Camera Obscura - "Star Trek' Gets "Lost"

Hopes are high for Paramount that writer/director/producer J.J. Abrams (creator of "Lost" and "Alias") can once again go into the vast inky spaceways and breathe life into one of their most popular franchises, "Star Trek." Though many studio heads have given up on new life for the old space operatics, Abrams, fresh from his version of "Mission:Impossible" is bringing along the same scriptwriters from "M.I.3" for a new adventure. According to reports, the story will focus on the early days of character favorites James T. Kirk and the inscrutable Spock as it details their first meeting and their wild and crazy days in the Starfleet Academy. Both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, the one and only Kirk and Spock for legions of fans, are experiencing massive career surges and I'm sure they are both trying to find ways to get themselves inserted into this new movie.

Just ahead of the "DaVinci Code" movie is the movie of the other book of religious mystery that was an international hit, "The Celestine Prophecy." The movie opens today in limited release and stars Annabeth Gish, who admits the way she was drawn into the movie of spiritual hijnks was downright spooky.

The Internet, or at least those who use Craig's List, is the star in the upcoming DVD release "24 Hours On Craig's List." Filmmakers picked a day at random in one city and attempt to track down all the folks who posted requests for help or items or events and filmed the results. My favorite element from the promotional materials from the DVD:

"An Ethel Merman drag queen searches for the perfect backup band for her Led Zeppelin covers. Doors for sale, one night stands, compulsive roomates, transsexual erotic services. The mundane and the sublime, the ridiculous and the profound, all come together to paint a portrait of a thriving, humanistic community in the midst of an ever-accelerating culture."

OK then.

The big news in movies this week though (despite the I Hate/Love Tom Cruisers hysteria) is the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC. New Yorkers will take their first tentative steps into movie versions of the events of 9/11 as festival patrons view "United 93." A review of the horrific tale of a doomed airliner is here. Also of note is the large number of fake documentaries unspooling at this year's festival. Moc-docs, as they are known, include "Air Guitar Nation" and there are several films examining the War in Iraq and the Bush presidency. A rundown of the movies can be read here.