Santa Mac

Already got my Christmas Mac. Ooo… What’s happening to me? I used to be such a die-hard PC guy.*



* -- Actually, I still like PC’s because I know my way around them and how to access things that are tucked away in the system fairly easily. I’m still a little frustrated with the Mac in that respect.

Why So Serious?

This movie is going to kick ass.

Hopefully.

Available larger and better at http://atasteforthetheatrical.com/deathtrap/default.htm.

Oooooooooo.

That’s Freakin’ Awesome!

I just read this story on Yahoo! news:

A father went out looking for the coolest game he could find for his 15-year-old son for Christmas and happened upon a copy of “Guitar Hero III” for the Wii. Apparently, the game is pretty hard to find for the Wii, so it was a big coup. The sad part is, the father came home a couple of weeks ago to find his son smoking pot in the backyard, got pissed off, and put the game up for sale on eBay.

Here’s the kicker: It sold for $9,000. That would be NINE-freakin’-THOUSAND DOLLARS (U.S.). Holy cow. Some cat in Australia bought it. Now, I know that “Guitar Hero” is one of the most popular games in the world at the moment, but are you serious? That’s a lot of money for a game that retails for about $90.

You have to read the Dad’s last quote in the original story, which can be found here.

This is What Happens When I Stay Home Alone

Kindra went out to her school’s holiday party… I stayed home, watched TV, and was reminded of this:



Waazzzzzabi!

Movies for 2008

I know, 2007 isn’t even over and I haven’t seen half the films of this year that I wanted to, but there’s already a HUGE list of films coming out in 2008 that I have to make room for. It’s especially exciting with the number of fanboy projects coming out (i.e., Fanboys, Iron Man, Indiana Jones, etc.). Mark your calendars:

Jan. 18 – J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield project

As super-secret as Abrams’ Star Trek movie is, this end-of-the-world/war-of-the-worlds/monster film that’s being shot as if taken from footage of handheld camcorders is the biggest hush-hush project in the movie industry. The Cloverfield title is simply a working project title to the movie, which made its trailer debut with only the date "01-18-08" displayed at the end.

Jan. 18 – Fanboys

Five words: Kristen. Bell. Slave. Leia. Gold. Bikini. Add in a story line about five friends who are on a mission to watch Star Wars: Episode I before it's released at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch before their friend passes away of cancer, and you’ve got me hooked.

Feb. 17 – Knight Rider (NBC television movie)

Kinda worried about this one, given the debut of the new K.I.T.T. But it was still one of the coolest shows of the 80’s, despite Hoff’s leather Members-Only jacket.

Mar. 21 – 21

Based on the book Bringing Down the House, the true story of six M.I.T. students who took Vegas casions for millions.

Mar. 28 – Wanted

Two words this time: Angelina. Jolie. Based on the comic by Mark S. Millar, it also stars James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. McAvoy is the son who just found out his father was part of an elite cadre of hitmen, Jolie is his tutor, aptly named The Fox, and Freeman is the leader of the pack. C’mon… guns, action, and the aforementioned Angelina Jolie?

Apr. 4 – Harold & Kumar 2

I don’t think you can properly watch an H&K movie in a public theater.

May 2 – Iron Man

Robert Downey, Jr., Gywenth Paltrow, Terrance Howard, Jeff Bridges, a special appearance by Samuel L. Jackson and directed by fanboy Jon Favreau based on the Marvel comic of the same name. Kick ass, and, oddly enough, just what Danica wants to do on her birthday.

May 9 – Speed Racer

Not totally sold on it based on the trailer, but it could be fun. Go, go…?

May 16 – The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The first movie started off well, then fell precipitously. The trailer for this one looks better, so there’s hope.

May 22 – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Duh.

June 13 – The Incredible Hulk

Edward Norton and Liv Tyler star in the “reimagining” of the Hulk saga, directed by Louis Lettierer (The Transporter). It doesn’t discount Ang Lee’s incredibly slow Hulk of a few years ago, but with Lettierer, it will definitely be about Hulk smash!

June 13 – The Happening

Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan with Mark Walhberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo. He’s been a bit off since Unbreakable, but this is supposedly Shyamalan’s best script since The Sixth Sense.

June 20 – Get Smart

Steve Carrell, Anne Hathaway, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a send-up of the 1960’s comedic spy show is going to be awesome. Also starring Alan Arkin, Terrance Stamp, and Masi “Hiro Nakamura” Oka. A made-for-DVD “sequel” will focus on minor characters and be released ten days after the premiere.

June 27 – Wall-E

Pixar’s latest film, the concept for Wall-E was created even before Toy Story. In fact, it’s the last of the original story concepts that included Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and Monsters, Inc. The movie is about the last robot on Earth who holds the key to Earth’s future, after all its human inhabitants have fled. Director Andrew Stanton has referred to it as “R2-D2: The Movie.”

June 27 – Valkyrie

Tom Cruise stars in a Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men, Superman Returns) film about a plot to kill Adolf Hitler by some of the highest-ranking men in the German military. Also starring Terrance Stamp, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Kenneth Branagh.

July 11 – Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

The continuing story about the son of the devil who rejects his birthright and teams with a group of paranormal heroes to save the world. It’s a follow-up to the fun and visually stunning Hellboy and is directed by acclaimed Mexican director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labrynith).

July 18 – The Dark Knight

The sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins, and the second-most secret movie of 2008 behind Cloverfield. Recent revealing pictures, plot points, and the highly-anticipated debut of footage in front of IMAX screenings of Will Smith’s I Am Legend make it a super-hot movie. Heath Ledger as the Joker will be awesome, and nobody’s even talking about Aaron Eckhart’s turn as Harvey Dent/Two-Face yet.

Other summer films (dates TBD):

Righteous Kill

Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro all on film together. I’m not usually drawn to any of their movies, but this one could be hot.

The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) adapts Alice Sebold’s best-selling novel with Ryan Gosling, Susan Sarandon, Rachel Weisz, and Stanley Tucci. King Kong was a bust, but the plot of a 14-year-old killed by her neighbor, telling the story from heaven, examining the lives of those around her while trying to get somebody to find her body should be very interesting.

Oct. 3 – Where the Wild Things Are

Director Spike Jonze and a children’s classic!

Nov. 7 – James Bond 22 (possibly titled 007)

Casino Royale was pretty good, even if it did get a little convoluted at the end. Daniel Criag is the best Bond since Sean Connery.

Nov. 7 – The Changeling

Produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich about a woman whose son is abducted, but returned. However, she suspects the child is not hers and then must face the corruption of the LAPD. Based upon actual events of 1920’s Los Angeles.

Nov. 21 – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Only two more Potter movies!

Nov. 26 – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story about a man who was born old and feeble and ages in reverse to become a baby at the end of his life. Brad Pitt stars as the man and Cate Blanchett takes a turn as the 30-year-old he falls in love with. Plus, it’s directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac).

Dec. 12 – The Day the Earth Stood Still

Remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic about an alien that comes to Earth and warns world leaders that their continuing aggression will lead to annihilation by an alien race watching them. The remake will star Keanu Reeves.

Dec. 25 – J.J. Abrams' Star Trek

Double duh.

Possible 2008 movies (based on when the current writer’s strike ends):

Australia

Director Baz Lurhman (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!) and stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in a World War II epic.

The Box

Director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) helms a film about a couple who find a small wooden box on their doorstep which brings good fortune at an unforeseen price. Based on the Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) short story, “Button, Button.”

Frost/Nixon

Based on the stage play about the post-Watergate television interviews between talk-show host David Frost and President Richard Nixon. I read a bit about it, and it seems like it’s got a lot of depth to it.

I would say that’s a full calendar. And I didn’t even include some movies that might end up being good, but are too questionable to call right now.

It's the End of the World as We Know It...

What is going on in this world?!?! First, Jennifer Love Hewitt gets engaged and some bulges/cellulite, now Jessica Alba’s pregnant!

For those of you who don’t keep up with the mindless celebrity drivel that I hate, Jessica Alba recently confirmed that she and boyfriend Cash Warren (are you kidding me? Cash?) are expecting (what I hope is) a baby.

And here’s a few pics of J-Lo Hew’s vacation in Hawai’i:

My world as I know it is spinning out of control…

*sigh*

First Contact!

These are the first pics from J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek movie, filming somewhere in Orange County (!). Supposedly, they’re filming by an undisclosed hangar location, which could only mean three possibilities: John Wayne airport (which would seem improbable given the amount of noise around), the old Tustin Marine Base down the street from my office, or El Toro Marine Base. I’m tempted to go find them.

Regardless, the first picture is most likely of Chris Pine, the new Captain James Tiberius Kirk. The second photo is ~duh~ Zachary Quinto as a young Spock.

The pictures were found at JFX Online, which is a street photojournalism site (a.k.a. a spot for paparazzi). Here’s a link to more Kirk pics and some more Spock pics.

* * *

In other Star Trek XI news, William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk, is miffed about not being included in the film. However, it’s been noted that his second in command, Leonard Nimoy, plays a large role in the film, reprising his role as the first Spock, along side Zachary Quinto’s young Spock. Shatner’s been quoted as saying, “How could you not put one of the founding figures into a movie that was being resurrected? That doesn’t make sense to me!” Expanding upon that, he also said, “I’ve become even more popular than I was playing Captain Kirk – I’m good box and I get publicity,” though he did concede that it will probably be a good film: “They are going in a different direction and it’ll be a wonderful film.”

Okay, first of all, yes, it would’ve been nice to include the original Captain Kirk in the film. However, there are two reasons not to: 1) the plot supposedly revolves around a rogue Romulan who goes back in time to try to assassinate James T. Kirk, and it’s up to an older Spock to partner with his younger self to prevent any changes to the timeline; and 2) in the current Star Trek universe, Shatner’s Kirk is…
*
*
*
(wait for it…)
*
*
*
(waaaaaait for it…)
*
*
*
Dead. He died in the ridiculous Star Trek: Generations, saving Patrick Stewart’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the rest of the universe.

So that’s that.

* * *

It also seems that I failed to report on a few of new cast members. Kirk’s father, George Kirk, will be played by actor Chris Hemsworth, who actually has already wrapped his portion of the film. His filmography is limited to parts in his native Australia. He’s 24 by the way, in case any of the ladies who read this are interested.

Clifton Collins, Jr. will play Ayel, a Romulan who helps Eric Bana’s Romulan, Nero, in the film. He’s appeared in Babel, Traffic, some episodes of Abrams’ TV series Alias, the John Woo movie The Replacement Killers, and an episode of ER. I only list so many things because he looks really familiar to me. I think it’s from Babel or The Replacement Killers.

Jennifer Morrison, of TV’s House fame, has been tabbed to play an undisclosed character. Initial rumors were that she was cast to play Yeoman Janice Rand, a sort of “hottie in the background” character from ST:TOS, but those have been debunked by Abrams himself. Other prospective characters Morrison could play would be “Number One,” the Captain Christopher Pike’s first in command from the original Star Trek pilot (as reported by SyFyPortal.com), or IESB.net’s conjecture that she will play a pregnant Winona Kirk, wife of George Kirk and mother of James T. Kirk.

Also cast has been the role of Sarek, Spock’s father. Chariots of Fire actor Ben Cross will portray a role made famous by Mark Leonard.

Bah Dah Ba-BAH…!

Bah da-BUMMMMM!

I love Drew Struzan, the artist who did this. He’s also done posters for Star Wars, Blade Runner, Police Academy, Coming to America, and the rest of the Indiana Jones movies. More recent work includes the Harry Potter movie posters. He also does a lot of album covers, including Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare, which Rolling Stone dubbed one of the "Top 100 Album Covers of All Time," and just recently did the new Angels & Airwaves cover for I-Empire.

Despite the fact that I like the poster, I’m still not sold on the title or the movie, based on these stills:

I know I’m picky, but doesn’t Harrison Ford look a little too clean as Indy? And Shia LaBeouf looks a little too slick. He reminds me of MacGyver’s son (look it up). Shoulda gone without the moustache, too.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

From the folks over at bguides.com:

This year "The Twelve Days of Christmas" will cost your True Love $19,507, an increase of 3.1% over last year, according to the 23rd Annual PNC Christmas Price Index. That rise is consistent with the 3.5% increase in the U.S. government's Consumer Price Index so far this year.

Here's the breakdown of the 12 days...

1 Partridge in a Pear Tree - $164.99

2 Turtle Doves - $40

3 French Hens - $45

4 Calling Birds - $599.96

5 Gold Rings - $395

6 Geese-a-Laying - $360

7 Swans-a-Swimming - $4,200

8 Maids-a-Milking - $46.80

9 Ladies Dancing - $4,759.19

10 Lords-a-Leaping - $4,285.06

11 Pipers Piping - $2,213.40

12 Drummers Drumming - $2,397.85

I'm Not Sure

You need to see it bigger here.

They Should Put Him On Monday Night

My vote for the newest Monday Night Football commentator:

Truly the National Pastime

It seems as though “America’s pastime” has really become America’s pastime. With the federal indictment of Barry Bonds and the Alex Rodriguez free-agency soap opera, baseball has devolved into probably the most tabloid-like sport in America. It’s pretty sad, because even though I’m not a huge baseball fan, I hate to see something with such a long and detailed history that is already struggling with modern popularity fall farther behind the glory sports of football and basketball. I’ve always enjoyed going to the ballpark and watching afternoon games, and I’ve come to appreciate the slower pacing of the game and the minute details to the game that make it interesting. Bonds and Rodriguez have turned baseball into tabloid-fodder where the biggest interest lies, not in the game, but in the foolish acts perpetrated by those who are supposed to represent the game.

The Barry Bonds’ indictment on four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice on Thursday, November 15 could cost him up to 30 years in jail. Bonds’ history of claims that he “never knowingly” took steroids and the fact that there is no positive proof that he took steroids is well-documented, but it’s both satisfying and dismaying to see that somebody finally got him on something. It’s the idea that you won’t get caught all the time, but somebody will catch you at least once, eventually. Honestly, I’m glad to see that Bonds’ might get what’s coming to him, given that he seems like an ass with no appreciation of anybody or anything beyond himself. It’s sad, also, that one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player, of his generation is caught up in a federal case like this. I would imagine this is what it was like when the “Shoeless” Joe Jackson / Black Sox scandal of 1919 was discovered.

As for Bonds’ Major League home run record, I don’t really know what to think. On one hand, it should have an asterisk with it, but so should almost every record from the last fifteen years. Bonds most likely got help staying healthy and strong with steroids, but so did a lot of other Major Leaguers (we won’t mention Sen. George Mitchell’s steroid investigation that may have 10-15 current free agents mentioned in it), and Bonds still had to actually hit the ball. Some people are calling for his record to be stricken from the books if he is convicted, but as far as I know, Pete Rose still owns the all-time hits record and he’s still banned from baseball for betting on games. I suppose it should stand and history will judge it the way people will want it to. And if the record is broken again by Alex Rodriguez, won’t that still be tainted?

Speaking of A-Rod and his ridiculousness, I agree with what I heard on the radio the other day: Alex Rodriguez makes people not like him. He already had the biggest contract in baseball history (10 years, $250 million), then opted out of his contract with the Yankees to pursue free agency, supposedly because 1) there was too much pressure and scrutiny on him in New York and 2) the Yankees dumped manager Joe Torre earlier this year. Then, he says that he won’t even talk to the Yankees unless they offer a contract of 10 years and $300+ million. Eighteen days later, A-Rod goes to back to the Yankees, asking to return to the club, and now we have an “outline” of a contract for 10 years, $275 million. This guy is an idiot.

Yes, A-Rod is the best player of his generation, but he hasn’t produced in the post-season, already said it was only about the money when he signed his original $250 million contract with the Texas Rangers, announced that he was opting out of his contract during Game 4 of the World Series, taking a lot of well-deserved press from the Series, the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies, and whines too much for a guy who gets more money to swing a bat than anybody else in history. He better believe there’s pressure to win a World Series and produce if he wants the fat contract. Stop whining and start playing. By the way, I love that the Bonds’ indictment has left A-Rod’s contract talks in the dust as the biggest baseball story in America. Heck, even in the New York Daily News, the contract headline is in a tiny corner of the sports page.

* * *

In other wacky news, how about Arizona taking down No. 2 Oregon in the latest BCS upset? In case you missed it, the Wildcats defeated the Ducks, 34-24 on Thursday night to pretty much end Oregon’s hopes of a BCS title and the Pac-10 title. I think it’s the fifth time in eight weeks the No. 2 team in the nation has been taken out by an unranked opponent. Hopefully current No. 3 Kansas (10-0) survives the weekend against Iowa State to move to No. 2, and can win out against No. 5 Missouri and No. 4 Oklahoma in its last two games to give them a shot a the BCS title. The only disappointing thing about that is that they are still a Big 12 team, and not a mid-major like Boise State or former No. 2 University of South Florida.

On Trek

I feel the idiotic need to post something, but since I’ve been bogged down with work, I’ll just give you the latest update on J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek movie. Actor Bruce Greenwood (above) has been cast as Captain Christopher Pike, the first captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The rumors had been that Abrams was looking at either Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama, Glory Road) or Tom Cruise for the part. Greenwood is a character actor who has most recently appeared in the cancelled HBO series “John from Cincinnati,” Déjà Vu (with Denzel Washington), and Capote (with Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Greenwood will reprise the role originally played by Jeffrey Hunter in the never-aired original pilot to Star Trek, “The Cage.” The Pike character was scrapped and William Shatner’s James T. Kirk was born when the series was picked up and Hunter was unavailable. The footage from “The Cage” was worked into the episode “The Menagerie,” which, coincidentally, airs on select movie screens Tuesday night, November 13 in a promotion of the original Star Trek series’ release on HD-DVD.

In other Abrams Star Trek news, the role of Spock’s mother has been cast as well. The new movie covers the beginnings of the Star Trek universe as we know it, and Zachary Quinto has been cast as a young(er) Spock (Vulcans live for several hundred years). Spock is the offspring of a Vulcan father, Sarek, and a human mother, Amanda Grayson. The role of Sarek has not been cast yet, but the role of Amanda Grayson goes to…

Winona Ryder.

Billy Gillespie Job Watch: Day 1

To be honest, I’m not following college basketball a ton right now, being more absorbed in producing the 2007 Big West Women’s Soccer Tournament for the Big West’s video streaming initiative, BigWest.TV. However, with the first shocker of the college basketball season coming last night, I have to chip in my two cents.

No. 22 Kentucky lost to Gardner-Webb last night, 68-84, the first time that Kentucky has lost to a mid-major program since 2001 (Western Kentucky). It’s also the first time since December 3, 2005 that the Wildcats lost a non-conference home game to an unranked team (North Carolina). The loss was in the regional “finals” of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, which was set up to pit Memphis, UConn, and Oklahoma against each other in New York next week. So just like Butler did last year, Gardner-Webb crashed the party.

So this would make today Day 1 of the Billie Gillespie Job Watch. Gillespie took over the UK program this year from former coach Tubby Smith, who “decided” to move on to Minnesota. Kentucky fans are notoriously fervent, so losing to Gardner-Webb is a major step on the way to having the fans want your head (and I’m sure that some of them are already questioning Gillespie’s hire). See, I’m a big fan of mid-major basketball, but even I have to admit losing to a team that was 9-21 last year and seventh (SEVENTH!) in the Atlantic-Sun Conference (Belmont, Campbell, East Tennessee State, Florida-Gulf Coast, Jacksonville U., Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina-Upstate, and Stetson) is like trying to commit suicide with a dull spoon. Even if Gardner-Webb improves to finish in the top three of their conference (you generally don’t go from seventh to first), it still looks bad.

Now, I’m also a supporter of coaches in general, who aren’t out there to lose, so I have to say that it’s early in Gillespie’s tenure as the Wildcats’ head coach. Also, mid-majors are getting better with good athletes who stick around for four years and learn to play the game while top programs have athletes that defect after two or three and can rely on their athleticism to get things done (brains vs. brawn, in a sense). So I wouldn’t go throwing rocks at Gillespie’s house or key his car just yet. He turned around a Texas A&M program the last few years, and before that, made a splash with UTEP. I’m sure Kentucky will continue to challenge for the SEC title (except for Tennessee is pretty good) and have to deal with “only” getting to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight in March, I just thought I’d jump on the media bandwagon and put some pressure on Gillespie right away. Heh.

Oh, and that picture at the top? That’s the new Billy Gillespie wallpaper from the UK website.

Happy Halloween!

Don't forget... only those who truly believe will see the Great Pumpkin!

Worst Defense (or Best Offense) of the Day

Okay... this is just stupid crazy. And it probably is a better play than one from Cal-Stanford in 1982, but the ending isn't as good as the Cal player tomahawking the Stanford trombonist.

Dumbledore's Secret!

In a special event for winners of a Scholastic Books contest, author J.K. Rowling outed Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore! The question of Dumbledore’s love life came up in the Q&A session, and Rowling responded, “I always saw Dumbledore as gay.” She even mentioned that in a draft for the upcoming sixth Harry Potter movie, Dumbledore had a line reminiscing about a girl, which Rowling had to write a note to the director correcting the situation.

Read all about it in this Entertainment Weekly article. There are spoilers in the article (which they neglected to mention), so read just the first three or four paragraphs if, like me, you haven’t read the latest and last Harry Potter novel.

Oops.

So much for South Florida at No. 2 in the BCS standings (they lost in their first week ranked in the top three to Rutgers, 30-27 Thursday night). Guess you knew it couldn’t last, but still, I had to pull for the mid-major football school. I just want to believe that a smaller program can be at the top, but maybe that’s unrealistic, and that’s really disappointing.

Boldly Going?, Part 2

So it seems that the cast is complete for J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek film, due out next Christmas. Shooting is supposed to begin next month, and the final piece of the puzzle seems to be confirmed, as the new James Tiberius Kirk has apparently been cast. Here are the cast comparisons between The Original Series (TOS) and The New Movie (TNM).

THE ORIGINAL SERIES

(L-R), William Shatner as James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy, James Doohan as Montgomery Scott, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, George Takei as Hikaru Sulu, and Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov.

THE NEW MOVIE(L-R) Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin.

Here’s a rundown of the characters and new actors:

Captain James T. Kirk – Chris Pine

Pine, 27, is best known for his roles in Smokin’ Aces and Just My Luck (opposite Lindsay Lohan). He’s pretty much a newcomer without too much screen experience. He’s fairly in line with the fans’ original choice for Kirk, Matt Damon.

Lt. Cmdr. Spock – Zachary Quinto

His claim to fame among the geek set is his portrayal of the villain Sylar on Heroes. The 30-year old actor also had a recurring role in Season 5 of 24, among other TV credits. He was the first actor confirmed for the new Star Trek and seems a relatively logical choice (heh). The fans originally wanted Adrien Brody, and it will be interesting to see Quinto act alongside the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, as the two Spocks will work together in the film.

Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy – Karl Urban

The biggest “movie star” in the cast, the 35 year-old Urban is no stranger to sci-fi/fantasy roles, having appeared in two of The Lord of the Rings movies (The Two Towers, Return of the King), The Chronicles of Riddick, and Doom. He’s also appeared in both Xena: Warrior Princess (as Julius Caesar) and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (as Cupid and Julius Caesar), and starred in Pathfinder and The Bourne Supremacy. The New Zealand native is bit of a surprise for the role that fans clamored for Gary Sinise to take.

Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott – Simon Pegg

The oldest cast member at 37, Simon Pegg has a cult following from his movies Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. You may also recognize him from a bit role in Mission: Impossible III (directed by new Star Trek director J.J. Abrams). Another interesting cast choice, at least they’re getting closer to casting an appropriate actor to play the Scottish engineer: the original Scotty, James Doohan, was Canadian; Pegg is British.

Lt. Uhura – Zoe Saldana

29 year-old Saldana’s biggest roles to date have been parts in Pirates of the Carribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (small role as a pirate) and as the love interests in Guess Who? (with Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac) and Drumline. A solid choice for the role of Uhura, she’ll be a fanboy favorite if Star Trek and the project she’s currently filming, James Cameron’s Avatar, are both as big as they are anticipated to be. In a curious bit of television crossover, the original Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, recently joined the cast of Heroes (alongside original Sulu, George Takei). FYI, I didn’t forget Uhura’s full name; she has no official first name.

Lt. Hikaru Sulu – John Cho

You probably know him best as “Harold” from his comedy hit with Kal Penn, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. The 35 year-old is also starring in the Harold and Kumar sequel due next year, has had roles in the similarly goofy American Pie and American Wedding, and has appeared in various TV shows (the most recent being an episode of Ugly Betty airing October 18). Cho was also one of the stars of the Asian-American movie Better Luck Tomorrow (which you should see if you haven’t already). Cho is of Korean descent, unlike original cast member George Takei, who matches Sulu’s Japanese heritage. Some are puzzled by Cho’s casting, probably due to his H&K days.

Ensign Pavel Chekov – Anton Yelchin

Matching Chekov’s Russian heritage, as well as his youth (Yelchin just turned 18), Anton Yelchin is best recognized from his role in Alpha Dog (with Justin Timberlake), but has also starred in the movie Charlie Barlett and has appeared in numerous TV shows (ER, Judging Amy, The Practice, Without a Trace, Curb Your Enthusiasm, NYPD Blue) dating back to when he was 11. Yelchin was the second confirmed cast member, with most people not really knowing what to expect from him.

As for the villain in the film, Aussie actor Eric Bana has been cast, reportedly as a Romulan named Nero. The 39 year-old Bana has previously starred in Munich, Troy, Hulk, and Blackhawk Down and was most recently seen in Lucky You with Drew Barrymore.

No announcement has been made about a possible cameo character, Captain Christopher Pike, the original captain of the starship Enterprise. Rumors are that Abrams was looking for Tom Cruise to fill the role. The character of Pike was the ship’s captain in the original TV pilot which was never aired. The footage was mixed into a later episode of the series, “The Menagerie.” FYI, for you geeks out there, in order to celebrate the release of ST:TOS on HD-DVD, there will be special showings of “The Menagerie” at movie theaters across the country on November 13. Go to www.fathomevents.com for more information. I’ve already got my tickets. =)

Remembering Jason Ray

You might remember the story of Jason Ray, the University of North Carolina student who also doubled as Ramses the Ram, the UNC mascot. Ray was killed in a hit-and-run accident during the NCAA tournament last March. ESPN.com released a great story on Jason Ray’s legacy today, so go check it out when you get the chance.