Wrath of Cardboard

Oh, holy crap, but extremely-bland-actor Sam Worthington has ANOTHER movie coming out tomorrow, Wrath of the Titans, his SECOND film released this year after Man on a Ledge was dumped into cineplexes in January.

Yes, I'll grant you that Worthington is handsome and has impressive muscles, but he has made NO IMPRESSION on me in any of the films in which he's starred, including Terminator: Salvation, Avatar, and Clash of the Titans. (Avatar may be his best performance because every frame of his acting was literally manipulated by computer!)

No impression - zero, zip, nada.

Why does this man have a career? Weird.

Adam Goes (Lady) Gaga

Star Trek is a Registered Trademark and Copyright 2012 by CBS Studios, Inc. No infringement of those rights is intended with this parody. Screencaps from Trekcore.com.

Coming Attractions and Distractions

It's a movie trailer extravaganza today.

Here is the newest, and even more awesome, look at Ridley Scott's return to science fiction, PROMETHEUS. This movie has really and truly got my interest. Please, Sir Ridley, let this be on par with Alien and Blade Runner, if, you know, that's not too much to ask. (Trailer from collider.com.)

Producer Tim Burton teams with kinetic director Timur (Wanted, Night Watch, Day Watch) Bekmambetov on ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER. Honest Abe drives stakes into the unbeating hearts of evil bloodsuckers. Looks like good, Karo syrup-tinged fun. (Trailer from AintItCool.com.)

From producer/co-writer Oren (Paranormal Activity, The River) Peli comes an interesting looking film called CHERNOBYL DIARIES, about extreme vacationers who visit the abandoned Ukrainian city of Chernobyl, near the site of the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. But they soon find all is not what it seems, and the city may not be as abandoned as they thought. Fun creepy, jump out of your seat times. (Trailer from collider.com.)

And finally, a totally whack-a-doo look at the new DARK SHADOWS. It appears that director Tim Burton is aping Barry (Addams Family) Sonnenfeld in this goofy 1970s-set comedy. Johnny Depp looks like he's wearing makeup! Seriously, wtf? (Trailer from collider.com.)

Seeing GREEN

For St. Patrick's Day today, ME-TV is airing a four hour marathon of episodes of The Green Hornet tv series from the 1960s.

Holy Clover, Batman! I have only ever seen Green Hornet and his trusty chauffeur/kung fu sidekick Kato (played by none other the legendary Bruce Lee himself!) on that "crossover" episode of the Adam West Batman series (both shows produced by William Dozier).

Batman was played campy, while the Green Hornet was played straight. So, for tonight only, it's move over Batmobile, make room for the Black Beauty.

Tonto Get Updated Look, Kemo Sabe

When Johnny Depp plays dress-up on film - the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland - the movies do ginormous box-office.

Get ready for another Depp blockbuster, because here's the first pic of him all made up as Tonto in the now filming Lone Ranger movie. (from Collider.com)

Depp famously channeled Keith Richards and Pepe LePew for the character of Jack Sparrow (sorry, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow). Since Tonto is the Lone Ranger's mentor, perhaps Depp will be inspired by famous egghead-leader-types, like Albert Einstein and Flavor Flav.

Ralph McQuarrie: 1929 - 2012

Ralph McQuarrie, the soft-spoken visionary designer/artist whose concept artwork for the original Star Wars sold that movie to the studio after the script was passed over time after time, has died. He was 82.

Star Wars was created by George Lucas, but his right arm was Mr. McQuarrie, who took Lucas's various concepts, notes and details and breathed life into them. Mr. McQuarrie's art showed that this weird world of Star Wars - a mishmash of pulp scifi, Flash Gordon, cowboy western and samurai film homages, comic books and more - could work. (Mr. McQuarrie put the helmet and faceplate on Darth Vader as he thought he would require a breathing apparatus to move between ships; Lucas liked the look and kept it. If Mr. McQuarrie hadn't thought of that, would Darth Vader had become the menacing, mechanical-breathing bad guy known the world over?)

Mr. McQuarrie also worked on Battlestar Galactica, Close Encounters, Star Trek (both pre-TMP and on ST IV), Cocoon, and E.T., among other films.

His was a talent that helped define a universe, and more. He will be sorely missed.

Here is a sampling of his work, from Aint It Cool News.

This Election Year, Watch Out For The Red Lectroids!

Any Buckaroo Banzai fans out there?

What a great fun kooky hip cult flick that was, amIright? With the success of shows like Spartacus, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead on various cable channels, the time is right to bring back Buckaroo and the Hong Kong Cavaliers and see them in all those incredible adventures we've dreamed about for nearly 30 (!) years.

Remember the movie's cool end titles number, with the cast all coming together to strut down the Sepulveda Basin of the L.A. River. Turn up your speakers.

Blu in the Face for TNG

With the recent release of Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Next Level Blu-ray "teaser" set that includes a sampling of TNG episodes ("Encounter at Farpoint," "Sins of the Father" and "The Inner Light") transferred to HD, here's some TNG-related silliness.





Star Trek: The Next Generation is Copyright 2012 and a Registered Trademark of CBS Studios Inc. No infringement of those rights is intended with this parody. Screencaps from Trekcore.com.