Fun Star Trek Stuff from the (Tholian) Web

Bear with me, you may enjoy some of this post even if you're not a fan of Star Trek.

Yeah, I know I haven't been posting on my blog much lately. Part of that comes from work related craziness, but most of it comes from personal and creative issues that have occurred. I'll just leave it at that for now.

Most of that is behind me, now. I've got a few reviews I need to post, and some ruminations on writing (under the "Way of the Writer" subtitle) . . . but for today, I've got something important to talk about:

Star Trek.

I'm going to see it tomorrow at 7:00 in IMAX. Seeing Dark Knight in IMAX was an amazing experience. So amazing, in fact, that I have not rewatched the movie since. Yeah, it was a great movie. Amazing. Near genius. But . . . I'm afraid to watch it on my little living room TV, with the possiblity that I'd sully the IMAX experience.

With Star Trek, I'll be seeing it again regardless. In three weeks, I'm getting together with some friends from high school for a special reunion: seeing the new Star Trek movie. I'm not sure if I'm the only one from the group jumping the gun to see it early . . . but, it's only in IMAX for two weeks.

Anyway, to get ready for Star Trek here's some fun Trek related videos. Enjoy!

(BTW, I've decided I'm a Trekster, not a Trekkie or a Trekker. Why? I just think that Trekster sounds, at the same time, both COOLER and GEEKIER than Trekkie or Trekker.Why else? I just rewatched the movie Trekkies, where they debate the two terms and frankly, I think it's all a bit silly.)

First, some context -- an awesome preview of the new Trek movie:



So, next, a video from The Onion that sharply parodies the actual reactions some Trekkies and Trekkers have about this new Star Trek movie:


Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

Sadly, I've read and heard some people saying things just like that. I'm just hoping for a fun filled, optimistic sci-fi action movie.

Next, we have a re-enactment of a classic scene from the best (second best, depending on my mood) Star Trek movie, the Wrath of Kahn, as performed by a Kindle and an iPod Shuffle:



Talking Gadget Theater has more scenes from other movies. I find it pretty fun and funny.

Finally, we have the Burger King "When Kingons Attack" website, which I found funny and disturbing (everything with the Burger King guy is just plain disturbing). It's college humor, and took me back to the days of purple nurples, atomic wedgies, and such . . .

The Kingon Defense Academy.

So anyway, last night I curled up for a nice episode of Fringe (created by J.J. Abrams), tonight I'll curl up fur a nice episode of Lost (created by J.J. Abrams), and tomorrow I'll not be curling up (unless I have a row to myself) for the Star Trek movie (directed by J.J. Abrams). When did this Abrams guy become the gatekeeper for stuff I like?

~ Ben

Stuck in 1986, part I: Content

1986 was the Golden Days for comic books.

Watchmen.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

In fact, those two books are the Golden Standard for what comic books are. Or should be. Or want to be. Or whatever.

The broke the mold, subtly and not-so-subtly poking holes at the conventions of supeheroes, deconstructing the idea of modern heroes, and presenting archetypes in a new light.

Watchmen and Dark Knight. Top of many, many lists of best comics ever.

Still.

It's 2008, people. Where's the next Watchmen or Dark Knight?

Everything about comics these days seems to be looking back in the rear-view mirror. Looking back at this two comics.

That's not to say they aren't great . . . they are. But where is the next breakthrough? The next "changes everything" story?

The answer: it's come. And it's gone. And we didn't notice. Because our collective eyes were on those two masterpieces, in the rear-view mirror . . . instead of looking ahead.

On Monday, part II . . .

~ Ben

Nano Film Review #14 -- The Dark Knight

I'm behind on my "reviews". Wall*E, Hellboy II, and a couple others just have to wait. Last night I saw The Dark Knight in Imax.

It. Was. Amazing.

I have to go again and see it. This is a movie that bears repeat viewings. This is a movie that Says Something. And I want to see it again.

First, the Imax stuff: it was beautiful. The last Imax movie I saw was something about the Wright Brothers at Disney or something. Just gorgeous. I'd like to see it again in Imax, but it was just happy circumstance that I found myself 20 minutes away from an Imax theater on this particular weekend. I'll not be seeing it in Imax again. But I think I want to see it on the big screen again.

This movie is a dark movie. Very dark. I'm surprised it did not get an "R" rating. I found myself squirming whenever Joker came on screen, because you never knew what he was going to do.

This movie mines the ideas of good and evil, heroes and antiheroes. And it does it well. It was a very dense movie, with a lot packed into the 2 hour 30 minute running time. And there were some cuts where you could just see they had to trim another second here or there to get it under the studio's desired running time. That's my only complaint: the movie needed some breathing space. Time not for US to breath, but for the story to breath.

Heath Ledger will not, and should not, be nominated for an Oscar. He was awesome, but it wasn't that kind of awesome.

They didn't really dig into my idea of the Two Face character: that Two Face is essentially half Batman and half Joker. I expected to see more of a tug of war between Batman and Joker over Harvey Dent. But the story that DID develop made sense for the theme they were running with.

It was a powerful film, exploring ideas in a mature way, but because of the capes and costumes, it was able to explore it in a more powerful way than had it been a "real world" action drama.

If you can see it in Imax . . . do it.

~ Ben

The Dark Knight

Not sure when I'll get to see this. I have tons of work to do today and this weekend (compounded because I'm completely rewriting the majority of the project), a signing tomorrow afternoon, and I'll be visiting my parents tomorrow afternoon and Sunday.

I'm excited to see the movie, though. My parents live near an IMAX theater . . . maybe after the kids are in bed. :)

I hope this movie is the story I want it to be. To me, Two Face is the composite of Batman and Joker. One side, seeking justice. The other side, seeking anarchy. I haven't heard much about the Two Face elements of the story, but I truly hope that's the direction they go in.

~ Ben