Here’s another documentary Star Trek fans should be looking forward to: In Search of Tomorrow, which focuses on 1980s sci-fi cinema, a pivotal era for the genre and for the Star Trek film franchise. We first reported on this crowdfunded doc as it was being developed last year, and now we have an exclusive clip.
Koenig talks Star Trek II
The producers of In Search of Tomorrow have provided TrekMovie.com with this clip from their doc of actor Walter Koenig talking about how the particular acting styles of Ricardo Montalban and William Shatner worked perfectly in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
In Search of Tomorrow to explore Star Trek movies and more 1980s
The new documentary comes from the same team behind the acclaimed 2019 documentary In Search of Darkness, which explored 1980s horror cinema. Now with In Search of Tomorrow—which they describe as a “superdoc”—they are taking a deep dive into 1980s sci-fi cinema.
In addition to Koenig, the doc is expected to include interviews with people related to Star Trek including Nicholas Meyer, Adam Nimoy, Wil Wheaton, and other relevant artists and Treksperts. Also included will be dozens of interviews with more icons of 1980s sci-fi. Recently added to the list of interviews are Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters), Jesse Ventura (Predator, The Running Man), Peter Weller (Robocop, Buckaroo Banzai), John Dykstra (Star Wars, Star Trek), Bruce Boxleitner (TRON), Adrienne Barbeau (Escape from New York, Swamp Thing), and more.
Here is the new trailer.
Pre-order now
In addition to the new talent announcement, the documentary team has launched an Indiegogo campaign to aid in not only expanding current production efforts and adding more interviews, but also to allow sci-fi fans the opportunity to pre-order the film and become involved in the filmmaking process. In Search of Tomorrow is scheduled to be released in December 2021 and the initial release of the doc will be available exclusively to backers.
A pledge of around $40 includes a digital release and going up to $80 adds a Blu-ray, some posters, and other collectibles. All backers get their name in the credits and access to an exclusive online community which includes watch parties, special guest Q&As, access to the production team, and early previews including the ability to offer feedback on work in progress.
The Indigogo campaign ends next week on May the 4th. To learn more about supporting In Search of Tomorrow, visit the Indigogo page.
Backers bonuses and merchandise include Blu-rays, DVDs, posters, stickers and T-shirts
Keep up with all the Star Trek-related documentary news, previews and reviews at TrekMovie.com.
It has been, and always shall be, the best of the Star Trek feature films.
I concur. Great start to the unofficial ‘trilogy’ ending with Trek IV. I get alot of flack for saying this but Trek III was a more than worthy follow up to II and is one of favorites featuring the TOS crew. My opinion, of course ;)
III was a fine film, hampered in my opinion by budget and a lack of attention to the finer details that II and IV received. A fine trilogty, though, you’re quite right Dr. Beckett.
Star Trek 3 is laughably atrocious, but strangely enjoyable for TOS crew fans. The short runtime helps in this regard, so does the 1984 nostalgia element (e.g. the Yoda guy, the goofy costuming, the puppet dog). 3 might beat out 5 for “camp classic” status- even Robin Curtis’ wretched performance is somewhat amusing, “Admiral, David is dead.” But there is a difference between something being enjoyable and something possessing genuine quality– there are few things loopier in Trek fandom than the contingent that insists 3 is some kind of masterpiece.
I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, but it’s one of my favourite Trek movies – maybe because I remember watching it in the theatre as a kid.
It’s watchable, has great character moments, good FX, and it honoured the series/relationships. It was like going home for Christmas.
Given what it had to do — resurrect Spock — it could have been far more ridiculous. But I also liked the world-building and the look at what happens *after* the heroes save the day. I think it still mostly holds up.
Well said. I agree 100%.
And the theft of the Enterprise was pretty awesome.
It is certainly not the best but I would say it’s one of the better ones. There is good stuff in it. The theft of the Enterprise was fun. The stand off with the Klingons was tense. I loved the byplay between Kruge and Kirk.
You should take the Vulcan too. ”
No!
But why?
Because you wish it!
Look around you this planet is destroying itself!
Yes! Exhilarating isn’t it?
If we don’t help each other we’ll die here.
Perfect. Then that’s the way it shall be.
Overall it was a hard downer of a movie. Death of Kirk’s son. The destruction of the Enterprise (which at the time hurt me more than Spock’s death for some reason). Even the return of Spock didn’t leave much hope at the end for me. The biggest flaw I think it had was bringing back Spock undercut much of what WoK had said.
It all about Kirk’s sacrifices to get Spock back.
It also the middle of the triogy so it bound to get rough for our heroes but the end leaves plenty of hope.
‘jim. Your name is jim’
Yes… That was supposed to be hopeful. And it was. But I still think the price for that was awfully high.
to me Trek III is the ultimate 80s Trek movie (even more than II or IV) you have ILM at its peak of Trek models/matte paintings, lots of 80s Lucas/Spielberg influence (the yoda guy in the cantina, alien puppets, malfunctioning light speed, Force like vulcan mysticism, all action fist fight over lava, a big temple, the biblical stuff with Genesis) and theres an almost 80s ‘sword & sorcery’ fantasy genre feel to the genesis planet, klingons, and the vulcan ending. and some of the ILM imagery was like from the cover of an 80s fantasy novel (a giant blue space station, a burning ship like a falling star in the heavens, a fight on a planet destruction, a spaceship landing on an endless rock canyon planet) plus you had soon to be Doc Brown as the villain and Admiral TJ Hooker, Horners soon to be Aliens-esque score and there were even some star wars style action figures from Ertl.
TWOK has been, and always shall be, the third best of the Star Trek films, after TUC and TVH. Rose colored glasses are wonderful. It gets a much better reputation because of the film it followed, and the fact that it was the first great Trek film.
I kinda feel like it made things more difficult for the films that came after it. None of them were able to measure up. In fact, some have tried to copy elements that made WoK work. Only to fail.
Cannot speak for what is yet to come on the big screen but thus far it is indeed easily the best of the feature films, agreed.
Unfortunate that clip ended with what is also easily the worst of the Trek feature films.
I think Nemesis is the worst by a long margin, its worse than Insurrection, worse than Generations. And a million times worse than Into Darkness. Its even worse than the one people want to forget exists Star trek V. The only good is Data sacrificing himself for his friends, and Troi and Riker getting together. Shinzon doesn’t work nor does rehashing the wrath of khan. The whole B4 nonsense to set up Star trek 11 which was never made. The directing is listless and confused and the screenplay by John Logan is the worst in the franchises history.
I consider Nemesis to be pretty good, actually. It managed to do something that no other TV episode or TNG movie managed. It made Data a sympathetic character. Shinzon was not a great antagonist, sure. But B4 would have been a lot better had they not already done data’s double badly with Lore. And that 3rd act was one of the best in any Trek film.
But then there is Voyage Home. Going light after the massive downer was the right move. But it was a ridiculous story that was badly written and wasn’t clever in any way. For some reason all the characters were not themselves. It was the film with the listless directing and the Discovery level screenplay.
I have come to appreciate Nemesis in the last year or two. I agree the 3 act is one of the best in Trek. I had forgotten how awesome the space battle is… it’s 30 minutes long and very varied in content. Never a dull moment
Of course I still don’t think Nemesis is great but it’s worth watching just for that glorious 3rd act alone. It’s best to see it as solely an action film and nothing more.
Nemesis has its moments, should’ve been better, and it seems some good stuff was cut out… ah well.
It’s an entertaining movie but also hampered by some sketchy writing and I think most of the original cast was marginalized too much in favor of the trainees, especially Saavik (why was she regularly given the con over more experienced crewmembers?). I know there have been plenty of rationalizations given for mistaking one planet for another but given that a starship can scan whole solar systems you’d think they would have noticed that the celestial bodies of the Ceti Alpha system were not in the right place. I’ll also always be disappointed that in order for TWOK to exist, the production team had to essentially eviscerate the hopeful ending of Space Seed. TWOK also had the unfortunate effect of turning most future Trek movies into the Enterprise crew versus the revenge obsessed villain of the week. Star Trek was way more than that.
I know it’s an unpopular opinion but ST:TMP remains my favorite Trek movie. Yes it has a slow pace but it also puts forth big ideas, is just beautiful to look at and characters like Spock go thru some major character jumps.
I’m still amazed how well it worked considering Shatner and Montalban appear on viewscreens and never actually are on screen together. And the Special Effects are good for what is new but a lot of TMP reuse of footage looks like junk, and that matte painting as beautiful as it is never worked and looks cheap in the Genesis cave. I feel like the only things that did not work on the film are because of the budget. Everything else clicked, the ensemble cast, the acting. The score in fantastic. Montalban steals the show. And i really really liked the addition of Saavik, the emotional half vulcan/half romulan. Too bad she never returned for Star trek III we got a fully vulcan Saavik.
I wish he would stop wearing those baseball caps…
What’s wrong with a ballcap?
He’s bald as an egg. Cut the guy some slack.
Who cares if he’s bald. If that’s why he’s wearing those caps all the time at 84 he needs to come to grips with reality. Baseball caps are fine but there is such a thing as overdoing it, especially at his age.
How much ballcap-wearing, exactly, is “overdoing it”, and why?
Why do you think that older people should reduce their wearing of ballcaps?
Why does it bother you that Koenig likes to wear ballcaps??
Wow, Silvereyes. Just, wow. Unbelievable.
Lots of older people wear hats to protect their skin.
Spooky
Is this the most flattering facial expression?
They did well by the Kickstarter last year, looks like they are doing a gravy run. I’ll be impressed if they make their release date (so many crowdfunded docs don’t) and hope they can get even more interviews, it’s such great subject matter for a doc.
I’d like to have this on Blu-ray when it comes out, but it’s a little pricey for me, so I’m not sure I’ll spring for it. I do like their horror doc, though.
I literally bought the Blu-ray right after typing that. I am a sucker! It’ll be good, though, so no regrets.
I absolutely agree, and this isn’t just nostalgia speaking. I am more of a kid of the 90’s (I was born in the later half of the 80’s) but I can watch most of these 80’s scifi/fantasy/actions flicks so many times. They had something that made them special and they still do. Some people deride them and call them cheesy, and yes, some of them were cheesy, but these were good kind of cheese. When compared with these I can’t really watch too many stuff from the last 10-15 years, apart from the MCU and comic book movies. I mean think about it how many times have you watched something made in the 80s compared with something made in the 2000s or 2010s? It truly was one of a kind of a decade for these kinds of films.
yeh i miss the 80s and that style of Sci Fi Fantasy movies. some movies now are trying to be recreating the 80s so hopefully ST XIV will go back to that 80s Trek movie style
Ok here’s a question that always bugged me about Chekov: He was an XO in Star Trek II, but then was he demoted in III, V, and VI? If anything, he should have been captain before Sulu since he was an XO first. But I wonder if there was some reason why he did not.
Interesting question, maybe he was blamed for the destruction of his ship and captain in Star Trek 2.
Not to mention assisting Khan murdering at least 20 starfleet personnel (you think Khan didn’t kill a few of reliants crew before stranding them?)
It makes no sense but they wanted to keep the cast together and probably hoped we wouldn’t think about it.
I don’t think he was demoted in III. He was just helping his former Captain out of loyalty. Have no idea what he was called in IV as I’d like to forget that film even exists. But in VI? Yeah. Not sure what his rank was there. I’d have to look at his uniform closer.
Following II, Chekov stayed a commander throughout the film series. (Memory Alpha is my friend).
When Generations came out, I’d wished Chekov had been captain of the C – and he was really unhappy with a decision by brass to launch early as a PR stunt (maybe to deflect from growing hostilities with the Klingons, a setback for Kirk after VI, or something).
I’d written a whole thing (in my head) with a new short opening scene which helped it all make sense and set up the idea of part of Kirk wishing be could have made different choices — because it seemed at the moment that a career of sacrifices maybe hadn’t mattered .
Or something. I was 16.
But I thought it made more sense than an inept Harriman.
Come on, Jack! What you just outlined would’ve given Koenig someting to do in the picture other than stand there as a figurehead! What were you thinking?!?
Seriously, though, that would’ve been great!
I wouldn’t be a Trekkie, if I would not point out, it was the B. I think Garrett was a wonderful fine captain for the C.
Yes, I also thought it would be cool that Chekov was captain of the Enterprise-B on her maiden voyage in Generations.