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Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes Talks Friendship With John De Lancie And Teases A Picard Season 2 Scene With Him

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Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes Talks Friendship With John De Lancie And Teases A Picard Season 2 Scene With Him

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is coming this year, and fans are excited because it means the return of actor John de Lancie and his devious character, Q. Fans weren’t the only ones excited, though, as Jonathan Frakes is also happy to be reteaming with the de Lancie. Frakes recently talked to CinemaBlend about his longtime friendship with the actor, and teased an upcoming scene, which he called his favorite of the upcoming season.

I spoke to Jonathan Frakes ahead of his recent directorial return to Star Trek: Discovery and, inevitably, our conversation led to his work both in front of and behind the camera on Season 2 of Picard. I asked Frakes what it was like to reunite with John de Lancie yet again, and the actor shared his admiration for de Lancie both as a friend and as a fellow actor:

Well, de Lancie has always been one of my favorite friends, but also one of my favorite actors. He’s beautifully cast as Q, and Q is one of the most complicated villains, arguably, with the Borg Queen. It’s always a pleasure to work with John on and off the set. The day I know is going to be fascinating because he’s a fascinating man in terms of his worldview and his experience as a sailor. It’s always a good day in terms of the between shots.

Based on the star’s positive comments, it appears Star Trek: Picard Season 2 was a good time for him. The new season will feature Q’s reunion with the titular character and highlight some trouble that results in the creation of an alternate reality. This is nothing new for Star Trek regarding, as altering reality is more or less his thing, especially when Picard is involved. 

Fans already knew Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie would share some scenes within the new episodes,, but Jonathan Frakes revealed he’ll also share a scene with de Lancie. Frakes talked about the upcoming scene, which also features another actor from The Next Generation

I have a scene with he and Soong, who Brent [Spiner] plays on Picard. And it’s one of my favorite scenes of the season.

It’s good to hear Star Trek: Picard got at least three actors from Next Generation in one scene, even if Brett Spiner (allegedly isn’t playing) his original character from the series. I can only imagine how an older Riker will deal with Q and the hijinx that may ensue as a result. Fans will also see another familiar face in Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan. 

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John de Lancie is one of The Next Gengeration‘s most memorable supporting characters and made appearances across other past Trek shows like Voyager and Deep Space Nine. Jonathan Frakes spoke to de Lancie’s time on TNG and how his episodes acted as a “litmus test” of the show:

[John] de Lancie has always been a litmus test of–I don’t know how many Next Gens he did–but every time he did, he sort of took the temperature of the company and we all circled him in a way that we always felt he is a member of our core group.

With the actor and director so high on John de Lancie’s upcoming performance on the new season of Star Trek: Picard, which should get fans even more excited for the season premiere. Hopefully, his return lives up to fan expectations and maybe further expounds on some of the mysteries surrounding his cryptic character. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in February. That’s not too long of a wait for Trek fans, especially with new episodes of Prodigy and Discovery to keep them occupied in the meantime. In addition, be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 winter and spring schedule for info on the other shows that will be returning this year.

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Interviews

Quentin Tarantino Reveals His Pick For ‘The Greatest Movie Ever Made’

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Quentin Tarantino Reveals His Pick For ‘The Greatest Movie Ever Made’

It may not feel like it sometimes, but any upcoming movie has the chance to be named “the greatest movie ever made” by someone out there. However, that honor does have some specific caveats if you’re someone like filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. Not only has the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director chosen a Steven Spielberg classic for that very distinction, Tarantino also explained just why that title is very specific. 

In an upcoming interview with our in-house podcast ReelBlend, Quentin Tarantino made his fourth appearance to talk about all things movies; the first since the big live show at the New Beverly Cinema. Promoting his new co-hosting gig on The Video Archives Podcast, Tarantino had yet another spirited discussion about cinema, which led to his pick of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws as  the greatest “movie” ever made. That distinction is important, as the Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood director made that perfectly clear through the following remarks: 

I think Jaws is the greatest movie ever made. Maybe not the greatest film. But it’s the greatest movie ever made. And then there are other movies that can get in its rarefied air. But as far as a movie, there’s no making it better than Jaws. There’s no ‘better’ than Jaws. It is the best movie ever made. And it shows how badly timed most movies made before Jaws were.

Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to separate his tastes in movies into those two separate, important camps: “movies” and “films.” In this case, the designation of a movie almost sounds like it’s shorthand for the blockbuster opuses that Steven Spielberg made a name for himself with. Which means that “films” are presumably more of the independent/art house titles that have higher pedigrees, and usually end up on the lists of best picture nominees every year.

Strangely enough, Jaws is one of six horror movies to have Best Picture nominations, so the line could blur just a bit in that respect. Putting aside the “movies” versus “films” debate, Quentin Tarantino isn’t using that separation to be a snob. Later on in the conversation, he explained how spectacles such as this are their own form of art, and how Steven Spielberg came to be someone who perfected it: 

What I meant by that, to one degree or another, is that Spielberg and a lot of his cohorts grew up seeing those kinds of movies in the theater. Henry Levin’s Journey to Center of the Earth, he’s gonna run to go and see that. Richard Fleischer’s Fantastic Voyage. He’s going to run and go see it. Gordon Douglas’s Them! He’s going to run and go see. Now… most of them weren’t directed that well. They were assignments given to journeyman directors who did their best with them. That was how we were used to seeing comic book — that kind of movie experience. As opposed to a Spielberg, who was like, ‘No, this is exactly the kind of movie he likes. This is exactly the kind of movies he was put on earth to make. And he’s going to make it, within an inch of his life, as effective as it possibly can be. And, you know, Michael Anderson, isn’t putting that kind of work in Logan’s Run.

Spielberg, and “cohorts” like George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Copolla all latched onto genres that were pulpier entertainments in their childhood, only to make them into something new. Through films like Jaws, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, and The Godfather, we saw a generation of directors taking movies they loved and reviving them through their own personal lenses. Which is exactly what Quentin Tarantino would do when he stepped onto the scene with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction; and it’s also why he’s such a staunch supporter of the cinematic experience. 

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If this conversation boils down to anything, it’s game recognizing game. Much as Steven Spielberg idolized the movies that helped make Jaws, Quentin Tarantino has reverence for the bearded director and his dedication to making the movies that sparked his love of cinema. Though considering the history his collaborator Samuel L. Jackson has had with sharks, you have to wonder if this has already sparked any sort of humorous conversations between the two?

You’ll be able to watch, and listen, to Quentin Tarantino’s latest appearance on ReelBlend, as it’s set to hit YouTube tomorrow. Meanwhile, Tarantino may not have his tenth and final film in the works just yet, but you can still enjoy the man’s gift for words in two very cool ways. 

Tarantino’s Video Archives podcast, which he co-hosts with friend and collaborator Roger Avery, is currently streaming wherever you find fine listening material. However, if you also want to read the man’s thoughts on ‘70s filmmaking in his upcoming book Cinema Speculation, which you can currently preorder on Amazon (opens in new tab); or any other fine bookseller.

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‘Prey’ Interviews With Amber Midthunder, Dan Trachtenberg And More!

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The stars of “Prey,” Amber Midthunder (“Naru”), Dakota Bevers (“Taabe”), Dane DiLiegro (“The Predator”), director Dan Trachtenberg and producer Jhane Myers discuss their new “Predator” movie in this interview with CinemaBlend at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. They discuss the “Prey” audition moment that landed Amber Midthunder her role and more!

You can stream “Prey” on Hulu on August 5.

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ | Marvel Comic-Con Interviews with Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan & More

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ | Marvel Comic-Con Interviews with Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan & More

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” stars Chris Pratt (Peter Quill / Star-Lord), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Will Poulter (Adam Warlock), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Sean Gunn (Kraglin / On-Set Rocket), Chukwudi Iwuji (The High Evolutionary) and writer Director James Gunn discuss their upcoming Marvel film and conclusion of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy in this post-Hall H interview with CinemaBlend at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.

Video Chapters

  • 00:00 – Chris Pratt on Finding “Your Side”
  • 00:35 – Chris Pratt Teases What’s Ahead For Star-Lord and Gamora In GOTG 3
  • 01:24 – Karen Gillan LOVES ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Fan Reactions
  • 02:00 – Karen Gillan Weighs In On Nebula Unaliving Nebula in ‘Endgame’
  • 02:32 – James Gunn Teases a “Darker” ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Movie
  • 03:20 – Sean Gunn on Baby Rocket’s Difficult Backstory
  • 04:30 –  Pom Klementieff on Welcoming New Marvel Actors to the ‘Guardians’ Family
  • 05:15 – Pom Klementieff Teases A More Badass Mantis In ‘Guardians 3’
  • 05:35 – Will Poulter Teases Adam Warlock Origins in ‘GOTG 3’ 
  • 06:32 – Chukwudi Iwuji on The High Evolutionary and His Motivations
  • 07:20 – Chukwudi Iwugi Praises James Gunn’s Dialogue
  • 08:15 – Chris Pratt Recalls His Last Day of Filming the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Trilogy
  • 08:55 – James Gunn Is Literally Always Writing and Rewriting Scripts
  • 09:49 – Will Poulter Wants to Play Adam Warlock Again “If Marvel Will Have Me”

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