Star Trek (2009) - Abrams' imperfect but awesome reboot

♥♥♥

+ Best Science Fiction Movie of the Year

Allowing sneak peaks out to the infinity of space, the over-sized, excited letters of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek seem fitting on this simple, great poster

Star Fleet Captain James Kirk's father dies to save his pregnant wife. Kirk grows up to become a rebel who carries his feelings on his sleeve. Now he has to unify his talents with half-human/half-Vulcan rational brain Mr. Spock to save the universe from a madman with red matter and direction towards Earth.

Star Trek is written by Alex Kurtzman (The Island (2005)) and Roberto Orci (Hawaii Five-O (2010-19)) and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III (2006)). It is a prequel reboot of the Star Trek film franchise, its 11th film, based on the original Star Trek TV-series (1966-69).
I was not a Star Trek fan when this came out, (I later have watched most of the original series and come to love its equal parts idealistic, ambitious sci-fi and campy 1960s silliness), and I found Zachary Quinto's (Margin Call (2011)) Spock to be involuntarily comedic throughout. I also fail to see any reason why Zoe Saldana's (The Skeptic (2009)) Uhura should fall for him as she does.
The scenes of Kirk and Spock as boys in the beginning of the film don't work: Kirk is a brat, who wrecks a beautiful car; and Spock is a king of nerds.
But when the Enterprise (Star Trek's central spaceship) finally gets into space, the film captures me.
Eric Bana (The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)) is unrecognizable as the nefarious Nero, and Abrams and cinematographer David Mindel's (Enemy of the State (1998)) use of lens flares get the best of them. But Chris Pine (Just My Luck (2006)) is surprisingly good as adult Kirk; the effects are terrific, and Michael Giacchino's (This Is Where I Leave You (2014)) score is especially grand and great. Simon Pegg (Diary of the Dead (2007)) is a joy to have here as Scotty, and although his Russian accent is somewhat jarring to me, Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett (2007)) as the starship's Russian cadre Chekov is also neat to have in the ensemble. Pivotally, the fascinating endlessness of space is communicated in the worthwhile Star Trek.

Related posts:


J.J. Abrams: 2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - Abrams scores big time, makes beautiful space opera blockbuster
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) or, Star Trek It Before You Wreck It
Super 8 (2011) - Abrams' nostalgic family crowdpleaser

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
Cloverfield (2008) or, It Tore Her Head Off! (co-producer)   
Star Trek franchise: Star Trek Beyond (2016) - Lin's adventurous, foundation-honoring entry

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 150 mil. $
Box office: 385.6 mil. $
= Box office success (returned 2.57 times its cost)
[Star Trek premiered 6 April (Austin, Texas) and runs 127 minutes. Paramount chief Gail Berman convinced CBS to allow them to make a new Star Trek film in 2005. Shooting took place in Vermont, Utah, Alaska and in California, including Los Angeles, from November 2007 - March 2008. A 2008 Christmas release was pushed out to summer 2009 as the dailies impressed Paramount execs. The film opened #1 to a 75.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, the biggest Star Trek movie launch - also adjusted for inflation - ever. It spent another 4 weeks in the top 5 (#2-#3-#5-#5) and grossed 257.7 mil. $ (66.8 % of the total gross), becoming the year's 7th highest-grossing film in North America. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 35.3 mil. $ (9.2 %) and Germany with 12.7 mil. $ (3.3 %). The film was nominated for 4 Oscars, winning for Best Makeup. It lost Sound Mixing and Sound Editing to The Hurt Locker and Best Visual Effects to Avatar. It became the first Star Trek movie to win an Oscar. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs, a Grammy, won a National Board of Review award and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2½/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The rebooted franchise continued with Star Trek Into Darkness (2013, also by Abrams) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). A fourth film in the new saga was projected but shelved after disappointing B.O. performance of Beyond; Quentin Tarantino has written an R-rated Star Trek script that he wishes to film, but its fruition is highly doubtful. Abrams returned with a video game, a TV movie and a TV-series pilot before his next theatrical feature Super 8 (2011). Pine returned in Carriers (2009); Quinto in 5 short, video game and TV-series credits before his return to big screens in Margin Call (2011). Star Trek is certified fresh at 94 % with a 8.13/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Star Trek?

Spike (2008) - The singing, 'poetic' spike monster scrapes the bottom

[ZERO]

+ Worst Movie of the Year

A spiky beast presides over a dirtied redhead victim on this forest-set poster for Robert Beaucage's Spike

  
A car with 3 women and one man drives off a road, but instead of subsequently searching for help the group spread out in different directions; and a very romantic and pathetic spike monster soon turns out to be in love with one of the women.

Spike is written and directed by Robert Beaucage (Closer to Death (2003)).
It is a film that is hopelessly bad right from the start, as none of the 'characters' are given any meat, before we are meant to care exceedingly about them. Spike soon becomes insufferably dull. Worst is arguably its dialog and entire plot, which is conceived so grotesquely without talent that one almost doesn't believe it.
The film's monster poetizes line after line without the shadow of ability for the art form, - and then starts to sing its 'poetry'.
Timing, photography, - everything stinks about Spike.

 

Related posts:

 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

The 2000s in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

Watch a 2-minute scene from the film here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: Unknown
= Uncertain - likely a mega-flop
[Spike premiered 20 June (Edinburgh International Film Festival, Scotland) and runs 80 minutes. Shooting took place in reportedly freezing temperatures in California in the Spring of 2007. Filming on 16 mm film rather than the much cheaper digital option, Beaucage has offered of his inspirations: "Cupid and Psyche, Hades and Persephone... Beauty and the Beast, as well as horror classics such as Frankenstein and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame". The film was also shown at minor festivals in Masachussets and Los Angeles. It was likely a mega-flop. Beaucage returned with 5 shorts and is announced to helm a project entitled Scream Queens, unaffiliated with the 2015-16 TV-series of the same title. Star Sarah Livingston Evans (who previously played 'Farting Girl' in Look (2007)) has not returned in a feature since. 387 IMDb users have given Spike a 3.2/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Spike?

Semi-Pro (2008) - A 70s Michigan basketball comedy for the Ferrell fans

♥♥♥♥

+ Best Michigan Movie of the Year + Best Sports Comedy of the Year + Career-Killer of the Year: Kent Alterman

The two personable co-stars pale in the sheen of Will Ferrell's ridiculousness on this simple poster for Kent Alterman's Semi-Pro

1970s Flint, Michigan: Local 'king of funk' Jackie Moon is a star with his hit song Love Me Sexy and his place on the Tropics basketball team. But now the future stands between death or the NBA for the team, who need to fight for survival.

Semi-Pro is written by Scot Armstrong (Road Trip (2000)) and directed by debuting Kent Alterman (After the Sunset (2004, executive producer)).
This comedy is a solid late-night pleasure; it lacks the great big screaming laughs that adorn Will Ferrell's (Bewitched (2005)) best comedies, but it still has a solid amount of chuckle-inducing scenes.
The film relishes its period setting, which is painted as male-chauvinist and uncontrolled compared to today's world, with Moon's promotion especially amateurish and pretty darn funny. 
André Benjamin (American Crime (2016, TV-series)), Woody Harrelson (I'll Do Anything (1994)) and Tim Meadows (Mr. Box Office (2012-13)) are also good here. Semi-Pro is a minor comedy nugget.

 

Related posts:

 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

Watch a red band trailer for the film here

Cost: 55 mil. $
Box office: 43.8 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.79 times its cost)
[Semi-Pro premiered 19 February (Westwood, California) and runs 92 minutes. Shooting took place in Michigan and in California, including Los Angeles, in and around February 2007. 7 weeks after the film's release, grizzly bear Rocky, who plays Dewie the Bear in the film, bit one its trainers in the neck, killing him. The film opened #1 to a 15 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more week in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 33.4 mil. $ (76.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 4.1 mil. $ (9.4 %) and Australia with 3.7 mil. $ (8.4 %). It was New Line Cinemas last film, before the company was absorbed into Warner Bros. Alterman has not directed or produced anything since, ending his more than 10 year career in films with the film. Ferrell returned in Stepbrothers (2008); Benjamin in 2 music videos and a TV-series before reaching the big screen again in Jimi: All Is by My Side (2013); Harrelson in Surfer, Dude (2008). Semi-Pro is rotten at 23 % with a 4.5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Semi-Pro?

Saw III (2006) - Good performances in Bousman's grisly third trappings

♥♥♥

+ Best Gore Movie of the Year

Unauthorized dental procedures are promised on this unpleasant poster for Darren Lynn Bousman's Saw III

The vengeful Jigsaw killer is free again, but dying from cancer. Assisted by sadistic ex-junkie Amanda, he continues his Christmas games of orchestrating general mayhem; this time focusing on a revenge-set father of a boy killed by a drunk driver, as well as his own head tumor operating doctor.

Saw III is written by Leigh Whannell (The Mule (2014)), with James Wan (Stygian (2000)) contributing story elements, and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II (2005)).
Tobin Bell (Sophie's Choice (1982)) returns as the severely self-important, power-tripping super-sadist Jigsaw, and he and Shawnee Smith (The Almost Guys (2004)) are both credible as mad psychopaths. Angus Macfadyen (Alias (2005-06)) uses a gifted performance to make the vindictive father Jeff become an exciting character to follow: Can he forgive this or that person? And in time?
The traps are inventive and as gruesome as ever, SPOILER particularly the 'rotten pig grinder' and the so-called 'rack trap' are macabre and affecting.
The narrative style is still not based on building scary, intense atmospheres, but instead on attacking with horror and fast cutting without stop. The dark, tawdry, hopeless aesthetic is also carried on as a torch.
Saw III is generally good for fans of the horror franchise. SPOILER The ending invents an outer twist layer, which is very hard to believe in, (if Jigsaw is maintained as a man and not the devil), and it cannot avoid feeling anti-climactic, - although it does effectively plug a fourth chapter in the series.

 

Related posts:

 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Watch a clip from the film here

Cost: 10 mil. $
Box office: 164.8 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned 16.48 times its cost)
[Saw III premiered 26 October (Slovenia) and runs 108 minutes. Development started immediately following the successful opening of Saw II (2005). Shooting took place for 27 days in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The bathroom set used in Scary Movie 4 (2006) to parody Saw was used. The pig carcasses were made of foam, latex and rubber, and covered in live, disinfected maggots and honey. The budget was significantly increased; from Saw's (2004) 1.2 mil. $ and Saw II's (2005) 4 mil. $. The film opened #1 to a 33.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weeks in the top 5 (#4-#5) and grossed 80.2 mil. $ (48.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 16.7 mil. $ (10.1 %) and Germany with 7.5 mil. $ (4.6 % ). The film is the highest-grossing over-all in the franchise, which now spans 8 films. To market the film, Lionsgate produced 1,000 posters that were colored with printing ink mixed with a small amount of Bell's actual blood. Blood drives were also pushed at some theaters as part of the marketing, which collected more than 23,000 pints of blood. The film sold more than 2.5 mil. units at the North-American home video market, accruing more than 25.77 mil. $ more. The Saw franchise ended with Jigsaw (2017), but is set to be rebooted with Organ Donor (2020), directed by Bousman, based on a story by comedian Chris Rock, starring Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. Bousman returned with Repo! The Genetic Opera (2006, short) and theatrically with Saw IV (2007). Bell returned in 2 videos and a TV-series before he hit theaters again in Boogeyman 2 (2007) - and later that year in Buried Alive (2007) and Saw IV. Saw III is rotten at 29 % with a 4.23/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Saw III?

Solitary Man (2009) - Forgettable, undistinguished NY egotist dramedy

♥♥♥

Silver fox Michael Douglas takes center stage with a good handful of supporting stars floating around him on this poster for Brian Koppelman and David Levien's Solitary Man

A swindling, irresponsible, aging womanizer with extremely cold and harsh surroundings winds up a waiter at his only real friend's place, and refuses to end his life's course of running solo.

Solitary Man is written by writer-director Brian Koppelman (Runaway Jury (2003)), who co-directed with David Levien (Knockaraound Guys (2001)).
Michael Douglas (Coma (1978)) stars as the egotistical protagonist in this overly talky drama, which lacks some humor and/or characters that stir up some sympathy.
The film has a strong cast, and there's something weighty in its theme. I just personally enjoyed pals Douglas and co-star Danny DeVito (Wise Guys (1986)) more in their low-brow romantic family adventures of the 1980s, Romancing the Stone (1984) and Jewel of the Nile (1985).

Related post:

Brian Koppelman, David Levien: Runaway Jury (2003) - Gun violence trial as Hollywood show (co-writers)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 5.6 mil. $
= Mega-flop (returned 0.37 times its cost)
[Solitary Man premiered in September (Toronto International Film Festival, Canada) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place in New York from November - December 2008. The film opened #34 to a 94k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #14 and in 177 theaters (different weeks), grossing 4.3 mil. $ (76.8 % of the the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Brazil with 393k $ (7 %) and Argentina with 227k $ (4 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 3½/4 star review, translating to two notches higher than this one. Koppelman and Levien have both stayed from directing since, returning to writing and producing. Douglas returned in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010). Solitary Man is certified fresh at 79 % with a 6.82/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Solitary Man?

Six Feet Under - season 5 (2005) - The groundbreaking drama ends perfectly

♥♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best Title of the Year

+ Best American Title of the Year + Best Drama of the Year + Best Los Angeles Title of the Year + Best Returning TV-series of the Year

Claire Fisher's beautiful green hearse speeds towards the horizon on this great poster for the 5th season of Alan Ball's Six Feet Under

The world's arguably best TV-series at its time, - and perhaps one of the best of all time, - creator Alan Ball's (Virtuoso (2015, TV movie)) Six Feet Under ends dignified in its fifth season by not making it an easy passing for characters and audiences alike: Season 5 is as hard and depressing as any in the formidable funeral business family drama's run.

The following season recount contains SPOILERS:

Nate's (Peter Krause (Beastly (2011))) new wife Brenda (Rachel Griffiths (Muriel's Wedding (1994))) is dealing with her losing their coming child. His mother Ruth's (Frances Conroy (Stone (2010))) new husband George (James Cromwell (ER (2001, TV-series))) is in shock therapy to rid him of his delusions and depression. Meanwhile Ruth herself is attacked by depression; and when George is finally ready to leave the psychiatric hospital, neither Ruth nor his daughter Maggie are much interested in dealing with him, (or his surprise new wife.)
Nate's brother and business partner David (Michael C. Hall (The Trouble with Bliss (2011))) and his steady boyfriend Keith (Matthew St. Patrick (Alien Raiders (2008))) arrange a double adoption; and Brenda's troubled brother Billy (Jeremy Sisto (Don's Plum (2001))) attempts rape on Nate and David's young artist sister Claire (Lauren Ambrose (About Sunny (2011))). She later decides to start working in an office, doubts her own artistic side and finds a new boyfriend in her new environment. 
Ruth goes camping with the flirting Hiram; and Nate has sex with Maggie and passes out, especially unnerving since he has previously been operated for a brain tumor.
As David and Keith are kept busy trying to manage and parent their adopted two big boys, Nate wakes up after a new operation, determined on a new direction in his life that involves leaving Brenda, - just before he dies.
Grief following his surprising death overshadows everything, and he gets buried in nature. Brenda later gives birth to their first child. Claire rages out on drugs and goes through a serious accident as a result, and David, who is also coping with the aftereffects of a destructive kidnapping and violent attack recently, is nearly losing his mind.
Claire decides to move to New York without a safety net; David and Keith take over the funeral business and Fisher home, as Ruth moves in with her sister Sarah in Topanga Canyon.
The death-centered show ends with all the major characters dying; not suddenly but in each their time, (with wobbly aging makeup applied), naturally.

The ending of Six Feet Under must be the most cathartic period of television ever made. It will have any fan balling his or her eyes out.
The characters and relationships in the show are truly still as pathetic, crude, narcissistic and egotistical as the ones we are likely to encounter in real life, including ourselves. They are human, wonderful, and often do and say the wrong things. Six Feet Under is a formidable dramatic chronicle of life in the 2000s.

Best episodes:

5: Eat a Peach - Written by Rick Cleveland (Mad Men (2008, TV-series)), Tim Williams; directed by Daniel Minahan (Ray Donovan (2013, TV-series))
Developments for all characters; Claire tries to see herself in a new environment, a dull office.

9. Ecotone - Written by Nancy Oliver (Windfall (2006, TV-series)); directed by Minahan
David and Keith has their work cut out for them as sudden parents to two adopted boys, as Nate wakes up after surgery with new insight.

10. All Alone - Written by Kate Robin (The Affair (2014, TV-series)); directed by Adam Davidson (Bosch (2006-07))
Grief following Nate's death. Joanna Cassidy (The District (2001-02)) is outstanding as Brenda's mother. Music by The Dixie Chicks, Nirvana and Eric Clapton.

12. Everyone's Waiting - Written and directed by Ball
The intensely moving goodbye to the characters and show

Related posts:

Alan Ball: 2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Six Feet Under - season 4 (2004) - Transgressive bite and lots of drama characterize great S4
2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Six Feet Under - season 3 (2003) - The Fishers endure to meet a new profound loss in spectacular drama
American Beauty (1999) or, Escape by Death  

Watch a trailer for the season here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - TV-series
= Uncertain
[Six Feet Under - season 5 was originally broadcast from 6 June - 21 August at HBO and runs 12 x 55 minute episodes, totaling approximately 660 minutes. Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles. The season averaged 2.5 mil. viewers in the US, more than a million down from the previous season; the show's lowest average rating. Besides the ratings the show has enjoyed a solid afterlife on home video and now streaming platforms, generating more - regrettably unpublicized - revenue. The season was nominated for 6 Primetime Emmys, winning one, and 4 Creative Emmys, winning one. The show sits at #89 on IMDb's user-generated Top 250 for TV, between Dark (2017-) and South Park (1997-). Ball returned with something different with Towelhead (2007), which he adapted, produced and directed. Krause returned in Civic Duty (2006); Hall in a video game, a short and a TV documentary before hitting theaters in Gamer (2009); Conroy in The Aviator (2004) and Broken Flowers (2005), and Ambrose in Diggers (2006). Six Feet Under - season 5 has the show's highest average rating; it is certified fresh at 97 % with an 8.9/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Six Feet Under season 5?

Late Night (2019) - Thompson is superb with Kaling's brainy script

♥♥♥♥

+ Best New York Movie of the Year

Emma Thompson has a different hairstyle than in the actual film, curiously, on the poster for Nisha Ganatra's Late Night

Katherine Newbury is a British talk show institution in American comedy, - but her show's ratings have steadily declined for years, and she is in need of a radical reinvention in order to keep her show. Into her writers' room enters her fan Molly...

Late Night is written by writer/co-producer/co-star Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project (2012-17)) and directed by Nisha Ganatra (Chutney Popcorn (1999)).
Kaling is sweet as Molly, whose hiring is a mystifying stroke of luck for her. The job to restart the talkshow and open its host more up to her possible audiences is no small task, and Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee (2005)) is terrific as the impatient, cynical, tyrannical boss, who is en route to her own career downfall. For someone with love for late night talk shows, the story's course echoes both David Letterman's infidelity scandal and admission on his show and the Conan O'Brien/Jay Leno fight for their respective shows. There is no woman late-night talkshow persona in real life like Newbury in the movie, (the great Ellen DeGeneres reigns daytime comedy with her talkshow), - but there could be.
As part of the role Thompson sports a hairdo and cool garbs and jewelry, which elevate her performance. Late Night doesn't do much cinematically, but Thompson, besides a great actress, is cinematic, and therefore even more crucial to the film. - And so is John Lithgow (Kinsey (2004)), her husband in it, and the two share a genuinely touching scene towards the end.
Late Night also benefits from a strong supporting cast with proven talents Amy Ryan (Kidnapped (2006-07)), Hugh Dancy (Evening (2007)), Reid Scott (The Veil (2016)), Dennis O'Hare (The Proposal (2009)) and Max Casella (The Sopranos (2001-07)).
The film has lines and moments that produce chuckles, although it could certainly be funnier; but it makes a thoughtful dealing with current issues of political correctness, mindless entertainment, minority representation, gender equality and hypocrisy its main priority.

Related post:

Nisha Ganatra: 2019 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2019 in films - according to Film Excess

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: Reportedly 4 mil. $
Box office: 21.7 mil. $ and counting
= Big hit (has returned 5.42 times its cost)
[Late Night premiered 25 January (Sundance Film Festival, Utah) and runs 102 minutes. The script was first bought by Fox 2000 in 2016. Paul Feig was originally scheduled to direct but dropped out. Shooting took place in New York from April 2018 - ?. Amazon paid 13 mil. $ for the North American distribution rights at Sundance, - a record. They furthermore spent a whopping 35 mil. $ to market the film. It opened #17 to a 246k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #9 and in 2,220 theaters, grossing 15.4 mil. $ (71 % of the total gross to date). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets have been the UK with 1.7 mil. $ (7.8 %) and Australia with 1.4 mil. $ (6.5 %). It has one more market announced to open in: Mexico on 18 October. Some analysts are calling the film one of the year's biggest flops due to Amazon's great expenses thrown at the film; but if the 4 mil. $ budget is accurate, the film is a big hit, and Amazon's expenses are also a part of their overall strategy, which is mainly about their streaming service, for which the film is likely an important touchstone. Ganatra returned with Black Monday (2019, TV-series) and will return theatrically with Covers (2020). Thompson returned with a voice performance in Missing Link (2019) and in the flesh in Men in Black: International (2019); Kaling does not have her next acting gig announced yet. Late Night is certified fresh at 80 % with a 6.8/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Late Night?