Believing they had come to see 1982’s Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, fans at the the Alamo Draft House in Austin last night got an early look at the J.J. Abrams reboot. EW reports:
…the reactions range from wildly ecstatic to only barely less ecstatic. On his AICN site, Austin’s blogging poobah Harry Knowles dedicated about 40,000 words to the screening, reporting that it concluded with a standing ovation that lasted five to six minutes. “After the film, the audience was a collective smile, some crying they were so happy,” Knowles wrote.
Meanwhile, in another huge, scrawling review, a writer at filmschoolrejects.com summed up the pic by saying, “This version is new and fresh, but it doesn’t forget its roots — and I think fans will appreciate that.” Cinema Blend was similarly positive: “The new Star Trek movie is amazing — easily the best Trek movie since The Wrath of Khan, and a veritable feast of sight and sound.”
If you’re thinking, “Standing ovation? Well, it’s Austin,” The Wrap says the audience attending the world premiere at the Sydney Opera House gave it another standing O.
During the film, the usually reserved Australian audience burst into spontaneous applause and cheers on five separate occasions and rewarded the film with a thunderous standing ovation as the end credits rolled.
27 Responses for "Surprise screening of Star Trek in Austin"
Yowsers. What’s that hammer thing at the fair where you see how high you can hit it? That’s what my expectations just did.
Was there last night. Pretty awesome experience. And for the record, while the movie was wildly received, only about 1/3 to 1/2 of the audience actually gave the movie a standing ovation. The entire theatre gave Leonard Nimoy a standing ovation.
The movie’s great. Lot’s of fun, and the perfect start to the summer blockbuster season.
As for the film’s Oscar merits, the production design, sound design and f/x deserve year end recognition.
harry
so they showed the whole thing? I thought you guys saw just snippets. How did my girl Zoe Saldana do? was she good?
They told us there were only going to show us snippets, but then had Khan burn on the projection and Nimoy come out and announce they were showing the whole thing. It was pretty great theatre.
Saldana does a great job although she doesn’t have a lot to do but be a supportive woman in the last third of the movie. But I do feel like she, Pegg and Cho appear to be taking their characters in different directions than the original series did.
harry
I’m sure it was a thrill! what a pleasant surprise. Wow!
I think I’m looking forward to Pegg the most. I hope he is good!
If this is the next Iron Man (in terms of summer tentpole movies opening in May) it’ll be a blast. Cannot wait much longer for this one.
Oh, and just to set the record straight;
KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN-UH!
Great, now it will be even harder to wait a whole month.
I went through a period in my life where STAR TREK was everything to me, and I parlayed that love over to NEXT GENERATION and DEEP SPACE NINE (and even some of VOYAGER) from the original series. So I always (faithfully) saw the film son opening night in theatres, so this will be no different, even if some of the entries to teh series are dire. Good for Austin.
I was there at the Drafthouse last night too. Now normally I am on the Star Wars side of the argument. However having seen the new Star Trek I am dying to see it again. I can not wait till opening night so I can go again. Nimoy was amazing in person and in the movie. Everybody is good in the film with the standouts being Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban.
I have never seen anything Star Trek-related before, but I might catch a matinee of this movie. Is it a lot like Star Wars? I still need to find somebody to take the Star Trek posters I picked up at San Diego Comic Con 2008 because they don’t do anything for me.
Well, off to watch Finding Neverland on DVD for the hundredth time!
watermelons
not kate winslet reference?
I have doubts about this.
Lets just say, without an epic elaboration, that I intellectually don’t trust or respect AICN. God knows anytime they get apologetic about outright losers like GODZILLA or ARMAGGEDON or PEARL HARBOR, they either provide details later, or they get leaked, of how those AICN bigwigs get the lavish handjob treatment from the studios.
Notice how when they want to slam or dislike a picture after being nicely treated, they go diplomatic and all that distilled sterile criticism nonsense.
Now if VERN liked it, I would have confidence. He’s the only AICNer who has the balls to yell bullshit (like with TRANSFORMERS back in 2007) and also something actually remarkable or intelligent to say.
I guess it helps that he aint a nerd or geek theologian like AICN is.
RRA,
First of all, the event last night was a Fantastic Fest screening co-sponsored by AICN but put together by Paramount and Tim League, founder of the Alamo Drafthouse. The AICN were in attendance but so were people from Twitch, Empire and local newspapers and blogs. You can go read their positive reviews as well if you wish and label them geeks and nerds if you feel the need to.
Second, of course, the screening is going to be affected by the audience and circumstances you view it in. This applies to any situation. I agree that AICN has gone soft on mediocre blockbusters before, but you have to understand that they like those kind of movies and the screenings Tim League puts together at the Drafthouse are often incredibly awesome. Transformers, for example, featured a giant transformer robot smashing cars before the show. Zack and Miri Make a Porno at Fantastic Fest last year featured an entertaining as hell Kevin Smith Q&A afterwards and then Air Sex Championships.
Bottom line is the movie is really good. I believe the majority of people who see it will love it. I will probably go see it again when it comes out with friends who I know love sci-fi. And even though there will be no Nimoy in attendance, I will be entertained.
Harry (if indeed you are “Harry”), thanks for replying to me.
Can you understand why me and other folks (like some in your AICN Talkbacks) openly skeptical about anything that AICN publishes in terms of criticism?
Its like how Scott McClellan (former White House spokesman) revealed what many on the Left always figured, which was that Fox News effectively reported White House statements and press releases as “news” and “fact,” instead of you know checking out their accuracy as supposed the news media the “fourth” branch of the American constitutional system likes to believe that they do.
If I can’t trust a news source to be honest, how can I take it seriously? I mean look at CBS News, once a great legacy from Murrow and Cronkite, pissed away because of the 60 MINUTES smoking shit (which THE INSIDER covered) and that Dubya-National Guard fiasco. How can someone trust CBS News anymore?
Now take your good buddy “Robert.” He’s made some good movies, and some bad ones I think. Never met the guy, but for all I know, he probably is a decent chap or a dick, I don’t know. Point is, I don’t know him, never met him, so my nonexistent relationship to him is his filmography.
So Harry, if your pal ever makes a fiasco like STAYIN ALIVE bad or whatever, will you publicly flog him or take him to task, or be diplomatic about it? Will you deconstruct with logic and rationality, or just…not?
I’m reminded of last year when me and other fans (all 7) of DOOMSDAY convinced Vern to review it, because one we figured he would pass on the good word, and two its his sort of thing.
Well he wrote nicely in email, he checked it out….and ABSOLUTELY FUCKING HATED IT, which he made clear in his review.
But you know what? I’m glad he was honest about it, even if it possibly could have hurt our feelings. That’s why I respect the man, because he made a good case for why he didn’t like DOOMSDAY. I totally disagree with him, but I can’t fault him in the argumentational department.
In short Harry, I remember you in 1997 when you rallied the Internet after BATMAN & ROBIN. You did so not because you simply disliked it. Millions others did on the Net, but who else gave a passionate, even understandable perspective from a fan who just saw his love get raped? Plus you guys arguably got us THE DARK KNIGHT 11 years later, so thanks for that.
Then sometime later, you gave an equally logical defense of Kevin Costner’s flop THE POSTMAN. Like you, I thought it was greatly flawed, yet we still have some fondness for that sincere American patriotism hokeyness. When everyone else was claiming POSTMAN to be the worst movie since HEAVEN’S GATE (which actually isn’t nowhere that bad, but whatever), you risked your reputation. I respected you.
I want that Harry back, someone I actually have pleasure in reading reviews, even if I disagree with the final verdict.
Oh and thanks for giving Vern a chance years ago. That was a great investment, maybe the greatest goddamn coolest thing AICN ever did if you ask me. I mean who else can write a funny, intelligent, and surprisingly thought provoking book about Steven Seagal movies?
Watermelons,
Which posters do you have? I may interested!
Trailer for this movie looks amazing because it doesnt feel like Star Trek at all. It`s like Star Wars when it used to be good. So I`m totally excited and I never liked Star Trek.
This should be huge, Iron Man-huge at least. It`s getting great non-Internet buzz among non-Trekkies so no fear of another “for fans by fans” boxoffice fiasco like Watchmen. Reviews also point out how super-accessible it is for everyone.
I’m a fan and I’m still not entirely comfortable. I’m sure it’ll be a fun film but the Iron Man comparisons don’t really do it for me. It’s a vastly overrated film. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, it was just slightly more passionate than standard fare and a brilliant lead actor to pull the cart.
have been and always will be, Treks friend, that said, I have followed this show since its very first days and have seen every one, from TNG, to deep space nine and the exploits of captian Janeway,some great some not so great, this looks like it may breath some new life in to it and take it place’s were it has never gone before, it’s a fresh new look that will attract fans young and old, and if it’s as big of a hit as I think it’s going to be, TV will see a whole new generation of kids growing up with the Ledgendary James T Kirk and Spock of Vulcan!
Make it or break it is the chemistry between K/S and all reports and trailers/clips confirm it`s scorching! So fear not, this will rule!
RRA,
I’m not that Harry. I’m a different Harry. There are more than one of us in Austin.
I can’t really speak to AICN reviewing and publishing policies. I know Harry Knowles has a spotty record in terms of reliability and that he’s often accused of favoritism. I think people get pissed off when their reviews don’t get published on AICN or that they don’t cover every movie that’s released and tend to cover guys they like. But then go to any website covering movies, and you’ll see personal tastes often shade responses.
Is the AICN crew kind of annoying at times? Yes. But I actually have found Knowles to be the most likable and accessible of that bunch. I think there’s a lot of petty industry shit involved in some criticisms of him that being outside of the industry I’m not privy to. Overall, I’m grateful there in my town working with someone like Tim League to pull off these kind of events. They make going to movies fun.
Afrika, just who do you think is at the emotional core of Finding Neverland? Not Depp, but Kate WINslet. Sheesh!!!
I am inclined to check it out myself. And my only knowledge of Star Trek is Frasier speaking Klingon on his son’s Bar Mitzvah.
I’m not even a Trekky but I can’t wait to see this. eek! I am excited.
What’s with the sudden boom in good blockbusters this year and last? …oh wait Transformers 2 is coming, never mind.
@Afrika
Nobody cares what you think after flaunting that you are a BIG Fan of Beyonce. This blog is about fims, actors, screenplay etc. not big headed popstars and primadonnas.
Its sad that people like Afrika penetrated this market place of ideas. Worse, he/she is always present in almost all threads slamming the likes of Penelope, Amy Adams and god knows who. This blog has become a fan boy/haters club.
The likes of Afrika dont even conribute intellectually to this blog. They post comments just to flaunt judgmental and defamatory remarks.
Am I the only one sick of AFRIKA?
@ blizzards14
Got a bad case of Copy / Paste?
T.
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