I’m going to go see Star Trek into Darkness with Kaiser tomorrow and I’m so excited about it! We don’t live too far from each other (although we met by coincidence on the Internet) so it’s nice that we can hang out and see what’s supposed to be an incredible movie. (We just wish Bedhead could come out with us!) Critics are raving about the second of JJ Abram’s Star Trek installments. Earlier this week I saw the first 2009 Star Trek reboot and was amazed at how good it was. I’m not a huge Trekkie but I have an older brother who watched Star Trek constantly when I was growing up so I’m familiar with the characters. Abrams really did justice to the backstory behind our favorites on the USS Enterprise. The characters and their relationships were believable, the plot was funny and exciting, and I was highly entertained. That first film got a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and Into Darkness is clocking in at about 87% so it’s supposed to be good.

Anyway Pine did an excellent job as arrogant but heroic James T. Kirk. I wasn’t that fond of him before I saw that film but I am now! Pine was on Ellen recently and she asked him about his ideal woman, and about his fans, who are called The Pine Nuts. I know about you Cumberbitches/people, but I’ve never heard of Pine Nuts before. These fan group names are getting so creative. Here’s more:

Chris Pine may not have a lady in his life, but the single star knows exactly what he wants in a woman. During a May 16 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the 32-year-old Star Trek Into Darkness actor confirmed Us Weekly’s report that he is a “single man” after splitting with model Dominique Piek earlier this year.

“What would you be looking for when you are looking for a woman?” DeGeneres asked the blue-eyed actor.

“I don’t know,” Pine shrugged. “I think anything that any normal man would be looking for: intelligence, beauty and a sense of humor. . . You have to be able to carry a conversation after the initial attraction kind of dies down.”

During their chat, DeGeneres also tried to make Pine tear up after he revealed in Men’s Health that he cries “all the time.” The 55-year-old talk show host also asked the California native about his legions of admirers. “My fans have designated themselves the Pine Nuts,” he told DeGeneres.

“Let’s talk about your Pine Nuts,” DeGeneres said as she presented the actor with a pair of yellow briefs. “What do they do, the Pine Nuts?”
Laughing, Pine replied, “They’re just a nutty bunch!”

[From US Weekly]

I like that Chris put “intelligence” before beauty in his ideal partner list. I don’t know how accurate that is. After all, he’s dated Audrina Patridge, Olivia Munn and a model called Dominique Piek. Dominique and Chris broke up in late April, and there were rumors that he was controlling and she was sick of it. With those type of ex partners, I’m not buying that he’s into “intelligence” first, but I could be wrong. Whatever Chris is into, it’s not settling down. He’s said he wants to be like George Clooney in his relationships and isn’t looking for marriage and kids anytime soon.

So I guess you can’t count me among the Pine Nuts yet. I like him just fine as Captain Kirk though, and he’s definitely easy on the eyes.

Chris Pine is shown outside Jimmy Kimmel on 5-16-13 and at the STID premiere on 5-15-13. Credit: WENN.com

There was no Benedict Cumberbatch at last night’s LA premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness. I found that depressing, although I’m sure the Anti-Cumby Brigade will rejoice. Why do you hate The Batch so much?! He’s amazing.

So here are some photos of “Hot Guys” of STID. Chris Pine is (thankfully) still rocking that amazing beard, and he really knows how to wear a suit. Karl Urban also came out for the premiere, which I’m sure will please the growing band of Urban Fan-Girls (Urbanites? Urban-heads?). John Cho was there too! Cho has been largely absent from the STID promotional tour and I’m not sure why. Zachary Quinto has been trying out a fauxhawk throughout the tour, to mixed results, although I kind of think he’s pulling it off here.

So who would I bang in the absence of The Batch? Hm… probably just Chris Pine. I think Karl Urban is sexy, but I’m more into Pine these days.

PS… Chris Pine brought his dad, actor Robert Pine, as his date. Which I find completely adorable.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

A beard-less Chris Pine covers the new issue of Men’s Health Mag to promote his lead role in Star Trek Into Darkness. You know I’ve been feeling the Pine love lately, but I figured out that I can only really get on board when he’s got a beard. Of course he’s still attractive clean-shaven, but I’m just a really big fan of the beard. The beard is amazing. Without the beard, I have to focus on his personality which is… okay. It’s better than I was expecting. He’s smart and well-spoken and he loves to read. Here are some highlights from the interview in case you’re interested in anything he has to say (if not you can just look at the pictures):

On why he works out: “ I work out because that’s my job. What I enjoy about it, beyond the vanity, is the Zen of it. I like getting out of my head: One great way is to sweat your face off. I appreciate that if you’re thinking of anything else, you’re not working intensely enough.”

On his first acting gig as a skateboarding madman on CSI: Miami: “I played a really creepy sociopath who strangled his girlfriend during sex,” he says. The experience was better for Pine than for the cadaver. “I kind of loved it,” he says. “Once I let go of resistance and leaned in, I thought, ‘Yep, this job definitely rocks.’ ”

On his biggest fear: “Mediocrity scares me,” he says. “It’s the fear of not being as good as you want to be. If you give over to that fear, it will sabotage you. As much as I can, I try to use that fear to guide me.”

On how is first audition went for Star Trek: “As badly as you can imagine.”

On when he got a callback for Star Trek after bombing the audition: “When you want something enough, it brings out primal emotions,” he says. “You get into this place of ‘must happen, must happen.’”

On what’s in store for Star Trek into Darkness: “Much more action; much, much more intensity; and a lot more fighting.” In a couple of words? “Seriously epic,” he says.

On being a misfit in high school: “Just looking at a girl felt awkward. When you feel like an oddball, it never really leaves you. Even now, I’m better around people who are uncomfortable with themselves, the misfits.”

On his father’s acting career: “Acting was work for him. It was a job. I always thought there was something great about that. Almost like you’re working in a bank. You don’t get carried away with yourself.”

On being mentored by Alec Balwin: “I was transparent in my desire to be mentored. ‘Please give me sage wisdom,’ I’d say. Alec just took me by the shoulders and said, ‘Do it,’ which to me meant ‘Jump in, dive in, take it. Smile and laugh. Grab it, chew it.’”

His Motto: “Just get in there and get dirty.”

His Hero: “My father. He leads with his heart. I have a memory of us fishing. It could be f–king miserably boring, but he was totally invested in what this experience was going to be for me. His absolute dedication to my interest is what moves me when I look back on it.”

Last website he recommended to a friend: “Truthout.org.”

What to cook to impress a girlfriend: “Steak: Sear the meat to create a few nice lines. Know how long to grill it so you only have to flip it once.”

Last time he cried: “I cry all the time—at work, at the shrink’s, with my lady. The Notebook killed me. Up destroyed me. Up was like the animated Amour.”

[From Men’s Health]

Aw, I like a man who talks about crying. He cries at work! He cries with his lady! He cries at movies! And he cries with his shrink? He has a therapist? That’s interesting. That might explain why he seems so… straight-forward these days. As for his fear of mediocrity… well, be gentle on him! I have no comment on that.

I had to look at Truth-out.org to see what it was about – don’t let the name confuse you, it’s not some kind of 9/11 truther/conspiracy blog, thank God. But it is a liberal/progressive site with some conspiracies/truths (mostly about corporate lobbyists and fracking) here and there. There’s an interesting interview with Julian Assange which I’m going to read later. Thank you, Chris, for recommending this site!

Photos courtesy of Men’s Health.

The press tour for Star Trek Into Darkness has moved to America, and that means we have some assorted photos of Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch out and about in NYC yesterday. Most of these photos are from last night’s red carpet screening of STID, but there are some candids too – Chris Pine walking out of his hotel, looking pretty badass, and Cumby signing autographs for fans whilst wearing his ear buds.

I’m going to make this post a “who would you rather?” thing because one of the most unexpected things happened as I’ve covered the STID press tour: I’ve developed a completely new and welcome crush on Chris Pine. It’s mostly the beard, I’m sure (I have a thing for beards and quality facial hair), but it’s also… him. Pine’s 30s agree with him. He no longer seems like a superficial pretty boy. He has some depth and… I don’t know. Why do I feel the need to defend my crush? Chris Pine is just doing it for me these days, okay? UNF.

As for The Batch, he looks like a funeral director in most of these photos. Of course I would hit it, but I would want to treat it for vitamin deficiency first. Many of you have been bitching about his hair color and his paleness these past few weeks, but you realize that he’s pale and dark-haired for Sherlock, right? He’s filming the third season of Sherlock right now, which is why he’s so pale and wan.

I’m also adding a bonus Cumberbatch photo that Eve just sent me of The Cumberbulge in his STID costume. Okay, that’s doing it for me too. Damn! Go here to see my earlier Cumberpost (which includes the Letterman interview).

Photos courtesy of WENN and Fame/Flynet.

Lord help me, I’ve really started to have some feelings for Chris Pine. Usually I couldn’t care less about him. That’s how it was for years – I thought he was pretty, of course, but I assumed he was vapid, boring and nothing special. But then something weird happened. I guess he grew up a little – the 20-something pretty boy became an interesting man with interesting things to say. Maybe it’s the beard he’s been rocking lately. Or maybe I will always “come home” to my dong kryptonite type: dark hair, light eyes and tall. So, Chris covers the new issue of Out Magazine – you can read the full piece here. He talks about modern masculinity in film, playing gay men and he talks a lot about books and how he uses his BA in English from UC Berkeley.

Masculinity in film: “I think there is a growing homogenization of what masculinity means.” Heroes in today’s films all look the same, Pine argues, ticking off a list: “Bare chested. Very tan. White. Brown hair, blue eyes, perfect skin.” He grimaces. “That is so — not real.”

He has a BA in English from UC Berkeley: “You’re taught to get good grades, but you’re not really taught to find your own passion. I found it really confining.” He spent a year at the University of Leeds in England, started cheating on books with plays, hanging out with theater kids, and then hitting the stage himself.

Kenneth Branagh says Chris is like Paul Newman: “It goes back to someone like Paul Newman. The character actor in the leading man’s body — Chris has that.”

His first big gig in The Princess Diaries 2: “One reviewer said, ‘He’s a Rob Lowe lookalike with the charisma of a David Hasselhoff.’ I’ll take the Rob Lowe lookalike, that’s fine. But I remember the charisma part really f–king well. It might have said ‘not even half the charisma of a David Hasselhoff.’ I don’t know why we’re programmed this way, but all I remember is the nasty s–t. And, I swear to God, if people think it’s going to tear me down, it’s like kindling in my f–king steam engine.”

His first love scene was playing a gay man in the TV movie Surrender, Dorothy: “My first intimate scene [onscreen] was with Tom Everett Scott,” Pine says. “He’s an incredible spooner — very warm, very sensitive.”

He loves to play tennis: “It’s strictly for vanity,” he admits, laughing. “I need accountability. I need to know that I will lose out on money if I don’t show up. Otherwise, I’ll be chain smoking and drinking copious amounts of coffee. I wish I had the f–king willpower.”

Doing his first-ever cleanse: “I can’t eat pasta like I used to, even, like, a month ago. It’s too much. And nothing beats a good bottle of red wine and some Italian food.”

He’s currently a bachelor: “It’s really hard in our business to maintain something. For me, right now, it’d be really hard… Well, I’m a 32-year-old man,” he says, and half-covers a not-so-bashful grin with his hand. “I feel like it’s always springtime.”

Seeing his friend Zacahry Quinto come out: “It was something that I knew about Zach from the moment I met him. It was just who Zach was and that’s that. I’m sensitive, and I don’t ever want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Knowing that for Zach it was more about a career thing and that he was not comfortable at the time coming out — it was fine. It was something that we kind of tiptoed around and I just took it as a given, because that’s what he wanted.” But when Quinto came out in 2011 in an interview with New York magazine, Pine was thrilled: “So happy for him, oh man. I thought it was rad. It was really, really cool. He did it on his own time, on his own schedule. And Jonathan [Groff], who he’s dating, is such a lovely man. He’s a good guy and a great actor, and they make a fantastic couple. I couldn’t have been happier for Zach.”

He’d like to see a gay action star: “All it really takes is the fact that the man isn’t going home to his wife, but has a boyfriend at home,” he says. “I think it would be a wonderful thing to see.”

[From Out Magazine]

What do you think of what Chris has to say about Zachary Quinto’s sexuality? I think he’s trying to be an LGBTQ Ally, trying to be supportive and nonjudgmental and all, but I find his wording to be kind of weird. “It was something that I knew about Zach from the moment I met him… I’m sensitive, and I don’t ever want to make anyone feel uncomfortable… It was something that we kind of tiptoed around and I just took it as a given, because that’s what he wanted.” It makes it seem like Zachary never said “Oh, by the way I have a boyfriend” but Chris just assumed it, I guess? I don’t know, the wording just seemed weird to me.

Anyway, would I hit it? Damn. Probably. I can’t believe I’m saying that, but there it is.

Photos courtesy of Out.

I’m not sure if you Cumberbitches are sort of Batched-out or what, so I’m not expecting a ton of interest in this post, but I felt like covering it all the same. Benedict Cumberbatch was a guest on Graham Norton’s show this weekend, along with Chris Pine and Kim Cattrall. Benedict wasn’t totally amazing on the show, but he didn’t embarrass himself either. He was interesting and it’s obvious Graham is sort of a Cumby fan-boy. Chris Pine seemed rather gracious and all three made decent talk-show guests, although nothing really scandalous happened.

Here’s Part I – skip ahead to about 3:30 to see when the guests come on. Chris Pine tells several stories, there’s an interesting one about a Gay Pride parade. Kim Cattrall flirts a little with Benedict, but not as much as you would expect. Benedict starts talking about STID around 8:00-ish. Around the 10-minute mark, Benedict tells a story about Chris pranking him. Around the 13-minute mark, Cumby doesn’t want to say “Cumberbitches” so he says “The Cumber Collective” which is actually a really cute name for us. Also: Chris Pine is strangely sexy. I’m really feeling it for him lately.

Part II – around 1:40 Benedict gives a hug & a kiss to a sweet German Cumberbitch. YES! And then there’s a Hong Kong Cumberbitch and she gets a hug too. It’s pretty amazing. This just goes to show you – Asian girls LOVE some Cumby. Except for the Japanese girl who is all about Chris Pine. Kim talks for a while between 5:30-7:30. Then Benedict starts in about doing Frankenstein on stage. Around the 13-minute mark Benedict talks about Sherlock.

Part III – Benedict starts talking about his voice. Mmm. Cumby also does an impression of Graham Norton. At 3:40 Bonnie Tyler starts singing and it gets kind of boring… let’s see. The rest of it is kind of boring.

Cumby is going to be on Letterman later on this week, and I’m sure we’ll pretty much have Cumby stories every day. Sigh… Cumby is no longer a secret!

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Star Trek Into Darkness had its UK premiere last night. Did you just pee a little bit out of excitement? You should! Because all of your men were there. Even if you are not in lust with Benedict Cumberbatch, I assure you there was someone there to float your proverbial boat. As for my lover Cumby… he looked especially pale and wan. I think it’s a combination of things – he’s filming Sherlock right now and so he’s limited by his Sherlock look – pale, underweight, dark hair. He tried to slick back his hair but it does make him look especially like some kind (whispers) Lizard King. I mean, I would still nail that to the wall, don’t get me wrong. But I worry that he might be suffering some kind of vitamin deficiency. Thankfully, my biscuit is very nutritious. Too far? HA.

But seriously, I know some of you love Zachary Quinto, so I’m including pics of him too. I don’t get his Skrillex hair, but it’s certainly a “look”. Also there: Simon Pegg, of course. And I’m also including photos of two unquestionably (at this point) delicious men, Chris Pine and Karl Urban. I’m late to the Urban train, so I’ll just say that the man is handsome and I’ll leave you to it. But Chris Pine’s hotness continues to surprise me. That boy has grown into a man overnight! I think it’s the beard. The beard is really doing it for me. Mm…

So, what’s your ranking? Cumby is my #1, followed by Pine, followed by Urban (out of deference to the growing band of Urban-loonies). Enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction to my admission yesterday that I don’t always find Chris Pine repellent. Shock! I actually think Chris looks really sexy and quite dashing with this beard, and he’s aging really well. He doesn’t seem so much like a Hollywood pretty boy trying to be a big boy. He seems more confident and comfortable these days. Let’s see, how old is he? He’s 32. That’s a good age for most actors. And Chris will probably continue to stay on this level too – not quite A-list, but he’s about where Ryan Reynolds is. No better, no worse. Except Pine heads up a profitable franchise (Star Trek) and Ryan does not (haha on The Green Lantern).

Anyway, these are new photos of the Star Trek Into Darkness premiere in Berlin last night. This is yet another tentpole franchise film which is being sold and promoted first in Europe and Asia rather than America. Is that how it’s going to be from now on? I hate that the American media doesn’t get first dibs on the promotional tours these days. As for these photos, Chris continues to look really good, right? Damn. I’m turning into a Pine fan-girl. What is happening?!

Did you happen to see the latest clip from Star Trek Into Darkness? It’s all Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Pine. Cumby is the terrorist, Chris is the “good guy” Captain Kirk. Chris doesn’t get me hot in this clip… but neither does Cumby. So it’s a wash right now!

I’m also including pics of Zachary Quinto (because I know many of you crush on him, but I’m not really into it), Simon Pegg (who lost some sexy with that suit), Zoe Saldana (in Balmain ‘gina curtains) and Alice Eve (in a cheap-looking Emilio Pucci).

PS… I didn’t choose photos of Chris Pine squinting on purpose to illustrate some kind of point. He was just squinting IN EVERY PHOTO. I’m over it already!! LOL.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Here are some photos of the cast of Star Trek Into Darkness (minus Benedict Cumberbatch) at a photocall in Germany over the weekend. I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this, but Simon Pegg looks really hot here AND Chris Pine is making me do a double-take. While I like Pegg in general, I’m never hot for him, so this is a new experience for me. As for Chris… I learned to disregard him years ago, when he dated Audrina Patridge and… do I really need to say more? But I think it’s the greying beard. The beard gives him a new and interesting look. And I’m into it.

As it turns out, Chris is going to be doing the STID press tour solo – Us Weekly reported on Friday that Chris and his girlfriend Dominique Piek have split. Which should be news to all of us who didn’t even realize he was in a relationship.

Chris Pine and Dominique Piek’s romance has come to an end, multiple sources confirm to Us Weekly. “It happened a while ago,” a source says. The Star Trek Into Darkness actor, 32, and the Sports Illustrated model, 27, made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2012.

“It was a mutual call,” another insider says of their breakup. “They both needed their space. She has been very busy with her modeling work and traveling. He’s got Star Trek and his other projects keeping him busy.”

Pine — whose exes include Olivia Munn and Audrina Patridge — began romancing the South African stunner in the fall of 2011. Prior to dating the actor, Piek was linked to professional baseball player C.J. Wilson.

Now that they’re both single, the exes are focusing on their careers. “It’s hard for two people at their age and on their level,” a source tells Us. “They’ll both be just fine, though.” E! News was the first to report the couple’s split.

[From Us Weekly]

I remember, years ago, reading a profile of Chris in some magazine and his managers and agents were complaining about how Chris always wanted to be set up with an endless series of bimbos, reality stars and famewhores (my words, not theirs). Like, he doesn’t ask his friends to set him up with friends of friends or anything like that. He wants his management team to set him up with fame-hungry young things who want to date someone famous. I wonder if he’s still like that? I wonder if his management team finally sat him down that told him that he could actually date ladies from a more elite pool of Hollywood women?

PS… Am I the only one who doesn’t “get” why Alice Eve is a thing?

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

Chris Pine covers the spring issue of C Magazine (he’s promoting Star Trek: Into Darkness), and they’ve named the feature “Well Suited.” As such, Chris is photographed wearing various metrosexual suits in various locales, but each of these shots has one thing in common — intense face. Somehow and despite the fact that all of these suits must cost a few thousand dollars apiece, Chris is somehow looking scruffy, but that’s a look he favors of late.

Now I understand that Chris is something of a heartthrob by contemporary Hollywood standards, but I just don’t see it. Does he do it for you? He seems kind of like a controlling tool, and I’m not much of a Star Trek buff, so I’m not really his target audience. He looks good here in a very unwashed, scruffy male model sort of way.

Chris may very well be scoring (obscure) magazine covers and technically be the lead actor of the rebooted Star Trek franchise, but I don’t think anyone is paying attention anymore now that Benedict Cumberbatch has entered the premises. Here’s the latest trailer again, just for kicks.

Photos courtesy of C Mag