Top 10 movies based on TV shows
JoBlo, a website that respects Fight Club as much as I do, has a great list of the Top 10 movies based on television shows. For the most part, I agree with it. Except there is one major oversight: What about The Muppets? The Muppet Movie didn’t make the list and, quite frankly, I’m baffled. I think it should totally replace The Naked Gun, which weighs in at #4. What-ever. The rest of the list looks good, however. It includes everything from last year’s Serenity to Wayne’s World to The Untouchables.
I’m going to list his Top 10 after the jump, but I highly recommend you go on over and read it and then come back and tell me if you think they forgot something. If you say Dukes of Hazzard or Starsky & Hutch… so help me… I’ll reach through your computer and slap you!
10. Serenity (Firefly)
9. Twilight Zone: The Movie
8. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
7. Wayne’s World
6. South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut
5. Mission: Impossible
4. The Naked Gun (Police Squad)
3. The Blues Brothers
2. The Fugitive
1. The Untouchables
What are the best movies based on TV shows?
We’ve talked a lot here at TV about movies made from TV shows. A while back, Anna listed her picks for the 10 best movies based on TV shows, and then Paul listed his picks for the 10 worst. (I also chimed in with my picks for 5 TV shows that are better than the original movie). Now Rotten Tomatoes picks the 50 best movies made from TV shows, and the results are…odd.
Now, some of the choices are predictable if not accurate, including Star Trek II, Wayne’s World, South Park, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables, and The Brady Bunch Movie. And fans of Firefly will be happy to see Serenity on the list (and in the top 10!). Though I still don’t understand why everyone picks The Fugitive, one of the most overrated movies of the past 25 years and nothing like the TV show, really. And do we need that many Star Trek movies on the list, including lesser ones like Insurrection? The problem with picking 50 films is that it’s way too high a number. You start running out of the true cream of the crop and have to fill up spaces. That’s why movies like George of the Jungle and Josie and the Pussycats make the list.
What are your favorites?
Casting Star Trek: Jennifer Morrison and Chris Hemsworth
Last night we posted a huge Star Trek casting news update (if you haven’t read it, check that out first). A spy image outside the set of JJ Abrams’ Star Trek revealed a woman who looked a lot like House star Jennifer Morrison. Many speculated that Morrison is playing Janice Rand in the film, but we’ve been waiting for a confirmation. IESB just got word from Morrison’s management that she has been cast in the film, but Robert Sanchez now believes that Morrison is playing the role of Dr. Carol Marcus, a young civilian biologist and the future mother of Kirk’s son. Apparently that character is featured in the script.
Dr. Carol Marcus was one of the leading molecular biologists in the Federation. After giving birth to Kirk’s son, the couple split up because she felt that they had no basis for a lasting relationship, with Kirk traveling around the universe while she worked in a lab. Portrayed by Bibi Besch, the character played a major role in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
IESB is also reporting that young Australian actor Chris Hemsworth has been cast as Kirk’s father, George Samuel Kirk Sr. According to the Star Trek novels, George Samuel was a Commander on the Enterprise twenty-five years before Kirk assumed command. George Samuel Kirk, Sr. died under mysterious circumstances in 2248.
Anton Yelchin Cast as Star Trek’s Chekov
18-year-old Russian-born newcomer Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett, Fierce People) is in negotiations to play Pavel Chekov in the JJ Abrams Star Trek reboot/prequel. I recently saw Yelchin in Charlie Bartlett, and was not impressed. Also fans are confused because the character of Chekov didn’t appear until the second season of Star Trek. I’m not an expert on old school Star Trek (I’m more of a Generations guy myself), so here is The Trek Movie Report to explain what this means:
“One would not necessarily expect Chekov to be in a ‘prequel,’ however even if he did show up that is not necessarily violating (or should I say ‘wiolating’) canon. The Enterprise had a crew of over 400, yet you only saw a handful in each episode. Plus Star Trek II established that Chekov was indeed on board the ship at least by the time of the first season episode Space Seed.”
Looks like JJ Abrams is combining the best possible cast of characters for the best possible story, not worrying too much about Star Trek canon. As more details leak out, I wonder if the Star Trek fans may turn on Abrams if he strays too far from the original series.
At Comic-Con 2007, it was announced that Heroes star Zach Quinto had been cast as Spock. Star Trek will hit theaters on December 25th 2008.