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".