I filed this away a few months ago, unsure whether the series was really continuing, and (mainly because of my health issues) failed to follow it up. Episode 3 has appeared, some weeks ago, so it looks like 'Continues' continues!
The second of these Vic Mignona stories is again in the vein of the original Star Trek, with Vic's Kirk being near enough spot-on as before. Even the story, and the way it is handled, are classic Trek in nature and treatment. There are a couple of omissions, such as what happened to the other ship near the end, and it is a little heavy-handed on the slavery aspect; but overall it's still very good Trek for those who are fans of the original series...
Showing posts with label star trek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label star trek. Show all posts
Sunday, 31 August 2014
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Klingons do Rick Astley
There are no words to adequately describe this parody of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up. It's certainly 'different'., though helpfully provided with both Klingon and English subtitles Qapla'...
Saturday, 12 October 2013
Oppan Klingon Style!
Well, I suppose it had to happen, sooner or later. At least we get English subtitles, so one doesn't need to understand the Klingon language. Qapla' !
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Garak
Anyone who watched Star Trek: Deep Space Nine will be well aware of the somewhat ambiguous character Garak, the Cardassian tailor (and formerly so much more!) on the space station. Now, although the show's writers tended to overplay the Garak card on occasions, there is no doubt that, after Odo, he was the most interesting regular character (Quark was the third, I think).
This interview with Andrew Robinson who played him, here in two parts, is quite fascinating as an insight into the part itself, how it was developed and the actor's own input. It's one of those interviews you'll be pleased you did take the time (under a quarter of an hour) to watch.
Here is part one...
...and this is part two...
This interview with Andrew Robinson who played him, here in two parts, is quite fascinating as an insight into the part itself, how it was developed and the actor's own input. It's one of those interviews you'll be pleased you did take the time (under a quarter of an hour) to watch.
Here is part one...
...and this is part two...
Monday, 7 October 2013
Star Trek Odyssey
Another fan series in the Trek universe, this time continued for some time, though apparently no more are to be produced now. There are more than two seasons (I don't yet know how many episodes were made for season 3) and it is genuinely very good indeed.
From the Voyager-like title sequence and a very pleasant theme tune, to the sets, most of the acting (allowing, as always, for the initial episodes being where the actors are still finding their way) the CGI work and the scripting/storyline, it is all unexpectedly high quality, except for the (surprisingly) low resolution of the videos. So far I have watched the first two episodes and intend to continue with the series.
Apart from some distinctly odd bits in the first episode regarding the Bajoran who becomes the Odyssey's captain and his 'spouse' (all very 'right on' I gather, but it does spoil it a bit: perhaps it's a Torchwood influence) it all works well enough, and the interplay between the Betazoid and the Romulan sub-commander is handled well, reminiscent of the early days of B'Elanna Torres on Voyager.
One character to watch: the very canny Archein general Morrigu, played (very well) by John Whiting.
Here, then, is the very first episode. The rest are easy enough to find on YouTube...
From the Voyager-like title sequence and a very pleasant theme tune, to the sets, most of the acting (allowing, as always, for the initial episodes being where the actors are still finding their way) the CGI work and the scripting/storyline, it is all unexpectedly high quality, except for the (surprisingly) low resolution of the videos. So far I have watched the first two episodes and intend to continue with the series.
Apart from some distinctly odd bits in the first episode regarding the Bajoran who becomes the Odyssey's captain and his 'spouse' (all very 'right on' I gather, but it does spoil it a bit: perhaps it's a Torchwood influence) it all works well enough, and the interplay between the Betazoid and the Romulan sub-commander is handled well, reminiscent of the early days of B'Elanna Torres on Voyager.
One character to watch: the very canny Archein general Morrigu, played (very well) by John Whiting.
Here, then, is the very first episode. The rest are easy enough to find on YouTube...
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Star Trek Phoenix
This seems to be another of those potential series that ended up with just one episode, in this case a half-hour Part 1 of what looks like it was going to be a two-part pilot.
It is a pity it got no further than this half-hour episode, made almost three years ago, as in general it was very good indeed and showed a lot of promise.
Yes, it has faults: the acting, though good on the whole (and especially for a first episode: compare with others such as Phase II), was variable. The characters with altered voices are a little overdone, so the captions when they are speaking are not just helpful, they are more or less essential. I'm not all that keen on this...
I understand the desire to be plunged straight into the story and the use of flashbacks to establish pieces of the back-story, but it's overplayed a little here and not handled as well as it really ought to have been. After all, this is a well-established production/screenplay device, not some experimental new idea.
On the positive side: the use of the original Trek main character format has worked well, with the captain's personality, the part-Vulcan first officer and the less-than-diplomatic (ironic on a State ship full of diplomats!) chief medical officer – a credible update of the 'Bones' McCoy model. The Trill has a most compelling face, which helps one see past the host's facial markings (if deliberate and the actress was chosen largely for that reason, it was a clever bit of casting) and Elle Viane Sonnet plays the part well.
This turns out to be a fan-driven production, which makes it quite remarkable – especially when compared to other attempts, such as the (much poorer, I think) Encarta movies. The sheer scale of this effort, though, becomes more evident when one comes to the movie-length credits at the end. Even Phase II has a smaller credit listing, and that is so long that it needed at least two extensions to the standard Trek closing theme to accommodate them...
It is a pity it got no further than this half-hour episode, made almost three years ago, as in general it was very good indeed and showed a lot of promise.
Yes, it has faults: the acting, though good on the whole (and especially for a first episode: compare with others such as Phase II), was variable. The characters with altered voices are a little overdone, so the captions when they are speaking are not just helpful, they are more or less essential. I'm not all that keen on this...
I understand the desire to be plunged straight into the story and the use of flashbacks to establish pieces of the back-story, but it's overplayed a little here and not handled as well as it really ought to have been. After all, this is a well-established production/screenplay device, not some experimental new idea.
On the positive side: the use of the original Trek main character format has worked well, with the captain's personality, the part-Vulcan first officer and the less-than-diplomatic (ironic on a State ship full of diplomats!) chief medical officer – a credible update of the 'Bones' McCoy model. The Trill has a most compelling face, which helps one see past the host's facial markings (if deliberate and the actress was chosen largely for that reason, it was a clever bit of casting) and Elle Viane Sonnet plays the part well.
This turns out to be a fan-driven production, which makes it quite remarkable – especially when compared to other attempts, such as the (much poorer, I think) Encarta movies. The sheer scale of this effort, though, becomes more evident when one comes to the movie-length credits at the end. Even Phase II has a smaller credit listing, and that is so long that it needed at least two extensions to the standard Trek closing theme to accommodate them...
Monday, 2 September 2013
Star Trek Nemesis – This Wasn't Used
This sequence never made it into the finished Star Trek: Nemesis movie, probably because it was too slow moving and there were no doubt constraints on the finished product's duration; but it's worth airing now, some ten years after the film's release.
I'll say this for the young officer: he might be a bit green, even wet behind the ears, but he's quick on the uptake...
I'll say this for the young officer: he might be a bit green, even wet behind the ears, but he's quick on the uptake...
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
A Matter of Pride
Here's one of my favourite clips from the original Star Trek, most of it between Kirk and Scotty after a fight between the Enterprise crew and some Klingons.
It works very well, and Bill Shatner handles this just about flawlessly (no doubt aided by top-notch direction) including pacing, inflection and facial expressions...
It works very well, and Bill Shatner handles this just about flawlessly (no doubt aided by top-notch direction) including pacing, inflection and facial expressions...
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
It's Green – The Original
In this wonderful character-driven excerpt from the Star Trek original series episode By Any Other Name, Scotty speaks the immortalised line that re-appeared in The Next Generation as I recently showed here.
This is such great fun, especially Jimmy Doohan's acting which is a sheer delight. The universe would have been poorer if this had never been placed into the public consciousness: it is one of those 'once seen never forgotten' scenes...
This is such great fun, especially Jimmy Doohan's acting which is a sheer delight. The universe would have been poorer if this had never been placed into the public consciousness: it is one of those 'once seen never forgotten' scenes...
Monday, 22 July 2013
It is...Green
This clip is taken from the excellent Star Trek: Next Generation episode "Relics", where Scotty appears and the Enterprise-D is pulled into a Dyson Sphere style of artificial world.
This part, between Scotty and Data and set in Ten-Forward, echoes Scotty's own line "it is green" from the original Trek episode "By Any Other Name". It is very well played and is great fun. I am strongly tempted to use the same line whenever I am asked to describe what something obscure might be...
This part, between Scotty and Data and set in Ten-Forward, echoes Scotty's own line "it is green" from the original Trek episode "By Any Other Name". It is very well played and is great fun. I am strongly tempted to use the same line whenever I am asked to describe what something obscure might be...
Friday, 19 July 2013
Saturday, 6 July 2013
Star Trek – The New 'Original' Series
I have watched several attempts to create new adventures in the original USS Enterprise, with various actors playing the familiar parts of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and the rest. They haven't generally been all that good, frankly, with lots of silly errors that could easily have been avoided (such as wrong colour uniforms) and wooden acting. One did feature a rather young Uhura whose voice was uncannily like the original – but that was the high spot of the whole enterprise (ahem!)
This, though is very well done, although most of the actors don't physically resemble their counterparts from the original series. Kirk does, though, and the mannerisms and scripting of all the main characters are very much on track this time, right down to Uhura singing to the crew in the Rec' Room. They've even got Chris Doohan to play Scotty (who better?) and the original Apollo actor reprises that part in this first story of what is to be a full series, as I understand it.
Spend fifty minutes with this: it won't be wasted time, and it'll feel so familiar. The episode is called 'Pilgrim of Eternity'...
This, though is very well done, although most of the actors don't physically resemble their counterparts from the original series. Kirk does, though, and the mannerisms and scripting of all the main characters are very much on track this time, right down to Uhura singing to the crew in the Rec' Room. They've even got Chris Doohan to play Scotty (who better?) and the original Apollo actor reprises that part in this first story of what is to be a full series, as I understand it.
Spend fifty minutes with this: it won't be wasted time, and it'll feel so familiar. The episode is called 'Pilgrim of Eternity'...
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Stealing the Enterprise
This quite long sequence (nearly nine minutes) from Star Trek III – The Search for Spock contains so many memorable moments that you'll soon lose count as each comes back and you remember.
It was where Uhura showed her tough side, Sulu has his 'tiny' moment, Chekov and the "Surrender your wessel" line from the Star Fleet chief, then there are the pesky space doors, and finally the Excelsior's 'transwarp' drive. It does end before Scotty presents one surgeon's gift to another (Bones) and a few other equally memorable moments to those that are included in this clip, but I suppose it had to be brought to a halt somewhere sensible, before becoming overlong...
It was where Uhura showed her tough side, Sulu has his 'tiny' moment, Chekov and the "Surrender your wessel" line from the Star Fleet chief, then there are the pesky space doors, and finally the Excelsior's 'transwarp' drive. It does end before Scotty presents one surgeon's gift to another (Bones) and a few other equally memorable moments to those that are included in this clip, but I suppose it had to be brought to a halt somewhere sensible, before becoming overlong...
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Tweet of the Day – 21 October 2012
"I chaired a talk on the best of Star Trek today- apparently I was talking for over two hours straight. It was supposed to be about 30min!!"It just goes to show (a) how much good material there is in Star Trek, and (b) how much Raules knows of it, straight off the top of his head.
Impressive stuff, both ways!
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Beam Me Up, Scotty!
""How much re-fit time, until we can take her out of here?" -- Kirk,(from: Star Trek III: The Search For Spock)
"Eight weeks. But you don't have eight weeks, so I'll do it for you in two." -- Scotty,
"Mr Scott: have you always multiplied your repair estimates by a factor of four?" -- Kirk,
"Certainly, Sir! How else can I keep my reputation as a miracle worker?" -- Scotty,
"Your reputation is secure, Scotty." -- Kirk,
UPDATE: I've found a video clip of this bit, which has allowed me to get the wording precisely correct now...
Monday, 16 July 2012
Playing By The Raules
He started giving us some insights about the upcoming episode or some bit of trivia related to it for Star Trek: The Next Generation, also the original Star Trek series that was running concurrently, in an adjacent time-slot; and – now that the channel has moved on to Star Trek: Voyager – he is doing the same for the later series.
I think he comes across very well, and his information is, as Spock would say, fascinating!
I am now careful to ensure I have the sound on in time for his pre-programme spot and keep it on instead of muting at the end, when there'd usually be (on any other programme or channel) an annoying announcement about what's coming next and later.
Well done, Raules, you're doing a great job!
(* CBS Action is on Virgin Media Cable TV channel 192)
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