Star Trek

Deep Roy figured out that he would return as Keenser in Star Trek into Darkness while he was still working on Star Trek. During the filming of Star Trek, a newly-created scene that required Roy to return for another day’s shooting gave him hope that a return was in the cards. “I kind of knew while we were doing the first one [that I would be returning],” said Roy. “They were debating whether to leave me or put me on the Enterprise. J.J. created a special scene for me. I was finished with the movie, but I got a callback and they said, ‘They want you for one more day.’ They didn’t tell me for what. They said, ‘You’ll find out when you come on the set.’” When I went on to the set, J.J. said, ‘We’re going to put you on the Enterprise.’ I was delighted. I said, ‘Well, here comes the sequel. Maybe I’m a permanent fixture now.’ The silent Keenser was not originally meant to be silent. “I had dialogue, but they changed that,” explained Roy. “They said, ‘It doesn’t look right for this guy to talk because, after all, he’s from another planet. He’s an alien. He doesn’t speak the language.’ So that’s what happened on the first film. I did have dialogue, but they took it out. J.J. told me why and I said, ‘Sure, whatever it is, it is.’ And then it just made sense for him not to speak in the second one, either.” Roy explained how he viewed the petite alien. “Well, Keenser is a smart alien,” he said. “I try to bring a little bit of comedy into it, but he’s a great thinker. He is a guy…silence is golden, as they say, but he’s well-aware of what’s going on around him. He doesn’t hold grudges against anyone. ” With two appearances in the can, how does Roy view his Star Trek experience? “I think I’m blessed,” he said. “You’ve got to work doubly hard to get across what your character is trying to say when you’ve got the makeup on you or a mask on you, and it’s nice that people appreciate it.”

We kick off our coverage of the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation remastered in high definition on Blu-ray with all new HD stills from the season opener "Evolution". Be sure to check out these stunning pin-sharp HD images showcasing the incredible HD remastering work!

I don’t go to the movies very often. I think the last time I went to a theatre on purpose was to see the first of the current Star Trek movies, and then I only went because it was a private screening and I could reasonably expect the audience to shut the fuck up, turn off their damn phones, and pay attention to the film. I planed to write a paragraph here detailing why I hate going to the movies, but I think I just covered it, so let me write a different paragraph instead, about how I finally found a movie theatre that I will go to as long as it exists: the iPic theatre in Pasadena (also called Gold Class, I understand) is the only way I will ever watch a movie again for the rest of my life if I can help it. It costs much more than a typical multiplex, but it is entirely worth it, and this theatre has replaced the Arclight (which makes me sad, but sometime in the last couple of years, Arclight stopped enforcing the shut the fuck up and turn you goddamn phone off policy that had made it such an attractive destination for me for so long). I’ve really wanted to see Star Trek Into Darkness, but I had resigned myself to not seeing it until it was available to watch in the comfort of my own home … until Stepto, e, and my friend Jen all told me about the existence of a theatre that was actually enjoyable, instead of wall-to-wall bullshit advertising and people who have such little respect for the movies and the rest of the people in the audience, they belong at the gathering of the Juggalos instead of in a movie house. When I saw that one of these theatres was not only nearby but was also showing Star Trek Into Darkness, I looked at my schedule, gave myself an afternoon off, and took my entire family to see it. We just got home, and the rest of this post will be about my first impressions of the movie. If you haven’t seen it, do not read past the jump, or scroll past the giant picture of Bender B. Rodriguez I’ve placed for those of you who came here directly. I will discuss specific plot points and spoilers. You have been warned. The short version is: I loved it. I think it’s my favorite Star Trek movie ever, and I can’t wait to see what this crew does next. -SPOILERS BEYOND BENDER- Welcome to the rest of the post, person who has already seen Star Trek Into Darkness, or person who gives up his/her/its right to complain at me about spoilers because you were warned. Let’s talk about the movie, shall we? I could have done without the whole beginning, which felt gratuitous and largely disconnected from the rest of the film to me, but I suppose they needed a way to set up Spock putting the needs of the many ahead of the needs of the one, or the few. I had a very hard time accepting that the Enterprise could sit underwater, but I’m willing to accept it and get over it. The makeup on those aliens was awesome, though. I’ve read a lot of online criticism that Uhura didn’t do anything useful and was just there to weep and be weak around Spock. I honestly didn’t get that at all. She bravely faces down the fucking Klingons, knowing that she’s risking her life, and then is a badass during the climax when Spock and the ship need her the most. I suppose you can make an argument that she had no business bringing up relationship stuff with Spock in the middle of an important mission, but in a high stress situation maybe things bubbling beneath the surface just come up. It didn’t bother me, but I’m not a woman so I can’t speak to how women feel with the portrayal of 50% of the women in the movie. Yeah, there are two women of consequence in the film, and that is bullshit. So on the other end of the writing-for-women spectrum is the profound failure to do awesome stuff with Doctor Marcus. I was disappointed, and I imagine that there must be deleted scenes that make her much more interesting (I have no problem with Alice Eve’s performance. I thought sh

All the way across the sky… RT @angeldominguez: @levarburton I got a double rainbow myself :)

Two new items from Diamond Select Toys will be of interest to original series and Star Trek: The Next Generation fans. The items are a Spock Bust Bank, and a TNG Enterprise Silicone Tray. The Spock Bust Bank is 8″ high and will be the first in a new series of Star Trek vinyl bust banks. The TNG Enterprise Silicone Tray is “ideal for creating ice cubes, Jell-O, and chocolate in the shape of the Enterprise, or the Starfleet insignia. Beginning Friday, both of these products will be available for pre-order; the Spock Bust Bank selling for $20.99, and the TNG Enterprise Silicone Tray for $14.99. Pre-order the Spock Bust Bank here and the TNG Enterprise Silicone Tray here. Both items will be released in December.

More details have emerged on this summer’s release of Star Trek: Enterprise: Season 2. The details include the release date, which will be August 20th. “Join Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) as he leads his crew through more thrilling adventures in sparkling high-definition when Star Trek: Enterprise — The Complete Second Season arrives on Blu-ray Disc August 20 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution. “A centerpiece to the Star Trek: Enterprise — The Complete Second Season Blu-ray collection is the newly produced cast reunion feature, In Conversation: The First Crew, which offers fans a look at an intimate and candid discussion with members of the main cast and recurring guest stars, who reveal their most memorable stories from the set and their favorite behind-the-scenes moments. The reunion is moderated by series co-creator/executive producer Brannon Braga. “Fans will also enjoy Uncharted Territory, a three-part retrospective providing an inside look at the challenges faced by the writing staff and creators during the creative development of the second season, which ultimately inspired the controversial Xindi story-arc that kicks off in the season finale, The Expanse. In addition, a collection of newly produced commentaries by cast and crew including John Billingsley (Phlox), Mike & Denise Okuda, among others, all make Star Trek: Enterprise — The Complete Second Season a must-own for fans. “The Star Trek: Enterprise — The Complete Second Season Blu-ray includes all twenty-six episodes from the series’ acclaimed sophomore season and will be available in 1080p with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, German and Italian 5.1 (Dolby Digital), and French, Castilian and Japanese Stereo Surround (Dolby Digital). The discs also include English SDH, French, German, Castilian, Italian, Japanese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles. The Blu-ray is Not Rated in the U.S. and it will be available for the suggested retail price of $120.99  U.S.”  The disc breakdown is as follows: Disc One: Shockwave, Part II Carbon Creek Minefield Dead Stop Audio Commentary by Chris Black and Mike & Denise Okuda on Carbon Creek Deleted Scene from Minefield (SD) Audio Commentary by Michael Sussman and Phyllis Strong (2005) on Dead Stop In Conversation: The First Crew (HD) Season 2 Promo (SD) Archival Mission Log: Enterprise Moments: Season Two (SD) Archival Mission Log: Enterprise Profile: Jolene Blalock (SD) Disc Two: A Night In Sickbay Marauders The Seventh The Communicator Singularity Deleted Scenes from A Night In Sickbay (SD) Archival Mission Log: Inside A Night In Sickbay (SD) Disc Three: Vanishing Point Precious Cargo The Catwalk Dawn Deleted Scene from Dawn (SD) Text Commentary by Mike & Denise Okuda (2005) on Stigma Deleted Scene from Stigma (SD) Stigma – Archival Interviews (SD) Archival Mission Log: Photo Gallery (SD) Disc Four: Cease Fire Future Tense Canamar The Crossing Judgment Deleted Scene from Cease Fire (SD) Archival Mission Logs: Shooting Future Tense (SD) Archival Mission Logs: Enterprise Secrets (SD) Disc Five Horizon The Breach Cogenitor Regeneration First Flight Audio Commentary by John Billingsley and Bonita Friedericy on Regeneration Audio Commentary with Chris Black and Mike and Denise Okuda on First Flight Audio Commentary by Michael Sussman and Phyllis Strong (2005) on Regeneration Text Commentary by Mike & Denise Okuda (2005) on First Flight Archival Mission Logs: LeVar Burton – Star Trek Director (SD) Archival Mission Logs: Enterprise Outtakes (SD) Disc Six: Bounty Deleted Scenes from The Expanse (SD) Documentary: Uncharted Territory (HD): Part One: Destination Unknown Documentary: Uncharted Territory (HD): Part Two: First Crew Documentary: Uncharted Territory (HD): Part Three: Course Correction Archival Mission Logs: NX-01 File 04 Archival Mission Logs: NX-01 File 05 Archival Mission Logs: NX-01 File 06 To pre-order Star Tre

I went to the website I Write Like, and pasted in some text from The Happiest Days Of Our Lives. It did its analyzing thing, and told me… I sat back in my chair, and smiled. My life is very different now than it was when I started writing in public. When I started my blog in 2000, it was, uh … like this: But check this out: There is this big thing called “The Television Critic’s Association”. I think there are TV critics in it, or something. Anyway, they get together every year to run up huge tabs on their corporate credit accounts, and see what’s coming up on TV in the next quarter. That’s where I come in. TNN asked me to go to the “TCA” (when you’re a hip, edgy, media-savvy person, you use lots of acronyms, FYI) and be part of this TNG launch-thing. So I went, and it was sooo cool! I got to see some of the old TNG kids, who I don’t ever see anymore since they’re millionaires and I’m living in a refrigerator box, and, the coolest thing of all…I got to take a pee right next to BILLY FREAKIN IDOL!!! Yes, you read that right. Here’s how it happened: I went into the bathroom, and I’m doing my business, and I notice the guy next to mee is rather dressed up, like in serious rocker clothes. So I try to just glance at him, without getting all gay and weird, and he looks right at me, sneer and all. That’s when I realize that it’s HIM! HOLY CRAP! So I say, “My wife and I just saw you on “Storytellers”. You really rocked, man!” (tap, tap). And he looks at me, and from behind his cool-guy sunglasses says, “Cheers, mate.” And he’s gone. YES! How cool was that? So after that, I’m off to New York to do a cool show called “Lifegame” which will be on TNN in a month or so. It’s an improv show where they asked me to tell stories about my life, and then they have improvisers act out scenes based on my so called life, in different styles. Like the time my parents cornered me in the bathroom and gave me “The Talk”—when I was 20, done as a reggae musical. Very funny. And I got to play the Devil in a scene. YES! While I was there, I got a tour of MTV networks, met Carson Daly (!), and was given a CHIA MISTER T! That’s right. Let me tell you, everything after that was just Jibba Jabba. We all have to start somewhere, right? So if you’re starting out as a writer, and you’re worried that your voice isn’t quite as developed as you want it to be, don’t worry. As Ira Glass says: “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” One of the people who helped me fight my way through, way back in the early months of this century, was Cory Doctorow. I met Cory at an EFF event where I boxed against Barney the Stupid Dinosaur (and I wore the Infamou

For those who missed the airing of Trek Nation, the news of the release of the DVD of the documentary should be of interest. Trek Nation will be released next month by FilmBuff and MPI Media Group. Trek Nation is a documentary which chronicles Rod Roddenberry‘s “trek across America to discover his father through the touchstones Gene [Roddenberry] left behind: his friends, his work and his influence. The film includes surprising, revelatory conversations with Star Trek actors, writers, fans, family friends and some of entertainment’s most iconic figures who point to Gene’s influence on them – among them George Lucas, Stan Lee, Seth MacFarlane and J.J. Abrams, director of the two most recent Star Trek blockbuster movies. Trek Nation is a journey to understand one of the world’s largest cultural phenomena, the man behind it, and the legacy he has left us all.” Trek Nation will be released on July 9, with an SRP of $24.98. The DVD is available for pre-order on Amazon and will sell for $12.99. To pre-order a copy, head to the link located here.

Two new Star Trek posters feature scenes from the original series and from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The posters are titled Landing Party, and Terok Nor. Landing Party, created by artist Drew Johnson, “depicts the main crew beaming while on an away mission.” Terok Nor, created by artist Jeff Foster, “depicts Deep Space Nine in the foreground, with a hint of the wormhole off in the distance.” Each 18″x24″ poster comes on 100-ll heavyweight acid-free paper. The posters sell for $25.00 each and can be ordered here, and here.

The latest domestic box office figures are in, and Star Trek into Darkness is in eight place overall. The movie earned $5,660,000 this weekend, for a grand total of $210,490,700. The figures for last weekend are as follows (Weekend and overall figures): Man of Steel   $113 million This is the End   $20.5 million Now You See Me   $10.3 million ($80 million) Fast and Furious 6   $9.4 million ($219.6 million) The Purge   $8 million ($51.8 million) The Internship   $7 million ($30.9 million) Epic   $6 million ($95.4 million) Star Trek into Darkness   $5.6 million ($210.4 million)