Once again, via HeyUGuys, here’s the first batch of set photos from director J.J. Abrams’ sequel to his reboot of the Star Trek franchise.
The film reunites the original cast: Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu) and Anton Yelchin (Chekhov). Alice Eve (“She’s Out of My League) signs on for the sequel. Ditto for Benedict Cumberbatch, who’s playing an unnamed villain.
The first photos show Quinto and Cumberbatch duking it out, with Saldana joining in the fun.
Here’s a four-minute-long sneak peek from Disney’s upcoming “John Carter” that shows the hero fighting white apes in an arena scene. Many thanks to HeyUGuys for hipping me to this.
And a synopsis:
From Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes “John Carter”–a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). “John Carter” is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs , whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.
Because it’s Friday, let’s shake things up a little bit. It’s reader participation time. Here’s my five favorite film music moments from more than 30 years of going to the movies. List your own in the comments and we’ll compare notes:
1. “I Melt With You,” Modern English (“Valley Girl,” 1983). This teesploitation flick, which starred a very young Nicholas Cage and Deborah Foreman was a mainstay of late-night cable when I was in my early teens in the 1980s. I remember seeing it on USA’s old “Night Flight” TV show on some far-flung Saturday night of my youth. The main theme was this tune from Modern English. And, bless them, the band has been dining out on it ever since:
2. “In Your Eyes,” Peter Gabriel (“Say Anything,” 1989). If you aren’t moved by this scene, check yourself for a pulse.
3. “Mo Better Blues,” Branford Marsalis/Terrence Blanchard (“Mo Better Blues,” 1990). For my money, this is my favorite Spike Lee movie. And it’s the one that made me fall in love with jazz all over again. I saw it in a movie theater in Paris’ Montparnasse neighborhood. And I can’t watch it now without thinking of that smoky theater, where I drank red wine and ate really good chocolate.
4. “Never Say Never,” Romeo Void (“Reckless,” 1984). An all-but-forgotten 1980s reboot of “Rebel Without A Cause,” this time starring Aidan Quinn and Darryl Hannah. It was notable mostly for the fact that it exposed me to this terrific song from Romeo Void.
5. “Dyslexic Heart,” Paul Westerberg (“Singles,” 1992). This was the moment when I thought GenX was finally going to get its definitive moment on film. It didn’t happen. And it still hasn’t. But this Paul Westerberg song is amazing.
The comely British actress stars with Jude Law in director Joe Wright’s adaptation of Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy’s tome, the bane of comp.lit majors everywhere. I read this one as part of a Russian lit class during my freshman year of college. The experience was so trying that I haven’t been back to it since.
With the Oscars almost upon us, The Guardian takes a look at the fine art of “The Red Carpet Interview.”
These interviews always crack me up. They’re designed not to offend, include bland generalities about the honor of being nominated or the mere thrill of attending, a word or two about dresses or tuxes and then it’s off to the next star.
Writing this morning, Peter Bradshaw opines that “the choreography of the interview is shaped by the British royal walkabout,” and it’s about as tightly controlled as your average presidential event:
Here’s the nut graf:
“But there is a reversal: the royal prerogative of speaking first and asking questions (of the most gentle sort) belongs to the humble interviewer for whom phrases such as “Who designed your dress?” is not so far from the Queen’s anodyne: “Have you come far?”
Again, we know someone must be looking forward to this Will Smith-starring reboot of the sci-fi/comedy franchise about a top-secret government agency that deals with rogue aliens.
It’s a shot of Smith and Josh Brolin, who stars as a younger version of Agent K, a role originated by Tommy Lee Jones.
Here’s the new trailer for “American Reunion,” the long-awaited sequel (by someone) that reunites the original cast of the 1999 raunch comedy that launched the careers of Jason Biggs and Tara Reid, as well as Alyson Hannigan, Mena Suvari, Seann William Scott and Shannon Elizabeth, among others. The immortal Eugene Levy also stars.
The Cineaste's Lament. 