Star Trek XI In Two To Three Years. 498
Tycoon Guy writes "It seems rumors of the franchise's demise were greatly exaggerated. TrekToday reports that according to Trek head honcho Rick Berman, a new film might come sooner than you think: 'If it gets done in two years or three years I think that timeframe for a new, fresh feature with a whole different outlook would be fine.' He's previously said that the film will feature a whole new cast and ship; it's being written by Band of Brothers screenwriter Erik Jendresen."
Divided expectations (Score:5, Insightful)
That has the potential to be very good. The writers would have the freedom to kill off or transform any crew members they wish, not just the ones wearing red shirts. With everyone and everything (including the ship) potentially expendable, it could be a wild ride with lots of plot reversals.
It also has the potential to be very bad. Many viewers don't realise how much the regular Trek actors influence the show by keeping an independent reality check on their characters. Multi-season arcs in TNG were actually actor driven (like Troi quietly disliking Worf for most of the show).
So while it might be a great movie, it might be Trek only in name. We'll have to wait and see. Too bad it will be an odd [c2.com] number movie.
Re:Divided expectations (Score:2)
Damn, my geek is showing.
Re:Divided expectations (Score:2)
Re:Divided expectations (Score:5, Informative)
Some years earlier Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis postulated some friction between the two characters that they played out for a while (between the lines) as a result of Worf advocating the forced abortion of Troi's unborn child in the beginning of season two, in the episode appropriately called "The Child". (Which was, as it so happens, a story recycled from thea aborted - no pun intended - Star Trek Phase II series from the 70s.)
There was a scene later in the series where they decided the two reconciled, but I can't remember which one that was.
My geek got outed a long time ago...
Re:Divided expectations (Score:2, Interesting)
I think it was Riker who spoke, and Worf was the one w/ the gripe over it.
My true geek is showing, don't tell my husband.
Re:Divided expectations (Score:5, Insightful)
For a while there it looked to me like they were just blowing up enterprises left and right.
Re:Divided expectations (Score:5, Funny)
(*mutters something about the car insurance industry having it exactly backwards....*)
Re:Divided expectations (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Divided expectations (Score:3, Funny)
Or, it could be the other way around, and in the Starfleet Academy, all officers are given the fundamental education they need to be command crew, and the "Bridge Officer's Exam" just clinches it, focusing on things like being able to send a crewmember, and a friend, to his/her death to save the ship (from Troi's test).
I can't be sure. Among all the sour
Re:Divided expectations (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Divided expectations (Score:3, Funny)
3 years sounds good. (Score:5, Funny)
The best thing that could happen for the StarTrek franchise, is to starv the world of ST stuff for a while.
Re:3 years sounds good. (Score:5, Interesting)
Tell a great story, but leave it wholy unfinished, sit back on it for a good 20 years, and then decide the technology is there to finish it. Make billions.
For Star Trek, I believe it will help to give it some time, but it's more risky. The public expects so much already, and a pause in the franchise may bring people into thinking it was a sellout.
Besides, they have great grounds for more movies. Star Trek has much more unexplored space than Star Wars in my opinion (Star Wars tends to be a linear story, whereas Star Trek is a story following small subsets of the universe at a time; you could have a Star Trek completely without humans if you'd like), and I think they should be exploiting that advantage.
taking a que from Starwars? (Score:3, Funny)
Oh wait.
Berman? (Score:4, Funny)
Band of Brothers (Score:3, Funny)
Hrm, perhaps I'll go and see this if I get to watch Picard kill some Nazis while dodging machine gun fire. On a more serious note, exactly which cast/era will the movie feature?
Re:Band of Brothers (Score:3, Interesting)
That said, much will depend on what happens to Rick Berman after his contract expires in 2006.
Re:Band of Brothers (Score:2)
A. Christopher Pike,
B. Wesley Crusher, or
C. (most likely) the temporal dude from the 27th century.
I'm personally hoping they'll do a different cast in the TNG time frame. No wacko time jumps, no Borg, no bringing in characters from the various shows to do cameos (unless maybe they bring in somebody minor like one of the admirals who appeared in an episode or two of TNG)....
Actually, I'll do one better... the adventures of the young { Worf, Sisko, Riker
Re:Band of Brothers (Score:3, Interesting)
But it's his other big novel series that I'd like to see made into a movie. Star Trek: New Frontier is the Next Gen era expansion of the Federation into the recently collapsed Thollian Empire. The crew is full of aliens and most are in posts where it makes sense (a Brikar security officer). Captain Calhoun is on a mission to stabilize the region and stop the warring worlds scrambling for power; he sometime
Re:Band of Brothers (Score:3, Interesting)
Explore his younger, more reckless days, when he was more of the Kirk type.
Re:Band of Brothers (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Band of Brothers (Score:3, Insightful)
Truly 'ugly death' on-screen is made palatable by the weight of history ...as with, say, a graphic portrayal of D-Day. Employing it for the sake of light fiction is a move towards only the gore crowd ...and a miscalculation.
Re:Band of Brothers (Score:3, Funny)
The USS Benneton is sent to the Asdfg-qwerty region of space to assist an archaeological study of some ancient studio props.
As the survey progresses it becomes apparent that the scientists have found fossilized prehistoric borg - the scariest possible thing other than ghosts of prehistoric borg.
Naturally, 35 minutes into the movie a trans-chrono-glowy-thing is discovered, which allows the castmember displaying the greatest degree of autism to travel back in time to meet the proto-bo
Did you know... (Score:5, Funny)
Episode 11? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Episode 11? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Episode 11? (Score:3, Funny)
Show us more (Score:5, Interesting)
The problem with movies like Insurrection and Nemesis - to name a few - was that in the end it was one ship vs one ship and the whole feeling of this bustling galaxy filled with all sorts of different characters was gone. Sure, the Enterprise alone verses the Scimitar was pretty cool, but the whole movie never developed that sense of grand adventure that The Wrath Of Kahn (which mixed the isolation of the Enterprise in latter parts with a much wider view of things early on), First Contact or The Undiscovered Country had. The scope of the universe seemed to be scaled-down to TNG-episode proportions. Insurrection was arguably the worst at this - the whole thing felt like a 2 part TNG from one of the latter seasons.
The best Star Trek movies were even numbered. (Score:4, Insightful)
The best Star Trek movies were even numbered.
Star Trek II, was there a better villan than KHANN!!!!
Star Trek III, the search for spock kinda sucked.
Star Trek IV, was okay
The best one was the Undiscovered Country. I liked the interaction of the Klingons. It was one of the best movies, I loved the shakespear quotes. Once again dear friends, into the breach!
And is it just me, or have the Klingons gone from glorious warriors to whimps?? They used to be super strong, with ships designed for WAR. Yet they seem so weak. They are weaker than the Borg by a ton, they are weaker than most Enertrpise ships which are made to explore.
Re:The best Star Trek movies were even numbered. (Score:2, Informative)
It wouldn't s
Re:The best Star Trek movies were even numbered. (Score:4, Interesting)
I can't help but think, if the producers made a series before TNG, but after TOS, it would be perfect. The Klingons would be the major power and threat to the federation. There could be some very good episodes. Back when a Bird of Prey was a monsterous power, and the Federation was scared to death of cloaking.
A couple of posts from a 1984 BBS (Score:4, Interesting)
Numb: 6
Subj: SEARCH FOR SPOCK
From: St. Paul c64 & IBM
Date: 06-04-84 at 11:38 AM
trekkies, don't waste your money - the search for spock is boring, not really
believable, and by far the worst of the three. the only high point is seeing
christopher lloyd ('jim' from taxi) dressed up in monster makeup and costume,
still talking like a spaced druggie. score now: 1 for 3 on trek dreck -- only
the wrath of kahn was any good!
He doesn't mention Christopher Lloyd's "Back to the Future" role because that movie hadn't even been made yet. It boggles the mind!
Numb: 7
Subj: Pound a tribble in your ass.
From: APPLE AVENGER
Date: 06-04-84 at 06:34 PM
To the above ruggie:
I found that Star Trek
much special effects and no story. Star Trek
stupied (play 'amazing grace' at spocks funeraul was stupied!). I found star
trek
The other 2 movies the directors ran the characters. Star trek
the characters and the people that play them.
The movie gave us a new way to think about star trek. Is it totally over for
the entire crew? Will they get a new enterprise? Will spock fully return to us?
This we will never know or maybe we will soon know because paramount studios is
talking about star trek
-Avenger
Loyal trekkie for life
Long before Berman and Braga got their grubby little hands all over it, Star Trek involved eager anticipation. Anyone remember that? *sigh*
Re:Show us more (Score:2)
Star Trek was about the Final Frontier, where no man had gone before, and what all we encountered in that newly found universe. The last few Star Treks have all been about the Enterprise, which in my opinion, is what the TV show should have been about, not the movies.
I'm just glad they haven't hung it up yet. There is still so much out there to love, so much to be created. The Star Trek franchise can go on for thousands of years, even t
Re:Show us more (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Show us more (Score:5, Insightful)
And that's not all. Whatever happened to TNG's metaphasic shielding, which swould let you safely fly right into the sun? What happened to the finding that warp drive destroyed the fabric of space and would make subsequent space travel hazardous? What happened to that soliton wave technology that was supposed to replace warp drive but would have made a dandy weapon? On two or three occasions we've seen technology that could destabilize stars! I've lost count of the number of near omnipotent races the Federation has run into--- lessee, the Metroids, the Organians, Trellane's parents, Charlie X's guardians, the spinning ball of that loved anguish, V'ger, Q's people, the Doud, the Traveler, the Cythereans... what about them?
Who could write sensible stories with all these technologies and gods and societies interacting? It's a mess and it all just needs to be put to rest.
Re:Show us more (Score:5, Funny)
I think I'm glad that I missed that particular episode.
"Captain, it appears that the indiginous creature of SR-388 is feeding off of the neuro-electrical energy of Commander Riker."
"Data, shut up and get an ice beam!!"
Re:Show us more (Score:3, Interesting)
Whatever happened to TNG's metaphasic shielding, which swould let you safely fly right into the sun? What happened to the finding that warp drive destroyed the fabric of space and would make subsequent space travel hazardous? What happened to that soliton wave technology that was supposed to replace warp drive but would have made a dandy weapon? On two or three occasions we've seen technology that could destabilize stars! I've lost count of the number of near omnipotent races the Federation has run into---
Re:Show us more (Score:3, Interesting)
What happened to the finding that warp drive destroyed the fabri
Re:Show us more (Score:3, Informative)
In the way it was realized, it would not only destroy all existing life, but also make the planet completely unusable in the future (because it didn't work). It would be a very non-Federation thing to use. Also, we can't be sure what really happened. Obviously, it wasn't generally known that David Marcus had to use "protomatter" to "solve certain problems" (and create others), as Saavik, on the mission to investigate the results
Re:Show us more (Score:3, Interesting)
When faced with some horrible challenge or new enemy, they would suddenly whip out -no, not a penis- but some new gadget that they suddenly invented just that second, which happened to be EXACTLY the gadget they needed! Wouldn't you know it had been sitting here all along!?
Once, OK. Twice, eh. But over and over and over? Suuure.
The A-Team did similar thi
Yikes! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yikes! (Score:3, Funny)
camping (Score:2, Funny)
Re:camping (Score:2)
Philosopher's Axe (Score:5, Insightful)
Sure, it'll have some of the same races and politics, but these are only ever used as plot devices.
Personally, I'm happy as long as it's well written. If labelling a new show "Star Trek" is what it takes to get it on the TV, then go right ahead. Just make sure it's good enough to stay there.
What? (Score:2)
without Data its gonna suck (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:without Data its gonna suck (Score:2)
You know, I would like to see Data again.
Wasn't there an episode of Star Trek where Picards ship gets caught in a time rift, and they see an older version of their own ship. Tasha goes off to fight and die with that crew.
I loved the feel of that episode. It starts with all the crew wearing phaser belts. The Enterprise is not an explorers ship, but a war ship. And Picard admits that the Federation is only a few years away from defeat.
Maybe the
Re:without Data its gonna suck (Score:4, Interesting)
That'd be YESTERDAY'S ENTERPRISE. The NCC1701-C shows up through the tme rift. Because it wasn't getting blown up defending a Klingon instilation the Federation and Klingons end up at war in the altered present. Tasha Yar never died in this timeline, so she's still security officer, and Worf never joined starfleet. Guinan being the odd creature she is can feel things are screwy, and prompts Piccard to get things back to where they belong.
Long story short, Yar realizes she's not meant to live, jumps onto the ENT-C, and fights on the doomed ship to try and saved a doomed Klingon outpost.
The ENT-C is destroyed, of course, Tasha is taken as a POW. She gives birth to a half-human half-romulan, and gives the ENT-D crew one hell of a suprize when her daughter shows up commanding a Romulan fleet that's trying to start a Klingon civil war. Guinan again feels something fishy, and tells Picard about it. The episode ends with Data violating a direct order and saving the day.
You know...the NCC-1701C could make for a good movie or two.
Re:without Data its gonna suck (Score:3, Informative)
it was the other way around, the Enterprise-C came through a time rift while defending the Klingon colony of Nerendra III from the Romulans. The Enterprise-C going through the rift altered the "real" present, and without the heroics of the Enterprise-C to bond the Federation with the Klingons, the Klingons fought a bloody war
In other news... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:In other news... (Score:2)
Re:In other news... (Score:2)
Space the final frontier (Score:4, Funny)
where all men have been before (and bought the t-shirt).
Please, Mr. Berman. Please get this one right. I really, really miss loving Star Trek. Star Trek is not not just about emotionless women in tight clothes... it just helps.
Can the movie also be a pilot to a new series?? (Score:2)
If the movie is a hit, you know the studio will want to produce a tv series.
I miss TNG, Voyager, and TOS too. I don't miss Enterprise (although I will admit the series end was damn good, if only the other seasons were as good as the last it might still be on the air). And I did not like DS9.
Bring back Kirk!!! (Score:5, Funny)
I don't want new characters and a new ship for a MOVIE. That would be okay for a tv show, where we have years to get to know the crew.
Bring back Kirk. Find some way to incorporate him in the story.
Here is a free story to use for the movie. The Borg are attacking, in the most massive invasion ever. Kirk is retired, but is called back to help set a defesne gird. Hey, Kirk will be old enough for the timeline to work. Maybe while kirk was retired he was a police officer, so they can have him in his T.J. Hooker uniform and work Heather Locklear into the storyline. How cool would that be, to have Kirk on the bridge of the Enterprise dressed as TJ Hooker, with Locklear next to him.
Janeway races back from the future, where the Borg came from. Along with Janeway is the defiant, commanded by Picard and Dr. Crusher. This could provide good romance between two very sexy actors. I have had the hots for Dr. Crusher for years.
The excitement would not come from the Borg attack, but watching the crews work together to form a defense.
And I would not mind seeing a couple of birds of prey get in the storyline.
Or, I GOT IT!!! What was the species in A Year of Hell that destroyed the voyager? Maybe they find their way to earth??
The possibilities are endless, but Kirk must be involved. Kirk IS Star Trek. Nobody can take his place.
Re:Bring back Kirk!!! (Score:2)
Yeah, because Kirk has so great experience with the Borg.
Re:Bring back Kirk!!! (Score:5, Interesting)
Most people who had experiance with the Borg are all Borg. ;)
Kirk is quick thinking on his feet. That is far more valuable to the defense.
Plus, you know there will be an order from Kirk that is not standard, there will be a clash. Someone will challenge Kirks ideas or orders. And Kirk will show why he is a stud. :)
Second star to the right, and straight on til dawn.
Re:Bring back Kirk!!! (Score:2)
Why not tell the story around Kirk. He was out in the rims of the Galaxy; tell what was going on at home, how the next starships were being built, how we meet the Romulans, or the Bejor people. etc. etc.
Who knows. Kirk isn't Star Trek though; he was Star Trek. Star Trek has since became a wonderful, creative environment for new captains and new wars. It's like saying all of Star Wars was Darth Vader; while he is ve
Re:Bring back Kirk!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Slashdot editors... if you have any shred of decency or humanity, find a way to delete this post before Rick Berman discovers it.
You ought to be ashamed...
Re:Bring back Kirk!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Except those... millions of bad actors... who randomly... insert... pauses... to dramatize the... SCENE!
Kirk will be back in Star Trek XII (Score:3, Funny)
KIRK: Captain's Log, Stardate 6051: Had trouble sleeping last night; my hiatal hernia is acting up. The ship is drafty and damp. I complain, but nobody listens.
SULU: Captain, Klingons off the starboard bow.
KIRK: [covering his face in annoyance] Again with the Klingons... Scotty, give me full power.
SCOTTY: It's no use, captain; I canna' reach the control panel!
Star Trek XII: So Very Tired
Re:Bring back Kirk!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Bring back Kirk!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Star Trek recast:
Captain Kirk: Keanu Reeves
Spock: Jeff Goldblume
Dr. McCoy: Gene Hackman
Scotty: Mel Gibson (he can do a fair Scottish accent)
Uhura: Beyonce (she can sing)
I'd watch it.
NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! (Score:2)
The idea I keep hearing from Berman is that it will be another prequel (post Enterprise but pre TOS, if I recall correctly), and we all know how well the prequel concept has worked out in the T
I don't know (Score:2)
I'm not saying that it can't be done, however apart from breaking 'Trek
Just what the doctor ordered... (Score:2, Insightful)
I just hope it's a space opera (Score:2)
Whoppie Goldberg (Score:5, Interesting)
Redshirts (Score:3, Funny)
He's previously said that the film will feature a whole new cast and ship; it's being written by Band of Brothers screenwriter Erik Jendresen."
I can already hear the Redshirts scream: MEDIC!
It will definitely feature... (Score:3, Funny)
My new jihad... (Score:5, Funny)
Honestly, I think it's high time that someone made that demise come about, whether by natural causes or not...
Re: Star Trek IX - The Wrath Of Kirk (Score:5, Funny)
Re: Star Trek IX - The Wrath Of Kirk (Score:3, Funny)
Re: Star Trek IX - The Wrath Of Kirk (Score:3, Informative)
new series concept (Score:3, Interesting)
Needs a bigger budget than TV can provide, so move it to cable, specifically to HBO. Add some adult oriented content, since its now on cable. Sorry 13 year olds, Star Trek is now for adults only. This will allow a wider demographic to like the show (some women will watch it with their men, hopefully).
Make it a fleet of ships, possibly half of them Federation, the other half Klingon. We've had series with single ships, and a series with a space station, but never a series with a fleet of ships on a long multi-year journey thru an uncharted area of space.
Involve the Klingon religion. Kahless (spelling?) and others are given visions in the beginning episodes, but we are not told exactly what they are. The Federation and the Klingons get together and discuss the visions that so many of their people are reporting. They decide to follow the instructions, and gather a fleet and set off on the journey.
The overall plot needs to be kept secret until the last season.
One of the ships should be a civilian fast luxury cruiser, built with a Federation loan in return for Federation use of the ship during times of war. The series should begin at the end of the Dominion war. This ship has better holodecks, and lots of drama episodes can occur on this ship.
The Admiral that was arrested by Picard for developing the Phased cloak is a part of the crew, along with some of his scientists. They are all given visions.
A few drug addicts, and other convicts are also a part of the series since its now on cable and we can have some more adult content, including sex and nudity and graphic violence. In the 24th century poverty and hunger are wiped out, but the war on drugs continues.
Lots of teraforming equipment, anti-matter, and industrial replicators are to be included (per the visions). Along with orbital defences, and some other expenisive stuff. Before the fleet launches, lots of political arguments occur because of the cost. ("were spending all this money after a devastating war, because of visions!?!?")
When they finally arrive at the destination, only half the fleet should be left, since they fought so many battles, etc. We can stretch out the series for years before they arrive.
The destination should be a far corner of the galaxy, accessible by wormhole only. The destination should be a set of (possibly) artificial solar systems, closely tied together, with many habitable planets without intelligent life. Because of the arrangement of the stars (a 3D pentagon? perhaps) it's obvious these sets of solar systems did not form naturally. This is a mystery that is never fully explained. There is lots of ore and natural resources in these systems.
The Federation and Klingons colonize the planets and have lots of kids. They are given new visions, they are to pursue weapons and ship development, and train their children to be warriors. Kahless is to be placed into suspended animation, along with a few others.
In the future, (perhaps the next series) the Klingon empire is overran by a hostile enemy, but the Federation stays neutral, until plans of genocide are learned by the Federation. The enemy starts wiping out the Klingons, the Federation invades. The Federation gets their ass kicked, and is on the brink of loosing.
Then the descendents of the Klingons and Federation folks at the far end of the galaxy (from out first series) appear from a wormhole near Borath, with Kahless as an old man who returns per the predictions of the Klingon religion. The fleet of ships are advanced and include phased cloak technology. They destroy the enemy shipyards which are in Klingon space, and since the enemy fleets are mostly in Federation space kicking the Federation's ass, this fleet inflicts a lot of damage causing the enemy to pull back from the Federation. The Federation regroups, and is supplied with technology from the advanced fleet (new weapons, phased cloak?, whatever).
Enemy reinforcements ar
BG... (Score:3, Insightful)
Whipping a dead horse (Score:3, Insightful)
Its become a laughing stock for non-Trekkies.
Its become an embarrassment for sci-fi fans.
It has been killed off by the weight of its own past, with its mixture paradoxes, incongruities and plain old shit.
There isn't even a way to do a Battlestar Galactica remake on it as there is simply too much legacy which cannot be ignored without massive suicide (or murder) by the Trekkies (see the "I love Kirk" comments above or the godawful time travel "I love Picardy & Kirk" ideas above).
Stargate 1, Farscape, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Lexx and Babylon 5 - all brought epic scope, interesting characters and a fresh approach to sci-fi.
Star Trek needs to be taken off its self-support, its a cancer on sci-fi.
(I ACKNOWLEDGE ITS PREVIOUS IMPORTANCE, WITHOUT THE ORIGINAL SERIES AND TNG, THE SERIES I HAVE MENTIONED WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CREATED)
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Script Ideas (Score:5, Funny)
-Resurrect Kirk
-Time/space distortions caused by {going too close to the sun,alien weapon,wormhole}
-The Borg
-Hot semi-naked alien chicks
-Lots of talking
-Guys in rubber monster suits
Then, my recipe for success:
-A wormhole to the Star Wars universe
-Picard vs. Vader!
-A Terminator is loose on the Enterprise. "I need your boots, your clothes und your spaceship".
-Alien vs. Predator vs. The Borg!
-The three-boobied chick from Total Recall ("Captain, I can't reach the fire button")
-Admiral Scotty
-The Borg team up with the Zerg
It can't fail.
Re:Script Ideas (Score:5, Funny)
- Darth Khan
- Worf engages Luke Skywalker in a laser bathleth battle to the death
- Data becomes a Jedi Master
- Yoda vs. Kirk
- Yoda, Obi Wan and Mace Windu vs. Picard, Kirk and Janeway (gotta love time travel)
- Yoda becomes a Borg ("Futile, resistance is!")
- "Captain, if we reroute energy to the warp drive and remodulate the main deflector we could make the Kessel run in under ten parsecs!"
- Yoda, Windu, Obi Wan, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Darth Sidious, Darth Revan, Darth Malak and every single fscking Jedi/Sith in the Expanded Universe vs. Q, because you can never have enough pointless violence in a movie
- The Jedi and the Sith team up to kill Berman in the most horrible way possible
Technology Ideas (Score:3, Interesting)
Basically, I think on hand-to-hand the Star Wars gang is going to pound any Trek denizens to sand. Unless they are fighting Data, or one of the mighty morphing creatures.
On technology, Star Trek beats Star Wars, except strangely, in the technology of making people survive battles. Star Trek seems to have an unscientific aversion to cloning or implants --unless they
Use of Weapons? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Use of Weapons? (Score:3, Interesting)
There are many instances of individuals who're helped to maintain a lifestyle outside the norm even as the Culture understands it, which totally contradicts the communist mantra.
As I understand it, Banks biggest argument (in the Culture sagas) is that anarchy in space works better as a structure than any hiera
Again with the Klingons (Score:5, Funny)
This franchise is running way ahead of schedule. According to the Simpsons episode "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" [bbc.co.uk], it'll be at least 2025 before the release of Star Trek XII: So Very Tired.
Sample dialogue: "Captain's Log, Stardate 6051: Had trouble sleeping last night; my hiatal hernia is acting up. The ship is drafty and damp. I complain, but nobody listens."
Khan vs. Nemesis (Score:3, Interesting)
I was digging around the IMDB, and comparing what I think to be the best Star Trek movie (Khan), and what I think is the worst Star Trek movie (Nemesis).
Something struck me about the two. Khan was written and directed by individuals with experience in the science fiction genre. Moreover, experience in making more cerebral type sci-fi, as opposed to big explosion aliens with lasers sci-fi.
Nemesis was put together by people who had no experience with sci-fi. Now, this Brand of Brothers guy has proven that he can write at a better then average level, but has zero experience with the science fiction genre. If they are going to continue this "let's not have experienced sci-fi writers and directors", the chances of them putting together a good film is low.
In addition, Star Trek has three television series with characters that have never seen the big screen. Why break with tradition? Why use some completely new cast, then add them to a writer and (probably) a director combination with no real experience in sci-fi?
It's as if they are constructing this movie from the ground up to be bad. There are plenty of decent sci-fi writers out there (heck, just look to some of the better episodes of TNG... I'm sure the writers of those episodes wouldn't mind seeing work). Find a decent director with sci-fi experience (off hand I think somebody like Andrew Niccol could probably do a good job).
Realistically, though, I think that under the direction of Rick Berman, Star Trek isn't going to put out anything that approaches what it had in the past. Berman just doesn't seem to "get it".
hope it doesn't interrupt work on Police Academy 8 (Score:3, Funny)
A Couple Of Talking Points (Score:4, Insightful)
Besides the obvious typo, I highly doubt that ST:E's budget is all that much bigger than any of SciFi's original programming. Example? SG-1. If SG-1 has an operating budget of even half of ST:E's, yet still produces high-quality programming, then the whole budget issue isn't a problem, and pretty much amounts to Berman blowing smoke up our asses.
SG-1 has quite a number of CGI sequences, like ST:E. Beyond the relatively simple animation of the gate itself and a few weapons, there are quite a number of ships (including the complex Goa'uld ships, Asgard cruisers, etc.), the Replicators (simple at first, then growing more complex), and the usual space scenes such as planets, stars, nebulae and more, not to mention the minor alterations to the Canadian landscape for location shots. Now, either Gekko/Double Secret/SciFi have found a way to render these scenes (which look pretty damn good) on the cheap, or Berman is using it as an excuse, one of many.
Second: I think the decline of Star Trek can be directly attributed to Berman himself, who started taking the franchise downhill not long after the death of Gene Roddenberry. Creative control, honestly, should have been given to Majel Barret-Roddenberry. After all, she was married to Gene, and it'd be impossible to think that some of his genius wouldn't have rubbed off on her during thier marriage. Berman was responsible for the lesser series DS9 and VGR, and obviously, those didn't do as well as TOS and TNG did, both in the ratings and creatively.
Third, according to quite a number of folks, Berman's not an easy guy to deal with. Slashdot's own Wil Wheaton can attest to that personally, and does so in his books. Granted, working with someone (relatively) new will bring about changes, but from most accounts, Berman was almost the direct antithesis to Roddenberry.
And no, I'm not trying to kiss Wheaton's ass.
My point is, Berman is giving us every excuse under the sun (some work slightly, others don't hold water) as to why Star Trek is in its waning years, instead of owning up to the fact that he took Roddenberry's vision and drove it into the ground himself. The slow demise of Trek can be traced back to when he took the helm (no pun intended).
I agree that Trek does need a rest. Oversaturation does play a part, but not as great a part as Berman would like us to believe...
and my DS9 fandom... (Score:4, Interesting)
DS9 has a great bunch of characters. Bring back Sisko dammit!
Re:Didn't DeForrest Kelly die about 10 years ago? (Score:2)
You're a winner!
Re:Didn't DeForrest Kelly die about 10 years ago? (Score:5, Interesting)
Personally, I want to know more about where it all began; they have so much technology in the future that, while we have basis for it, it's so far beyond tracing back to something we have now, that we just have to accept it as fact, and move on. Things like the transport system, the Enterprise's energy systems, etc. etc. All we need is a movie in that time period to answer some of those questions, in my opinion.
Re:Didn't DeForrest Kelly die about 10 years ago? (Score:2, Insightful)
Umm, why? It's a historical fact that movies which attempt to explain anything to the fanboys just result in sucking. It's a little narrative device called "suspesion of disbelief"--a convincing universe doesn't keep bringing up self-referential explanations about how it all works. That's a warning sign of poor writing when you need to narrate everything to drive the story along. Keep the technical explanations
Re:Didn't DeForrest Kelly die about 10 years ago? (Score:3, Interesting)
While the purposes of some devices make sense, others seem to make none at all. Why can't someone program a transporter to transport something like a spacecraft, far far away? Why can't someone program a replicator to replicate an entire spacecraft, therefore having infinite war time production capabilities?
Re:Didn't DeForrest Kelly die about 10 years ago? (Score:3, Interesting)
I would be interested in shows where they throw in some physics and chemistry. Real physics and chemistry. What I loved about TNG was it got me very interested in the sciences.
The USA school system just about killed the "what if's" questions I was filled with. TNG filled my imagination. I would not be suprised if many technology advances were made by people who got interested in science because of
Re:Didn't DeForrest Kelly die about 10 years ago? (Score:3, Funny)
So what was it that turned you off [contactmusic.com], was it the idea of spooning Capt, Kirk, or that he smelled like a lamb sausage???
Re:Didn't DeForrest Kelly die about 10 years ago? (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, that'd be one more reason to put him back in the chair. After all, a man who'd do that, would do anything, right?
Will it? I wonder... (Score:3, Insightful)
I *still* think that the only reliable way to get solid (and consistant) sci-fi is to have a dedicated pay channel. Personally, I'd love to see an end to this network exec BS: "Ah! Farscape/Enterprise/Firefly costs WAY more than Fear Factor! No more of THAT!"
Reality T.V. sucks but the reality is that it's cheap e
Re:With Berman involved.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Rebooting Star Trek (Score:3, Insightful)
You just described why Trek fans were so resentful of Enterprise in the first place. Berman apparently figured that he could introduce "the unknown future" with his idiotic "temporal cold war" and it just made a mess of the series - well, that plus writing that was just plain awful.
If folks want to make science fiction that doesn't have, or fit into,
Re:How did Berman become "in charge"? (Score:4, Funny)
I've thought about this for a while, and my best theory is: Deal with the devil. Berman sold his soul to the devil in exchange for fame and fortune. Of course, true to the devil's plan of causing pain and torture as a side to his deals, he decided the fame and fortune Berman would receive would be with the Star Trek franchise.
Which causes Berman much suffering, because I'm pretty sure he doesn't like Star Trek, or the science fiction genre for that matter. Berman has likely adopted a life philosophy which states "If I have to be miserable, I'm going to make the fans of the series miserable too".
The worst part is, no matter how hard he tries, the devil (who has pre-existing relationships with just about every executive in Hollywood) has made it sure that he won't be fired, no matter how badly he destroys the franchise and alienates its fans. Then after a miserable life dealing with a series he hates, he's still going to have to spend all of eternity in hell.
That's just my theory though. It could just be that most of Paramount's execs are high on cocaine all the time. Either one provides an acceptable answer.