I am a former officer in the USMC, and I served aboard an LPH and LSD (seriously) while in the FSSG of a CAG MEU…I also commanded a PRC at GNB while attached to 2BN2REG2MARDIV out of CLNC!

You win !!!! Klingons are very diverse….. The TOS Klingons afflicted by the modified Levodian Flu with Augment DNA did change their personalities and way they governed – like a totalitarian police state….. Just like Khan wanted to govern…it makes me wonder if the chancellor during the time of TOS was a ridgeless Klingon and the ridged Klingons were actually a minority due to millions and generations of Klingons being affected by their physicial and psychological changes…

As per my BOP comment, Klingons were probably using their BOP’s during TOS, however they were never shown on screen… They used them in ENT and they used them in the TOS movies up until DS9..

And Klingons do have fangs, remember worf used a Ferengi tooth sharpener in DS9 during Nog’s auction of his personal good prior to departing for SF academy…. However the Augment Klingons lost their fangs when they became afflicted by human DNA…. They lost more than their ridges, whole internal vital organs were lost or mutated into more human forms, their rib cages physically changed to appear more human, their bone structures changed (human like feed, no more spine ridges)skin tones became more human (very evident in Koloth and Kras as opposed to Kor and Kang), they became physically weaker as muscle structure and mass became more human, their way of governing changed (adopting more totalitarian police state styles), they became allies with the romulans – sworn enemies, change in teeth structure…etc…

Somehow that was all cured by TMP…..that is why they are more animalistic in that film…and more daring to destroy an unbeatable opponent…V’GER

And yet in many of those countries (Brazil, in particular), Star Trek’s only appearance on television at all was in the form of TOS and one season of TNG. Moreover, the movies have seen only extremely limited release in the past in some of those markets.

Germany also has always had a strong Trek fanbase, and ST09 has not done poorly there (as it has in our fellow English-speaking countries). It also does not open in Japan until next Friday. Mexico’s release (as we all know) was delayed.

But as I have said before, the investment in non-traditional markets should not be expected to produce overnight results. The effects of marketing are always cumulative. As long as Paramount’s marketing people continue to put resources into it (as they began to do with the promotion of this film), it will happen. I expect a better showing (post-dvd release and with continued marketing efforts) in those markets when the sequel hits theaters in a couple of years.

I do have a funny story regarding our American military’s penchant for its use of acronyms. Last fall, while covering an CSTC-A SSI ceremony (Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan shoulder sleeve insignia ceremony…sorry, I had to do it.. LOL, in which our servicemembers adopted a new patch to be worn on our uniform’s sleeve that, for the first time, bore the colors of another nation–Afghanistan’s, in this case), the Afghan Minister of Defense delivered a speech in flawless English.

In his comments, Minister Rahim Abdul Wardek said, and I quote… “You Americans have so many acronyms in infinite combinations, that it makes one’s head spin (to which he got a good laugh and a round of applause from Afghans and Americans alike).”

Point is, not everyone knows what FWIW, TDK, WOM, NATM, BO, (which easily could be for body odor), etc., and countless other acroyms are. (and yes, I do know what these stand for, but the object of a good writer is to put out a message that everyone understands, otherwise you lose your reader.

Opcode, I’d have to disagree with you to a certain extent. If, as we TREK fans have been led to believe, “Star Trek” (at least, TOS) has been incredibly popular through the 70s and 80s. I’ve read dozens and dozens of articles that addressed TREK’s universal appeal (Unless you are referring to the movie series, and not the TV series).

I’ve seen many articles talking about the various names TREK has had in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy * and Japan. These articles have even detailed how actors have dubbed their native language substituting theirs for *our* original crew (which is only natural-not everyone speaks English, naturally).

* I even picked up a “Star Trek” novel (a TNG novel) that is written in Italy’s native language when I visited there in 2006.

It might be better if some of our foreign correspondents here address this theory, though, and I ask this: Has “Star Trek” had a noticeable presence on your country’s television networks?

I will say that SF is apparently alive and well in Europe, While staying in Italy the summer of 2006, I had a room in a hostel named the “Anakin Stargate,” and while walking the streets of Rome, I saw posters everywhere advertising a sci-fi convention (I think) that had a visage of a male Vulcan (very Spock-like) in his 30s, holding something that looked remarkably similar to a light sabre.

That said, if the many reports that have been on this site are true, I’ve never understood the apparent lack of success with the film franchise overseas.

I do think to some degree I can explain that, though. “Star Trek” on the big screen, to me, bears little resemblance to its TV roots.

Let’s be honest, the films, for the most part, lack the TV’s penchant for exploring new frontiers and moral issues, substituting instead our hero’s bravada, larger than-life villians, explosions, galactic danger, etc.

And again to be honest, I am not sure a talkie “Star Trek” would be the success that the current film is, which, to me, is why I prefer that TREK stay on the small screen– and yet I do very much enjoy the films on the big screen, especially ST09!

They were not opposed to signing treaties in DS9 either. And “non-augment” Klingons had already signed a “peace treaty” with the Federation as depicted in TUC as well.

And wasn’t the reason they became enemies with the Federation again (briefly) in DS9 due to being infiltrated by a changeling?

#217—”Augment DNA of course introduced into Klingons in Affliction and Divergence….ENT….”

Yes, that was Manny Coto’s well-intentioned (however unnecessary, IMO) attempt to reconcile the physical differences seen in Klingons between those depicted in TOS and those seen in TMP/beyond.

You can use that to justify the behvior of TOS Klingons vs. their TNG-era counterparts, but you cannot say that “true Klingons” wouldn’t sign a peace treaty—-because it isn’t true. They were depicted as doing so well after the “augment Klingons” had faded away.

Moreover, a lack of “augment DNA” would not have enabled them to slaughter the Organians. Ridged Klingons would have been equally powerless.

Furthermore, what of the “House of Duras”? Did they not behave cowardly at times as well? How about the Klingon BOP commander who bowed his head and apologized to Capt. Kirk in TGTTO89? Where do those characters fit in your definition of “true Klingons”?

The bottom line is this—-”true Klingons” are the ones depicted in all 5 television series and films. “True Klingons” are diverse and multidimensional….as they should be.

The “codes of honor”, etc. were never more than a good old fashioned crock of shit…

#227, I can imagine a situation where 60% of a poorly grossing movie at the box office makes a significant portion of its gross from DVD sales. However, a film that does extremely well? Hard to imagine. Assume 1 DVD per customer and they don’t cost that much more than a movie ticket. With Trek you have some fans going more than 8 times already! So there is no way even if every person who saw the movie bought a DVD that they would make more than 50% of its revenue and of course it doesn’t work that way, usually 1 per family. Personally I think anyone who would buy the DVD will also see the movie, leaving very few additional buys outside of the box office. But that is way down the road. It also needs to be a box office success and it will be.