In this week's Movie Date podcast, Rafer explains to Kristen what red shirts signify in the Star Trek universe, Kristen confesses to having a crush on a certain Star Trek character, and their special guest, Scott Rosenberg, reveals which Enterprise crew member he'd most like to see headlining a spin-off series. It's all in honor of the highly anticipated "Star Trek Into Darkness."

They vowed to go where no one has gone before. But can the crew of the Enterprise really go new places without paying tribute to the old? And what are those old places that brought us to where we are now? David Goodman, author of "Star Trek Federation: the First 150 Years," shares his knowledge of the history, characters, and adventures that make up the Star Trek universe, and weighs in on whether the newest film, "Star Trek Into Darkness" would make Gene Roddenberry proud.

Songs, like all art, can take on a life of their own once they are thrust into the public domain. Their meanings can shift substantially, something commentator Alva Noë experienced recently during a school music recital.

Dark detective tales never get old. It's the same old story every time, even when events take place off world and the people are nothing more than machines. It's a form we love to relive and revive with every generation, says commentator Adam Frank.

Is "The Great Gatsby" great? It's been the question on movie enthusiasts' minds for the past several months. Rafer and Kristen weigh in on the Leonardo Di Caprio-led movie, share their knowledge of the book, and compare the film to prior adaptations. They also weigh in on another Long Island movie about class differences hitting theatres this week: "Peeples," starring Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson.

The work of the Dutch master Johannes Vermeer has long puzzled the art world. Some of his pieces just don't quite fit. They're a little off. What gives? Author Benjamin Binstock has an idea, an idea that commentator Alva Noë finds appealing.

Does the breathless excitement seen in media coverage of Amanda Knox amount to sexism? Commentator Barbara J. King argues 'yes' and says its part of an age-old pattern in human culture.

Some critics argue that the new Metropolitan Museum's exhibition on punk fashion is proof that punk is over. But if punk is everywhere, including a museum exhibit, is punk over; or has it officially won? Kelly Maxwell mulls over this question in a new piece for Bust Magazine.

In recent years, the bicycle has gone from a mode of transportation, to an object that comes with rights that cities acknowledge and cater to. For those who’ve been entrenched in the bike world over the decades, it’s been quite a journey. Charlie McCorkell is among them. He’s been biking around Manhattan since the 1960s. And in the seventies, he opened what’s become one of New York’s most popular bike shops: Bicycle Habitat, in Soho.

There was a time when superheroes confined themselves to the pages of comic books piled up in a kids room. Now they're on the big screen and in the mainstream of pop culture. Commentator Adam Frank says there are winners and losers in this transformation.

In this week's Movie Date podcast, Rafer and Kristen discuss Gwyneth Paltrow's abs, Kate Hudson's divisive acting skills, action sequences that make Kristen clap, and the best terrorism-themed movies for making out during. It's all in honor of this week's two terrorism-themed films: "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" and "Iron Man 3."

Like many parents around the world, some moms and dads in Brooklyn are choosing to raise their children without using any diapers. How does this work and does it make any sense? Commentator Barbara J. King checks in with anthropologist Meredith Small, who embraces the idea with enthusiasm.

In this week's Movie Date podcast, Rafer and Kristen talk about why we should all aspire to the motto, "do be a doer," as opposed to "don't be a don'ter." They also discuss middle-aged sex, wedding hook-ups, and Chef Boyardee. Special guest Cate Contino Cowit gives her insights as well. It's all in honor of the new action-crime-comedy, "Pain and Gain" starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Anthony Mackie; and the romantic comedy, "The Big Wedding," starring Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried, Robin Williams, and Topher Grace.

Mira Nair discusses her new film, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist." Based on Mohsid Hamid’s bestselling novel, it tells the story of Changez, a young man from Pakistan climbing the corporate ladder in the U.S., until world events change his life. The film stars Riz Ahmed, Liev Schreiber, Keifer Sutherland, and Kate Hudson. Mira Nair is also the award winning director of “Monsoon Wedding,” “Mississippi Masala,” “The Namesake,” and many other films.

The Takeaway's Movie Date team, Kristen Meinzer and Rafer Guzman, review this week's major releases. On the roster this week: the dysfunctional family comedy, “The Big Wedding” and the action-comedy-crime film "Pain and Gain." 

 

A performance of Mozart's Requiem has commentator Barbara J. King thinking about the ways humans grieve. Of all species on Earth, we alone mourn across time and space for people we have never met.

This week's Movie Date podcast is arriving a few days late, as Kristen was dedicating all of last week's working hours to covering the news in Boston. But it's still packed with Rafer and Kristen freshness! On the chopping block: "The Company You Keep," a thriller about what happens when radical terrorists hit middle age; and "Oblivion," a sci-fi adventure about what happens when Tom Cruise refuses to mature beyond his "Top Gun" years. Thanks for your patience, Movie Daters!

The term "campy" is one generally connoted with films or visual performances that are rooted in gay culture -- "Rocky Horror Picture Show," or John Waters' "Hairspray" are just two examples. As J. Bryan Lowder, Slate editorial assistant for culture, tells us on Soundcheck, it's "things that are sort of exaggerated, over the top, 'so-bad-it's good.'" 

For US VegWeek 2013, commentator Tania Lombrozo digs into the paradox of people who love meat but don't love the idea of harming animals. Is there a way out? One place to start is the 7-day VegPledge.

A study out last week analyzes charred food remains in Japanese pottery dated to 15,000 years ago. Results show that hunter-gatherers in Japan cooked fish in the pots, a finding commentator Barbara J. King says adds new depth to our comprehension of the complexity in human prehistory, even before farming.