Him out of Star Trek
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15 15 15 Publication of the U.S.S. Chesapeake Star Trek and Science-Fiction Club September, 2008 Did Shatner’s demands cut him out of Star Trek XI? Over the past months, there has been people who were proclaiming that he must be much discussion as to whether William Shat- in this movie were the same people saying it ner, who is famous for playing Captain James must adhere to canon. Well, his character died T. Kirk, would be in Star Trek XI or wouldn’t on screen. Maybe a smarter group of film- be (or should be or shouldn’t be), but it may makers could have figured out how to resolve be that the actor’s demands made it impos- that.” Lance Reddick from sible for it to happen. There is still skepticism that this means Fringe got into acting As reported by AMCTV.com, in the course Shatner will not appear in the film. After all, because of Captain Kirk on Star Trek. of being interviewed about his newest Fox the actor appeared as Kirk in a DirecTV com- series Fringe, J.J. Abrams discussed Shatner’s mercial, and fandom didn’t know it was hap- anger at not having a role in next year’s Star pening. The first time it was known was when Trek XI. “It was very tricky,” said Abrams. “We the commercial started to air. Could the same actually had written a scene with him in it that thing be taking place now? was a flashback kind of thing, but the truth is, Star Trek XI will appear in theaters on it didn’t quite feel right.” Friday, May 8, 2009. Complicating matters was Shatner him- b Lance Reddick, who is appearing on self, who sought a bigger role than he was J.J. Abrams’ new sci-fi series Fringe, would offered. “The bigger thing was that he was have preferred a spot in one of Abrams’ other very vocal that he didn’t want to do a cameo,” projects. explained Abrams. “We tried desperately to Reddick, a lifetime Star Trek fan, got into put him in the movie, but he was making it acting because of his love of Captain Kirk. very clear that he wanted the movie to focus “Honestly, it’s ironic that J.J. is doing Star Trek on him significantly which, frankly, he de- because the first thing that drew me to acting serves.” was wanting to be Captain Kirk when I was In addition, there were concerns over a kid. It’s weird because growing up, I never canon and the desire to make the storytell- thought I would be an actor, but I was a huge ing consistent. “The truth is, the story that fan of Star Trek.” we were telling required a certain adherence Visiting the Star Trek XI set one day to to the Trek canon and consistency of story- meet with Abrams was a thrill for Reddick. “I telling,” said Abrams. “It’s funny, a lot of the flipped out,” he said. IN THIS ISSUE: Art Credits 3 Club Members Come to the September club meeting in Laurel! Insert front Coming Events 6 The next meeting of the U.S.S. Chesapeake start no later than 7:00 p.m. Directions to Meeting Star Trek and Science-Fiction Club will be We’ll find out what fellow club members Insert front DVD Review 6 held on Saturday, September 20, at the Lau- have been up to as well as discuss the latest Meeting Minutes rel, Maryland, home of Starfleet Intelligence news about Star Trek and other sci-fi television Insert back Officer Annie White and Chief of Computer shows and feature films. Movie Review 2 Operations John White. Need directions to this month’s meeting? Reflections 4 Science Trek 3 We’ll get together at 5:00 p.m. to decide Get this month’s Insert, which is in our Yahoo! Wayne’s Worlds 5 where to go for dinner. Our club meeting, will Group. Volume 17, Issue 8 The “Captain’s Log” MOVIE REVIEW: The X-Files: I wanted to believe will return next month! Fifteen years. It’s been 15 years since The as major as you would have thought, was the X-Files debuted on FOX. It started out as a director, Chris Carter. I thought he was a bad brilliant show that soon became arrogant and television director; his film directing is not as conceited, then engulfed and overwhelmed by bad, but it is bad. The film is full of overblown its own success. But I’m not here to talk about scenes, scene-chewing performances and shots the show. I’ve already done that. I’m here to and angles that do nothing to promote the review the new movie, The X-Files: I Want to narrative. Most of his shots are routine; when Believe. they’re not routine, they’re pointless and just The franchise’s first feature, released in plain dumb. 1998, was pointless, plotless and a gigantic Admittedly, it was nice seeing Mulder and waste of time. It was sort of like eating a twen- Scully as a team again. And there are a few ty-course meal followed by three quarts of ice surprises along the way, including the return cream, a whole chocolate cake and chasing it of one of the show’s most-loved characters. down with a diet soda. The sequel (of sorts) But, in the end, the lack of a real “x-file” sticks does have a plot and it even has a purpose. It out like a Mundane at a Star Trek convention. just doesn’t have an “x-file.” And the inclusion of the dreaded Mulder/ Basically, Mulder is still on the lam from Scully romance almost drags the movie to a the Feds (which he was at the end of the series screeching halt. It is a good movie. X-Files finale), Scully’s still a doctor—just not for the fans should see this, but it is not great even F.B.I.—and she is approached to enlist her though it could have been. help in enlisting Mulder’s help on a case that is Conn Officer Lorenzo Heard very X-Files-like. Of course, Mul- Copyright 2008 U.S.S. Chesapeake der refuses at first, then he recants NCC-9102, a his refusal after he gets a whiff not-for-profit of the actual case, and those old organization. All rights reserved, juices start flowing again. Scully, of including course, wants nothing to do with it, reproducing parts of but goes along because of Mulder. this document. It is not a bad movie. It’s not a Check out our club great movie either, but it is enjoy- website: www. usschesapeake.org able and downright funny in some parts. The lack of a real “x-file” The opinions bothers me. The actual case is in- expressed in this publication do not teresting, but it is not an “x-file!” necessarily represent This show had the greatest po- those of the tential to be an amazing movie fran- entire club. chise! All the things they couldn’t “Star Trek,” do on the small screen (and believe “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Star me, they got away with a lot!) would Trek: Deep Space be perfectly acceptable on the large Nine,” “Star Trek: screen. Every gory notion, every Voyager,” and “Star Trek: Enterprise,” gross detail could proudly displayed as well as the terms for all to see. “starship” and What do we get? A two-hour “starship Enterprise,” are registered wet dream for all the Mulder/Scully trademarks of fans. I always thought having them Paramount Pictures Corporation. romantically involved was a mistake, All rights reserved. and there was nothing in this film to Absolutely no prove me wrong. The Mulder/Scully infringement on these rights is romance is right up front, and it does intended. nothing but drag the movie down. Another problem, albeit not The money wasn’t out there for The X-Files: I Want to Believe. COMSTAR, page 2 SCIENCE TREK: The ultimate demolition derby The world did not end yesterday, Septem- rays produce far higher energies than pos- ber 10, 2008, as you probably noticed. sible with the LHC. In fact, sometimes those Scientists at the European Organization collisions create microscopic black holes for Nuclear Research (or CERN in French) (or so we theorize from our observations of pressed the start button on the Large Hadron extremely distant collisions). Whether those Collider (LHC), a particle accelerator 27-ki- black holes are stable or quickly decay is not lometers in diameter beneath the border of known. However, it is clear that the universe France and Switzerland. As the results of the still exists. If a microscopic black hole were test fire flashed onto the screen, an intrepid created in the LHC, it would likely either: 1) but imaginary observer would have thought, Decay almost instantly; 2) Keep going into the “A game of Pong is more exciting.” Yet, those nether reaches of space; or 3) Get trapped by first blips on a screen are the start of the the Earth but take longer than the lifetime of search for God ... the “God” particle, that is. the universe to grow into a problem. Of course, science fiction is full of scien- Should I be concerned about CERN? tists telling the common folk, “It’s nothing to Established in 1954, CERN, the world’s worry about.” largest particle physics laboratory, is run by 20 European member states.