Leonard Nimoy beamed into the South Lamar Alamo
Last night was a pretty epic one for everyone here in the world of Fantastic Fest. Tim and Harry had invited Fantastic Fest badgeholders and the general public to come out to a special screening of STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN that was set to feature ten minutes of exclusive never-before-seen footage of the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek. What none of us expected – not me, not Karrie League, and not even Harry Knowles himself – was that Paramount itself had enlisted Tim in a secret mission to surprise Harry, his AICN crew, and the entire audience. And boy did that surprise work.
Not only did we watch WAY more than ten minutes of footage – Leonard Nimoy himself stopped by with the entire film and we got a chance to see it three hours before the Australian “world premiere.” To say the air in the room was energized with excitement would be a huge understatement. But here’s how it went down:
This first video doesn’t have a lot of exciting moments, but I’m including it for the purists that want to see every second of this awesome. Basically, Tim got up in front of everyone and introduced us the show we *thought* we were going to see. He reminded us not to grab any illicit footage of the ten minutes, and gave the microphone to Harry to set up WRATH OF KHAN:
The opening credits of KHAN played out on the screen, and the audience was already psyched. As you can see in the video, most of us hadn’t had the opportunity to see that film on the big screen EVER, and watching it in that room, with the screen writers of the new movie, already felt amazing.
In the very opening scene, though, something started to look off. The print we had was really bad, with long green lines and scratches through the whole thing. Before we’d made it more than ten lines into the dialogue, the scratches consumed the film, the picture got warped, and the film itself caught fire like the engine room of the Entrerprise.
“Stall for time!” Tim yelled out, as he handed the screen writers microphones. “I’m gonna run up to the booth and try to fix this mess…” He ran out of the theater and down the hall (a sight those of us at the Alamo have seen many, many times), and the writers were left to fend for themselves and tried to do an impromptu Q & A – but only for a short while:
LEONARD NIMOY! SPOCK HIMSELF! IN OUR THEATER!!!! There were high fives being passed from people that were sitting three rows apart.
We didn’t have a chance for a full on Q & A after the movie, but our special guests did come back up on the stage one more time to say Live Long and Prosper.
As for the movie itself – all I can say is that it’s AWESOME. For more in depth analysis from people that write film reviews much better than I do, head over to Ain’t It Cool News and see how Harry and co. liked their surprise!
From all of us with the Alamo and Fantastic Fest – we loved it. Huge thanks to Paramount for making it happen, to David Hill for being able to photograph for us on such short notice, and major props to Tim League for being able to keep his mouth shut in the face of so much imminent excitment.
April 7th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Good post, thanks for the info.
April 7th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
F*ck! I wish I had been there – Even if ‘just’ to see Wrath of Khan. Totally unfair that the drafthouse has these special FF events throughout the year instead of containing it all in the week of the festival. I’m beginning to think that Tim’s part of some undercover immigration plot to lure us all to Austin full time. Well, I’m as jealous as hell and good luck to you all. Alamo Drafthouse: Live long and prosper!
April 7th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
A heartfelt thank you to the folks who made it happen, and managed to pull it off. ANd I comoletley disagree with JLK… I love the fact that the Alamo programs FF events in the months before the festival. I’ve been to many great screenings at the Alamo, but I can’t think of any that I flat out enjoyed more.
But… please… schedule a screening of the Wrath of Khan? I’ve never seen it in it’s entirety, and I’d LOVE to see it with an Alamo crowd!
April 7th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I miss Austin and crazy stuff like this that happens! This looked totally amazing and i’m jealous for all those who got to be there! Rock on Alamo!
April 7th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Great job guys! Really pulled it off to your top standards.
I too would actually like to see ST 2, even if we have to pay regular ticket prices
Not to say you guys don’t have other things you are working on.
Thank you again.
April 7th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
[...] here’s the official alamo drafthouse blog post, complete with video of leonard nimoy’s surprise [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Thank you, Alamo! We were told that we were in for a treat, and you were so right!!
April 7th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Dammit! I had the invite and the reminder of the invite, but still stupidly didn’t show up for this. Well, that certainly won’t happen again.
April 7th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
L-Nim got his dates wrong. “The Cage” was shot in 1964, not 1965!
Oh – and this is an absolutely gorgeous moment in fandom. If I had been there I would have had a myocardial nerdfarction.
Fantastic stuff and I’m so glad these vids made it up.
April 7th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
I LOVE the geek enthusiasm in this post. Live long and prosper, dude.
April 7th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
See, this is why I love Alamo. It’s not just wall-to-wall movie LOVE, but watching that video, and seeing everyone get so PSYCHED for a movie, reminds me of being ten years old.
“The Alamo Drafthouse is like a Fountain of Youth for movie nerds!” — Scoot Weinberg, Cinematical.com
Congrats to Tim and team for nabbing such an awesome surprise premiere. Wish I’d been there!
April 7th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
[...] Ah the sweet sight of your card coming up on the river. Every town needs an Alamo Drafthouse. More on the night, including footage, at the Alamo Blog. [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Heck I was there last night and got turned away because I got there too late. Now I found it was secret premiere! Although honestly I was there to see Khan and couldn’t care less about the new film. But seeing Nimoy would’ve been cool!
April 7th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Whaaaaaaaaaaaa, I missed it!
April 7th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Mister Khaaaaaaan! -
No one is more pro-WRATH OF KHAN and anti-Current Hollywood than me, and I have to say that the new film really is solid. Give it a fair shot. It was the first big money summer movie with computer effects I’ve enjoyed since SPIDERMAN 2. And before that…nothing.
April 7th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
[...] Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, long a destination spot for fanboys and home to the annual Fantastic Fest, had planned for a public screening of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” which was introduced by Harry Knowles of Ain’t It Cool News, as well as Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the screenwriters of the new “Trek” film, and its producer, Damon Lindelof. But as the opening credits rolled on “Khan,” scratches appeared on the print, it became warped and seemingly burned up in the projector, according to a report from the Drafthouse blog. [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
[...] But wait! That’s not enough detail, you say? How about some video? [...]
April 8th, 2009 at 5:06 am
I was there, and man, was it incredible! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! Incredible film, and an incredible experience! I think I used up all my good luck for the year though, but it was worth it!
Ken
April 8th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Leonard Nimoy sorprende en el Fantastic Fest con la premiere mundial de Star Trek [ENG]…
El pasado 7 de abril los fans de Star Trek que acudieron al Fantastic Fest (www.fantasticfest.com) en Austin (TX) se llevaron la sorpresa de su vida. Lo que en principio iba a ser una proyección más de Star Trek II: La Ira de Khan, seguida de diez mi…
April 8th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Good post, thanks for the info.
April 8th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
[...] I would urge all of you to head over to the Alamo Drafthouse Blog and throw that in your RSS feed reader. That way, if you don’t live in Austin, you can see [...]
April 9th, 2009 at 7:01 am
[...] von Iron Man 2: https://twitter.com/Jon_Favreau Draco Malfoys Freund Crabbe mit Drogen erwischt Star Trek Premiere in Alamo Nerdtalk Episode 98 [94:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | [...]
April 10th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
EVERLASTING
Selling Planet Earth in Exchange for a Utopia? What’s the Catch?
Humans sold planet Earth for peace, but little did they know peace would come at such a high cost.
A long time ago, Humanity sold planet Earth to a group called the Evers in order to gain peace and a virtual utopia for themselves and for future generations. However, the cost of this paradise turns out to be too much for some to deal with and the humans soon find themselves ruled cruelly by the very beings who offered them salvation and at one point given them so much hope.
Humans that were originally treated with high regards, made to feels special, are now being treated as animals, some humiliated and shipped away to some unknown fate…each being told what they could or could not do, under the guise of it being in humanities best interest.
With a feeling of dread, a small group declares war on the more advanced Evers in hopes of returning things to the way they should be…to the way they had been. John and his make-shift crew of humans and hybrids (half human/half Ever) must not only find a way to break free of the mistakes of the past and find out the disturbing secrets that the Evers have hidden away, but they must also deal with their own personal issues and learn to live, grow, and deal with each others’ emotional issues of love, regret and fear.
Will man give up youth and perfect health to live in the past? And will John take the chance of restoring Earth to its former state even though there’s a good chance his life-threatening disease can return?
Publisher’s Web site: http://www.eloquentbooks.com/Everlasting.html
April 11th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Holy cow I am so envious of you guys !!!
I miss the drafthouse so much – its the one piece of Austin I wish I could bring back with me to Australia the most after each time I visit my second home ..
To see the crowd reaction is just amazing – congrats to Paramount, Tim League, Mr.Nimoy and everyone involved for once in a while rewarding the true fans, and the venue that by *far* deserves this sort of thing the most !!
Great Kharma (Khan-a?) for the upcoming release of the film – it deserves to be a smash hit and from the sounds of all the previews – it will be !!!
Got my tickets for the Opening Premiere at IMAX Melbourne on 7th May – looking forward to that almost more than my flight back to USA for a long anticipated 2 week space trip to Florida (NASA etc.) and that *is* saying something believe me !!!
April 12th, 2009 at 4:13 am
Just one more thing I love about the Drafthouse. Talk about a moviehouse that does it RIGHT. You guys will someday rule the world. And I will will proselytize your ascendancy.
April 15th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I wish I had moved to Austin a month ago! But noooooo I had to wait until April 30th. I’ll be buying a ticket for the May 7th show at 7PM. I CAN’T WAIT!!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 4:44 pm
[...] Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn” this past Monday night at the Alamo Drafthouse were in for a very big surprise. Instead of watching the intended film, audience members were treated not only to a surprise [...]
May 7th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Star Trek…
Spock: »We are traveling at warp speed. How did you manage to beam aboard the ship?«
Kirk: »You’re the genius. You figure it out.«
Spock: »As acting Captain of this vessel, I order you to answer the question.«
Kirk: …
May 7th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Awesome! Wish I could’ve been there for that.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Prescription Lipitor…
Last night was a pretty epic one for everyone here in the world of Fantastic Fest. Tim and Harry had [...]…
April 7th, 2010 at 11:27 am
see iron man 2 on-line at http://movies.neverseen.net
April 7th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
see iron man 2 online at http://movies.neverseen.net
June 20th, 2010 at 8:01 am
Each and every week there is a new collection of DVD new releases that come available. The new movies on DVD always have everybody exciting, and in many cases people eagerly anticipate the dates for a new DVD movie release far before it has actually come upon us!
July 28th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
I ALWAYS curl my hair with the straightner. it is soo much prettier that way, and to avoid damage, just use a heat protector. you can buy one for like 10$, and you should use it with a straighter AND a curling iron to avoid damage.
August 10th, 2010 at 11:47 am
[...] get less cool, does it? The Austin movie house is a beautiful space, drops surprise guests into screenings, gets our team on stage with Carson Daly, and — the reason for this post — gives us the [...]
August 18th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
[...] who thought they were invited to see a special screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan were treated instead to a sneak screening of J.J. Abrams new Trek reboot, with Leonard Nimoy in attendance. Color me jealous [...]