Star Trek

Star Trek Into Darkness is headed into its second weekend and our own polling shows that many fans plan to see the movie a second (third, fourth, etc.) time. And with repeat viewings there are opportunities for you to spot some little fun ‘easter egg’ tidbits put into the movie. See below for our selection of Into Darkness easter eggs, but beware of spoilers. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS EASTER EGGS Of course Star Trek Into Darkness includes some big homages and reverences to Star Trek history including Khan, Section 31 and beyond which are key parts of the film. But there are also some more subtle ‘easter egg’ references to Star Trek history and beyond included in the film. Some of which you may have already sported and maybe some you didn’t. McCoy’s Tribble Doctor McCoy has a Tribble in sickbay, used for testing in the movie. McCoy already has this Tribble when the movie opens thanks to the adventures of the ongoing comic book series where they faced the Tribbles in “The Truth About Tribbles”. McCoy saved Kirk’s life after resurrecting tribble he got in the comic books Praxis As the team approaches Qo’noS, there is a hulk of a dead moon, implying that the Klingon moon of Praxis was already over-mined in this timeline (Star Trek VI). As usual the writers are being coy and won’t say for sure that it’s Praxis. The Klingon moon Praxis in Star Trek VI gets blown up earlier in new timeline This seeming early destruction of Praxis may be related to a Section 31 operation that John Harrison carried out before the events of the movie. There is a reference to a “Praxxis Project” barely visible in the redacted text of the “leaked” Starfleet Memorandum document about Harrison found on AreYouThe1701.com [they appear to have misspelled the name, if it is indeed supposed to be in reference to the Klingon moon]. To see the memo for yourself read our article. Bay Stadium We can see the floating/hovering Bay Stadium that was seen in the Star Trek Enterprise episode “Home” is still there. It is located off of (roughly) where the ferry buildings are in present day San Francisco. The Bay Stadium from Enterprise’s 22nd Century still there in the 23rd Spacefight future history In Admiral Markus’ office among other historical space flight vehicles, such as a Saturn V rocket and a Space Shuttle, there are also models from Star Trek’s future history, including the U.S.S Kelvin (from Star Trek 2009)  NX-01 (Star Trek: Enterprise), the NX-Alpha (warp 2 test ship from the Star Trek: Enterprise episode “First Flight”), Cochrane’s Warp ship (Star Trek: First Contact), and the Enterprise XCV 330 “ring ship” (as seen on the wall of the rec deck in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , in a painting on the wall of the 602 Club in Star Trek: Enterprise, and rendered in the 2011 “Ships of the Line” calendar). The models were made by Quantum Mechanix for the movie, see our article for more. The "Ring Ship" seen as one of Adm. Marcus’ history of spaceflight collection of models Dr. Boyce The attending physician’s name on the biobed monitor by Kirk when he wakes up in the hospital in San Francisco is Dr. Boyce, a reference to the ship’s doctor in the first Star Trek TV pilot ”The Cage”, which is also where we first met the Prime timeline version of Pike. Dr. Boyce counsels Pike in "The Cage" – and attends Kirk in "Into Darkness" The Gorn Babies McCoy mentions that he had given a cesarean section to a pregnant Gorn and that the live-birth babies bite (Star Trek The Video Game). Gorn from Star Trek video game get a shout out from McCoy Daystrom Pike is called to the meeting with admiralty in the Daystrom Conference Room at Starfleet HQ. A reference to Dr. Richard Daystrom the inventor of the duotronic computers used in TOS (TOS: “The Ultimate Computer”)

Replica maker Quantum Mechanix has announced that they had a role to play in Star Trek Into Darkness, actually making some of the props used in the film. And they are making some of these available to purchase including Starfleet rings, vehicle model replicas, phasers and more. Get all the details below. QMx Creates “Screen-Authentic” Props for  Star Trek Into Darkness Quantum Mechanix, the creative studio and developer of screen-accurate replicas and collectibles revealed this week that they were responsible with making many of the actual props used in Star Trek Into Darkness. QMx began making Star Trek replicas after the release of the 2009 Star Trek film and Bad Robot was so impressed with their work, that they brought them in to do the real thing for the sequel. Probably the most prominent set of props they made was  the “history of starflight” series of models seen on Admiral Marcus’ desk. QMx made all fourteen of the filming miniatures at their FX Cinema Arts premier model-making center (where all of their Artisan ship models are constructed). The line-up included both models of historical craft as well as some pieces from Trek’s future history including the NX-01, the U.S.S. Kelvin and the Ring Ship. History of Spaceflight models shown on QMx site “It was an honor in every possible measure,” said QMx CEO Andy Gore speaking to TrekMovie about working on Into Darkness. “We had a small contribution to the film but we were happy to help. Everyone here takes the responsibility of Star Trek very seriously. We are fans too and just humbled by the experience.” According to gore it took a team of six model makers about two months to create the history of spaceflight miniatures. Each one required a different approach. Some (such as the ring ship or the Kelvin) which were modified and could have the basis made in a 3D printers, others (such as the Vostok) required more time an research as there was little source material available and were built from scratch. And being that QMx are in the business of selling replicas, they are already putting plans in motion to make some of the history of spaceflight miniatures available for purchase. The first one to be made available will be a limited run of 25 ring ship miniatures made to the same size as the one used in the movie and by the same Artisan shop. Those will be a San Diego Comic Con exclusive (no pricing yet). Collector’s Scale USS Vengeance Following the ring ship, QMx will make a ‘prop scale’ version of the USS Vengeance (again made by the same QMx Artisan shop the produced the props for the movie) along with a smaller (and more affordable) ‘collector scale’ version of the model. They are also planning on selling a collector scale version of the USS Kelvin. These should all be available later in 2013, with pricing and more details decided by Comic Con. The company also plans to release a prop-scale version of the NX-01 but that might not be until 2014. Collector’s Scale USS Kelvin The history of Spaceflight wasn’t the only QMx contribution to Into Darkness. The company also forged Starfleet Academy rings for the cast, in both sterling silver (for the main cast) and aluminum for background actors. Of course one of these rings featured prominently in a scene in the film with Thomas Harewood (Noel Clarke) but you can see other members of the cast wearing them as well. Starfleet Academy Rings from “Into Darkness” made by QMx And again they are also making a version of this ring available for purchase, in this case a value-priced version made out of zinc-alloy produced from the same molds used for the sterling silver ‘hero’ props. The rings come in a nice leatherette  collectible box that actually lights up and retails for on $29.99. They will be available this summer at retailers that carry QMx items, including Entertainment Earth (click here to pre-order). QM

Leonard Nimoy will be narrating the second part of a three part Microwarriors series. The series focuses on the health benefits of probiotics. Microwarriors: The Origin and the Destiny, narrated by Nimoy, will “present probiotics in an entertaining and interesting light, featuring front-line medical information, the latest scientific research, and commentary from leading experts in the field, including Dr. Gregor Reid, Professor of Microbiology and Surgery at the University of Western Ontario and Chair of Human Microbiology and Probiotics at the Lawson Health Research Institute.” “As a pioneer in the industry, we are both honored and thrilled to show our support for this educational film featuring cutting-edge, expert information on probiotics,” said Alan Murray, CEO of GoodBelly, a probiotic juice drink manufacturer. “We feel it’s crucial to help advance public knowledge about probiotics so consumers can make responsible and informed decisions, which is why we’re proud to play a part in growing awareness through Microwarriors on the workings of probiotics.” Microwarriors: The Origin and the Destiny will debut on DVD in December.

Later this summer, the second season of Star Trek: Enterprise will be released on Blu-ray. The second season will include six discs with all twenty-six episodes, and deleted scenes, outtakes and other newly-produced features. Some of the new features include: In Conversation: The First Crew (a reunion with the main cast and some guest stars), Destination Unknown: Uncharted Territory, and commentaries from Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, James Conway and Connor Trinneer. Star Trek: Enterprise Season Two will be released on Blu-ray on August 20. UK fans can pre-order the set now on Amazon UK, and fans in other countries will be able to pre-order their sets soon. The trailer below is courtesy of TrekCore.com. StarTrek.com

A new limited-edition MIMOBOT flash drive features Star Trek‘s Mr. Sulu. The Mr. Sulu MIMOBOT is available in up to 128GB and USB 3.0 capabilities. The Mr. Sulu MIMOBOT is the fifth in the Star Trek series, following Spock, Kirk, Picard and Data, and the flash drive comes preloaded with “with bonus Mimory and the MimoDesk personalization suite of wallpapers, icons and avatars. It also comes equipped with MimoByte sound software powered with an offering of iconic Star Trek sounds and Sulu character dialogue that plays each time Sulu MIMOBOT is inserted or ejected from one’s computer.” Pricing ranges from $24.95 for an 8GB capacity, to $129.99 for a 128GB capacity. The Mr. Sulu MIMOBOT can be ordered here.

While filming a scene for Star Trek into Darkness, actor Zachary Quinto sustained a burn. The scene in question was the one in which Spock was trying to stop a volcano from erupting and wiping out a civilization. Part of Quinto’s skin was exposed in spite of wearing a protective heat shoot for the scene. “My neck skin got caught in between the helmet (and my shoulder),” he said. “I didn’t know how serious [the burn] was. I didn’t know what was happening.” J.J. Abrams told Quinto that “It looked like there was a caterpillar on your neck!”

In response to the controversy about Alice Eve‘s Marcus underwear scene in Star Trek into Darkness, J.J. Abrams released a cut scene featuring a showering Benedict Cumberbatch‘s John Harrison. Abrams appeared on Conan last night, where Conan addressed the Marcus underwear scene controversy. “You’ve been taking some heat for a scene that I didn’t personally see what the fuss was about myself,” said Conan. “I was quite happy about the scene.” Abrams explained the intent behind the scene, and then defended the scene, saying it was a “balance,” or a “trade-off” because earlier a scene showing Kirk undressed had been shown. To further prove that there were sexy scenes for both men and women, Abrams introduced a clip of a short scene of Cumberbatch taking a shower, which ended up being cut from the movie.

As per usual Star Trek Into Darkness has sparked much fan discussion and even disagreement, but but if there’s one thing we can all agree on: we love seeing Alice Eve in her undies! True, of course, until anyone bothered to ask a woman. There has always been scantily clad females throughout Trek history – it’s a part of what makes Kirk so Kirk – so, why should this one scene be causing such a stir? Why have female fans responded so strongly in this case? Read my analysis below, but beware of SPOILERS. [WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD] Gratuitous Underwear: How did we get here?As if you need me to, I’ll set the scene. Kirk accompanies Carol Marcus to a shuttlecraft to discuss sending her to a nearby planetoid to try and diffuse some of these mysterious photon torpedoes aboard the Enterprise. She’s the logical choice since, as we learned in her introductory scene, she holds an advanced degree with a specialty in weaponry. Great, nothing out of the ordinary here, I’ll just go ahead and OH! You’re in your underwear! That’s just great. But, let’s back up a second. Why exactly is she in her underwear? She tells Kirk to turn around, doesn’t mention why (were we expecting here to require a change of wardrobe?) and then acts coy when Kirk sneaks a peak at her half-dressed body. The scene was flat out gratuitous. It had no point. There was no reason for her to change clothes. There was no reason for her to change in front of Kirk. There was no reason for her to change in a shuttlecraft with the back door hanging wide open. The writers threw the scene in for pure, testosterone-driven shock value. (Side note: lucky she was wearing her brand new Victoria Secret push-up bra. I’m sure that’s real comfortable under her uniform, especially in a combat situation) Think I’m being harsh? Even Damon Lindelof himself, co-writer of Into Darkness, publicly apologized for the scene saying over a few tweets: “I copped to the fact that we should have done a better job of not being gratuitous in our representation of a barely clothed actress. We also had Kirk shirtless in underpants in both movies. Do not want to make light of something that some construe has mysogenistic [sic]. What I’m saying is I hear you, I take full responsibility, and will be more mindful in the future.” Damsels in Distress: Where are all the women?But, we’ve seen our fair share of half-naked women (and men!) throughout Star Trek. Even in Star Trek (2009) we had one hot Orion woman in her undies as well as Uhura changing for us all to see. Why was it okay then but not now? Two reasons: 1. Those scenes were built into the story well (i.e. it was not gratuitous), and 2. Those scenes did not detract from their characters. She undressed with purpose! The Orion girl was undressed because, well, she was getting naughty with Kirk! As for Uhura, she was changing because she was in her personal quarters and unaware that some “mouth breather” was looking on from underneath her roommate’s bed. Those moments had purpose; they made sense. Randomly disrobing in the back of a shuttle craft? Gratuitous. Secondly, and most importantly, the Marcus underwear scene detracted from the only truly strong female role in the entire film. Let’s start from the beginning. A terrorist attack has occurred (after a MAN bribed the FATHER of a dying child), and all of Starfleet’s finest are gathered together at a round table to talk options. Who do we see? A bunch of old white human males (with maybe a token woman thrown in). Cut to our introduction to Carol Wallace (aka Carol Marcus). She’s cute, she’s sexy, she’s got great hair! But, she’s also brilliant and trained in advanced weaponry — a force even Mr. Spock is threatened by. Meanwhile, Uhura does little more than follow Spock around moaning about him having a death wish. For the girls, it’s Carol

I’m stealing this idea from my friend Warren, who does it better than I do. My name is Wil Wheaton. I’m an actor, writer, champion of geek culture, and a guy who makes things on the Internet. This is my blog, but … Here’s my Twitter. Here’s my Tumblr. Here’s my Facebook. Here’s my new show, Tabletop. Here’s Radio Free Burrito. Here’s WIL WHEATON BOOKS dot COM. Here’s the Memories of the Futurecast. Thanks for stopping by.

In honor of the recent release of Star Trek Into Darkness, The History Channel has aired a special documentary titled "Star Trek: Secrets of the Universe." Originally broadcast last Wednesday, May 15th, the special is now available on History Channel’s website via streaming for free. See below for mini-review and screenshots plus a link to more BTS with ILM. Star Trek: Secrets of the Universe on History The History channel has a new documentary titled "Star Trek: Secrets of the Universe" which ties together Trek and real life science. Of particular interest is a significant amount of behind the scenes footage of the making of Into Darkness, as well as clips from the movie not seen in TV spots or trailers. The most notable bit of new footage is a very beautiful extended shot of the Enterprise silhouetted against a distant nebula, which was featured in the film itself, but substantially cut down in the final edit. Get an extended look at the USS Enterprise in new History channel special There is more eye candy in the form of detailed looks at the Enterprise interior sets and other locations. We are also treated to interviews of the cast, crew, including a lot with director JJ Abrams. But instead of hyping the film, Abrams and his cast discuss how real science inspires their stories of Star Trek, and how in turn Star Trek itself inspires future scientific research. History’s "Star Trek: Secrets of the Universe" takes you behind the scenes on the USS Enterprise Also covered is an extensive look at the filming of the Enterprise warp core scenes at the National Ignition Facility. Many of the facility’s staff talk about how Star Trek inspired them to take up their careers in science, and influenced the type of research they do. Other scientists weigh in on the plausibility of faster than light travel using warp drive, the possibility of first contact with alien life, and humanity’s need and desire to venture into the stars. And woven throughout the special are discussions with a dozen real life scientists from SETI, Berkeley, Columbia, MIT and other prestigious institutions talking about real-life science and how it releates to the fiction of Star Trek. They cover topics such as warp drive, alien life, time travel, planet hunting and more – all the while showing how Trek has had an impact on many people who work in these fields. Behind the scenes at the NIF Bottom line is that this special is highly recommended. Come for the great behind the scenes look at Star Trek Into Darkness and stay for the insight into real-life science. Head over to History Channel to check it out: http://www.history.com/shows/star-trek-secrets-of-the-universe Note in order to watch the show online you must be US resident and you have to log in with details of your cable service provider. The show is also repeating on the H2 channel and available On Demand with some cable systems including Comcast. fx Guide Behind The Scenes Looks At Into Darkness and ILM If you are interested in some more behind the scenes details, fxGuide has 3 articles looking at how the film’s visual effects were created. Covered are how the film’s environments, vehicles, starships, and worlds were masterfully fashioned by visual effects vendors Industrial Light and Magic, Atomic fiction, and Pixomondo. Part 1: Article with videos and stills from the film. Part 2: video interview shot at Industrial Light and Magic with Into Darkness vfx supervisor Roger Guyett as well as other ILM staff Part 3: podcast interview with ILM’s Jay Cooper, compositing supervisor on Into Darkness fxGuide go behind the scenes with ILM to find out how shots like this were done