Commentary: Trek Stars: The Work Of Star Trek Creators Outside Of Star Trek

Meyer IV: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. When the decision was made to turn his successful novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution into a movie, Nicholas Meyer took on the challenge of adapting it himself. The result was an Oscar nomination. The film, in which Sherlock Holmes meets Sigmund Freud, was as much of a critical success as the book which preceded it. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike look at Meyer's work on the film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Nicol Williamson, Robert Duvall and Alan Arkin. We discuss the unusual tone of the film, the changes which were made for the screen, and how this Sherlock Holmes compares to other screen versions of the character. We also hope for a Sherlock Holmes crossover in Meyer's upcoming Sigmund Freud television series.   Hosts Mike Schindler and Max Hegel   Editor and Producer Mike Schindler   Associate Producers Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm   Chapters Th

Moore, Part 8: Outlander. In the years since Battlestar Galactica, Ronald D. Moore has struggled to find another hit on television. That search has ended with his latest series, Outlander. Based on the novel by Diana Gabaldon, the show tells the story of an English nurse from 1945 who is thrown back in time to 1743 Scotland. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max take a look at the first eight episodes of Moore's series. We discuss the strength of the characters, the use of time travel, and challenges of adapting a novel into a TV series. We also discuss the newest addition to the Star Trek family, Star Tr3k's cinematographer, Claudio Miranda.   Hosts Mike Schindler and Max Hegel   Editor and Producer Mike Schindler   Associate Producers Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm   Chapters The Premise (02:00) Thoughts on the Show (09:42) Time Travel (27:14) Adaptation (30:38) Final Thoughts (39:51) Claudio Miranda

Wise, Part 2: Citizen Kane. Robert Wise is best known to movie fans as the multi Oscar-winning director of The Sound of Music and West Side Story. He's best known to sci-fi fans as the man who brought The Day the Earth Stood Still and Star Trek: The Motion Picture to the big  screen. But his most important contribution to the history of cinema came 38 years prior to going where no man had gone before. In 1941, Robert Wise edited Citizen Kane.In this, the 100th episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike examine Wise's work on Orson Welles's masterpiece. We discuss what it is that an editor does, why Citizen Kane is so important to film history, and how Wise played an integral role in the picture's creation.   Hosts Mike Schindler and Max Hegel   Editor and Producer Mike Schindler   Associate Producers Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit http://patreon.com/trekfm   Chapters Editing (2:36) Citizen Kane (13:25) Editing Kane (29:07) Trek Editors (4

Wise, Part 1: Trek. In 1979, ten years after the cancellation of the original series, Star Trek made the jump to the big screen. In an effort to pull out all the stops, Paramount hired Oscar-winning director Robert Wise to helm Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The rest is history. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined by Larry Nemecek to look at Wise's work on the film. We discuss Wise's place in film history, the atmosphere of fan culture leading up to the picture's release, and whether or not Wise was the right choice to direct the first Star Trek movie.   Hosts Max Hegel and Mike Schindler   Editor and Producer Mike Schindler   Associate Producer Become one! Support Trek.fm and Commentary: Trek Stars at the $25/month level or higher! Visit patreon.com/trekfm   Chapters Robert Wise (1:55) TMP Fan Culture (8:20) Fan Reaction to TMP (29:06) Was Wise the Right Choice? (40:37) Final Thoughts (1:00:44) Wrap-up (1:11:26)   Support the Network! Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help

Meyer III: Houdini. Throughout his career, Nicholas Meyer has shown a fascination for the psychology behind larger-than-life historical figures. His new television mini-series, Houdini, is no exception. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at the show, which was scripted by Meyer and stars Adrian Brody as the title character. We discuss the surprisingly high-end production value, the unusual formal qualities, and the Arthur Conan Doyle subplot. We also touch on the involvement of two Star Trek movie directors' fathers.   Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact   Chapters Houdini (1:11) The Style (09:00) Doyle (25:20) Wrap-Up (38:49)

Lindelof, Part 6: World War Z. Despite its enormous popularity, Damon Lindelof's television series, Lost, is often criticized for its ending. But that did not stop Marc Forster and his team from hiring Lindelof to rewrite the third act of the troubled Brad Pitt vehicle, World War Z. The movie went on to huge box office success, and much of the credit went to Lindelof and his co-writer, Drew Goddard. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds to look at Lindelof's most recent cinematic endeavor. We discuss the similarities between the movie and the novel upon which it was based, the structural issues associated with the film, and how Lindelof and Goddard wrote the best ending possible for the movie. We also marvel at the cast of the audiobook.   Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact   Chapters World War Z (1:45) Thoughts on the Film

Lindelof, Part 5: Star Trek Into Darkness. Last year Max and Mike looked at the films that Damon Lindelof had written up to that point. Since then, Lindelof has written two more films. The first of these was Star Trek Into Darkness. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, we return to Lindelof's body of work to examine his work as a Star Trek writer. We discuss the concept of "spectacle creep" and how it applies to Into Darkness, the similarities and differences between Into Darkness and Wrath of Khan, and the challenges of telling a small story on a big scale. We also remember the work of Next Generation director Robert Wiemer.   Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact   Chapters The Parsec Awards (1:17) Into Darkness (5:13) Spock vs. Khan (15:57) Kirk's Sacrifice (27:01) Final Thoughts (32:29) Robert Wiemer (39:31) Wrap-Up (41:46)

Abrams, Part 4: Recap. For someone held in such high regard by the film industry, J.J. Abrams has a fairly short resume when it comes to directing. As of now, he has only directed four features, including Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, Super 8, and Star Trek Into Darkness. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max recap their look at Abrams's directorial work. We also discuss his upcoming film, Star Wars: Episode VII, and answer a listener's questions about Max's opinion of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

Abrams, Part 3: Super 8. In between Star Trek films, J.J. Abrams took a break from the franchise to direct his passion project, Super 8. The film, about a group of kids who accidentally film the wreck of a government train transporting an alien, is Abrams's homage to Spielberg-era sci-fi blockbusters. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined by John Mills of Words with Nerds to look at Abrams's most personal movie to date. We discuss the motivations of alien, what's inside the mystery box, and of course, lens flares. Max also answers a listener's question about what movies he thinks are good.   Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact     Chapters Super 8 (3:40) The Alien (12:11) The Mystery Box (20:59) Lens Flares (30:45) Final Thoughts (40:28) Listener Mail (50:15) Closing (1:03:11)

Abrams, Part 2: Mission: Impossible III. Before relaunching Star Trek, J.J. Abrams adapted another Desilu television show for the big screen with Mission: Impossible III.  In this episode Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by Tysto to look at Abrams's first feature. We discuss why Tom Cruise gave him the job, how it differs from the other Mission: Impossible films, and how it influenced his work in Trek. We also debate the merits of the script.   Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact   Chapters Mission: Impossible III (4:22) The Show (10:21) The Movies (14:13) Similarities to Alias (23:43) The Writing (28:07) Final Thoughts (38:06) Wrap-up (39:19)

Abrams, Part 1: Trek. In 2005, after eighteen consecutive seasons of television, Star Trek was suffering from "franchise fatigue." In an effort to revitalize the property, Paramount hired A-list filmmaker J.J. Abrams to direct a reboot of The Original Series. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike begin a new series looking at Abrams's career as a feature film director. In Part 1, we are joined by Matthew Rushing of The Orb and Literary Treks to examine Abrams's work on Star Trek. We discuss the reasons behind hiring Abrams, our initial thoughts concerning his involvement, and what exactly his contribution to the franchise has been. We also examine the similarities between the 2009 film and The Motion Picture.   Send us your feedback! Twitter: @trekfm Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact   Chapters Intro (02:00) Initial Thoughts (10:18) Continuity (22:18) The Mystery Box (33:13) Mainstream Trek (39:52) Final T

Wheaton, Part 4: Recap. Since his early days on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and all the way up to the present, Wil Wheaton has always been an entertainer, but he has never settled into one specific role. Instead, he has adapted to the changing media landscape and used whatever tools were best suited for the task at hand. And whether it has been acting, writing or blogging, he has always excelled. The same is true for his career as television producer/host. In this episode, Mike and Max recap their look at Wheaton's current television work. We discuss both Tabletop and The Wil Wheaton Project, as well as touch on some of Wheaton's other projects from throughout his career. We also debate the merits of Monopoly.

Wheaton, Part 3: The Wil Wheaton Project. Wil Wheaton's history in Star Trek and presence in online media has made him a favorite among the sci-fi/fantasy crowd. His love for the genre, as well his comedic talent, made him the ideal host for SyFy's new talk show, coincidentally named The Wil Wheaton Project. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at Wheaton's second series as a producer/host. We discuss the format of the show, the quality of the pre-produced segments, and Wheaton's talents as a comedian. We also fondly remember John Henson-era Talk Soup.   Chapters The Wil Wheaton Project (1:24) The pre-produced clips (10:53) Thoughts on the show (21:35) Wrap-up (28:15)  

Wheaton, Part 2: Tabletop. Wil Wheaton may have started his career as an actor, but he has since become a much larger creative force in the geek community. One outlet that he has used to express himself is through television production and hosting. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by Drew of Standard Orbit to look at Wheaton's first television series, Tabletop. We discuss the show's unusual premise, the importance of good chemistry between the guests, and how it shows that Wheaton is truly a geek. We also spoil "Journey's End" for Drew.   Chapters Intro (1:09) Tabletop (7:37) Production Value (17:23) Favorite Episodes (25:23) Final Thoughts (32:46) Wrap-up (36:38)

Wheaton, Part 1: Trek. Few characters in Star Trek are as polarizing as Wesley Crusher. But love him or hate him, most fans are very fond of the actor behind the character, Wil Wheaton. In this episode, Max and Mike begin a new series which look at Wheaton's career as a television show host. In the first installment, we cover Wheaton's work in Star Trek. We discuss his growth as an actor over the course of The Next Generation, the progression of the character from "Where No Man Has Gone Before" to "Journey's End," and Wheaton's work as a voice actor on the 2009 Star Trek film.

McKay & Payne. Over the past fifty years, from Gene Roddenberry to Damon Lindelof, 369 people have written for Star Trek. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max talk to the 370th and 371st Star Trek writers, Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne. In the interview, we discuss McKay and Payne's Trek fandom, their screenplays which led to Trek, working with Robert Orci, and responding to the criticisms fans have of the last film. We also try to convince them to watch Deep Space Nine.

Benny Russell. In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Far Beyond the Stars," Ira Steven Behr and his team explored the possibility that the events of the series had been created by a science fiction writer in the 1950s named Benny Russell. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike are joined by Christopher Jones of The Orb to take a look at the character of Benny Russell. We discuss the quality of the episode on the whole, whether or not it's possible that Deep Space Nine was created by Russell, and what that would mean for the rest of the franchise. We also ponder whether or not the Prophets are Giants fans.

Roddenberry II: Pretty Maids All In a Row. Despite having written dozens of hours of television, Gene Roddenberry is only responsible for writing one feature film. That film is Pretty Maids All In a Row, directed by Roger Vadim and starring Rock Hudson. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by film critic Todd Gilchrist to take a look at the film, which Roddenberry also produced. We discuss the social commentary present in an otherwise exploitational sex comedy, the simililarities between Roddenberry and Vadim as artists, and whether or not this film is the missing piece in understanding Roddenberry's personality. We also ponder why Quentin Tarantino calls it one of the best films of all time.

Black II: Wonder Woman. Over the past 50 years, there have been many successful comic book adaptations for both the big screen and small. But for some reason, the one marquee character which has failed to break through to the mainstream is Wonder Woman. Many writers have tried, with varying results. And the very first of these was Star Trek writer and producer, John D.F. Black. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike take a look at Black's 1974 Wonder Woman pilot, which starred Cathy Lee Crosby, and directly preceded the successful 1975 series starring Lynda Carter. We discuss the origins of the character, how Black's pilot rates among other adaptations, and whether or not current creators are on the cusp of a breakthrough with the character. We also ponder why comic book readers are generally unaccepting of the character.

Nemecek, Part 5: Stellar Cartography Recap. Last year saw the return of author Larry Nemecek to the world of Star Trek non-fiction with his second book, Stellar Cartography. Featuring maps by Ian Fullwood, Ali Reis, and Geoffrey Mandel, Nemecek's companion essays offer a comprehensive look at the history of the future. In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max are joined by Larry for the second part of their two-part interview. We discuss the genesis of the book, the challenges of completing such an ambitious project in a short period of time, and how Larry made sense of the Dominion War. We also ponder how big a sector is.