Star Trek

CHICAGO – It makes sense that Paramount would time releases of classic “Star Trek” televisions episodes in HD to coincide with the release of their sure-blockbuster “Star Trek Into Darkness” and so recent weeks have seen sets for “Star Trek: Enterprise: Season One,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Three,” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Best of Both Worlds.” All three are worth a pick-up for Trekkies and are more than mere cash-ins. They’d be strong releases without the J.J. Abrams’ film on which to piggy back.

CHICAGO – The talented New Zealand actor named Karl Urban has had a pretty decent run in some recent blockbusters – does the “Lord of the Rings” Trilogy and “Star Trek” ring a bell? He breaks out in the title role of the upcoming action flick “Dredd 3D,” portraying legendary comic book character Judge Dredd.

CHICAGO – For the release of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” CBS Films and Paramount went back to the original films (the show was shot on film) and remastered it directly with updated special effects and enhanced audio. It is, without question, one of the most impressive TV Blu-ray releases to date. Marketing teams love to say that a release is “like you’ve never seen or heard it before” but it’s 100% true here. This is “The Next Generation” like you never thought you’d see it on your HD TV.

CHICAGO – Writer/director Alex Kurtzman has been an incredibly powerful creative voice in the world of sci-fi from TV’s “Fringe” to film’s “Star Trek” & “Transformers” but his new work comes from someplace much more personal. Starring Chris Pine, “People Like Us” was born from Kurtzman’s own desire to find the half-siblings that his father had left behind years earlier.

CHICAGO – I wonder sometimes what the most influential voices in television would think of HD. Would Rod Serling embrace it? Norman Lear? What about Gene Roddenberry, the man who forever changed science fiction when he created “Star Trek”? Personally, I think he’d love the chance to update and enhance his vision as they have been in the Blu-ray versions of “Star Trek: The Original Series” and is about to be for “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Get a taste of what’s to come with the 3-episode sampler “Star Trek: The Next Generation — The Next Level,” now on Blu-ray.

CHICAGO – In the days when there were only three networks and less remote controls, TV stars were fewer and fame was rarer. Both Hugh O’Brian on “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp” (1955) and Sherry Jackson on “Make Room for Daddy“ (1953) achieved some notoriety in those early days of television.

CHICAGO – The character actor has always been a fixture in Hollywood culture, and there are few as unique as James Cromwell. He’s had many memorable roles in films like “Babe,” “L.A. Confidential” and within the “Star Trek” legacy. Currently, he portrays Clifton in the Oscar-nominated “The Artist.”

CHICAGO – The Tyler Perry empire rolls on, with a new show called “For Better or Worse” premiering November 25th on TBS. The series is based on two films Perry produced, “Why Did I Get Married?” and “Why Did I Get Married Too?” and focuses on characters played in both films by Tasha Smith and Michael Jai White.

CHICAGO – Harold and Kumar are back, just in time for the holidays. The raunchy, weed smoking pair are taking on Christmas in their latest film, “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas,” in which they both skew and honor the Yuletide. Once again, John Cho is Harold and Kal Penn is Kumar.

CHICAGO – In this edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Theatre, we have 5 admit-two Chicago theatre tickets up for grabs to see the Twin Cities phenomenon “A Klingon Christmas Carol,” which is the first play ever to be produced entirely in the Klingon language!