Wild Tangents
Marc talks about life in Nashville, life as a Catholic and life as a geek.

I am loving this week’s episode of the re-mastered Star Trek. It’s the Vulcan salmon mating ritual episode entitled “Amok Time“. Here I was, talking about the redone special effects of the new re-mastered episodes as if the exterior space scenes were all they could really improve. Boy was I wrong. The sequences on Vulcan were so cool. I like the way they work around the sparsity outside the Vulcan set from the original version by making the whole thing take place at the top of a mountainous intrusion so high off the surface that nothing could be seen on the horizon beyond expect the open sky. Like I said, pretty cool. Watching was much more pleasurable than remembering…..

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It’s the episode which probably is going to get the biggest facelift in the new enhanced versions of the original Star Trek series.

From SCI FI Wire…

A digitally remastered and enhanced version of the original Star Trek series episode “The Doomsday Machine” will debut in syndication on Feb. 10, marking a milestone: It features more than 100 all-new digital visual effects shots, the most of any episode in the original series, CBS Paramount Television announced.

SciFi Wire even has a screen shot from this episode in the pictures area of their sidebar on the right. That area is usually reserved for beautiful people, so they must think it’s big deal too.

The only other episodes that even come close to having as many exterior space shot are probably “Balance of Terror” and “The Ultimate Computer”, of which only “Balance of Terror” has had it’s enhanced version aired. So this episode is going to to be the biggest test of the enhanced version. I can’t wait. The screen shots linked to below look awesome. I’m not sure if it will actually be on here in Nashville tonight or tomorrow night. I think the local channel that plays it is behind. Playing the new episode on Sunday night and the previous weeks episode Saturday night. I could be wrong, I haven’t really been paying that much attention…Until now…..

The Trek Movie Report has some coverage here and here are some screen shots.

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I just read about this at the Star Trek Movie Blog.

Zachary Quinto, who plays the villain Sylar on the hit show ‘Heroes’ wants to be the new Spock.

I think he’d be perfect for the role. He’s a great actor and looks the part too. For anyone who doesn’t watch “Heroes” (you should), he also played the computer geek character Adam from season three of 24. I suppose it’s possible too since Mr. Qinto’s co-star on Heroes (Greg Grunberg) has known JJ Abrams since around kindergarden. Mr Abrams is of course best known as one of the producers of both Lost and Alias and director of Mission Impossible III. He is also slated to produce the next Star Trek movie. Rumor has it that the movie with be a prequel to the Original Series from the sixties. It supposedly will depict a young Kirk and Spock. Like I said, I can see Mr. Quinto playing the role of Spock and he does have the connections. It should be interesting to see if this goes anywhere.

TV Preview: Pittsburgh native Quinto is face of ‘Heroes’ villain
Grunberg Co-Star Quinto Wants To Be New Spock

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If you read my previous post on my TV viewing habits, you could probably tell that I really like the new show “Heroes”. I’m glad I spelled it right this time.

If you watch this show too, then we are both in for a special treat. It turns out they have signed a couple of scifi geek heavy weights.

As much of scifi nerd the character “Hiro” is on the show, how cool is it that George “Sulu” Takei will be playing his father? I saw the report on this a couple of days ago.

Then just today, I saw another Heroes casting announcement. Christopher Eccelston will be joining the cast. Nothing is known yet about the character he’ll be playing, other than that it be a powered character. Christopher Eccelston is of course best known as the ninth doctor from the popular British scifi series “Doctor Who“.

I’m looking forward to seeing the fireworks likely to erupt from both of these casting choices. It can only be good times for the viewer. IIRC too, this will be the first time an actor who portrayed The Doctor will appear in US TV show since Tom Baker had a guest spot in Remington Steele. Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

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(more…)

I had no idea the English northerners were as serious about being northern as us American southerners are about being southern. It might be hard to follow some of the humor here unless you’re a fan of British Sci-Fi and Star Trek. In case you don’t get it, it’s marvelous.

HLrmm8zfjvA

The bit about the Ferengi ears had me on the floor rolling…..

Anyway, I’m can’t really say I was sorry to see him go, especially now that David Tennant has shown himself to be so excellent in the role. It’s not some much I didn’t like Eccleson, I just feel he didn’t bring any real eccentric magic tot he character.

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I’ve seen this quiz going around some blogs, but I’m the first person I’ve seen who wasn’t an “Expendable Character (Redshirt)”…

Your results:
You are Chekov

Chekov 75% Mr. Scott 75% Geordi LaForge 75% Jean-Luc Picard 60% Spock 57% Uhura 55% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 55% Beverly Crusher 50% Deanna Troi 50% Worf 45% James T. Kirk (Captain) 40% Data 38% Will Riker 35% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 30% Mr. Sulu 10%

Brash, rash and hasty, but everyone loves you.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz

I guess just going by the numbers, I’m Chekov, Scotty and Geordi. That’s OK with me.

Well this is interesting. The headline somehow reminds me of that infamous SNL skit. Mr. Stewart really makes it sound like Paramount wants more of him in much the same way Mr. Walken wanted more of that elusive cowbell.

Paramount Pictures really wants Patrick Stewart - Trek’s Captain Picard - to take his position on the bridge again for Star Trek XI, the actor told Yahoo News.

To be honest I am sick and tired of the TNG. Let’s just stop it now OK. What do I want to see in a Star Trek movie? I want something completely new. By new, I mean new sets, new cast, new ship, etc.

They took a generally good concept in Enterprise and ruined it with poor writing and no vision, until Manny Coto took over. He really started to lead that series in the right direction, but alas the damage had been done and Enterprise died a useless death.

Well, I see three possibilities for something new that might be worth seeing come to fruition. The first obviously is to give Manny a budget for a movie. He has shown a love for the mythos of the show and would do it justice. Another alternative is to give it to JMS, of Babylon 5 fame. There were rumors he had a treatment for a new Star Trek series going around a while. I would be willing to bet this treatment could work as a movie with few changes, plus he has the midas touch when it comes to science fiction. Everything he’s done has been golden. The third option, and I’m going out on a limb here, is to give Joss Wheadon a shot. Joss is mostly infamous for his Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly franchises. I would love to see something that happened in the Star Trek Universe, but had a “Firefly” feel to it. I could the characters in this not being Starfleet, which would be kind of cool. The Star Trek universe is not all military after all. It might be nice to follow the lives of some civies for a change.

I know all three of these are probably pipe dreams. Last I checked JMS said none of the rumors were true. Joss is pretty busy with Wonder Woman and his own stuff. But it’s nice to dream.

What do you think they should do with the franchise? I’d like to hear what both of you have to say.

How odd is it that “fear the Reaper” started playing on iTunes just as I opened the edit page to post this? HM, maybe I’m being prophetic. Then again maybe it’s just the “shuffle” function is broken.

[IGN: Paramount Wants More Picard]

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