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Trekkies 2
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Big Disappointment...Don't Bother 2 out of 5 stars.
8 of 10 people found this review helpful.
After loving Trekkies I, we ordered Trekkies 2, an obviously PC response to fan backlash from the hilarious portrayal of Trek fans in Trekkies I. Trekkies 2 is a yawn...slow and boring with very few colorful fans other than updates on megafans featured in Trekkies I.
Another Heaping Helping Of Trekkies 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
The first "Trekkies" film managed to dig up some rather odd characters to give the average person an idea of what makes up a fan of "Star Trek" and all of its offspring. It gave us a cross-dressing dude who explains and performs a little "filk" for everyone. We were introduced to the lady in Arkansas who was made famous by attending Whitewater scandal jury duty in her Starfleet uniform and, alas, who could forget Gabriel Koerner. He was perhaps the uber-geek out of the whole bunch. The film also showed how the fans are very involved in their communities and world.
More of the same is offered up in "Trekkies 2," though this one was a little more emotional than the first. Denise Crosby bounces across the globe in search of more Trek fans. Once again we visit some pretty strange folks, but we are also shown how something as simple as "Star Trek" can have so much meaning to a group of people when Crosby goes to Serbia. Those people were so touched and amazed at how the characters in "Star Trek" lived amongst each other in relative peace even though they were pretty much all from different races, religions, etc. It was heartwarming to listen to these people talk about how their newfound freedom took on a special meaning through "Star Trek." I also noticed that out of all of people in this film, the Serbians seemed to be the least to play "dress up" as their favorite characters, holding more to the ideals of "Trek" and not so much the whiz-bangs and Klingons of it all.
There's one fellow who converts his house into a replica of the Enterprise. We get a better and perhaps more disturbing look into the world of "Filk" music and some of the bands in that genre. We also get a few nice clips featuring stars of the later "Trek" series and how many of their fans reacted to meeting them, funny letters, tattoos, etc.
The most fun part of this flick was when we get to look back on some of the more popular characters from the original film. We catch up with the guy who dresses his dog up in "Trek" costumes. We see Whitewater juror Barbara Adams interact with a group of people who question her about her motives for dressing up in a Starfleet uniform for court, and one individual gets pretty rough with her. Finally, we get to catch up with Gabriel Koerner, and learn that he is married, has steady work as a digital model builder for such shows as the new "Battlestar Galactica" and seems to have stepped back from, just a little, his love for "Trek."
In the end, if you enjoyed the original "Trekkies," you'll like this second helping. It might go overboard with a few of the fans, especially with the "Filk" singers, but we are shown that most Trekkies, Trekkers, etc. are primarily good folks with very big hearts(and many have graduate degrees).
Some folks collect baseball cards, some collect CDs, these folks just love their "Trek." Is that so wrong?
Editorial Review:
Directed by Roger Nygard, TREKKIES 2 is hosted by Denise Crosby, the actress who played Tasha Yar on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." The filmmakers visit Star Trek fans all over the world, including the Spock of Germany, an Englishman who transformed his flat into a starship and auctioned it on the internet for $2 million, and the first convention ever held in Serbia. The film also checks in on some of the original TREKKIES profilees like wunderkind Gabriel Koerner and Whitewater juror Barbara Adams.
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 11, Episodes 21 & 22: Tomorrow is Yesterday/ The Return of the Archons
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Editorial Review:
Volume 11 in the classic Star Trek series on DVD contains the delightful episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday," a time-travel story with an infectious blend of suspense and humor. After dropping into a black hole, the Enterprise ends up orbiting the Earth in the late 1960s, and is spotted by U.S. Air Force Captain Christopher (Roger Perry), who happens to be flying by in his jet. Inadvertently giving poor Christopher an unwanted glimpse into the future, and wrecking his jet with an overpowering tractor beam, Capt. Kirk (William Shatner), not having a good day, beams him aboard the Federation starship. The collision of sensibilities and reference points between characters born several centuries apart has a fresh, urgent tone that subsequent Star Trek series have never captured (though Deep Space Nine came close with its dazzling episode "Trials and Tribble-ations"). The problem, of course, is what to do about Christopher now that he knows what he knows, and history demands that he stay put in his own world: the pilot's unborn son, it seems, will one day make a space flight of historic importance. Terrifically entertaining and something of a precedent-setter for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (the theatrical feature set in contemporary San Francisco), "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" is Trek at its best.Also on this disc is "Return of the Archons," a cautionary story about mind control written by Gene Roddenberry. The tale begins when Ensign Sulu (George Takei) is taken hostage on an Earth-like planet with a primitive culture. Zapped by a weapon that leaves him under the control of someone or something named Landru, Sulu is then pursued by Kirk and Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who discover that Landru has the same grip on everyone else. Once Landru becomes aware of efforts by the captain and first officer to interfere with its bidding, Kirk and Spock become the target of a massive hunt by locals. A minor episode with a somewhat obvious scenario, "Return of the Archons" does have novel appeal in its heightened role for the ever-charming Sulu, and in Roddenberry's characteristically humane interest in elements that make people (and intelligent aliens) everywhere free to fulfill their destinies. The solution to the who-is-Landru mystery won't surprise anyone, but it may strike you as a prototype of several future episodes, from all the Trek series, involving centralized caretaking on various planets. --Tom Keogh
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 5, Episodes 10 & 11: What Are Little Girls Made Of?/ Dagger of the Mind
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Editorial Review:
Volume 5 from the DVD collection of original Star Trek programs includes "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" Written by Robert Bloch (author of the novel Psycho, the basis of Hitchcock's film), the episode finds Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) beaming down to planet Exo III, where Christine is to be reunited with her fiancé, Dr. Roger Korby (Michael Strong). The meeting is less than joyful, however, when it becomes clear that Korby has been developing androids that he intends to spread throughout the galaxy--using the Enterprise as his delivery vehicle. This was certainly the first significant performance for Majel Barrett in the Trek family; longtime fans know she went on to play Lwaxana Troi on The Next Generation (and Mrs. Gene Roddenberry in real life). An entertaining episode all around, with the notion of an android Kirk somehow amusing. (Maybe it was the android who sang on that notorious Shatner album.) Fans of '60s TV will also enjoy the performance of Ted Cassidy (the original Lurch from TV's The Addams Family) as the giant android, Ruk.Also on this DVD is "Dagger of the Mind," another mad-doctor drama. This time, Kirk delivers supplies to a penal colony on Tantalus V, where he meets the renowned Dr. Tristan Adams. Adams has been working on the development of a neural neutralizer to control and manipulate dangerous patients. When Kirk threatens to expose him as a dangerous megalomaniac, Adams uses the technology on the unfortunate captain. This tense piece set in a madhouse atmosphere makes for a riveting episode, with a few unhinged performances adding to the fun.--Tom Keogh
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 22, Episodes 43 & 44: Bread And Circuses/ Journey To Babel
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Gladiators & Generation Gaps 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.
REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 22: Bread and Circuses © / Journey to Babel ©BREAD AND CIRCUSES © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:
Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None
REVIEW/COMMENTARY: Before I go into the review proper, it has come to my attention that the guys at Paramount™ put these original series DVDs out to the market without respect to neither the episodes' canonical-chronological order nor their date-of-broadcast order. This particular volume is a case in point: The first show, Bread and Circuses ©, was originally broadcast on March 14, 1968 (Stardate 4040.7), while the following show, Journey to Babel, was shown on November 17, 1967 (Stardate 3842.3). At first, I was kinda taken aback by this haphazard arrangement of eppies; after all, they could've at least TRIED to release classic `Trek in some logical fashion, right? But after envisioning the throes of agony that the more anal-retentive/OCD-suffering UberTrekkies would suffer due to this strange quasi-random release of episodes, I actually found myself rejoicing at Paramount™'s brazenness. Anything that gives the uberfans major hissy fits is just fine and dandy in my book!
A rather intriguing `what-if' type story where the elimination and/or delayed reaction of a an apparently vital historical element (in this case, "son worship" or Christianity) could have a major impact on the course of human history (in this case, the Roman Empire still exists in the 20th century). Throw in a few less-than-skillful-looking gladiatorial death matches and a turncoat starship captain (similar to the rogue C.O. in The Omega Glory ©), and you've got... um... hey, remember that scene in Airplane!™ where Peter Graves asks that kid, "Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?" I'm reminded of that scene every time I catch this particular episode! And my name isn't Joey, either! Strange, no?
JOURNEY TO BABEL © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:
Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The importance of family; learning to overcome differences; family duties versus career duties
Historical Milestone: First appearance of Spock's parents
Expendable Enterprise Crewmember (`Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None
REVIEW/COMMENTARY: Out of all the crewmen that serve aboard the Enterprise™, who'da ever thought Spock™ would have to deal with family strife? Well, it's true, kiddies- apparently pops isn't quite an approving parent where his son's career choice is concerned. But with the help of a whodunit murder mystery, a bit of espionage intrigue, and Sarek's life-threatening condition that only Spock can help treat, father and son manage to patch things up a little in the end. Which delights mater no end of course. Throw in a ridiculously silly fight sequence between Jimmers and an ersatz Andorian, and you've got a nice dollop of cheesiness to make the whole Spock-family-soap-opera that much tastier!
`Late
Editorial Review:
"Bread and Circuses," Ep. 43 - Kirk, Spock and McCoy must contend with a former starship captain-turned-traitor, Roman gladiators and television ratings in this unusual story. "Journey to Babel," Ep. 44 - The Enterprise is crowded with alien ambassadors, Kirk is attacked and Spock is in a terrible dilemma: he's replaced Kirk on the bridge of the Enterprise, but his ailing father needs a transfusion in order to survive.
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 8, Episode 16: The Menagerie, Parts I and II
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Editorial Review:
Volume 8 in the DVD series of original Star Trek episodes includes the fascinating two-part drama "The Menagerie." As if guided by the frugal wisdom of schlockmeister producer-director Roger Corman, Trek creator Gene Roddenberry found a clever way of using, instead of losing, extensive and costly footage from the then-unseen, discarded Star Trek pilot, "The Cage." Roddenberry's solution was to integrate pieces of "The Cage" into a whole new story context, and the surprisingly moving result was "The Menagerie." First, a bit of background: "The Cage" starred film actor Jeffrey Hunter (King of Kings, The Searchers) as Christopher Pike, the original captain of the Enterprise. Among Hunter's costars was Leonard Nimoy as Science Officer Spock, who eventually carried over, of course, into the reconfigured series starring William Shatner. Rather than write off "The Cage," Roddenberry conceived of a story line in which Captain Pike would re-appear on the show in a badly disfigured, paralyzed, and mute form--the result of a terrible accident in which the character saved a number of lives but took a pounding in the process. In "The Menagerie," Spock hijacks the Enterprise to transport Pike to a secret destination. During court-martial proceedings for this crime, Spock's defense is presented via archival footage of an old, pre-Kirk mission aboard the Enterprise. That footage, of course, is a re-edited "The Cage." A must-see for Star Trek fans, "The Menagerie" is a stellar example of Roddenberry thinking on his feet. --Tom Keogh
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 8, Episode 16: The Menagerie, Parts I and II
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 34
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Editorial Review:
Volume 8 in the DVD series of original Star Trek episodes includes the fascinating two-part drama "The Menagerie." As if guided by the frugal wisdom of schlockmeister producer-director Roger Corman, Trek creator Gene Roddenberry found a clever way of using, instead of losing, extensive and costly footage from the then-unseen, discarded Star Trek pilot, "The Cage." Roddenberry's solution was to integrate pieces of "The Cage" into a whole new story context, and the surprisingly moving result was "The Menagerie." First, a bit of background: "The Cage" starred film actor Jeffrey Hunter (King of Kings, The Searchers) as Christopher Pike, the original captain of the Enterprise. Among Hunter's costars was Leonard Nimoy as Science Officer Spock, who eventually carried over, of course, into the reconfigured series starring William Shatner. Rather than write off "The Cage," Roddenberry conceived of a story line in which Captain Pike would re-appear on the show in a badly disfigured, paralyzed, and mute form--the result of a terrible accident in which the character saved a number of lives but took a pounding in the process. In "The Menagerie," Spock hijacks the Enterprise to transport Pike to a secret destination. During court-martial proceedings for this crime, Spock's defense is presented via archival footage of an old, pre-Kirk mission aboard the Enterprise. That footage, of course, is a re-edited "The Cage." A must-see for Star Trek fans, "The Menagerie" is a stellar example of Roddenberry thinking on his feet. --Tom Keogh
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 28, Episodes 55 & 56: Assignment: Earth/ Spectre of the Gun
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Editorial Review:
"Assignment: Earth"
The final broadcast episode of Star Trek's second season was this clever and funny story in which the Enterprise travels back in time to 1968 (the year this program aired) to discover how the nuclear arms race came to an end. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) encounters a strange fellow named Gary Seven (Robert Lansing), who claims to have been trained by extraterrestrials in sabotaging the escalating nuclear threat. With the ambivalent aid of a nervous secretary (Teri Garr), Seven (yes, there was a Trek character with that name before Voyager) attempts to carry out his assignment, but Kirk isn't sure if he can be trusted. Lansing's droll and somewhat imperious performance is nicely counterpointed by Garr's cute confusion, and the eerie presence of his familiar--a black cat named Isis--adds a hint of hoodoo exotica. (Don't blink at the end or you'll miss the really exotic creature Isis briefly turns into.) "Assignment: Earth" was actually the pilot for an intended Gene Roddenberry-produced TV series that never happened. Too bad... But speaking of eerie, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) at one point refers to an important assassination that will soon take place. A week after this episode's original airdate, Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered."Spectre of the Gun"
In this taut, exciting episode, the Enterprise trespasses Melkotian space and is punished in a unique fashion. Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), and Chekov (Walter Koenig) are all transported to the planet's eerie surface, where they are trapped in a re-creation of 1881 Tombstone and mistaken for the Clanton brothers, doomed principals in the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. Despite their efforts to avoid trouble, Kirk and company can't seem to avoid their fateful duel with the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday (Sam Gilman). When Chekov is shot dead by Morgan Earp (Rex Holman), the danger is all too clear. The strange Twilight Zone look and atmosphere of this episode--tumbleweeds and Old West facades popping up in a black void--grips one's imagination and doesn't let go until the very end. Fans of Captain Kirk's street-fighting style will especially enjoy the thrilling climax. --Tom Keogh
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 9, Episodes 17 & 18: Shore Leave/ The Squire of Gothos
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15
Average rating: 4.5 of 5
Editorial Review:
Volume 9 of Paramount's DVD series of original Star Trek episodes includes "Shore Leave," written by a literary giant in science fiction, Theodore Sturgeon. The story concerns a break in the action for the Enterprise crew, nearly all of whom beam down to the surface of an Eden-like planet for shore leave, where they find that everyone's wish comes true. Individuals from crew members' pasts turn up, fantasies of romance or heroism are instantly realized--and if it all seems too good to be true, it is. In time, the dark side of this dream shows itself when people start getting killed. This episode emerges from the trippier side of Star Trek's personality, and very cleverly sheds light on the personalities of the show's major characters by making their dreams manifest.Also on this disc is a real treat for long-haul Trekkers: "The Squire of Gothos," an entertaining program in its own right and the obvious blueprint for "Encounter at Farpoint," Gene Roddenberry's pilot episode for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Guest star William Campbell plays Trelane, a bratty, impulsive alien given to wearing costumes appropriate for an 18th-century French aristocrat. Equipped with godlike powers that allow him to alter and manipulate the world around him, Trelane is the prototype of The Next Generation's beloved quasi villain, Q (John de Lancie). Like Q, Trelane regards the crew of the Enterprise as playthings, and when Captain Kirk (William Shatner) disrupts his games, the omniscient boy-man puts humanity itself on trial. Great stuff. --Tom Keogh
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 34, Episodes 67 & 68: Plato's Stepchildren/ Wink Of An Eye
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Two solid, transitional episodes 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Plato's Stepchildren-Another menacing and sadistic 3rd season episode, this time involving an Ancient Greek-like people
with telekenetic powers. This is one of those episodes-there would be many more ahead--that doesn't have a lot to say. It is most noteworthy for the kiss between Kirk and Uhura (too bad it had to be forced upon them), the absurdly camp antics performed by Kirk and Spock in particular, and the icy malevolence of Parmen and his cohorts. Whatever moral the episode conveys could probably best be summarized as "absolute power corrupts absolutely." There's nothing very deep about the crew's 'escape' either, although they are able to teach Alexander some valuable lessons before they go. (3 stars)Wink of an Eye-This episode, involving an accelerated species, has always been a favorite of mine. It is a very dreamlike episode; the scene depicting Kirk's acceleration must be one of the show's most bizarre segments. Tilting the camera and returning to music used in 'The Cage' were nice ways of embellishing acceleration. The idea also struck me as quite original (although I must confess I've read very little science fiction). Others have noted that when you sit down and work out the times involved, there are a lot of inconsistencies and implausible outcomes, but I do not look to Star Trek for that kind of realism.
Kathy Browne does a nice job as Deela. While clearly serious about the business of reproduction, she has a light, flirtatious quality which, along with her power, forces Kirk out of his usual domineering role. Of course, the two of them generated a scene for the sensors to miss nonetheless!
One final note: Even after several viewings I'm still not sure I understand the final scene, when Kirk utters the cryptic line, "That's..no malfunction." Did the production team just run out of steam at the end of the episode? Or did Deela intentionally leave the tape nearby (for Uhura to mistakenly pick up) as a momento to Kirk? Not clear. What is clear is that things were starting to get sloppy by the middle of the 3rd season; it would only get worse.
Nevertheless, I feel this episode, number 12 of 24) sits solidly on the winning side of what would be a turning point for the show. The remaining shows as a rule wouldn't feel as stylized as those from the first half of the third season, and were somehow less quirky and more formulaic. Given that they also tended to have thin plots, this would be a formula for disaster. (4 stars)
Editorial Review:
"Plato's Stepchildren," Ep. 67 - Kirk, Spock and McCoy suffer humiliating experiences via an alien with telekinetic abilities. This episode also features the first interracial kiss on network television. "Wink of an Eye," Ep. 68 - A Scalosian queen sabotages the U.S.S. Enterprise and makes Kirk her love-slave, planning to use him to help repopulate her planet. Can Kirk escape her charms and save his crew?
Star Trek - The Next Generation Movie Collection (Generations / First Contact / Insurrection)
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18
Average rating: 4.0 of 5
Editorial Review:
Star Trek: Generations
There were only two ways for "classic Trek" cast members to appear in a movie with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation: either Capt. Kirk and his contemporaries would have to be very, very old, or there would be some time travel involved in the plot. Since geriatric heroes aren't very exciting, Star Trek: Generations unites Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in a time-jumping race. When the just-retired Kirk is happily trapped in the timeless purgatory of the Nexus, Picard must convince him to leave this artificial comfort zone and confront Dr. Soran (Malcolm McDowell), the madman who will threaten billions of lives. Passing the torch to the Next Generation with dignity and entertaining adventure, the movie isn't going to please everyone with its somewhat hokey plot, but it still ranks as a worthy big-screen launch for Picard and his stalwart crew.Star Trek: First Contact
Even-numbered Star Trek movies tend to be better, and this one (number eight in the popular movie series) is no exception--an intelligently handled plot involving the galaxy-conquering Borg and their attempt to invade Earth's past, alter history, and "assimilate" the entire human race. Time travel, a dazzling new Enterprise, and capable direction by Next Generation alumnus Jonathan Frakes makes this one rank with the best of the bunch. Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his able crew travel back in time to Earth in the year 2063, where they hope to ensure that the inventor of warp drive (played by James Cromwell) will successfully carry out his pioneering flight and precipitate Earth's "first contact" with an alien race. Sharply conceived to fit snugly into the burgeoning Star Trek chronology, First Contact leads to a surprise revelation that marks an important historical chapter in the ongoing mission "to boldly go where no one has gone before."Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek fans were decidedly mixed in their reactions to this, the ninth big-screen feature in Paramount's lucrative Trek franchise, but die-hard loyalists will appreciate the way this Next Generation adventure rekindles the spirit of the original Trek TV series while combining a tolerable dose of New-Agey philosophy with a light-hearted plot. This time out, Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his executive crew must transport to a Shangri-la-like planet to see why their android crewmate Data (Brent Spiner) has run amuck in a village full of peaceful Ba'ku artisans who--thanks to their planet's "metaphasic radiation"--haven't aged in 309 years. Many humorous asides make this film as entertaining as it is slightly disappointing. Without the laughs, this is a pretty routine entry in the franchise, with no real surprises, a number of plot holes, and the overall appearance of a big-budget TV episode. --Jeff Shannon