Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond ~ The trailer for Star Trek Beyond is one of the things that kept me going when I spent this last December in the hospital. Beyond of course The Bride, my friends, my family, and a short video of my kitty Snowy, there was the first trailer that broke.

My friend Andy Burns posted it at Biff Bam Pop! on a day when I was feeling a bit better and I showed that YouTube clip set to the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" on my iPhone to everyone who came into my room that day. I was psyched. One reason I was going to get out of that hellhole was certainly to see Star Trek Beyond in July.

It's July, and I'm out. I saw it, and I loved it. Star Trek Beyond is one of the three best movies out this year so far. And the other two - Captain America: Civil War and The Legend of Tarzan respectively - actually have a lot in common with Star Trek Beyond.

Like Civil War, this carefully structured script by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung, gives all of the many characters in this venerable cast equal time. Everyone has something to do and no one gets the short end of the stick. No matter who your favorite is, he or she gets a spotlight. Speaking of the script, Pegg and Jung are masterful in creating adversaries and situations that are absolutely geared to defeat the crew of the Enterprise, but never once does it degenerate into a when-is-it-time-for-the-good-guys-to-win scenario. There is no desperation, we are always rooting for our heroes.

And while we're on the topic of heroes, the similarities to Tarzan become apparent when as a viewer I realized that this was not the new crew, or new actors, but the real thing. This was Star Trek, and it was bringing it for a new generation without losing that which made it cool to begin with. I not only loved the traditional characters, but the new ones as well, and look forward to a fourth installment - something I could not have said after Into Darkness sadly.

This new Trek was fun, exciting, and triumphant. Highly recommended, and worth living for.

Doctor Who Series 9 Trailer

For all of you out there shaking and twitching while waiting for your Who fix, help is finally on its way, via TARDIS, the trailer for "Doctor Who" Series 9 is finally here!



The Mistress/The Master is back, so are the Zygons, the Daleks of course, and this time with the Supreme Dalek, Gallifrey, dragons, Arya Stark(!)… and is that a Sea Devil? Loving the shades, and the guitar, and hating that Clara is still there…

The new season starts September 19th. Join me at Biff Bam Pop! for my reviews of the series, and on September 11th I'll be on Morning Coffee talking "Doctor Who" with Kristin Battestella.

Also, if you're in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area this coming Saturday, August 15th, it's Doctor Who Day 2015 at All Things Fun!, co-sponsored by Titan Comics. There will be special items from the UK and they'll be celebrating the launch of the big Four Doctors crossover event in the comics!

A Tale of Two Heroines

Two different trailers came out today for two very different projects, the film trailer for the movie version of Jem and the upcoming television series on CBS, "Supergirl."

 These are examples of how Hollywood has taken two already existing projects and given them completely new takes - one getting everything completely wrong, and the other possibly breathing new life into it. I bet you can guess which one is which.

Yeah, I'm a guy, but I'm also a huge "Jem" fan and I can't express how disappointed I was when I saw the above trailer.

 I'm also a big Supergirl fan, mostly of her early seventies stint in Adventure Comics, and while this interpretation is far from that version, I am very interested in seeing it.

 What do you folks think?

Avenging the Age of Ultron

I am a huge Avengers fan, some folks consider me an expert, mostly people who read my reviews of the comics for over a decade at the much-missed Avengers Forever website, a couple delusional individuals have called me the highest authority on Earth's Mightiest Heroes. I don't buy it for a moment. However, I am a hardcore fan and longtime reader, and I have a confession to make...

I haven't been thrilled with the first few peeks at the new movie Avengers: Age of Ultron. They haven't done much at all for me, and this is coming from a guy who geekgasmed his way, astonished from start to finish, through the first movie.

Maybe it's the design of Ultron, a perfect design in the comics, jettisoned for the film. Or maybe it's that Ultron was built by Tony Stark rather than Hank Pym, removing the creepy Oedipal origins that made the character so frightening and unique. Maybe it's the Pinocchio theming of "I've Got No Strings," diminishing the danger of Ultron. Or it could be the rehashing of the Hulkbuster armor, seen a zillion times in comics and cartoons - which don't get me wrong, will look great on the big screen - but is still kinda old hat. For whatever reason, nothing about this flick so far has charmed me.

Then the third trailer came out, which you can see over at Biff Bam Pop! right here.

Now I'm excited. We get to see Ultron's plan, motives for his creation, and we see a little bit of background behind the Red Room flashbacks and the Hulkbuster scenes - it's the Scarlet Witch controlling and invading minds. We get group scenes, both interacting and being dynamic in costume, and we get rousing dramatic music instead of music box Pinocchio songs. We get great action scenes, clever dialogue, Stark with Loki's scepter, and best of all, our first real look at the Vision. I am down. I want Avengers: Age of Ultron now!

And for those of you who still remember Avengers Forever, the discussion continues today over on Facebook, and you can read my current reviews of the "Avengers Assemble" animated series at Biff Bam Pop! here.

Guardians of the Galaxy

The film opens August 1st.

Jem

First look at the new live action Jem movie.

Godzilla!

My friends over at Biff Bam Pop! debuted this earlier today. You can check that out here.



Godzilla is back, baby! I cannot wait until May 16th!

Arrow Season Two Preview

In a season which also promises The Flash, and possibly Black Canary, Speedy, and Ras al Ghul, this looks like it's going to be a good one!



"Arrow" season two starts Wednesday, October 9th.

Cloud Atlas Preview

Based on the wonderful groundbreaking steampunk novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas opens on October 26th, 2012.

The Barrens: Thoughts on the Trailer

There's never been a really good movie about the Jersey Devil, and there are damned few good books. "The Pines" by Robert Dunbar is really the only fiction one that springs to mind. "The Jersey Devil" by James F. McCloy and Ray Miller is probably the best among the non-fiction books on the legend. And as far as movies go, there have been a few, all awful, the worst of the bunch about a decade ago was called 13th Child and struck a new low in cinema.

This one, The Barrens features "True Blood" star Stephen Moyer playing a man who takes his family camping and finds himself convinced he's being stalked by the Jersey Devil. Even the trailer, just a few seconds over two minutes long, is already full of inaccuracies about the legend. I'm a South Jersey boy, I should know.

The worst mistake of all is in the title itself. The Barrens referred to are the Pine Barrens, so called because of the short stunted trees in the region, not at all like the ones we see in the trailer depicting the Ontario, Canada location. As yet, the film has no release date.

Dark Knight Rises Prelude

Everyone knows basically what happened Thursday night in Aurora, Colorado. The tragedy that is being called by the news media, the 'movie massacre,' is now inextricably tied to the film The Dark Knight Rises.

I was up late Thursday night when I heard about it on the top of the hour news during Coast to Coast AM, and immediately clicked on the television news. Like 9/11 or Columbine (not all that far from Aurora) I was one of millions glued to my TV watching and waiting. I finally dozed off to images of the tragedy.

Later that afternoon, I kept plans to see The Dark Knight Rises despite everything. Things were a little different at the theatre. Bags were checked, we weren't allowed in to the theatre until just before the show, and nobody was in costume. I think this may actually be the end of that. No more costumes, and maybe even no more midnight release showings.

Another difference was that there was no chatter before the movie. No one was talking. It was very disconcerting. Usually on opening day, everyone is excited, not this day. I suppose everyone was thinking about the shootings.

One specific preview, for Sean Penn's new film Gangster Squad made children jump, women gasp, and grown men scream. It depicted men with guns shooting through a movie screen and then into the audience. I hope Warner Bros. has the sense to pull this preview for the time being. The audience was shocked and horrified.

I am left numb. I enjoyed TDKR but am unable to write about it yet. Maybe tomorrow or the next day. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this tragedy and their families and friends.

Comic Con Leftovers

Here's a peek at a few of the previews and footage to come out of this weekend's San Diego Comic Con…



"Arrow" debuts on the CW October 10th. Hmmm… looks like Green Arrow is a killer in this one. I wish they just would have spun Justin Hartley out of "Smallville," at least we knew that was cool, and so much more faithful to the source material…



Season 3 of "The Walking Dead" debuts on October 14th.

I wish I had footage to show you from Pacific Rim, the movie I'm very excited about as a kaiju fan, but I guess this will have to do for now.

Madagascar 3

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted ~ Full disclosure first. I didn't want to see this flick. The Bride did. And I saw the original, but not the sequel, so it's possible I may be missing out on some pretty major plot points in this one. Nah. I didn't think so either. We went mostly for the "Circus Afro" song we have been both been humming and singing since the ads on TV started.

Here's the story. Somehow, the fun-loving animals from the Central Park zoo, who have the voices of comedians, have found themselves in Africa, and they want to get home to New York. To do this they have to go to Monte Carlo to get the penguins and monkeys first. Yeah, I know, just follow along. From there they join a circus to get back to the States, and as with every good kids movie, or any episode of "Fat Albert," they learn a lesson.

Ben Stiller is not funny, and Chris Rock joins him in being that way as well. And Sacha Baron Cohen proves that even in animated form he can insult people of any ethnicity. The story and comedy are adequate. It's not painful, it's just not my cup of tea. Kids will love it, especially those who liked the first two movies and the TV series about the Penguins. The Bride enjoyed it, and she got to hear the full version of the "Circus Afro" song. We left happy.

Not Your Average Disney Princess

Brave ~ Disney/Pixar has done something with Brave that is extremely difficult to do in the age of the internet, and I'm glad they did. They managed to hide from audiences what this movie is all about. And that's a good thing.

At first glance, it is the latest of a long line (and a damn fine tradition, don't get me wrong) of Disney Princess movies. The Princess Merida with her tangled scarlet locks, independent attitude, and Scottish bearing stood ready to become not only the latest, but probably one of the most popular of the Disney Princesses. In some cases, the DP is not a good role model or stereotype. The female protagonist is passive, waits for the prince to come and save her, save the day, and live happily ever after with. It's tired in this age of enlightenment.

Now there's nothing wrong with that type of movie. In its time, stuff like Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and even The Little Mermaid to an extent worked well and are wonderful stories. But this isn't that kind of movie.

Brave is about relationships. Chiefly about daughters' relationships with their fathers, and mostly their mothers - and most importantly, mending those relationships. Now there are moments where Brave is predictable, and there are times when it's madcap and sometimes it's scary, but it is always entertaining, but just don't expect your typical Disney Princess here.

I'm not going to give anything away, much like Disney/Pixar's marketing did not, and reasonably has not yet given anything away, but I loved this flick. Viva la difference! Recommended.

Jacqui Naylor - Lucky Girl

Lucky Girl ~ Sometimes the cosmos drops opportunities and coincidences in your lap. This is one of those times. Just a few days after discovering the work of Jacqui Naylor on my own, the producers of a documentary about the San Francisco-based jazz singer/songwriter approached me about reviewing that new film. I jumped at the chance.

Lucky Girl, subtitled A Portrait of Jacqui Naylor, follows "Naylor and her band for two years on the road and in the studio while they prepared new music for her eighth album, also titled Lucky Girl. The documentary chronicles Naylor on tour to several jazz clubs including Seattle’s Jazz Alley, San Francisco’s Rrazz Room, and the Istanbul Jazz Center in Turkey. Replete with performances, songwriting sessions, and behind- the-scene moments, the film transports the viewer through a series of musical montages and local flavors. Interviews with long-time band members and others close to Naylor give an intimate look at the life of this respected jazz artist who is also a practicing Buddhist and long-time San Francisco resident." That's the official press release talking there, and it pretty much tells the tale, but now it's my turn.

As I said, I came across Ms. Naylor on my own, before I ever heard of Lucky Girl. My musical tastes are very eclectic. I'm crazy all over the board, from eighties metal to seventies story songs to old school rap to funk to new wave to punk to soundtracks to nerdcore - I love it all, but what I really love most are covers. I am a sucker for a good cover tune. That's how I found Jacqui Naylor, through her covers. She does wonderful jazzy covers of, among others, the Stones, Talking Heads, the Kinks and even Rod Stewart. I absolutely love her mash up of "My Funny Valentine" with AC/DC's "Back in Black" behind it. And then there's her version of REM's "Losing My Religion."



Killer, isn't it? That's why I immediately agreed to review the documentary. I already knew Jacqui Naylor was something special. And almost like a gateway drug, the doc opens with the song in all its quiet thunder. Welcome to her world.

In Lucky Girl, we have the usual musical origin stories here, the how it happeneds, and the behind the scenes workings of artistic collaboration - all presented as an experience rather than just a documentary. But there is also Jacqui putting her own spin on things as well. She does what she calls 'acoustic smashing,' the technique referenced above with "My Funny Valentine" that has become her trademark. She feels if she has to do the jazz standards, she should make them her own. I love it. The effect is especially fierce on Jacqui's Christmas album, Smashed for the Holidays.

The doc is unlike most music documentaries. I mean, the structure is the same. There are interviews interspersed with the music and performances, but there seems to be a more heartfelt and almost celebratory atmosphere. The musicians and crew Jacqui works with are her family. Her husband Art Khu is also a musician and collaborator and 'real' family. There is much love here. We see Jacqui in her home, in the studio, on the road, and there is always love and passion.

This really is a must see documentary. If you don't know Jacqui Naylor, you will. If you don't like jazz, you will. It will sneak by and hug you lovingly. I guarantee you'll end up doing what I did as I watched Lucky Girl - hitting pause, and going to iTunes to purchase the great music you're hearing. This is sooo recommended. The DVD drops on Tuesday, and if you get the chance, go see her on tour.

Avengers Assemble!

Apparently the Superbowl was last night. Some folks were excited about the commercials. Some folks were excited about Madonna. Rumor has it there was even a pretty good football game last night. I didn't notice, especially seeing how neither the Philadelphia Eagles nor the Dallas Cowboys were involved. But I watched last night's Super Bowl too, but for none of the above - I watched it for The Avengers!



Yeah, baby! I absolutely can not wait until May fourth! Avengers Assemble!

Spartacus: Vengeance

I recently had the chance to see a sneak peek of "Spartacus: Vengeance" from the Starz network. This is a very different television series from its predecessor "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" and its sequel, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena."

"Vengeance" is not just different for the obvious reason, Liam McIntyre replacing the late Andy Whitfield. McIntyre is a different Spartacus. This is not just a Darren Stevens type change out. He plays the character differently. In comparison to Whitfield, he seems smaller, softer, and tense, rather than intense. He also has compassion, and appears to care, and be more of a leader than Whitfield's predominantly loner from "Blood and Sand." While there's nothing lacking in McIntyre's performance, there still needs to be quite a bit of suspension of disbelief that McIntyre went through all that Whitfield did to get Spartacus to the place he is now.

And the place he is now is what the major difference in this cycle of the show as compared to the first two. The story has left the arena and the world of the gladiators, which was where much of the show's charm was in my opinion. Let's hope the characters, those that remain from the previous series, are enough to propel viewers along this new path.

Having freed himself and his allies from slavery in the house of Batiatus, Spartacus is now on the run and rampaging hit and run style against the Romans and the city of Capua. We see a brief glimpse of the arena, and I have to admit it's a highlight, but I wish there was more. I loved the first two series so I'm willing to give the new season, and Whitfield more than a fair chance.

"Spartacus: Vengeance" starts on Starz on January 27, 2012.

The Big Picture: Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

The Big Picture for December 2011

“The Big Picture” is a monthly online release previewing best of the month’s upcoming cinema releases, as well as red carpet interviews with the stars…

SYNOPSIS

Tis the Season to be Jolly as “The Big Picture” brings you a round-up of what great movies can be enjoyed over the festive season. Featuring previews of Happy Feet Two, The Thing, Another Earth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, as well as interviews with the stars of current releases Arthur Christmas, The Awakening and Take Shelter.

Check out our online sources for the latest publications:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheBigPictureUK
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BigPictureFilm
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/TheBigPictureUK

Ghost Rider Rides Again

Nicholas Cage returns as Ghost Rider in February. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance opens February 17th.