Update: Galactic Pillow May 2012
After nearly two months of non-stop Mass Effect coverage it is about time this blog went back to its regular programming. While I am sure that there will be a lot more to be said about Bioware’s final installment in Commander Shepard’s story the next period of great interest will be when the extended ending director’s cut will be released sometime in the summer. Judging from the overall persistent negativity from some fans I really have my doubts whether or not many will be swayed by this new ending even though as of this writing I have really no clue what Bioware is going to do except keep their original ending the way it is.
JJ Abrams’ Star Trek 2 Finally Has A Release Date
After being delayed due to a litany of different reasons JJ Abram’s sequel to his enormously successful Star Trek reboot finally has a firm release date of May 17, 2013. For those who are keeping track of such things this means a whopping four year gap between Star Trek films making it the longest period Trek fans have had to endure between sequels. Additionally, Paramount Pictures has announced that the film will be released in both 2D and 3D which is not much of a surprise considering 3D surcharges will surely drive up revenue although one hopes that it doesn’t force JJ Abrams into shooting specific shots just for the sake of making something look cool in 3D.
Entertainment – Punch It!
As I began the process of exporting my old blogger site over here to WordPress I was struck at just how long ago it was that I began writing these entries and that I had started back then penning articles about the upcoming J.J. Abrams Star Trek (2009) reboot. Well, here we go again as we’re about a year away from Star Trek 12 or Abram’s Star Trek II if you prefer that nomenclature and this time around the hype machine is going to go into overdrive considering that the reboot went on to become the highest grossing Star Trek movie of all time even when taking into account inflation. Suffice to say, this next movie has the potential to really blow the doors open for Trek and blast the franchise back into the upper echelons of movie stardom. Of course, it could do a Matrix Revolutions and plunge the franchise back into the abyss but let’s hope all involved have the smarts to realize that the stakes are just as high on this sequel.
E3 2011 – Will you look at that…
Now here’s something I was not expecting. Seeing as I am such an avid videogamer I’ve been following the start of E3 since yesterday and lo and behold here’s news that a new Star Trek game will be coming to Xbox 360s, PCs and Playstation 3s sometime next year 2012. In a surprise announcement the game isn’t going to be an adventure game or tactical space combat simulator but rather a first person shooter which at the present time looks very much like a cross between Mass Effect and Gears of War.
iPhone – Star Trek Review
One of the side effects of a summer blockbuster movie is the incredible array of ancillary merchandising that accompanies such a release. From glass cups at Burger King to toys in Happy Meals to cereal boxes and even to bed spreads and undergarments, nothing is safe from the impending launch of a merchandising behemoth. Kids and diehard fans love this time of year although I have an inkling that most parents groan and get headaches just thinking about all the toys and props that have to be bought in order to satisfy their offspring.
Movie Review – Star Trek (2009)
For those who are impatiently waiting my review of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie I present the following mini review in two simple lines.
Is it good? Yes.
Is it better than the all time franchise standard bearer, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? No.
Satisfied?
Avast Ye! Or how Paramount got its groove on…
Now this is how you build buzz. While I’m still not quite ready to go into a greater box office analysis of the upcoming summer movie season I have to give props to Paramount for mounting a steadily unfurling marketing campaign that has fired on all cylinders for their May tentpole movie. Of course, I’m talking about Star Trek. What did you expect? In hindsight the decision by Paramount brass to move the film out of its initial release date last Christmas day to the more competitive summer season now seems to have paid off in spades. While we still won’t know how well it will perform there’s no doubt that buzz is building in ways I have not seen since last year.
Fire Everything!
The third and most probably final Star Trek trailer is out as of today. You can watch it in Quicktime HD on Apple’s movie trailer site or at the official Star Trek link here. For those who want to experience it in its full glory then you’re going to have to go and see the comic book adaptation of Watchmen, which opens today in North America.
