Howdy, folks. This week, the Watch brings you news on Zachary Quinto and other Trek stars singing (with William Shatner in attendance), Patrick Stewart losing an award but winning a chair (no, not a captain’s chair), Brent Spiner discussing Sinatra and online communities, a new movie for Alexander Siddig, Walter Koenig’s thoughts on his son’s arrest, and more!
A Trek for Alzheimer’s
A bevy of Trek stars attended the 16th Annual Alzheimer’s Benefit, “A Night in Sardis,” in Beverly Hills on March 5th. William Shatner and his Boston Legal castmates (including Star Trek III co-star John Larroqutte) were on hand at the event where his show was being honored for its portrayal of Alzheimer’s disease. Also on hand were Zachary Quinto (the new Spock), Jason Alexander (Kurros in VOY’s “Think Tank”) and DS9 guest stars Vanessa Williams (Arandis, “Let He Who Is Without Sin…”), Steven Weber (Colonel Day, “The Siege”), and Tony Plana (Amaros, “The Maquis”) — all of whom performed in a stage production of Bye Bye Birdie (directed by Alexander). For more on the event check out USA Today, here are some pics and video:
Vanessa Williams and Jason Alexander perform.
Shatner and Quinto take the stage at Alzheimer’s Benefit
(VIDEO: click to open window…more video at YouTube)
Stewart Takes a Chair and a Stroll (but not an Olivier Award)
Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard) didn’t pick up the 2008 Best Actor Laurence Olivier Award for his Macbeth since he lost to Chiwetel Ejiofor (for Othello), as reported by the Official London Theatre Guide. Oh, well… you can’t win ’em all, Patrick. In the meantime, Stewart has been named an honorary co-chair at the 74th Annual Drama League Awards, to be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on May 16th, according to TheaterMania and Playbill Lastly, TMZ.com tagged along with Stewart as he took a stroll in New York. The actor wouldn’t answer a question about the new Star Trek movie, but did try to warn photographers of an impending tumble over a pile of trash bags. They didn’t listen.
Stewart didn’t get the Olivier but he did get the last laugh
Bakula Busts a Move
Playbill has an interview with Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) discussing his current role in the play, Dancing in the Dark in addition to his past work. Asked whether people associate him with Quantum Leap or Star Trek, Bakula replied, “Both, although Quantum Leap probably carries the day.” He also didn’t rule out the possibility of returning to William Shatner‘s show, Boston Legal, laughingly stating “I didn’t die at the end.” There’s been talk that Dancing with the Dark might make it to the Broadway stage. “That’s what they’ve talked about since day one,” says Bakula. “I hope to get there.” The full interview can be found here with more from Playbill on the show here.
Bakula with co-star Mara Davi.
Nichols’ New Movie
Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) is currently filming a low-budget, independent film called This Bitter Earth in Phoenix, Arizona. The film’s director David Lee Rawlings explained to the AZStarNet the process for rounding up Nichols and the rest of his cast.
I was very fortunate to have Richard Roundtree, Billy Dee Williams and Nichelle Nichols in the cast — three people with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You just contact a manager, make an offer and go from there. I was really very fortunate (that) all these stars I contacted … really liked the material and thought it was an important story to tell.
“See, Miss Nichols? The line “Hailing frequencies open” is nowhere in my script."
Frakes to Direct Third ‘Librarian’ Movie
TNT is gearing up for a third Librarian TV movie, called The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice, with Jonathan Frakes (Will Riker) set to direct. Frakes previously directed the second Librarian, 2006’s Return to King Solomon’s Mines. Among the actors Frakes will be directing in Librarian 3 is Star Trek: Voyager and Enterprise guest star Bruce Davison. For more info on the movie, see the original report by United Press International.
Frakes with Noah Wylie filming “Librarian 2”
Data in ‘Dreamland’
SFX has an exclusive interview with Brent Spiner (Data) in which the actor/singer discusses his new CD, ‘Dreamland,’ and the music legends who have influenced him. He discusses one particular event he shared with his fellow TNG castmates:
I saw Sinatra live! Actually it was at LeVar Burton’s bachelor party. We all went to Las Vegas. There was Jonathan [Frakes], Michael Dorn, LeVar and myself, and we went to see Sinatra – he was at the end of his run. It was incredible: he wasn’t at the top of his game because it was really near the very end, he would lose the lyrics and vocally a lot of it was gone. But every now and then there would be a line or a phrase and you would go, ‘That’s Sinatra!’ It was quite incredible and a wonderful experience.
On his relationship with the online community:
Some people said, ‘I bet he just made a website so he can sell his disc.’ But I don’t feel ashamed of selling my CD. I say to them, ‘When you work, don’t you get paid for it?!’ I discovered this aspect of the way online fandom communicates: for the most part people are really nice. But you know, anonymity makes people brave! They feel able to be really nasty if they want. But I guess that’s all part of the deal; love and hate are really close, there’s a fine line and sometimes they overlap. People can hate you because they love you. It is an interesting thing
Dreamland’ is available for download now at Spiner’s official site….If only Nemesis were just a dream…
Bashir’s Back in Theaters Tomorrow!
Alexander Siddig (Dr. Julian Bashir) returns to the big screen in Doomsday, an apocalyptic action-adventure sci-fi/thriller which opens in theaters tomorrow. Sid plays John Hatcher, the Prime Minister of a future England facing the resurgence of a deadly plague thought to have been quarantined 25 years before. Also starring in the film is Sid’s uncle and fellow Trek alum, Malcolm McDowell (Tolian Soran in Generations). Interestingly, the filmmakers weren’t aware of the family relationship until after both actors had been cast. For more on the film, see it’s official site. Trailer below:
Picardo to Have ‘Weekend of Horrors’
Robert Picardo (The Holographic Doctor/Lewis Zimmerman) has signed up to appear at Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors at the Los Angeles Convention Center in, um… Los Angeles. Picardo is no stranger to the horror genre which Fangoria magazine represents, having starred in such horror films as The Howling and 976-EVIL (I recommend them both). Also appearing at the Weekend of Horrors are Trek guest stars Sid Haig (TOS: “The Return of the Archons”) and Ray Wise (TNG’s “Who Watches the Watchers” & VOY’s “Hope and Fear”). See Fangoria.com for a complete listing.
Picardo in ‘The Howling’
Koenigs happy to get the day in court for Burma
As reported in last week’s CelebWatch, Andrew Koenig, the actor/filmmaker son of TOS star Walter Koenig (Chekov) and himself a Trek alum (having appeared in DS9’s "Sanctuary"), will be heading back to court April 7th to argue that his right to free speech was violated when he was arrested for protesting during a parade. Well, Koenig tells the Pasadena Weekly "I’m fine with it going to trial because it just brings more attention to the cause, which is freedom for people in Burma." And his dad agree,s Watler Koenig praised his son, stating:
I’m very proud of his action. My son has a very strong social conscience and believes that people who are deprived and people who are unfairly subjugated should have the same rights that all people should have. … When he saw the opportunity to express his objection to what was transpiring, he took advantage of it and I applaud him totally on that endeavor.
TrekBits
- A Colm Meaney (Miles O’Brien) movie called A Lobster Tale has been picked up for worldwide distribution by Peace Arch Entertainment. (MarketWire via CNN Money)
- Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway) will participate in a reading of three Greek tragedy Agamemnon on March 17th. (Playbill)
- Ben Cross (the new Sarek) is starring in a two-part telefilm for the Sci-Fi Channel called Lost City Raiders. With a $6.4 million budget, it better be good. (Hollywood Reporter)
- TNG/ENT guest star Mark Rolston has joined the cast of Saw V, the fifth entry in the annual bloodfest known as the Saw movies. (Shock Till You Drop)
- The title of Starfleet Academy Superintendent Tyler Perry‘s The Family That Preys Together has been shortened to The Family That Preys. (ComingSoon)
- There’s a new film coming out called Obsessed which is scripted by Star Trek V: The Final Frontier screenwriter David Loughery. Joy! (Variety)
- Is Star Trek director/producer J.J. Abrams a genius or a hack? The site io9 tries to answer this question that has been plaguing man’s mind since the dawn of Felicity. (io9). TrekMovie.com is on the side of ‘genius’ but JJ still has to answer for being one of a dozen or so writers on "Armageddon."
In Memoriam
Cinematographer Gayne Rescher, the Director of Photography on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, died following a long illness on February 29th at the age of 83. (LA Times) Rescher is the recipient of three Emmy Awards and five Emmy nominations. One of those nominations was for his cinematography on the 1983 TV movie The Day After, which, like Star Trek II, was directed by Nicholas Meyer. For more info on Rescher, see his pages at IMDb and Memory Alpha.
I’ve got to say Doomsday looks pretty bad from the trailer. It looks like a Mad Max rip off. I never did care much for that film either.
#1 – Yeah, I agree — it looks like Mad Max meets 28 Days and/or Escape from New York.
I would’ve like to see a bit of Sid in the trailer, though. I like the idea of him playing the Prime Minister.
What, no Vanessa Williams clips?
2. Cranston
yeah thats why I looked at the trailer because I like Siddig,shame it looks like a turkey!
Alzheimer’s and BL – an important issue, and a justified honor for a great series as well as a conclusive portrayal.
I’LL NEVER FORGET THE DAY…
…a few months back when I discovered on IMDb that Walter Koenig’s son played “Boner” on “Growing Pains.” I was shaking my head in disbelief for the rest of the day! Never put 2-and-2 together on that one!
Doomsday looks like it should have been called “Escape from Glasgow”.
:-)
Looked good though!
#2 if it really is a combination of thoes three I’m in for a real treat. All three of thoes are great genre classics.
Dick Van Dyke sounds a bit like Nimoy now that he’s older.
Quantum Leap was a fantastic show, I remember my parents watching it when I was a toddler. Shame about the end though….but they should SO consider bringing it back!
And I swear Colm Meaney was meant to be in Life on Mars…what happened to that?!
“Also starring in the film is Sid’s uncle and fellow Trek alum, Malcolm McDowell (Tolian Soran in Generations). Interestingly, their family relation was not discovered until after both actors had been cast.”
Discovered by whom? I’ve heard Sid talk about that before and it’s been pretty common knowledge for some time…
#12—First I’ve heard.
#10 I rather liked the end of QL…
Oh and Shat is in the movie…
#another Librarian movie sounds good maybe frakes might be able to parlay that into a series on TNT, but then again TNt is the same network that canceled Witchblade after 2 successful season and deep sixed Babylon 5 Crusade which would have been successful if they had actually bothered to give it a chance
How would Sid and Malcom Mcdowell not know they were nephew and uncle til after casting? That makes no sense.
Gulp… would I be booed if I said that I liked Armegeddon and cried as Bruce Willis was telling Ben what’s-his-face that he loved him as a son and to take care of his daughter?
16# yep…
on another note, doesnt the shat look thinner and more Kirk-ish, or is that just me???
#16 Not if they were tears brought on by laughter..
#17 Yup he’s getting ready for his big scene..
J.J. a genius or a hack? Tough call… In the one hand, he helped create LOST. That’s more than enough to be called a genius.
…
OTOH, there’s Armageddon… AND there’s that infamous, aborted Superman script that leaked out. The jury’s still out on the Star Trek movie, of course.
And what exactly is the matter with Armageddon? Good ol’ popcorn flix as I recall. I go to movies to be entertained and Armageddon did just that.
Nothing more, or less.
#2 Cranston — There is a TV spot that features Siddig prominently, telling people things are under control, but I couldn’t find it on YouTube. I agree, though, the movie doesn’t look that great.
#10 karanadon — Life on Mars is predicted to debut this fall.
#11 RedShirtWalking/#15 MORN SPEAKS — it wasn’t discovered by the filmmakers (i.e. the director) until after the casting. Sorry, should have been more specific.
Re: #13. ensign joe
How did Quantum Leap end? I lost interest in it along the way.
Re: #16. Denise de Arman
No, it was one of the only good moments in a mediocre movie. I liked it though. Actually it wasn’t Bruce Willis’ acting that got me, it was more Ben Affleck’s response that was good. I still can’t wrap my brain around Bruce going out with Demi and Ashton. What a strange group of people…
And
How exactly are Siddig El Fadil (Alexander Siddig) and Malcolm McDowell connected, and how did they find out and why didn’t they know (unless they have known and it was just reported incorrectly by someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about)?
Gotta go.
kg
Good for Brent. Thats how fortunes are made. At least he’s embracing his past.
Ah… I was wondering who Siddig was playing in that film. Wow they pit Siddig and his uncle against each other! Siddig plays the PM and Malcolm McDowell is the ruler of Scotland (or what’s left of it). *lol*
#16 I’m so with you, I balled like a baby and Looooovvvveeeeed it! But hey the occassional bit of Hollywood ‘blockbuster’ fluff is fun, I didn’t expect it to be some deep, intellectual epic affair! The only thing crap about it was Owen Wilson’s acting, his character couldn’t die soon enough! But holy crap, 12 writers? That comes to mind as ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’, so JJ is soooo off the hook on that one…though I dont think he has anything to be ashamed of!!
Doomsday looks incredibly stupid, in my opinion.
Agreed with #24. Good for Brent!!
Is it just me, or is Frakes looking more and more like Shatner? He always did a little bit, but that photo gave me pause.
Drat, Doomsday looked fairly good in the previews until they got to the part where the survivors turn out to be a bunch of leftover 80’s punk rockers. I just wanted to scream “get a haircut” to that one that was flicking his tongue out ala cunnilingus style. Looks like they spent their 25 years in isolation doing nothing but partying and spraying graffitti over evething. Another wonderful exposition on the nature of modern day humanity. Contrast that with Trek’s vision of human nature. Even the “Saw” horror movies tried to make some small statement about our animal instincts. Perhaps I’ll give Doomsday a try, here’s crossing my fingers that it’s more ‘cerebral’ and less ‘mindless zombie action flick’…
Bravo, Keonigs.
Nichelle Nichols, Richard Roundtree, Billy Dee Williams… Uhura, Shaft, and Lando Calrissian. Why can’t SNL write THAT skit?
Lord, I had successfully blocked out The Howling and Robert Piccardo’s role (upstaged only by Patrick McNee and Dee Wallace as the ‘cute’ werewolf.)
“Also on hand were Zachary Quinto (the new Spock)”
Yes, I’m a little on the slow side, but I think even I knew that by now.
The Shat is looking really good in those photos! Sometimes his old handsome-ness peaks out. And sometimes…. it doesn’t.
Brent is a lucky man to have seen Sinatra. I got to see him 3 times! 1986, 89, and 1993. All 3 were amazing experiences. The 1989 one was with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis.
If you ever get the chance to hear Frakes speak, it is truly a treat. He’s an excellent story teller, especially the one about filming in the hot tub with Marina. It sure sounded “arduous”! ;-)
Bravo, Walter & Son!
Oooh. “This Bitter Earth” is a great song, one of my faves, and perfectly suited to Nichols’ singing style … if they’re naming a movie that, does it mean Nichelle Nichols will sing it on screen, I wonder? I hope I hope I hope :)
#33 S. John Ross — Well, the movie is about music — specifically, a teenage piano player and a former jazz singer. So, you never know. :)
Is it just me, or does it look like Frakes has lost some weight?
Also… is that Patrick Stewart’s gilfriend in that video??? If so… WOW!!! He really is the Captain!
15 and 23: The article says the producers of the film didn’t know that Mal and Sid were related, not that they themselves didn’t know.
#35 yeah he is starting to show his age a bit, but the man is a pretty good producer/director. He’s definitely put the acting on the back burner.
#37 “He’s definitely put the acting on the back burner” (Frakes)
As he should………….
#36. I Am Morg Not Eymorg — The article was edited to reflect that. When it was first published, it made it seem like Sid & Malcolm didn’t know they were related before being cast. It has since been edited for clarification.
Re: #36. I Am Morg…
Makes sense.
Oh – – just saw #39. Charles Trotter – – Good catch. Excellent article! I LOVE knowing what everyone is doing outside of Trek. Thanks for the hard work keeping us up-to-date.
Re: #35. DEMODE
I was thinking the same thing when I saw the above pic. Hope so for his sake. It’s not healthy (I speak from experience).
kg
Bakula is a really cool guy, it sucks ENT really didn’t get a fair shake… I loved it. And it also sucks Patrick Stewart couldn’t be had for Davros, evil creator of the Daleks on Doctor Who… Maybe they’ll bring him in one day, in some other capacity. Alzheimers took my nanny, (grandma) so as a first hand(second hand, third hand) witness to its effects, I applaud any effort to bring awareness of it.
I want to have a long version of Spiner’s interpretation of “Blue Skies” from Nemesis!
#23 Katie G.
From the quantum leap wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Leap_%28TV_series%29#Series_conclusion_and_legacy
Even in its final episode, the show refuses to resolve many of its own technical and holistic questions, choosing instead to leave things open-ended and focus tightly on what is arguably the series’ overarching message: that a single person can change the world one life at a time. Some feel the bartender in this last episode portrays God and what he tells Sam is that his project was messed up for a purpose: to change history for the better.
Re: #43. ensign joe
Excellent, joe. Thanks! Typical. “Quantum Leap” never grabbed me like Star Trek did.
I guess that the last episode of TOS was the one where Janice Lester tried to permanently switch places with Kirk. Very unresolved but that’s what happens when a series is cancelled and they don’t have enough time (or weren’t prepared) to finish off things.
Re: #42. Adm.Polli
Why?
kg
Well, Doomsday certainly looks,,,,,,,,, bad…..
#45 Agreed. Saw the trailer last night, and it just looks stoopid.
According to the Alan Smithee mini-column in today’s paper, the studio deliberately kept Doomsday away from the critics. Very, very telling.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
BIll, I mean Mr. Shatner isn’t looking as puffy as he used to.
Doing a weekly TV series can do that to you, good exersize and all like that there, possibly he’s looseing the weight due to watching the dalies on BL and he saw how puffy he looked from the start, and has been looseing the weight from that day onward for that show as a direct result.
That and haveing extra weight on you when your older isn’t heathy, doctor possibly told him, loose the extra weight or die as a direct result of that extra weight, something HE doesn’t want to happen as he likes being active and all like that there.
What roles did the Trek family members play in Bye Bye Birdie? Conrad is one of my favorite roles to play so it will go a long way in solidifying Quinto in my eyes if he pulled that one off.
Probably wants to stay healthy long enough to appear in Star Trek XII!
Shatner does look good in those pictures, especially considering the recent hip replacement. I wonder if Mr. Nimoy was able to attend the benefit – that would have been a very cool evening indeed.