Bing has finally one-upped Google in the nerd-cred department. In honor of this week’s premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness , Bing Translator has added the Trek language Klingon, or as I’ll be referring to it: Bingon. Starting today, you can visit the Bing Translator to convert a phrase from any of the languages available into Klingon. The language is also available on the Windows Phone app (so the guy who has that can use it there). The Klingon language has been a huge part of Star Trek culture since 1979, when the first words were uttered in the invented language in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Estimates range from 50,000 to 100,000 speakers of Klingon, with dictionaries and translators widely available. What phrases will you translate into Klingon?
File under WTF, Out of Left Field, and Most Probably Not Happening, Like Ever: According to Deadline , rumor has it that Angelina Jolie , coming off of her directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey , has been in the unofficial running to join the 50 Shades of Grey adaptation — not as Mrs. Robinson, not as some kinky bondage-enthusiast, but as… director. Mike Fleming reports from the floor of the rumor mill: “I’ve heard rumors about the possibility of Angelina Jolie having a conversation or two about directing it… The studio says that no discussions have been had, but they note that if she was interested, that the studio would be also. They loved her directorial debut, In The Land Of Blood And Honey .” I’m not sure what about Blood and Honey would suggest that Jolie is a great pick to direct the steamy erotica adaptation, though she has won “honors” in various men’s magazines for being the Sexiest Woman Alive, and those things ought to count for something. In any case, Fleming says, Jolie’s busy. “I’m told she’s completely focused on her next film, Maleficent , at Disney and isn’t entertaining other offers at this moment.” So maybe the Jolie train has already come and gone. Assuming so, which director would you like to see tackle 50 Shades of Grey ? I’ll start with a few: Adrian Lyne (via Deadline commenters). Just Jaeckin. John Waters. Go! [ Deadline ]
Movieline’s Klingon contingent aside, there are probably legions of faithful Star Trek fans who’d get behind series actor Michael Dorn and his idea to write and star in an indie spin-off movie around Worf, his Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine character. “I am serious,” he told TrekMovie.com, after revealing his very early plans at Phoenix Comic-Con. “I think there is a place for it. Straight to DVD or straight to cable. Who wouldn’t want to have this kind of thing going on?” Well, J.J. Abrams , for starters, given that all things new in the Star Trek world revolve around his forthcoming studio sequel . You think Abrams and Paramount would mind if Dorn (who, he says, are planning on Kickstarting a non- Star Trek drama to feature various Star Trek actor friends of his) just made a small little movie about Worf captaining a ship, fighting space terrorists? Well, yes. They would. But that shouldn’t keep Dorn or the Trekkers out there from harboring hope; despite his admission that he’s yet to go to his manager and his prospective direct-to-TV movie home SyFy to pitch his idea, Dorn exudes confidence that such a Worf spin-off might come to pass. “I have already started writing the script and excuse my language, but it’s f—ing great.” [ TrekMovie.com via giantfreakingrobot ]
And now, allow Carrie Fisher to break up your busy work day by pointing out the differences between the epic film franchise in which she starred as Princess Leia, Star Wars , and the television sci-fi series Star Trek . “They’re not in the same league. I mean, they have the word ‘star’ in the title. And there is space travel. Where do they go to? Klingon? That sounds like a laundry detergent.” Click here for the rest of Fisher’s inspired diatribe which also touches on Star Wars merchandising, her Princess Leia Metal bikini and Dick Cheney’s penis, of course. [ YouTube via EW ]
The emergence of an entirely original opera in Klingon, along with recent translations of Shakespeare and the Bible into Klingon, may be forcing us to question whether this has moved beyond fan obsession and into something more significant. added by: virgilsdiner
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2009/11/dinkytown_dad_s.php Is this taking the whole Star Trek thing a teensie weensie bit too far? d'Armond Speers spoke only Klingon to his child for the first three years of its life.
