The Star Trek Monthly Monday Thread

[Arthur Ratnik]

[Arthur Ratnik]

[Hair-Metal Hero]

Ohhhhhh, this is gonna be good.

[Bibliomike]

Hey guys! Chris, that's one of your best photoshops yet.

This was the first Trek film I saw as a Trek fan. I'd seen ST II on TV a few times and actually saw ST III in the theater, but I hadn't been "converted" to being a real Trek fan until 1985, so seeing this in the theater was a huge deal. And, as I recall, it premiered over Thanksgiving weekend, when we had to be out of town visiting family, so I had to wait a whole week, at least, to see it! I was 14 years old. I love, love, LOVED this movie at the time. I can remember being so emotionally invested in it - I got so angry when the Klingon Ambassador put the imperial "spin" on the events of ST III (his name in the novel is Kamarag - I love that name! Kamarag!); I really did get tears in my eyes when then 1701-A was revealed (truth be told, I still do). I loved it and laughed so hard all the while through. My enthusiasm has waned for it quite a lot in the last almost 30 years, but I do still enjoy most of it, and I still appreciate Nimoy's wisdom in wanting a Trek movie that needed some mass appeal.

I do also still love the "can do" spirit. Oh, we need whales, you say? From the past? No problem!

I've never seen a "previously on 'Star Trek'" header to this film. I haven't watched my Blu-Ray version yet, but I don't remember it from the two disc DVD edition I had. I found it on You Tube (a six minute thing? I guess that's what you guys are talking about.) I suspect it was a publicity piece that was never intended to be actually attached to the filim - I mean, it's Shatner narrating, for sure, but is he really going to say "Stardate 8130 in the 23rd century" as part of a "canonical" film? Weird.

Isn't Dr. McCoy's rank Commander? I just assumed Chapel got a promotion. Maybe as a nurse she was a Lieutenant; now, as a doctor (since TMP), she's a commander. I mean, like on M*A*S*H, Hawkeye was a "captain," but was also an M.D. One is the professional degree, the other is a military rank.

I love that scene where Spock is getting quizzed. I liked how the Abrams film made an homage to it when we see young Spock and the other Vulcan kids in school.

I have been told that the voice in the background yells out, "You pompous ass!" I don't know that that is established fact - apparently, there is no line at that point in the script, and was looped later - but, listening for it, I can certainly hear it.

Admiral Cartwright - I am bummed that ST VI makes him into a villain, too. That's actually one of the reasons I don't like ST VI much anymore. You are right about Brock Peters playing Dad Sisko.

"I liked you better when you were Kristie Alley" - I know I sure did! I probably could've gotten used to Robin Curtis, though, and I have (no surprise here) always wished that Saavik had stayed integrated in the canonical Trek universe. I'm surely glad she wasn't the traitor in ST VI.

The probe wouldn't classify its intentions as hostile, so I think Spock's statement is a fair one. After all, it's not the probe's fault that the humans are in its way. Spock's point is that it didn't come gunning for human beings, per se.

Nice that Janice Rand gets some screen time again, as in ST III. I wonder how much of that was Nimoy's doing. (We won't see her again until ST VI - and doesn't she get to actually play the role in that one Voyager episode that retcons Tuvok onto the Excelsior?)

I always thought the audio snippets during the time travel bit was from later in the film because they are traveling backward in time (and so we're getting a "sneak peek" of what's to come because, from the 23rd century p.o.v., it's aleady happened). I don't like the sequence overly much, but I think it makes sense in its own way.

I can maybe answer Scott's question about the antiques dealer. You remember I work with rare books, and when people bring them into our place for evaluation and possible purchase, we routinely have them wait in the lobby while we take the books back to double-check them against our reference materials, to check our pricing history, to discuss how much we will offer for the book, etc. I assume, like Chris said, the guy was looking Kirk's glasses up in some book, price guide, etc. At least he seems like an honest dealer: "I can give you $100." "Is that a lot?" "Eh...!" I like that scene a lot, also for the timey-wimey aspect of the glasses having been a gift once, "and they will be again." I'm not sure how well any of this movie jives with time travel as established in Trek, but it works for the funny bit.

Re: Dr. Nichols and transparent aluminum - One thing I remember about McIntyre's novelization is that she extends the dialogue between Scotty and McCoy to establish that Dr. Nichols did, indeed, "invent the thing." Then they get to wondering if that means they are successful since, in the 23rd century, transparent aluminum exists (the maybe erroneous assumption being that the only way it could have been invented was for them to go back in time and give him the forumla.) Then McCoy argues something about "isn't changing our future changing someone else's past" - I don't know. This is a constant flaw in McIntyre's novelization of the film: she very thoroughly drains most of the comedy out of the film. There are constant cutaways to Carol Marcus going around to the family of the Regula One station workers, breaking the news and grieving... I like McIntyre's takes on ST II and ST III, but she wasn't the best choice to adapt ST IV.

In Greg Cox's "Eugenics Wars" novels, both Chekov's disruptor and communicator, as well as the stuff the Ferengi leave behind in that one DS9 episode ("Little Green Men"), were in some small part responsible for the creation of the DY-100 sleeper ship Botany Bay, courtesy of reverse engineering. Meh, it's kinda farfetched, but points to Cox for creativity.

Chris: The helicopter pilot isn't in the military, is he? He works for PlexiCorp, right? I think Scott is right on this one.

I have it on good authority that Gillian Taylor does just fine in the future. Read the story right after mine in "Strange New Worlds II" - it's a great story by a very talented author named Peg Robinson, in which Gillian teams up with Carol Marcus and Uhura (who by this time is a captain). Honestly, I forget all the plot specifics, but I do remember it's a really great story, as is Robinson's story in the first volume (a TNG-era tale).

You are so right about Rosenman's score. And yet, amazingly enough, it, too, got the full-expanded treatment recently: http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7334/.f" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Not that it wasn't mostly complete to begin with. I'm mildly intrigued by Roseman's orchestration of the original series theme (before Giacchino did it in the Abrams film - but Nimoy rejected it as the main title, wanting something lighter), and it is almost worth the price to have "I Hate You" on the ol' mp3 player, but.... nah.

Fun commentary, guys!

[Boober9]

The guy from the transparent aluminum plant is played by Stuart Pankin. I distintly remember him from "Not Necessarily the News" on HBO. I believe he was an anchor reporter on that show. Whenever I see him in stuff, that is where I place him, no matter the role.

[APLUK]

[JonathanCrites]

[Hair-Metal Hero]

I do enjoy this movie, and always have. It is most certainly lighter fare, but lets look at it this way. First movie, deep, hard Sci-Fi, stoic sci-fi. Khan-A naval battle with real casualties and classic themes. Search-an adventure film about the consequences of our actions and inactions that also has serious ramifications, and about the depth of friendship and family. I think the crew, and the audience is due for a little straight forward back to the future time travelly rompiness.

Kirk and Spock arguing over Italian food, classic.
Kirk being bemused that his communicator isn't a big deal, also classic.
Reincarnated Spock being a pain in the ass-classic.
Double Dumb-Ass on You!

Politics about whaling-lame. My biggest gripe about any Star Trek is when it indulges in its Hippy-Dippyness. Except when said Hippy-Dippyness causes unintentional hilarity. We Reach Brother.

[NewFun#6]

[ljacone]

Scott, this is the Star Trek IV advance one-sheet which Chris was referring to.



http://www.impawards.com/1986/star_trek_iv_ver2.html

[NewFun#6]

[Bibliomike]

[Bibliomike]

[Bibliomike]

[Bibliomike]

Hadn't listened to the last half-hour or so before responding last time, so, finishing up...

I am kind of surprised you guys are "down" on the 23rd-century wrap-up scenes. They were and are still some of my favorites. I really love the "trial" and the "sentence" Kirk receives (gosh, how many scare quotes can I use in this post?) - it's just perfect, as is, of course, the reveal of the 1701-A. (One of the best moments in Trek films ever - probably the second-best establishing shot of the Enterprise, just after the magnificent no-it-is-*not*-too-long flyaround in TMP). And I really do like that Gillian isn't going to hook up with Kirk on a permanent basis. I think, if anyone from our century can adapt to the 23rd, she could and very likely did. I actually like her character quite a lot, mostly on the strength of that restaurant scene. Other actors would have played Gillian freaking out or just totally dismissing Kirk, but Hicks plays her as wanting to believe but thinking she's got to be on Candid Camera or something. It's perfect. (I think it is was on the strength of Hicks' initial read of the line "I knew it!" when Kirk says he works in space that landed her the job - Nimoy says she didn't read it "right" - i.e., she read it like the fanboy in Galaxy Quest learning it's all real - but it appealed to him so much he gave her the part.)

I am glad there were no subtitles with the whale probe... it would really have robbed it of a lot of mystery, and would have likely just ended up sounding banal. Like V'Ger, there is a lot of mystery with the whale probe - in fact, there's even more mystery than with V'Ger, because V'Ger is ultimately revealed and explained.

Do you know the full, tortured history of that novel, Probe? Suffice it to say, it's not the novel it started out to be: www.margaretwanderbonanno.com/files/Probed.doc

THANK YOU for mentioning the TNG "undoing" of the Spock-Sarek reconciliation! I really don't like that TNG undid that for expeidency's sake. Glad I'm not the only one out there who feels that way.

I've heard those snarky comments about the "spare Enterprise," too, but there is no on-screen indication of how much time passes between the courtroom and the new Enterprise. Yes, all visual clues indicate that they're going directly to the new ship - but nothing says it must be so. What is unusual, though, is that Starfleet would give them a new Constitution-class (or was the refit model christened Enterprise-class?) vessel after Admiral Morrow was all set to retire the 1701 in the previous film. I suppose Starfleet Command wouldn't have thought Kirk and company had much life left in them, since they are inexplicably rushed out to pasture and decommissioned after saving civilization again in ST VI (one of many flaws in ST VI, but that's for another time...) Oh, well...

Thanks again for a fun episode.

[ljacone]

LOL!


http://www.savagechickens.com/2012/05/t ... crowd.html

[Fanboyimus Prime]

http://www.startrek.com/article/star-tr ... in-orlando

Sounds like a place to go for the geek get together.

[TheDLA]

http://vimeo.com/44075941

[APLUK]

Have you guys seen this from IDW's Solicitations for September?

STAR TREK: ROMULANS TREASURY EDITION
John Byrne (w & a & c)
Master storyteller John Byrne, famed for his classic runs on Uncanny X-Men and Next Men, presents a trio of Classic Trek stories featuring the Romulan Empire. These are classic stories adventure, danger and intrigue, and even more importantly… John Byrne’s art just looks so cool printed in our awesome treasury format!
FC • Cardstock • $9.99 • 72 pages • 9.25” x 14.25”

These Treasury's IDW have been putting out are Gorgeous! In the digital age, these things are the saviours of print. No digital reader can match how great these look. The Rocketeer Jet Pack Treasury was wonderful and they have a Dave Gibbons Dr Who one scheduled for August:

Doctor Who Dave Gibbons Treasury Edition #1
Pat Mills & John Wagner (w) • Dave Gibbons (a & c)
Industry legend Dave Gibbons illustrated a classic run of Doctor Who comics, and this oversized treasury edition collects the very first storylines starring the Fourth Doctor as portrayed by Tom Baker. Enjoy “The Iron Legion” and “City of the Damned” in their entirety, and in vibrant color!
FC • Cardstock • $9.99 • 72 pages • 9.25” x 14.25”

Andy

[Arthur Ratnik]