Berman Confirms Star Trek Prequel Film Project 554
Steve Krutzler writes "TrekWeb can break the news STAR TREK producer Rick Berman has confirmed that work on a new STAR TREK feature film project has begun. Speaking in the new Dreamwatch magazine, Berman describes it cryptically as a "prequel" and says he's working with two other producers on the project."
To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Insightful)
Still, the article only refers to STAR TREK, which would indicate that perhaps Kirk and not Picard might be our captain in this one. At least it would be a welcome change from Priceline.com adverts and Miss Congeniality 2 [imdb.com] for William Shatner.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Insightful)
It would be pretty hard to do a prequel to the original series without new actors, unfortunately, and Generations pretty much voided any chance of a TNG prequel with the original crew.
There are two other series. A DS9 prequel might actually be interesting.
And then there's the chance that this is a prequel to all of this, but Enterprise seems pretty early in the Trek timeline. Hard to imagine anything interesting happening before that with the Vulcans watching and all.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:3, Interesting)
-nod- Besides, much of the crew was meeting for the first time in Encounter at Farpoint, so it would be tough to do anything with all the familiar characters together that was set earlier than that.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:3, Funny)
No problem. Working title:
Star Trek: RETCON.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:3, Funny)
You mean you expect the various story lines to be consistent! That has never stopped Berman and company before. Why would they care now?
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Insightful)
But this is Star Trek. Discussing any "timeline" is like speculating a dice roll.
Anybody who cares enough about continuity probably gave up on the Star Trek universe awhile back. Worf magically reappearing in his old job on the Enterprise after being promoted to chief of security for an entire space station (DS9) was the last straw for me. They could've at least come up with something, welcome him back for cross training or something, but no, there he was, like he never left.
Berman is to Star Trek as Eisner is to Disney. And Gene and Walt are wretching in their graves.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:3, Funny)
Originally Walt really was cryogenically frozen, but then there was that terrible day, very much like the Eddie sequence in Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Informative)
Frozen Walt (Score:3, Funny)
It was both. You mean you never saw Walt's final film appearance in the 1976 live-action children's film in which he rode a Harley through Dexter Reilly's lab as a human icicle? Kurt Russell and Jodi Foster also starred in this one all-but-forgotten film.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Interesting)
TOS get's a free pass because it was in the 60s. What more do you want? You don't watch TOS for the continuity (there was none until the movies) -- you watch TOS for the window on the world that was the 1960s -- the Hippies, the racial issues and the storylines. Individual TOS episodes are still compelling to this day.
TNG had excellent continuity with storyline. The characters progressed and grew the show had excellent storylines and like TOS it was another issues based show (terrorism, drugs, war, religion, friendship, homosexuality, veterans rights, human rights, freedom/self-determination and many others). TNG had the ability to take an issue and boil it down to a compelling storyline that fit into a one-hour timeslot. And somehow they managed to do it while keeping the show more or less G-rated (the only really bad scene I can think of is the First-Season episode with the body-snatching aliens) and keeping the T&A (compared to Voyager and Enterprise) to an absolute minimum (and towards the end they finally got Troi out of her bunny-suit and into a real uniform).
Now if you want to talk about technical continuity then TNG (all the Star Trek's for that matter) was horrible -- panels that would appear in turbolifts if the episode required it, phasers that could be remotely deactivated (unless being used by terrorists when we need plot drama), etc etc, but who cares about that? As a whole TNG was one of the best TV shows there ever was. Probably Seasons 3, 4 and 5 were the best -- when Gene was still actively involved in running things. Towards the end (Season 7) it started to show Voyager-like traits (technobabble replacing storyline) which in hindsight makes me glad they ended it the way they did -- on a highnote. "All Good Things" was probably the best series-finale for any show I've ever watched. As far as the movies go I liked Generations and I try to pretend that the others don't exist.
DS9 shared many of the same qualities that made TNG so great -- compelling storylines and characters that evolved. I was initially somehow leery of the war arc but I think it worked in the context of DS9 (whereas it probably wouldn't have in TNG). The last two seasons of DS9 was basically TNG from "Yesterday's Enterprise" over the course of an entire season -- very dark yet very compelling story material. DS9 also suffered from a lack of technical continuity but again, who the hell cares? The point of Star Trek is to tell a story.
Don't get me started on Voyager. The first two seasons I had high hopes and it went down the toilet after that. It became one massive technobabble episode after another (was there anything that T&A of Borg's nanoprobes couldn't do? -- "And look -- it'll still slice this tomato!") with far too much violence for the Trek universe (at least the violence in TNG and DS9 served a purpose) and no storyline continuity whatsoever. Welsey Crusher's character (most people's favorite character to hate) evolved more over the years then Harry Kim did.
And don't even get me started on Enterprise. A complete rape of every established (canon and non-canon) piece of Star Trek history. A wussified Captain (at least Picard could win fights when he was forced to get into them -- Kirk and Sisko would pick them and always win -- Archer picks them and almost always gets his ass kicked), completely out-of-character Vulcans (whatever happened to IDIC?), hostile aliens that we never knew existed, too much T&A for the tastes of anyone not in the 15-20 male demographic (if your going to have sexuality on a TV show could you at least be mature about it? Decontamination scenes? Gimme a friggen break), etc etc etc.
TNG was probably the best overall television show ever imho. TOS had excellent individual episodes (and kick ass movies) and stands the test of time. DS9 was a compelling series too. The rest of them I try hard to forget about ever watching.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Interesting)
IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations) was a product of Gene's disenfranchisement with the show on season 3. According to Shatner's book on TOS [barnesandnoble.com]. The budget for the show had steadily trickled down to a near halt over the span of 3 seasons. By the 3rd season, Roddenberry was so fed up with the studio's budget cuts that he said "HERE" with arms extended to Justman and essentially gave him the show to run. Roddenberry even moved his offices off the Desilu lot and to (I believe it was) Universal to devote all his time to a non sci-fi movie that was to star (again, I think, I read it about 10 years ago) Burt Reynolds. That movie never made it out of pre-production and was never made.
At some point during that 3rd season, realizing the rise in popularity of Sci-Fi cons he decided on a brazen marketing ploy: the IDIC. It was a schlocky imitation gold pin. When Roddenberry suddenly appeared on the set with this item (after having been AWOL all season) the actors realized what he was doing an initially refused to wear it. Roddenberry never liked Nimoy much to begin with, and threatened to fire him when Nimoy threatened to walk off the set before he wore it. Roddenberry thought he might have an easier time with Shatner (they were on slightly more friendlier terms...according to Shatner
To NOT TNG. Or DS9. Or ST:V. Or... (Score:4, Insightful)
You have got to be kidding. With probably the notable exception of Wesly, Barkley, and maybe a certain holographic doctor, nearly every Trek character has been as static as a maniquin. Their actions from episode to episode did nothing to affect donwline events, nor did these events have any affect on their personalities. Each show was self contianed and the Riker you knew in one episode would be exactly the same in the others. And as much as you malign Voyager (rightfully so n some cases) it probably had the most character development I've ever seen in a Trek series and the most reactive plot to boot. They were normally short range arcs, but at least they stepped out of their own airtight compartment for a change.
Frankly, I'm tired of trek in general. Most of the plot is self contained and most of the characters are static. You can only do it so many times before it gets stale. At least do it right.
Like Firefly.
Re:To NOT TNG. Or DS9. Or ST:V. Or... (Score:4, Interesting)
Says who? Sisko's actions during the war didn't affect downline events? The events of his forced assimilation and being used as a tool to murder 11,000 fellow officers had no impact on Picard? How about the impact of his torture by Cardassians? Or the impact on his character from the probe that captured him so he could live a lifetime in another culture? (Quite possibly the best episode of Trek ever -- either that episode or Darmok -- both Picard centered shows)
Troi's character didn't grow? She certinaly wasn't the same "Captain I sense a strong life presense here... my god it's in pain! Horrible pain! Oh the pain!" piece of eyecandy in Season 7 that she was in Season 1.
How about Data? You want to talk about the Doctor from Voyager? Fine -- he was probably the only Voyager character that did grow any. But he was modeled after Data -- Data's character had tremendous growth over the years. Some of the best episodes (Measure of a Man) centered around his character.
What about Worf? His character grew over the years. Worf would probably be the Spock of TNG -- in Season 1 he was completely Klingon ("For battle come to me!") -- by Season 7 he had incorporated the best of both the Klingon and Human/Federation cultures.
All of these events lasted much longer then just one episode. TNG didn't do the "plot-arc" like Voyager or Enterprise did -- they didn't need it. TNG invented (or at least brought it out of hiatus?) the cliffhanger concept in modern television with "Best of Both Worlds" -- Voyager made it a tired old cliche.
And as much as you malign Voyager (rightfully so n some cases) it probably had the most character development I've ever seen in a Trek series and the most reactive plot to boot
Is that why Harry Kim never stopped being the naive Ensign or got a promotion? Is that why they invented a love-interest between Chokotay (probably my favorite Voyager character) and Seven that didn't seem to exist before they pulled it out of thin air? How about other character traits pulled out of thin air and invented for the sake of one episode then quickly forgotten? Like Janeway's depression or the fact that she talks to her ship? The love story between Tom (the Riker character of Voyager) and B'leanna (another of my Voyager favorites) was believable and well done -- B'leanna's character had some decent growth over the years. But other stuff (like the Maquis subplot) was forgotten about in favor of technobabble (Voyager made it a cliche) and showing off Seven's Tits & Ass whenever the opportunity presented itself. For God sakes Jeri Ryan is a beautiful woman in normal attire (recall Seven's character in the dream sequences of Unimatrix Zero) -- why the hell did she need to be in that bunny suit for any other reason then appealing to the horny teenage demographic? Seven could have been an interesting character -- instead they decided to focus on her T&A and magical nanoprobes that could do anything from defeat unstoppable aliens, cut 10,000 lightyears off our trip, and warm up Janeway's coffee after a hard day's work on an away team. And they still slice that tomato!
Frankly, I'm tired of trek in general. Most of the plot is self contained and most of the characters are static. You can only do it so many times before it gets stale. At least do it right.
I'm not disagreeing with you. Voyager and Enterprise ruined it for me. It needs another 25 year hiatus before they try to do anything else with it.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Funny)
They already made that movie. It was called Star Trek: First Contact [imdb.com]. Unless.....
Star Trek: Attack of the Boring Vulcan Ambassador Clones!
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:4, Interesting)
Actually, I think you may be closer than you think. According to timelines I heard when enterprise was coming out, they said the first Romulan war should take place about seasons 4-6 of Enterprise. Well, we're at the end of season 3.
It's possible that, if Enterprise actually does get canned (nothing final on that yet, although very heavy speculation), they may make the Romulan war the prequel movie. That, and it'll almost fit in with Nemesis and its heavy Romulan themes.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Interesting)
You mean, other then Star Trek 4, Star Trek: Generations, and Star Trek: First Contact? And pretty much the entire run of Voyager?
"Time Warping" is the worst problem with Star Trek. You can't build drama because nothing is ever at stake that won't be wiped away by next week's time travel episode or movie. That problem alone is enough to sink the series; the entire concept has devolved into some of the worst "collaborative writing" I've ever seen. (Ever done a "collaborative novel" online? The resulting continuity trainwreck bears an uncomfortable resemblence to Star Trek now...)
Prolly Not TNG (Score:4, Interesting)
Before Kirk there were 2 wars they might cover. One with the Klingons and one with the Romulins. This could provide for some action
Another scenario they had talked about was doing a movie of the Excelusier and Chekov (yes I know I butchered the name)
Re:Prolly Not TNG (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Prolly Not TNG (Score:4, Funny)
They could have a scene where an Excel user drops a VBA worm into Chekov's helmet!
Re:Prolly Not TNG (Score:5, Insightful)
Sadly, though, this is the kind of thing they'd think of doing; an Enterprise movie could technically be called a prequel, and could cover the Romulan war.
What this franchise really needs, however, is three things:
1) About five years off with no movies.
2) About five years off with no series.
3) About forever off with no stories written by anybody who has ever written for Voyager or Enterprise. Ever. Even the good ones.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:3, Funny)
How about one of the Capts. BEFORE Kirk! (Score:5, Funny)
Lets face it - we NEED a show with some good space battles, NO cutesy-poo whimps like Wesley, or that Hyena-freak on Voyager. The eugenics wars when Kahn came into power would also be very good to cover - much of the Earth was trashed.
Re:How about one of the Capts. BEFORE Kirk! (Score:5, Funny)
I thought he only got one light... he had to blink it once for yes, twice for no.
I need to get laid.
Re:How about one of the Capts. BEFORE Kirk! (Score:5, Funny)
The are FOUR LIGHTS!
Re:How about one of the Capts. BEFORE Kirk! (Score:3, Insightful)
This all stems from Picard's ridiculous assertion that "StarFleet is not a military organization".
Re:How about one of the Capts. BEFORE Kirk! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Funny)
Captain: "Number one, you don't suppose we should write all this down, do you?"
First mate: "Why would we want to do that?"
Captain: "Well, what if some time in the future people might want to know these borg things still exist."
First mate: "Who would want to know that?"
Captain: "Well. Maybe if our first space exploration vessel runs into two of them, they might want to know what they're dealing with. Or if the fleet flagship was flung across the galaxy by an omnipotent being and brought face to face with these things. Or if the captain of that ship is perfectly fine for years, even helping out the borg a few times, and then for no apparent reason develops a Moby Dick-like obsession with them. Or perhaps another space ship could be flung across the galaxy by another near-omnipotent being and the captain of that ship could end up in a contest with the borg queen to determine who has the bigger ego."
First mate: "You're drunk, aren't you?"
Captain: "Like a skunk."
First mate: "Besides, wouldn't that first exploration vessel record their contact with the borg? Then that fleet flagship would know what they were facing. That would be the smart thing to do."
Captain: "Somebody else's problem. I like it. Have a drink."
Or maybe not. At least that would finally explain why the borg had an unhealthy obsession with Earth.
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:To TNG or not to TNG? (Score:5, Funny)
Haven't you learned anything from watching Star Trek.
Wrath of Kahn: While fighting in / near a nebula, Spock makes the ultimate sacrifice, bathing himself in radiation from the ship's reactor, ultimately dying to save the crew. However, not before "backing up" his personality in Bones' thick skull.
Nemesis: While fighting in / near a nebula, Data makes the ultimate sacrifice, being destroyed in a radiation blast eminating from the enemy warship's reactor, ultimately dying to save the crew. However, not before he uploaded his entire neural pathways, memories, and experiences into the dummy-data.
Star Trek is an admin's wet dream. Backing up can even bring back the dead
Prequel? Oh boy... (Score:5, Interesting)
I think a Starfleet Academy movie (mentioned in the article) could be compelling, but I'm losing interest in the whole franchise. I'd like to see another season of Enterprise despite the fact that it's a fairly weak show (in my opinion) but I think that Gene Roddenberry's vision is running out of gas without his input. I have mixed feelings: on one hand, Trek has gotten pretty lame, and it is probably time for them to stop producing it for a while, but on the other hand I'd miss even bad Trek... Is bad Trek better than no Trek at all? Am I even making any sense?
Drooling fanboys will be happy to read this line from the article, though:
"...insiders suggest Berman and/or Braga might take a reduced role in a fourth season of ENTERPRISE, though this is entirely speculation."
--- JRJ
Enterprise (Score:4, Insightful)
That said, a prequel has MUCH more potential to be good than another sequel. They can have the Klingons be evil again (who wouldn't want that?). Technology wouldn't be as advanced, which makes easy-outs of plot points harder to resolve, and hence more interesting. The federation isn't as strong, which also opens up more complex plot possibilities.
I think this is the best announcement for Trek fans in years. Nemesis was simply awful, and I'd hate to see the Data v2 re-learning how to paint, play violin, or some such garbage. Old can sometimes be new again!
Re:Prequel? Oh boy... (Score:5, Insightful)
Prequel, huh?
There are only two words that spring to mind when I hear that word:
EPISODE.ONE
The horror, the horror ...
Re:Prequel? Oh boy... (Score:5, Funny)
What I'd like to see: a compelling movie about Q. Think about it, the first episode of TNG -- we meet the Q race who puts humanity on trial, the *last* episode of TNG, Q puts humanity on trial *again*, picard of course saves the day and warns picard "You don't get it do you? The trial never ends, We'll be watching you." You could easily make a *great* movie or two about that.
Second of all, I'd like to see a movie/series about the beginings of the borg. That would be a *GREAT*.
If anyone knows mr berman tell him I work cheap :)
Re:Prequel? Oh boy... (Score:5, Funny)
OK, here's my pitch:
Captain Data and Seven Out Of Ten are on their way to some long-deserved shore leave on an apparently paradise-like planet. A special anomaly suddenly appears and they travel into an alternative dimension - an evil one - where everyone has beards. Just as they are about to solve everything by using cronaton particles and a polaron beam, they get stuck on the holodeck in wild west outfits. They are captured by the evil sheriff - Q - who threatens them with a long telling off. It turns out that Q is possessed by the ghost of a long-dead (but English-speaking) civilisation. Just as time is about to run out - and they will be viciously shouted at - the Borg (ie: the good guys in this dimension) turn up and rescue them. Data and Seven return home by making a communicator out of sulphur, charcoal and potassium nitrate. The final words are "beam me up, spocky".
I have some drawings of Seven in a sexy wild west outfit if you think they would help.
Re:Prequel? Oh boy... (Score:4, Interesting)
Trek needs a series that tells stories in the Trek universe. It takes as many or as few episodes as it needs to tell the story the way the story should be told. When the story is done, they come up with another one. Switch casts for each story, maybe keep around a few actors who can play different parts, or occasionaly the same character in different stories.
Tell stories set entirely on Romulus, or in the Klingon empire, or even throw in a few about the early Cardassian move to a military state that leads to the conquest of bajor (not necessary to actually show the conquest, we know it happened from DS9, we'll figure it out).
We can see some more about Q and the other Q-like entities, we can tell stores in the far future or far past without invoking time travel. The possibilities are endless if the writers are good.
Take fan suggestions for stories, or suggestions on which series to expand on, possibly spinning off new dedicated series. Use guest writers for stories, take ideas from the books, hell, use fan donations as long as they sign over the rights.
language follies (Score:5, Funny)
Well, StarTrek did begin with TV's most flagrant split infinitive. ("...to boldly go...")
Lovecraft coined the phrase (Score:3, Informative)
H.P.Lovecraft did this in the 1920s:
"At length, sick with longing for those glittering sunset streets and cryptical hill lanes among ancient tiled roofs, nor able sleeping or waking to drive them from his mind, Carter resolved to go with bold entreaty whither no man had gone before, and dare the icy deserts through the dark to where unknown Kadath."
Re:Prequel? Oh boy... (Score:4, Insightful)
When there are other, non-Star Trek series out there that are at least as good (probably way better), like "Firefly", "Farscape" etc., getting cancelled, it makes me want to petition Majel to allow them to put Gene's name on them, just to keep them on the air. Seriously, I swear that turds like "Andromeda" and "Earth: Final Conflict" only stayed on the air as long as they did because of his name.
Re:Prequel? Oh boy... (Score:3, Insightful)
Cochran to Enterprise eh? (Score:4, Insightful)
Potential to be Great: 25%
Script Excerpts (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Script Excerpts (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Script Excerpts (Score:3, Funny)
I hope you're happy now.
Re:Script Excerpts (Score:5, Funny)
I hope you're happy now.
Nope, you got modded funny. I think for it to have been like Khan's scream you would have to do it so well as to get modded as flamebait.
Re:Script Excerpts (Score:3, Funny)
(For those who don't get the joke, go here [frogstar.com] and listen to Shatner's "Mr. Tambourine Man". As a bonus, download the "Seven" video after listening to MTM.)
Re:Script Excerpts (Score:4, Funny)
It's like Tubgirl for your ears.
In other news (Score:5, Insightful)
Why, oh why, do they continue to insist on beating this dead horse into the dust? I'm as big a Star Trek fan as anybody, but it's gone way too far away from its roots, and quite frankly the last couple of movies have sucked so hard that I can't stand thinking about what they're going to bring out next.
Long live TNG on DVD.
Re:In other news (Score:5, Funny)
Because each time they whack the horse's corpse, it coughs up another wad of hundred-dollar bills.
Long live TNG on DVD.
I agree. I need to invest. TNG was the best series by far.
Re:In other news (Score:5, Insightful)
The wonderful thing about science fiction is that, imho, it isn't really about science at all. Instead, it gives writers an opportunity to change small (or large) details about the world around humans, and see how they react. So, SF is all about humans at the end of the day. For a while, Star Trek understood that. Almost all of the first series understood that, with wise old Gene at the helm. TNG understood that as well, which is why "The Inner Light" is one. of. the. best. damn. episodes. of. any. series. ever.
Berman and his band of merry idiots don't understand this simple fact. I remember reading an article in which he said something like: "Star Trek fans loves aliens and time travel."
Star Trek 2, 4 and 6 understood that it's all about the people. First Contact was good because it was so damn cool, and nobody can dislike anything with the Borg in it.
So yeah, if I have simply lost interest in Star Trek because Berman wants to fill every movie with "aliens" and "time travel" then troll me.
Re:In other news (Score:3, Interesting)
Same idea goes for replicators, holodecks, whatever. Star Trek just usually cops out and gives us "regular life surrounded by cool toys." The advances they have almost neve
Re:In other news (Score:3, Interesting)
Since I have all the TNG DVDs, I picked up Nemesis when it was in the cheapo bin. It still hurt, but at least it has Wil's cameo.
I watched the interviews on the DVD (I couldn't bear to watch the movie again). They told the script writer wasn't really into Star Trek, and had only seen a few episodes, but, oh yeah, he could write a killer script based on his movie experience.
So we've seen what that has come to. Laser shows, space battles, cheap rip-offs of good movies (it has scenes from S
Re:In other news (Score:3, Informative)
NCC-1701C (Score:5, Interesting)
What did Spock find in the toilet? (Score:5, Funny)
~SpermanHerman
Re:What did Spock find in the toilet? (Score:3, Funny)
on topic, i laughed. =)
Article Text (Score:5, Informative)
By Steve Krutzler / 12:42, 22 April 2004 / General Star Trek
After over a year of silence on the future of the STAR TREK feature film franchise, producer Rick Berman has finally dropped the first hints of a new theatrical project for the franchise. The news comes in the new issue of Dreamwatch magazine, just coming out in the UK.
Speaking in issue #117, Berman confirms for the first time that he is now developing a STAR TREK feature film project: "I am involved in the very early stages of what could be the next STAR TRKE movie," reveals Berman, in an excerpt provided by Dreamwatch. "It's something I will be producing with two other producers."
Unwilling to offer many details he cryptically describes it as "a prequel" without any further elaboration. The names of his producing cohorts will have to remain unknown for now, as well. This follows a report earlier this week from Dark Horizons that Paramount may be working on a project the site described as "Starfleet Academy." Coincidentially, former TREK producer Harve Bennett (STAR TREKs II-VI) revealed recently that several years ago he had pitched a Starfleet Academy-based STAR TREK movie concept.
On the television front, while the future of their first series remains in limo, Berman confirms that he is developing a non-STAR TREK sci-fi series with partner Brannon Braga. Both Berman and Braga have development deals with Paramount. If a new series begins development in earnest, TrekWeb insiders suggest Berman and/or Braga might take a reduced role in an adults-only supermarionation version of ENTERPRISE, though this is entirely speculation.
For the full interview and much more, check out issue #117 of Dreamwatch magazine in the United Kingdom.
Rick Berman must die (Score:5, Insightful)
Unwilling to offer many details he cryptically describes it as "a prequel" without any further elaboration. The names of his producing cohorts will have to remain unknown for now, as well.
We allready know the names of his accomplices: Bragga and the Devil.
Rick Berman has been turning Star Trek into a distilled form of crap ever since Gene Rodenberry passed away.
First he took out the technological eutopia element, because, who wants to watch a show abuot a future where humanity has learned to live in harmony with itself. Then he added religion, turned StarFleet from a para-military space exploration outfit into a facist military government, turned a formally edgy show (first interracial kiss on america TV, a russian and chineese working with a U.S. born captain, etc) into a steaming pile of politically correct drivel, etc.
I used to be a trekkie, but the things that are called Star Trek nowadays aren't Star Trek anymore. He took the brand name and threw away the substance.
That movie won't be Star Trek, it will be the Rick Berman Time-Travel-Reset-Button Hot Alien Chick Spectacular. He should call it that.
Re:"Starfleet Academy" (Score:4, Funny)
Oh great, a PREQUEL! (Score:3, Interesting)
In related news... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In related news... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In related news... (Score:3, Informative)
Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry is the first person to have their ashes put aboard a rocket and "buried" in space. [anomalies-unlimited.com]
This is going to require some time in makeup (Score:4, Funny)
I've seen the rushes and they're cool! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I've seen the rushes and they're cool! (Score:3, Funny)
Who is then strangely killed by a bouncing apparition that looks suspiciously like a flashlight shining through a shower curtain.
What they really need (Score:4, Insightful)
But that'w what I said when "DS9" started...
A prequel to a prequel? (Score:4, Funny)
They could call this film... "Trekkies".
Sorry. forgot. someone already did this.
How about Star Trek: Borg War (Score:5, Funny)
You want to see money fly? Have Q amusing himself by bringing the Borg there.
Re:How about Star Trek: Borg War (Score:5, Insightful)
No, the Borg are just as ruined as most of the rest of the franchise at this point, and cramming all the casts into one movie screams of a pitiful attempt at fan service: "We can't deliver a decent movie, so we're just gonna throw characters at you; one of these must be your favorite!"
As many others have said, Trek needs a long break. With any luck, it'll be able to lie dormant until Rick Berman dies a horrible death.
Why do you torture us so? (Score:5, Funny)
Pre? (Score:4, Interesting)
The only result is that they can show *less* technological tricks, *less* alien species, and, importantly, *less* developed Star Trek ideals and moral conflicts.
No Prime Directive? No teleporting?
I would find much more appealing a series or a movie some two-hundred years *after* TNG, instead...
"Might have" is right on the nose (Score:3, Funny)
If only Star Wars had made that sense, we'd all be so happy.
Personally I see some room for a crossover film: one where the kid Anikin from Episode I is involved in a transporter malfunction and has a black goatee, Jar Jar speaks the king's English, and there's a tiny shred of dramatic tension. Oh, for a temporal anomaly right about now...
(Actually isn't it easier to do a prequel when there's no plotline? N
/.ed (Score:3, Funny)
Geroge Lucas REVENGE (Score:3, Funny)
What kind of story will it be?
Star Trek: 0.5 - The Trouble With Jar Jar, think of all the horrible possibilities! With only a modicum of chance for success.
Kzinti first contact (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Rest easy..... (Score:3, Informative)
He turned down somebody writing a fanfic to do it, based on prior experience with Kzinti fanfic.
Flogging it to death (Score:3, Insightful)
I wish they'd eventually do a Babylon 5 job on this, i.e. plan a series with a big story that develops over five seasons. When watching the likes of TNG and Voyager I got the impression that they were making this stuff up as they went along. Like adding a character called 'Kes' to Voyager and just seeing where it went. It went nowhere and they had to ditch her in favour of a Borg with a fit body and big tits. (I'm not complaining about that BTW!)
Sure DS9 and Voyager had _some_ continuity, but nothing profound. The only shocking thing that ever happened in Voyager was the Seska character who was on the ship for the longest time but turned out to be a Cardassian agent in disguise.
Oh well.
Stop beating a dead horse... (Score:5, Funny)
A Prequel. Egads! Could that mean Scott Bakula meets Kirk? Lots of CGI will be needed to remove 200lbs from the now-flabby Shatner.
They might even waste the whole CGI budget on keeping Kirk trim. Let's just pray that Data is dead for good. Ohh look I'm an ass now that I have emotions.
I never got a chance to watch Farscape, and honestly I don't think much will ever match Babylon 5 for depth and quality.
Quit starving the horse.. (Score:3, Insightful)
Some of you people have seen maybe three episodes of Enterprise and declared it horrible. The same goes for Deep Space Nine or Voyager. However, we find Star Trek fans whos' favorite series are any of the series made so far. Ya, TNG is the amazing god of Star Trek - but some of us find Enterprise, DS9, or Voyager to be a hundred times more i
Re:Quit starving the horse.. (Score:3, Interesting)
I have watched all of ToS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager. EVEN though, I hated 60% of DS9 (the first 60%) and 99% of Voyager.
The point is, the quality of the episode obviously went down-hill. All Series had fantastic episodes and crappy ones too.
TNG (if you go back & watch it) had a very bad 1st season. It got much better very quickly after that. BUT it was still good at that time.
I have watched the first season and half of the second season of Enterprise; IMHO I felt that it stayed
Enterprise is badly filmed (Score:5, Insightful)
I watched all of DS9 and loved it. I can't remember there being a bad episode, although it sort of twiddled its thumbs for the first two seasons. I watched all but the last season of Voyager. While there were few really bad episodes, the show was hampered with throwaway cast members and a lack of really good episodes: most were "below average".
Enterprise? At least the premise is good (Voyager was a botched effort that should have not made it out of the starting gate), but somewhere between TNG and Enterprise, they have forgotten how to film. Everthing is all dark and grainy, and might as well be on a black and white TV set.
Compare this to the average bridge scene on those "Spike" ST:TNG reruns: they knew how to actually light a set. Only DS9 had any reason to look this way, being a grungy Cardassian station. The strength of "Trip" Tucker (one of the best actors/characters in Trek, I think) shows how the rest of the cast really comes up short.
"Star Trek fans know the aliens, we know the different politics for different alliances, we know the history."
Uh... not really. The Klingon/etc stuff has been shelved. All you have now are Xindi which are totally new, and races like Andorians and Vulcans who were around before but now are having the history created or re-written.
"I hope they make another series after Enterprise.. and I hope Enterprise goes for at least 5 years."
This season is better than the first two, but even then, the Xindi are nothing to write home about (nothing like the Borg, Vulcans, and Klingons that fired fan interest before). Still waiting for the show to "find its groove".
Re:Quit starving the horse.. (Score:4, Insightful)
Seriously, all this time you've spent getting to know the Star Trek universe is already "wasted", because IT DOESN'T EXIST. There's no such thing as Klingons, Ferengi, Romulans, Vulcans, warp drive, or the United Federation of Planets. It's all a fantasy. If there's any value to be had in fantasy, it certainly isn't in the KNOWING of the imaginary universe. Quality of work is far more important than quantity of work. Voyager isn't much of a credit, since you can only blow up the ship and use time-travel/reality-shifting to bring it back so many times before it becomes a really stale plot device. And let's not forget Nemesis (much as I wish I could), which was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. No one involved in the production of that movie should ever be allowed to work on another movie ever.
Star Fleet Command? (Score:5, Informative)
Seeking Writers: "Pro Nanny, "Au Pair", "Paranoia", "Star Fleet Command", "Stranger in a Strangeland", "Homeland Security", Peter Weir's "War Magician", Tony Scott's "Warriors" and an untitled Johnny Knoxville project
Re:Star Fleet Command? (Score:3, Funny)
More Hollywood creativity:
Pro Nanny - Fran Drescher as an annoying, but lovable kinky prostitute.
Au Pair - Fran Drescher as an annoying, but lovable kinky prostitute (rated NC-17)
Paranoia - (Working title, "The Martha Stewart Story")
Star Fleet Command - James Kirk as a young cadet. Starring Eminem as the brash rule-breaking young officer.
Stranger in a Strangeland - Hmmm, I thought someone wrote this already.
Homeland Security - Now, a low budget NBC "rushed out once we caught wind of this in movie pr
"B&B Really Excited" (Score:5, Funny)
sorry to say this, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
It's sad, because I've always loved Star Trek. But I realized the truth when I saw the latest installment in the theater, which in my opinion was nothing but a bad rehash of The Wrath of Khan.
But then, I guess this is a sign of the times. Lately it's seemed to me that we as a culture are running low on creativity. I don't ever remember a time when so many sequels and so few original films were released. And of course, people flock like lemmings to see the latest rehash of whatever. I haven't heard an original musical group in what seems like years. I'm sure there are indie groups that I've never heard of that are doing great stuff, but the mainstream... I guess the latest thing is for bands like The Darkness to resurrect the same lame ass hair metal that Nirvana wiped off the face of the earth. And most of the the rock music that I've heard in the last couple of years has been variations on the Korn theme... detuned guitars and shameless lyrics about childhood trauma. Hey asshole, you're rich -- go get some therapy and get the hell over it!
Anyway, I know I've drifted a bit off topic, but I see this as another attempt to squeeze the every last penny out of what used to be a great franchise by driving it even deeper into the ground. All to avoid, *gasp*, coming up with something ORIGINAL! But no, that would be too risky. Let's just serve up another plate of leftovers.
Re:sorry to say this, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem isn't really a lack of creativity, it's more like an obsession with profits. Hollywood and the music industry would rather play it safe by selling safe crap versus taking a risk with something new and creative.
Re:sorry to say this, but... (Score:3, Interesting)
You are terribly wrong. It's one thing to say that Star Trek is out of ideas... I agree completely. It's another thing to say that there's no creativity out there. To defend pop culture, I'd say there's lots of great material out there even in media. I think we've practically escaped the decline in the late 90's when pure crap was getting mainstream attention.
I'll avoid naming specifics, but say that hollywood directors are
I beg to differ... (Score:5, Insightful)
People were afraid that once the Federation had figured out a way to combat/make peace with the Klingons (ST:VI), the Borg (ST:VOY), and then finally the Romulans (ST:X) the story would start to run out of steam.
I believe there is still much life in the Star Trek universe. Unfortunately, the young-ones of today's modern shows do not see the qualities of the episodes the older generations remember. Star Fleet is about exploration (to avoid using the show's cliche) and meeting new races. The UFP does not encompass every civilization from the Alpha to Delta quadrants. I can remember being mesmerized by the countless ST:TOS episodes of meeting new aliens and the numerous occasions where the Enterprise was about to be blown to smithereens.
There was an episode of ST:TNG (the Traveller) where Commander Data said that Star Fleet had only explored a little more than 11% of _our galaxy_ in the three hundred years of space development and exploration. Even with ST:DS9 and ST:VOY timelines, that leaves over 85% of the galaxy as uncharted. There are tons of lifeforms and battles to be generated with 85% of the galaxy remaining. ST:VOY revealed the transwarp system developed by the Borg for fast movements throughout the quadrants. And Starfleet captains still do not always agree with the Federation Council.
The problem with modern Star Trek is the incorporation of Soap Opera-like drama into the storyline. The audience is now addicted to this notion that an episode must be directed as if it were a feature film. Many episodes of the TOS did not focus on character development directly. Instead, we learned about these characters by their everyday performance of their duties. ST:ENT is currently battling this very issue.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the ten films produced under the Star Trek banner. When it comes down to it, I would prefer an episode over a film anyday. Look at how much stuff can occur to capture an audience's interest in a season. ST:ENT reveals a modern take as to the lessons that had to be learned before the great Jim Kirk could take the center stage out into the Alpha quadrant. Think about all the historical development of the Federation we've heard about (especially in ST:TNG) that have yet to be shown on TV or in a film...
Enterprise C (Score:4, Interesting)
Slashdot speed, Scotty! (Score:4, Funny)
Prequel quite possible... (Score:5, Funny)
Bring back Nick Meyer (Score:5, Insightful)
His directorial debut was... Star Trek II. He wrote all the script for Star Trek IV that took place in the 20th century. He also directed Star Trek IV and did a great deal of the story, based upon an idea by Nimoy.
He has a sense of the show that Berman lacks utterly.
Enterprise (as a series) and the recent movies. (Score:5, Interesting)
As for Enterprise, regardless of it's ratings I think it's the best effort they've made since TNG's final season. It has the best characters (all have distinct flaws that aren't cute, which makes their finer aspects shine a little more). It has a dark and slightly twisted sense of humor I like. They do not always make the moral choice in the end, instead of always figuring out what's right by the end of the show. Their doctor is the first alien ST crewmember who seems to fit in as a castmember instead of the token alien.
And... it brings back some of the Blood, Booze, and Babes element that made the original last so long. When they fight, they fight like they mean it. Bodies fly out of gaping holes in the ship, there are redshirts all over the place, and sometimes they have to be cold and brutal just to survive, not to make a highhanded point.
I want to see a Star Trek movie that makes your brain twist... something approaching hard sci-fi, but not enough to drive people away. I want Arthur C Clarke to make me a Star Trek. Or, if they can ever get him to talk to them again, Harlan Ellison (who wrote their best episode, period). Something dark and bleak, where instead of being preachy, they tear their entire world apart and let them climb out of the wreckage.
I don't want a happy Star Trek movie. I don't want to hear Picard soliliquizing on philosophical matters like it was a pleasant tea party, or Riker worrying about his love life, or La Forge being bored with his job. I want to see all hell break loose, and characters who ACT like they're not having fun. And if the TNG guys get one more go, kill some of them off in acts of violence, not dramatic self-sacrifice. I want Shakespearean Tragedy, not As The Federation Turns.
Or maybe... just maybe... I'll be impressed if I see a title like "Star Trek: Holy War" or "Star Trek: Apocalypse"... not "Star Trek: Earl Grey, Hot".
Star Trek Prequel!? (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe A Potpouri? (Score:5, Funny)
The Vorlons return from beyond the rim and drag Babylon 5 into a seperate reality. When the 1701-E stumbles upon it, they request aid from Admiral Janeway who sends Voyageur (with her on board) and she also commands the crew of DS9 to arrive with the Defiant in case we need Worf to make rude noises. O'Brien happens to be on the 1701-E, as Picard missed his old transporter-chief and decided to liberate him from Starfleet Academy.
So, we have all these crews here, but we're missing two. Sisko, while speaking with the wormhole aliens, asks them to drag the NX-01 and the NCC-1701 from the past to the planet where Babylon 5 is orbiting. All hell breaks loose. Sisko materializes on the bridge of the Defiant and begins to command the fleet (while Picard quietly plots his death, feeling upstaged). Babylon 5 launches it's fighers, and the harrowing corpse of Sheridan begins to emanate a strange energy signature. All of a sudden, three Spacing Guild ships appear above the station, and the fighters of Muad'dib begin to use their illegaly-taught Bene Gesserit teachings to subdue Starfleet. Babylon 5 lays waste to all Starfleet ships with the White Star, and subsequently becomes entranced themselves by the wily ways of the Fedaykin.
Afterwards, another Guild Highliner arrives carrying a delegation of the Bene Gesserit who tames the Vorlons with lessons they've learned from The Scattering.
The movie ends with Captain Kirk in an escape pod singing "Row Row Row your Boat"
Re:If they just gotta... (Score:3, Insightful)
I like the way they did it in Space 1999. When the crew was watching a space battle on the viewscreen there was silence. When you were really there, then there was sound.
Re:Even/Odd (Score:3, Insightful)