March 2007




Star Trek New Voyages’ James Cawley Talks To TrekMovie.com

In recent years Star Trek fan films have been growing in popularity and the most popular has been Star Trek New Voyages. This is mostly due to the production values and some pretty serious guest stars. TrekMovie.com talked to show star and creator James Cawley to find out what is behind this attempt to complete Star Trek’s 5 year mission. “I felt that the characters had more to say, I think Kirk Spock and McCoy are more relevant now than even in 1969,” explains Cawley. That belief set Cawley off on his rather expensive ‘hobby’ almost 10 years ago. Now with two high profile episodes released, millions of downloads, and another star-led episode about to premiere Cawley feels like they are finally getting close to their goal of making their fan production ‘as if you were to sit down and watch the TV in 1969.’



Wheaton Comic, Who Companion, Trek Apartment, and more in a news roundup

Just some little Trek items to tie you over…. The new companion for Dr. Who has admitted that she is more of a Trekkie. The Sun reports Freema Agyeman is a big fan of Patrick Stewart and the Next Generation and has even attended Trek conventions. more at Sun Online… Will Wheaton (TNG’s Wesley Crusher) is getting ready to head back to Trek. Wheaton announced that he will write a story for the next volume in ‘Star Trek: The Manga’ from Tokyo Pop. The actor says he was reluctant when first approached, but then a voice in his head said "Dude, this would be so cool! Come on, man, let’s do this!". more at his blog… 




Happy Birthday Leonard Nimoy

Today is Leonard Nimoy’s 76th birthday…proving that Spock is actually younger than Kirk! TrekMovie.com wishes him many more great years. And if you miss the 80s, then here is a music video that he directed and appeared in (and no it isn’t that Bilbo Baggins thing)… StarTrek.com also have a nice bday tribute to Leonard Nimoy



The Naked Time remastered re-airs this weekend

Community member "Spockboy" has yet done it again and created a neat split screen of the original versus the remastered CGI effects for The Naked Time. So get out your mutated strains of water and sit back and enjoy! After the break is another little video for your entertainment too. TrekMovie.com ‘The Naked Time’ Coverage: PREVIEW  |  VIDEO/SCREENSHOTS  |  REVIEW


Star Trek Auction Update: Week 13

Week13 of the It’s A Wrap Star Trek auction on EBay  was one of the biggest yet, bringing in $73,689. Much of this can be attributed to new bidders who drove Enterprise hero costumes up to ridiculous levels. All 5 Enterprise hero costumes went for over $3,600! The same Ensign Mayweather costume, which went for $1,500 at Christie’s sold for $4,606 on Ebay. That is more than even an Archer stunt uniform that went for $4050. The buyer had to be new and not familiar with what these costumes have been going for in the past.



ABC Gives Abrams & Shatner Renewals

Although it isn’t a surprise, ABC has announced early renewals for fourteen of its shows including Lost created by Trek XI producers JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof. Although the show has slipped in the ratings, ABC still touts that it is the highest rated scripted show for the key 18-49 demographic. Although Abrams has not been involved in the day to day for the show since season 1, Damon Lindelof has been sharing show running duties with Carlton Cuse (including doing weekly podcasts). Now that JJ Abrams is committed to directing Trek XI it is expected that much of the producing duties will probably fall on Lindelof. What effect this has on season 4 of Lost is still unknown. The fate of Abrams other ABC shows, Six Degrees and What About Brian, remains less certain. Six Degrees returns this Friday after a long hiatus and retooling.


Review: Crucible Trilogy

"The City on the Edge of Forever" is one of Star Trek’s finest hours. Harlan Ellison’s tale of personal sacrifice on behalf of others serves as the touchstone from which the lives of McCoy, Spock, and Kirk flow in David R. George III’s Crucible trilogy. These books, commissioned for the fortieth anniversary celebration, are unique in that they stand outside all other literary continuity. George limits himself to the original episodes, the animated series, and what we know of the original crew from references in later Treks. Also, while the stories can, theoretically, be read in any order, they really should be read in their order of release. The interweaving stories read better in order, and could serve to spoil the enjoyment of the other books. Sadly, reading the books in order may wind up leaving readers with a sub-par feeling at the end.



Star Trek Back On iTunes

About a month ago Star Trek vanished off the iTunes store due to technical problems, but now it is back. Even better, iTunes are now separating TOS from the TOS-R with each having its own listing:  ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ or  ‘Star Trek: The Original Series (Remastered).’ All of TOS Season 1 is up, along with the full-lenth versions of the 11 TOS-R season 1 episodes aired so far. Additional Seasons 1 TOS-R episodes will be made available after they air, with seasons 2 and 3 of TOS and TOS-R sometime in the future. Star Trek: Enterprise has still not returned and TrekMovie.com is told it will take some time because all 4 seasons are being recoded. (click image below to launch iTunes TOS-R store – NOTE only available in US)



Trek XI Update: Still Writing, Budgeting and Casting

TrekMovie.com is keeping an ear to the ground on what is happening now that Trek XI has got the official greenlight. Firstly we hear that even though the decision has not yet been made, there is growing support for the simple title ‘Star Trek.’ As for pre-production, it really has not started in earnest yet. Sources tell us that the script is going through a budgeting rewrite phase, which is typical. However various behind the scenes people are being lined up and told to get ready. The art department should be starting up in April with construction slated to start around June or July and shooting starting in October or November. Bear in mind that dates can easily move around (as they already have), but the release date of Christmas 2008 seems to be firm.


TNG@20: Stewart Interview

During 2007 we will peridically post retrospective interviews, features and found clips to celebrate TNG’s 20th birthday. Here is a BBC interview with Patrick Stewart from a few years ago (edited to just the Trek bits). He talks about how he got the job, the choice of Picard’s accent, fandom and the film Trekkies.



“I, Mudd” Remastered Re-airs This Weekend

A classic humor based episode with that intergalactic lovable scoundrel Harry Mudd is repeating this weekend. Our buddy "Spockboy" has done it again and created a neat split screen of the original versus the remastered CGI effects, plus a little something else for fun at the end , enjoy! TrekMovie.com I, Mudd coverage: PREVIEW  |  VIDEO/SCREENSHOTS  |  REVIEW


Book Review: ENT – The Good That Men Do

Didn’t like the finale of Star Trek: Enterprise? You’re not alone. Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin (and, incidentally, Pocket Books) are counting on that as they present "The Good That Men Do." The book is the first in the ‘relaunch’ of the Enterprise series in novel form. Primarily it is an attempt to undo the damage that 24th century Trek imposed on Enterprise in "These Are The Voyages," while also setting up the arcs for where Pocket plans on taking the series (story here). The book adequately performs these duties, but not without running into its own problems along the way. NOTE: SPOILERS BELOW


Rumor: Garner as Spock’s Love Interest?

Well the latest rumor comes from Star Magazine, so bear that in mind as you read it. And here it is: SPOCK LOVES JEN GARNER!Star has learned exclusively that in the new Star Trek film, which is a prequel to the original hit series, the outwardly emotionless vulcan Mr. Spock has a love interest! Not only would Jen, 34, "be just the right person for Star Trek because she’s a chameleon," an insider says, but the film’s director, J.J. Abrams, cast her on Alias and has a history of giving jobs to people he worked with before! Beam her up!


Orci & Kurtzman Teaming Up With Bay for Another Sci-Fi Blockbuster

Trek XI’s scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman’s seem to be playing tag team between JJ Abrams and Michael Bay. The pair wrote the script for Abrams’ M:I:3 between the Bay films The Island and Transformers. Now according to TMZ.com they will produce and probably write another sci-fi blockbuster for Bay after Star Trek XI. According to the report the film will be based on the forthcoming novel, "2012: The War for Souls" by Whitley Strieber (writer of the novels behind Communion and The Hunger). Bay is slated to produce and possibly direct, but this time with Warner Brothers. The novel is based on the belief that 2012 is the year of a great transformation or apocalypse. So expect lots of things to blow up, as per Bay tradition. full report here.



Trek XI: The Poll

In the "Corbomite Maneuver" Lt. Baily says to Kirk "I vote we blast ’em," to which Kirk quickly replied "Thank you, Mr. Bailey, I’ll consider that when this becomes a democracy." But that attitude doesn’t stop fans from voting their opinions, including three currently running Trek XI polls on other sites. IMDB is asking  for thumbs up or down on Matt Damon as Capt Kirk. Current result is a split decision of 48% for it, 52% against [UPDATE: IMDB have followed up with a new poll asking ‘if not Damon, then who?’…so far ‘an unknown’ leads with 34% with Ewan McGregor is 2nd with 11%] TrekToday also have a Trek XI casting poll going, asking what is people’s favorite casting rumor. The Sinise as Bones rumor leads with 40%.  StarTrek.com have a tongue in cheek list of potential names for Star Trek XI, with "Star Trek XI: The First Generation" in the lead.


Abrams On Music And Trek XI Composer Giacchino

Among the many facets to JJ Abrams is his love of music. He plays a number of instruments and even composed the themes for both Alias and Felicity. In a new interview with Helio magazine, the Trek XI producer/director talks music and how he grew up listening to movie scores. He lists John Williams, Tom Twyker, John Barry and even Tangerine Dream among the composers he admires. Regarding his choice for composer for Star Trek XI, Abrams had this to say… Michael Giacchino, is a genius in terms of current working composers. I’m biased, but I think he’s as good as it gets, with contemporary composers.


TNG Novels Chart New Course

The last time we saw Captain Picard he was sitting in space dock fixing up the Enterprise and saying goodbye to old friends after the events of Nemesis. Now that the TNG film era is over, it is up to Trek Novels to continue the story. Riker and Troi have already set off in the popular ‘Titan’ book series, and so Picard must move on without his loyal first officer and trusted counselor. The first of these post Nemesis novels (Death in Winter) was released in hardcover in late 2005, and it focused on Picard/Crusher romance that has been brewing for far too long. That book gets re-issued in paperback later this year along with a slew of new TNG books to help celebrate the TNG 20th anniversary. In the second part of our interview with Simon & Schuster editor Margaret Clark, we find out what is next for The Next Generation.


Review: Wolf In the Fold Remastered

Robert Bloch’s “Wolf in the Fold” is typical both of the horror writer’s contributions to the series (he also wrote “What Are Little Girls Made Of? and “Catspaw”) and of the show’s second season, in that in year two Trek often presented some fairly dark and outlandish plotlines but shook them up with humor. The story centers around Scott, who’s accused of murder while on shore leave on the hedonistic world of Argelius. Scott’s under suspicion because a head injury has apparently created a temporary feeling of paranoia and distrust of women, but as the female bodies start piling up and the investigation continues the culprit is revealed to be the ancient spirit of Jack the Ripper, in actuality a formless alien entity which thrives on fear.