At numerous points in the watching of Lincoln, Steven Spielburg’s new ode to America and Americana, I was reminded of Tableau Vivant, a kind of staged group charades that was a popular entertainment of the 19th century. In Tableau Vivant, costumed enactors wordlessly enact a story, freezing in a series of familiar scenes or attitudes.

And so is the same in Lincoln, in which actors, led by an astonishingly physically like Daniel Day Lewis, enact the last several months of Abraham Lincoln’s life, frequently freezing in scenes or postures that seem designed to recall all the many paintings, daguerrotypes, statuary and coinage with which we are all so familiar and that pay homage to the man whom most agree is our country’s greatest president.

Despite the dramatic build-up around the central accomplishment of Lincoln’s severely truncated second term—the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery—and the political sausage-making this necessitates, the film feels less story than hagiography. Spielberg seems determined to convince us that Lincoln was a great president, and I buy it, but was it ever in question? Is this biopic or is it a nearly 3-hour Franklin Mint commercial? There’s been a lot of press about Lewis’s voice in this movie, but to me his entire performance, voice included, is problematic.

With all the previews for the upcoming Syfy show Alphas we seem to run around here, you would think we’re producing the show ourselves. Sadly, no, we’re just reporting on it for you.

Not only that, it does seem pretty cool and has a very good cast, including film and TV veteran David Strathairn. Plus, it was co-created and written by comic book movie mainstay Zak Penn so we’re also interested because of that fact.

To help get you ready for all the fun, we’ve got another batch of previews for the pilot episode and the first episode of the series.

The series, in case you’re not familiar, is a procedural thriller about ordinary people with extraordinary mental and physical abilities that operate within a special branch of the Department of Defense and are tasked to investigate cases committed by others with Alpha abilities.

Click through to check out all the previews after the break. Alphas premieres July 11th on Syfy.

Recently, we brought you some pics and a preview of the upcoming Syfy series Alphas. Now, the network has sent over even more videos to entice you and we being the good folks we are, we’re bringing them right to you.

The series, created and written by comic book movie writer Zak Penn (X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers) and Michael Karnow, may seem a bit familiar to you, as we discussed before. And again, I’m not sure that matters if its done well.

Here’s the details so you can judge for yourself:

The series is a procedural thriller about ordinary people with extraordinary mental and physical abilities that operate within a special branch of the Department of Defense and are tasked to investigate cases committed by others with Alpha abilities. Emmy® winner and Academy Award nominee David Strathairn (Temple Grandin/Good Night, and Good Luck) headlines a cast of both familiar and new faces including Warren Christie (October Road), Malik Yoba (New York Undercover), Laura Mennell (Watchmen), Ryan Cartwright (Bones) and Azita Ghanizada (Castle).

Click through for all the videos after the jump. Alphas premieres on Syfy July 11 at 10/9c on Syfy.

This week’s pick is another salute to our WW II flyboys in Michael Caton-Jones’s Memphis Belle (1990).  The film stars Matthew Modine (Captain Dennis Dearborn, Pilot), Tate Donovan (1st Lt. Luke Sinclair, Co-Pilot), D.B. Sweeney, (Lt. Phil Lowenthal, Navigator), Billy Zane (Lt. Val Kozlowski, Bombardier), Top Turret Gunner), Eric Stoltz (Sgt. Danny “Danny Boy” Daly, Radio Operator), Sean Astin (Sgt. Richard “Rascal” Moore, and John Lithgow (Lt. Col. Bruce Derringer, an Army publicist writing a story on the crew of the Memphis Belle).

The film is set in the spring of 1943 where American B-17 heavy bombers of the 8th USAAF have been practicing daylight strategic bombing for almost a year against targets within Hitler’s Fortress Europe. The crew of one bomber the Memphis Belle, are the first ever crew to successfully complete their twenty-fifth and final bombing mission before they are allowed to rotate home for R&R.

The film opens where the crew of the Belle are grounded due to their plane under repairs after their last severe mission. As the twenty or so planes from the group arrive back, personnel on the ground can see the battle damage inflicted on the bombers due to enemy guns and shrapnel from air bursts over the target. The last returning bomber’s landing gear is damaged and the plane crash lands on the field. They can hear the men on board screaming as they are trying to get out and then the plane explodes. The men look on as fire and ambulance crews respond to the fiery wreak.

Syfy has seen fit to send us some info, pics and a trailer for a new series dubuting on the network in July. The series, created and written by comic book movie writer Zak Penn (X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers) and Michael Karnow, may seem a bit familiar to you.

However, that doesn’t make it bad. Besides, Penn is a smart guy, I’m sure he can make it work.

Here are the details from Syfy so you can judge for yourself:

The series is a procedural thriller about ordinary people with extraordinary mental and physical abilities that operate within a special branch of the Department of Defense and are tasked to investigate cases committed by others with Alpha abilities.

Emmy® winner and Academy Award nominee David Strathairn (Temple Grandin/Good Night, and Good Luck) headlines a cast of both familiar and new faces including Warren Christie (October Road), Malik Yoba (New York Undercover), Laura Mennell (Watchmen), Ryan Cartwright (Bones) and Azita Ghanizada (Castle).

And yes, Callum Keith Rennie of Battlestar Galactica, 24 and late of The Killing guest stars in the pilot. That guy ends up in lots of things. Why don’t they just let him be a series regular in something? Doesn’t seem fair.

Check out the trailer and some pics after the break. Catch Alphas in action July 11 at 10/9c on Syfy.

At their upfront presentation late yesterday, Syfy mapped out their programming plans for the rest of 2011 and into 2012. Network President Dave Howe introduced the largest original programming slate in the channel’s 18-year history, highlighted by 14 new original series and events comprising more than 100 hours of programming.

In July, Syfy will launch four scripted series in the same month — for the first time ever — new drama Alphas and returning series Warehouse 13, Eureka and Haven. Hopefully, this will help the network which is coming off off a year marked by disappointing ratings for Caprica and Stargate: Universe, both of which were cancelled after shorter-than-hoped-for runs. However, new series Being Human and Face Off, which have both been renewed, are doing better than expected and look to elevate the network out of its slump.

Also announced during the event was the launch of a new Syfy publishing business of genre games under the “Syfy Games” banner. Here’s all the info on Syfy’s upcoming slate of programming and projects in development:

NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Alphas — Premiering in July — Alphas follows a team of ordinary citizens whose brain anomalies imbue them with extraordinary mental and physical abilities. Taking the law into their own hands, the unlikely team, led by Dr. Leigh Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Oscar nominee David Strathairn) investigates cases that suggest other Alpha activity to uncover what the CIA, FBI and Pentagon have not been able, or willing, to solve. These gifted individuals must balance their quirky personalities and disparate backgrounds with their not always visible powers as they work to solve crimes, stop the ticking time bomb and catch the enemy.

Alphas also stars Malik Yoba, Warren Christie, Laura Mennell, Ryan Cartwright and Azita Ghanizada, and is a production of Universal Cable Productions and BermanBraun Television. Executive Producers are Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein for BermanBraun, Zak Penn and Ira Steven Behr.

Shakespeare’s The Tempest may be one of the most contrived and story-heavy piece of work in his collection, but that’s not stopping director Julie Taymor, who plans on bringing a direct adaptation of the play to theaters next year.

Yes, this is the same Julie Taymor who is begrudgingly bringing Spider-Man to Broadway, but she’s also the director behind Across the Universe, which introduced a whole new generation to the music of The Beatles, and adapted Shakespeare once before with Anthony Hopkins in Titus.

Now she’s at it again, with a new gang of players including Helen Mirren, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, and Alan Cumming.

The premise is a bit confusing, so we won’t try to bog you down with the details. Instead, we have two great clips featuring Mirren, Hounsou, and Brand, which you can check out after the jump.

Catch Disney’s Tempest in theaters this Friday.

Julie Taymor has made quite a lot of progress in Hollywood in the past few years. If bringing Across The Universe to theaters and Beatles music to a whole new audience wasn’t enough, she was one of the driving forces to bring Spider-Man to Broadway (whether we want it or not). Now Taymor is bringing her unique knack for stage adaptation with Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

The movie looks like an intense music video, with elements of mythology, magic, and yes, Russell Brand. Here’s the full synopsis for those who fell asleep during that 9th grade English class.

In her big-screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s mystical thriller “The Tempest,” Academy Award(R)-nominated Julie Taymor (“Across the Universe,” “Frida,” “Titus”) brings an original dynamic to the story by changing the gender of the sorcerer Prospero into the sorceress Prospera, portrayed by Oscar(R) winner Helen Mirren (“The Queen”). Prospera’s journey spirals through vengeance to forgiveness as she reigns over a magical island, cares for her young daughter, Miranda, and unleashes her powers against shipwrecked enemies in this exciting, masterly mix of romance, tragicomedy and the supernatural.

Mirren is followed by an almost Expendable-sized cast such as Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Ben Whishaw, Reeve Carney, Felicity Jones, and Tom Conti.

The film is expected to hit theaters on December 10th, but you can see what we’re going on about with the first trailer after the jump. Enjoy!

Missed last night’s Emmy Awards? Didn’t feel like sitting through the entire spectacle just to see if Jon Hamm took home that shiny trophy? We’ve got your solution. Here is the complete list of Emmy Winners from last night’s show. Enjoy.

Drama Series: “Mad Men,” AMC.

Comedy Series: “Modern Family,” ABC.

Actor, Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad,” AMC.

Actress, Drama Series: Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer,” TNT.

Actor, Comedy Series: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS.

Actress, Comedy Series: Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie,” Showtime.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad,” AMC.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Archie Panjabi, “The Good Wife,” CBS.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family,” ABC.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Jane Lynch, “Glee,” Fox.