1. This week sees the release of . And while in all likelihood
2. It’s impossible for us to choose a single favorite genre from the wealth that cinema offers. But if some sort of “Sophie’s Choice” situation were to occur, we.
3. Witches have come in all shapes, sizes, and powers over the centuries, but there’s one thing they usually have in common: They’re women. Image’s powerful series.
4. Science fiction doesn't always have to be synonymous with big budget blockbusters. These 15 movies prove that small budgets can still produce huge results.

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Star Trek (film) - Wikipedia. Star Trek is a 2. American science fictionadventure film directed by J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It is the eleventh film in the Star Trek film franchise, and is also a reboot that features the main characters of the original Star Trek television series portrayed by a new cast, as the first in the rebooted film series. The film follows James T.

Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) aboard USS Enterprise as they combat Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. The story takes place in an alternate reality.

Formed in 2015, Oats Studios is therefore intended as a proving ground for new ideas, well away from the test screenings and studio politics of Hollywood.

The alternate timeline was created in an attempt to free the film and the franchise from established continuity constraints while simultaneously preserving original story elements. The idea for a prequel film which would follow the Star Trek characters during their time in Starfleet Academy was discussed by series creator Gene Roddenberry in 1. The concept resurfaced in the late 1. Harve Bennett as a possible plotline for what would become Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, but was rejected in lieu of other projects by Roddenberry.

Following the critical and commercial failure of Star Trek: Nemesis and the cancellation of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the franchise's executive producer Rick Berman and screenwriter Erik Jendresen wrote an unproduced film titled Star Trek: The Beginning, which would take place after Enterprise. After the separation of Viacom and CBS Corporation in 2. Paramount Pictures president Gail Berman convinced CBS to allow Paramount to produce a new film in the franchise.

Orci and Kurtzman, both fans of Star Trek, were approached to write the film, and J. Abrams was approached to direct it. Kurtzman and Orci used inspiration from novels and graduate school dissertations, as well as the series itself. Principal photography commenced on November 7, 2. March 2. 7, 2. 00. The film was shot in various locations around California and Utah. Abrams wanted to avoid using bluescreen and greenscreen, opting to use sets and locations instead.

Heavy secrecy surrounded the film's production and was under the fake working title Corporate Headquarters. Industrial Light & Magic used digital ships for the film, as opposed to the previous films in the franchise. Production for the film concluded by the end of 2.

Star Trek was heavily promoted in the months preceding its release; pre- release screenings for the film premiered in select cities around the world, including Austin, Texas, Sydney, Australia, and Calgary, Alberta. It was released in the United States and Canada on May 8, 2. Michael Giacchino. Star Trek was a box office success, grossing over $3. It was nominated for several awards, including four Academy Awards at the 8. Academy Awards, ultimately winning Best Makeup, making it the first Star Trek film to win an Academy Award. It was followed by two sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness (2.

Star Trek Beyond (2. In the 2. 3rd century, the Federationstarship USS Kelvin is investigating a . A Romulan ship, Narada, emerges from the storm and attacks Kelvin. Narada's first officer, Ayel, demands that Kelvin's Captain Robau come aboard to negotiate a truce. Robau is questioned about the current stardate and an .

Narada's commander, Nero, kills him, and resumes attacking Kelvin. George Kirk, Kelvin's first officer, orders the ship's personnel, including his pregnant wife Winona, to abandon ship while he pilots Kelvin on a collision course with Narada. Kirk sacrifices his life to ensure Winona's survival as she gives birth to James T. Kirk. Seventeen years later on the planet Vulcan, a young Spock is accepted to join the Vulcan Science Academy. Realizing that the Academy views his human mother Amanda as a .

On Earth, Kirk becomes a reckless but intelligent young adult. Following a bar fight with Starfleet cadets accompanying Nyota Uhura, Kirk meets Captain Christopher Pike, who encourages him to enlist in Starfleet Academy, where Kirk meets and befriends doctor Leonard Mc. Coy. Three years later, Commander Spock accuses Kirk of cheating during the Kobayashi Maru simulation. Kirk argues that cheating was acceptable because the simulation was designed to be unbeatable.

The disciplinary hearing is interrupted by a distress signal from Vulcan. With the primary fleet out of range, the cadets are mobilized. Mc. Coy and Kirk board Pike's ship, the Enterprise.

Realizing that the . Narada attacks Enterprise and Pike surrenders, delegating command of the ship to Spock and promoting Kirk to first officer. Il Boom (2017) Movie Out. Kirk, Hikaru Sulu and Chief Engineer Olson perform a space jump. Olson is killed but Kirk and Sulu disable the drill. Despite their efforts, Nero launches . Spock rescues the high council and his father Sarek, but his mother Amanda dies.

As Narada moves toward Earth, Nero tortures Pike to gain access to Earth's defense codes. Spock maroons Kirk on Delta Vega after Kirk attempts mutiny. Kirk encounters an older Spock, who explains that he and Nero are from 1.

In that future, Romulus was threatened by a supernova. Spock's attempt to use . Narada and Spock's vessel were caught in the black hole, sending them back in time. Nero stranded Spock on Delta Vega to watch Vulcan's destruction. Reaching a Starfleet outpost on Delta Vega, Kirk and the elder Spock meet Montgomery Scott. With the elder Spock's help, Kirk and Scott beam onto Enterprise.

Following the elder Spock's advice, Kirk provokes younger Spock into attacking him, forcing Spock to recognize himself as emotionally compromised and relinquish command to Kirk. After talking with Sarek, Spock decides to help Kirk. While Enterprise hides itself within the gas clouds of Titan, Kirk and Spock beam aboard Narada. Kirk fights with Nero and Ayel, killing the latter and rescuing Pike, while Spock uses the elder Spock's ship to destroy the drill. Spock leads Narada away from Earth and sets his ship to collide with Nero's ship. Enterprise beams Kirk, Pike, and Spock aboard. The older Spock's ship and Narada collide, igniting the .

Kirk offers Nero help to escape, but Nero refuses, prompting Kirk to give the order to fire, dooming Narada to be consumed in a black hole. Kirk is promoted to Captain and given command of Enterprise while Pike is promoted to Rear Admiral. Spock encounters his older self, who persuades his younger self to continue serving in Starfleet, encouraging him to do, for once, what feels right instead of what is logical.

Spock remains in Starfleet, becoming first officer under Kirk's command. Enterprise goes to warp as the elder Spock speaks the . Quinto was supportive of Pine's casting because they knew each other from working out at the same gym.

Pine watched classic episodes and read encyclopedias about the Star Trek universe, but stopped as he felt weighed down by the feeling he had to copy Shatner. Pine felt he had to show Kirk's .

Quinto expressed interest in the role because of the duality of Spock's half- human, half- Vulcan heritage. I think those are all things that we as a society, and certainly the world, could implement.

I felt like I was 1. You look back at those pictures and you see the bowl cut. There's no question I was born to play the Spock role. I was sporting that look for a good four or five years. The film officially establishes (to Kirk's surprise) that Uhura and Spock are lovers and have been romantically linked for some time, a point which had never been previously explored on TV or in film. Bana shot his scenes toward the end of filming.

He was a longtime friend of Abrams' parents. Although Quinto watched some episodes of the show during breaks in filming, Nimoy was his main resource in playing Spock. He was silent, and Nimoy's wife Susan Bay told the creative team he had remained in his chair after their conversation, emotionally overwhelmed by his decision after turning down many opportunities to revisit the role.? This guy has been doing it for forty years.

It's like 'I think Spock would..'.

TV’s top 5. 0 sci- fi characters: Mr. Spock, Starbuck and. Throughout the series, Clark discovers his true heritage, builds relationships with both Lana Lang and Lois Lane, faces off against Lex Luthor, Major Zod and Darkseid and tries to find the courage to be the superhero he was born to be, all while keeping his identity under wraps. Jean- Luc Picard, . That was the thinking leading up to the launch of . But the notion of an Enterprise captained by a tea- sipping, bald native of France with patrician civility? A bad joke then, it now ranks among TV's most inspired gambles.

Patrick Stewart's Picard engaged audiences for seven seasons - - meaning he boldly went to a place that Kirk (with 7. Sheridan, the man called Starkiller by his foes and eventually viewed as a messiah- like figure by many of the people who saw him as something more than a leader. Brought back from the dead (twice), Sheridan seems anointed by destiny, but he's no saint - - far from it. He can be impatient and has a withering temper. All those layers make Bruce Boxleitner’s captain (and eventual president) a star man with a killer arc.

Kathryn Janeway, . Kirk (and, like him, an Iowa native).

While some couldn't help chattering about her changing hairdos, we think Janeway stands out for her ability to beat back everyone who has crossed Voyager's path, be they Borg, Hirogen or Species 8. While romance was rare for the woman who put duty first, she had close bonds with friends including Tuvok (Tim Russ), Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Chakotay (Robert Beltran), as well as her beloved pots of coffee. Although he eventually befriends his fellow travelers (aliens who at first view him as primitive and ignorant) and finds love with Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black), he longs to return to Earth, studies wormhole technology and searches for a way home. Cool and collected, Scully had very personal encounters with the unknown that left her battling cancer and later giving birth to a child with special abilities.

Through it all, her rapport with her partner remained constant despite a sprawling story line that at various points involved alien abductions, shadowy government conspiracies, otherworldly bounty hunters and black gummy substances, clones, shape- shifters and a two- headed monster with a passion for Cher. Gaius Baltar, . He then engineers his own ascendancy to president, leading settlers to colonize New Caprica, before ultimately surrendering to Cylon invaders. Adopting the pose of a self- appointed prophet, he maintains an unusual relationship with Number Six (Tricia Helfer). Baltar's limitless capacity for self- preservation made him loathsome, but Callis' performance was masterful - - his villain was a narcissistic chameleon who was as mesmerizing as he was despicable. The Visitors land on Earth offering peace and shared knowledge, but Diana and her lizard- people impose military rule and systematically perform mind control and biological experiments on humans. Diana returns in the 2.

Zachary Smith, . Smith was a true villain. An enemy agent, he sabotaged the Jupiter 2's systems and then (trapped aboard) he was a victim of the navigational misadventure he caused.

But as episodes passed a new Smith took shape - - haughty, insincere, bumbling and shrill, he was unlikable but no longer evil. Actor Jonathan Harris was tilting the character; he knew a true menace couldn't last but an irritant was invaluable for a writing team. A mad genius. It's never quite clear. The enigmatic leader of a group of natives (. Suspense Thriller Movies Birth Of A Nation (2016). He manipulates and often persecutes the survivors of the crash though later in the series, he becomes their ally.

He moves the island and helps several of the survivors escape - - and then return again - - and eventually finds peace as advisor to Hugo (Jorge Garcia). Sarah is a devoted mother and decides the only way to protect her son is to destroy Skynet and prevent the rise of the machines. But her plans are complicated by enemies from the past and the future, as well as her own mortality. She's right. A mechanical plague called the Cylons descends on humanity and Roslin (Mary Mc. Donnell), suddenly the highest- ranking official, is sworn in as president.

The tale that follows - - her triumphs, defeats, tears, love, loss and faith - - showed a soulful and honest leader who would never let her people go quietly into the night. One Observer named September (Michael Cerveris) builds a relationship with Walter Bishop (John Noble) and the Fringe team. He possesses advanced technological knowledge, an alien language, a unique talking style and an understanding of multiple timelines and parallel worlds. The Observers' intentions are mysteriously ominous, but at one point, September defies his orders in an effort to save Walter's son. Since then, 1. 1 actors (most recently Matt Smith) have portrayed the time- traveling, two- hearted extraterrestrial, each time reincarnating as the same lonely soul but with a new face, wardrobe and set of eccentricities. Certainly a wild card, the Doctor (David Tennant above) is accompanied by an ever- changing slate of companions on a spaceship that rarely lands at its intended target (in space or time).

But regardless of the chaos his nomadic life brings, the Doctor can be depended on to defend Earth from alien invaders and, when needed, from itself. You don't need a positronic brain to know it's Data, the android made by a 2. Geppetto. Data's name is his function - - he seeks, ascertains, solves - - but friendship with humans tilts his quest toward human emotion.

The brilliant construct (played by Brent Spiner) studies Shakespeare and violin to understand the sound of sadness, but somehow never detects it in his own voice. Steve Austin, . A nasty crash destroyed the body of red- blooded Air Force officer Steve Austin but, as Oscar Goldman of the Office of Scientific Intelligence told weekly viewers of . His hands were just basic pincers (shaped like horseshoes) but his squared shoulders were strong. They had to be. He had a lot of future he was lugging to the set. But after Edison gets in a motorcycle accident, his memories are downloaded into a computer, and Max Headroom (named for a clearance sign in the parking garage - - the last thing Edison saw before impact) is created. Max Headroom, with his distinct modulated voice and trademark Ray- Bans, helps Edison and his friends fight corruption.

The Bajoran militia's representative to the Starfleet- controlled station, Kira often clashed with Capt. Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) but also used her skill in resistance tactics to assist her new allies. Actress Nana Visitor slowly revealed Kira's inner vulnerability over the years, culminating in a fan favorite romance with the equally hard- shelled Odo (Rene Auberjonois). William Adama, . His silence and emotional distance create all kinds of trouble with his surviving son, Apollo (Jamie Bamber), and his daughter- in- spirit, Kara Thrace. Of all of his relationships, though, it's his interactions with Laura Roslin that reveal the most about Adama's guarded interior, his unwavering conviction and his shopworn heart. The consistently insubordinate special agent was the charge of one Walter Skinner, a tough- as- nails boss who was forever frustrated by talk of aliens, conspiracies and cover- ups.

Actor Mitch Pileggi did bring a bit of a softer side to the bespectacled bureau man, especially when dealing with the level- headed Dana Scully. More often, though, Skinner could be seen whipping off his glasses and taking someone (usually Mulder) to task for breaking FBI protocol. Miguelito Loveless, .

Miguelito Quixote Loveless (Michael Dunn, at the 1. Academy Awards in the photo above) is a brilliant but insane arch- enemy for secret agents James West (Robert Conrad) and Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin). A little person often accompanied by the giant Voltaire (Richard Kiel), Dr. Loveless is known for inventing gadgets and technology far ahead of his time.