Showing posts with label Star Trek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Trek. Show all posts
Monday, March 02, 2009
Trek Reviewing: Why It's Fraught With Peril
I'm glad I've studied history...because as one looks at primary source material, instructions are given to understand the time and place that the source material comes from.
Also if one is a student of history, de facto, if you want to study it, you have some respect for some of it. (Granted, anyone who 'respects' the Inquisition or the Holocaust needs serious medical help, but that's neither here nor there.)
Trek itself is now something of an historical artifact...going on 45 years old.
And, as such, you have to respect the time, place and budgets (and good writing or lack thereof) connected with TOS, TAS, the spinoffs and the films...
Mark Altman, founder of Geek Monthly reviewed the trailers and twenty minutes of film footage....
He is mainly positive about the new film, that makes me happy.
I agree with his stance on the Romulans, because after all in the Pre-TOS time period Spock states
"No Human, Romulan or ally has ever seen the other."
(Granted, a couple of renegade Vulcans and Aenar have, but it's likely Vulcan and Andoria never made those instances public. And starships getting assembled in Iowa? Give me a break.)
I disagree with his concerns about Zachary Quinto's Spock. If that kid can make Sylar on "Heroes a complex anti-hero to root for (as I did last week...first time I *ever* wanted to see the carving out of brains.)
he'll do fine with Spock.
And, if Altman could have just stopped the column after reviewing the new film, it would be a great review....
But he somehow had the need to rag on the older films.
"all the original Trek movies looked cheap and, well, cheap.'
Oh please. Compare those movies to the original pilot with it's worse-than-the rest of TOS chauvinism, and *paper* output of the ships computer, non digital analog timers...and they look magical. There was a fifteen year gap in SFX technology then. (not to mention some [slight] evolution in attitudes towards women.)
He felt that "...by trying to get Scotty, Uhura and Sulu into the action as well as Chekov, they’re doing the big three a disservice. Chekov’s played for comic relief, much as he was in Star Trek IV, and, at the end of the day, who really needs him."
They're part of the fabric, they need to be there. Period. This is what I mean about respect for history.
And, being a Spock fan, I just cannot abide what he said about Mr. Nimoy's cameo.
"...the new kids on the block wouldn’t have to listen to long, ponderous scenes like Leonard Nimoy as Spock explaining technobabble to Scotty that he’s from the future and Captain Kirk needs to get Spock emotional to take command. That’s Next Generation, guys, and as much as I loved seeing Nimoy on screen as Spock again, I couldn’t but help feeling it was like dropping Jar-Jar into a scene in The Empire Strikes Back."
Mr. Altman, the clock is ticking for the remaining TOS actors. Abrams has said that he didn't want to do the film unless he had Nimoy on board.
There will be a time when we can't have the TOS Spock in a film, just as we cannot have TOS McCoy or TOS Scotty now.
I'm glad he's there, long-winded and technical or not.
Also if one is a student of history, de facto, if you want to study it, you have some respect for some of it. (Granted, anyone who 'respects' the Inquisition or the Holocaust needs serious medical help, but that's neither here nor there.)
Trek itself is now something of an historical artifact...going on 45 years old.
And, as such, you have to respect the time, place and budgets (and good writing or lack thereof) connected with TOS, TAS, the spinoffs and the films...
Mark Altman, founder of Geek Monthly reviewed the trailers and twenty minutes of film footage....
He is mainly positive about the new film, that makes me happy.
I agree with his stance on the Romulans, because after all in the Pre-TOS time period Spock states
"No Human, Romulan or ally has ever seen the other."
(Granted, a couple of renegade Vulcans and Aenar have, but it's likely Vulcan and Andoria never made those instances public. And starships getting assembled in Iowa? Give me a break.)
I disagree with his concerns about Zachary Quinto's Spock. If that kid can make Sylar on "Heroes a complex anti-hero to root for (as I did last week...first time I *ever* wanted to see the carving out of brains.)
he'll do fine with Spock.
And, if Altman could have just stopped the column after reviewing the new film, it would be a great review....
But he somehow had the need to rag on the older films.
"all the original Trek movies looked cheap and, well, cheap.'
Oh please. Compare those movies to the original pilot with it's worse-than-the rest of TOS chauvinism, and *paper* output of the ships computer, non digital analog timers...and they look magical. There was a fifteen year gap in SFX technology then. (not to mention some [slight] evolution in attitudes towards women.)
He felt that "...by trying to get Scotty, Uhura and Sulu into the action as well as Chekov, they’re doing the big three a disservice. Chekov’s played for comic relief, much as he was in Star Trek IV, and, at the end of the day, who really needs him."
They're part of the fabric, they need to be there. Period. This is what I mean about respect for history.
And, being a Spock fan, I just cannot abide what he said about Mr. Nimoy's cameo.
"...the new kids on the block wouldn’t have to listen to long, ponderous scenes like Leonard Nimoy as Spock explaining technobabble to Scotty that he’s from the future and Captain Kirk needs to get Spock emotional to take command. That’s Next Generation, guys, and as much as I loved seeing Nimoy on screen as Spock again, I couldn’t but help feeling it was like dropping Jar-Jar into a scene in The Empire Strikes Back."
Mr. Altman, the clock is ticking for the remaining TOS actors. Abrams has said that he didn't want to do the film unless he had Nimoy on board.
There will be a time when we can't have the TOS Spock in a film, just as we cannot have TOS McCoy or TOS Scotty now.
I'm glad he's there, long-winded and technical or not.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
In the spirit of
This post, here comes another guess at what some of the crew are thinking...
All Characters are owned by Paramount and "Star Trek"
No Copyright infringement intended or implied.
"I don't know why we had to pick Ten-Forward for the celebration...The holodeck could have taken us anywhere..." said the man with the artificial eyes, in between libations.
"It was neccesary to include everyone...who has sailed an Enterprise..." said the machine serenely, now having well come to terms with his own odd method of rebirth.
The Vulcan and his Captain, at another table, spoke quietly...
"Was it worth it? All the dangers we faced to reopen this connection? to have an impact on their past and future again...? for at least a small bit of time...? Look who we *lost* to get here!" The captain was uncharacteristically morose for a moment, thinking of Scotty lost in the first trial when an entire station working on restoring the connection had blown up, due to the incompetence of one of his underlings that he just had to go in and rework...
"And", softly by the Vulcan, "The good Doctor..."
They both fell silent again for a moment, remembering their good friend, so upset and volatile at the loss of the connection two years back, that he had again dissapeared and not communicated with them for many months. There had been a justifiably prideful communique some small while ago regarding the cures he had been able to create for nearly a third of the population of an entire planet decimated by an immuno-deficiency virus. Then, the grim one that followed a week later confirming his death, executed by a local warlord for treating "the enemy."
The Vulcan continued..."Both of them would have appreciated another attempt to communicate, connect with the past and future. Both would see this as a worthy thing. If they were at this table now, they would be pleased," he said with the certainty that is peculiarly Vulcan.
"You're right, of course, as always," the Captain admitted. "Risk has always been out there."
Suddenly, the Captain's mood shifted, to an irritated stuffy persona he did quite well, that hid a geniuine bit of curiousity..."Don't see why we're going to have to rehash all that business that went on when we were..."
"...Beginning our careers, and exceedingly inexperienced..." the Vulcan said, in that diplomatic mode he had learned at his father's knee...
"Young and and stupid is more likely..."
"Can the two of you please be still? The Frenchman asked in a jovial manner, passing by the table..."There's a bit of time to wait before it begins...and everyone wants to come at this fresh....don't spoil it."
Just under his breath, the Captain groaned...
And the Vulcan raised an eyebrow...
All Characters are owned by Paramount and "Star Trek"
No Copyright infringement intended or implied.
"I don't know why we had to pick Ten-Forward for the celebration...The holodeck could have taken us anywhere..." said the man with the artificial eyes, in between libations.
"It was neccesary to include everyone...who has sailed an Enterprise..." said the machine serenely, now having well come to terms with his own odd method of rebirth.
The Vulcan and his Captain, at another table, spoke quietly...
"Was it worth it? All the dangers we faced to reopen this connection? to have an impact on their past and future again...? for at least a small bit of time...? Look who we *lost* to get here!" The captain was uncharacteristically morose for a moment, thinking of Scotty lost in the first trial when an entire station working on restoring the connection had blown up, due to the incompetence of one of his underlings that he just had to go in and rework...
"And", softly by the Vulcan, "The good Doctor..."
They both fell silent again for a moment, remembering their good friend, so upset and volatile at the loss of the connection two years back, that he had again dissapeared and not communicated with them for many months. There had been a justifiably prideful communique some small while ago regarding the cures he had been able to create for nearly a third of the population of an entire planet decimated by an immuno-deficiency virus. Then, the grim one that followed a week later confirming his death, executed by a local warlord for treating "the enemy."
The Vulcan continued..."Both of them would have appreciated another attempt to communicate, connect with the past and future. Both would see this as a worthy thing. If they were at this table now, they would be pleased," he said with the certainty that is peculiarly Vulcan.
"You're right, of course, as always," the Captain admitted. "Risk has always been out there."
Suddenly, the Captain's mood shifted, to an irritated stuffy persona he did quite well, that hid a geniuine bit of curiousity..."Don't see why we're going to have to rehash all that business that went on when we were..."
"...Beginning our careers, and exceedingly inexperienced..." the Vulcan said, in that diplomatic mode he had learned at his father's knee...
"Young and and stupid is more likely..."
"Can the two of you please be still? The Frenchman asked in a jovial manner, passing by the table..."There's a bit of time to wait before it begins...and everyone wants to come at this fresh....don't spoil it."
Just under his breath, the Captain groaned...
And the Vulcan raised an eyebrow...
Resurrection Day
"That green-blooded son-of-a-bitch! It's his revenge for all those arguments he lost..."
---The late DeForrest Kelley, as Dr. Leonard McCoy in "Star Trek III The Search for Spock"
Well, since this place was originally set up to be a "Star Trek" wake...since Trek has been turning endings into beginnings for more than forty years....it follows that a "Star Trek" wake has a bit of a different ending/beginning than your typical wake. I hereby eat my words.
...I knew about the JJ Abrams film due in 2008....but the details of this resurrection are falling into place .
Nimoy is set to reprise Elder Spock for us (wonderful, wonderful yay, yay, happydance yay...I'm actually a bit misty about it, now that I've recovered from fainting dead away at the news, laugh)....and EEEEEE! One of my 'Heroes' favorites will be there too.
And perhaps Denny Crane will make an appearance as well...
---The late DeForrest Kelley, as Dr. Leonard McCoy in "Star Trek III The Search for Spock"
Well, since this place was originally set up to be a "Star Trek" wake...since Trek has been turning endings into beginnings for more than forty years....it follows that a "Star Trek" wake has a bit of a different ending/beginning than your typical wake. I hereby eat my words.
...I knew about the JJ Abrams film due in 2008....but the details of this resurrection are falling into place .
Nimoy is set to reprise Elder Spock for us (wonderful, wonderful yay, yay, happydance yay...I'm actually a bit misty about it, now that I've recovered from fainting dead away at the news, laugh)....and EEEEEE! One of my 'Heroes' favorites will be there too.
And perhaps Denny Crane will make an appearance as well...
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