Film School Rejects » Interstellar Cinema

Breckin Meyer Pullin’ A Clooney with Comic-Con

Josh Radde — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:10:26 +0000

Breckin Meyer, known to most of you as the lead in Road Trip and funny supporting roles in Clueless and Can’t Hardly Wait (and known to some of you for starring in Garfield) is writing a script called Superguys, described as “Ocean’s 11 with idiots set at Comic-Con.” According to /Film, Meyer, who also writes for the Seth Green-produced “Robot Chicken,” is scribing based on a story by Harry Elfont and Deb Kaplan (A Very Brady Sequel).

Intriguing. Although it sounds like Fanboys Part II, it could benefit from being broader in its scope of humor. Of course, some of this movie writes itself: overweight dudes dressed in Lycra spandex is always comic gold; celebrity cameos will be bountiful; and since Meyer writes for “Robot Chicken,” expect to see some scenes filmed in stop-motion animation using Todd McFarlane toys (at least that’s what I always picture when I go to Wizard World).

Though I don’t know much about the plot, I can imagine it has something to do with stealing an advanced copy of a film or something like that. I remember going to a comic convention where Chris Nolan, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, and Aaron Eckhart took questions and we got a look at Heath Ledger’s Joker several months before the trailer came out. I remember thinking, “There’s got to be like 6 bodyguards protecting that footage right now.” Something like that would be fun to watch, and obviously the stakes would have to be higher.

It would also work if Meyer truly did approach this like an Ocean’s 11 script. Light-hearted and fun, with tons of notable faces playing into the ensemble. I mean, one could tap the cast of the underrated Can’t Hardly Wait and you’d get a great cast for this type of movie (Meyer, Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Seth Green, Freddy Rodriguez, Jason Segel, and Jennifer Love-Hewitt in the Julia Roberts role).

Superguys has not yet been picked up for production but we’ll keep you posted.

Would you like to see a Comic-Con caper?

Star Trek Trailer Gets Smacked Around By Some Real Science

Neil Miller — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:06:55 +0000

Ever since the release of the first full-length trailer for J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, hardcore science fiction geeks have had one thing on their minds: what in the heck (they don’t swear) is up with that young Kirk jumping from a car scene? Some of us wondered about the scene’s relevance and/or place in a Star Trek movie. We got the point, Kirk is supposed to be a badass on the edge like Maverick from Top Gun (complete with his own long dusty road motorcycle ride), we just didn’t know why it needed to be told in such a blatantly silly way. Others, such as author Adam Weiner, took up the mantle of science and set out to explore the plausibility of such a stunt.

In his incredibly complex calculations, all of which can be seen over at PopSci.com, Weiner figured that it would take 877 lbs. of force to stop little Kirk at his estimated velocity. That means… well, I will let him explain it:

So what does all of this mean? It means that since the only thing(s) slowing him down are his fingers digging into the ground, James T. Kirk will have to exert a force of almost 900 pounds with those fingers to stop from being flung over the precipice.

You have to love the detail oriented nature of so many science fiction buffs. It has me wondering whether or not a commercially viable director such as J.J. Abrams knew what he was getting into when he took on Star Trek; its not just about story, not just about special effects, these fans are looking for their fiction to have deep roots in science. This, in my personal opinion, is what makes the world of science fiction so much fun.

For more demystifications from Adam Weiner, you can check out his book Don’t Try This At Home!: The Physics of Hollywood Movies.

[via /Film]

Star Trek: J.J. Abrams’ Kirk is Just Swell … or … Just Swells

J.L. Sosa — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:19:50 +0000

Allow me to set the record straight. I love, and I mean luuurve just about everything J.J. Abrams, Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman have ever done. I have never had any doubt that, with those three at the helm, the forthcoming Star Trek reboot could be anything but absolutely kick-fucking-ass.

But, as Dr. Gonzo once said, I’m starting to get the fear. MTV’s recent interview with Abrams reveals this horrifying tidbit:

MTV: Having been fortunate enough to view a few scenes recently, do you think fans will be surprised by the amount of humor in the film? [Editor's note: In one sequence, an allergic reaction to medication results in massive swelling of Kirk's hands and face ... think "Nutty Professor."]

Are you panicking yet? This is the sort of gag I’ve seen before, in both the Will Smith vehicle, Hitch and Martin Short’s 1991 cinematic roadkill, Pure Luck.

The whole “look-at-me-I’m-the-Michelin-Man” trope is not the stuff of intelligent space opera. But, Abrams assures us that MTV is taking the gag out of context.

Abrams: It’s funny, because when you see a quarter of something or less, it’s easy to draw conclusions about what the whole thing is. The thing with the hands is probably the most extreme sort of borderline-silly thing that happens in the movie. But the humor in the movie is constant within the wit of the characters.

Whatever you say, J.J. I’m not freaking out. At least, not just yet.

Eric Roth Wants to Bring the Big Space Movie Back

Neil Miller — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:52:36 +0000

I have not yet had a chance to fully express my disappointment about The Day the Earth Stood Still, but you should know that it does not fall into the category of great space movie or great remake. Sadly, it’s been a little while since we’ve seen a great big space movie, has it not. Sure, TV lovers have Battlestar Galactica and J.J. Abrams has Star Trek in the works, but lets face facts: I haven’t seen a really great space movie since Serenity.

And that’s what excites me about what Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth told Frosty at Collider yesterday on the press tour for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The Forrest Gump and Munich scribe described his original idea for a “big space movie,” which could be “somewhere between the intelligence of 2001 and the mythology of Star Wars.” The idea is not “so intellectual that it’s confounding” and also not “the kind of wonderful fantasy that [George] Lucas” use to do.

In a world of countless remakes, re-imaginings and reboots — not all of which are bad, mind you — its refreshing and exciting to see a writer of Roth’s caliber looking to make an original space movie. It is also awesome to hear that Warner Bros. is already getting behind the project, one that is just a vague idea at this point. I guess when you’re Eric Roth, you can pull that off.

What is your favorite space movie of the past 5 years?

Let the Deconstruction of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Trailer Begin

Neil Miller — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:17:40 +0000

We can only hope that director J.J. Abrams knew what he was getting himself into when he signed on to direct a reboot of the Star Trek franchise, because as they say, “Here comes the crazy.” With the release of the first full-length trailer this past weekend and the presentation of footage to press in Europe last week and New York last night, it would appear that Abrams is ready to unleash his movie unto the legions of Trekkers who will undoubtedly begin the process of pulling it apart, limb by phaser-holding limb.

And of course it is up to those of us on the web to help shepherd that process along, pulling apart clips and digging around for images to fuel the fire. The coverage, I’m sure, will range from the very hot to the mundane, but it is likely that Trek fans will care — they just want to get in and see what this new Star Trek movie is all about.

So to get things started, I would like to present you with a few links to some solid Trek-related articles that have been popping up all over the web. Our friends at /Film have posted 50 Photos taken from the Star Trek trailer, all in high resolution and looking pretty sweet; taking it a step further, the sci-fi geek factory over at io9 has produced a shot-by-shot breakdown of the trailer that explains what is happening, frame by CG-enhanced frame (beware of spoilers); and finally, our own Cole Abaius filed his field report from the New York City presentation last night, delivering the overall analysis that it was, in fact, very awesome.

As far as I can tell, Star Trek appears to be one of about 3-4 movies that could really shake up the 2009 box office, but I’ve been wrong about that stuff in the past. Your thoughts?

Field Report: J.J. Abrams Boldly Shows Star Trek Footage in NYC

Neil Miller — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:45:45 +0000

This evening our own Cole Abaius had the opportunity to join a small group of journalists in New York City for a special presentation by director J.J. Abrams. The director, whose latest project is the long-awaited eleventh film in the Star Trek franchise, a franchise reboot that will show us the origins of the USS Enterprise and her crew. It will star Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk and Heroes star Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock, among others. But you already knew that — you are reading this to get the latest digs about what was shown this evening in New York, are you not?

For those interested, I just got off the phone with Mr. Abaius who was kind enough to pass along some details of what he saw and what he thought. I am happy to share them with you below, but beware, some of the information does include spoilers.

Before we get into the specifics, here are a few overall bullet points about the footage:

Chris Pine is very natural as Kirk. He delivers a very cocky (in a good way) and gritty performance. His attitude is reminiscent of Indiana Jones in his prime — very cocksure and cynical.
Bruce Greenwood has great command of the screen and brings a great mature presence to his scenes with Kirk. A very classic Americana vision of leadership.
John Cho gets to kick some serious ass as Sulu.
The action sequences are very intense and well-orchestrated.
Overall, the film works in a very realistic and authentic way. Not just as a Star Trek movie, but as a sci-fi action movie as well.
It is hard to say whether Trekkies will get into it, but action and sci-fi junkies will find plenty to like.

There were four scenes that were shown, all of which were awesome. J.J. Abrams was there to introduce the scenes. Here is a more in-depth rundown of what was shown. Beware, this section includes a few potentially major spoilers:

Scene 1:

We meet Kirk for the first time. Every single shot is super-stylized, ultra-realistic. In the fields of Iowa we follow a girl who ends up being Uhuru (played by Zoe Saldana). She enters a bar and begins ordering drinks. The shot to a cool looking alien in the bar, which is a very poignant moment — creating the stark realization that there are aliens mixing it up with humans in Iowa. We then see Kirk, who leans in to try and pick up Uhura. They have a very interesting exchange in which Kirk tries to give Uhura his name, she responds with “I’m fine without it.” Kirk fires back with “She is fine, without it,” Showing a little bit of classic Kirk swagger.

The scene ends with Kirk getting into a brutal, huge bar fight. Very realistic. He holds his own against 4 other cadets. Fight gets broken up by Pike, who talks to Kirk afterward, trying to get him to enlist in the Federation. “You can settle for a less than ordinary life…” And talks about the bravery of Kirk’s father, finishing with “I dare you to do better.” He then tells Kirk that if he was half the man his father was, then he should be able to be promoted in 4 years and have his own ship in 8 years.

Next shot shows Kirk riding his motorcycle on a lonely dirt road, comes up to a massive launch area in a field in Iowa (shot from the trailer). He finds Pike and abandons his motorcycle and tells Pike, “Four years? I’ll do it in three.”

Scene 2:

Three years later. Kirk’s rebelious nature has gotten him into some trouble, causing him to lose a chance at being on a ship. But in order to circumvent the system, his good buddy Bones, played by Karl Urban, makes him sick and sneaks him onto the sick bay of the Enterprise.

We meet the Enterprise as it is responding to an electrical storm near Vulcan. They are in warp speed headed to respond. Here is where we first see John Cho in action as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. There are a few choice funny moments involving Chekov’s Russian accent and authorization codes. It stays away from being campy and works in a very genuine and authentic way.

Kirk has an alergic reaction to the sickness that Bones gives him causing his hands to swell up really big. It turns into a big hand gag that actually works. After that they run to the bridge to tell Pike and Spock that they are headed into a trap — Kirk knows this based on a story his father told him. After arguing a bit, Pike accepts that Kirk might be right and orders the ship’s shields to be put up. As soon as they come of warp speed an epic battle with fantastic CGI ensues.

Scene 3:

This scene is a bit confusing because I don’t know a ton about Star Trek history, but it centers on disagreements between Spock and Kirk. We find that Kirk has been expelled from the ship by Spock and sent to a desolate ice planet. There he meets up with old Spock from the future, played by Leonard Nimoy. We can only assume that this is explained better in the rest of the movie, but at the onset of the scene Kirk has already made contact with old Spock. They then go to find Scotty, played by Simon Pegg. It is clear when we meet Scotty that they have really reigned in Simon Pegg a bit — he is very funny, but not his usual brand of absurd-funny. It is very cool to see Pegg playing a much different character from what we’ve seen in the past.

Future Spock then tells Scotty that his trans-warp theory is accurate, helping him figure out a way to beam Scotty and Kirk up to the Enterprise while it is in warp speed. Most of the scene is just a really good introduciton to Scotty. We also learn that at this point Kirk needs to take command of the ship from Spock. Another notable thing is that there is a very self-aware moment at the end of the scene where Kirk looks at old Spock and tells him that going back in time is essentially cheating. Spock responds by saying that he learned it from an old friend. Nimoy then throws up the Vulcan hand sign and delivers a badass “Live long and prosper.”

Scene 4:

Pike is headed to meet Nero, played by Eric Bana. But before he goes, Pike instructs Kirk, Sulu and a random red shirt to go and stop a giant drill — as in, a drill the size of New York — that the Romulans are using to drill into Vulcan. The drill has this ridiculously huge, 100-mile long flame going into the planet that looks very badass in scale — it has a very massive presence on screen.

From there the scene is all action. Kirk and Sulu have to free-fall 5,000 feet, land on the drill’s tiny platform, fight some Romulan guards and blow up the drill with a few space machine guns. And before they can get beamed back up to the Enterprise, Sulu falls off the platform and Kirk dives after him, causing them both to free-fall toward the desert terrain of Vulcan. And in the interest of not spoiling the whole movie, I won’t reveal how it all ends — but know this: While Kirk and Sulu fall toward their death, Spock and the Enterprise crew have a matter of minutes to save the entire planet of Vulcan. Its pretty intense and, for lack of a better word, awesome.

Sorry for using the words “awesome” and “badass” so much, but they were just the most fitting sentiments from the night’s events.

How does this report make you feel about Star Trek? Hopeful? Optimistic? Frightened for your life?

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Draws a Sigh From Fans

Neil Miller — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:00:02 +0000

Warner Brothers and Lucasfilm revealed some new assets for the forthcoming animated Star Wars incarnation Star Wars: The Clone Wars today, drawing continued feelings of disdain and dismissiveness from fans across the globe. Up first was the second trailer for the film, which will precede an animated television series, which can be seen below (the trailer, not the TV series):

[See post to watch Flash video]

As you can see from the trailer above, this is certainly the “Saturday morning cartoon” version of Star Wars, complete with solid animation, but a less than epic feel to it. Perhaps the film will be a surprise hit, drawing fans back into the pre-Episode IV world, a place where George Lucas has failed to deliver on a level similar to that of the first Star Wars era.

Ultimately, the most bothersome element of this new incarnation is the need to go back and re-hash more of the stories that have been told on the big screen already. We got the “clone wars” era one, in a live-action film that was just okay — we don’t need to see it again. Why not go after some of the countless other stories in the Star Wars universe? It boggles the mind.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars hits theaters on August 15, 2008. Along with the trailer, we have scored a look at some slick desktop backgrounds for the film, which can each be seen by clicking below:

Sound Off: Where do you stand with Star Wars: The Clone Wars? Are you excited or not interested?

Eight Beautiful New Wall-E Pics to Warm Your Heart

Neil Miller — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:53:40 +0000

Our good friends at Slashfilm scored a very cool (and somewhat under-rated) exclusive set of images this weekend from the folks at Disney for the upcoming film Wall-E. As you know, Wall-E is the story of the last robot on Earth, a very personable little janitorial-type dude who figures out one day that he was meant for something more.

The pictures are absolutely stunning, just like all of the pics we have seen up to this point. And while I would love to post them all in their glorious high resolution, I was far more entertained with the time it took to make the little collage below. If you click it though, it will take you over to Slashfilm, where all of the hi-res versions reside.

Wall-E hits theaters on June 27th.

Iron Man Goes Into Space for AstroGeek Garrett Reisman

Neil Miller — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:54:02 +0000

I am beginning to think that Astronaut Garrett Reisman, who is currently orbiting the Earth in the International Space Station, is the coolest astronaut since that guy who stepped on the ole’ Moon, at least in terms of Geek-cred. You may remember him from a May 8 episode of “The Colbert Report”, on which Reisman appeared via satellite uplink from the Space Station as Stephen Colbert’s special guest. In case you missed it, I have included it below:

Furthermore, Reisman made news again yesterday, as Marvel.com reported that the film Iron Man would be beamed up to the ISS so that Reisman could see it. Apparently, he just couldn’t wait until he got back home to Earth in June. And as far as I know, this is the first time this has ever happened. So could it be that Iron Man has become the first inter-galactic cinematic sensation? As Kevin Kelly would say, “the mind wanders…”

Image courtesy of Marvel.com

Film School Rejects » Interstellar Cinema

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