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Re-watching Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

– November 3, 2011 8:00 amPosted in: Movies

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Screenplay by: David Loughery
Story by: William Shatner & Harve Bennett & David Loughery
Produced by: Harve Bennett
Directed by: William Shatner

Release date: June 9, 1989
Stardate: 8454.1

Mission Summary

Shore leave at Yosemite Park is cut short by a hostage situation on the planet Nimbus III, where a Vulcan named Sybok has taken three ambassadors hostage. The Enterprise is dispatched to resolve the situation, and they find that Sybok is Spock’s fully Vulcan half-brother. He has a unique ability to purge a person’s pain, a neat trick that both Spock and McCoy take him up on (Kirk refuses, saying his pain makes him human). Unfortunately, Sybok also happens to be a raving cultist in search of god at the planet Sha Ka Ree in the center of the universe. Meanwhile, a Klingon named Klaa is in pursuit of Kirk, for personal glory and because the movie needed explosions.

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Re-Watching Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Torie Atkinson & Eugene Myers

– October 27, 2011 8:00 amPosted in: Movies

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Screenplay by: Steve Meerson & Peter Krikes and
Harve Bennett & Nicholas Meyer
Story by: Leonard Nimoy & Harve Bennett
Produced by: Harve Bennett
Directed by: Leonard Nimoy

Release date: November 26, 1986
Stardate: 8390.0 (aka 1986)

Mission Summary

The crew of the Enterprise has been court-martialed by Klingon request for the ship stolen and the lives lost in Star Trek III. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, a mysterious probe that disables just about everything is headed straight for Earth. The probe sends a signal no one can understand, and when it doesn’t get a response it begins to vaporize the Earth’s oceans and ionize its atmosphere: a recipe for disaster. Spock, newly born again, discovers that the signal is the song of the humpback whale: extinct since the 21st century. In classic Star Trek fashion, the crew go back in time to 1986 San Francisco to nab themselves some humpback whales.

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Tags: admirals, also probably nuclear vessels, angry klingons, Cold War, computers, court-martial, curious lack of moby dick references, double dumbasses, emotional Spock, giant fish tanks, i don't know you well enough to get into that, mind melds, movies, nuclear wessels, russians, time travel, transparent aluminum, whale biologist, whales

Re-Watching Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Eugene Myers & Torie Atkinson

– October 20, 2011 8:00 amPosted in: Movies

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Written by: Harve Bennett
Produced by: Harve Bennett
Directed by: Leonard Nimoy

Release date: June 1, 1984
Stardate: 8210.3

Mission Summary

Enterprise returns to Earth to be decommissioned, with Kirk and the crew still mourning Spock. A visit from the Vulcan’s father, Sarek, offers some hope that their friend is only mostly dead–just before Spock gave his life to save the ship, he mind-melded with Dr. McCoy to implant his living spirit, or katra, in the doctor’s head. Kirk decides to go to the Genesis Planet to retrieve Spock’s body and take him to Vulcan, but there are two problems: Starfleet has classified Genesis as off-limits, and they don’t have a ship to get them there.

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Tags: death, fully clothed man-wrestling, Genesis, handwaving mumblemumble, klingons, loyalty, mind meld, sabotage, starship jacking, transwarp drive, Vulcan magic, Vulcan sex

Re-Watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Eugene Myers & Torie Atkinson

– October 13, 2011 8:00 amPosted in: Movies

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Screenplay by: Jack B. Sowards
Story by: Harve Bennett and Jack B. Sowards
Produced by: Robert Sallin
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer

Release date: June 4, 1982
Stardate: 8130.3

Mission Summary

The U.S.S. Reliant makes an unexpected discovery on a scientific mission to the Ceti Alpha system: the genetically-engineered superman Khan Noonien Singh and the surviving crew of the S.S. Botany Bay, who has been cooling his heels on the inhospitable fifth planet for the last fifteen years. Khan’s somewhat pissed that his old friend James Kirk never called or wrote since marooning them there, so he takes over Reliant and begins plotting his revenge, which mostly revolves around a) inserting gross, brain-controlling slugs into Captain Terrell and Commander Chekov’s ears, b) stealing the Genesis Device, an experimental probe that can terraform a dead planet within days (what could possibly go wrong?), and b) killing Kirk. A person has to dream big, and galactic overachiever Khan is reaching for the stars.

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Thank you

Eugene Myers & Torie Atkinson

– October 8, 2011 7:28 pmPosted in: Uncategorized

One year ago today, Torie and I posted our first Star Trek Re-Watch post on this site, “Spock’s Brain.” (Sorry about that.) When we launched The Viewscreen, we weren’t sure if we would even have an audience over here, but we were surprised and pleased that so many readers followed us and faithfully participated in weekly discussions of one of our favorite television series.

We are thrilled that this site has developed such a terrific community of amazing, intelligent people from all over the world and widely different backgrounds, united only by an interest in Star Trek–even if we don’t always agree. (Especially if we don’t always agree.) We appreciate every one of you. As we conclude “season one” of The Viewscreen, Torie and I thank you for your support, for making this site what it is today, and for giving it a future that we can hopefully all explore together.

Live long and prosper.

Tags: anniversary, let's see what's out there, thanks

Re-Watching Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Eugene Myers & Torie Atkinson

– October 6, 2011 8:00 amPosted in: Movies

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Screenplay by: Harold Livingston
Story by: Alan Dean Foster
Produced by: Gene Roddenberry
Directed by: Robert Wise

Release date: December 7, 1979
Stardate: 7410.2

Mission Summary

A giant space cloud, impervious to conventional weapons but massively destructive, is headed straight for Earth. Naturally the Enterprise, fresh from a renovation, is the only ship in interception range. Admiral Kirk temporarily takes control of the ship from its captain, Captain Decker, and reassembles his old crew–including Spock, who just failed to complete the Kolinahr–to confront the cloud.

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Tags: alien probes, best music ever, breeding, computers, distinct lack of half-naked man-wrestling, godlike powers, kirk is a jerk, klingons, moby dick, Nomad, sexy ladies, transporter malfunction, wormhole, yawn

The Re-Watch Adventure Continues…

Eugene Myers

– October 3, 2011 1:00 pmPosted in: Movies

At last, Torie and I have fully recovered from the Star Trek Animated Series Re-Watch, and have completed or set aside our other pesky obligations, so it’s finally time to launch our rewatch of the Star Trek films!

We’ll start things off where it all began with Star Trek: The Motion Picture this Thursday, October 6, then proceed through the rest of the films on the same schedule for the following five weeks, from planet Genesis and straight through the final frontier to the undiscovered country–with a short detour to 1986 to say hello to some whales and grab a slice of pizza.

We hope you’ll join us for this exciting conclusion to the adventures of the original crew of the starship Enterprise and help give them a fitting sendoff. We’ve enjoyed sharing this series in all its formats with you all for the past two years, and we’ve both been looking forward to talking about the films for a while. Odds are even, it’ll be a good time! And as always, we appreciate it if you would spread the word to encourage an engaging discussion.

Tags: finally, movies

Happy 45th Birthday, Star Trek!

Torie Atkinson

– September 8, 2011 8:00 pmPosted in: Uncategorized

On September 8, 1966, the United Nations first promoted International Literacy Day; Elizabeth II opened the Severn Bridge in the UK; and some TV show about people in space seeking out new life and new civilizations premiered.

Star Trek, I hope 45 years is just the beginning. Happy birthday!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZWaWrvJ7nA&feature=youtu.be

And because it’s not a party without cake, here are some of the best Star Trek cakes I could find.

[Made by DecadentDiva]

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Open Thread: Galaxy Quest

Torie Atkinson

– August 18, 2011 8:00 amPosted in: Uncategorized

Since there won’t be a substantial post for a little while longer…

Gwen DeMarco: What is this thing? I mean, it serves no useful purpose for there to be a bunch of chompy, crushy things in the middle of a hallway! No, I mean we shouldn’t have to do this, it makes no logical sense, why is it here?!
Jason Nesmith: ‘Cause it’s on the television show.
Gwen DeMarco: Well forget it! I’m not doing it! This episode was badly written!

Open thread, by virtue of being open, is not actually restricted to discussing Galaxy Quest. But who can resist? I missed this movie entirely in theaters and only saw it years later, as part of an Alan Rickman: Beneath His Dignity marathon at my college SF club. (Just an excuse to watch Prince of Thieves, really. Though I also vaguely remember watching a terrible romantic comedy.) At least half the jokes were lost on me at the time.

What I find so striking now, being a much more hardened Trekkie than I was then, is how well Galaxy Quest (as a parody!) captures the sincerity of the original show and honors it. What destroys the Thermians is the idea that these people who embody virtue and all that is noble and good are lying. Star Trek has always been unapologetic in its idealism. It’s nice to see that aspect of it not ridiculed in the least but held up as a virtue–and as more than that, something sort of sacred.

It’s so hard to pick a favorite line. “That was a hell of a thing!” No, wait. “By Grabthar’s hammer… what a savings.” Or maybe it’s the one about Gilligan’s Island…

Tags: galaxy quest, open thread

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Viewing Party

Torie Atkinson

– August 16, 2011 8:00 amPosted in: Movies

But he seemed like such a nice boy...

Since we had such a fabulous time watching The Motion Picture, we’ll be doing it again with everyone’s favorite waxed chest, Ricardo Montalban. The viewing will begin on Saturday, August 27th, at 2pm EST. You’ll have to provide your own copy of the film, and as with all of our reviews, we’ll be watching the original theatrical release–no director’s cut, no “remastering,” just the movie as it was presented in 1982.

I’ll be around no later than 1:30pm if you want to test out your microphone and just chat pub-style before the movie starts.

Skype is going to be the utility of choice for voice chat (text wound up too cumbersome, but it’ll be available as an option if there’s enough interest). Skype is free and works on all platforms, so sign up! Iif you don’t have a microphone but do have a regular phone and want to be part of the chat, e-mail me your phone number (torie.atkinson [at] gmail [dot] com) and I will call you so you can join us.

My name on Skype is torie.atkinson and Eugene is e.c.myers. Cover charge is a willingness to shout KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!!!!!!!.

And for the steel-livered, grab some aged Romulan ale and try The Khan Drinking Game: