Trek Remastered -- "The Way to Eden"

Yes, this is the space hippies episode. I still think there are some good bits that make it worth watching. Don't be a Herbert and take a look at the preview image of the new Aurora model... I reach that, man, it's real now. "Headin' out to Eden, yea, brother!"

Trek Remastered -- "The Lights of Zetar"

Just a quick update -- check out some great preview images for this Scotty-centric episode.

Harvey Korman and others, R.I.P.

"Now, go do that voodoo that you do so well!"

Thursday evening, the news broke that the great multi-talented comedic actor Harvey Korman passed away at the age of 81.

We used to watch "The Carol Burnett Show" and the spin-off "Mama's Family" all the time when I was a kid, and he'll probably (and justifiably so) be remembered for his work on those shows. We shouldn't forget about his guest appearances on so many other TV shows, including "The Muppet Show" and "The Star Wars Holiday Special", and his movies with Tim Conway.

I'll remember him most for his brilliant turn as villain Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles.

We've lost too many talented people from the entertainment industry in the past week or so: director/actor/producer Sydney Pollack; actor/director Joseph Pevney; the friendly half of Rowan and Martin, Dick Martin; composer Earle Hagen; and the composer of eight of the most famous notes in entertainment history, Alexander Courage.

Trek Remastered -- "Whom Gods Destroy" and "The Mark of Gideon"

I missed last week's episode, "Whom Gods Destroy", so this is a double-shot preview. I'll get a chance to catch it on Saturday night's rerun.

"Whom Gods Destroy", as mentioned in this review, is a real departure for the series. It's almost like an episode of Batman, especially with Batgirl herself, Yvonne Craig, as an Orion slave girl.

"The Mark of Gideon" is the episode where Captain Kirk is held aboard an empty replica of the Enterprise on an overpopulated planet. I suppose they had no money and had to reuse the ship sets for that week's episode.

Trek Remastered -- "A Private Little War"

This week's episode is Trek's commentary on the ongoing Vietnam War, "A Private Little War". The Federation and the Klingon Empire arm opposing sides of a primitive culture in this mid-Second Season ep. But the important thing to remember about this one is... the Mugato!

Gnome Stew is ready

For several years you could count on an insightful daily gaming post from Martin or a guest blogger over at Treasure Tables. It was a shame when TT went on hiatus, but understandable. I've tried to update Kaijuville twice a week and you can see how often that happens. The TT archives, forums and wiki are still active.

Martin and some other TT regulars have just started Gnome Stew, a multi-author blog dedicated to game masters and GMing. They are all very knowledgeable, experienced, and good at writing about those topics. Take a look!

Julie Ege, R.I.P.

Julie Ege, who starred in Hammer's Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, passed away on April 29th.

Ege was born in Høyland, Sandnes; where she was a Miss Norway and Miss Universe contestant (and later a Penthouse Pet). In 1967, she moved to England as an au pair to improve her English.

She made her film debut in a low budget Norwegian film The Sky and the Ocean, appeared in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service (as Helen, the Scandinavian girl) and later starred in Hammer Film Productions' The Creatures the World Forgot and the Hammer/Shaw Brothers co-production The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. She also appeared in the 'Gluttony' segment of the movie The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins, Jack Cardiff's The Freakmaker and Freddie Francis' Craze with Jack Palance.

Julie Ege was married and divorced twice, lived in Oslo where she worked as a nurse until her death from breast cancer and is survived by two daughters.

Wikipedia entry

Filmography and photo page (update) (some NSFW)

Times Online obit

Hammer and Beyond Blog obit (photo NSFW)

Trek Remastered -- "Court Martial"

Rights, sir – human rights! The Bible. The Code of Hammurabi. And of Justinian. The Magna Carta. The Constitution of the United States. The Fundamental Declarations of the Martian Colonies. The Statutes of Alpha III. Gentlemen, these documents all speak of rights!

Kirk is ordered to face a court martial at Starbase 11 when the circumstances surrounding a crewman's death are thrown into doubt. Kirk's lawyer Samuel T. Cogley must call on the assistance of the Enterprise crew in order to clear Kirk's name.

...

One of my favorite episodes is on this weekend. This is from the first season, and it gives us a lot of Trek backstory. It's the first time in the series that the Enterprise visits a starbase. And it's just a great hour of dramatic television.

Cogley is played by noted character actor Elisha Cook, Jr., who was so memorable in movies like The Maltese Falcon, Shane, The Killing, and House on Haunted Hill.

A preview image from the Remastered ep is at this page.

And I repeat, I speak of rights. A machine has none. A man must. My client has the right to face his accuser, and if you do not grant him that right, you have brought us down to the level of the machine. Indeed, you have elevated that machine above us. I ask that my motion be granted, and more than that, gentlemen, in the name of humanity, fading in the shadow of the machine, I demand it. I demand it!

Trek Remastered -- "Assignment: Earth"

This weekend's episode is "Assignment: Earth", where the crew travels to 1968 and encounters a being named Gary Seven. Is he friend or foe?

The last episode of the Second Season is notable for several reasons, chiefly because it was intended to be the pilot for a new series.

Women of Hammer Horror Films

Speaking of Hammer horror films, someone recently posted a photo gallery of actresses seen in Hammer films (via BoingBoing).

Thanks to Edige for pointing this out to me.

Hazel Court, R.I.P.

I wanted to post this last week but time got away from me:

Hazel Court, an English beauty who co-starred with the likes of Boris Karloff and Vincent Price in "The Raven" and other popular horror movies of the 1950s and '60s, has died. She was 82.

Court died Tuesday at her home near Lake Tahoe from a heart attack, her daughter, Sally Walsh of Los Angeles, said Wednesday.

Roger Corman directed Hazel Court in five movies, turning Ms. Court into one of the classic "scream queens" of that era. She co-starred with the likes of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Jack Nicholson.

Read more at IHT, The Telegraph or The Times. Luckily for us, she finished her autobiography which is on sale now.

A note about the NFL Draft

And a humorous article:

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/09/07/the-most-wonderful-day-of-the-year/

Trek Remastered -- "Mudd's Women"

The introduction of con-man Harcourt Fenton Mudd and his "cargo" is this week's episode, "Mudd's Women".

Here's a look at the schedule for the next few weeks:

"Assignment: Earth" (weekend of May 3rd)
"Court Martial" (weekend of May 10th)
"A Private Little War" (weekend of May 17th)
"Whom Gods Destroy" (weekend of May 24th)
"The Mark of Gideon" (weekend of May 31st)

Trek Remastered -- schedule change

According to Trekmovie.com, "Mudd's Women" -- the episode scheduled for this week -- will be shown next week. A repeat of "The Conscience of the King" will air in its place. I didn't write about that one when it first aired last September so I will do so this time.

Next week's episode was supposed to be "The Cage", the original pilot with Jeffery Hunter as Captain Pike. It hasn't been added back into this season's schedule, but maybe it will be in with the proposed 2008/2009 schedule .

Here's hoping that they do offer another season... the Remastered DVD sets are slowly being released (although that's another story), but there's just something fun and nostalgic about watching Trek in syndication again.

Trek Remastered -- "Obsession"

Captain Kirk is determined to hunt down a vampiric cloud creature in this week's Remastered episode, "Obsession".

Trek Remastered -- "The Enterprise Incident"

In this week's Remastered episode, "The Enterprise Incident", Captain Kirk orders the Enterprise into Romulan space unexpectedly, the ship is captured, and Kirk and Spock are held captive aboard their flagship. All according to plan -- they're on a secret mission!

As a kid I often wondered why the Romulans would be using Klingon-designed ships. Fans speculated that there was a Klingon-Romulan alliance, but the truth is more mundane. The Klingon ship model was expensive and the producers wanted to get as much use out of it as possible. The freedom of CG effects has now allowed for a Warbird to make an appearance and bird-of-prey markings on the undersides of the Klingon-designed battle cruisers.

The teaser photos are sweet! I'm looking forward to see what else they enhance in this terrific espionage-themed episode.

Upcoming Hammer DVD News

As you may know, we're big Hammer Film fans here in Kaijuville. Most of the popular titles have already been released on DVD, some still in print and some not.

Sony, like Warner and Universal, is releasing a box of Hammer movies. This time it's a 2-disc set they're calling Icons of Adventure, including 4 historical adventure films originally released by Columbia Pictures. The titles are Stranglers of Bombay (1960), directed by Terence Fisher, Terror of the Tongs (1961), Pirates of Blood River (1962), and Devil Ship Pirates (1964). Christopher Lee stars in the last three. They may have aired on local TV at some point, but I've never seen any of these. Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster provides three audio commentaries and there should be some other extras. It's due on June 10th.

Fox is also releasing The Nanny starring Bette Davis next week. That's another one I haven't seen but I'm more excited about the adventure films.

I'll update the Hammer DVD list accordingly.

Trek Remastered -- "Elaan of Troyius"

The Enterprise transports Elaan, Dohlman of Elas, to an arranged marriage on Troyius in this week's episode, "Elaan of Troyius". It's a good story with some interesting conflicts that are unusual for the Original Series.

There's a short battle sequence with a Klingon warship -- the model's first appearance in the series -- which might be the highlight of any new digital effects.

Lights out for energy efficiency -- Earth Hour tonight

On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.

See the offical Earth Hour page and Google's Earth Hour page.

Trek Remastered -- "Is There in Truth No Beauty?"

This week's episode is "Is There in Truth No Beauty", a story involving an alien ambassdor from a species so physically different from humans, the sight of him causes insanity. It's one of the best Third Season shows and (although I didn't get it as a kid) a premise straight out of Lovecraft.

I'm not sure what to expect from the new CG effects. Certainly new galactic barrier shots, maybe a hint at what the Medusan ambassador really looks like?

Update: review, screenshots and video.

Trek Remastered -- "That Which Survives"

"I am for Kirk!"

The episode of the week is "That Which Survives", where a beautiful computer projection defends a dead planet.

I'm not sure if there will be any surprises from CBS Digital in this one. Maybe a new planetscape establishing shot, or updated effects in the matter/antimatter access tunnel when Scotty crawls in there.

Trek Remastered -- "By Any Other Name"

This week's episode is the one where aliens from the Andromeda Galaxy take human form, hijack the Enterprise, and reduce most of the crew into dehydrated Styrofoam-like crystals. Lots of good character bits, especially Scotty drinking one of the aliens under the table.

The highlight has to be the new planet digital matte shown above. That's going to look amazing in HD!

Preview images and original shots here.

Gary Gygax, RIP

I found out this morning that Gary Gygax passed away.

More coverage: Slashdot, CNet , REHupa, Popular Science, Matt Forbeck, NPR, WotC, Ken Hite, and Robin Laws.

Dungeons and Dragons tends to polarize gamers, particularly over the 3.x rules. Either way, it -- and its co-creator -- have had a tremendous influence on the RPG hobby we love. It's difficult to imagine what the hobby would be like without it. Sure, wargaming and miniatures would still exist, but what of this strange "role-playing" story-telling business? And the man started Gen Con -- in his basement.

Steve Jackson makes a good case for Gygax and Arneson's influence on popular culture.

It might not be as apparent as that, but think about all the people who chose careers in creative fields -- writing, illustration, acting, teaching -- because either D&D or another RPG that followed sparked the flames of their imagination. That's quite a legacy for anyone to leave.

I'm lucky that I have great memories of growing up, and many of those involve some aspect of gaming. For that, I've very grateful.

Someone said that we should memorialize people before they're gone so they have a chance to enjoy it. I agree. But for now, get some friends together and roll some dice.

Trek Remastered -- "The Apple"

This week's episode is "The Apple", where the crew finds a paradise planet controlled by a computer worshiped as a god.

Not a good episode to be a Red Shirt: all four security officers who beam down die in horrible ways.

Trek Remastered -- "Operation -- Annihilate!"

"Captain’s log, stardate 3289.8. I am faced with one of the most difficult decision of my life, unless we find a way to destroy the creatures without killing their human hosts, my command responsibilities will force me to kill over a million people."

"Operation -- Annihilate!" is this week's new Remastered episode, the one with the flying parasites that take control of the colonists on Deneva. It was the last episode of ST's first season.

It's notable for several reasons, the most obvious of which is the location shooting for the outdoor scenes. This was done at the futuristic-looking campus of the TRW Corporation in Redondo Beach, California, and was one of Trek's most striking "sets".

You can see some Remastered images and read an interview with the producers here, and more Remastered screenshots and FX video at this page. In this version, we finally get to see the ultraviolet light satellites being launched.

Free Trek episodes online

CBS has started a new "network" of streaming video sites that are allowed to show episodes from the CBS library. In their "Classics" collection you can watch episodes of shows like MacGyver, The Twilight Zone, and.... all three seasons of Original Series Star Trek!

These are not the Remastered versions but the original broadcast episodes, without the syndication cuts. The streaming is a little choppy. Even so, it's a great thing to be able to watch any show, anytime, and for free -- after watching an ad or two.

I've got a best-of DVD set of TZ, but there are plenty of other terrific episodes that I don't have and would like to watch. I hope they put up more than just the first two seasons available now.
And I've been wanting to see Hawaii Five-O for a long time now. I only remember seeing one or two of those, a long time ago. I remember the Sanford and Son parody more than the original Five-O.

New Trek movie pushed back to May '09

Bummer. The movie is on schedule but The Powers That Be at Paramount think it could be a summer blockbuster (and make more money for them), so they've pushed it back from this Christmas to next May. It's good that they will have more time to work on it, but it's five more months for us to wait.

Trek Remastered -- "The Ultimate Computer"

This weekend is the premiere of "The Ultimate Computer". In this Second Season episode, a new computer system is tested aboard the Enterprise during a Starfleet wargame, with disastrous results.

Fans have been waiting for this one because it's the only Original Series episode where we see several Constitution-class starships on the screen at the same time. The dialogue and storyline suggest a space battle but the limits of time and money didn't allow for the special effects that you would expect. The CBS-Digital team gets to create all the action that should have been there in the original.

Trekmovie.com has a couple of articles up showing the first preview image from the new effects and a short interview with TOS-R producers Mike and Denise Okuda and Dave Rossi about their work, including more new photos. It should be great!

"It appears, Captain, we've been doing what used to be called 'pursuing a wild goose'."
- Spock

Why not a Queen rock opera/musical?

Earlier this week, I heard two Queen songs on the radio in the same day, then the next day I saw two commercials in a row that used Queen music. The idea popped into my head:

"Why hasn't there been a musical -- or "rock opera" -- using Queen's music?"

Their music was huge in scope, and Freddie Mercury was a big fan of opera, anyway. It's a natural. If they could make a musical out of Abba songs (which was good, by the way), or Billy Joel (blah...), then where's the love for Queen?

Well, someone else already had my bright idea. Evidently there has been a musical produced and performed all over the world. It played in Vegas in 2006 and ran in Chicago in April-May of '07. I had no idea.

But I suppose I can pat myself on the back because they used my idea for "Bohemian Rhapsody" as the finale. What else?

Speaking of Queen, about ten years ago I heard that (soon-to-be-Dr.)Brian May was a big Warhammer 40,000 fan. He'd play with his kids. Same with Robin Williams, too -- he had an Eldar army at that time. Looks like he's switched to online gaming.

Trek Remastered -- "The Changeling"

This week is a great Second Season episode, "The Changeling". The Enterprise finds a 200-year old interstellar probe from Earth which has somehow gained intelligence and incredible power, threatening the ship and all life it encounters.

It's another of the Kirk-vs.-computer stories, and the general idea was revisited in Star Trek: The Motion Picture as V'Ger. Look for the director, Marc Daniels, as Nomad inventor Jackson Roykirk in an on-screen photograph.

One more week until "The Ultimate Computer"...

"Congratulations, Captain; a dazzling display of logic."

"Didn't think I had it in me, did you?"

"No, sir."
- Spock and Kirk

Trek Remastered -- "The Enemy Within"

"I'm Captainnn Kirrrrk!!!"

This weekend's episode is an early First Season effort, "The Enemy Within". A transporter accident splits Captain Kirk into a good half and an evil half. Scotty must repair the malfunction before the rest of the landing party freezes on the surface of planet Alfa 177!

This is a great episode with many interesting trivia bits to it. It's the prototype of the "evil twin" stories that would show up in Trek and elsewhere, and the script was written by Richard Matheson.

In two weeks we get the Remastered episode that all the fans have been waiting for: "The Ultimate Computer". Keep watching!

UPDATE: screenshots.

Happy Birthday, Two-Gun Bob!

Today is the 102nd anniversary of the birth of pulp writer Robert E. Howard. It has become a tradition on this date for Howard fans to read a favorite story and toast to his shade with a favorite beverage. My usual choice is "Worms of the Earth" and a bottle of Sapporo -- a blend of East and West, as it were.

For more information on his life and career, start with the following sites:

• Robert E. Howard United Press Association
• The Robert E. Howard Foundation
• Howard Works bibliographic database
• The Cimmerian (journal)

I also emphatically recommend Mark Finn's Howard biography, the Locus and World Fantasy Award-nominated Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard.

Cloverfield and Star Trek Teaser Trailer

I saw Cloverfield on Friday. I can't really give it a proper review without giving too much away. I will say that I thought it was good. I also found it very intense in the same way as The Blair Witch. I know that the shaky-cam style can make some people sick. I have a sensitive stomach but I was fine with both movies -- it wasn't the camerawork that made me uncomfortable.

For a lower-budget film ("only" $30 million), I thought the cast did a fine, believable job. Most of that money must have gone to the special effects budget.

The POV "you are there" style of shooting is really one of the best ways to do a giant monster movie like this. It's easy to incorporate those half-glances where you're not sure what you saw (possible spoiler below). Maybe when Toho goes back to producing Godzilla films they will use this method.

Like most of J.J. Abrams' work, there is a rich and ongoing viral marketing campaign on-line. Check out the fan-site Cloverfield Clues for more. You can follow the rabbit hole as deep as you want to go. I'll take a pass on drinking the Slusho, thanks.

About 50% of my excitement and reason for seeing this in the theater was about Cloverfield itself. The other 50% was about the teaser for Abrams' Star Trek film. This was our first look at the new Enterprise. As you can see from the offical photo, it is just a tease. Not enough to see it fully but enough to get your attention.

As each little bit of news is revealed, I'm more confident that this will be truly spectacular. The franchise is in good hands. What I'm most surprised about is how good a match they made by casting Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy. At first I didn't think it would work, but now that shooting has started he really looks like a young DeForest Kelly.

[Cloverfield spoiler?]




We do see some full shots of the monster. I didn't expect the filmmakers to go that far. I'm not sure if I liked the effect of seeing it fully. I'd prefer more mystery.




[End possible spoiler]

Trek Remastered -- "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"

"It is obvious to the most simpleminded that Lokai is of an inferior breed....Lokai is white on the right side. All of his people are white on the right side."

This week's episode is "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield", the Original Series' most direct look at race hatred. Frank Gorshin, who played The Riddler on the Batman TV series, is one of the guest stars (pictured above, on the left).

I seem to remember reading that there were some problems in production on this episode -- that may be why this was Gene L. Coon's last script for the series and credited to a pseudonym. Although it has an important message, it's not one of the better episodes. It does have some bits that make it worth watching, however. As mentioned in its Memory Alpha entry, it's the only ep where we see the transporter room from the POV of the transporter pad. There are some unique close-up exteriors of the Enterprise found only in this one. I'm curious to see if CBS Digital changes those shots or recreates them.

Also, Captain Kirk, Scotty and Chekov set the self-destruct sequence for the first and only time in the series -- which was duplicated in Star Trek III.

Just a reminder: In the Michiana area, new episodes are on Sunday night/Monday morning at 1am EST on The CW, and a repeat of the last week's ep is on Saturday night/Sunday morning at 1am on My Michiana. For everyone else, "check your local listings"...

"There was persecution on Earth once; I remember reading about it in my history texts."
"Yes, but that was back in the 20th century -- there's no such primitive thinking today."

UPDATE: screenshots and FX video.

Trek Remastered -- "Who Mourns for Adonais?"

This week is the Second Season episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?". In this one, the crew meets a powerful alien who claims to be the Greek god Apollo. Gene Roddenberry's hand was used for the special effect shown above.

Poor Scotty. He's always having trouble with women. They either get attacked and/or killed by energy creatures, cause accidents in Engineering, or fall in love with a Greek god.

UPDATE: screenshots and FX video.

Trek Remastered -- "Day of the Dove" review, screenshots and FX video

Click on the link.

Trek Remastered -- "Day of the Dove"

Welcome to 2008! First post of the year!

This week's Trek episode is "Day of the Dove". This is the one where a mysterious energy being that feeds on anger traps a group of Klingons on the Enterprise to fight the crew. Serious injuries are healed by the creature so the conflict can continue. Only a truce with the Klingons can break the cycle.

Michael Ansara is The Man.

This one has that same feeling that most of the 3rd Season episodes do: that the show is coming to an end but there are still some interesting stories to tell. This is a good story and the conflicts between the Enterprise officers under the influence of the alien entity show some different sides to their characters -- particularly the words between Scotty and Spock.

Spock is not amused by Kang and Kirk's "good spirits".

I Am Legend opens today

This is a movie I've been anticipating for a long, long time.

I'm a fan of Richard Matheson's original novel, the 1964 Vincent Price adaptation The Last Man on Earth, and the 1971 Charlton Heston re-adaptation The Omega Man. Each one has various bits that I enjoy, and each in their own way speak as much about their times as they do about the original story.

About 8 years ago I heard some buzz about another remake. Ridley Scott was rumored to be directing and the leading actor under consideration at the time was Arnold Schwarzenegger. A script, written by Mark Protosevich, was floating around on the Internet so I found a copy and gave it a read.

I was impressed by the script and the way the action was updated. I thought it would make a decent version of the story. My other conclusion was that Arnold wouldn't be right for it -- my choice would have been Kurt Russell.

Then a couple of years ago, the remake was being talked about again with Will Smith in the lead -- and it actually got produced! I see that Protosevich is still listed as a writer, but now Akiva Goldsman is sharing that title. My guess is that he was called in to do some polishing and update it with Will Smith in mind. I wonder how much of Protosevich's original is still left?

You can read Protosevich's original script for yourself and compare it to the movie. I also see now that there is a John Logan version out there too, but I haven't read it. Both Logan and Protosevich are from Chicago. Coincidence?

In a later post I'll discuss other post-apocalyptic and dystopian movies.

Bonus link: A page showing other posters for the I Am Legend ad campaign. They are shots of various world cities after the disaster. I haven't seen these anywhere else. Scary stuff but well done!

Trek Remastered -- "A Taste of Armageddon"

This weekend's new Remastered episode is "A Taste of Armageddon". This is the one where the crew finds themselves caught between two warring planets. It's not technically a Kirk-vs.-computer story, but there are computers involved, and then... no, I don't want to ruin the denouement for you.

This is a classic episode, with has all the best bits that you love about The Original Series: Kirk has a great passionate speech, Spock gets in some good lines, there's several fights using Kirk-fu... even Scotty has good scenes.

I fondly remember it running often in the syndication rotation when I was growing up. This is one of my favorites. I even have a copy of the script (geek check, I know...). Check it out!

An extra treat: This is the original establishing shot matte, followed by the new CGI version. Yes, those are moving monorails in the background.

More climate news to worry about

Remember what I said about a tipping point?

Scientists take 2007's temperature

Scientist: 'Arctic is screaming'

Ominous Arctic Melt Worries Experts

Can the Planet Be Saved in Bali?

EU Threatens to Boycott US Climate Talks

EU gives U.S. ultimatum on climate

2008 may be another 1982 for genre movies

I knew there were some big movies planned for next year, but it wasn't until I read something that Bill Hunt said over at The Digital Bits that it sunk in. Next year is shaping up to be another 1982 -- Cloverfield, The Spiderwick Chronicles, 10,000 B.C., Stargate SG-1, The Forbidden Kingdom, Iron Man, Speed Racer, Prince Caspian, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Incredible Hulk, Get Smart, Wall-E, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Hellboy II, The Dark Knight, The X-Files 2, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Dragonball, Death Race, Where the Wild Things Are, Bond 22, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Star Trek.

Trek Remastered -- "The Return of the Archons"

"It's almost the red hour!"

The episode for this upcoming weekend is "The Return of the Archons". It's not quite in the same league as "City on the Edge of Forever", but it's still a great fan-favorite.

One of the best Kirk-vs.-Computer stories, it's also a really creepy episode. With the period sets and costumes, it almost has the look of a Hammer film. The anti-authority, anti-Communist theme still resonates. It scared the heck out of a lot of people at the time. Recommended!

The 30-second preview is here. "Are you of the body?"

Update: Remastered screenshots and video here.

Trek Remastered -- "The Alternative Factor"

This weekend's episode is "The Alternative Factor". It's an ambitious first season episode about a person caught between two parallel universes. If they didn't have the production and editing problems, this could have been really terrific.

Click on the link above for the spooky trailer.

Trek Remastered -- rerun of "Space Seed"

This weekend is a rerun of "Space Seed", where the Enterprise finds Khan and his followers. Coincidentally (or maybe not), today is Ricardo Montalban's birthday.

Trek Remastered -- "The Doomsday Machine" re-run

This weekend is an encore presentation (that is, a rerun) of "The Doomsday Machine", originally shown as a remastered episode this February.

I won't repeat my introduction to it (with photos), but if you haven't seen it yet try to catch it this time. It is by far the best of the remastered eps so far. It has the benefit of being one of the Original Series episodes with the most "space" scenes, so there was a lot that CBS Digital could do with it.

I had seen the original "Doomsday..." about a half-dozen times, but the remastered version really was like seeing it for the first time. The new effects help crank up the tension quite a bit, and I was literally on the edge of my seat watching it.

Well, yes, I just repeated myself. But it's that good.

Hollywood, the Writers Guild strike, and me

I've been reading bits and pieces on comic book/TV/animation writer Mark Evanier's blog for months now about the possibility of a strike, and now that it's happened I think I understand the issues fairly well. If you're not certain what it's all about, take three minutes to watch Why We Fight, a video overview of the current situation and how we got here.

It's very encouraging to see that the Screen Actors Guild is supporting the WGA so strongly. They, and the Directors Guild of America, will be negotiating next year as their current contracts come to an end, and it's likely that they will be looking for the same agreements.

My plan of support is based on some things I've read here and there on the 'net. I will watch the new episodes of my favorite shows, but once they run out and go into rerun mode, I'm done. I'll also send letters to the local affiliates and the corporate offices to explain why. That's really the only way to show support: hit the studios in the pocketbook and let them know that you are. It's the same as when you write to support a cancelled show or if you see something you object to on TV. I have stacks of DVDs, books, and other responsibilities to keep me occupied while this gets hashed out.

A great place for more news and information about this topic from the inside is United Hollywood, and check out Fans4Writers for the fan perspective.

Trek Remastered -- "The Deadly Years"

"When Enterprise discovers a colony full of rapidly-aging scientists, whatever caused the rapid aging inflicts them as well." And then the Romulans attack!

The 30-second preview and a couple of new Romulan ship photos are here. I'm staying up late to watch this tomorrow night...I hope I don't fall asleep like Old Captain Kirk.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

I've really been out of the loop lately. In another case of "where have I been?", I just found about this from a pulp-themed post on the Evil DM's blog.

Michelle Yeoh plays an ancient sorceress. Jet Li is the mummy of the Emperor in the title. Wow! And the photo of Brendan Fraser in character embodies the essence of "pulp". This could be amazing...

More info on the director's site and tons of production photos on a Michelle Yeoh fansite.

Trek Remastered -- "Metamorphosis"

"Metamorphosis" is this weekend's episode. I always look forward to seeing the show, but I'm especially interested in this particular one. It's been literally years since I've seen it, and I'm sure I'll react to its themes of love and loss differently now as an adult than I did as a kid. Take a look for yourself and see what you think. This is one of several episodes of the Original Series that have fine acting and an emotional punch that many people seem to have forgotten about.

Check out the 30-second preview here.

Star Trek movie teaser in the works

It shouldn't be any surprise that it's being worked on now, but the rumor mill is buzzing about the production of a teaser for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie. The juicy detail is that part of it will show the Enterprise under construction. It seems logical, as a metaphor for the rebirth of the franchise.

Trek Remastered -- "Catspaw" rerun for Halloween

This weekend is a rerun of the Halloween episode "Catspaw". This page has the official preview, the FX reel, and a high resolution screencap of the new CG castle background.

Trek Remastered -- "The Gamesters of Triskelion"

"Three disembodied beings wager on fights staged by prisoners abducted from around the galaxy."

This isn't one of the best episodes of the series, but it's a fun guilty pleasure. It's probably the episode most responsible for Kirk's reputation for hitting on alien space babes. Chekov and Uhura get some screen time, and there's good Spock/McCoy banter.

Check out the preview. I bet 100 quatloos that you'll enjoy it!

Environmental blog roundup

I neglected to post anything for Blog Action Day on Monday, so I'll link to this list of environmental blogs on buzz.blogger.com. Take a look.

Trek Remastered -- "Dagger of the Mind"

This weekend's episode is "Dagger of the Mind", the one where the Enterprise visits the Tantalus Penal Colony. Of course, trouble ensues.

There aren't many special effect shots in this episode to update, but the CBS Digital team corrected a big problem with the original. The matte painting used for the elevator entrance to the facility was reused from the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". CBS-D has taken this opportunity to change this by creating the outstanding digital matte seen above. It's very much in the mold of the best 50s/60s sci-fi art. Excellent work!

The 30-second preview is here.

Trek Remastered -- "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"

This weekend's episode is a excellent First Season entry, the one with Dr. Roger Korby, the androids in the underground complex, and the android duplicate Kirk. It's also notable for guest-starring Ted Cassidy ("Lurch" from "The Addams Family") and Sherry Jackson.

You can watch the 30-second preview here.

Swarm of insects disrupt late innings

CLEVELAND (AP) -- This will forever be known as the Bug Game.

A swarm of insects descended on Jacobs Field in the eighth inning of the Cleveland Indians' 2-1 playoff victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night, leading to a bizarre scene featuring players waving their arms and gloves in an attempt to keep the pesky bugs away.

The teams kept playing into extra innings as millions of bugs nagged players on the field and in the dugouts.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/specials/playoffs/2007/10/05/yankees.indians.bugs.ap/index.html

How bizarre is that? The only thing more crazy would be giant insects.

See also: http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/eh/12.2/tsutsui.html