star trek

Chris Knight's avatar
Gowron, not David Waddell
(but Gowron should have
resigned too, when you
think about it…)

That does it: if I ever run for office again and win, I’m going to give my acceptance speech in High-Elvish Sindarin!

Indian Trail is a nice town near Charlotte here in North Carolina.  And one of its city councilmmembers – one David Waddell – had decided that “enough was enough” about the way the officials of Indian Trail were handling what he considers to be development run amok, among other things.  Exasperated by it all, David Waddell decided to resign his seat.

Except that he did it using the Klingon language: the tongue spoken by the proud warrior race from the Star Trek franchise.

Here’s the story from The Charlotte Observer:

An Indian Trail councilman decided to boldly go where no
politician has gone before – and tendered his resignation this week

...
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Chris Knight's avatar

An awful lot of the homegrown cinema lately seems to have more heart and soul than most of the big studio productions.  These two fan-created films are some of the best that I’ve seen lately.

First up, it’s a sequel to the original Star Trek episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?”.  “Pilgrim of Eternity” has Michael Forest reprising his role as Apollo from the 1967 episode.  The script was written by Jack Treviño (who wrote the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes “Little Green Men” and “Indiscretion”).  Christopher Doohan – son of James Doohan – plays Scotty and Marina Sirtis herself is the voice of the Enterprise computer.  And not being content with just one Apollo, “Pilgrim of Eternity” also has Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica‘s Lee Adama) as a redshirt security officer!




And then we have this: Arkham Rising.  Set during the events of The Dark ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

(One of the reasons why I haven’t posted a review of this movie already – though it’s been out for a week and I’ve seen it twice – is because I’ve wrestled with how to discuss Star Trek Into Darkness while being mindful of certain plot points.  Since most people know about “that” particular item by now anyway, I’m going to be openly sharing my thoughts about it.  But if you haven’t seen Star Trek Into Darkness yet and you absolutely do not want to be spoiled, please stop reading now and come back after you’ve watched it.  Consider yourself warned! 🙂

Star Trek Into Darkness is the best film of the entire Star Trek film series date and if it’s not then it definitely rivals Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for the honor.

Yeah.  I said it.  I went there.

In 2009 J.J. Abrams and his ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

I’ve a theory: Benedict Cumberbatch is playing Khan Noonien Singh. In the post-Kelvin altered timeline the Botany Bay was found years earlier than it was in the original Star Trek series, and Khan wound up working for Starfleet’s black ops. Then years later he comes back for revenge for something or ‘nother and that’s when he and Kirk will tangle for the “first” time.

But if he’s an entirely new character, I’m down for that too. Either way from the looks of this final trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness, it’s gonna be a toad-strangler of a movie!

Meanwhile the new trailer for Man of Steel swooped onto the Intertubes a short while ago…

I will believe this Superman can fly 🙂

And this movie has had some of the most beautiful trailers that I have seen for a summer tentpole in a long, long time....

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Chris Knight's avatar

Less than two months before this baby erupts across our peepers and I can’t wait!

Whether he turns out to be Khan or not, Benedict Cumberbatch has already sold me as being a classic Trek villain.

Does anyone else think that the Starfleet war room looks a lot like the one in Dr. Strangelove? Here’s praying that Star Trek Into Darkness doesn’t end with Kirk riding a torpedo while whooping and hollerin’…...

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Chris Knight's avatar

I wonder if he can do a Sith neck-pinch.

During his press conference earlier today about the “sequester” mess, President Barack Obama said the following…

“I know that this has been some of the conventional wisdom that’s been floating around Washington: That somehow, even though most people agree that I’m being reasonable, that most people agree that I’m presenting a fair deal — the fact that they don’t take it, means that I should somehow do a Jedi mindmeld with these folks and convince them to do what’s right,” he said. “Well, they’re elected. We have a constitutional system of government.”

Errrr… Vulcans like Mr. Spock do the mind-meld. In the Star Trek franchise. Jedi don’t do mind-melds. And Jedi are only found in Star Wars.

‘Course, now that J.J. Abrams is directing the new Star Trek movies and at least Star Wars Episode VII, I suppose anything ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Eleven days ago J.J. Abrams’ boys at Bad Robot let loose their teaser for Star Trek Into Darkness. Paramount is officially calling that one an “announcement” for the upcoming movie.

Then this afternoon they release what they’re claiming is the actual first trailer for it.

Confused? Yeah me too kinda.

But I think most will agree: this could be, so far, the most intense and poignant trailer for a Star Trek movie ever:

You’re gonna have to watch it in Quicktime if you wanna see it ‘cuz at the moment the Paramount lawyers are having it wiped like crazy from YouTube. Besides, you REALLY want to watch this in full beautiful Quicktime anyway. Trust me 🙂

Still no word on whether or not Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing Khan. But right now the confidence is pretty high that Alice Eve’s character will be Carol Marcus. And then there’s that ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

I’m telling y’all here and now, that when Star Trek Into Darkness comes out in May… that for the first time in my life I will show up on its premiere night wearing a Starfleet costume. And I will wear the uniform proudly! I even have an idea for it but you good readers will have to just wait and see 🙂

So what is it that would so motivate your friend and humble narrator to make such a drastic departure from his usual space saga haberdashery?

Boldly go and watch this teaser trailer! Do it NOW!!

Okay, I am going to place my bets now: that is Khan Noonien Singh who Benedict Cumberbatch is playing. And that’s my final answer until we know for sure. Because whoever Cumberbatch’s character is he is absurdly strong, agile and blessed with apparently superior intellect. Sound like a certain genetically-enhanced superman to ...

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Sometime in the 23rd century, it’s gonna be a very bad day to be in London…

(click to embiggen at warp speed)

The figure looking across the blasted British landscape of the 23rd century is Benedict Cumberbatch’s character. At this point I don’t believe he’s meant to be Gary Mitchell: the new ongoing Star Trek comic series overseen by J.J. Abrams’ crew took care of the alternate reality’s version of “Where No Man Has Gone Before” right out of the gate, and I heavily doubt they would ignore their own continuity like that by making Mitchell this movie’s villain. But I don’t think it’s going to be Khan either. 2009’s Star Trek was a wallop of one surprise after another: it remains the Blu-ray getting the most play at my house. And right now I’m so stoked about Star Trek Into Darkness that I don’t care who the bad guy ...

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