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:
Drink every time…
…the camera shakes to indicate a ship has been hit;
…a character feels his or her years;
…there’s a literary reference;
…KHAAAAAN!!!!!!
(Do add your own rules in the comments!)
Let us know if we should expect you!
Can’t watch the Theatrical Release version as I don’t possess it, and I don’t like watching it anyway now that I’ve seen the Directors cut with the restored scenes.
What’s the thinking behind wanting to watch ‘cut’ versions that the directors were not happy with (but had to push into cinemas) rather than watching the complete films that the Directors have taken time and trouble to lovingly put back together (and, in the case of ‘Motion Picture’, improve the effects to something approaching Robert Wise’s original vision)? To coin a phrase “why would you do this?” Why not watch the films as the Directors intended you to see them?
BTW is there a discussion thread for ‘Motion Picture’ somewhere, please? It’s not linked from the Index.
Torie@0: This sounds like a lot of fun! Unfortunately, I’m going to be moving house the weekend before, and everything is likely to be utter chaos. But if I can make it, I’ll be there!
I could suggest that a drink be taken every time Khan sneers or goes bug-eyed, but I’m not sure anyone would be standing at the end of the film…
EngineersMate@1: The point would be, I think, that a lot of us bought the film quite some time ago, before the marketing concept of ‘director’s cuts’ were invented of as a way to extract more money from us, and so those are the versions most people are likely to have. It’s certainly the one I have — on VHS.
@ 1 EngineersMate
The theatrical cut is simply what most everyone in the world saw and what most people who own the movie have. Director’s cuts are a relatively recent phenomenon, and while I think they’re great (and basically never go back when it comes to Lord of the Rings, Dark City, or Blade Runner), I consider them to be a bonus to the original movie, not a replacement for it.
@ 2 NomadUK
Good luck with the move!
And yeah, I think “every time Ricardo Montalban acts” would be deadly.
@ 1 EngineersMate
Oh geez I forgot to answer your actual question. There is no discussion thread up yet. Our reviews and associated discussions will be going up in early September right around the Khan screening, once Eugene’s novel revisions are turned in (they’re due at the end of this month). We’re just getting started on the viewings a) to give us both some lead time in writing the reviews, since the movies are a big task; and b) to have something to do with you guys while we don’t have many posts.
“…we’ll be doing it again with everyone’s favorite waxed chest, Ricardo Montalban.”
Which brings up an enduring memory of this film for me – not something in the film but in the theater. I was in college when this film first came out and I went with a group of friends on opening day. A group of high school kids sat behind us and this boy – sitting directly behind me – swooned loudly every time Montalban appeared on the screen. I have nothing against that boy, it’s just that I can’t see Montalban in anything now without hearing that swoon.
Ludon@5: Well, I have to admit that chest is pretty amazing.
That said, I can’t see Montalban in anything without hearing ‘rich, Corinthian leather’ in my head. Like, right now … stop it!
I don’t know if I can make this party–which sounds like great fun–but I have to note relatedly that not too long ago, my partner and I had a Spock’s Brain drinking game! We took a drink on every utterance of the word “brain” in the episode. By the time we got to “brain and brain! What is brain?” we were out of booze and had to break out the emergency backup booze!
(By episode’s end we were both pretty toasty, and so there was only one thing to do: follow that up with the MST3K edition of The Brain That Wouldn’t Die.)
For Wrath of Khan purposes, though, I can definitely recommend homemade kamikazes. ;)
@ 5 Ludon
That’s hilarious! Montalban earned all those swoons. Talk about one impressive sixty-year-old! And to see pictures of him as a young man… yowza.
@ 6 NomadUK
He has a voice to remember. Well, a lot of things to remember.
@ 7 Angela Korra’ti
Oh god. Eugene and I should’ve done that when we did our Laugh Treks. I’ve seen that episode so many times now that I’m kind of shellshocked by it. I can recite most of it by memory and it doesn’t even seem that bad anymore…
@8 Torie
I grew up seeing him in different things over the years and yes, I’ll admit that he was still very impressive in his sixties.
Also. I consider his one of the four great voices I’ve heard in entertainment. Ricardo Montalban, Orson Wells, James Colburn and James Earl Jones. Need I say more?
@8 Torie: Hee yeah, Spock’s Brain is infinitely more amusing with vodka!
However, I’m pretty sure there isn’t enough vodka in the world to save And the Children Shall Lead.
Anything left in the glass should be chugged at “-KHAAAAANNN!!!”
I dimly remember the Cordoba ads, but Ricardo Montalban = Mr. Rourke to my eyeball reflexes.
I think I’m off that day, I just have to wake up early enough, Pacific time. And check which version I have.
I have a feeling I’m going to wind up missing this. The house is full of boxes, the television and ancillary items have yet to be hooked up, and there’s no Internet service yet. On top of that, the primary partner has thrown her back out being overzealous and so I’m going to wind up doing a lot of heaving things around this weekend.
All in all, things look a bit like the inside of Regula I after Khan and his bunch finish with it.
Well, I will be thinking of you all. Hoist a few for me, and I’ll do the same on my end. Cheers!
Tore & Eugene are you guys ready for thestorm?
@ 9 Ludon
I’d put Alan Rickman on that list. He’s got such a fantastic character voice. And if you want to go for “recognizable,” Jimmy Stewart’s gotta get on there, too. I think I’ve heard Orson Welles parodied too many times to fully appreciate him.
@ 10 Angela Korra’ti
I still think Plato’s Stepchildren is the absolute worst.
@ 11 sps49
Hope to see you then!
@ 12 NomadUK
Aww, shucks. Next time! And best of luck unpacking…
@ 13 bobsandiego
Ugh, no. My flight leaves on Sunday and I’m worried I’ll get grounded.
Torie @ 14: Oh my yes that one hurts. There’s not enough vodka in the world to save that episode.
Star Trek jello shots:
Vulcan Mind Mush: Lime jello with your favorite brandy (thank you Doctor, I will have a brandy).
Journey to Babble: Layers of berry blue, lime and cherry with, why not, Bushmill whiskey.
Freaking Hailencies Open: Chocolate jello pudding with Frangelico and a bit of almond extract, with whipped cream.
Russian Inwention: Orange jello with wodka. Mr. Chekov, that sounds like a screwdriver to me. Of course it is, Keptin. Dey vere inwented in Russia.
Torie@14: Yeah, well, the needs of the many, and all that. See you next time!
@14 Torie
Alan Rickman and Jimmy Stewart both have great voices but those voices alone don’t command attention. Their voices are part of their presence. Sure, Stewart’s voice is recognizable but tell me if you wouldn’t be expecting something humorous if you were somewhere and heard that voice. Sean Connery also has a good voice but for me that voice does not carry without the rest of him. Now, if you want to talk overall presence, I’d consider Connery one of the best. I’ve said many times that if he was going to appear on stage reading selected passages from the Chicago Yellow Pages I’d be there. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be interested in just an audio recording of that reading.
Orson Wells captured my attention when I was in High School. I saw (more like projected since I was an AV Geek) Citizen Kane and The Third Man. At that time I didn’t really like Citizen Kane but that voice held my attention even when I was not looking at the screen. The Third Man was a pure treat for me. Then realizing that it was his voice at the end of Beneath The Planet Of The Apes made me realize how much I loved hearing that voice.
Now this brings me to another great voice and back to Star Trek. A fantasy I’ve had for many years is to hear Winston Churchill recite the Star Trek Preamble “Space. The Final . . .”
Yeah, so, how’d it go? Or is everyone still recovering from the hangover?
It was a blast. ( my sweetie-wife says I was abit too loud in my fun-filled mood.)
Hi everyone…I’ve just discovered this site and I’m trying to understand what is going on. I love Wrath of Khan. Are many of you in NY and going to get together for a screening? I was a Special Effects Imagineer for Disney and I’m a collector of most things from movie props to hats. I have a phaser from the movie that was given to me by Kirsty and it still works. I had her ears too…but they finally just fell apart. Does anyone know a crazy collector who might be interested in buying her phaser?
Hi GaryHollwood!
We generally re-watch Star Trek and post reviews for discussion, and for the films we arranged some online viewing parties. We’ve taken an unexpectedly lengthy hiatus for personal and professional reasons, but we’re looking to get back to it in at least a limited fashion very soon!
I wish I had the money to take that phaser off your hands…