TV anymore.
And I love the 60s optimisim in the prequel, (all countries will live in complete harmony at the year 2001) How sadly ironic.
There's a line I once heard which is very appropriate: The future isn't what it used to be.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Does anyone here like THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN? Man, I loved this film as a kid.
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Abrams' Trek Launching in Christmas '08 by Josh Grossberg
Wed Feb 28, 6:10 AM ET
Los Angeles (E! Online) - It's official. JJ Abrams is beaming up for duty.
After months of speculation, the Lost mastermind has confirmed he will helm Paramount Pictures' first new Star Trek voyage in more than five years.
The tentatively titled Star Trek XI will follow the formula of franchise reinvention pioneered by Batman Begins and Casino Royale—i.e., do an origin tale of the main characters.
In this case, the new Trek will travel back to the Starfleet Academy salad days of James T. Kirk and his best half-Vulcan buddy Spock as they boldly go on their first adventures together in the final frontier.
Paramount is targeting a stardate of Christmas Day 2008 to launch the new-old crew.
The script is being penned by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who also wrote last May's Mission: Impossible III, which marked Abrams' feature-helming debut. Kurzman and Orci are also part of the production team with Abrams and his Lost pals Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burke.
There's no word on casting yet. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, both 75, played Kirk and Spock, respectively, on the original 1966-69 Trek TV series and in several Trek movies.
A self-professed Trek nerd, Abrams initially agreed to develop the project last year, taking on the daunting task of overhauling a creaky franchise that had grossed more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales but recently had fallen on tough times.
The last Next Generation-powered movie installment, Star Trek: Nemesis, bombed at the box office (with just $67 million earned worldwide on an estimated budget of $60 million, per Box Office Mojo). The most recent TV series, Star Trek: Enterprise, a prequel set in the days long before Kirk and Spock, lasted only four low-rated seasons before being canceled in 2005. And in 2003, Paramount and the Trek brain trust were sued by a former partner for letting the once vaunted franchise fall into "decay."
"If there's something I'm dying to see, it's the brilliance and optimism of [creator Gene] Roddenberry's world brought back to the big screen," said Abrams.
"Alex and Bob wrote an amazing script that embraces and respects Trek canon but charts its own course. Our goal is to make a picture for everyone—lifelong fans and the uninitiated. Needless to say, I am honored and excited to be part of this next chapter of Star Trek."
Of course, Abrams & Co. currently have their hands full trying to figure out what the heck is going on with Lost. Ratings for the ABC show have declined by 14 percent during its current third season. (Lindelof admitted last month that he and his fellow producers have begun talks with the network about setting a specific end date for Lost, in part to help keep viewers plugged in to the series' ongoing mysteries.)
Word of the Star Trek liftoff comes amid repots from New York's Comic Con that Stephen King has sold the Lost boys the rights to develop King's epic fantasy-western series, The Dark Tower, into a possible movie or TV show.
Fanboys will have to wait a while on that one, however.
Comments
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
And Sinise and Damon on the screen together? With Sinise's presence, I'll half expect to him to say "Damn it, Jim! Get out of that chair and let me show you how to command a starship!"
I really cannot argue with your discomfort over these alleged selections, darenhat but if you think about it, if Damon is chosen for that particular part the last thing he should do is play it like Shatner. That's the thing- no one can play it like Shatner. For the last 40+ years that's all we know of the character- Shatner.
I have a Damon bias anyway because he's a much better actor than his sister Affleck. 8-)
I sort of agree with Tony's speculations that we may end up with a reboot of sorts... It may be the shot in the arm the franchise needs.
Although whomever plays Kirk, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Talk about living up to something...
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
As for Spock, well, there can only be one. Leonard Nimoy is still around, so why not hire him to play Spock one more time? Surely with make-up technology the way it is it wouldn't be too hard to make Nimoy look a hell of a lot younger than he is.
I like the idea of Gary Sinise as McCoy (R.I.P. DeForest Kelley). He has the looks, and I have no doubt he can act the part.
I personally have no desire whatsoever to see any of today's actors in the prospective role of an original series starship crew member. I know it's fashionable nowadays to go back in time but that's how I feel about classic Trek. I think a more feasible idea would be an animated series with Shatner and Nimoy providing voice-overs. Get Ellison or Bradbury to pound out some scripts akin to 90s Batman or something.
As for motion pictures, I wouldn't mind seeing Picard's crew again.
It is also somewhat disappointing to me to see that Abrams is using many of the same creative people he employed in MI:III and Lost. Obviously he feels comfortable with them and wants to probably take his vision of Trek in a different direction. But I would have liked to see him use a real sci-fi writer to at least come up with a storyline and maybe use some of the creative talent from previous shows and movies (which had some very good illustrators, make up artists and the like) to give a sense of a little continuity to this next effort.
Given the creative team he appears to be putting in place, I will be curious to see what the look of the film is like. I always enjoyed the hardware of the 23rd Century and I'll be curious as to what the Enterprise, other ships, phasers, uniforms, sets and so on end up looking like.
As Rogue said, I don't envy whoever ends up in these characters' shoes. Their likenesses and mannerisms have been engrained in the public consciousness for over 40 years and anyone who takes over the roles - especially the big three - will be walking a very tricky tightrope. If you copy the original actor's style (Shatner's dramatic pauses, Spock's stoic silence, McCoy's irascibility) you run the risk of falling into parody. If you go in a completely different direction you might be bashed for not being true to the character. DeNiro probably went thru this when he played young Vito Corleone in Godfather II. He pulled it off but I think it'll be a lot tougher with these characters because they are so colorful and have been around for so long. There are also rumors that Shatner and Nimoy may briefly appear in the film - possible bookending the story. If true it will be interesting to see how they fit them in.
As for another TNG movie, I think they (along with Rick Berman and the rest of his crew) pretty much wore out their welcome at Paramount after Insurrection and Nemesis. Both movies were unmitigated critical and commercial failures (and Generations wasn't much of a film either). Besides, most of them are well into their 50's and they're in pretty much the same predicament as the TOS cast was in their last couple of movies.
As for Damon and Brody...I don't know, but as a huge Trek fan I'll just have to fall back on my optimism (it got me through the Craig Wars
I'm just glad they're going to make another Trek movie...and one can never rule out the possibility of a happy surprise...
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Bladerunner (Ford was the man)
2001: A Space Odyssey (Hal is my science teacher)
Star Trek 1-4 (there be whales here!)
Logan's Run (I hit carousel 6 years ago)
Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back (that's their real names, none of this New Hope, episodes 3 and 4 crap)
It Came From Outer Space (because Barbara Rush is hot, hot, hot!)
War Of The Worlds (not the Tom Bozo version)
Forbidden Planet (because Anne Francis is hot, hot, hot!)
Earth Versus The Flying Saucers (because CGI sucks)
The Time Machine (because this was George Pal's real masterpiece)
The 2 Doctor Who picture with Peter Cushing (don't care if the time lord was changed to kindly old man, these things are great!)
PS: Matt Damon sucks... {:) :v
TOS was my favorite and seeing as the cast are all basically septagenarians (or dead), it makes it that much easier for me to accept this new incarnation. Not sure about Damon myself but I really hope they do a good job of it and I'm already very curious to see what the look of this film will be like.
Nearly every one of those movies is in my collection too; it's been nearly 12 years since I renewed in Carousel. {[]
As to a few other sci-fi films I have:
Barbarella (Jane Fonda keeps getting her clothes torn off, good enough for me)
Planet of the Apes (Linda Harrison in a burlap bikini).
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (any movie that ends with the Earth being blown up gets my attention).
Alien & Aliens (Slimy bugs and Sigourney Weaver in skimpy underwear).
Demon Plant (Mario Bava looks thru a time machine and gives us his version of Alien).
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered County (Captain Kirk brings peace to the galaxy, gets it on with supermodel Iman, and then punches her in the mouth).
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Anakin decapitates Dracula, Palpatine beats up a frog, Grievous is revealed to be a Robot Chicken).
Demon Seed (The voice of Robert Vaughn gets the hots for Julie Christie, and then he does something about it).
Soylent Green (Some great furniture on display; and I defy anyone to watch Charleton Heston and Edward G. Robinson in their last scene together and not be moved).
I agree, Alex. I don't like it one little bit. It's time for the filmmakers to stop their fixation with the past. This constant fixation is lazy and unimaginitive, and it rarely succeeds. Whatever happened to the vision and creativity that brought about the original Star Trek in the first place?
Amen! Unfortunately Gene Rodenberry cannot be reproduced with any of today's clones. I know that when I complain, I'm a very easy target of unbridled cynicism, but the heck with optimism, the proof is in the product. And I haven't seen a worthwhile sci-fi endeaver in a long while. Label me what you will.
Tony's faves are also in my collection. Planet of the Vampires and the first two Aliens, count me in... Heck, I brought one of my first real serious girlfriends to a double bill of Aliens and Maximum Overdrive and they both still "hold up" today.
Anyone remember the terrible and often malinged Saturn 3? My pops brought me to this one, and the only think I recall was being chilled by a creepy looking robot and being rather pleasantly suprised, hormone speaking, by Farrah's boobs.
I'm also a big fan of the Val Guest directed and brilliantly written Nigel Kneale Hammers like Quatermass, X: The Unknown and so forth. Sci-Fi "explotation" genre with intelligence. (it can and has been done)
Not to mention The Black Hole -{
Oh yeah, I have it and I was also pretty surprised by Farrah's little show the first time I saw it. I kinda like this one (and not just because of Farrah). The movie had some wild production design and I always found the ending - as the ship descends towards a very sinister looking Earth while an unsuspecting Farrah looks on - very very disturbing. BTW, her name in the movie was ... Alex.
Disney recently released a widescreen anamorphic version which I have yet to pick up. I like this one in a guilty pleasure sort of way. The FX are fantastic but the story is really really weak, not to mention Maximillian Schell's bizarre to the point of being comic performance; "And you are his daughter. Yes! The same eyes. The same eyes!"
Going back to Chuck Heston Sci-Fi. Soylent Green, The Omega Man, and the first 2 Apes films -{ (you can keep the rest...)
PS Guilty pleasures time: Plan 9 From Outer Space, anyone?
For some Reason Asimov has a hard time holding my attention. I read a lot of his books but I'm damned if I can remember anything other than the broad strokes. Now Arthur C. Clarke on the other hand, I can quote almost verbatim. Go figure.
Only if it's in a double bill with Tim Burton's "Ed Wood".
Ah, another of my favourite movies. Not exactly SF, but very enjoyable. I watched that with Son Of, and he asked to see some of the original Ed Wood films. Plan 9 we both enjoyed, but Bride Of The Monster got turned off well before the end- it's just bad, not "so bad it's good" like Plan 9.
How about It! The Terror From Space, is this not the true blueprint for Ridley Scott's Alien, or what!?
(1) "Ed [Wood]'s most accomplished film"? Surely that's an oxymoron
(2) Oh yes, the biopic is filled with factual errors (Ed's meeting with Orson Welles; Lugosi's dogs; the timescale) but it's made with genuine love and respect.
(3)On It! I'm with you totally; the parallels with Alien are clear.
I viewed Ed Wood more as entertainment rather than a faithful biopic. There were a ton of factual errors but all the wonderful characters swept me into the moment and I was able to suspend my disbelief. And Landau's performance is absolutely priceless. PULL THE STRING!! PULL THE STRING!!!
I've read a lot about this movie but have never actually seen it. Just might pick it up from Amazon next time I make a purchase.
Silent Running was a visually stunning movie, especially considering that Doug Trumbull shot it on a shoestring. I remember being mesmerized by it as a kid; but upon viewing it as an adult I found it painfully depressing. Watching those forests be destroyed, seeing Bruce Dern slowly going insane, and the last shot of the little robot all alone as he waters the plants is almost too much to take.
I grew up watching DS9, but I agree entirely with what you're saying. Going back in time re-hashing well-established characters is a huge risk, and I don't think that this is one risk the producers should be taking. I also agree that they should be moving forward from Voyager onwards, rather than take a two century step backwards. For the first time since I became a Trek fan a little more than a decade ago, I'm not looking forward to this new movie at all.
While I also have to agree that the TNG crew is dead and buried, why not do a DS9 or VOY film? I would much prefer that than to watch a film about Kirk and Spock's past. All it takes to get Star Trek back on the right path is a little creativity, and I'm afraid that is sadly lacking among the people in charge of the franchise these days. Perhaps the franchise has died with Gene Roddenberry ...
Neither DS9 nor Voyager were as popular ratings-wise as TOS and TNG and ultimately I think Paramount probably didn't have faith that either cast could bring in a large enough audience of Trek and non-Trek fans to warrant a feature film.
Berman and Piller definitely had hopes for a DS9 movie and I believe that was one of the reasons Sisko was left in limbo with the prophets in the last episode. But once the show ended it quickly dropped off the radar and hasn't really been much of a hit in syndication.
As for Voyager, the whole premise of the show was to get back home. Once they accomplished that in the last show I got the impression that Berman & Co. didn't know what else to do with that cast and wanted to move on to something else.
Moving away from Trek for a second, here's a little info on the direct to DVD Babylon 5 movie:
http://dvd.ign.com/articles/767/767712p1.html
The ending is a choker
Dark Star was co-written by Dan O'Bannon who, coincidentally enough, was one of the writers on Alien.
Did you ever see Ib Melchior's Angry Red Planet? It was another very entertaining "B" movie from around 1960 regarding the first expedition to Mars. It also had a lot of those 60's stereotypes and the Martian locales were positively trippy ( owing to the odd atmostphere of course
Sid Pink's Journey To The Seventh Planet is another good one. Stalwart John Agar leads an expedition team to a planet where all men imagine Swedish babes! And I love the 60s optimisim in the prequel, (all countries will live in complete harmony at the year 2001) How sadly ironic.
Saw it many many years ago, on a double feature with Voyage to a Prehistoric Planet, I think. When I was much younger Friday nights and Saturday afternoons were dedicated to the Creature Double Feature on Channel 56 in Boston; they played all these movies and I just ate them up. Sadly, they've completely disappeared from television. It's really sad that I have over 200 channels on my satellite system including the Sci-Fi channel but it seems I never ever see these kinds of movies on TV anymore.
There's a line I once heard which is very appropriate: The future isn't what it used to be.
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20070228/en_tv_eo/b3ea9976_ddad47f6_b0e8_f8f599de18e3
Abrams' Trek Launching in Christmas '08 by Josh Grossberg
Wed Feb 28, 6:10 AM ET
Los Angeles (E! Online) - It's official. JJ Abrams is beaming up for duty.
After months of speculation, the Lost mastermind has confirmed he will helm Paramount Pictures' first new Star Trek voyage in more than five years.
The tentatively titled Star Trek XI will follow the formula of franchise reinvention pioneered by Batman Begins and Casino Royale—i.e., do an origin tale of the main characters.
In this case, the new Trek will travel back to the Starfleet Academy salad days of James T. Kirk and his best half-Vulcan buddy Spock as they boldly go on their first adventures together in the final frontier.
Paramount is targeting a stardate of Christmas Day 2008 to launch the new-old crew.
The script is being penned by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who also wrote last May's Mission: Impossible III, which marked Abrams' feature-helming debut. Kurzman and Orci are also part of the production team with Abrams and his Lost pals Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burke.
There's no word on casting yet. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, both 75, played Kirk and Spock, respectively, on the original 1966-69 Trek TV series and in several Trek movies.
A self-professed Trek nerd, Abrams initially agreed to develop the project last year, taking on the daunting task of overhauling a creaky franchise that had grossed more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales but recently had fallen on tough times.
The last Next Generation-powered movie installment, Star Trek: Nemesis, bombed at the box office (with just $67 million earned worldwide on an estimated budget of $60 million, per Box Office Mojo). The most recent TV series, Star Trek: Enterprise, a prequel set in the days long before Kirk and Spock, lasted only four low-rated seasons before being canceled in 2005. And in 2003, Paramount and the Trek brain trust were sued by a former partner for letting the once vaunted franchise fall into "decay."
"If there's something I'm dying to see, it's the brilliance and optimism of [creator Gene] Roddenberry's world brought back to the big screen," said Abrams.
"Alex and Bob wrote an amazing script that embraces and respects Trek canon but charts its own course. Our goal is to make a picture for everyone—lifelong fans and the uninitiated. Needless to say, I am honored and excited to be part of this next chapter of Star Trek."
Of course, Abrams & Co. currently have their hands full trying to figure out what the heck is going on with Lost. Ratings for the ABC show have declined by 14 percent during its current third season. (Lindelof admitted last month that he and his fellow producers have begun talks with the network about setting a specific end date for Lost, in part to help keep viewers plugged in to the series' ongoing mysteries.)
Word of the Star Trek liftoff comes amid repots from New York's Comic Con that Stephen King has sold the Lost boys the rights to develop King's epic fantasy-western series, The Dark Tower, into a possible movie or TV show.
Fanboys will have to wait a while on that one, however.