Next on Earth Station One ….

The Earth Station One boldly goes back to the theater for a review of the new summer blockbuster, Star Trek Into Darkness. That’s right, ESO suits up for another adventure with Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew. Quick, make sure no one’s wearing a red shirt.

As always, ESO wants to hear from you. What did you think of star Trek Into Darkness? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the latest from director J.J. Abrams. Drop us a line at www.esopodcast.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. We just might read yours on the show.

Movie review: ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ an adrenalin rush and a love letter to fans

Although the special effects are now somewhat dated, the “Star Trek” original series has always occupied a special place in my geeky heart. What the show may have lacked in budget, it more than made up for with great characters and good storytelling. Captain Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Dr. McCoy, Scotty and the rest of the original Enterprise crew have become some of science fiction’s most beloved characters. Though we never got to see the end of their five-year mission, they’ve never completely faded from pop culture.

However, back in early 2009, the “Star Trek” franchise as a whole wasn’t faring too well. The most recent film “Star Trek: Nemesis” wasn’t a huge hit, and the most recent TV show “Star Trek: Enterprise” was canceled in 2005 due to low ratings. The franchise was in need of a shot of adrenalin — and it received a major one, thanks to J.J. Abrams’ explosive and exciting 2009 reboot, titled simply “Star Trek.”

CONFIRMED: Benedict Cumberbatch is [redacted] in Star Trek 2!

By Nathalie Caron, Source: Blastr.com

After months of endless speculation, we finally know which super baddie British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is playing in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Trek sequel. Are you guys ready for some major squeeing (or some cursing)?

Just to make sure: SPOILERS ahead!

Last chance to turn back.

Lost and Supernatural creators draft Favreau for their Revolution

By Marc Bernardin, Source: Blastr.com

J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke’s it’s-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it sci-fi series Revolution is picking up steam: They’ve just nabbed Cowboys and Aliens’ Jon Favreau to direct the pilot, the first drama pilot he’s ever shot.

As a reminder, here’s what Revolution’s all about:

In this epic adventure thriller, a family struggles to reunite in a post-apocalyptic American landscape: a world of empty cities, local militias and heroic freedom fighters, where every single piece of technology—computers, planes, cars, phones, even lights—has mysteriously blacked out … forever.

Crazed Alcatraz fans force prison to announce the series is fake

By Trent Moore, Source: Blastr.com

With his latest mysterious island drama Alcatraz, Lost creator J.J. Abrams opted to build the story around a real island, telling the fictional tale of more than 300 inmates and guards who disappeared in 1963.

Apparently some fans of the Fox show missed the part about it being fictional. Since the series began, the National Park Service has reported issues with overzealous tourists sneaking away from guided tours of the closed megaprison to look for the secret rooms showcased on the show.

‘Star Trek’ sequel won’t be converted to 3-D until post-production

By Ashley Bergner, Box Office Buzz

J.J. Abrams’ highly anticipated sequel to his 2009 “Star Trek” film will be available in 3-D — but it won’t be converted to 3-D until post-production.

Adam B. Vary reported on the Entertainment Weekly website Abrams isn’t necessarily a fan of 3-D and wants to shoot the movie on celluloid film in the anamorphic format, like he did with his previous “Star Trek” film.

“I did not fight for the 3-D,” Abrams said. “It was something the studio wanted to do. I didn’t want to do it. … The thing that drives me crazy about 3-D is that when you put on the glasses, everything seems dim. I’m not totally on board yet.”

However, after Abrams saw some of the first Trek film converted to 3-D, he’s said he’s not as opposed to post-production conversion.

“I saw the first movie converted; it was actually really cool,” he said. ”So I was okay with [converting the film to 3-D], as long as I could shoot it the way I wanted to.”

J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek sequel recruits the original RoboCop

By Marc Bernardin, source: Blastr.com

The latest actor to join Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Simon Pegg for another adventure on the Starship Enterprise is science-fiction veteran Peter Weller. But who will the once and future Buckaroo Banzai play?

Star Trek 2: Totally Not the Wrath of Khan has already lined up Alice Eve and set its sights on Benicio del Toro, but the notoriously secretive Abrams is keeping who those actors will play under wraps. Same goes for Weller, who’s been keeping himself busy appearing on Dexter and Fringe, when he’s not off being a history professor.

Some seem to think that Weller, who’s got some experience with human-cyborg relations, might be playing some version of the Borg. Me, I’m putting my money on Commodore Matthew Decker, the cracked commander who did battle with an implacable interstellar menace in the classic Trek episode “The Doomsday Machine.”

Of course, I’m not saying how much money.

1st full trailer for Super 8 is a tantalizing monster tease

J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 is one of the few genre movies coming out this summer that isn’t a prequel or a sequel or an adaptation or a brand extension. And the more we see of this “something freaky descends on a small town and its kid filmmakers” thriller, the more we desperately want to see it.

See the preview here

Why Fringe’s Walternate isn’t such a bad guy after all

It’s easy to slap the term evil on someone who wants to destroy your universe. However, the question on Fox’s Fringe of whether or not Walternate and the people from his universe are evil seems to pop up a lot these days. Considering tonight’s episode of Fringe is the last original for 2010, we’ll likely be pondering that subject for weeks … six weeks to be exact, as we wait for the series make its premiere on Fridays beginning Jan. 21.

Read the story here

Awesome concept art from two abandoned Superman projects

Recently revealed concept art gives us a glimpse of the Doomsday that Bryan Singer considered using for either Superman Returns or it’s sequel, as well as a look at a very different Clark Kent designs for J.J. Abrams’ scrapped Fly-by… it did look pretty cool. Thoughts?

See the images here