CBS’s TV Domination Means Trek Might Only Return As A Sexy Procedural
Regardless of how much you and I want to see Star Trek return to the TV, we aren’t the ones who control the latinum.
Editorial
Star Trek: Phase II – “Mind Sifter”
A few weeks ago the Balboa theater in San Francisco hosted a screening of New Voyages’s episode Mind Sifter. With a number of their cast and crew in attendance for both a pre-screening meet and greet and a Q&A session with director Mark Edward Lewis, SFX Supervisor Pony Horton, and actors Jeff Bond (Dr. Leonard McCoy) and Becky Wood (Dr. Hamlin). As the audience filtered into the theater in the half hour or so leading up to the screening it became evident that people weren’t just locals to the Bay Area. Many people had come in from from 100 miles and more to see the episode on a big screen.
EDITORIAL – The Future of Star Trek: It’s the Story, Stupid
The following essay comes to us from Lukas Kendall at Film Score Monthly (www.filmscoremonthly.com), whose Star Trek credentials including producing or co-producing most of the recent collector’s edition soundtrack CDs like the 15-disc La-La Land Records TOS box set. He also assisted with the recent publication of Return to Tomorrow, the oral history of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Lukas says he’s a lifelong Trekker who follows the ongoing dialogue about the franchise, and thought he had something to add about its fundamental appeal—and, among other things, the reason why J.J. Trek is so polarizing.
Why “Star Trek” is Paramount’s Marvel and they don’t even know it…
Earlier this week , the fabulous genre website, io9.com, ran an article I wrote regarding how Paramount is missing out on a unique opportunity to develop Star Trek as a blockbuster multi-media property. After reading the article, your jocular webmaster Anthony Pascale, reached out to me and discussed expanding my article (or, as Charles Foster Kane might say, Declaration of Principals) for the Trek Movie audience with some additional and more Trek-specific thoughts to help facilitate a continued debate on the future of the Star Trek universe. As such, I hope you’ll find the revised, expanded, director’s cut version of my article (ne: manifesto) thought-provoking and worthy of further discussion as what I’m sure will be the first of many opinion pieces on how the studio should be treating the franchise as we approach its 50th anniversary in 2016. Now onwards, first star to the right and straight on till morning…
TrekInk: The British Aren’t Coming! The British Aren’t Coming!
The Library of American Comics (LOAC), an imprint of IDW Publishing, recently reprinted the L.A. Times Star Trek newspaper strip in two gorgeous, painstakingly researched and restored, hardcover volumes. Can we make a convincing case for reprinting the other obscure Star Trek comic strips, published in the United Kingdom, from 1969 to 1973?
Voyages About Nothing: How Seinfeld Influenced Star Trek’s Legacy
Seinfeld is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month, and so TrekMovie takes a look at some of the connections between the groundbreaking sitcom and Star Trek.
Analysis: When In 2016 Will Next Star Trek Be Released + Could Star Wars Butt In?
The next Star Trek film is due in 2016, but fans want to know exactly when. Could it be on the 50th anniversary? And what about competing with JJ Abrams’ Star Wars movie which was just put on production hold – might Star Wars slip into 2016 and go head-to-head with Trek? TrekMovie has invited Hollywood writer/producer (and release date bingo aficionado) Kay Reindl to take a look at the 2016 landscape. Read the full analysis.
EDITORIAL: Star Trek V at 25
Let’s get something straight right off the bat: Star Trek V is a hot mess. Released 25 years ago today, my anticipation for it could not have been greater. By 1989, I was fully immersed in Trekdom, consuming all there was to consume: comics, novels, cards, making-of books, and of course, the actual movies and TV episodes.
‘The Search for Spock’ at 30: A Retrospective
Guest writer Steve Vivona on what the film means to him, and what it was like being a Star Trek fan in the early ’80s.
EDITORIAL: You Just Can’t Bring Star Trek Back To The Small Screen (But How You Would If You Could)
In The Icarus Factor, Riker is offered his own ship and we meet his father for the first (and only) time. But the episode is better remembered for the subplot, where Worf is in a particularly grouchy mood. He yells “Enough!” at Wesley and “Be gone!” to Data, who – with his trademark gentleness – describes the Klingon as “out of sorts.” Worf’s friends determine that the only solution to his foul spirits is to hit him repeatedly with pain sticks: I have been reminded of this episode as I’ve followed the recent furor over Star Trek Into Darkness. Just as Worf wasn’t really mad at his crewmates, I believe that much of the anger toward STID has nothing to do with the film: fans are angry because they have to wait four years to see a new movie when what they really want is new episodes every week.
EDITORIAL: Star Trek is not broken
Joseph Dickerson’s “Star Trek is Broken” editorial has caused quite a stir among the Trek community. One person who had a response to this was TrekBBS member “The Stig”, his clear, concise, and level-headed post got a lot of kudos. He contacted us at TrekMovie and said he’d be happy to flesh it out a little bit more and have us run it as a counter-point. So we present it here as an ongoing dialog about the future of the franchise we all love so much. — The TrekMovie Staff
EDITORIAL: Star Trek is broken – Here are ideas on how to fix it
At last month’s official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas, I had the privilege to speak about “Treknology”. The experience was great – I was thrilled at the response of my fellow fans to my presentation. What struck me was the response from Jordan Hoffman’s “One Trek Mind” panel on the best Star Trek movie. The feedback from fans was pretty unanimous – the best film was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and the worst… was Star Trek Into Darkness. Fans were more kind when a similar vote took place at the Seattle Star Trek Convention a few days later, where STID ranked 6th, but even then the fans were very vocal and very critical of the film. The sometimes-rabid criticism, much of which was echoed by some film critics and online commentators, gave me pause… and as I reflected on this reaction I came to a conclusion. Star Trek is broken.
Into Darkness Blu-ray where are all the bonus features? [UPDATE 2]
When the details of the Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray discs were released last month, there was a big fan outcry wondering what happened to a fully loaded version with extras, like we got with Star Trek (2009)? The DVD version fared even worse, being a totally barebones release. Friend of TrekMovie, Bill Hunt from The Digital Bits, has that answer. It turns out that a plethora of bonus features do exist… it’s just that Paramount doesn’t want them all in one place. They are being used for retailer and digital download vendor exclusives. UPDATED 9/2/2013 with even more details thanks to TrekCore’s diligence.
Star Trek, after Darkness: What is next for the franchise?
As readers of this site know, Star Trek Into Darkness opened domestically and internationally late Spring and has earned over $443 million dollars. This is a success for Paramount, albeit a modest one. It’s not a flop, by any measure… but it’s not a home run, either. It’s a solid double or triple, but Paramount (like all studios do with summer blockbusters) was swinging for the fences. So, what’s next? Well, to quote Donald Rumsfeld, there are some “known knowns” and “known unknowns.” Let’s cover what we know, and spend some time theorizing what comes next.
The human adventure is just beginning: How the optimistic future of Star Trek is more likely than we may think
“We are locally optimistic, and globally pessimistic.” The creator of Star Trek Gene Roddenberry did not share this “globally pessimistic” point of view. Instead, he was incredibly optimistic about our future, about the human potential. “We’re just beginning,” he said in an interview shortly before his death. “We have wonders ahead of us. I don’t see how it can be any other way, with the way the future is going. We now have got a telescope up there, photographing the universe. We’re inventing the next life form, the computer. We’re in the midst of it. And it will happen.” According to Roddenberry, the future we see in Star Trek is not just possible but probable. How so? Read on…
Sexy or Sexist? How Star Trek Into Darkness turned Heroines into Damsels in Distress
As per usual Star Trek Into Darkness has sparked much fan discussion and even disagreement, but but if there’s one thing we can all agree on: we love seeing Alice Eve in her undies! True, of course, until anyone bothered to ask a woman. There has always been scantily clad females throughout Trek history – it’s a part of what makes Kirk so Kirk – so, why should this one scene be causing such a stir? Why have female fans responded so strongly in this case? Read my analysis below, but beware of SPOILERS.
Remembering Star Trek Nemesis – 10 Years Later
Today, December 13, 2012, marks the 10th anniversary of the release of Star Trek: Nemesis, the final film with the Next Generation crew and last film before the JJ Abrams team took over the franchise. Today TrekMovie’s John Tenuto takes a look back at Nemesis ten years later.
TenutoBlog: Making The Case For Identifying The Star Trek Into Darkness Villain
Even with the reveal of the villain’s name in Star Trek Into Darkness, the speculation continues, with some even growing openly frustrated. Today TrekMovie contributor and Star Trek history expert John Tenuto takes a look at all the talk along with a look at Trek history, and comes to his own conclusion. Read his detailed case below (with possible spoilers).
Will Star Wars Episode VII announcement hurt Star Trek Into Darkness marketing rollout?
Disney announced on Monday its purchase of Lucasfilm, and with Lucasfilm comes Star Wars. Disney’s also said that a new Star Wars trilogy will be made. This is interesting timing for science fiction, when new Star Wars movies are being made alongside new Trek. What does this latest announcement mean for the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness film? Op-ed guy Joe Dickerson takes a look at the merger in this latest editorial. Hit the jump for the story.
“Treknology:” What technologies need to be invented to bring us up to speed with Star Trek?
Since The Original Series first aired in 1966, we’ve certainly seen technology that seemed like magic then become a reality today. Smart phones, tablet PCs, voice controlled computing, 3D printing… But, what technologies are we still lacking (or currently working toward) in order to make our lives like what we see in Star Trek? Joe Dickerson takes a look at up and coming technologies in the works that could Trekify your life in the not too distant future (and some that you might be waiting a while for).
A Milestone Month: September Marked Four Notable Star Trek Anniversaries
This past September marked four important anniversaries in Star Trek history: two most fans are well aware of, one that many may have forgotten, and a fourth the anniversary of an event many fans still regret happened. All are worth noting here.
Should Star Trek Come Back to TV? An Objective Evaluation
Op-Ed guy Joseph Dickerson joins us again, this time to talk about Trek’s role on the small screen. Fans were informally surveyed by Larry Nemeck at the official Star Trek convention in Las Vegas last August as to what they wanted from Trek. The overwhelming response was that the fans want Star Trek back on TV. “Star Trek started on TV, and Star Trek is best suited to be a TV show,” one fan said. But does the idea of a new Star Trek TV series make sense for CBS-Paramount? Joe gives us a bit of perspective on how to answer this question from both a business and creative perspective.
In Praise of the Doomsday Machine (and William Windom)
In this latest guest post by Joseph Dickerson, we dive into the Original Series episode “The Doomsday Machine” and revisit why it might just be one of the best episodes of Star Trek. Dickerson’s review is timely, too, and, after William Windom’s (Commodore Decker) passing this month, serves as an homage to the great actor and a thank you for portraying one of our (dare I say?) favorite characters. Hit the jump for the review.
NBC News Analyst Suggests Colorado Shooting Suspect Was “Dark Trekkie” [UPDATE: Apology Issued]
One of the regular features of TrekMovie.com is to report when Star Trek interacts with the zeitgeist, usually in fun ways like references on sitcoms or other media. However, sometimes Star Trek or its fans can be portrayed in ways that are not flattering and an example of that came this morning on MSNBC when an NBC analyst suggested that the suspected murderer in the Colorado Batman movie screening mass shooting was a "dark Trekkie." Watch the clip below. [UPDATE: Van Zandt apologizes]
Remembering Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – 30 Years Later
Still considered by most to be the best film of the franchise, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released on June 4th, 1982, or exactly 30 years ago today. So today in a guest blog for TrekMovie, Star Trek novelist Dayton Ward remembers what were surely, the best of times from three decades ago…
Orci: Star Trek Sequel Is Not Remake
The reports about the Star Trek sequel over the last couple of weeks have generated a lot of discussion across the web and here at TrekMovie.com. As he does from time to time, Bob dropped by the site today and made a comment about the chat, this time a short blurb, but with important implications. See more below, plus my thoughts on the latest debates. [NOTE: Article discusses potential spoilers]
Terra Nova Cancelled – What Does This Say For Future Of Sci-Fi & Star Trek TV?
One of the biggest shows this fall was the time travel series Terra Nova, which included Star Trek vets Brannon Braga and René Echevarria as executive producers, along with Steven Spielberg. The ambitious and expensive show aired eleven episodes and has been on the bubble, but now Fox has decided it will not pick up Terra Nova for a second season.
One Year To Go For Star Trek Sequel…Or Is It?
We are exactly one year away from June 29, 2012, which is the officially scheduled release date for the the sequel to JJ Abrams 2009 Star Trek. So should we all start our countdown clocks? As the film has yet to get into official pre-production, most seem to expect that the next Star Trek will require a bit more waiting.
29 Years Ago Today…Khaaaaaaan!!
On June 4th, 1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was released, and Star Trek changed forever. In the intervening 29 years nine more Star Trek feature films have been released, yet this relatively low budget entry is still considered the best of the franchise. Today TrekMovie celebrates Khan.
Could Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman Re-Animate Star Trek?
While many franchises have TV animated series, Star Trek hasn’t gone down that road since the 1970s. Now with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman seeing success with their animated Transformers series, TrekMovie asked Orci if they might do the same with Trek. His reply on Twitter has launched a lot of speculation. Details below.