Multiple bold explorers and a proxy for Monsanto While the big buzz this week will be focused squarely on the latest entry in the decades-long Star Trek franchise, there are also a couple of smaller, counter-programming opportunities, one of which is oddly related to Star Trek. There’s also a second opinion included in today’s column on the Star Trek movie itself, but be warned in advance: Malcolm’s comments contain a character spoiler (although many viewers probably know this particular detail already).   Star Trek Into Darkness Directed by J. J. Abrams When the last “Star Trek” movie came out, I strongly praised its balancing act in terms of respecting the canon and the knowledge of

“Star Trek: Into Darkness”     film review by Gary Chew Maintaining linkage with itself has to be one of the underlying secrets of success for the durable “Star Trek” franchise. The linkage with all the star trekking from its outset when Gene Roddenberry got the space fable launched in 1966 to the very motion picture that's just been released (“Star Trek: Into Darkness”) makes it clear its genesis was in broadcast television. The Trek characters continue, even if they are now younger and played by others who, in many instances, weren't yet born when the series began. At present, we remain in the prequel mode of this enduring future of which Jim Kirk and Mr. Spock --- as well as the rest

The Great Gatsby (x3) 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald 1974 film by Jack Clayton 2013 film by Baz Luhrmann There have been four theatrical film adaptations of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” the earliest of which was made in 1926, only a year after the manuscript was completed (and which is now lost). Other than the latest version by Baz Luhrmann, the only version easily found for comparison purposes is Jack Clayton’s 1974 film, with a screenplay adapted by Francis Ford Coppola. In anticipation of the press screening of Luhrmann’s film, I downloaded and re-read the novel in the break between last Sunday’s East Coast feed of “Game of Thrones” and the West Coast feed of “Mad Me

 “The Great Gatsby,” a film review by Gary Chew   The most salient point in F. Scott Fitzgerald's great novel, “The Great Gatsby,” comes when Nick Carraway admonishes Jay Gatsby: “You can't repeat the past.”   Making sure to abide by that admonition had to be what Baz Luhrmann was up to when he co-wrote and directed the Fitzgerald classic now opening across the nation. Although the story takes place as the twenties roared, this “Gatsby” has much that makes it seem as though it's actually 2013 and a grand, splashy embellishment of “Gatsbys” of the past.   That's because of the film's visual effects of recent vintage. Not only are the lavish parties thrown by Gatsby and the entire film in 3

Iron Man 3 Directed by Shane Black Malcolm Maclachlan: It’s often that I’ll think more of a flick the day after I see it than when I’m actually watching it. In this case, I like it less. “Iron Man 3” starts out with some compelling ideas and snappy dialogue, but ends up as a typical overstuffed…well, let’s just say towards the end when Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow argue about which one of them is more of a “hot mess,” my answer is “you’re both soaking in it.” Tony Sheppard: I think we had opposite reactions, or at least opposite post-reaction reactions. I had gone into the film with some fairly specific concerns regarding the storyline and enjoyed the film more than I had expect

Another busy week at the Crest Theatre A little over 100 years ago, in January 1913, what we now know as the Crest Theatre first opened its doors as the Empress, a vaudeville theater - soon to be renamed the Hippodrome. In 1946 it closed for extensive remodeling, re-opening in 1949 as the Crest with an interior much as you can still enjoy it today, thanks to extensive renovation and care from the current ownership team and staff. A couple of months ago, news leaked out that the Crest would no longer routinely schedule films on its two smaller screens, disappointing many who feared that Sacramento would lose its only truly independent movie theater (The Tower Theatre being part of a small

“Mud” film review by Gary Chew   Imagine if you can, a film actors’ school for men only. The primary acting coaches at the school are Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall ... and maybe Sam Elliott.   Now you have a good impression of how most of the men in “Mud” talk and act. “Mud” was a contentious film at Cannes last year; written and directed by native Arkansan, Jeff Nichols. His earlier film was “Take Shelter” (2011).   Two of the males in “Mud” who seem as though they might have been influenced by Jones and Duvall are in their early teens. Tye Sheridan (“The Tree of Life”) plays 14-year-old Ellis and Jacob Lofland (from Yell County Arkansas) plays his best bud, Neckbone, the same age. Th

A mixed bag of four new films It’s a busy week at the movies and a mixed bag of outcomes, including veteran stars who elevate their material and films that both benefit and suffer by being associated with true stories.   The Big Wedding Written and Directed by Justin Zackham This is the first of two movies this week that become more than they might otherwise be by virtue of their casts. In this case, what would otherwise probably be a C+ grade comedy romp is pulled up a notch or two by stars Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon (see below also), Diane Keaton, and a refreshingly understated performance from Robin Williams. It’s a surprisingly raunchy-at-times (and appropriately R-rated) take

“The Company You Keep.” film review by Gary Chew   Robert Redford's new movie, “The Company You Keep,” needs a larger plate. It's more than dinner for Thanksgiving and Christmas, combined. Good things are on the plate but, some intended for the film, spill, in considerable measure, onto the tablecloth. The main course cast is a gourmet repast that would waft an aromatic varietal through any movie house. Director Redford plays an anonymous, liberal attorney in upstate New York who used be a Weather Under-Ground Guy of the early 70s. Susan Sarandon has the role of Sharon, a middle-aged wife and mother in Vermont, who was, back then, a compatriot of Redford's character. He was Nick then; i

Oblivion Co-Written and Directed by Joseph Kosinski This week’s column contains a blast from the past, in the context of blasts in the future, as my former writing colleague Malcolm Maclachlan joins me in reviewing “Oblivion.” Malcolm Maclachlan: When you put “The Matrix,” “Total Recall,” “Star Trek,” “Blade Runner,” “Star Wars,” “Wall-E,” “Architectural Digest,” “Planet Earth,” “The Twilight Zone,” and Tom Cruise in a blender, sometimes the results turn out okay. Tony Sheppard: Yes, I agree, albeit for somewhat different reasons. As I watched the movie, I wasn’t so much reminded of other movies as of the books I read as a kid. I was an avid reader of science fiction and at one point I

“Oblivion” film review by Gary Chew   The only thing there's more of in the IMAX movie “Oblivion” than mind-blowing computer-generated imagery are cliches. But the CGI and the, sometimes, almost deafening sound effects and music are worth the watch and listen. This elaborate production—written and directed by Joseph Kosinski— has similarities with a less grandiose space movie from 2009 called “Moon,” directed by Duncan Jones. In either futuristic yarn, this device is used: there appear, on screen, two men who are the same person simultaneously. In “Oblivion,” it's Tom Cruise (Jack); in “Moon” the two men seen at the same time are Sam Rockwell. And in each movie, both pairs—or should I

“Trance”               film review by Gary Chew Director Danny Boyle, who gave us “Trainspotting” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” is back with another visceral romp that may be the product of Boyle watching “Inception” too many times. Also titled in a single word, “Trance” uses hypnotherapy as its conceit instead of dreams, as Christopher Nolan did for “Inception.” Either dreams or hypnosis used in a screenplay can be awesome for keeping a moviegoer tricked and, hopefully, astounded.   Tricked I was watching “Trance,” but not so much astounded. I did feel a mild touch of shock at some of Boyle's devices to hold my attention. One that was really catchy is when a leading player in the film is s

This continues from Part 1 (link) - uploaded separately due to length. INTERVIEW - PART 2 Tony Sheppard: So, without trying to give too much away, you’ve got this film here with big names on the marquee and yet the characters come and go. By my clock, Bradley Cooper doesn’t even show up until about 55 minutes into the film. Derek Cianfrance: Yeah. TS: Does that make it a hard film to sell to a general audience? I mean you have a poster…. DC: Yeah. TS: …with three characters on it that never appear together on screen. DC: Yeah. Well they…yeah. I always remember “Heat” was like that too – Michael Mann, when De Niro and Pacino are on screen together, they’re never in a two-shot togethe

The Place Beyond the Pines Directed by Derek Cianfrance In “The Place Beyond the Pines,” Ryan Gosling is a motorcycle stunt rider (Luke) in a traveling carnival, who meets up with an old flame (Eva Mendes) as he passes back through Schenectady, New York, only to find reason to consider settling down. But his desire to make money and his riding ability translate into an unlikely series of bank robberies that bring the attention of local police, including Avery Cross, played by Bradley Cooper. Aside from a neat story and strong characters, what really sets this movie apart from most others is a very distinctive narrative structure that spans many years and multiple character arcs. In Febru

“On The Road” film review by Gary Chew When Jack Kerouac began scribbling down things in a notepad that found their way into his novel, “On the Road,” he had not a notion about whether what he was creating would make a good screenplay for those flyby moments in the late 1940s of his short life . That’s one reason I found “On the Road,” the stalled and finally available film of the same name, to linger in my head well after seeing it. It’s now showing at the Crest Theatre, downtown near 10th and K streets. “On the Road” is another road movie from the Brazilian filmmaker, Walter Salles, who gave us that memorable two-wheeler rendition, “The Motorcycle Diaries.” Salles’ film of the Kerou

The Host One of this week’s new movies is “The Host” based on the novel of the same name by Stephenie Meyer, known to most people as the author of the “Twilight” series of books. Meyer’s association with “The Host” is probably both the film’s best and worst marketing angle, given that the “Twilight” films have legions of both supporters and detractors. So what of the new film? In “The Host,” Meyer again crafts a story centered on a female (or apparently female) character, with relationships seen from her perspective. I say “apparently” because the initial main character Melanie is taken over by an alien parasitic being called Wanderer and the alien species is never defined in terms of ge

A Directors Week This is an interesting week with a slew of new releases, all of which are from directors with track records that include better or more interesting work than we’re getting now. Given the number of films this week, I’ll keep the reviews and commentary relatively short.   Olympus Has Fallen Directed by Antoine Fuqua Antione Fuqua is building a steady record of crime and action films, probably still most notably “Training Day” with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. In “Olympus Has Fallen,” he gives us what is essentially “Die Hard: The White House” only with Bruce Willis being played by Gerard Butler. That said, it’s a far more enjoyable film and also closer to the origi

“Stoker,” a review by Gary Chew “You have to do something bad before you might do something worse,” is a good way to begin a review of a really well-made film called “Stoker.” It stars Nicole Kidman as Evelyn Stoker, the mother; Mia Wasikowska as India, the 18-year-old daughter; and Matthew Goode as her Uncle Charlie. He's the younger brother of India's father, who has just died in an auto accident as the film begins. One of the early scenes in “Stoker” is the funeral of Richard Stoker, played by Dermot Mulroney. Very “upper middle-class” would be how to best describe the Stokers. At their lovely rural home in Connecticut, Evelyn doesn't do much. She sleeps in every morning, is well-educ

Beginnings and endings. Yet another coincidence this week as I found myself watching a couple of otherwise enjoyable new films that had endings that didn’t really seem to match their beginnings - or their characters for that matter.   The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Directed by Don Scardino “…and the Amazing Anton Marvelton.” Aside from the problems associated with very long titles, the fact that the sidekick’s name is missing from the title of the movie is indicative of the character of Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carrell) and his level of blowhard self-importance. He’s the bullied and ignored kid who rose to fame and fortune and lost all sense of reality and scale in his life. Although

  “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” film review by Gary Chew   “That Old Burt Magic” would have done nicely for the title of the new film “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.” Much of the magic being performed in the film is done by a guy named Burt, and the 1942 song “That Old Black Magic,” would have done nicely on the soundtrack to make the connection between the “Burt Magic” title and the well-known song itself; maybe even a little Louis Prima and Keely Smith doing their recorded version of the Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer standard.   But even without the suggested re-titling, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” allows for some good entertainment with a very solid cast of well-knowns wh