More From Quinto And Burk About The New Star Trek September 29, 2008
by TrekMovie.com Staff , Filed under: Star Trek (2009 film) , trackback
Last week we provided an exclusive early preview from the new Star Trek issue of the UK’s SFX magazine. The issue is on newsstands now and we have more excerpts from Zachary Quinto (Spock) and executive producer Bryan Burk regarding how the film is a new take on Star Trek.
Quinto: this is my Spock
Much has been made about how Zachrary Quinto looks like Leonard Nimoy, but does that mean he will be ‘doing’ Nimoy?
SFX: Did you find yourself adapting your performance to accommodate how Leonard Nimoy portrays him?
Quinto: Never. In fact I did the opposite – to make sure my experience was my experience, It’s the only way stepping into such an iconic role is every really feasible. You have to acknowledge where it came from and Leonard was an enormous resource for me – incredibly generous with his time and his energy if ever I had a question or just wanted to talk about the experience or what he went through as an actor. But in terms of playing him? No – I think that would be a trap, to try and shade my performance with echoes of his. I got the job obviously because there is a physical resemblance between myself and Leonard when he was my age, but more than that I think I got the job because I bought a strong point of view to it, my own point of view. Merging that point of view with the echoes of where he came from and how he approached it from the beginning will hopefully add a new texture, but also have a little bit of the same fabric."
Burk: a future that is not dated
Executive producer Bryan Burk also talked to SFX about the look of the movie:
SFX: Obviously this film takes place before the classic Trek series, so your big, sexy new movie has to look quaintly retro to work in the mythology. How did you achieve that?
Burk: There were conversations with Scott Chambliss, our production designer, and Daniel Mindel, our DP, and particularly with Michael Kaplan, who was our costume designer. The idea was ‘how do you do the future but not make it dated?’ Kaplan’s first film was Bladerunner so the fact he was able to do that in that movie…he and J.J. really dug in and came up with some ideas that people are going to like.
Much more from Quinto and Burk as well as other features on the new movie in SFX issue 175, including ‘50 things you need to know about the 2009 movie’. Issue is available now in the UK and should be available now (or soon) in the US at Borders, Barnes & Noble and Virgin Megastores. More info at SFX.co.uk.
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Quinto is going to be great. It’s nice to hear that the actors that they picked are well-spoken and thoughtful about the whole thing.
Also, I can’t wait to see what the production/costume designers came up with.
50 things about the new movie?
JJ and paramount can’t have released anything of an value.
I guess it’s gonna be something like this.
1. Simon Pegg, a british comedian will be playing Chief engineer Mr Scott.
2. The film is directed by JJ Abrams, who came up with the TV sensation ‘lost’
etc
heh ;o)
3. Zachary Quinto (Sylar from Heroes) will play Mr Spock. apart originally made famous by Leonard Nimoy.
4. William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk, is not in the new movie.
I’m just making fun of all the hyper secrecy of the new film.
i do hope they can tell us 50 things we need to know about the new film.
I’m bouncing of the walls in anticipation of the new film and we’ve still got 7 – 8 months to wait!
*sigh*
;o)
I hope he nails it. So very few Trek actors have been able to do the Vulcan thing effectively.
This is interesting. I totally understand Pine, Urban, and Pegg bringing a point of view on the characters of Kirk, McCoy, and Scotty which is distinctly their own.
Quinto’s portrayal of Spock is the one I most anticipated being very much like Nimoy’s. Maybe it was the fact that Nimoy’s Spock (although very much evolved from the character we knew in TOS) is actually in the movie.
“I think that would be a trap, to try and shade my performance with echoes of his. I got the job obviously because there is a physical resemblance between myself and Leonard when he was my age, but more than that I think I got the job because I bought a strong point of view to it, my own point of view. Merging that point of view with the echoes of where he came from and how he approached it from the beginning will hopefully add a new texture, but also have a little bit of the same fabric.”
I am interested to see exactly how much of Spock in STXI is Quinto’s “strong point of view”, and how much is the incarnation of what Nimoy, Fontana, etc. did to establish that character. More than any other character, I hope the temptation to bring a new and different spin on Spock is somewhat curtailed.
I have felt all along that Quinto’s casting was a good one, but I wouldn’t want to see too much freedom of interpretation in anyone’s hands with regard to the most unique and fascinating character in all of Star Trek history.
I wonder what he means, exactly.
What an AWFUL cover!
in TNG they ‘greened up’ the vulcans and romulans. even spock wore some green makeup in TNG… should they ‘green up’ quinto Star Trek XI?
i think they should. after all, they have green blood.
#6—What is so awful about it?
#7—-I never liked the “greening” in TNG, but I understand the “logic” behind it.
I cannot say that it would make much dfference to me, any more than adding ridges to the Klingons in TMP did. Asthetic appearances are just window dressing to me, like the color schemes on the bridge, etc.
It is the story, the acting, and the manner in which my favorite characters are written which is most important to me. IMO, that is what will honor the ‘original’ most.
God… I just want to see it… 8 months… this will be worse than carrying a baby. Who wants to break into Paramount for a private screening…
Start your post with a “Hell Yeah” regardless of state and federal laws… those night watchmen on the Paramount lot won’t be able to catch us all…
maybe we can storm the gates on Melrose … make it a full frontal Juno Beach assault….
fyi… Juno was the Canadian deployment beach… for all our friends to the South….
# 7 & # 9 The “greening” was fine. C’mon… if the Klingon ridges in TMP can fly… so can some Quinto “highlights” – Hey, he does have green blood… that is logical. The promo poster of Quinto looks like he was given the make-up foundation treatment. imho… look for yourself… now discuss.
Im excited about Quintos version of spock. he is aying all the right things i recon. He is doing his own thing but the respect he is showing Nimoy is awesome. A great guy to have playing this role by the sounds of it.
I know we havnt seen his performance yet but it sounds very promising indeed.
Greg
UK
I thought he was greenish to begin with only it didnt show up as well using 1960’s photographic techniques, wasnt the makeup named after Nimoy :”LN1″ as in Leonard Nimoy One?, although one could argue that his blood was green when it came in contact with air as it was copper based it should be copper tined in his veins. To conced the point however they did show up a bit too green in next gen.
Which reminds me, what is the “TRUE” color of a starfleet uniform, Is it the color of the costume in natural sunlight? or is it the way it “LOOKS” on your t.v. screen, for example TOS Command division “gold” is really more of a green (see TOS dress uniform, suposedly the colors of that and the standard uniform matched but because of they way the material looked when photographed the duty uniform looks gold even though it is really green)
Or TNG Command Division “Cranberry”, the real costumes are burgundy/deep magenta but show up red, especially in “Generations” and Sciences division looks dark blue but is really what I call “Reagan-Bush” Teal (seems funnier than saying late 80-s-early 90’s)
Discuss.
#9-
‘It is the story, the acting, and the manner in which my favorite characters are written which is most important…’
As well!
NOT CANNON!
rock on! :D
#10 “This is worse than carrying a baby!”
I hope you’re a woman with kids. I know *I* can’t make that claim. ;)
I’ve actually never seen ‘Heroes’, so I have no idea what Quinto is like. But heck, yeah, he looks like Nimoy. The fact that he has Mr. Nimoy’s endorsement, though, is all I really need.
These guys have to put their own spin on the characters–all of them–or they’re just going to be screwed. For Quinto to try and do Nimoy’s Spock would just push the movie into parody.
Can’t wait…………..
#13:”and Sciences division looks dark blue but is really what I call “Reagan-Bush” Teal (seems funnier than saying late 80-s-early 90’s)”
I believe Theiss referred to the color as “Peacock.”
Not trying to mimic the original actor’s performance? Oh crap, I was planning on a scene in the movie where Kirk and Carol Marcus break up.
Carol says, “Are we together? Are we going to be? You have your world, and I have mine.”
Kirk’s face starts to turn red, and he stomps his foot on the ground in anger. After a long pause, his emotions burst:
“I . . . . have had . . . . . enough of . .YOU!”
Mystery Solved
Now we know what Kirk dared not face when offered the chance by Sybok. The abusive uncle….
#21—I always thought that what he dared not face was the fact that he was in such an awful movie…
#22—No, I always thought that what he dared not face was the fact that he was MAKING such an awful movie!!! ;)
Show me the new Enterprise.
There’s nothing else to say…
I hope they give us an updated vision technology-wise though.
Can’t stand to see an Enterprise with buttons and switches anymore, Considering the touchscreen tech we have today and the new technology coming out right now i.e; 3-mm thick OLED-screens, Touchscreens you don’t need to touch, holographic projection screens and who knows what else.
Either they have some awesome tech in this new take on Star Trek, Or they better have some damn good reason to use 20th century technology.
I don’t know, Just my opinion.
Joe#20 and Closet#21- LMAO!
#24
TPTB know what you and others continually hammer on and I doubt this gets us a nanosecond closer to your bliss.
I don’t understand how Quinto can play Spock differently than Nimoy’s take on the character…expecially since Nimoy is also Spock in the movie and they have a scene together. And Quinto’s left handed and won’t do a right-handed Vulcan hand sign? I find that lame.
Chris Pine has the Captain Kirk swagger but he can’t give us a Shatnerific pause? Stanky McFibberich…where are you?
I don’t buy this “make the roles our own” attitude that doesn’t pay even lip service to the original actors.
#24—-(sigh)…
#26—-I need my pain!!!! :)
Just as an homage to Old School: Trek was the first appearance of the Disk Drive. If they bring back the Beehive hairdos, the minis, and the phasers, let’s see them bring back the Disk Drive, just as a Tip o’ the Hat to Old Trek.
…
48. Captain Kirk’s spaceship is called the “Star Shp Enterprise”.
49. The doors in the original series were pulled by stagehands?
50. And finally… the music for the film is composed by Michael Giacchino, (who said his favourite moment was scoring the music for Spock’s death in the final scene of the film).
#17… No I’m not a woman… but I feel “pregnant” sometimes waiting for this movie… no offense … but its all I got…. ;)
#29..”I Need ..My Pain” … awesome reference… and sooo appropriate.
I think this new film is going to be extraordinary. But one tip o’ the hat I’d love to see in a future film or series would be stories and /or scripts by real and noted science fiction writers. Don’t think that’s happened since TOS.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
28. Jeffrey S. Nelson – September 29, 2008
They couldn’t find enough impersonators that looked like the original cast.
If you’ve read any of these interviews with the actors, you’d notice a trend. They are looking at what has come before and “honoring” those performances, but applying their own skills and perspective. I am not paying to see a bad impersonation of Shatner’s Kirk or Doohan’s Scott. Give it a chance or watch the old DVD’s. There’s a chance this won’t be received well by some older fans. I guess we’ll see,
I wonder if in the movie where Kirk asks for some information on something some slide comes up on the screen.
re:28. Jeffrey S. Nelson
“I don’t understand how Quinto can play Spock differently than Nimoy’s take on the character…expecially since Nimoy is also Spock in the movie and they have a scene together.”
That is indeed a mystery. Including Nimoy pretty much demands that it not be too different.
The people involved in making the movie seem to want to spew out their cliches, (”honor-what-came-before-but-make-it-my-own” type of stuff), but what that really means is anyone’s guess.
I may have mentioned once that having different actors playing those roles is a bad idea, and the more things I read about the movie, the more I believe it. There are apparently a lot of people who read this site that can be easily sucked into thinking these PR comments are anything more than spin. Maybe they are more than spin, but MAYBE they aren’t. If anyone involved did have something negative or even less-than-positive to say about it, they wouldn’t be allowed to.
Obviously there are those here that are looking forward to such a thing as a completely different fake…er, I mean take on the characters. I hope they are also ready for possible disappointment if their optimism does not pan out. I would rather not see the characters than be subjected to some odd interpretations that slightly “pay homage” to the real actors.
I’m sure when it comes down to it, this movie is made more to pander to whatever faction will bring in the most bucks than to do any true honoring of what came before. I fully understand that is the nature of the business, but I don’t care to see it.
If I end up being wrong on this, I will be the first to admit it. But I don’t think I will.
#34 – Xai
“I am not paying to see a bad impersonation of Shatner’s Kirk or Doohan’s Scott.”
Well said. These actors CANNOT try to impersonate the original actors. They have to bring themselves to the roles, or it will just come out false.
#34 #37
totally agree. I expect a similar transition visually that TOS to TMP achieved… with both performance and set/costume design.
Honor the source material… but like a modern production of Shakespeare – play with the aesthetics.
Just as long as the stubble doesn’t become a Spock standard, It’ll be fine.
The actors are not playing new roles; they are playing younger versions of old familair characters. How can they make us believe these are younger versions of the same characters, if they don’t even try a little to reference the originals? There’s a difference between imitating a charicature, and invoking a person. I wish they were at least trying to make us believe these are the characters we come to know. How this will work I don’t know… but I’m holding out hope.
Nimoy’s make-up on TOS was yellow.
You can really see it in the remastered eps.
IMO, Quinto needed to inject at least some of Nimoy’s portrayal into his. Geez, he IS supposed to be the same person!
Now I’m getting worried again…
Nimoy and Quinto, and everyone else is pushing this movie… but with all this secrecy, I sort of want to know how much of the script each of them has actually seen. I mean, they were probably only given their scenes, and none of the special effects shots or anything like that.
How much of the actual screenplay has Nimoy read? What is his endorsement based on?
36. Stanky McFibberich – September 29, 2008
“The people involved in making the movie seem to want to spew out their cliches, (”honor-what-came-before-but-make-it-my-own” type of stuff), but what that really means is anyone’s guess.”
_. Repetition (of the “cliche”) in this case doesn’t mean “bad”. There are only so many ways to state what you are trying to achieve in human speech. How would you say it?
“I may have mentioned once that having different actors playing those roles is a bad idea, and the more things I read about the movie, the more I believe it. There are apparently a lot of people who read this site that can be easily sucked into thinking these PR comments are anything more than spin. Maybe they are more than spin, but MAYBE they aren’t. If anyone involved did have something negative or even less-than-positive to say about it, they wouldn’t be allowed to.”
Stanky, you and I sit on opposite sides of the fence on this and have since the movie was green-lit. I thought that we were on a good natured “agree to disagree” basis. However, I dislike the implications of your “sucked in” comment above or the “fake” below. I think that goes beyond opinion of the movie to a poor opinion of your fellow posters.
“Obviously there are those here that are looking forward to such a thing as a completely different fake…er, I mean take on the characters. I hope they are also ready for possible disappointment if their optimism does not pan out. I would rather not see the characters than be subjected to some odd interpretations that slightly “pay homage” to the real actors.”
“I’m sure when it comes down to it, this movie is made more to pander to whatever faction will bring in the most bucks than to do any true honoring of what came before. I fully understand that is the nature of the business, but I don’t care to see it.”
All TV series and movies are made to make money. I can’t speak for the true intent of JJ Abrams and his crew, but nothing we have seen so far indicates a “sell out” on what came before just to bring in another dollar. Your statement indicates you are sure it’s different than that. In the end, you could be right, but until May, neither of us know for sure.
There are certain key personality traits that each of the characters have that should carry over, but at the same time, it seems that we will see the TOS characters at a slightly younger point in their lives, before they have fully settled into the family they will become. We may likely see these characters evolve over the course of the film, and it’s in those moments that the actors should really shine through and bring something to their roles rather than merely imitating someone else’s work from 40+ years prior. I’m going to this movie expecting to see Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty, not an overexaggerated Shatner impression, or a buffoonish Scotty copy with a faulty accent.
42. cagmar – September 29, 2008
“How much of the actual screenplay has Nimoy read? What is his endorsement based on?”
I wasn’t there and I don’t know, but…
It seems to me that he wouldn’t get onboard this project if he didn’t know the concept.
cagmar#42- Abrams gave Mr. Nimoy the entire script to read, then they discussed it and Nimoy agreed to do the movie. As for Quinto, when he appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show, Kimmel asked him if he had a copy of the whole script. Here is the dialogue:
Kimmel: So were you given a copy of the whole script? Have you read the whole thing?
Quinto: Yes, yes I do have a copy.
Kimmel: Is it at your house?
Quinto: Maybe.
It was very funny, and also clear that Quinto had read the entire screenplay.
Biff
that was old the second time you said it
I believe Nimoy & Quinto are the only ones that had a full script (at least according to everything that has been said).
As for bringing something of their own to the characters – it would be absolutely absurd to assume they wouldn’t. Otherwise they’d have hired a bunch of Frank Caliendo’s to do impersonations and we’d all cry into our popcorn or laugh ourselves out of the theatre.
Speaking of which, has anyone seen that new Direct TV ad where Caliendo does Shatner? Hilarious. ‘Go ahead, touch me.’ ‘No.’ ‘This is awkward.’
40.
Well said, Fred. If Chris Pine did a Shatnerific pause, the universe wouldn’t wind down and chaos ensue.
34.
Xai, I’m just concerned they won’t do enough of these little touches. A Shatnerific pause doesn’t have to be laughable…and a right-handed Vulcan salute is just good manners (and canon).
9-
Excuse me. Greening. I thought you said in another post TNG “lost” you after “Farpoint”?
Nice try.
Lucky for you the Enterprise-F had a few escape pods left after Nemesis, isn’t it?:D
Oh my…
Every other day there is a posted item here with a cast or production person saying something in a interview…
And we all know that nobody involved in this project is allowed to say anything beyond the vague generalities of what has already been said or approved of…
And yet we latch on to these vague statements and draw massive conclusions about the quality (or lack there of) of JJ’s Trek.
All I can say is I’m happy there is still so much fan passion for Trek and I’m excited that there is an effort by some very talented people to produce a quality film.
I hope JJ’s Trek will be good but only time will tell. I for one am willing to wait another 219 days. I’ll be there (at the Seattle Cinerama) and judge for myself.
STAR TREK LIVES!
52-
Pardon me, but there’s never been a lack of passion for Trek on the part of fans, Why do you think Kirk & Co. have been around for nearly five decades? The mainstream who never have, do not now, nor ever will get “it” are the ones who lack interest. At least, they never have in my lifetime anyway. Showed real interest, that is.
Abrams’ film will change that perception only slightly at the margins, and little more; though I wish him luck in attempting to go against historical fact.
He’ll need it.
Asking a professional actor to mimic someone else is like humiliating him. Acting doesn’t work that way.
He will be good Spock but he will never take the place of Leonard Nimoy.
“More than any other character, I hope the temptation to bring a new and different spin on Spock is somewhat curtailed.
I have felt all along that Quinto’s casting was a good one, but I wouldn’t want to see too much freedom of interpretation in anyone’s hands with regard to the most unique and fascinating character in all of Star Trek history.
I wonder what he means, exactly.”
Me too. And my initial reaction is much like yours but I guess if he brings us something not quite what we expect we can chalk it up to where the Spock character is at the time — pre TOS TV show era. A Vulcan/human hybrid who left Vulcan and enrolled in Starfleet — he may be a very different person than the one we saw years later who, while still struggling in some ways, was much more comfortable in his skin. I don’t know….I guess I’d be more worried if I hadn’t been watching Quinto on Heroes. (Not to say I’m completely over my jitters about this flim ….)
“Well said. These actors CANNOT try to impersonate the original actors. They have to bring themselves to the roles, or it will just come out false.”
Hogwash. There’s nothing wrong with an arched eyebrow here or a stance, with hands clasped behind his back, that “suggests” the character of Spock. We don’t need Rich Little, but a nod here and there with a mannerism or body language will help sell the character. Stray too far off base and they become strangers that just happen to be named “Kirk” and “Spock”.
re:43 Xai
“Stanky, you and I sit on opposite sides of the fence on this and have since the movie was green-lit. I thought that we were on a good natured “agree to disagree” basis. However, I dislike the implications of your “sucked in” comment above or the “fake” below. I think that goes beyond opinion of the movie to a poor opinion of your fellow posters.”
No offense was intended.
#57, you nailed it. These are beloved characters as brought to life by the original actors. It’s almost like a biopic. When an actor is called upon to portray a real person, do they not reference that person in order to make the performance real?
I don’t want an imitation, but a real actor could study the person they are portraying and it would be a compliment to them to say they made you think they were them, especially at an earlier stage in their career, not an insult. That’s what actors do.
I know this is not a biopic, but when you are dealing with the history of TOS characters, it might as well be. I just want to believe these are really the same person but younger. A totally different interpretation won’t invoke that.
But, maybe this is all just actor talk. It may be that Abrams has directed them in such as way that they actually will be the same character, and the actors didn’t know it.
57 & 59
Kudos to both of you for excellent, thoughtful points. For example, without him giving some well-deserved nods to William Shatner, I’ll have trouble believing that Chris Pine’s Kirk is the same man before the five-year mission. I firmly believe that Mr. Pine will have to bring some of the same idiomatic expressions (without it devolving into caricature) both physically and verbally — not too mention the same intensity, confidence, humor and charm — if I am going to believe in the least that this is a younger version of the Captain Kirk I’ve known and loved for decades. I hope Mr. Pine and the rest of the cast can truly pull this off.
58. Stanky McFibberich – September 30, 2008
“No offense was intended.”
Understood.
I agree completely. These are established characters and we need to believe that they are younger versions of those we know so well. I am nervous, but hopeful. Can hardly wait!
#57
in the wise words of Arthur Fonzarelli… Correct-omundo
Supposedly Pine has the Kirk swagger… and yes, I want a Kirk pause, and some Kirk-Fu-Fighting. I want a raised eyebrow, and the smug looks.
Like you said, take these away and it’s no longer the characters. They have trademarks to them…
Would an actor play Elvis and not do the sneer?
A tip of the glass, not a flood of it.
#52
You Rock.
As for the Makeup… I’m sure it will be fine… Nimoy was yellow on the original series. And thank GOD! the Romulans do not have those absolutely stupid forehead ridges.
Let’s look at this issue from a different perspective. How many of you look and act exactly like you did 10 or 20 years ago? Shoot, when I was 20 I was a lot different than I am now at 40. My appearance, my style of clothes, and how I carry myself have all changed through the years.
Each person I have come into contact with, and experience I have had, has changed me in some way. I’m a lot different person I was when I just came out of college.
Likewise, Kirk and Spock that we see in the original series would be different people than when they just got out of the academy. So yes, the characters should show some common elements to the originals, but on the otherhand it would not be realistic if 20-year-old Scotty acted like 60-year-old Scotty in the movies.
In regards to Spock, I expect him to be very cold, with a chip on his shoulder regarding working with humans. Granted, the portrayal of Spock in The Cage shows him as emotional, even smiling. But I would dismiss that notion because it was the female Number One character who was supposed to be the unemotional, logical character in that scenario. So actually the character of Spock in the Cage is not the same character of Spock in the rest of the series. I wouldn’t even include The Cage as part of canon, other than what was shown on screen for The Menegerie.
#31 – Best post on the board. Of the “50 Facts” we needed to know, I had no idea Michael Giacchino did the musical composition. LMAO.
As my contribution to the debate on how much of a previous actor’s interpretation of a character should be included in a new actor’s portrayal: it seems to me that an actor would want to keep the parts of previous performances that convey the essence of a character – but temper those things in relation to everything else called for in the script.
As an actor, I would think you need to define what mannerisms and idiosyncrasies are the characters and what belong to the actors. The tension between Spock and McCoy, the raised eyebrow, the teasing between captain and first officer are all character traits that make sense to carry over.
Picking up acting traits, though, takes you down the path of mimicry – and that could be a problem.
After all, actors’ interpretations of their characters change over time – so which traits would you want to reproduce? Just look at the character of Spock as portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the Trek pilots versus the way Spock character had changed by the end of the season. Personally, I didn’t think Mr. Nimoy’s Spock in TMP or TWOK were as interesting or entertaining as his performance in ST:IV.
By the last few movies featuring the original cast, all of the performances had become more characterizations than actual interpretations – and I don’t think any of us want to see that picked up and replayed to us in ST:XI, do we?
…was watching ER the other night…
anyone think that a scruffy John Stamos could pass for a younger (Commodore) Matt Decker???
LONG LIVE HARRY MUDD!
Love,
Norman
Here’s how the credit line in that film will read:
“Star Trek” – Created by JJ Abrams.
For crying out loud, it seems to be headed in that direction anyway.
#7 & #9 etal
The green make-up, if down would probably look better than TNG.
Now don’t forget that Enterprise the series addresed why some Klingon’s would have no ridges.
So, if their are Kilingons, some should have ridges and some should not.
- till next time -
67. Adam Bomb 1701 – September 30, 2008
“Here’s how the credit line in that film will read:
“Star Trek” – Created by JJ Abrams.
For crying out loud, it seems to be headed in that direction anyway”
Based on what? The man is bringing it back, directing it and has nothing but good things to say about the original, the actors and the fanbase.
And you want to make him look bad based on nothing.
64 Out There:
Spock grins appreciatively at the end of WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE, too, after Kirk suggests that he ‘might be human after all’ [something like that]. Clearly they were working out the relationships and the characters.
To be or not to be…
The great actor non-debate.
Zachary Quinto. Perfect casting. No, they didn’t pick him because he resembles Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer with a 5 o’clock shadow, but Len [Nimoy]., wonder of wonders.
Nor did they choose Mr. Pine because of his uncanny resemblance to Harrison Ford. Or, is that Indiana Jones?
There is a bit of expectation there, despite the sound and fury.
I’ve just time travelled to 2013 and back, and must report that if you think Star Trek… will have been the best Trek movie ever, you’re wrong. Star Trek: Mark 2 clearly is the best of the trilogy. Mark 3 misses the mark, but it does set up the after-TMP movies.
Sad about Quinto’s incident, and how it kept him from being part of Mark 3. Lucky they could use the Spock-goes-off-to-Kolinahr storyline, and cast Adrien Brody as Commander Sonak.
—
So, is there anything in this list of 50 that really is in anyway noteworthy? I’m not seein’ it.
#52—Just because I am no particular fan of TNG, doesn’t mean I’ve never seen it. In fact, I’ve probably seen over half the episodes in the more than two decades since it debuted. I just wouldn’t go out of my way to do so, since I found the characters to be rather uninteresting, and the technobabble, holodecks, children aboard, android pinnochio, and the concept of the ship’s counselor on the bridge to be a major turnoff.
“Nice try.”
I don’t have to “try”. Anyone who has read my posts for over a year on this site already knows that I am ‘not’ a fan of TNG, or 24th Century Star Trek in general.
“Lucky for you the Enterprise-F had a few escape pods left after Nemesis, isn’t it?:D”
As I have said many times on this site, I have never paid a dime to see a TNG-era feature film. I have since seen them on television, and nothing I have seen leads me to believe that I made a mistake.
#54—”The mainstream who never have, do not now, nor ever will get “it” are the ones who lack interest. At least, they never have in my lifetime anyway. Showed real interest, that is.”
It’s never taken “real interest” to get the average moviegoer to buy a ticket. Plenty of them bought tickets for TMP, TWOK, and TVH. The difference is, none of those films (which were fairly successful among mainstream moviegoers) ever had the benefit of an up and coming creative team with such popularity behind it (with all due respect to Robert Wise, who, although certainly an A-list director, was well beyond his prime by the late 70’s).
” I wish him luck in attempting to go against historical fact.”
Since there has never been a TOS-era film with the combined elements such a bright young creative team, a massive budget, state-of-the-art special effects, and a cast with such enormous crossover potential, there is no frame of reference from which you can justify drawing such conclusions as you have for the last couple of weeks on this site. There is no “historical fact” relevant to this project.
Three of the 6 original films did indeed have and demonstrate crossover appeal, and 2 of them without the benefit of any of those elements I mentioned above.
You can be skeptical if you wish, but do not try to represent your opinions and selective recollections as “fact”. They are nowhere near so.
67. Adam Bomb 1701
EVERYONE knows that Gene Coon created Star Trek! Silly you! : )
#56—”A Vulcan/human hybrid who left Vulcan and enrolled in Starfleet — he may be a very different person than the one we saw years later who, while still struggling in some ways, was much more comfortable in his skin. I don’t know…”
I can only attest to how I would expect him to be in the years prior to his service under JTK. Despite his seemingly quite emotional tendancies in the two pilot episodes (before Fontana, in particular, really shaped that character into the one we came to know) and of course, “The Menagerie”, I would expect Spock (and if I were a professional writer assigned to this project this is how I would approach it) to be even more guarded about his half-human heritage than he was in TOS. I would expect him to be even more rigid and bent on being someone he is not (a full blooded Vulcan). Of course, being Spock, there should be a moment or two when his all-too human side surfaces, and I get that lop-sided grin of recognition on my face in the theater. After all, in the end, Quinto’s Spock must still be Spock.
#67—-Uh…no.
More like, “Based upon Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry”.
#68—”Now don’t forget that Enterprise the series addresed why some Klingon’s would have no ridges. So, if (there) are Kilingons, some should have ridges and some should not”
I was speaking of my own indifference (at the time) to their presentation that way in TMP. Asthetic appearances mean very little to me (it is the writing, acting, and directing I put the most stock in). The subsequent ‘canon’ explanation in ENT of the change in the Klingons’ physical appearance would, IMO, leave the new creative team with a rather wide berth as to their own take. If they should decide that any Klingons were to be a part of this story, neither choice (ridged or non-ridged) would be a canonical mistake.
One thing I fear might be a foregone conclusion though, is that any Klingons in the new film or beyond would unlikely be the cunning, intelligent, and (as Spock said) “most efficient” foes (like Kor and Kang)depicted in TOS. Instead, they would be more likely, IMO, to be portrayed as the numbskulled, disgusting, and slobbering “cavemen in space” who are seemingly obsessed with imaginary honor that Ronald Moore made them out to be in the Berman-era.
I can’t recall seeing any Klingons slobber. Or do anything particularly disgusting.
KLINGON #1: Why are we wearing these pink leotards?
KLINGON #2: Is that black smoke over there coming towards us?
—
ROMULAN #1: Having been defeated by young Kirk, oh, no- we’re going to crash into that planet!
NERO: (shoots Romulan #1) I always hated that Bob narrated everything. Sheesh, man. We got eyes.
(Bord O’ Prey Oceanic crashes, multiple survivors abound- one be a Hobbit)
—
OLD SPOCK: When your half-brother shows up, just grab an escape pod and go far, far away.
YOUNG SPOCK: Can I keep the Iron-Man boot jets?
OLD SPOCK: No.
—
YOUNG KIRK: Isn’t it bad luck to christen a ship “Enterprize”?
CAPTAIN PIKE: Why would you say that? Oh, you mean because of what happened to the NX-01?
YOUNG KIRK: No one could have imagined that the moon-sized Cygnan race used tritanium alloys as suppositories.
ARCHER IN BLACK WHEELCHAIR: Beep Beep Beep.
—
Arrrrrrr… I kids cuz I loves…
Basically, all the actors have come up with a speil that keeps them from getting their collective asses sued….so the rehash continues…..we hear the same thing in different forms and make the same comments over and over….It’s like we are all in some temporal loop….maybe the movie was not moved to next May, it’s just that we are stuck and can’t get there….ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
#76—”I can’t recall seeing any Klingons slobber. Or do anything particularly disgusting.”
The insinuation that TNG Klingons were literally ’slobbering’ may be exaggerated, but I hardly think that you actually missed the point. As for whether they did anything ‘disgusting’, …well that’s a matter of taste.
I don’t like the TNG-era Klingons. That’s all. My distaste for them has nothing to do with the fact that they were physically different from their TOS-era brethren, and everything to do with the Berman-Braga-Moore interpretation of their culture and behavior.
While TOS-era Klingons were certainly a warrior race, the notion that they only eat live food, howl, listen to bad opera, envision themselves as ‘honorable’ warriors who would like nothing more than to die in battle and reap the benefits of a mythological afterlife, enjoy pain, head butt each other, endure ridiculous rituals of mating and pompous ceremony, etc., etc., etc., is distinctly TNG/DS9.
It is difficult to imagine Kor (”Errand Of Mercy”), Koloth (”The Trouble With Tribbles”), Kras (”Friday’s Child”), or Kang (”Day Of The Dove”) actually being the recent ancestors of the TNG ‘cavemen in space’ to me. It seemed, IMO, that Klingon culture had actually regressed from the 23rd to the 24th Century. Watching the TNG-era Klingons (again, IMO) often made me wonder how such a race could even have make it into outer space, much less become so powerful that their empire would rival the Federation both politically and militarily during the time of the 5-year mission. I find it hard to believe that the destruction of Praxus would send Klingon culuture spiralling so far backward.
To me, they don’t even resemble the colorful villains of the TOS-era. They might as well be another race entirely. Part of all of this of course,can b blamed upon Bennett/Nimoy’s STIII:TSFS. I think that Berman-Braga-Moore based their depiction of the entire Klingon race upon a rogue scoutship that was painted like a Romulan Bird Of Prey, and crewed by a dozen filthy Klingons.
Give me the smooth-talking, brutal, and cunning intellectual equals of Starfleet’s best in shoe-polish…If I never see another unbathed neanderthal eat a bowl of ‘gak’, drink a barrel of ‘bloodwine’, sing a song, and proclaim that he would rather carry a funny-looking sword instead of the latest technology ino battle again—- it will be too soon.
I’m with Closettrekker on the Klingon issue. I preferred the Cold War Klingons. I really came to dislike the honor stuff and it’s very difficult to watch TNG:Worf scenes now. Ridiculously cheesy.
Re 75[56]: Remember that Spock’s decision to enter Starfleet Academy was a direct rejection of Sarek’s wishes. I think it’s more reasonable to speculate that he expected greater acceptance among a pluralistic society than among the Vulcans. In other words, between adolescence and full maturity, he could very easily be characterized as experimenting with his human side.
What is not believable and is an exception to any sense of canon is that Spock would have grinned approvingly at the end of “Where No Man Has Gone Before” when Kirk said, ‘you might be human after all.’
#80—”What is not believable and is an exception to any sense of canon is that Spock would have grinned approvingly at the end of “Where No Man Has Gone Before” when Kirk said, ‘you might be human after all.’”
Agreed. I think at some point, you have to put ‘canon’ aside and chalk some things up as a television show in early production simply “woking out the kinks”.
The early first season episodes are full of information in the dialogue which was later contradicted and/or cast aside altogether (with regard to the timeline, in particular). I think Spock’s otherwise uncharacteristic displays of emotion in both pilot episodes is an example of that. It would be hard to imagine, later on, that Spock’s friends (Kirk, obviously, since McCoy was not to be seen in those episodes) would have let him forget it when he was in “Vucans do not…” mode, given their propensity for ribbing each other.
” think it’s more reasonable to speculate that he expected greater acceptance among a pluralistic society than among the Vulcans. In other words, between adolescence and full maturity, he could very easily be characterized as experimenting with his human side.”
Maybe, but I have always held to the notion that it was only his years spent alongside his ‘adopted family’ (and his experience with V’Ger) which made him comfortable enough to display anything more than the most subtle (like his logical, albeit emotionally driven, actions on behalf of Christopher Pike) emotions or deviation from the philosophy of logic. I would have difficulty imagining the young Spock (post-”Yesteryear”) ‘experimenting’ with his human side. I think the decision to enter Starfleet rather than the Vulcan Science Academy would probably be the extent of his ‘rebellion’ in young adulthood. I guess, like most fans, I have imagined my own ‘fanon’ backstory, and like most of that ‘fanon’, it will either become canon’, or fall to the wayside once that period is depicted on screen, since ultimately it isn’t up to any of us to decide.
I should add that I do agree on some levels with your assertion that Spock might have chosen the pluralistic Starfleet as an environment more conducive to his growth, but I imagine it being more of a decison based upon his feelings of displacement at times on Vulcan, and the natural desire of his human side for adventure and exploration (even if that part was subconscious to a certain extent).
I don’t totally follow what Zach says here… he must emulate Leonard in some ways… the hands held behind the back, the eyebrow raise… they are playing the same character, after all.
#83—Yes, exactly..They are playing the same ‘character’.
But is Quinto playing Spock, the same as Quinto playing Nimoy playing Spock? Unless I am mistaken, Quinto has not been cast to play a young Leonard Nimoy filming Star Trek in the mid-to-late 60’s, but a younger version of the character that Nimoy made famous— in an ‘original’ adventure.
What I took from his comments was that some of his portrayal will be from Zach’s distinct point of view of the character, and some of it will be laced with Nimoy’s take.
The question isn’t whether Zach’s portrayal will be unique to him, but how much it will be. Whatever the answer to that question, Mr. Nimoy himself is apparently impressed with the result…
After this movie opens I hope as many people find what’s right in this movie as they found wrong before it even came out.
BND#77- You make me hot when you seguey so brilliantly, especially when it involves Klingons in pink leotards…
anyone else bought the sfx issue? – its worth getting for the ‘50 things’ as it pretty much puts all the trek movie news theres been over the last 2 years in to a concise few pages..
they did the same for superman returns in 05 when everyone thought the film was gonna be amazing…
who knew eh
#77 – I’d pay $9.50 to see that!
#79: I completely agree with you. I much prefer the gentlemanly, well-spoken foes of Kirk’s era. I absolutely loved when Koloth said, “Ah, my dear Captain Kirk!” with William Campbell speaking in his educated accent. However, Chang is definitely my favourite “ridged” Klingon enemy — Christopher Plummer was well chosen.
Personally though, I thought Star Trek VI, Enterprise, and the comic books “Klingons: Blood Will Tell” did a good job of giving us a little of both TOS and TNG era Klingon. You’ll note the barrister (?) that defended Archer tells him that while the warrior class is the most promoted and glamorous part of the Klingon Empire, teachers, workers, and other professions are pretty much thankless jobs that keep the Empire together, so I thought it was a nice little rectification.
Worf did sort of calm down after a while and into the movies, so I didn’t have much problem with him. I had a problem with all the other Klingons besides Kang, Kor, and Koloth in the TNG era being what you described. There was too much absolutism: ALL Klingon women are ugly — unless crossbred with a human (cue my eyes to roll OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS), ALL Klingons speak like they’ve been smoking cigarettes for 70 years, ALL Klingons have poor hygiene and bad teeth, ALL Klingons are obsessed with battle, ALL Klingons are uneducated barbarians. I agree that basing them completely off of what was clearly a rogue group of the Klingon Empire (especially since the ambassador and others in the TOS movies pretty much act like they did in the TV series) was a very bad idea. It’s not like anyone would take the Romulans from this next movie and base the Romulan Star Empire off of them in any spin-offs… would they?
The Klingons of late TNG onward did indeed become tiresome. Even the return of Kor, Koloth and Kang in DS9 turned them into buffoons.
“Heart of Glory” shpwed promise, but by the time Lursa and B’etor showed up with young Duras, it was clear that the “high efficiency” and ruthlessness” of TOS Klingons had devolved into Bozo the Clown at a gin mill.
#90—”Even the return of Kor, Koloth and Kang in DS9 turned them into buffoons.”
Absolutely.