WHAT TO SEE
Star Trek Into Darkness
British audiences have had a week to get themselves to director Mr J. J. Abrams' second instalment of his rebooted Star Trek franchise. And they certainly should have done so to show their national pride in Sherlock actor Mr Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the movie's mysterious baddie, described as a "one-man weapon of mass destruction". On board the Enterprise, however, the feel is definitely young Hollywood, with Mr Chris Pine reprising his role as a rebellious young Captain James T Kirk and Mr Zachary Quinto popping on the pointy ears to play Dr Spock. US cinema-goers can show their support at the box office from tomorrow.
Out now in the UK and Australia, and tomorrow in the US. startrekmovie.com
WHAT TO READ
Taxidermy by Alexis Turner
From exotic creatures to beloved ex-pets, the art of making animals appear revivified by preserving and stuffing them has always held a curious allure. This new book by Mr Alexis Turner, who runs London Taxidermy, examines the discipline's many applications, past and present. The exhaustive tome spans lavish interior-decorating projects and museum exhibits, faked "hybrid" animals and the work of animal-obsessed artists such as Britain's Mr Damien Hirst and France's Mr Daniel Firman, whose sculpture "Wursa", a life-sized elephant balancing on its trunk installed in Château de Fontainebleau near Paris, appears on the book's striking cover.
Out now
WHAT TO HEAR
More Light by Primal Scream
Primal Scream frontman Mr Bobby Gillespie has described his band's first album in five years as having a sense of positive momentum. "I wanted to convey coming out of a dark place and into a good one," he said recently, although in subsequent interviews he's said it's also about the apathy of today's youth and the inefficacy of their art, so he's not gone too happy-clappy. Produced by Mr David Holmes, the Scottish outfit's 10th studio album features guest appearances from Led Zeppelin's Mr Robert Plant and My Bloody Valentine's Mr Kevin Shields, and is already being hailed as at least a nod to the halcyon days of Screamadelica.
Out now.
WHAT TO WATCH
The Goodwin Games
Not since Mr Charles Dickens - or maybe Asterix - have character names been so revealing. In this instance it's the grown-up Goodwin children, who discover that if they're good and follow the instructions left to them by their late father (played by Mr Beau Bridges), they could win a $20m inheritance. The new comedy stars Ms Becki Newton (Ugly Betty) as the brainbox daughter who just wants to be popular, while Grey's Anatomy's Mr Scott Foley plays her brother, a successful surgeon with a chip on his shoulder. The runt of the litter is a musician (played by Mr T J Miller) with a daughter to support and a loan shark on his tail.
Starts on 20 May in the US on Fox
WHAT TO ATTEND
Cannes Film Festival
Having just opened with a glittering screening of Mr Baz Luhrmann's take on The Great Gatsby, this year's Cannes Film Festival, the 66th edition of the industry's biggest schmooze-athon, looks set to keep the star quota sky-high. On the directing side, Mr Steven Spielberg heads the jury for the main competition, while Ms Jane Campion takes charge of the Cinéfondation and Short Film segments. On the acting front, expect the likes of Ms Emma Watson in Ms Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, Mr Justin Timberlake in the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis and Mr Brad Pitt in Mr Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave.
Until 26 May, Cannes. festival-cannes.fr
WHAT TO CLICK
Literature Map
German programmer Mr Marek Gibney's simple site allows users to explore spheres of literary influence by using algorithms to create a visual constellation of authors' names. Type "Philip Roth" and you'll find "Martin Amis" hovering nearby, while in the further reaches you'll spot "Herman Melville" and "Thomas Pynchon". The site can be used, according to Mr Gibney, as a way to find other writers whose work you might like; the closer the name is to the one you enter, the more likely it is to be similar. Consider it a quirkier version of Amazon's Recommended for You.
AND WHAT TO WEAR WHILE DOING IT...
