8 posts tagged “jj abrams”

FOX has released a three-minute trailer for Fringe -- also known as the show that has me almost as impatiently excited as the Lost pilot -- and you can bet that trumps any personal post from me.

I was freaking out while I watched it. The X-Files wishes it was ever this freaky.

And if that weren't enough, about 72 seconds of the Dollhouse pilot have surfaced.

I believe my exact reaction after watching both back-to-back was something along the lines of -- and I'm trying to get the exact wording and inflection -- HELLS YEAH!

(Also? Tahmoh Pinkett is HOT. I thought so all during my love affair with Battlestar Galactica and I'm just hoping we get to see him lose the suit.)

...but I am really getting excited for the release of the movie, schedule for a May 8, 2009 release.

I used to characterize myself as an avid detractor of anything sci-fi, even though I liked the Star Wars franchise. (And by Star Wars franchise, I mean the original, non-Hayden-Christiansen trilogy.) I did see the fourth Star Trek movie, the one with the humpback whales, and I can't even remember why. It doesn't sound like something I'd do.

But then I stumbled headlong into Firefly -- and subsequently, Serenity -- and fell in love. I decided maybe I wasn't being fair to the genre and, like anything, it depended on the story, the writing, and whether or not the characters were relatable. After Firefly woefully went the way of other short-lived greats like Wonderfalls (is it wrong that I'm still bitter about FOX's stupidity?), I was willing to give the reincarnation of Battlestar Galactica a shot, and I loved it.

Therefore, when it was announced that there would be a new movie of the early years of Captain Kirk & Co., I didn't immediately nix the idea of seeing it.

Especially when it was revealed that JJ Abrams would be directing. He is on my list (not that list -- get your minds out of the gutter) of people I would love to meet and grill about their awesomeness, along with Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, Rob Thomas (the writer, although I wouldn't mind meeting the singer, too) and Joss Whedon.

I think I have an advantage going into this experience: I'm basically unfamiliar with the Star Trek mythology. I equate it to the whole Terminator thing. I love the TV series because I could care less about the movies. I like Lena Headey so much better than what's-her-name, and the Terminator movies didn't have Cameron. So whether or not there are discrepancies from the movies -- I have no clue. To me, The Sarah Connor Chronicles is a brand-new show.

Likewise, I understand there's an uproar from the, erm, Trekkies about a lot of what JJ's doing. I'm blissfully unaware, nor do I care. (And wow, I didn't rhyme on purpose.)

His Enterprise crew casting is, in my opinion, awesome: Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Karl Urban (McCoy), John Cho (Sulu), Simon Pegg (Scotty).

Plus, Jennifer Morrison, Rachel Nichols, and Eric Bana have been cast as well. As has Winona Ryder, but I haven't decided if that's a good or a bad thing.

"My goal is to make Trek REAL -- that is to say, not have it be camp, not have it be phony, not have it look like a scrap of green scrap was used anywhere. Of course, this is Star Trek. We're using every trick in the book. But WHEREVER WE CAN, we are shooting on sets -- either built on sound stages or expanding upon found locations. This is important. What this means is that the movie won't have that 'actors performing in a blue or green void then placed in front of a spaceship set' feeling that makes me insane. " -- JJ Abrams

The writer's strike has made a few things abundantly clear to me: first of all, I didn't waste away like I originally thought. With a mixture of new episodes rationed by the networks and tuning into the new-to-me reruns of shows I'd lost track of, the past three months really haven't been all that painful.

Next? I definitely affirmed my abhorrence for reality television. Technically I suppose shows like The Amazing Race, Extreme Home Makeover, and American Idol (and Don't Forget the Lyrics, which is actually entertaining) qualify as reality TV, but when I think of that moniker, I think of god-awful programming like Who Wants to Sleep With My Wife* and How Many Despicable Caricatures Can We Cram Into One Household*, and anything with half-dressed women beating the crap out of people. Oh, and Donald Trump.

Finally, my reaction when LOST returned confirmed what I'd been suspecting all along: it is by far my favorite show on television. I have to say, it tops Veronica Mars. I know. Please don't throw anything at me. I figured this jaw-dropping revelation out because as much as I loved and adored and wanted to marry Rob Thomas for creating VM, and as much as I looked forward to it returning after each summer hiatus, the opening strains of its score never did move me to tears the way LOST's can -- and regularly does.

I've started over at Season 1 and I cannot get over the brilliance of this astounding, epic television series. The fact that Damon and Carlton (and JJ) can continually combine in-depth character studies with action and intrigue and mystery and passion and evoke the entire range of human emotions is utterly baffling to me.

I loathe certain characters, but not because they're poorly constructed. Sawyer and Locke are two of the most complex characters I've ever seen. I still loathe them, but they're incredibly interesting. Kate Austen is probably my favorite character this side of a certain teenaged blonde detective. I don't know if it has anything to do with the character herself, how Evangeline Lilly portrays her, or the fact that, minus the criminal past, I could be Kate, or all of the above, but there you go. I could write pages about Jack. And Juliet. And Ben.

And let's not even get me started on the beautiful mess that is Jack and Kate. The clip I included at the bottom of the post is so beautiful it makes me think, just for a moment, that love like this is actually possible. I've watched it a half-dozen times and get all tingly and teary-eyed every time. (I wonder if I could hire D&C to script my life...hell, I wonder if I could hire Evangeline Lilly to be me...)

It doesn't surprise me that viewing has tapered a bit since the first season, even though, contrary to certain haters' opinions, it continues to be one of the highest-rated and highest-viewed series on TV. The gawkers tuned in, and then their ADD led them to other less complicated fare. Like, you know, According to Jim. As Matthew Fox so succinctly put it regarding the whiners and complainers, "Good riddance. The people who rag on it...aren't strong enough fans, really. Those people are copping out."

Exactly, Matthew. Exactly.

I have viewed this show as a chess game from the minute we see Jack's eyes open in the series premiere. Apparently, Damon concurs: "In the first six moves, we've lost our queen and two bishops, and the audience is saying, 'They are the worst chess players in the world!' What they don't realize is that we're nine moves away from checkmating you. If we lose, we lose. But that's the play, and we're standing by it."

I wonder if Damon's wife would mind that I have a ginormous crush on her husband.

"The Beginning of the End" was a fantastic beginning to Season 4, and "Confirmed Dead" didn't disappoint one iota. The new characters are as intriguing as The Others were, and now that the strike is over, the news that D&C are striving to get eight additional episodes on the air before the end of the season is exhilarating.

* - Shows are actually not in existence, but they may as well be.

I am ridiculously excited to see this movie. Yes, most of that excitement stems from the inordinate amount of secrecy surrounding this project -- the cast signed on without seeing scripts, Cloverfield might not even be its actual title, the trailers are vague, etc. -- but mostly because it's JJ Abrams. I've heard the "Blair Witch" description thrown around, but sorry, the fact that JJ's behind this alone makes it 125 times better than BWP. (Which annoyed me and in which I didn't even so much as flinch until the last five minutes.)

(Yes, Mr. Kivus, I was going to talk about that bit of news. But I had just posted the Vox Hunt so I figured I could wait a while. :) )

I'm sure you all -- well, those of you who care, anyway -- have heard that Kristen frakking Bell might be on LOST next season.

Um, excuse me while I go scrape myself off the ceiling.

Okay, I'm back. I was just messing around when I suggested she'd be awesome in the role of the Other they're casting (description: smart, loquacious, and funny...a very successful academic who also knows how to handle herself in the real world) for Season 4.

It's now been confirmed that she's been suggested for the role. And um, hello, how much are we thinking "coincidence" that she and the masterful Mr. Lindelof were in the same place a couple weekends ago? Hmmm? He's already talked about how much he adores her on the record. It seems only natural he'd bring her aboard.

I'm trying not to be too excited, because a lot could happen. I mean, Kristen's already attached to Gossip Girl, and I mean, she might prefer a minor narration role on a CW pilot to a role on the seasoned (and non-high-school-targeted) cult hit LOST, that's guaranteed three more seasons. I mean, she might.

How fraktastic would that be, though? Veronica Mars on LOST Island. I bet she could give Jack a run for his money.

Kate and Juliet who?

In other FRAK YES-related news straight from Comic-Con, courtesy of my friend, Roger:

There's going to be Veronica Mars, Season 4. In comics. Rob Thomas is writing the first five issues, and the rest will be written by the VM staff of writers. Word is, KB herself is being wooed to try her hand at writing. Who better to climb into Veronica's head than Veronica herself?

We'll find out what happened between Jack and Kate in the first episode of Season 4. Michael and Walt are coming back, and there will be an explanation as to why Walt's aged. Lots of other stuff that constitute spoilers, because Damon and Carlton slipped up. I kind of didn't want to know about them, so I won't spoil y'all as well.

Probably everything I found out about Heroes counts as spoilage, too, so if you want to know, PM me. The entire cast was there, including Hayden Panettiere, who apparently just decided to show up. Roger was invited to a Lucas/ILM party and rode out with none other than Masi Oka, who has been signed on to do all the special effects for the next Indiana Jones movie. Yes, he still works as a CGI artist for George Lucas when not shooting Heroes.

Heroes: Origins will take place after the conclusion of Season 2 of Heroes. There will be six stand-alone episodes, each involving a new Hero, but one who is rooted in the mythology of the show. At the end of each episode, viewers will log on to a special website and vote for the new Hero they like best, and that Hero will appear in Season 3. The Heroes graphic novel will debut the week the DVD series hits stores (September 19), and several characters in the novel will appear in the new season.

Angel Season 6 (comics) will be out in January, and Joss is involved with that as well as Season 8 of Buffy. He's been approached to do the Stargate Atlantis movie; he's turned in the script for Wonder Woman but no word as to if it's been selected yet; the first script of his much-anticipated Goners has been completed and he's shopping it around. THERE'S A BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER TV MOVIE IN THE WORKS, as well as a miniseries/TV movie/something-or-other revolving around Illyria. Hey, anything that brings Amy Acker back to the small screen is good in my book. Joss is working on a new musical/drama/original story thingie and Summer Glau is attached.

Roger met Joss Whedon, who said to tell ME hi. ME. He also met JJ Abrams. And freaking JESSICA ALBA. I think I freaked out about that most. I have such a girl crush on her, and he said he just happened to look up and saw her standing right next to him so he started talking to her and apparently he made her laugh. So. Cool.  He also met Lee Pace (Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies.)

Steve B. and/or (Fish): If I decide to go to Comic-Con next year, can I crash on your couch?

So thanks to Steve, I was reminded that ABC was going to make the announcement we (true) LOST fans have been waiting for with bated breath.

[Aside: exactly what does the expression "with bated breath" mean?

Never mind. I Googled it and realized that 'bated' is just a shortened form of 'abated.' Why couldn't one just say "with abated breath" then? Or better yet: we were so excited we were barely breathing.

Okay, that was the longest, most pointless aside ever. Sorry.]

LOST: ABC has apparently agreed to the proposal from LOST executive producers JJ Abrams, Bryan Burke, Damon Lindelof, and Carlton Cuse and will allow the series to end on their terms. As it stands now, it seems that the end will come around the 100th episode, which is what the guys have said they'd love to happen all along now.

The news is thrilling for those of us who have never given up on the show, because what D&C have been setting up with chess-like precision all along will get to be seen to fruition without any hasty rewriting due to greed from the network.

This will be a long time coming, but I can't wait till they release the LOST collection on DVD so I can watch from pilot to finale.

The Office: First things first. It seems NBC is seriously contemplating extending The Office into an hour-long show next season, which suggests that they are, in fact, relinquishing Scrubs' final season to ABC.

I'm all for more Dunder Mifflin antics, but I hope that they won't stretch the show too thin by having to deliver 22 hours now rather than 11.

Also, two finales have been shot. One, with Karen remaining in Scranton, will be shown if FOX doesn't pick up Rashida Jones' comedy pilot, The Rules for Starting Over. The second will be shown if the show is picked up, and Karen will leave so Jones can fulfill her contractual obligations.

I, for one, hope that Karen stays. I love her, and Rashida Jones, and just think Karen adds a nice dynamic to the office. Plus I still like Karen with Jim better than Pam. Even so, they can still do the whole Jim/Pam thing with Karen in the picture.

But I guess Jones getting her own show is good, too.

Dashboard Confessional: I have rediscovered my love for Chris Carraba's emo. I just downloaded DC's entire discography via a torrent (50 songs in 30 minutes) and have been listening to it non-stop.

Kevin's favorite song is still "Vindicated" from the first Spider-Man movie, and we listen to it all the time. But not until they played "Stolen" from the latest CD, Dusk and Summer, on this week's Scrubs did I remember how great Carraba's sound is.

I think "Hands Down" is probably my favorite, but "Vindicated" and "The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most" are close behind.

SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**

According to today's Ask Ausiello, we can expect FIVE people to die on Lost during the month of May.

 

I haven't read more than that -- I don't want to, to be honest -- but of course the Lost PTB are keeping everything as secretive as possible and there doesn't seem to be any indication as to if some of these victims are as cursory as Tom the Other or more major like Charlie or Ben or someone more central to the show.

Also, the two-hour season finale on May 23 promises to be spectacular, leading to what seems to be a Locke-vs.-Jack showdown. I hope Jack beats the crap out of him. Respectfully, of course. I don't try not to condone violence. Unless, of course, the person deserves it. And Locke's actions lately have been complete crap.

In the most recent Entertainment Weekly, Damon Lindelof says that the season ender was written under the impression that we won't see new episodes again until January 2008, because it seems probable that ABC will run Season 4 like 24 and American Idol. I'm all for that. I prefer no reruns from week to week, and I can definitely wait out the fall. It builds the anticipation. (Like I am dying to see Heroes this week after what -- more than a month's wait?)

Part of me is glad there are only (probably) two more seasons left, as D&C have said before that they'd like to end at Season 5, because that means the network can't run the show into the ground ala The X-Files. But I already know that this will definitely be one of those cult-like shows I'll miss...

So five people are dying. Hmmm. Here's who I won't miss all that much: Locke (sorry, I really won't miss him, and that would be one of those major holy-crap type of deaths), Charlie, Tom...um...wait, I think they're introducing another character. Maybe it's to kill her. I can't do this. I don't like to speculate. So never mind.

As long as it's not Jack, Kate, or Juliet, (or even Sawyer, oddly enough) I'm completely fine.

I admit, I haven't always been the devoutest of Lost fans. I mean, this is the first season I have actually watched all the way through (so far). Both Season 1 and Season 2 I gave up on after the Christmas break. Not because I didn't think it was awesome, but because I watched casually. And I have learned you just can't watch this show even remotely casually.

Beyond that, I don't catch all the clever Easter Eggs D&C weave into every episode. I had no idea who Anthony Cooper was, I didn't really think about the significance of the book titles we see every now and then, I'm not really one to delve into philosophy.

But I think I now appreciate the show so much more than just the casual fan. Especially this season. I have faith that the show is ground-breaking and that it is, in fact, one of the very best shows on television. I have faith that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and yes, JJ Abrams, are geniuses among geniuses, and I trust them implicitly.

That being said, I would call tonight's "One of Us" the game-changer rather than "Expose."

I will write more about this episode later, after I have collected all of the pieces of my mind and reassembled it as best I can.

But I will leave you with two thoughts:

1. Elizabeth Mitchell is phenomenally, unbelievably exceptional and deserves every award they can throw at her.

2. Any show that can suck me in enough to actually break my heart a little bit with the end reveal is excellent television. I don't care WHAT the hell the nay-sayers whine about.