UPDATED: Video: McDowell and Warner Talk TIME AFTER TIME; STAR TREK

Last week, I posted about Anthony Taylor moderating a DragonCon panel with Malcolm McDowell and David Warner talking about TIME AFTER TIME. I had a short clip to show. Now, thanks to Mike Langford, here is the complete 51 minute panel chat:

Video: McDowell and Warner Talk TIME AFTER TIME; STAR TREK

The TIME AFTER TIME panel at DragonCon 2013: Malcolm McDowell, Anthony Taylor and David Warner. Photo By Roxanne Henkle


Go to Anthony Taylor's fine blog to see video of eight minutes of a terrific panel chat that he moderated with Malcolm McDowell and David Warner at DragonCon 2013.

EDIT: You can go here to see the entire panel now.

The veteran actors are supposed to be talking about the movie TIME AFTER TIME (1979) in which they played H.G. Wells (McDowell) and Jack the Ripper (Warner). But they digress into, what Warner calls, his STAR TREK career. Warner cites his featured role as Gorkon the peace-making Klingon from the final original cast movie STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY. (Warner also was in STAR TREK V, as well as a featured guest in a 2-part STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION titled "Chain of Command.")

"Well, I'm the one who killed Kirk, darling," retorts McDowell.

"See what you missed?" David tells us. We missed a lot. But my thanks to Donna Baker for taping a bit of it. Go see!

McDowell and Shatner, as Soran and Kirk, square off in the climactic scene from STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991). 

STAR TREK Technology Today: Open Source Tricorder

A Canadian man has built his own open source STAR TREK tricorder:



A big tip of the hat to Brian Moore for this!

EDIT: My Back Yard as STAR TREK Set

First thought of the day: I look out the window this morning (below) and, I swear, there is a thicket of grass growing in the back yard that looks like it's fresh from the set of the 1966 STAR TREK "The Man Trap" episode (above).

EDIT: My thanks to my pal Brian Fies (peek at the comments section) for letting me know that something caught his eagle eye in the above picture -- so he sent on the below enhanced photo:

Thanks, Brian!

Video: 1968 STAR TREK Commercials

Commercials, 1960s style!

Via videoholic50s60s70s: here is a film-chain copy of the STAR TREK episode "Space Seed" with all of the commercials intact and the episode mostly taken out. Yes, really: the parts where you would walk out of the room in 1968 for a visit to the fridge are all here. The length and pre-MTV cutting pace of the commercials is a reminder of a different time with a different attention span. This is a very faded 16mm bit of film.



The commercials in order: Polaroid (narrated by Alexander Scourby, whose voice you may remember from a bunch of shows - you may still buy a copy of him reading the Bible at his site), Viceroy cigarettes, Shell Oil, RCA Victor, Pepsi, Lay's Potato Chips (with the one and only Bert Lahr in a devil outfit), Geritol, and Aqua Velva.

How to Speak Klingon Lesson 10: Jokes

Why did the targ cross the road?



One of a series of videos from STAR TREK Infinite Space.

And here it is in German:

Video: 1975 Chicago STAR TREK Convention

Above photo from a collection of STAR TREK convention photos via Newsweek, courtesy of Angelique Trouvere, collection of Jeff Maynard.


Here are two videos from a two different guys who were at the 1975 Chicago STAR TREK Convention. This Con is significant since it was the first time, since the show's 1969 cancellation, that the original cast appeared together. A set of the USS Enterprise bridge had been built and placed onstage. When William Shatner appeared and sat in it, there was much clapping and hooting.

Travel back in time, back when TREK fans were weirdos and there was little hope that the TV series would ever be resurrected.

Via HeyHow:



Richard Portnoy shares his 8mm film:

STAR TREK Comic Strip

The Stripper's Guide blog showcases the STAR TREK comic strip, syndicated by the LA Times Syndicate to coincide with the first STAR TREK movie. The newspaper strip ran for 4 years, from December 2, 1979 to December 3, 1983 with a variety of creative teams.

Related: Guide to Gold Key TREK Comics

Ward Sutton's Cartoon Mash Up VILLAGE VOICE Cover

There's a lot to frikkin' love about Ward Sutton's Village Voice cover this week. It's a mash up ode to cartoons, fusing old and new comics icons. Bravo, Ward!

And this gives me an excuse to run Ward's grand Shatner cover from 2009:


A tip of the hat to my pal Sean Kelly for this! Thanks, Sean!

The Science Fiction Pop Culture Growth Chart

Are you as tall as a Dalek? Are you Spock-sized? Try out this growth chart. Yes, there's a real life-sized PDF at the links below if you really really want one of your very own.

Hat tip to Life, Doctor Who & Combom via io9.

Happy 80th Birthday, William Shatner

He's 80 and he's all over the place. Here are but 2 clips to celebrate the Captain whose heart will last forever --

On International Talk Like William Shatner Day (that's ... TODAY!), even celebrities mimic Shatner. To see what Jason Alexander is talking about, see the second video. That's "risk is our business" speech from the TOS episode "Return to Tomorrow:"







And don't forget, this Saturday is Leonard Nimoy's birthday.

Hat tip to TrekCore for the photos.

Video: What's in Spock's Scanner?

Via BlackMoonCGI:



Hat tip to Tony Murphy!

Video: 1973 STAR TREK Conventon

Thanks to beyondspock over at YouTube, here is a 6:40 film of the International STAR TREK Convention from February 16-19 1973, which was held at the Commodore Hotel, New York City. Attendees included in the film: Isaac Asimov, Oscar Katz, D.C. Fontana (on a TOS bridge mock up set) and Leonard Nimoy.



I don't know what the context is here. This was shot on film, edited together in a professional way, and is generally respectful to this odd little show that would not die. It's funny to recall this time, when if you said you liked STAR TREK it meant that NBC show from the 1960s. It was not this multi-limbed media machine, spewing out copies and reimaginations.

Perhaps this was a testament to early ongoing interest in the show - and the potential to make money from the franchise.

1973 would see David Gerrold's great books about STAR TREK, THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES (all about writing that episode) and THE WORLD OF STAR TREK. James Blish continued with STAR TREK 9, another book in the series of STAR TREK episode serializations.

The first of the new permutations TOS (The Old Show) would appear that fall, with the all new STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES. Within 5 years, the new STAR TREK 2 TV series was announced -- with all of the cast returning except Leonard Nimoy -- and then suddenly transformed into a theatrical movie (with Nimoy, natch!) a year later.

The girl at the end of the clip, who moves herself to tears, reminded me that the whole STAR TREK mythology came from people like her: sincere, true believers. A little crazy, maybe. But a good kinda crazy.

Video: STAR TREK Anger Management

Via Laughing Squid with a Vulcan salute to Mark Anderson for the heads up!



One of the best mash ups I've seen.

STAR TREK and DOCTOR WHO Vs. Klingons, Daleks, Etc!

"Star Trek vs. Dr. Who" is the title of this illustration by Mayhew, for Wizard Magazine, and now colored by Summerset.


Above: Mayhew's original B&W version.

I have no context for the illustration except that it's cool -- and if it's NOT a comic book then it SHOULD be a comic book!

Hat tip to Combom!

Of course, it would be historically accurate to have the Second Doctor in the drawing, since he was on the BBC while TREK was originally airing!

STAR TREK: Lost and Rare ... and Silly

Not the Enterprise.


And -- get this -- Robert April was the Captain.


Way back in 1964, when Gene Roddenberry was pitching his "wagon train to the stars" concept, the original name for the Captain was to be Robert April. And the Enterprise was then named the SS Yorktown. If you knew this, then you are a TREK ubernerd. Like me.

TV shows go thru a lot of permutations before getting on air.

My friend Sean Kelly emailed me to let me know that there is a PDF of Gene Roddenberry's original pitch for STAR TREK. Also: an original series show bible is online - the booklet that would be handed to any would-be writer, explaining the show format. (And there's a lot more at this root directory.)

It's fascinating to look at that material and imagine what it was like back before we all knew what TREK was.

Here are a few great links to some rare and lost bits of TREK. Complete time wasting fun! OK, you've been warned.



Perhaps the best is STAR TREK HISTORY, a massive site about the series' production, with many includes rare behind-the-scenes photos, missing scenes, documents, and interviews. Above, Kirk's salute to the Romulan Commander from "Balance of Terror," cut from the final version of the episode.


Before THE NEXT GENERATION, there was gonna be PHASE II.

In the late 1970s, Paramount greenlighted a new STAR TREK series. Sets were built, costumes designed, scripts commissioned. The cast, except for Leonard Nimoy, was contracted to return. Suddenly, STAR TREK PHASE II, was killed. Paramount, seeing 20th Century Fox's STAR WARS success, decided to do a movie instead. Above: a photo from a PHASE II screentest for the Vulcan Xon, who was to be portrayed by David Gautreaux.


Mr. Gautreaux, perhaps as consolation for not playing Nimoy's replacement Vulcan, was given a small role in STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE (see above). He gets clobbered, along with the Epsilon 9 Space Station, by V'Ger, early on in the movie. More info on the never-to-be PHASE II series (also called STAR TREK PHASE 2) here.

They aren't rare, but you may or may not know about some of the amateur takes on TOS. Take a look at the 2 teasers for these Web productions.



There are a number of fan-made films, the most prominent being STAR TREK PHASE 2, which imagines a fourth season of the original series (and taking the title of the proposed sequel series). Above: a teaser from one of their recent episodes. That's original series music in the background. James Cawley, the man behind the PHASE 2 Web series, continues to mount impressive looking shows with the blessing of Paramount - and the participation of some of the pros who have worked professionally on TREK.



My favorite fan-made series is STARSHIP EXETER, about another ship in the fleet during Kirk's time. Take a look teaser, above. Production appears to have halted, which is too bad.

A few more links. I could go on and on, but I have to stop sometime:



Steve Roby's informative Lost Books of STAR TREK page.



STAR TREK LOLCats-style parody here.

Related: a video round up of STAR TREK parodies.

Related: "Assignment Earth" TV show titles.

Related: STAR TREK NBC Previews & alternate pilot footage.

Video: 2006 STAR TREK KFC Commercial

Kirk, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov and an unnamed Red Shirt are all here in this live action commercial for Kentucky Fired Chicken. Although it was shown in 2006, this is the first time I've seen it, much less ever heard of it. Let me know if you ever saw it.

Shatner, Doohan, Nichols, Takei and Koenig lend their voices, as we watch other actors who act eerily like them in the 1960s, mouth their words. Although the character of Spock is mentioned, he is not seen. Although Doohan died in 2005, it sure sounds like his voice -- and he could have done the recording before he passed away. DeForest Kelley had died in 1999, so Dr. McCoy is absent. Perhaps there was an agreement to not to try to get someone to mimic him.

The KFC commercial is shot old school style: with lighting and some minor prosthetics on the actors playing the Enterprise crew. It's a unique bit of TREK. One can only imagine the greasy bridge controls. Please pass the Federation wet naps!



Big hat tip to Mark Evanier.

New Clips: DOCTOR WHO "A Christmas Carol"

Heaven knows what's going on, but it sure looks like fun. We'll all know Christmas Day.



More clips here, but don't tell me what's on them. I'm in a "no spoilers" mode ala River Song, OK? I only watched the above clip, which has a definite STAR TREK (2009) feel to it -- complete with strobing lights flaring.

STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE NATO Trailer 1979

Above: One was rumored to play Captain Kirk, the other WAS Captain Kirk: Richard Burton and William Shatner.

Below is a 12 minute trailer and a preview of selected scenes from STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, which opened 31 years ago today. The extended trailer was put together to show to the National Association of Theatre Owners to placate nerves and make sure that STTMP was booked for its opening.

It's an unusual look at a movie. There is no finished music, the sound still had to go through post production, and there are a handful of effects. That's because the music and the effects for the V'Ger cloud were still to come. The whole movie was in a rush, with rumors of the prints still dripping wet when they arrived in movie theatres. There were also concerns that it wasn't such a good movie, and Paramount was very squeamish about a TV show cast being able to draw people to buy tickets for its expensive 1979 Christmas release. Paramount was so squeamish that there were rumors in preproduction that the cast would be replaced my "real" stars, and that Captain Kirk would be played by Richard Burton. The fans who sent those "Save STAR TREK" letters then began a "Save the STAR TREK Cast" drive.

Back to the video. What you do have here is entire scenes, with the "wrong music;" a temp track whose source I do not know -- but would love to find out. My guess is that it was tracked with some of Jerry Goldsmith's music from another feature. But that's, like I said, just a guess. At the end of the video, you do get to hear just a few seconds of the STTMP "march," the new theme which Roddenberry was so fond of he used it for the NEXT GENERATION series.

Video: Ultimate TV Sci Fi Mash Up

If you like STAR TREK, DOCTOR WHO, UFO an some other sci fi TV shows (if I tell you all of them it spoils some funny surprises), then this is the video mash up for you.



A big hat tip to Life, Doctor Who and Combom!