"Star Trek" was initially meant to be a portrait of a technological utopia set in a future when humanity had outgrown war, shed religion, and put money behind it. In the best of cases, the franchise revealed a world without want or starvation, having become so well-organized that resources could be freely shunted about the galaxy on miraculous faster-than-light starships. Most notably, starting with "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Federation vessels were equipped with magical food replicators, which rearranged energy into edible matter. One could walk up to a food slot on the wall -- everyone's personal quarters had one -- and order anything from a glass of water to a six-course meal. Famously, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) would order "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot."
Replicators are such a miraculous technology, that the writers of "Star Trek" had to begin inventing limitations merely for dramatic reasons. It's now been established repeatedly...
Replicators are such a miraculous technology, that the writers of "Star Trek" had to begin inventing limitations merely for dramatic reasons. It's now been established repeatedly...
- 5/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"Star Trek" is notoriously good to its actors. If a hard-working performer gets a small gig in one episode of "Star Trek," it becomes incredibly likely they'll be invited back for another. Armin Shimerman, for instance, played a talking treasure chest and a random Ferengi character on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" years before he was offered the main role of Quark on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Likewise, Tim Russ played a terrorist on the "Next Generation" episode "Starship Mine" before he became Tuvok on "Star Trek: Voyager." There are dozens of other examples. Once you're in the "Star Trek" family, you'll be a part of it for life.
According to the book "Star Trek: The Next Generation 365," by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann, actress Famke Janssen was offered a venerated spot in the Trek family ... that she turned down. Janssen appeared in the episode "The Perfect Mate" as Kamala,...
According to the book "Star Trek: The Next Generation 365," by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann, actress Famke Janssen was offered a venerated spot in the Trek family ... that she turned down. Janssen appeared in the episode "The Perfect Mate" as Kamala,...
- 3/24/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The Trill were first introduced in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Host". In that episode, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) engaged in an intense love affair with a Trill super-diplomat named Odan (Franc Luz), a man whom she later discovered had a very unusual biology. It seems some members of the Trill species are joined with incredibly long-lived worm-like symbionts that are surgically implanted in their stomachs. The symbionts possess the memories and experiences of all their hosts and take over the personalities of the people they are implanted inside of. Symbionts can live through dozens of hosts in their lives.
In "The Host," Odan sported inverted v-shaped forehead ridges above his eyes and a larger, extended septum. The makeup was designed by Michael Westmore, a longtime "Next Generation" makeup artist.
It wouldn't be until "Emissary", the pilot episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," that Trekkies would encounter another Trill.
In "The Host," Odan sported inverted v-shaped forehead ridges above his eyes and a larger, extended septum. The makeup was designed by Michael Westmore, a longtime "Next Generation" makeup artist.
It wouldn't be until "Emissary", the pilot episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," that Trekkies would encounter another Trill.
- 3/24/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" famously struggled creatively during its first season. The inaugural villains, the Ferengi, flopped (to the point actor Armin Shimmerman felt the need to repair their reputation when he returned to play Quark on the spin-off "Deep Space Nine"). So, the writers dug up some old foes with a storied history -- the Romulans. The Romulans returned in the season 1 finale, "The Neutral Zone," and became enduring enemies of the Enterprise-d.
The Romulans were once Vulcans but split off centuries ago after rejecting the path of logic and serenity. As a result, the Romulans share most of their cousins' physical features, such as pointed ears. In "Reunification," a two-part episode in "The Next Generation" season 5, Spock (Leonard Nimoy guest-starring) is working on Romulus to bring the Romulans and his people back together.
However, upon the Romulans' reintroduction in "The Neutral Zone," make-up Michael Westmore gave them some cosmetic surgery,...
The Romulans were once Vulcans but split off centuries ago after rejecting the path of logic and serenity. As a result, the Romulans share most of their cousins' physical features, such as pointed ears. In "Reunification," a two-part episode in "The Next Generation" season 5, Spock (Leonard Nimoy guest-starring) is working on Romulus to bring the Romulans and his people back together.
However, upon the Romulans' reintroduction in "The Neutral Zone," make-up Michael Westmore gave them some cosmetic surgery,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Neutral Zone", the U.S.S. Enterprise-d encounters a seemingly abandoned cryo-pod floating out in the galaxy. On board are three humans, frozen since the 20th century. When they are thawed, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) takes a Roddenberrian opportunity to lecture them, explaining that their outmoded ideas about capitalism and selfishness are dead in the 24th century. Picard's dialogue is partly utopian but mostly condescending, meant more for TV viewers in 1988 than directed toward his scene partners.
The episode's B-plot involved a visit to the titular Neutral Zone between Federation space and the Romulan Star Empire. There, the Enterprise investigates the destruction of a remote outpost, perhaps the result of Romulan malfeasance. "The Neutral Zone" was the first time Trekkies had seen Romulans since the original series, re-establishing them as a major threat in the galaxy. It also set up the...
The episode's B-plot involved a visit to the titular Neutral Zone between Federation space and the Romulan Star Empire. There, the Enterprise investigates the destruction of a remote outpost, perhaps the result of Romulan malfeasance. "The Neutral Zone" was the first time Trekkies had seen Romulans since the original series, re-establishing them as a major threat in the galaxy. It also set up the...
- 3/3/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The "Star Trek" episode "Balance of Terror" features a face-off between the U.S.S. Enterprise and a mysterious Romulan Warbird equipped with a cloaking device. The Romulan Warbird is a flying saucer-like craft with warp engines protruding from either side and a wicked-looking tail fin on the back. It's colored light grey like the Enterprise but sports a painting of a large orange bird on its underside. Most ships on "Star Trek" are solid colors, emblazoned only with identification letters and maybe a racing stripe. Warbirds, with their bird painting, looked like WWII bombers.
The painted Romulan Warbird from the original series is a far cry from the types of ships that the Romulans would be seen piloting in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," set about a century later. On "Next Generation," Romulan Warbirds would be about 10 times larger, solid green, and constricted with outsize bird-like "heads." The wingspan...
The painted Romulan Warbird from the original series is a far cry from the types of ships that the Romulans would be seen piloting in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," set about a century later. On "Next Generation," Romulan Warbirds would be about 10 times larger, solid green, and constricted with outsize bird-like "heads." The wingspan...
- 2/24/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" was a pretty unusual job for classically trained theater performer Patrick Stewart, but it was one that he took very seriously from the beginning. By the time he got around to season 6 and had really gotten to know and love the world of "Star Trek," he took his performance even more seriously, but there was one season 6 episode that required even more dedication and some pretty dark research. In the second part of the two-part episode "Chain of Command," Picard is taken captive by the Cardassians and is tortured by Gul Madred (David Warner). Stewart was already pretty focused on the episode because of his lifelong appreciation for Warner's work, but as a member of Amnesty International for years before coming to "Star Trek," he was even more concerned about making sure the torture aspects of the episode were accurate and respectful to torture survivors.
- 12/28/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Star Trek: The Original Topps Trading Card Series
By Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdman
216 pages, $19.95, Abrams ComicArts
Few fans today recall that Star Trek has been the focus of several trading card sets through the years, beginning with the Leaf Brands series prior to the better known Topps cards from the late 1970s, launching just prior to the first feature film. The far better card series came much later, but as a part of Abrams ComicArts’ series of books focusing on different genre sets from Topps, that series is the one receiving the focus in this attractive book.
The series, which began with Wacky Packages and has included the legendary Mars Attacks and Bazooka Joe, is a worthy examination of the oft-overlooked time capsules of earlier eras. Topps produced cards based on numerous television properties alongside their popular baseball cards since the 1950s, notably their four amazing...
By Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdman
216 pages, $19.95, Abrams ComicArts
Few fans today recall that Star Trek has been the focus of several trading card sets through the years, beginning with the Leaf Brands series prior to the better known Topps cards from the late 1970s, launching just prior to the first feature film. The far better card series came much later, but as a part of Abrams ComicArts’ series of books focusing on different genre sets from Topps, that series is the one receiving the focus in this attractive book.
The series, which began with Wacky Packages and has included the legendary Mars Attacks and Bazooka Joe, is a worthy examination of the oft-overlooked time capsules of earlier eras. Topps produced cards based on numerous television properties alongside their popular baseball cards since the 1950s, notably their four amazing...
- 10/13/2013
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Star Trek: The Original Series 365
By Paula M. Block with Terry J. Erdmann
744 Pages, Abrams, $29.95
Just in time for the television icon’s 44th birthday and your Christmas list, Abrams adds to their delightful 365 library with Star Trek the Original Series. Let me state upfront that co-authors Paula Block and Terry Erdmann are friends and colleagues of mine but I cannot imagine any duo better suited to select the images and write the accompanying text for this volume.
Every episode and the original pilot are covered in this book with a nice design element with the page numbers colored to denote each season. The paper stock allows for strong color photography reproduction and even if you’ve seen many of these pictures before, you have not seen them this sharp.
Star Trek may be the most exhaustively covered prime time television series in history so the question immediately becomes, do I need this book?...
By Paula M. Block with Terry J. Erdmann
744 Pages, Abrams, $29.95
Just in time for the television icon’s 44th birthday and your Christmas list, Abrams adds to their delightful 365 library with Star Trek the Original Series. Let me state upfront that co-authors Paula Block and Terry Erdmann are friends and colleagues of mine but I cannot imagine any duo better suited to select the images and write the accompanying text for this volume.
Every episode and the original pilot are covered in this book with a nice design element with the page numbers colored to denote each season. The paper stock allows for strong color photography reproduction and even if you’ve seen many of these pictures before, you have not seen them this sharp.
Star Trek may be the most exhaustively covered prime time television series in history so the question immediately becomes, do I need this book?...
- 9/11/2010
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Out to eat am I, but I also Have to write a Starblog with dinner. And it amuses me (if not others) to recount past meals I’ve had that were sort of far-out to eat. Or as the topic title I’ve assigned myself declares: Seven Meals to Doomsday!
Our cuisine criteria: I had to be at the table (sometimes semi-against my will), pop culture should be involved and there must be some Surreal aspect to it all. How good the food is—well, that hardly matters. It’s not the vittles; it’s the experience.
#1) Bethany College, Bethany, West Virginia, 1976 or ’77. CBS (and later NBC) newscaster Roger Mudd has come to our small college of distinction to give a lecture. We’re going to feed him, too, and I (as one of Communications Department Chairman James Carty’s pet students) have been drafted to attend that small dinner in the cafeteria rear.
Our cuisine criteria: I had to be at the table (sometimes semi-against my will), pop culture should be involved and there must be some Surreal aspect to it all. How good the food is—well, that hardly matters. It’s not the vittles; it’s the experience.
#1) Bethany College, Bethany, West Virginia, 1976 or ’77. CBS (and later NBC) newscaster Roger Mudd has come to our small college of distinction to give a lecture. We’re going to feed him, too, and I (as one of Communications Department Chairman James Carty’s pet students) have been drafted to attend that small dinner in the cafeteria rear.
- 11/17/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (David McDonnell )
- Starlog
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