Star Trek Mag Nimoy Interview Excerpts + STM Planning 3 Movie Issues

The new issue of the official Star Trek Magazine has a very delicious interview with actor Leonard Nimoy, who reprises his role as Spock in the new Star Trek opening May 8th. In the interview, conducted in early October, Nimoy talks about J.J. Abrams, the cast, Spock’s importance in the film, Trek’s appeal and his expectations of the film, and much more. Excerpts below.

 

Spock ‘s Delicious Trek
Among the topics touched upon in the interview were Nimoy’s return to the role and what it was like for him, being away from the character for over 15 years. Along these lines, one of the questions he was asked was whether or not the experience gave him any further insights into the character, to which Nimoy replied:

I saw Zachary Quinto [who plays younger Spock] do things with the character that had never occurred to me, which I found quite delicious. I think he really has found a way to expand the character while at the same time, if you can understand what I’m trying to say, being true to the character. He has found ways to enrich the character. He’s wonderful and I’m really proud of what he has done.

In addition, Nimoy was asked Star Trek‘s current popularity and how it has been out of the ‘cultural zeitgeist’ for 10 years…he agreed it could definitely use a boost. He also continued to show his fondness for the word “delicious.”

Star Trek has not been part of the zeitgeist for some time now. My hope is that this group of actors portraying these characters will give audiences a very delicious insight into what Star Trek can be at its best, and they will want to see more of these people doing what they do – solving problems together as a team. That’s my hope – and my expectation, by the way.

Appealing to mass audiences may not be a big problem. As Nimoy pointed out in the interview:

My wife, who is not a major science fiction fan, sat with me and watched the present cut of the movie about two weeks ago. We saw it in its present condition, which is still unfinished. It’s still a work in progress, there’s still some special effects to come, and so forth. But about 20 minutes before the movie finished, she turned to me and said, “I don’t want this movie to end.” That’s how much she was enjoying it.

Much more from Nimoy in the latest Star Trek magazine on his thoughts about director JJ Abrams, his fellow cast members, Spock’s importance in the movie, and more.

The new issue of Star Trek Magazine also has an extended feature on the Mirror Universe. Star Trek Magazine #15 is on newsstands now. It can also be ordered directly from tfaw.com.

STM #15
(newstand edition)

STM #15
(Previews Exclusive)

$5.59

$5.59

Star Trek Magazine Movie Issues coming
Star Trek Magazine is planning on three special movie focused issues in the coming months. These issues will have exclusive new information and images from Star Trek. There will be two movie-focused issues before Star Trek is released (# 17 on sale March 24th & #18 on sale May 5th), plus an additional movie-focused issue (#19) on sale June 9th. CLICK HERE to subscribe to get all those issues and more.

Also, Star Trek Magazine #17 can be pre-ordered at tfaw.com (note the covers shown are ‘dummy covers’) and the final covers will likely have some new imagery on them .

STM #17
(newsstand edition)

STM #17
(Previews Exclusive)

$5.59
(Pre-order -March 24)

$5.59
(Pre-order – March 24)

Or just Subscribe to get all the issues.

 

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Hopefully there will be many new pictures in these…

It’s very reassuring to hear Nimoy talk so supportively of this movie and the creative team.

While I’m still concerned about the continuity aspects, I’m open-minded enough to want to see this movie succeed and relaunch the franchise in a way that keeps STAR TREK around for a good long while.

As with everything else, this movie will be the sum of its parts, and everyone brings something new to the table.

I hope there will be more pictures soon. I’m getting a bit more used to the new Enterprise, but I want to see more. The movie does indeeed look ‘Delicious’ as Mr. Nemoy put it. But we need more.

Looks Mr. Nimoy’s still got the chops to play the character.

Charles:

Who does these mags? Is this the latest version of the “Official Fan Club” mags from years back?

@2

“Light” Spoilers ahead

Haven’t we established at this point that continuity is unimportant since a new timeline will be created that makes the cannon thing mood ?!?

End “light” spoilers

I don’t want this movie to end.
I want it to start…..

# 6 ….Mood..” ? You Mean Moot?!

Considering just how upset some fans are by what we’ve seen so far, can you imagine how much worse it would be without Leonard Nimoy doing such a grand job?

I do think he sounds genuinely thrilled to be doing this, and liked the movie, and that counts a lot for me.

119 days and counting…

Ahh… that delicious zeitgeist!
from when is that Nimoy picture in the top left corner of STM #15 by the way?

I’ve become very dissatisfied with this magazine in recent years. It seems they have devoted far too many issues to “reevaluations” off past shows. God knows how many Enterprise has been given, and the next issue will “reevaluate” Voyager.

The mag was a far better publication before it went Stateside. I remember when there used to be at least three, sometimes even four pages of letters from readers, and in recent years, we only get one (and if we’re real lucky, maybe even two!).

I used to really enjoy reading (as it was known) Star Trek Monthly, hell, I’d even call it fun. Nowadays, it just feels like a chore. A new movie coming out, and it must be the only magazine left not to have a big feature/cover about Star Trek. The interviews with the cast are fine, but with the ridicoulous amount of secrecy, there all basically repeating themselves.

If the magazine were still monthly, I’d have given up ages ago. I can only hope that with the release of the film, that there will be articles that can compare to the old days. But KRAD’s Mirror Universe Timeline was an excellent piece of work, Well Done.

8:

Thanks, Charles.

And wouldn’t you know it, I found just found issue 133 in a box (I’m unpacking after moving to NYC). I must have bought it in Sweden, and packed it. Never read it.

The Doomsday Machine STRIKES!

#12
“’I’ve become very dissatisfied with this magazine in recent years. It seems they have devoted far too many issues to “reevaluations” off past shows.”

Um, what do you expect? The magazine’s subject is a science fiction franchise that hasn’t had any new episodes or films in several years. Until the new picture is released and more information comes out of the Paramount publicity machine, what else *can* they do, really, except rehash, rehash, rehash?

Im might go get these magazines might find something new

I am a subscriber, but I got the normal cover art :( how can we get the ‘previews exclusive’ cover??? Its much cooler!

right now there is no official Trek fan club. CBS is working on one, but I dont think there will be a magazine with it, so this one from Titan is it. Titan do a lot of ‘official magazines’ including Star Wars, Heroes, Lost and Indiana Jones

Haven’t seen Orci here in a bit. I bet they’re busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest right now.

To get the previews exclusives you need to order to pick it up at a comic book store (or from an online dealer like tfaw.com).

#19 – What about us UK ones?

20
ask at your local comic book shop

theres no way it could be as bad as Nemesis, Insurrection or First Contact so I have very high hopes!

Delicious. Just delicious.

The magazine is good, but pricey.

This movie is no longer coming out next year…it is only 4 months away.
I still connot wait.
P.S. I don’t care how upset some fans are by what we’ve seen so far. Some fans gotta “get a life”!!!

I’ve been picking up the issues since #1 and even with it’s price near $10.00, I think it is worth it. I miss the official Star Trek Magazine from a few years ago. That magazine was thick and had alot of ship plans.

To #22,

That’s all very well and good, but some people will decide they hate, and will do anything to discredit, this film…

Based. On. The. Looks. Of. A. Set.

It’s like claiming a band’s rubbish when they prodiuce twelve great albums and one bad album, and suddenly the bad album is the only thing that declares where the band is. I mentioned regarding Star Wars (Boo! Hiss!) the other day that The Phantom Menace could never have succeeded even if it was the best film ever written (which of course it wasn’t, but oh well) simply because people had already decided what they wanted it to be, and of course it could never be what everyone wanted it to be because everyone has a different opinion of what they wanted of it. So it was killed not by itself, but by what it couldn’t be- a film by committee. Can you imagine how incredibly awful a film would be if we got everyone on this website to write it in a big group? It;’d just devilve into a fight between people who want to try and have fun, and people who’d prefer a film that never once deviated from established canon whatsoever. It’d, quite simply, never get written, or it’d be such a huge compromise we’d end up with the Operation Market-Garden of cinema.

22. Charles Trotter – “you of course realize most people are excited by what they’ve seen so far, right?”

Most people on this site are excited by what they’ve seen so far. That is not most people. Opinion on other general movie-related sites is rather mixed, an attitude that might be more prevelent here if Mr. Pascale and the contributors to the site weren’t so overwhelmingly and smotheringly enthusiastic about every aspect of the film. Contrary opinions tend to get heckled and shouted down at worst, or mildly chided (like your quoted comment) at best. Either way, there’s a chilling effect, as the message is clear: this site is very much ‘pro’ this movie, and people who are not ‘pro’ this movie have been marginalized, either deliberately or otherwise. And, really, I udnerstand that. The more ‘pro’ the site is, the more exclusive content the site gets from the studio and the principals behind the movie. The more exclsuive content the site gets, the more traffic it gets. The more traffic the site gets, the more successful the site becomes. The more successful the site becomes, the more likely the contributors are to transition into more lucrative entertainment writing gigs, whether as a sideline or full-time. Anything that looks like negative coverage is bad for business, thus there isn’t any.

11. thorsten –
“from when is that Nimoy picture in the top left corner of STM #15 by the way?”

That’s an old publicity shot from the set of “Unification part 2” way, way back during TNG.

Delicious

28. Doomsponge –
“To #22,
That’s all very well and good, but some people will decide they hate, and will do anything to discredit, this film…
Based. On. The. Looks. Of. A. Set.”

Go back and watch the first six Trek movies and look closely at the Enterprise bridge. I changes radically from film to film (only exception is in Trek 2 & 3). The bridge in Trek 5 had beige carpet! In Trek 6 it had what looked like diamondplate steel flooring. The bridge seen for a few seconds at the end of Trek 4 looks nothing like what we saw in 5. And the bridge in TMP is also very different.

Get over it.

#29

That’s utter nonsense. The only time Anthony has shut people down here is when they are unmistakably trolling or otherwise outright insulting to other posters. Every single post on this site contains comments from naysayers. In fact, most of the more balanced discussions from both points of view have taken place here, not elsewhere. Anthony’s own review of the test footage indicated he had problems with it, and that’s hardly the action of someone worried about being a cheerleader or hoping for ‘exclusives’.

this magazine really needs a new look i hate the design. if all its contents were compresed and all the pointless full page advertisements were cut out every issue would only come to an estimate 35 pages instead of 68 pages £3.99 very pricy. this must be the only magazine that has very little coverage on the new star trek movie.

18. Green-Blooded-Bastard – January 8, 2009
“Haven’t seen Orci here in a bit. I bet they’re busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest right now.”

LOL

I’m buying mine tonight! :-)

#2- While I’m still concerned about the continuity aspects, I’m open-minded enough to want to see this movie succeed and relaunch the franchise in a way that keeps STAR TREK around for a good long while.

Couldn’t have said it better! :-)

Hey Roberto! Congrats on wrapping post! CAN’T WAIT!!! =D

#17- right now there is no official Trek fan club. CBS is working on one, but I dont think there will be a magazine with it, so this one from Titan is it. Titan do a lot of ‘official magazines’ including Star Wars, Heroes, Lost and Indiana Jones

Don’t forget about the Stargate magazine Anthony! Oops, wrong universe! ;-)

I love Nimoy & Spock but remember Nimoy was thrilled about the ST6 story too. Which was a very lame cold war story. Which I didn’t think was a good one at all. I hate when scifi movies mirror the latest news. No original Idea there. TV does it to death. Nimoy seems happy whenever the story has a lot of Spock. They had to make him director on ST3 & 4 to please him. The only reason he wasn’t in Generations was the fact it was only a cameo. So I take what he says with a grain of salt. I just hope he’s right this time.

Spock: “Curious, Captain.”
Kirk: “Spock. What is it?”
Spock: “Delicious.”

#29—“…Opinion on other general movie-related sites is rather mixed, an attitude that might be more prevelent here if Mr. Pascale and the contributors to the site weren’t so overwhelmingly and smotheringly enthusiastic about every aspect of the film.”

I think that Anthony, Charles, and the other contributors are “enthusiastic” about getting the ‘news’, which is something we all want from a journalist. Even with the ‘exclusive’ interviews and such, Anthony has never shied away from asking the tough questions. I don’t recall his views on the answers to those questions being either “pro” or “con”.

As for these general movie sites, the only reviews of what footage has been shown thusfar that I have seen—on any site—seem to be overwhelmingly positive. Even reviewers who admitted going into it with the intention of ripping it apart were positively surprised.

So, let’s see…Comments made by people who haven’t seen any of it vs. reviews by people who have…Seems like a ‘no brainer’ to me.

Are Anthony and company likely to be personally enthusiastic about the film? Sure. Why not? They are Star Trek fans. Otherwise, why would they spend their time putting so much work into the best Star Trek information site on the internet?

Of course opinion on other movie sites is mixed (aside from the actual preliminary reviews—which are overwhelmingly positive)—-most people have preconceived notions about anything with the “Star Trek” label on it! That is a barrier which will only be overcome by news that this film is worth seeing, even if you aren’t already an established Star Trek fan.

Are you old enough to remember the initial fan reactions over the look of the uniforms in TWOK? The ‘fanon-breaking’ revelation that Chekov was aboard the Enterprise during the events depicted in “Space Seed”?

The only difference is, there wasn’t an internet on which to broadcast the initial reaction to some of those things which might be different. There are Star Trek fans who fear change, just as their are people in other demographics who do as well. Ultimately, much of that will be assuaged, so long as it is an entertaining film that, as the creators insist, maintains the “essence” of these legendary characters.

29. bill hiro –
“Anything that looks like negative coverage is bad for business, thus there isn’t any.”

Uh, this isn’t an officially licensed site so there’s no need to worry about what’s ‘bad for business’. Anthony and staff don’t work for J.J. Abrams, Paramount or CBS. And there has been *plenty* of negative feedback alongside the good for this movie. Your conspiracy theory doesn’t add up.

“I don’t want this movie to end.” (sigh) I haven’t felt that way about a Trek film since The Voyage Home. I hope I feel that way about this new film; so far, I’m enjoying the thrill of anticipating new Star Trek in a way I haven’t since 1985 and the first news about TNG. (Sadly, I never grew to like TNG very much.)

Nimoy points out one of the main reasons I’m happy about the recast/reboot stuff; he saw another actor explore something in HIS character–something new after 40 years of being Spock! That’s why a new cast is exciting: they’ll bring new ideas and fresh approaches to the characters. More than any new technology, it’s that new take on classic characters that will make or break this film.

I don’t think it’s so important that they give us what we already know about these characters; the new cast has to give us something new, some insight into these people that makes us like them all the more.

#41—“I love Nimoy & Spock but remember Nimoy was thrilled about the ST6 story too. Which was a very lame cold war story. Which I didn’t think was a good one at all. I hate when scifi movies mirror the latest news. No original Idea there. TV does it to death. ”

Actually, it was an allegory to some of the confusion and wranglings on both sides ‘after the end’ of the Cold War. It’s not my favorite Star Trek film, but “lame”? Compared to what? Certainly not its immediate predecessor!

I take it then, that you also do not like “A Private Little War”?

RE: 28.
Doomsponge says: “It’s like claiming a band’s rubbish when they prodiuce twelve great albums and one bad album, and suddenly the bad album is the only thing that declares where the band is. ”

In this case it’s more like people suddenly hate the band based on a new album’s cover design; without even listening to the music.

It gets old.

got to love the conspiracy theories of the hater wing. One of them in the Orci/Scientist thread was trying to claim that positive posters worked for Paramount. These people just cant get over the fact they they are in the minority. Star Trek is about optimism and so color me crazy…I am optimistic until I actually see the movie.

Sure the comments at Aint It Cool can get ugly, but it is actually pretty balanced there.

As for this site…you want cheerleading, remember startrek.com? And this article is about the magazine…that thing is a total cheerleading thing. I actually think this site is a lot more balanced towards coverage of all the trek stuff than sites like Gateworld or TheForce.net.

RE: 32. Izbot says:
“Go back and watch the first six Trek movies and look closely at the Enterprise bridge. I changes radically from film to film (only exception is in Trek 2 & 3). The bridge in Trek 5 had beige carpet! In Trek 6 it had what looked like diamondplate steel flooring. The bridge seen for a few seconds at the end of Trek 4 looks nothing like what we saw in 5. And the bridge in TMP is also very different.
Get over it.”

Exactly.

I look forward to ST XX, when fans can look back on this movie and say the transporter sound effect in XX isn’t in canon with what we saw in IX.

Does anyone know if Titan (or whoever) will be doing an official movie magazine (like they did for the TNG movies) or if those 3 issues are it?