RANKED: Star Trek

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Chris Luckett

Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, with the original TV series having debuted in September 1966. Six — soon to be seven — series later, Star Trek is one of the most popular franchises in the world, thanks in no small part to its string of movies.

Over the 37 years since 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, there have been three different casts to helm the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, who have each steered the property through movies notably excellent and notably not.

As the 13th movie, Star Trek Beyond, open in theatres today, it’s the perfect time to look back on the film franchise that boldly went where no one had gone before. These are the Star Trek movies, from worst to best.

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THE 50 GREATEST MOVIE TRAILERS (Part 5)

Columbia TriStar

Photo: Columbia TriStar

Chris Luckett

Movie trailers have evolved a great deal over the years, from the 6-minute packages shown after moving pictures in the 1910s (hence the term “trailer”) to boundary-pushing previews preceding movies in the 1970s to the heavily promoted online launches of trailers today. Recently, the worldwide launches for the debut trailers of movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation have actually been preceded in the days prior by trailers for their trailers. Continue reading

THE 50 GREATEST MOVIE TRAILERS (Part 4)

Photo: Artisan Entertainment

Photo: Artisan Entertainment

Chris Luckett

Movie trailers have evolved a great deal over the years, from the 6-minute packages shown after moving pictures in the 1910s (hence the term “trailer”) to boundary-pushing previews preceding movies in the 1970s to the heavily promoted online launches of trailers today. Recently, the worldwide launches for the debut trailers of movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation have actually been preceded in the days prior by trailers for their trailers. Continue reading

THE 50 GREATEST MOVIE TRAILERS (Part 3)

Photo: Warner Bros.

Photo: Warner Bros.

Chris Luckett

Movie trailers have evolved a great deal over the years, from the 6-minute packages shown after moving pictures in the 1910s (hence the term “trailer”) to boundary-pushing previews preceding movies in the 1970s to the heavily promoted online launches of trailers today. Recently, the worldwide launches for the debut trailers of movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation have actually been preceded in the days prior by trailers for their trailers. Continue reading

THE 50 GREATEST MOVIE TRAILERS (Part 2)

Artwork: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Artwork: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Chris Luckett

Movie trailers have evolved a great deal over the years, from the 6-minute packages shown after moving pictures in the 1910s (hence the term “trailer”) to boundary-pushing previews preceding movies in the 1970s to the heavily promoted online launches of trailers today. Recently, the worldwide launches for the debut trailers of movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation have actually been preceded in the days prior by trailers for their trailers. Continue reading

THE 50 GREATEST MOVIE TRAILERS (Part 1)

Photo: Warner Bros.

Photo: Warner Bros.

Chris Luckett

Movie trailers have evolved a great deal over the years, from the 6-minute packages shown after moving pictures in the 1910s (hence the term “trailer”) to boundary-pushing previews preceding movies in the 1970s to the heavily promoted online launches of trailers today. Recently, the worldwide launches for the debut trailers of movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation have actually been preceded in the days prior by trailers for their trailers. Continue reading

RANKED: Johnny Depp

Photo: Chris Pizzello/Associated Press

Photo: Chris Pizzello/Associated Press

Chris Luckett

It’s hip to trash Johnny Depp these days. His megastar status ended years ago (and his indie underdog status over a decade ago), leaving him either playing parodies of earlier hit characters or chasing paycheque movies for Disney. Clouded by bad memories of The Tourist and Mortedcai, though — to say nothing of his troubles over the last week — many nowadays forget all the impressive work Depp’s done in his 32-year film career.

Benny & Joon. Sleepy Hollow. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Platoon. Donnie Brasco. Edward Scissorhands. Finding Neverland. A Nightmare on Elm Street. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. Ed Wood. Every one is a beloved title, and still only scratch the surface of Depp’s chameleonic abilities. Continue reading

RANKED: Ben Affleck

Photo: Warner Bros.

Photo: Warner Bros.

Chris Luckett

Ben Affleck has had a more tumultuous career than most. From the indie career he self-started with Matt Damon to his paycheque blockbusters of the early ‘00s, from the drought brought by post-Bennifer fatigue to his resurgence through adding “Director” to his job titles, Affleck’s seen his share of incredible highs and lows. And much like those extremes in his life — you could argue largely because of them, in fact — Affleck been in some impressive masterpieces and some rank bombs.  Continue reading

RANKED: Post-Renaissance Disney

Photo: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Photo: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Chris Luckett

There are some animated Disney movies that everyone agrees are modern classics. Movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King are universally considered irreproachable. Where the Disney Renaissance period gets fuzzy is after that. While some would say the era continued until Mulan or Tarzan, I would argue that The Lion King was the pinnacle of the period and 1995 marked the beginning of Disney’s Post-Renaissance period.

Firstly, there was Pocahontas, the first Walt Disney Animated Classic of the ‘90s that lost the perfect alchemical formula. Secondly, there was Toy Story; coincidental or not, when Walt Disney Animation Studios lost the magic touch, Pixar found it. Lastly, there was A Goofy Movie, which introduced contemporary humour and sarcasm into Disney’s animation, the ripples of which have continued through everything from The Emperor’s New Groove to Wreck-It Ralph. Continue reading