Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello there readers of blog.  We at Rotten Reelz Reviews wish you all you couples a fond Happy Valentine's Day.   For you single people out there not able to find a lasting mate, my heart goes out to you and I am so sorry it is not happening for you yet.

Yes, they are real.  Astounding isn't it?

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??