Favorite Deep Space Nine Episodes: Blood Oath

Welcome back space travelers for Day 2 of Favorite Deep Space Nine Episodes and I feel this one in particular will be appreciate by all Original Series fans. Beginning Episode 19 of Season 2, carrying on with her duties Lt. Dax (Terry Farrell) hears about a drunken Klingon threatening to disembowel Quark while singing Klingon songs of victory and enjoying a holo-suite program of the Battle of Klach D'Kel Brakt, a legendary battle and victory over the Romulans almost a hundred years ago.

Koloth suffers no fools.

With a quick check down at the brig, Dax sees Curzon's old friend, Dahar Master Kor (John Colicos of Anne of the Thousand Days, Raid on Rommel, The Changeling, The Postman Always Rings Twice and Battlestar Galactica) drunk as a skunk and attempting to sober up. From Kor Dax finds out that the blood oath that Curzon swore is finally coming to light.

Nearly 80 years have passed and Kor's fellow Dahar Masters Kang (Michael Ansara of Broken Arrow, Law of the Plainsman, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Rambo, Assassination, Babylon 5, Batman: The Animated Series and The Long Road Home) and Koloth (William Campbell of Star Trek, Black Gunn, Emergency!, Adam-12, The Streets of San Francisco and Star Trek: Judgement Rites) shapen their blades and prepare for glorious battle and revenge for the death of their first born sons. A bandit and murderer known as The Albino (Bill Bolender of Brooklyn South, The Commissioner, JAG, The Magnificent Seven, Surface and Desperate Housewives) swore revenge on the sons of the commanding captains of three Klingon battle cruisers, as he had each first born son poisoned on a genetic level.

So then he says, "Hoover?  I don't even know her."

Kang and Koloth mourn the loss of their fallen comrade Curzon in their own way and feel that Jadzia has no place with them in their revenge but Jadzia feels otherwise as each of these men were in her previous life and much is owed to these men of valor and honor.

As these legendary and honored heroes of the Empire plot and scheme, Dax must wonder if the blood oath applies to Jadzia Dax as well as it did to Curzon Dax. Should a new host take on the obligations, duties and unfinished business of the previous host?

All three of our Dahar Masters(Legendary Warrior Status among Klingons) apprised their Original Series roles as Michael Ansara as Kang from Day of the Dove, William Campbell as Koloth in The Trouble with Tribbles and John Colicos as Kor from Errand of Mercy. Interestingly enough, William Campbell played two different characters on Star Trek as Kor and Trelane of The Squire of Gothos. Michael Ansara's voice acting is also an easy spot asGeneral Warhawk from the Rambo cartoon and Mr. Freeze of Batman: The Animated Series.

This workout is killer on the calves.

Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015

Hey folks. By now, you are aware that Leonard Nimoy has passed away. The future just got a bit dim without this man's talented eye for photography, his writing for film and TV. Oh yeah you might have seen him as Spock for the last 35 years. He and Shatner have been thick as thieves these last few years. Between the conventions, voice work on film documentary and video games, he has been plenty busy. No one I know can kick back and play Civilization IV without recognizing that narrator's voice. Hell this was Galavatron before the age of Michael Bay and Transformers were still anime.

Nimoy has starred in the typical amount of Westerns ranging from Wagon Train no less than 5 times as 5 separate characters. 4 separate characters in Gunsmoke. Usually the tall thin guys are easy to spot. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Episode Project Strigas guest starring Shatner and Nimoy is one of my favorites.

I love the fact he owned an exotic pet shop when the Star Trek series was cancelled and became the Other Dr. Spock getting degrees in Biology and Photography. Shatner tells the tale best but the landing party of Kirk, Spock and McCoy all share something together. Tinnitus thanks to an explosion on set via Star Trek: Arena. So with that ringing in his ear, Shatner still had to wrestle a guy in a rubber mask and suit? The main reason that Nimoy had the role of Spock was producers of The Lieutenant remembered this tall thin guy that easily dominated the set. The Lieutenant also being a Gene Roddenberry creation.

The funniest story Nimoy had was he was whisked up to Caltech in Silicon Valley for a seminar. The jist of which they were talking about microprocessors, the advancement of software, circuit boards and even the potential to Artificial Intelligence and they wanted Nimoy's take on it. Given Nimoy does not have a multi-cross discipline of sciences under his belt he bluffed his way through it, pausing and looking thoughtful, offering comments to the like of: "Hmm, good point." " I think you are on the right track." According to Nimoy, the scientists seem genuinely pleased. ACTING!!

With two children and one stepson he has five grandchildren that he leaves behind, he has inspired generations in photography and had received countless letters from budding scientists that they went into their perspective fields due to his portrayal of Mr. Spock. For three seasons, eight movies and three different series he has played Spock in the original series, Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Last year in February he announced he was suffering from chronic obstruction pulmonary disease which makes it difficult to breathe, causes wheezing, fatigue and a horrific cough. He attributed it to smoking for many years until he quit and had advocated smokers to quit before it is too late.

Rotten Reelz Reviews salute you Leonard Nimoy for encouraging this writer's love of science fiction, literature recommended to fans and an skilled eye in black and white (my favorite in photography). His love and hate relationship with Spock is proof he could go back to him at any time. He was found of saying on talk shows and interviews as, "My folks came to the US as immigrants, aliens and became citizens. I was born in Boston, a citizen that went to Hollywood and became an alien." Thank you Leonard Nimoy for all you have done for us. Live long and prosper.

Star Trek Favorites: Spock's Brain

Welcome, welcome one and all back to Day 5 of Star Trek Favorites. We move into Season 3 episode one of which has been mocked, ridiculed and been picked apart by hardcore Trekkers to the causal observer. I myself have a place in my heart for the oddly specifically titled episode in that the absurdity is outweighed by the total seriousness of the acting attached to it. The whole concept feels so convoluted and over the top the centered actor approach makes it that much more fun. This is Spock's Brain.

Just sneaking this fart and see if Shatner notices...ahh.

Out and about is the fearless crew of the starship Enterprise under the command of Captain Kirk , when they encounter a ship of unknown configuration. Initiating first contact rules, a beam emits from the ship beaming a gorgeous woman on board the bridge. Before anyone can act she stuns the bridge crew with some device attached to her wrist, then seems to examine them all but pauses on Spock. The crew finally wakes up and McCoy finds Spock in Sickbay with his brain removed. Thankfully due to the plot device er um I mean Vulcan physiology, Spock's body can remain alive under artificial circumstances for up to 24 hours, time enough to plunk his mind back into his skull, reconnect all nerve fibers to their proper locations and get Spock on his feet in no time at all. Yeah you really need to suspend disbelief at this point.

Bad enough they stole his brain but his pants too?? That's just mean.

Using the sensors of the ship, Scotty trails the unknown vessel to a nearby star system and they play a hunch on which of the 3 class M (a planet capable of supporting carbon based life) planets the ship is hiding on. The landing party funds the ruins of a destroyed city but the technology is preserved. With Spock in tow via a device that allows the motor functions to be remote controlled and allowing him to move, our team is in hot pursuit of the nefarious brain nappers. Will they find Spock's brain in time? Can McCoy even hope to transfer it back into Spock's head? How many times did McCoy make Spock slap himself in the face?

How about some trivia? This is the only Star Trek original series episode that had a series regular's name in the title. In his book, William Shatner referred this episode as one of the worst and went on explaining how Nimoy was completely embarrassed during the course of the shoot. Written by Gene L. Coon (The Killers, Wagon Train, No Name on the Bullet, It Takes a Thief, Mod Squad and The Streets of San Francisco), left Paramount to pursue a larger contract for Universal but it was believed that Lee Cronin a.k.a. Gene L. Coon's pseudonym was crafted because of this episode he was contracted for and loathed it out right. Nope, just wanted a bigger paycheck, kids.

Dead or alive, you're coming with me.

Star Trek Favorites: The Trouble with Tribbles

Felicitations Trekkies and welcome to Day 4 of Star Trek Favorites. I have chosen to stay within the confines of Season 2 because I have always found some of the most entertaining episodes in the series here. Some were fraught with mystery or a disturbing, hidden menace while others made me laugh. From the writing to the performances, Season 2 truly shines on but what do you do when your show revolves around the importance of grain and potential sabotage? Why you simply add a fuzzy creature to distract you from political agendas and cowboy brawls. This is The Trouble with Tribbles.

Totally not wearing pants under this table.

Starfleet official Nilz Baris (William Schallert of The Patty Duke Show, In the Heat of the Night, Santa Barbara, Innerspace and Bag of Bones) of space station designate "K 7" is near the Klingon Empire's neutral zone and Sherman's planet of which both the empire and Starfleet have claims over. Mr. Baris is in charge of the distribution and allocation of a new genetically engineered grain known as Quadrotriticale. According to Starfleet science it will be able to produce food supplies in gross in virtually any environment. A misuse of the disaster emergency channel establishing a disaster had not occurred. Mr. Baris informs Kirk and Spock that the Enterprise is at his fingertips to respond with how high to his command of jump.

A Klingon battle cruiser is in orbit of K7 declaring their right to shore leave and recreation. Captain Koloth (William Campbell of Love Me Tender, Cannonball, Dementia 13, Star Trek: Judgement Rites and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) of the Klingon Empire is representing his government's claim for the planet for shore leave. Meanwhile in K7's bar, a grifter or peddler Cyrano Jones (Stanley Adams of Breakfast at Tiffany's Highschool Big Shot, Requiem for a Heavyweight, Lillies of the Field, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask and The Great Gundown) is introducing one of his favorite marks to a life-form known as a Tribble. These creatures replicate asexually and can breed into infinite numbers provided they have enough food.

You have angered my dance belt, Kirk.  For that, I will blow you out of the stars.

Scotty, Chekov and some of the rest of the Enterprise are told be on their best behavior while on shore leave while Koloth's men lead by his second-in-command Korax (Michael Pataki of Broadside, Batman. Five the Hard Way, The Flying Nun, Superdome, The Amazing Spider-Man, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers) gets a little pickled and taunts our Starfleet boys into a donnybrook that Scotty himself throws the first punch.

With the tensions high on both sides, Koloth and Kirk are at their wit's end while Baris is frustrated with the whole scenario, gripes and complains even further when the Tribbles have been mass breeding as Spock and McCoy attempt figure out how to stop their breeding cycles or slow it as they are all over the ship.

Will the Klingons be able to lay claim to the planet? Will the grain be any use to them? Will Starfleet reprimand Kirk for allowing too many fuzzy wuzzies dominating his ship?

Now a few bits of trivia for this episode. To create the one Tribble to move on its own the prop supervisor bought a battery powered toy dog, stripped it down the mechanical works. Recovering it with fur they had several ones of this same toy dog that the railing of the bridge the toys were so loud the dialogue had to re-recorded and looped. James Doohan (Scotty) insisted on doing his own stunts in the big barroom brawl. The working title of this episode was "A Fuzzy Thing Happened to Me..." Eight takes is how many times Shatner had to be bombarded with Tribbles from the hatched storage compartment which were dumped on him by the production team. He should be grateful it wasn't some sort of fluid instead.

You get one more hair in my drink, I will gut you like trout.

Star Trek Favorites: Mirror, Mirror

Welcome back Trekkies to Day 3 of Star Trek Favorites. We are moving over to Season 2 as we have more than a few intriguing episodes but one concept sticks in many a mind of viewer, writer and actor. Alternative universes. Yes, worlds identical to our own but differs due to an event, scenario or lost of importance. A land where familiar faces but have deviant personalities or behavior. With the works of Issac Asimov and Ray Bradbury, this approach to science fiction has been a popular theme for televison, movies and novelizations. With a little working of a plot device, these aberrant universes can be so far removed from our own. This is Mirror, Mirror.

Conquering planets works the abs well!

Beaming up from a planet after a routine meet and greet Kirk, Scotty, McCoy and Uhura's bio-signatures are caught in an ion storm scrambling their signals when... they are shifted to a parallel Enterprise. Gasp! All the people are the same with the exception they are callous and malicious as it is a requirement in the Empire. In this universe the Federation of Planets is actual a devious empire swallowing up systems and galaxies to dominate over. Kirk finds himself in the exact trade and negotiations he was in his own universe but with the added issue of demands of plundering and strip mining the planet or he will bombard it from orbit. Psst, Kirk save on on photon torpedoes and phaser banks by using the deflector dish to tractor beam asteroids to the surface of the planet. Just offering my services, bro.

My Beatles wig itches.

As the crew members try to blend in, a few key crew members including traitorous Sulu and Chekov attempt a coup de tat and slay Kirk but he holds his own having to beat up officers under his command and have them thrown in the brig. The brig has a sonic device that punishes ear drums with ultrasonic frequencies probably causes muscle spasms and organ failure if turned up or prolonged exposure. Dealing with his own sense of morality against this crew filled with deceit and treachery is beginning to ware on his senses when he is greeting by the captain's concubine, Marlena (BarBara Luna of Search for Tomorrow, The Devil at 4 O' Clock, Ship of Fools and One Life to Live) who immediately notices the difference between her cold and methodical captain vs this compassionate man. Marlena warns Kirk that his landing party needs to be careful because eyes are everywhere. Doppelganger Spock hypothesizes that the landing party are not his actual crew and seem to be impostors given Kirk did not put Sulu and Chekov to death for their insurrection.

Can Kirk, Scotty, McCoy and Uhura make it back to their home universe before it is too late? Can they survive in this twisted and warped version of their own universe? Will they have to adapt to this way of life just to survive?

Some bits of trivia on the episode now. In the original story outline, Kirk was trapped in the mirror universe alone and gradually it rejected him kin to an infection but ultimately this story was dropped like a stone through a wet paper bag. This is the only episode you hear Scotty call Kirk as Jim. Written by William Shatner is a trilogy Spectre, Dark Victory And Preserver of which are all about the mirror universe for the 24^th century around the time of Next Generation.

Because of this concept in question the Mirror universe has been used in the latter Star Trek series as in Deep Space Nine and Enterprise both of while well done would not have been possible without these building blocks to the idea.

We are down in groovy town!

Star Trek Favorites: Space Seed

Welcome back boys and girls to Day 2 of Star Trek Favorites. Let's talk about characters. This next episode created a film around him. From his presence to his arrogance, this man was a conqueror among men. A being so charismatic that lesser men would die in his name and cause. A benevolent dictator but one of great strength, intelligence and vicious tendencies. I speak of one Khan Noonien Singh. This is Space Seed.

And...scene!  That's a wrap, folks!

KHAAAAAAAANNNNN!!!!! Okay, with that out of the way, we remain in Season 1 when the intrepid crew of the Enterprise find a battered, 20^th century spaceship left adrift in space, its crew of dozens of men and women kept in some form of stasis. The landing party triggered an automatic release mechanism that one of the occupants is freed from his pod. Weak, confused and in general discombobulated this large, built man attempts a feeble attack on the landing party when they explain they are here to help.

Brought to Sickbay on the Enterprise, Kirk speaks with the weary Khan (Ricardo Montalban of Mystery Street, My Man and I, Desert Warrior, Dr. Kildare, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Fantasy Island and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) and tells him it has been more than 300 years since he was last on Earth and of the existing body of government. Tired, Khan retreats back to sleep allowing him time to heal and regain his strength.

Yes, my hair is magnificently coiffed.

The ship's Historian, Lt. Marla McGivers (Madlyn Rhue of Operation Petticoat, A Majority of One, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Days of Our Lives and Murder, She Wrote), fascinated with men of the past, primarily conquerors is more than willing (A bit too willing) to assist Khan into being brought up to speed on Earth's current accomplishments and is fascinated with Khan's own timeline. With a bit of digging on Spock and Kirk's part, they discover the crippled vessel, the S.S. Botany Bay was a ship carrying men and women of the dreaded 1990s Eugenics Wars (Remember those dark days? Lots of Pearl Jam played while dispatching your enemies.) , these humans that were genetically engineered to be perfect specimens of the like with the problem of arrogance, cruelty and even homicidal. With this information in hand, Kirk is convinced this is a dangerous man and needs to be handled with a delicate touch.

His information came too late as Khan charms McGivers into heading back to the Botany Bay, reviving his men and preparing to commandeer the Enterprise as a new platform to conqueror the known galaxy. Can Kirk and crew fend off this power hungry mad man? Will they all be put to the sword for undermining their would-be matriarch? Can anything be done to thwart his will?

Some points of interest on the episode now. Star Trek writer Carey Wilber used the 18^th century British custom of shipping criminals and undesirables as his main concept for seed ships that jettisoned these men and women into deep space. I guess for the universe to decide what to do with them. Might have been more humane to shoot them directly into the sun. With this being the first mention of the Eugenics Wars, this plot device or "macguffin" was used numerous times in the latter Star Trek series and one can hardly blame them for wanting to touch base more stories of these enhanced men and women. This episode is the prime source material for not only Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan where Ricardo Montalban apprised his role as Khan but also the reboot J.J. Abrahams film Star Trek Into Darkness where Benedict Cumberbatch had played the same character.

See anything you like, Scotty?  DON'T YOU LOOK AWAY!!!

Star Trek Favorites: The Squire of Gothos

Howdy space cowboys and cowgirls and welcome to Day 1 of Star Trek Favorites. Skipping through the ranks of three seasons, it seems only fitting and proper we cover the first phenomenal creature that can alter space, time and matter itself to suit its means. With an 8 day mission of relief supplies for one of the existing colonies under the Federation, a rogue planet seems to be formed out of nothing. Marked as a future exploration and setting back on course our space explorers find they cannot leave orbit. With investigation under way our team looks into this further. This is Star Trek: Squire of Gothos.

Roguish air of mystery or foppish dandy?

Lt. Sulu (George Takei of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Miami Vice, Return from the River Kwai, Kim Possible, Star Trek: Shattered Universe and Heroes) is whisked away by no means of conventional transporting and no sooner has Captain Kirk (William Shatner of Incubus, The Twilight Zone, 77 Sunset Strip, Impulse, T.J. Hooker, Tekwar and Boston Legal) is an alert for his missing crew member, he himself is also taken to parts unknown.

The planet is classified as toxic to most forms of life and Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy of Wagontrain, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, Transformers: The Movie, The Simpson, Futurama, Fringe and Star Trek Into Darkness) hypothesizes that they have very little time to mount a rescue party and give both men medical aid. Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley of Trackdown, Bonanza, Death Valley Days, Star Trek, Night of the Lepus and Star Trek Adventure) preps his landing party for hostile environment and breathing apparatuses..? Um apparati? Damn mail-in Latin correspondence course. 

Sulu, you beef?

 Breathing masks at the ready the team beams down to a lush forest that should not be there under the previous scans let alone a Gothic castle where both Kirk and Sulu are fine and healthy. They are being treated well and the food is nourishing. This brash man in 17^th century garb calls himself General Trelane, retired (William Campbell of Night of Evil, Dementia 13, Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Blood Bath, The Streets of San Francisco, Star Trek: Judgement Rites and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) offering conversation, food, drink and entertainment from their long journey. Kirk urgently explains their ongoing mission but Trelane will hear none of it. Spock manages to lock transporter beams on all carbon based lifeforms and beams them up. Trelane's readings made no sense to the sensors, not unlike the planet itself. Annoyed that his guests were abducted back, Trelane scoops up the entire bridge crew and demands he be heard.

Can the crew escape from this being of almost deity quality? Will they have to challenge its authority? Doesn't this almost feel like being judged on high by the Q?

Here are some fun facts about the episode and its actors.

William Campbell comes back to Star Trek playing a Klingon commander in The Trouble with Tribbles. The description of matter transmogrification from shifting energy into matter and creating different matter is almost a precursor to the holodeck technology of Star Trek: The Next Generation or even the replicator tech they had for food, tools and supplies.

According to an interview with William Campbell in The World of Star Trek, in his hunt of Captain Kirk in the forest, he fell down and dislocated his shoulder. Due to the agonizing pain, he flung his arm directly up and it popped right back in the socket. The episode's filming went a day over schedule being filmed in seven days instead of the standard six. This episode inspired comic book writer/author Peter David's novel Q-Squared claiming Trelane was in fact a teenage Q still reliant of technology rather than his own matter transference skills.

The manly art of combat!

Star Trek Favorites!

Good day and hello my readers and welcome to the week. Now I know I just did more than the proverbial nod to science fiction so what I am proposing (Jake, so soon??) is a reflection on one of the most successful sci-fi TV series created from the godfather of television sci-fi, Gene Roddenberry. Hah, you thought I was going to say Rod Sterling didn't you?! Case in point, without Rod Sterling we might all sleep more soundly but I am referring to Star Trek. What started as nothing short of Wagontrain in space spawned 5 TV shows, 10 motion pictures and two rebooted films to resurrect this ongoing franchise that has existed since 1966.

Come now, sir.  The fanciful dress party is in full swing.

From its humble beginnings of force perspective, dissolving film footage and poor sweltering men in rubber suits, this concession to print money has brought about a cartoon, merchandise, novels, audiobooks and a cult following that it and SCA originated cosplay. Yes people without Trekkies, running around in costumes before or after Halloween would be construed as crazy behavior and those people would be locked away... not sure if that is a blessing or curse but this simplistic view of morality, honor and tension brought both the US Marshall of frontier justices and the height of the Cold War to your living room in a dynamic that allowed messages to be heard and opinions of government to be questioned. Captain Kirk knew in his heart that he was not the end all role model but that he did his job, got to have more than his fair share of women for his misogynistic pleasures and in general, was a decent guy... who could not commit to anything aside from Starfleet and his ship.

Breaking ethnic barriers, misconceptions of culture and overall decent story telling, Star Trek brought plenty to the United States as well as around the planet. You will be hard-pressed to not find Trekkies in foreign lands. We just have to gloss over certain French captains that happen to speak in classic English dialect. With that in mind, this week we look back at the original series and find a few fan favorites. Make it so.  

Muscling in our racket, will ya??

Even Number Star Trek Movie Week: Star Trek: First Contact

Back again boys and girls to round out our Even Number Star Trek Week and I had a few issues with this particular movie but all will be explained momentarily.  Moving beyond the original cast this film would be the second of the Next Generation crowd so prepare yourselves for absolutely no racial slurs about green blooded hobgoblins and such.  So strap yourselves in, prep that Steppenwolf CD and blast past the moon.  This is Star Trek: First Contact.

Yes Data, the movies revolve around us...what's your point?

Cmdr. Riker: We finished our first sensor sweep of the neutral zone.

Captain Picard: Oh, fascinating. Twenty particles of spoiler dust per cubic meter, 52 ultraviolet radiation spikes, and a class-2 comet. Well, this is certainly worthy of our attention.

Jean Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart of Dune, Excalibur, Gunmen, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Conspiracy Theory and X-Men) awakes from a nightmare that makes him relive his assimilation into the Borg six years prior. Starfleet contacts him priority channel letting him know that a Borg attack is incurring along the borders and their destination will allow them to reach Earth in record time.  And rather than have the flag ship of the Federation there at the ready, Starfleet orders Enterprise to the Neutral Zone along the Romulan region of space in the unlikely event they may join the Borg in this attack. 

Resistance is futile. Every orifices will be probed!

The communications chatter points out the Federation is losing so Picard and the Enterprise crew disobeys orders and joins in the fight.  In the nick of time the Enterprise is able to save the crew of USS Defiant commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Worf (Michael Dorn of CHiPs, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Gargoyles, Fallout 2, Cow and Chicken and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and he takes up his former place at tactical.  The fleet under the command of Picard fends off the Borg but not before they open a time portal (plot device) and the Enterprise follows after them.  The Borg have changed the past before Starfleet could be created and the valiant crew has to put things right.

Meeting the very creator of the Warp travel Dr. Cochcran (James Cromwell of L.A. Confidential, The Green Mile, Babe, Spider-Man 3, Six Feet Under and A Lonely Place for Dying) our trekkers need make sure the doctor is safe for his first contact with an alien species that will aid humanity unite and create the uptopia of Earth…but get portrayed in Enterprise as swaggering know-it-alls.

Gasp! It's Loctus of Bald!

I’ve just a few reasons I did not immediately love this film.  Picard in the films is almost a separate entity from his personality in the series.  More the space cowboy of Kirk’s standing and while that makes for better film experience it really detracts from the character.   No Wesley Crushers allowed to even make an appearance but hey apparently there was bile and hatred of the only teen in space that was never allowed to be human and screw up more often.  This was also Jonathan Frakes’ first film directorial debuted aside from episodes of the Next Generation and overall was a smash hit aside from some nitpicking on fans’ behalf.  All in all this is an enjoyable film.

Even Number Star Trek Movie: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Back again trekkers and welcome to Day 3 of Even Trek Movie Week and I feel this is a bit underrated as a Star Trek film.  Admittedly I may have been one of those nay sayers…well I am copping to it.  So let’s break out the Romulan Ale, quote Shakespeare and find out what it is all about.  This is Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

 

Reservations for three please.

Captain Spock: Logic, logic logic.  Logic is the beginning of spoiler, Valeris, not the end.

More than 70 years the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been trading blows, insults and the destruction of their collective fleets. From border disputes, planetary conquests thwarted and out and out space battles this struggle has spanned generations.  The U.S.S. Excelsior is on patrol near the Neutral Zone with Captain Sulu (George Takei of Star Trek, Batman Beyond and Kim Possible) witnesses firsthand a major gravimetric explosion of the nearby moon of Praxus, the Klingon mining operation and they were told to mind their own affair. 

NOT INTO THE SUN, YOU IDIOTS!!!!

Cut to a main chamber of Starfleet Intelligence meeting in under way and the senior staff of the Enterprise has been dragged in session?  Kirk who had been demoted before the Final Frontier is looking to retire after 3 months and is informed that in 50 years time the ozone layer around Kronos (Klingon Homeworld) will be bathed in solar radiation and due to the massive amount of expenses wasted on their expanding military budgets, they have no means of repairing this damage let alone fending off its effects.  The Empire must ask for help. 

Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner of Time After Time, Time Bandits, The Omen, Tron and Doctor Who) and Captain Spock have been in conference for months now and they both concur that peace talks need to be held in order for the survival of the Klingon people.  Captain Kirk has been tasked with escorted the Chancellor and his party to the summit.  With a long standing hatred of the Klingons, Kirk is reluctant to trust or chance his instincts he has honed over the years.  Is this an end to the onslaught of battle with each other or merely some breathing space so they can rebuild and slaughter them all in their sleep or enslave them outright?  

These feelings aside, the Enterprise must embark on one last mission until…the Chancellor’s vessel is struck by a photon torpedo rupturing the hull and causing more than a few deaths.   With the Enterprise being the only ship in the quadrant and is on the hook for the damage to the battle cruiser and the possible murders within.   Kirk and McCoy go to the ship in order to save the Chancellor only to have him die on the very table he was lain on.  Under Empire law the two are immediately whisked away to trial for Gorkon’s assassination.  But if this was not orchestrated by Kirk…then who did it?
 

Bet you can't see the strings.

This one requires a meerschaum pipe and a deerstalker hat to figure out what is going on, is there a conspiracy to sabotage the peace talks and who stands to gain from it all??

Even Number Star Trek Movie Week: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Welcome back Trekkers and I do apologize for yesterday’s lack of blog but do to a herniated disk I was kind of down yesterday.  Let’s play another rousing game of “RECAP”.  When last we left our heroes, Spock was rescued from the clutches of death, Klingons were being jackasses and Kirk battered up his ship yet again…So returning to Vulcan with Spock the crew spend 3 months there so Spock can be mentally sound again before they face their charges of mutiny, piracy and disobeying the Prime Directive.  Without further adieu, this is Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

 

Damn Skype.  Is this working now?

Kirk: Spock, where the hell’s that spoiler you promised me?

Spock: One damn minute, Admiral.

After sacrificing the Enterprise that was almost scuttled and ready for decommission anyway, Kirk and crew manage to kill almost entire Klingon Bird of Prey agglomeration, nick it and take off to Vulcan all to save Spock and McCoy.  They must journey back to Starfleet headquarters in beautiful San Fran…CISCOOOOOOOOO…. um to face the charges they have committed and accept whatever punishment comes their way.   On the way there an alien probe proceeds to disrupt almost all technology on Earth firing some sort of audio modulation in the deepest of oceans.  To what purpose no one on Earth knows.

Sir, the Star Babies are attacking after 400 years!

Spock has a theory after researching the sounds for a bit coming to the conclusion that it is the exact same sound a Humpback whale makes; which species is now extinct in the 23^rd century due to whaling not being outlawed.   Spock begins to calculate a slingshot maneuver the Bird of Prey will have to take around the sun in order to travel back into a time line where these whales exist, snag a few and have them speak on behalf of the planet.  Easy peasy, right?

Our gallant crew land in San Francisco in barbaric time of 1986.  These savages still have fossil fuel based vehicles, carry firearms and even swear.  Soldiering through this Dark Age, Kirk and Spock find a pair of Humpback whales in the Sausalito Institute.   They join a tour group led by Dr. Gillian (Catherine Hicks of Peggy Sue Got Married, Child’s Play and 7^th Heaven) who is avid in the survival of the whales and is against whaling for the blubber and oils for perfume, skin cream and cologne.    Yes the evils of across the pond and Mary Kay is in full swing demanding the heads of these noble creatures.

I have a quick couple of notes for this movie.  This would be Leonard Nimoy’s second time at bat for directing film after the success of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock which netted Paramount a cool $76 million on a 17 million picture.  Not too shabby, eh?  Nimoy along with writers Harve Bennett (Mod Squad, The Invisible Man, Riding with Death and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), Steve Meerson (Back to the Beach, Double Impact and Anna and the King), Nicholas Meyer (Time After Time, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Sommersby, Voices and Fall from the Sky) and Peter Krikes (Back to the Beach, Double Impact and Anna and the King) colluded together to flesh out this story and offer their collective tidbits to an entertaining film that the CGI generation would sneer at the blue screen effects and scale models.  To which I say, don’t like it, well no one is forcing you to watch it.

Read the Tek series, people. I worked hard on it!

Even Number Star Trek Week: Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan

Hey there readers and welcome to Even Number Star Trek Movie Week.  The title kinda gives the idea away but for those of you doing whippets I will explain.  The concept behind this week is most Trekkies feel the odd number films were too long, dull or baffling on how it even got made.  One thing the trekkers agree on is that the even number movies were enjoyable and memorable.  So with that in mind I take you back to the far away time of 1982 continuation of an episode 24 in first season of the Original Series known as Space Seed.   So grab your road warrior apparel, juice up on those roids and dare to be superior.  This is Star Trek II: Wrath of KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN!!!!

 

Still tending to that Pon Far issue, Captain Spock?

Kirk: Khan, you spoiler. You’re going to have to do your own dirty work now! Do you hear me?! Do you?

Stardate: 15 years after the success of Space Seed, we catch up with the crew of the Enterprise after the mishaps of the Motion Picture, the loss of its commanding officer Captain Decker (Stephen Collins of All the President’s Men, 7^th Heaven and Blood Diamond) and the newly promoted Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy of Gunsmoke, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Star Trek Into The Darkness) with an inexperienced crew and senior staff of the original series.   Admiral Kirk (William Shatner of Dr. Kildare, Incubus, Impulse, Barbary Coast and 3^rd Rock From the Sun) is doing a routine inspection of the Enterprise after its repair and refit from the V’ger incident to see the performance and that they are ready for the field. 

Hailing COOOOOOOMMMMSS open, Captain. Oh my.

Light years away a group of scientists led by Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch of The Day After, Steel Magnolias and Tremors) are developing a project called Genesis to bring life to dead planets.  As the U.S.S. Reliant is done with their progress update and recon they find a distress beacon on the outer system and go and investigate.  

Oh get up! I think one of you is sitting on Tattoo!

Captain Terrel (Paul Winfield of Damnation Alley, The Terminator, Presumed Innocent and Mar Attacks) and First Officer Chekov (Walter Koeing of Star Trek, Moontrap, Babylon 5 and War of Heaven) go to investigate only to encounter the former crew of genetically engineered humans of the Botany Bay led by Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban of Battleground, Mystery Street, Fantasy Island, The Colbys and Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams) who holds Kirk responsible for the planet they were marooned on this wasteland of a planet being ruined by their neighboring one exploding.

 Khan and his crew seize the Reliant and could have left for planets unexplored and ripe for conquer but Khan wants both the Genesis project as a weapon and Kirk’s head on a pike.  He’s old school like that.

The crew of the Enterprise must deal with a madman they so long ago forgot and must put an end to his diabolical schemes for the sake of all creation.  The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one after all.

So none of you used the crews' showers?? 

Even Number Star Trek Movie Week

So I was racking my brain on some Science Fiction this week when it dawned on me I have never touched base with Star Trek from TV or Film and that is actually surprising.  The mere possibility that somehow I have not spoken or written a single nuance of this amazing series that spawned 5 spin-off series, 9 movies of the Original and Next Generation series, two reboots as well a plethora of video games, RPG , board and card games.

Men can wear girdles too Lieutenant!

This prodigy of TV Science Fiction has spanned the generation gap for many, the stories have enriched us and some...well some are Spock's Brain but hey it was still a fun episode.   With that in mind I think that many can agree that the even number Star Trek films DO NOT SUCK.  We shall explore this notion together so get ready to do the bridge shimmy, tilt your camera and for God's sake be careful with that model.