Friday, December 19, 2008

Majel Barrett Roddenberry


Majel Barret Roddenberry died peacefully in her Bel Air home on December 18th 2008. Her roles in Star Trek introduced a confident "Number One" character in the pilot episode "The Cage" which was reinvented as the lovely Nurse Christine Chapel with a soft spot for Mr Spock later on.

In fact during an early scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, viewers are informed that she has now become Doctor Chapel, a role which she reprised briefly in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

She provided the regular voice of onboard computers in several Federation starships for Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and most of the Star Trek movies.


Majel was famous as the ships computer voice which she supplied for Federation starships but particularly the USS Enterprise 1701, living long and prospering in the reboot version of Star Trek 2009 movie.  J.J. Abrams film is dedicated to her as well as Gene.

She starred in most of the Star Trek movies and appeared in three Star Trek series.  ("Star Trek" (1966), "Star Trek - The Next Generation" (1987), "Star Trek - Deep Space Nine" (1993) playing the Betazoid Ambassodor Lwaxana Troi on Star Trek, The Next Generation including Deep Space Nine and was brilliant

Majel also made a point of attending a major Star Trek convention each year in an effort to inspire fans and keep the franchise alive. I will miss her and our journeys through the galaxy together. May she find eternal happiness with her husband Gene beyond the final frontier, going boldly where none of us have ever, gone before.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Star Trek Movie XI

Great Galactic Space. I had to set my shields to maximum to survive the rush of this movie trailer. Will Star Trek XI usher in new generation of Star Trek fans? "Emotions are alien to me - I am a scientist." Mr Spock has conned us into believing in the past but I'm confused. Is'nt the movie a kind of warp back in time? Young Spock must be going through one of his ancestral animal urges or you could just blame it on the weaker human half. Remember this line, when you're watching Spock lose his cool. "I will not allow you to lecture me." says the vulcan in a rage. Spock's raw emotions surface but so do Rachel Nichols in a scene with the corvette murderer, James Tiberius Kirk.




The new trailer is filled with plenty of action packed entertainment and a stylish USS Enterprise starship or is it the USS Kelvin? or whatever..... in an epic space battle which engages a Romulan Warbird. Captain Christopher Pike gives the order to "prepare to fire all weapons."

Those words remind me of favourite battle scenes because its the sort of command Picard would have used to alert his crew, now Kirk's style, we know is different. He does'nt ask questions or engage in too much diplomacy which can be used to prolong a crises and Captain James Tiberius Kirk hates double talk. "Buckle up." and slapping his crewmates on the back is more Kirk's style. Well lets just take it as a given, right? or is he the worst Captain in the Fleet, perhaps you hate the guy? Don't be shy now...



When the enemy is threatening the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701, Captain Kirk skips the formalities opting instead to maneuver "his" ship in for the kill. At the Captains command, Mr Checkov readies the phasers and photon torpedoes at full power. Kirk's cunning eyes spot the enemy ship's weakest moment and without hesitation the order to fire is given. "Mr Checkov lock weapons and fire!" I think Abrams included the cop chasing corvette scene to demonstrate Kirk's daredevil compulsion and nerves of steel in what are considered crucial characteristics of a noteworthy Starship Captain.

Romulans are unlike their stoic "Cousins" the vulcans and I'm fascinated to see how Leonard Nemoy's character "Spock" plays out in the film. Romulans are driven by their passions and its no coincidence Mr Spock and a bad ass Romulan "Nero" with blood ties are in the same movie. Given half a chance, Nero will blow the Enterprise out of the stars. But what about the time honoured traditions of the Federation, Starfleet General Orders/Regulations and the Prime Directive?

Wired has reported on the reaction to the four clips shown at the Los Angeles gathering. "It's safe to say that Abrams' Trek will be younger, brighter, busier and more frenetically paced than any previous incarnation," said the reviewer. "The performances are edgier and louder, but not better. The effects are spectacular and executed on a scale never attempted by any Trek film. And, while connected to Gene Roddenberry's creation, this film is deliberately and unquestionably built in its own universe, constructing its story on the idea that the original Star Trek time line has been destroyed and must be reconstructed as closely as possible."

Its a fair bet there will be less geekiness and more action drama scenes in this movie with spacebabe Zoe Saldana taking her top off and another spacebabe hitting it off with the new Captain Kirk, who told Eonline he did get his groove on with the "green" Rachel Nichols.

TREKKIES IN THE MAKING.
johnnyneo9 (2 days ago) Im not into Star Trek but this movie might change my mind....

NathanVernon (2 days ago) Agreed. might turn me into a trekkie. :P

Amatugold Reply same here

Inglis93 (2 days ago) OMFG EPIC.

AlbertGX (2 days ago) YES

thizzwutitizzz (2 days ago) im not a star trek fan but this movie somewhat appeals
to me. probably cuz "syler," simon pegg, and henry cho are in it. either way the movie looks good.

FANBOY COMMENTS.
27.Murray Mon, Nov 17, 2008, 4:36 PM

Star Trek has always had a stigma of being geeky and misunderstood by many people. Hopefully, if this trailer is anything to go by, then we are finally looking at a Star Trek Film which has style, heaps of action and ass-kicking sci-fi entertainment in abundance and not just appealing to die hard fans such as me, but for the wider audience in general.Lets be eternally grateful that Star Trek has been given another
chance, a top director, an awesome cast, a huge budget and a sh*tload of Industrial
Light and Magic visual effects on top.

What kind of kid would tell a cop his full name? A kid who thinks he's destined for great things.

jbunn01 Stupid little kid just toasted an antique 280 year old Corvette. Punk a*sed kirk....

You're used to seeing a more mature Spock, who's suppressed his human side. This movie deals with a younger Spock, who has to battle his half-human emotions and half-Vulcan expectations.

Spock: "Quite correct, Mister Chekov. What is required now is a feat of
linguistic legerdomain and a degree of intrepidity, before the captain and Doctor McCoy freeze to death."

please i hope mccoy says
"hes dead jim"
"dammit jim im a doctor not a ...."

I wanna know why Spock's beating on Kirk.

Shut up Trekkies. I don't even like Star Trek and I see that movie is gonna be good.

Don't forget to put fuses in the consoles, too. Now instead of the console blowing up in your face, the fuse just goes poof. How many lives could have been saved with seatbelts and circuit breakers?

Live long and Prosper Trekkies, Aliens and Trekkers.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Sad Day for Mr Spock and Aliens

Fourteen years ago EU officials in Brussels took it upon themselves to boldly go where no sovereign power had dared to go before. It was a media circus and apparently the bad guys were focusing their sights on our good pal Mr Spock. Let me explain. A plan was devised by the bureaucrats to class our Star Trek hero, Mr Spock as an Illegal Alien along with the other non human dolls manufactured in China which the wise guys slapped a quota of $81.7 million on. No travel restrictions were placed on the human dolls/ action figures. Action man was free to go. So was Batman and Robin. The red carpet was rolled out for Captain Kirk. No-one defies Kirk not unless you want to get into a scrap and besides the captain always carries a phaser.



The humanity of every action figure and doll was put on the line and scrutinised by the money men. In the end, the word came down. It was a sad day for Mr Spock and Aliens everywhere. Spock, Noddy, Big Ears and Teddy bears fell victim by order of the hard liners in Brussels. There was no appeal. Star Trek fans, Trekkies and trekkers were disappointed by the EU decision and warned governments they shouldn't be meddling in the affairs of the Final Frontier. The President of the Official Star Trek Fan Club in Colorado, Dan Madsen said "Custom officials ought to cut Spock some slack" because Amanda, Mr Spock's mother was after all human!! Spock is half human. Okay, so he's half Vulcan too and was born with pointy ears! When news reached the UK, the British customs office showed no regret about their wrongdoings towards Mr Spock. "We see no reason to change our interpretation," said their agent Dez Barrett-Denyer. "You don't find a human with ears that size."

Live Long and Prosper Trekkies and Trekkers!

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