Who Is Khan? 8 Things You (Might) Not Know About Star Trek’s Villain

(Left) Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS,
(Right) Ricardo Montalbán as Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Ever since news first broke that actor Benedict Cumberbatch (TV’s “Sherlock”) was cast as the notorious "Star Trek" villain, Khan, in the upcoming film STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (in theaters today), speculations have ran wild regarding where the filmmakers would take his story.

But many are still in the dark about who Khan really is. After all, it has been more than thirty years since we last saw him stirring up trouble in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Here are eight things you may not know about the man Trekkies love to hate:

8. He looks really good for his age: By my estimation, Khan should be about 300 years old by now. He was introduced in 1967 in the first season of the TV series, “Star Trek,” in an episode titled “Space Seed.” At the time, his body had been cryogenically frozen for more than 200 years. His second appearance in 1982’s “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan” was set fifteen years after that.



7. He has unfinished business with Captain Kirk: Khan has had beef with Captain Kirk ever since he made his first appearance on the TV series. In “Space Seed,” the Enterprise discovers his frozen body and takes him in. When Khan awakens and finds himself on the starship in the 23rd century, he tries to infiltrate the crew and manipulate the ship, which leads to an epic battle between him and Captain Kirk. This ends with Khan being exiled to Ceti Alpha V. In his second appearance in the 1982 movie “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan,” Khan tried to exact revenge on Kirk after the Ceti Alpha V exploded, virtually wiping out the planet and killing many of Khan’s followers and almost Khan himself. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS will be his third attempt to destroy Captain Kirk and his crew.



6. He is extremely dangerous: Khan is one in a group of genetically enhanced superhumans, whose power is said to be five times that of regular humans. Khan was a successful conqueror and 20th century warlord who ruled more than a quarter of the Earth during the Eugenics Wars in the 1990s. After later being deposed, he narrowly escaped his death sentence on board the SS Botany.

And has since then been pissed off. 

5. He goes by the name John Harrison in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS: Cumberbatch has remarkably kept mum about the true identity of his character (though much of the Internet is already convinced he’s Kahn). Instead, he has revealed his character to be John Harrison, a rogue Starfleet commander and terrorist who has it out for Kirk. Cumberbatch describes him as a “one man weapon of mass destruction,” which actually sounds very similar to Khan, so…..?

We're on to you, Cumberbatch. 

4. He has never been played by an Indian actor: Khan was first written as a superhuman from India (with the full name Khan Noonien Singh), yet he has only been portrayed by non-Indian actors on screen. The late Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán originated the role in in the TV series in 1967 (and again in 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), and now Cumberbatch, who is English. Before Cumberbatch signed on, it was even rumored that Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro was considered for the role. No shade to Cumberbatch or Montalbán, but this could have been a great role for an Indian actor like Irrfan Khan, who wouldn't have even had to change his name…

But we still love you, Cumberbatch. No need to cry about it. 

3. He was once written as a Nordic superman: Though the idea never saw the light of day, Khan was originally conceived as a Nordic superman by scriptwriter Carey Wilber before that was eventually changed in the final script. This character was said to be even more violent than Khan.

But maybe not as scary as this guy. 

2. He’s had a makeover: If you look back at the older clips of Montalbán as Khan in the series or Wrath of Khan, you may have noticed that he isn’t particularly fashion forward. To keep the authenticity of him living on a wasteland with few supplies, Khan’s original costume was supposed to look like a composite of several items (including electrical equipment and furniture upholstery from the ship) that he was able to scrounge together in his exiled surroundings. The filmmakers also wanted to show off his masculine physique with revealing attire. Most of the images from STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS showed Khan a little better groomed donning a sleeker wardrobe.

1.He is a widower: Khan was once married to the Enterprise ship’s historian, Marla McGivers (with whom he flirted in order to try to manipulate the ship in “Space Seed”). She died after the Ceti Alpha VI explosion in Wrath of Khan caused a disaster on Ceti Alpha V, turning it into a vast wasteland. She was killed by one of the few remaining animal species on the planet.

Montalbán and Madly Rhue as Marla McGivers in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS is in theaters today.

This post was originally published by The Urban Daily.

THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY Trailer Aims To Rekindle The Charm Of The First Film

(Left to Right) Harrold Perrineau, Taye Diggs and Terrence Howard in The Best Man Holiday (courtesy of Taye  Diggs Online)

I'm just going to put this all out there: I think the idea of sequel-izing (yes, that's a homemade word) romcoms is a pretty lazy idea, considering romcoms today at their most general are already pretty dull. So you can just imagine how derivative their sequels are.

Which brings us to the new trailer for THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY, the follow-up to the 1999 classic romcom that spawned countless others, The Best Man. For the few of you who aren't familiar with the original film, it followed a group of friends through love's trials and tribulations as they prepared for the nuptials of their good friend, Lance (Morris Chestnut).

Though the movie was typical of its genre, the alluring cast (which also includes Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Harold Perrineau and Sanaa Lathan) and overall charm of the film has made it endlessly rewatchable for many (but once was okay for me).

Anyway, the new movie reportedly revisits the relationships from the first movie amid the holidays. More on ti below (from About.com):

"When the college friends finally reunite over the Christmas holidays, they will discover just how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and romances to be ignited."

I think most of the fans are excited to see their favorite characters come together again after fading off into the sunset fourteen years ago. I'm most interested to see how the story will mature the characters, and not simply give us a redux of similar situations from the first film. You'll see from the trailer that they all still look like not a day has passed since we last saw them. Check it out:




THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY hits theaters November 15th, which should bring in the holiday/family audience. What do you think? Will you watch it?

Michael B. Jordan Shines In The Stirring First Trailer for the Sundance Drama, 'FRUITVALE STATION'

You may have heard me mention on a recent "Cinema in Noir" podcast that although actor Michael B. Jordan has ample amount of potential to become the next It guy, I have yet to see him in a breakthrough role he deserves. (Yes, I am one of the very few who haven't seen an episode of "The Wire." I have, however, seen Jordan in Red Tails and TV's "Parenthood." It was his performance in the latter that made me take notice of him).

Flash forward to today, when the trailer of his newest film, FRUITVALE STATION, dropped and  eliminated any doubt I could have had about him. The drama, which has been much talked about since it wowed audiences back at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, tells the true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant (Jordan), unarmed and fatally shot in the back by a police officer after a disturbance on New Years Eve in 2009. Read more about the film in its synopsis below (from Ropes of Silicon):

Oscar Grant was a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who loved his friends, was generous to strangers, and had a hard time telling the truth to the mother of his beautiful daughter. He was scared and courageous and charming and raw, and as human as the community he was part of. That community paid attention to him, shouted on his behalf, and filmed him with their cell phones when BART officers, who were strong, intimidated, and acting in the way they thought they were supposed to behave around people like Oscar, shot him in cold blood at the Fruitvale subway stop on New Year’s Day in 2009.

First time feature director and writer, Ryan Coogler, helms what looks to be a remarkable debut effort that will hopefully resonate with an even wider audience in light of last year's Trayvon Martin case, which sparked a national outcry.

The movie also stars Chad Michael Murray and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (as Oscar's mother, Wanda). Check out the trailer:




This is definitely on my radar to watch. FRUITVALE STATION hits theaters July 26th.

The New Teaser Trailer For The Sci-Fi Drama, GRAVITY, Wins Today's Internet

There are some directors that I genuinely appreciate, but don't particularly care for their movies. Alfonso Cuarón is one of them. While his critically-acclaimed films Y Tu Mamá También and Children of Men prove him to be an undeniable visionary and a fascinating storyteller, they ultimately fail to resonate with me. His movies, including the critically-acclaimed films

However, I must hand the man props for today's spectacular trailer for his upcoming sci-fi drama co-written by his son Jonás Cuarón and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, GRAVITY. Despite the fact that at its core it tells the familiar story of a routine space mission gone awry, the clip (which clocks it at just under a minute and a half) is filled with so much suspense and authenticity that you don't even want to blink while watching it.

Read more in the official film synopsis (from JoBlo):

Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone--tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.

The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth...and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left.

But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

Sounds great, but the only thing I worry about is whether Clooney or Bullock's general lack of intrigue in their dramatic performances will impede the story. But, then, you can't deny this trailer:

I know, right?! It kinda makes you feel like they released a one-hour clip, huh?

GRAVITY heads to theaters October 4th. 

Paula Patton Goes On A 30-Day Quest To Find The One in 'BAGGAGE CLAIM' (Trailer)

As much as I try to root for Paula Patton, she continues to move farther away from her underrated performance in the 2009 drama, Precious, and closer to the pits of romcom hell after consecutively starring in both Just Wright (2010) and Jumping the Broom (2011).

Other than her role in the Tom Cruise actioner, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in 2011 which she is rumored to reprise in the 2015 sequel) and this year's tech drama, Disconnect, the actress hasn't veered too far away from her romcom calling card.

In BAGGAGE CLAIM, Patton plays flight attendant Montana Moore, a woman on a desperate quest to find a man to bring to her younger sister's wedding in 30 days. She begins serial dating every eligible (and ineligible) man within a 30,000-mile radius.

*Insert heavy sigh here*

Right out the gate, the movie sounds basic. But at least there will be plenty of pretty people to look at--Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Gladiator), Taye Diggs (Chicago), Tia Mowry Hardrict (TV's "The Game"), Derek Luke (Sparkle) and Jill Scott (in a wretched wig/weave) are all in it, as is R&B singer Trey Songz, Boris Kodjoe and Adam Brody.

It may be piggy-backing off the recent success of Think Like a Man, but I wonder how the box office receipts will line up (TLAM grossed more than $91 million worldwide).

Check out the trailer:




BAGGAGE CLAIM releases in theaters September 27th.

3 Reasons Why I'm Not Excited About the New Trailer for THE BUTLER

Forest Whitaker as Eugene Allen/Cecil Gaines in The Butler

Today director Lee Daniels released the trailer for his upcoming film, THE BUTLER, which details the life of Eugene Allen, who served as butler of the White House throughout eight presidencies from 1952 to 1986.

Though the filmmaker has assembled an impressive cast of actors to portray several well-known political figures for the feature, I can't say I'm particularly interested to see it. But before I explain why, here's a little more about the film (courtesy of MovieNewz.com):

Cast: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Minka Kelly, Lenny Kravitz, Melissa Leo, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Robin Williams, Nelsan Ellis, Zac Efron, Woody Harrelson, Nicole Kidman, Jesse Williams

Synopsis: THE BUTLER, based on the screenplay by Danny Strong & Lee Daniels, is inspired by Wil Haygood’s Washington Post article “A Butler Well Served by This Election” about Eugene Allen (Whitaker), an African-American man, who served as a butler to eight Presidents in the White House for over thirty years. From this unique vantage point, THE BUTLER traces the dramatic changes that swept American society, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and family.

And here's why I'm not excited about it:

• The Paperboy is still fresh in my mind, and I have the PTSD scars to prove it. Plus, Oyelowo, Efron, Cusack and Kidman are in this too! It's just too soon. 
• Though I liked Django Unchained, I'm so over the butler/maid/slave narrative that the mere thought of seeing another one makes my eyes roll to the farthest point in the back of my head.
• Because I can't seem to forget what Terrence Howard reportedly said about Oprah Winfrey's breasts, no matter how hard I try. And since I can't, you shouldn't be able to either. Watch this. 

Maybe I'll come around in time for the film's release on October 18th. Maybe...

In any case, check out the clip below and tell me, will you see THE BUTLER?

Black Superheroes, Fitz and Olivia's Tired Love Affair and Hollywood's Double Ethnic Problem

Michael B. Jordan and Fantastic Four's The Human Torch

Happy Cinco de Mayo! If you were on Twitter at all last week, you may have noticed a few heated arguments going on (in par with the usually wild amount of impassioned opinions)--the notion of a Black actor playing the Human Torch in the next Fantastic Four 4 film, Hollywood's lack of showing same race couples on screen and pretty much anything having to do with the TV show "Scandal." We discussed them all on a special 70-minute episode of Cinema in Noir this evening.

Twitter really erupted with the news that Michael B. Jordan's (Chronicle, Red Tails) is in contention to play The Human Torch in the next Fantastic Four film. On the one side, there is the hope for a Black actor to star in a role previously played by white actors (most recently Chris Evans). And on the other side, some fanboys are rebelling hard against the idea claiming that The Human Torch, a fictional superhero, was never Black and should not be portrayed that way.

As you will hear on tonight's show, I think I am most disturbed by the fact that there's going to be another Fantastic Four film, since I found the first one HORRID enough for me to never want to go near it again. But many are upset by the narrow-minded of some of the fanboy reactions. What do you think about the possible casting?

We also talk about singer Robin Thicke's recent comments about Hollywood's so-called 'double ethnic' problem--the growing lack of same race couples on the both the big and small screens. He claims that his wife, actress Paula Patton, would not be considered in a romantic role opposite Will Smith because the Hollywood doesn't portray Black couples onscreen as much anymore--interracial couples are becoming more marketable. You can listen to his full interview here. Thoughts?

As for this whole Fitz (President Fitzgerald Grant played by Tony Goldwyn) and Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) controversy on TV's "Scandal," I don't really have a dog in the fight since I stopped watching the show months ago after it refused to move away from its soapy, melodramatic plotline. But it seems like folks are really not in love with Olivia's "relationship" with the married President, and that she is still a very undeveloped character despite the show being well into its second season.

Eh, sounds like the show hasn't changed much from the last time I watched it back in November. Listen to our full take on all these discussions and reviews of the latest new releases on the Cinema in Noir Blog Talk Radio channel (title of the show: "Hollywood's Double Ethnic Problem").

Feel free to share comments below!