Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Seriously, Who Thought Making A New Star Trek Movie Would be A Good Idea?
This is why drugs are bad, especially in the creative process.
Now, I should make it clear I did intend to go see Star Trek: Nemesis in the cinema. I based this purely on a very effective poster and only my shitty time-management skills stopped me. This turned out to be lucky as when I finally got round to watch it it was on DVD and for free, so I didn't feel the need afterwards to go and pummel the undeserving cinema staff until I got my money refunded.
After watching the trailer for Star Trek By The Bell (a.k.a. Sarek Valley High, That's so Romulan, erm... The Naughtiest Girl in the Starfleet, give me a second and I'll think of some more...) I'm trying to work out how much Paramount would have to pay me so I didn't feel cheated after watching it.
Luckily we'll mostly be spared over here as I doubt the great British public will be much interested in this pile of toss. Sure, everyone knows who James T. Kirk is in the same way that they know who the Daleks are, but just because Doctor Who made a comeback don't expect the same for Star Trek, I'm not even totally sure as to whether Enterprise was ever shown right to the end on terrestrial TV. I doubt the prospect of young Kirk will be much of a pull for non-Star Trek fans and possibly those of us who like to look down our noses at enthusiasts who actually speak Klingon or who think the Federation is a nice place to live (oh don't get me fucking started sunshine...).
So that leaves the fans, who are about to be given a film which the creator is taking pains to say he isn't writing for them, he doesn't know much about the universe and he's creating a movie for people who won't be interested in it. The closest thing to a star name it has over here is Simon Pegg, again Lost isn't big news over here. And when a series set in the franchises own past doesn't even last long enough to make it to the seven year marker like the rest of it's sister shows, what insanity is it that makes people think "let's make a film on that same concept!"? This will hopefully land Star Trek into the creative hiatus the whole franchise needs until it can think of some new ideas.
(Got it, Degrassi Junior Hirogen).
Now, I should make it clear I did intend to go see Star Trek: Nemesis in the cinema. I based this purely on a very effective poster and only my shitty time-management skills stopped me. This turned out to be lucky as when I finally got round to watch it it was on DVD and for free, so I didn't feel the need afterwards to go and pummel the undeserving cinema staff until I got my money refunded.
After watching the trailer for Star Trek By The Bell (a.k.a. Sarek Valley High, That's so Romulan, erm... The Naughtiest Girl in the Starfleet, give me a second and I'll think of some more...) I'm trying to work out how much Paramount would have to pay me so I didn't feel cheated after watching it.
Luckily we'll mostly be spared over here as I doubt the great British public will be much interested in this pile of toss. Sure, everyone knows who James T. Kirk is in the same way that they know who the Daleks are, but just because Doctor Who made a comeback don't expect the same for Star Trek, I'm not even totally sure as to whether Enterprise was ever shown right to the end on terrestrial TV. I doubt the prospect of young Kirk will be much of a pull for non-Star Trek fans and possibly those of us who like to look down our noses at enthusiasts who actually speak Klingon or who think the Federation is a nice place to live (oh don't get me fucking started sunshine...).
So that leaves the fans, who are about to be given a film which the creator is taking pains to say he isn't writing for them, he doesn't know much about the universe and he's creating a movie for people who won't be interested in it. The closest thing to a star name it has over here is Simon Pegg, again Lost isn't big news over here. And when a series set in the franchises own past doesn't even last long enough to make it to the seven year marker like the rest of it's sister shows, what insanity is it that makes people think "let's make a film on that same concept!"? This will hopefully land Star Trek into the creative hiatus the whole franchise needs until it can think of some new ideas.
(Got it, Degrassi Junior Hirogen).
Labels: movies, science fiction, Star Trek
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Let the geek out of the box
An essay about lesbian, gay and bisexual characters in Star Trek. I've always tended to think any claim by Trek fans that their show is socially progressive to be a humorous one. Of course, there was that Kirk/Uhura spit-swapping session in the sixties but while the visual was undoubtedly progressive let's not forget that in the context of the story neither party wanted to do it.
I don't agree with everything in the essay, I quite enjoyed most of the treatment of religion in Deep Space Nine, and I think the fact that the only queers in several decades of Star Trek were leatherclad degenerates in an alternative universe suggests a much more homophobic attitude than the author is willing to suggest.
Still, we don't need them, we've got Doctor Who and (well, you'll forgive me if I don't use the 'girl')Slash Goggles for all our needs now.
There's another essay on sexuality in Star Trek and Star Trek slash here.
I don't agree with everything in the essay, I quite enjoyed most of the treatment of religion in Deep Space Nine, and I think the fact that the only queers in several decades of Star Trek were leatherclad degenerates in an alternative universe suggests a much more homophobic attitude than the author is willing to suggest.
Still, we don't need them, we've got Doctor Who and (well, you'll forgive me if I don't use the 'girl')Slash Goggles for all our needs now.
There's another essay on sexuality in Star Trek and Star Trek slash here.
Labels: bisexual, Doctor Who, gay, geekery, lesbian, science fiction, slash, Star Trek
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Linkathon
Simon Munnery has a blog. Yay!
You Park Like an Asshole. Being a pedestrian I must admit I'd prefer a website called 'You Drive Like a Twat' with an 'And You Cyclists Are Traffic Light Ignoring Bastards Too' subsection but I'll take what I can get.
Starship Sofa. Podcast discussing science-fiction authors. The Alfred Bester episode is the only one I've listened to thus far, but I did enjoy that. Sigh, maybe if I quit work I can watch all the TV shows, read all the books, see all the films and listen to all the podcasts I want to. Anyone want to support me in a life of leisure?
What Should I Read Next? Apparently, if you've read a Neil Gaiman book you should read all the Narnia books. How likely is it that people will have read Neil Gaiman and not read the Narnia books beforehand?
< disengage literary snobbery >
Jen Wang. Lovely art, I especially liked Touchfood.
Polly Borland's Alison Goldfrapp gallery.
Doomsday clock advanced closer to midnight next wednesday. I've got a job interview on wednesday morning, so that's some news that'll put me in the right frame of mind. "Why should we give you this job?" "Why should you give me this job? It's pointless really, we're all doomed..." [via Slashdot]
The next Star Trek film will be young Kirk and Spock. Did these jokers learn nothing from Enterprise ? Or is this some scientific endeavour to see how far turned in on themselves they can go? Take a leaf from Doctor Who guys, go boldly where you haven't gone boldly before, rather than those places where everyone before you hung around.
Steve Jobs heralds new wave of street crime. ‘We’re confident that this phone is so sexy that opportunistic criminals will be unable to prevent themselves from knocking owners to the ground before wrestling the device from their hands and running off down the road.’ External testicles proves ‘unintelligent design’. ‘Why would anyone intelligent put something as sensitive as testicles in a little sack on the outside? Surely this proves the concept of ‘Unintelligent Design’?'
Top 100 Fundies Say The Darndest Things Quotes. I am a bit troubled. I believe my son has a girlfriend, because she left a dirty magazine with men in it under his bed... "I can sum it all up in three words: Evolution is a lie"... "If your original Hebrew disagrees with my original King James --- your original Hebrew is wrong. If your original Hebrew agrees with my original King James, your original Hebrew is right." [via Link Machine Go]
Sling.
You Park Like an Asshole. Being a pedestrian I must admit I'd prefer a website called 'You Drive Like a Twat' with an 'And You Cyclists Are Traffic Light Ignoring Bastards Too' subsection but I'll take what I can get.
Starship Sofa. Podcast discussing science-fiction authors. The Alfred Bester episode is the only one I've listened to thus far, but I did enjoy that. Sigh, maybe if I quit work I can watch all the TV shows, read all the books, see all the films and listen to all the podcasts I want to. Anyone want to support me in a life of leisure?
What Should I Read Next? Apparently, if you've read a Neil Gaiman book you should read all the Narnia books. How likely is it that people will have read Neil Gaiman and not read the Narnia books beforehand?
< disengage literary snobbery >
Jen Wang. Lovely art, I especially liked Touchfood.
Polly Borland's Alison Goldfrapp gallery.
Doomsday clock advanced closer to midnight next wednesday. I've got a job interview on wednesday morning, so that's some news that'll put me in the right frame of mind. "Why should we give you this job?" "Why should you give me this job? It's pointless really, we're all doomed..." [via Slashdot]
The next Star Trek film will be young Kirk and Spock. Did these jokers learn nothing from Enterprise ? Or is this some scientific endeavour to see how far turned in on themselves they can go? Take a leaf from Doctor Who guys, go boldly where you haven't gone boldly before, rather than those places where everyone before you hung around.
Steve Jobs heralds new wave of street crime. ‘We’re confident that this phone is so sexy that opportunistic criminals will be unable to prevent themselves from knocking owners to the ground before wrestling the device from their hands and running off down the road.’ External testicles proves ‘unintelligent design’. ‘Why would anyone intelligent put something as sensitive as testicles in a little sack on the outside? Surely this proves the concept of ‘Unintelligent Design’?'
Top 100 Fundies Say The Darndest Things Quotes. I am a bit troubled. I believe my son has a girlfriend, because she left a dirty magazine with men in it under his bed... "I can sum it all up in three words: Evolution is a lie"... "If your original Hebrew disagrees with my original King James --- your original Hebrew is wrong. If your original Hebrew agrees with my original King James, your original Hebrew is right." [via Link Machine Go]
Sling.
Labels: art, cars, comedians, Fundamentalists- Christian, humour, podcasts, science fiction, Simon Munnery, Star Trek, Weapons of Mass Destruction
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Lesbian pulp fiction covers retouched to include Janeway and Seven from Star Trek: Voyager.
Labels: fiction, lesbian, Star Trek
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Wil Wheaton is reviewing old Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes at TV Squad.
Kosinski whizzes on Riker's leg a little bit to mark his territory, sniffs at Argyles butt, and goes to engineering to work his totally awesome brand of warp drive magic. When he leaves, Troi tells us that he's loud and arrogant. (Riker must be so happy he brought her along for that deep and difficult to observe insight.)
Trekkies who may have begun to dislike Kosinski immediately start a fan club for him when he stops mid-stream to ask "why is this child here?" in reference to Wesley Crusher, who is working on a school project and decked out in a really sweet burnt sienna sweater, straight out of famed Klingon designer K'Talh Ba'akQoth's fall collection.
The experiment begins, as the Enterprise goes to warp 1.5, accompanied by the classic tune, "TNG Theme (Enterprise Goes to Warp 1.5)"
Kosinski whizzes on Riker's leg a little bit to mark his territory, sniffs at Argyles butt, and goes to engineering to work his totally awesome brand of warp drive magic. When he leaves, Troi tells us that he's loud and arrogant. (Riker must be so happy he brought her along for that deep and difficult to observe insight.)
Trekkies who may have begun to dislike Kosinski immediately start a fan club for him when he stops mid-stream to ask "why is this child here?" in reference to Wesley Crusher, who is working on a school project and decked out in a really sweet burnt sienna sweater, straight out of famed Klingon designer K'Talh Ba'akQoth's fall collection.
The experiment begins, as the Enterprise goes to warp 1.5, accompanied by the classic tune, "TNG Theme (Enterprise Goes to Warp 1.5)"
Labels: Star Trek, Television
