Learn More About the Movie "9" from the Creators & Actors

With Shane Acker's 9 debuting in theaters tomorrow, we thought you'd enjoy gearing up with high-def video clips of the 9 Q&A session that was held at San Diego Comic-Con.  The panel included director Shane Acker, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly.

Enjoy the clips and don't forget to visit our Pop Wenches YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/popwenches for all of our latest videos!

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Star Trek Convention Report - William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy

The highlight of Sunday afternoon at the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas was having William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in attendance.

William Shatner started off the afternoon with a solo appearance.  The man is 78 years young and as energetic and bombastic onstage as he was in the original Star Trek TV series.  While he did make a passing comment that made it clear he's still feuding with one of his former costars (*cough* George Takei *cough*—seriously, you two, it's time to call a truce already!) and that he hasn't gotten over not having role in this summer's movie, Shatner "got the joke" years ago.  He embraces his role in the sci-fi pantheon and has no problem poking fun at himself for an audience's amusement.

He also knows how to share the stage, especially with Leonard Nimoy.  Even with all of the Trek stars from all the television series and films, Shatner and Nimoy are still a huge draw at conventions because they both know how to work a crowd.  Separately, they're entertaining and riveting, but seeing them onstage together is a special treat that doesn't get old.

The two men talk together onstage like the audience isn't there and most of the time it really does feel like you're enjoying the best eavesdropping session ever.  In Vegas, Shatner and Nimoy swapped stories and harrassed each other in the way that only lifelong friends can, with Shatner starting off one part of their conversation saying, "During our forty-odd years of friendship—and they have been ODD!"

Nimoy gently chastised his friend for not embracing the new Trek movie, pointing out that he (Nimoy) watched the movie Shatner was in and he wasn't, in a reference to Star Trek: Generations.  When they polled the audience with a show of hands, it turned out that the vast majority of audience members were attending their very first Trek convention, proving that the film did something right.

[bxA]The two had a long discussion on the death of Captain Kirk and their mutual feeling that the character's end wasn't handled correctly.  Like Shatner, Nimoy is also 78 years old, and the subjects of age, death, "bucket" or "someday" lists were addressed very directly by both actors.

The conversation returned again and again to the new Trek movie.  The most hilarious moment of their shared time onstage was when Shatner told the story of trying to find out what the new movie was about.  After Shanter was no longer in talks with J.J. Abrams, he eventually called up his longtime friend Leonard, asked him what the movie was going to be about—and received the answer, "I can't tell you."  Shatner told the audience that The Powers That Be on every show he's worked on have always asked him to get Nimoy to make an appearance.  Shatner would call up his friend and make the pitch, but Nimoy almost always politely turned him down, saying he was busy or retired.  "But," Shatner said in a voice dripping with (humorous) sarcasm, "when J.J. called . . ."  And then the erstwhile Captain Kirk literally ran across the stage flailing his arms over his head squeaking "J.J.!  Oh J.J., can I please be in your movie!!" before turning back to his friend and declaring, "Whore!  Whore!"

Nimoy took it in stride, until the subject of J.J. Abrams and the movie came up again a few minutes later and Shatner repeated the performance, complete with flailing hands and "whore" declaration.  Nimoy leaned back in his seat for quite awhile with an expression that was half-amused, half "do you see what I have to put up with?"  Eventually he asked Shatner if he was quite done already and if they could move on.  Shatner, in response, took his seat and stage-whispered "Prostitute!" into his mic.  The audience couldn't stop laughing, and Nimoy got his own back by pointing out that the clip of Shatner's routine was sure to end up on YouTube (if only I'd gotten video of it!).

The former costars wrapped up their shared time onstage with Nimoy telling Shatner that he, Shatner, is one of his dearest friends and a heartfelt hug.

Leonard Nimoy has a different kind of energy onstage than Shatner does.  While still entertaining with plenty of great stories to share, he's more thoughtful and mellow, less physical and bombastic than his friend.  In response to audience questions, Nimoy talked about how happy and fulfilled he is with his life, that he's gotten to work in a field that he loves, has a wonderful family and even has a solo photography exhibit opening soon in a respected museum.  He also said that he was not planning on returning to producing because of the time commitment that being a producer demands.  Nimoy elaborated, explaining that he had been fortunate to have the opportunity to act as a producer and enjoy success as one, but that his true passion has always been acting.

Nimoy also told a fantastic story about sitting on an organization's board with screen legend Cary Grant. After working on a film with one of Grant's former costars, Grant walked up to Nimoy and said, "Well, you've been busy."  Nimoy was so flabbergasted and starstruck that he has no idea what he said in response.  It wasn't until later that he realized that Grant had been trying to strike up a conversation about their mutual costar.  To this day, Nimoy said, he regrets not realizing that sooner so he could have spent more time talking with Grant, but he is still blown away by the fact that Cary Grant came up to him to talk.

Nimoy's time onstage ended with a wonderful surprise.  Both Zachary Quinto and Jacob Kogan came onstage, uniting all three Spocks in public for the first time and causing the original Spock to exclaim to the audience, "Get your cameras out!"  Kogan, who had earlier said that he had not met Nimoy during the filming of the movie, was greeted with an enthusiastic hug and a huge smile.  The delighted audience ended the panel on their feet and enjoying one heck of a unique photo op.

Visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/popwenches to view more high-definition video clips from the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas. Subscribe to our channel to be notified every time we add new videos!

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Star Trek Convention Report - Zachary Quinto and Jacob Kogan

The big annual Star Trek convention in Las Vegas is always an entertaining weekend.  This year Pop Wench Joia and I checked out Sunday's events, starting off the morning with Zachary Quinto and rounding off the day with the incomparable Leonard Nimoy.

Becoming part of any sci-fi franchise with a devoted following is a daunting prospect for anyone.  Becoming part of the Star Trek franchise by successfully taking on the role of one of Trek's most iconic characters is a nearly unfathomable experience.  Yet somehow Zachary Quinto—who, of course, played Spock in this summer's Star Trek reboot—has stepped into this new role with an easy grace and zen-like calmness that's truly remarkable.

Not long after taking the stage, the Heroes villian and Trek hero was faced with one of the most awkward of convention situations—a fan at the microphone was so overwhelmed that she burst into tears and literally couldn't get out a coherent sentence.  If it phased the actor, he didn't show it, calmly asking if she was okay, giving her time to try to pull herself together without poking fun at her and eventually coming off the stage and giving her a big unsolicited hug, which actually helped the young fan pull herself together enough to ask him a question.

During his time onstage, Quinto fielded questions ranging from the regional vocabulary shared by Pittsburg natives (even slipping into a Pittsburg accent for those of us who haven't heard one before) to his earlier stint on the VH1 scripted series So noTORIous (he "enjoyed it while it lasted," but "wasn't sorry to see it go").

Quinto injected humor into his responses to the standard requests for stories from the filming of the Trek movie, jokingly claiming that the cast had all gotten tatoos and rings a la the Lord of the Rings actors and telling a fan who was wearing LOTR ears instead of proper Vulcan ears that she had to leave immediately.  When asked if he'd watched any orignal Trek episodes to prepare for the fight scene with Chris Pine, Quinto smilingly responded that he "didn't need any guidance on how to kick [Pine's] ass," although he did watch eps of the tv show in his trailer.  Pine and Quinto, as he pointed out, had been friends long before they were cast for the movie.

One of Quinto's most interesting and thoughtful answers was a response to a question about the differences between the characters of Spock and Sylar from Heroes.  Quinto said that both characters are "struggling to maintain control" which results in a certain stillness in each of the character's bearings, but that is the only similarity between them because their struggles are "rooted in different places."

[bxA]He also gave a very thoughtful and sincere response when asked what it was like working with Lenoard Nimoy during the film.  Although he's fielded this question before, Quinto explained that he and Nimoy hadn't discussed the details of playing Spock, and it was more about getting to spend time with the legendary actor and getting a feel for him and what he brought to the role.  Quinto described Nimoy as a "good friend" now, someone with whom he still speaks and has dinner when possible and said that working with him was one of the highlights of making the Trek movie.

With his calm stage presence, gently humorous attitude, sincere answers and appreciation for fan support, it would be hard for anyone to have walked away from Zachary Quinto's appearance without liking him and feeling that the iconic role of Spock is in good hands.

Fourteen-year-old Jacob Kogan also won himself a slew of new fans during his time onstage.  While fielding questions about his role of young Spock, his current schooling and his aspirations, Kogan showed himself to be unusually mature and well-spoken, while still retaining the irreverence that a teenager should have.  Demonstrating a surprisingly strong stage presence, he joked about how exhausted he was going to be from running across the stage to field questions and about the reactions he got at school when he returned from filming with the "Spock" haircut and no eyebrows (he said he should have had the haircut modified before going back to school).

One of Kogan's best answers came when a fan asked which actors he admired.  The teen's response was that he admired any actor making a living on the big or small screen or onstage who was doing it because they loved it and treated it as a craft instead of doing it for fame or money.  He was also realistic about his chances of returning to the franchise.  While Kogan was clearly enthusiastic about the idea of appearing in the next movie in another flashback or picking up the role when he's older and a young adult Spock is once again needed, he didn't hesitate to say that he was skeptical that another flashback scene would be needed.

After a short break, it was time for the original Captain Kirk and Spock to take the stage.  That report to follow tomorrow . . .

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Comic-Con 2009 Update – Stargate Universe (Live Blogging)

Edited to add photos and videos and clean up the text.

Woot! The wifi finally let me back online! Sitting in the 9 panel right now – news to come from that later.

Secured excellent seats in Ballroom 20 at the San Diego Convention Center, which is the second largest convention hall at Comic-Con (seating 4,000+ people). The wifi is still being extremely temperamental – allowing me to log on to the ‘net and then blocking me five minutes later, and not letting some people connect at all – but overall this morning has been much, much easier than the entirety of Thursday. Enjoy the summary of the Stargate Universe panel below!

Trailer was shown – General Jack O’Neil (Richard Dean Anderson) and Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) recruit Eli Wallace (David Blue), who's SGU's computer geek/genius character. Angsty Peter Gabriel-ish tune playing during the trailer. Trailer definitely continues that darker feel for this series and has a new tagline that this series "reinvents the wheel" over a shot of SGU's new stargate. In one clip, Wallace cracks a Star Wars joke saying something they're about to do is “like we’re going to the Hoth system,” and his joke is met with dead silence. Trailer ends with a scene in which O’Neil says, “Surprise!”

Showrunners Brad Wright and Robert Cooper led the panel, which included SGU cast members Jamil Walker Smith, Alaina Huffman, David Blue, Robert Carlyle, Ming-Na, Brian J. Smith and Elyse Levesque.

One comment that was made before they started answering questions is that there is more handheld camerawork in SGU than SG1 and SGA, giving it a bit rougher, more raw feel.Two questions from Zap2It visitors had been selected and given to Brad for he and the rest of the panel to answer.

1. Can I watch SGU if I’ve never watched SG1 or SGA? Yes, you can (per Brad Wright). It’s quite a different feel, give you a difference sense of what Stargate is for those who haven’t watched, but will reward existing fans. Pointed out that Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping will apppear.

Per Robert Cooper, "We looked at what we love about Stargate and what you love." Robert specifically wanted to address some of the fan fears, saying that even if it looks darker and grittier, it’s still Stargate. The show is still helmed by Brad and Robert, who have guided the feel of the franchise all these years. They wanted to get away from everyone in the series being a good guy, in SGU they didn’t want everyone to be a “superhero” or “genius”; they wanted the characters to be identifiable while putting them in a situation where the crew is facing challenges and exploring while maintaining that sense of humor SG is known for.

2. Will SGU still have the sense of humor that the other series have had? Yes, and Robert just answered that so they didn't need to go into more detail to address this question. Instead, Robert speaks to the fans’ love of the SG teams and characters and says that it’s been weirdly great with this cast because they’re 12 eps in filming-wise and the whole cast “still likes each other.” Says the cast gets along great and has great chemistry that’s translating onto the screen.

The panel begins taking questions from the audience.

Why is SGU not airing on NBC for those who don’t have cable or don't know about the Syfy channel? Brad: we’d love to air on ALL the major networks – it works for Obama! He gets plenty of eyeballs by doing that! But SG is at home on Syfy and there’s “always DVD and your friend’s house!”

Will there be behind the scenes materials for the fans to enjoy? Ivon Bartok (special features guru for Stargate) is shooting 40 behind-the-scenes pieces that will be used for the web and DVDs features this year. There will be tons of behind the scenes stuff for fans to enjoy, especially in the run-up to the show's premiere in the fall.

Question for Robert Carlyle: why did he chose to switch from movies to a television franchise? It’s not about which medium he’s acting in, it’s about the project and the people you get to work with. And he’s really enjoying himself so far. Robert Cooper elaborates on the showrunners' decision to pursue Robert Carlyle. They wanted a more "flawed and complex lead who’s not a hero, but also not a villain."

[bxA]Are we ever going to find anything out about the Furlings and the 9th Chevron? The resounding answer from Brad: NO! Robert said yes, but he wouldn’t elaborate and sounded a bit teasing. [From what I've read online, it seems like the ninth chevron might play into how the crew gets stuck on the Destiny in the pilot.]

The first two Stargate shows featured a lot of strong, intelligent women. What was Brad and Robert's criteria for casting the women in SGU? The showrunners and cast both proudly and emphatically declared the women of SGU to be strong, intelligent women also and each female cast member took a moment to describe their characters. Brad also added that the men on the cast are strong and intelligent too!

Did any of the actors feel any trepidation about joining a long-running franchise that has a strong fan following? David Blue spoke to this – described himself as a huge scifi fan and so he was very aware of what he was getting into. But even though he was nervous, he was also "excited to contribute" to a franchise he'd followed for all these years.

How did you prepare for your SGU roles? Brian fielded this question. You have to be interested in the material and then you just prep from there. For Brian, his character being a solider was more important than the scifi aspect, so he’s spent a lot of time researching the military aspect of his character.

Stargate Atlantis ended prematurely -- which show would Brad and Robert like to work on more? Robert said that he would flip a coin. While he does feel that they still had stories left to tell with Atlantis, he countered that the show had gotten five seasons when so many shows get just one, and they're very grateful to have had SGA run for that long.

Will SGU will be more episodic like SGU & SGA or more serialized? Brad said that SGU has a “broader story,” but the serialized part is more about the character stories. A viewer should be able to tune in at any time and enjoy an episode. None of these characters are supposed to be in their situation so it let them throw together characters who wouldn’t be together in a standard Stargate situation. Robert said things – huge things – happen very quickly in this show, so if you do miss an ep you might miss some huge changes.

What drew Robert Carlyle to this project specifically? He came to LA and was struggling a bit and looking for a new challenge. SGU was “completely out of left field for him” – he didn’t really know much about Stargate originally. Brad told him they were looking for someone “who could make dislikeable things likeable” and Carlyle thought, “Well, I’m your man for that!”

Will we finally see a non-English-speaking alien? Per Robert and Brad, their goal is to make the aliens the teams run into realistic. There was an explanation/reason why the SG1 and SGU teams encountered humans and English-speaking aliens on their adventues -- that reason was part of those shows' mytharc. There are some “very alien aliens” in the first season of SGU that are completely CGI.

Question for Jamil: what’s it like to be a third generation working African-American film star? (Questioner thought Jamil was the son of actor Phillip Morris and son of Greg Morris.) Jamil fielded this with much grace, responding that one of the things that happens when you become a "film star" is that incorrect information starts circulating. He is not the son or grandson of either of those Mission: Impossible actors.

What was it like working with the SG1 actors who have guested on SGU? David Blue said it was great because he got to shoot one of his first scenes with Richard Dean Anderson -- a scene we saw in the trailer with Richard Dean Anderson and Robert Carlyle knocking on his door and recruiting him. Ming-Na said that is was great working with RDA because he's such an old hand at this that it helped make her less nervous. For her, starting on SGU was such a big deal with the move to Vancouver and everything, but for RDA "it was like peeling an orange." Brian gave a shout-out to the crew, many of whom have worked on SG1 and/or SGA; they're veterans and amazing. He hasn't worked with RDA or Amanda Tapping, but he wanted to give credit to the crew, describing them as skilled, dedicated and laid back.

Will they continue the tradition of building up likeable doctors and then killing them off? Per Robert, "Nope, we kill the doctor off right away!" and Brad said they really do.

What’s it like working with CGI explosions and stuff? David says it’s so much more mind-blowing than you expect. It’s an acting challenge and it makes you want to do a better acting job when you're on set. Ming-Na says the effects are so good that it’s made her a fan of the show. Since she's not there to see every scene that's shot, when she sees final footage it's really exciting.

Will they come back to Comic-Con next year to celebrate the anniversary of the first season of the show? They hope so!

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Comic-Con 2009 Update - Dealers Room

Quickly posting the blog entry that I was just about to complete when the Comic-Con wifi gave me a swift and very hard boot. More to come after I finish going through my photos and videos from today . . .

At the first day of this year's San Diego Comic-Con and it feels even more crowded and manic than usual for a con Thursday, mainly because of the immense crowds who are here for the 1:45pm Summit Entertainment panel that will include Twilight and a rumored in-person appearance by both Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. I had planned on covering that panel and the other panels in the main hall this morning, but there was no way that anyone who got into that line after 9am was going to get into the hall, despite its large capacity.

Have been exploring the football-field-size dealers room instead, which includes impressive booths/areas for the big movie and TV studios (as expected). More updates to come . . .

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SCI FI Channel Announces Its Comic-Con Panels

SCI FI Channel has released the schedule of panels it will be hosting at San Diego Comic-Con later this month.  The schedule covers a wide range of their original programming and the talent from those shows, including Edward James Olmos and Esai Morales from Battlestar Galactica and Caprica; most of the cast of the newest installment in the Stargate franchise, Stargate Universe; and Sanctuary stars Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne.

Schedule from SCI FI Channel as follows:

Friday, July 24
10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Stargate Universe Ballroom 20. A new chapter of the Stargate saga begins with the all-new original series Stargate Universe. Join stars Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith and Ming-Na alongside series co-creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper.

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Caprica/Battlestar Galactica: The Plan Ballroom 20. The present meets the past as the makers of Battlestar Galactica deliver the highly anticipated original series Caprica and the two-hour event, Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, directed by Edward James Olmos. This is your chance to get the inside scoop on these exciting projects and see two generations of Adamas on stage together for the first time. Executive Producers Ronald D. Moore, David Eick and Jane Espenson sit down with Caprica star Esai Morales (Joseph Adama) and Olmos (Admiral William Adama) to reveal the truth about these two new chapters in the mythology of Battlestar. Moderated by Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times.

3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Eureka Room 6BCF. Eureka is back this summer with all new episodes, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Allison Blake), Erica Cerra (Jo Lupo), Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo) and Jaime Paglia (executive producer/co-creator) are stopping by to let you in on the fun. Moderated by Josh Gates, Destination Truth.

8:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. SCI FI Screening Room 6DE. See Warehouse 13 and Eureka on the big screen. Join SCI FI for an exclusive screening of the next all-new episodes of the summer's two hottest series, along with best of clips from Ghost Hunters.

[bxA]Saturday, July 25
12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Sanctuary Bayside Hilton Indigo Room. Before Sanctuary returns for an all-new season, don't miss your chance to go inside the action and behind the scenes. Join stars Amanda Tapping (Dr. Helen Magnus) and Robin Dunne (Dr. Will Zimmerman) as well as executive producers Martin Wood and Damian Kindler for an exclusive conversation about one of television's most innovative shows. Moderated by Michael Logan, TV Guide.

2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m. Warehouse 13 Room 6A. Join stars Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen) and Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan), along with Jack Kenny (executive producer/show runner) and David Simkins (executive producer) as they reveal confidential information about America's most classified secret. Moderated by Michael Logan, TV Guide.

Tickets for San Diego Comic-Con are sold out, but don't forget that Pop Wenches will be live blogging from the event! [SCIFI Wire]

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Alien Trespass @ WonderCon 2009

Not all of the films presented at WonderCon on Saturday were big blockbusters. The set up for the Alien Trespass panel and movie was familiar, but different from any I've experienced in person. Our intro was memorable -- a reel setting up Alien Trespass as a "real" 1950s sci-fi movie that starred some beloved actors from that era.

According to the reel we watched, Alien Trespass was never released due to a bitter contract dispute. The film was locked away in the studio vaults and eventually forgotten about. Film aficiandos thought it was lost forever until it was discovered by a pair of hapless construction workers not long ago.

Familiar faces such as Robert Patrick, Dan Lauria and Eric McCormack talked about how thrilled they were that the "classic" sci-fi flick their "long-gone relatives" had starred in had been unearthed. In Eric McCormack's case, the star of Alien Trespass was his "grandfather," M. Eric McCormack, lovingly dubbed "Merick" by his fans in the '50s.

The set up and the deliberately low-tech, true-to-the-period scenes we saw definitely set the tone for what to expect from the film. As director R.W. Goodwin (The X-Files) told the audience, the film isn't a spoof of B sci-fi movies, it's a loving, winking homage to them.

What we saw of the film certainly looked fun, but the obstacle this film faces is a question of audience. Namely, who is the audience for a film like Alien Trespass? Is it the sci-fi fans who are looking forward to the effects-heavy Star Trek film? Is it the generation that grew up watching the original '50s sci-fi films? Is it the fans who've put flicks like Free Enterprise and Ringers: Lord of the Fans on the map?

According to the film's official website, Alien Trespass didn't show in theaters, but was screened at WonderCon and a Fangoria convention. But maybe that's for the best since its natural home feels like a DVD that you watch during a movie marathon with your best buds for a good hour-and-a-half of fun, retro entertainment.

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Elijah Wood for 9 @ WonderCon 2009

Oh Elijah! Why?

You did a great job onstage introducing us to your upcoming, Tim Burton-produced, animated film, 9, but WHY WERE YOU ROCKING A '70s PORN STAR-LITE LOOK??

Don't give me an "ummm" Elijah. You're cute even when you're not toting around the uber-Ring o' Doom, so why are you doing this to us? Just tell us it's for a role and this look isn't a personal choice, it's an employment obligation.

Okay, okay -- I understand that this is hard to hear. But unclench your jaw Elijah. Let me hold a mirror up to you for a moment instead. See that fuzzy caterpillar walking across your upper lip? See those side-swept, kinda greasy-looking bangs? Is that really what you want when you're out promoting a new movie? Is that going to help your cause?

Oh, thank goodness. You finally understand and share our well-founded concerns.

It's okay Elijah. The panel's almost over so why don't you head out for a nice shave and a haircut and we'll forget this ever happened.

* * * * *

And since this blog is supposed to be about reviews, the footage for 9 looked good. The animation is beautifully done and has a disctinctive look since the story's set in a post-apocalyptic world and follows the adventures of living rag dolls (think Nightmare Before Christmas not Raggedy Ann).

The footage we saw featured a lot of exciting action sequences complete with explosions and scary-looking mechanical monsters. The voice cast is strong -- it includes Martin Landau, Jennifer Connelly and John C. Reilly. 9 is definitely not an animated film geared toward little kids and it looks like it will have plenty going on to keep an adult's attention. It caught my interest and I'm not a fan of the darker, gothic-feeling animated films.

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Star Trek @ WonderCon 2009

The Star Trek movie panel was one of Saturday's highlights at this year's WonderCon. We knew that "a special guest" would be attending for the panel and it was pretty easy to guess that it would probably be J.J. Abrams. It was also pretty easy to guess that some of the cast members would probably be rounding out the panel -- it was just a question of who. After a really energetic intro, J.J. brought out his fellow exec producers/writers Roberto Orci and Bryan Burk and Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock). The fans, of course, were thrilled!

(Apologies for the less-than-stellar video quality -- all the people walking around wreaked havoc on my camera's light sensor during this panel.)

We got to see the brand new trailer for the movie and it was incredible. I wasn't the only one in the audience who got chills watching it. They imploded a planet in the trailer. Imploded a planet in a matter of seconds. They also showed Kirk on the losing end of a bar fight during a clearly misspent time in his youth before he joined Starfleet Academy. The trailer included the moment when Kirk first takes command of the Enterprise. Bones (aka: Dr. McCoy) says that there's no one qualified to take over the captain's role (the context seemed to be that the original Enterprise captain--Captain Christopher Pike, perhaps?-- had been killed during a battle). Kirk replies that yes, there is, and the next shot we see is him taking his place in the "big chair" for the first time.

[Edited to add that the trailer is online now at http://www.startrekmovie.com/]

If the new stars of the Trek franchise were overwhelmed or (not unreasonably) terrified by the thousands of devoted fans who came to see them at WonderCon, they did a great job of hiding those feelings. JJ and Chris were especially appreciative and respectful, with JJ buttering up the audience with a well-worded soundbyte about how he knows Trek fans are smart enough to understand that the movie has to appeal to both them and the uninitiated to successfully reboot the 40+ year old franchise. It might have been a good soundbyte to get out there, but it's also a smart one that makes sense.

More pics and video from the panel below--including JJ and Chris performing a live "Star Trek Rap!"

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