BackTrekking

BackTrekking returns again to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

We crawl up our own Jeffries tube this week when we watch the first Star Trek episode inspired *by* a Star Trek episode! Decades ago, light years away, but almost exactly the same episode as "The Naked Time" . . . it's "The Naked Now"!

On this episode, we discuss the original Star Trek "crazy gas" episode, where mutant water molecules infect the crew and cause them to experience their unexpressed fears and desires. And fencing. It's also an episode with some crunchy sci-fi elements, like matter-antimatter reactions, gravitational planetary collapse, and the crew getting drunk and inventing time travel and forgetting to tell anyone. Then, we move to the 24th century, where everyone is a lot hornier and programmed in multiple techniques. The ship is in the path of a deadly stellar fragment and Captain Wesley won't budge until he gets double dessert!

On this show, we talk about the very real-world anti-space sentiments poor Joe T. expresses, whether McCoy and Scotty were OK because they're career drunks, whether or not Sulu is a crappy swashbuckler, the evils of middle management, the USS Key Party, how every chief engineer pre-Geordi was a Scotty joke, deepfaking Picard, the importance of context in an orgy, 3D checkers, King Riley, Kal drops some truth about foil vs. epee, and Gooey straightens out some Zelda canon!

Pick up your copy of the DS9 documentary, What We Left Behind!
https://amzn.to/2YHn7BH

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Check out the other shows on the Just Enough Trope network!
http://www.justenoughtrope.com

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

BackTrekking returns again to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

You can leave your uniform hat on this week 'cause we're diving deep into the connections between the 1957 WWII classic "The Enemy Below" and the legendary Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Balance of Terror"! One is a tense yarn about two naval commanders playing a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to defend their respective nation's ideologies, and the other starts Robert Mitchum!

On this episode, we discuss our (lack of) experience with WWII sub flicks and the way they and other military films were post-war cultural therapy, the real-life events that inspired the films, the personal stakes Curd Jurgens had in his role, whether it's ok to humanist Nazis in the current political climate, and just how sweaty it got in one of those pig boats. Then, we transition seamlessly into "Balance of Terror", and we discuss how Trek may have done it better, how the Trek casting office loves its Romulan actors, whether or not the most long-running Trek adversaries are "boring", how Terror deals with race while Below elides over it, and whether Captain Kirk is Murrell or Stolberg.

We also talk the greatness of Marc Lenard, Romulan fashion sense, the importance of phaser coolant, the wrath of Wah Chang, space Catholics, flying a Denny's around, feather merchants, Heinie is Worf's dad, Kal presents his Axis/Allies Vikings/Packers theory, and Gooey invents the Trek Demolition Derby! Plus Kal's Anson Mount/Ethan Peck story!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Get more Trek action with Enterprising Individuals!
http://www.twitter.com/eistpod

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

BackTrekking returns again to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

The pod people are already here and we're talking about the movie so nice they remade it thrice: The Invasion of the Body Snatchers! Plus, Riker's brought something back from Risa (again), but this time it's a video game that's got everyone creaming their jeans and losing their free will!

On this episode, we're talking about the 1978 sci-fi paranoia thriller that cast "Dr." Spock in an entirely new light and made us believe that a clown-haired health inspector could be a sex symbol. Gooey (no relation) aliens from across the cosmos are here for your bodies and no amount of pop psychology or organic produce can stop them from stealing your Haight and turning your corpse into Ash(bury)! On this episode, we discuss the assimilationist overtones of the Body snatchers series, the subtle insidiousness of the invasion, the paranoia of the '70s, the film's commentary on the futility of individualism, and gaslighting Veronica Cartwright! Then, we dive into The Game, a TNG episode that is a commentary on . . . something? Video game hysteria? STDs? Seeing your mom's "O" face? Unclear.

We also talk Donald Sutherland's Big Freak Energy, Chubby Rain, Robert Duvall on a playground, not wanting to talk to your alien Uber driver, molesting a chocolate sundae, Ashley Judd's Wil Wheaton impression, the "No Sex" memo, Frakes hand acting, holographic Catan, being Picard AF, Kal talks chemistry equipment metaphors, and Gooey hates all pranks!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Go questing with Gooey during the Zelda Dungeon marathon!
https://twitch.com/zeldadungeon

Hear what Kal and Just Enough Trope got up to at CONvergence 2019!
http://www.twitter.com/justenoughtrope

Proud member of the Analog Legends network! Follow @analoglegends on Twitter for more retro goodness! #analoglegends

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

BackTrekking returns again to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

You may be cool, but you'll never be James Coburn eating bouillabaisse in a Marseilles go-go bar! When Bond can't handle the job, when the threat is BIGGER than Spectre, when you ABSOLUTELY MUST hire a secret agent that has at least four multi-ethnic girlfriends . . . you call DEREK FLINT, the international man of mystery, who is at home in the casbah as he is in the boudoir!

On this episode, we're talking about the 1966 Eurospy spoof classic and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode it inspired: "Our Man Bashir"! It's easy to save the world when the holodeck safeties are on, but a computer error makes Bashir's favorite pastime fatally real! We discuss the "Kinks of spy movies", the surprising sensuality of James Coburn, the epitome of '60s cultured charm, unsubtle climate change messaging, Garak as the voice of reason, Bashir's borderline weird proclivities, and getting yelled at by MGM!

We also talk Big Freak Energy, having a dog butler, Hans Gruber?, Adam West's Batman, the anti-American eagle, barrels full of women, the Cardassian neck tux, Sisko's hooting, Dr. Tha-noah-s, "Our Man Flute", Gooey talks about his band's new album, Kal's got a lot of stuff to plug, and everyone is going on blast!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Keep tabs on Gooey's band, Parting!
https://twitter.com/PartingBand

Hear what Kal and Just Enough Trope got up to at CONvergence 2019!
http://www.twitter.com/justenoughtrope

Proud member of the Analog Legends network! Follow @analoglegends on Twitter for more retro goodness! #analoglegends

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

BackTrekking returns again to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

Spacewomen are kicking alien ass this week as Ka1iban and GooeyFame pit 1979's "Alien" and the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Macrocosm" against each other in a fight to the death! Ripley works in space and it's time to clean up the office, while Janeway doesn't want to talk about the bonus situation, just giant virus eradication!

On this episode, we talk about the greatest movie of all time that a lot of people didn't really like when it was first released. We also talk about our mutual experiences of "giving up" on Voyager and the slow climb back, the hardworkin' HR Giger, perfecting a "haunted house movie in space", the varying generational appeal of Ridley Scott, the film's thrilling cinematic trailer, the lasting influence of "Alien", and making peahats scary!

We also have a Gooey Toe Update, Janeway shankin' fools, the Tom Skerritt Hour, a discussion of the artiness of video games and "video game" movies, #fillthetankup, the Franchiseamatron, chrome penises, skateboarding aliens, we disagree about "Us", Gooey calls George Lucas a war criminal, and Kal wants Watch Dogs chips in everyone's heads! Remember: the eighth passenger is death!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Hear Kal and movie genius guests discuss Alien and other films on Craft Disservices!
http://www.craftdisservices.com

Proud member of the Analog Legends network! Follow @analoglegends on Twitter for more retro goodness! #analoglegends

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

BackTrekking returns again to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

Ka1iban and GooeyFame push their show's premise to its breaking point as they discuss the first superhero blockbuster of the modern age, "Batman" (1989), and the DS9 episode that it inspired, "In the Pale Moonlight"! Batman works outside of the law and Captain Sisko will have to suspend his own commitment to law and order to win the war against the Dominion!

On the show, we talk about the single sentence that inspired a Trek episode, the morality of vigilantism, the GOATiness of Elfman and Prince, the "in your face" technique of Avery Brooks, the strength of the Batman marketing campaign, the small compromises that lead to self-betrayal, the ubiquity of William Hootkins, the importance of having no redemption, and how Black Panther is the Batman of the 21st century.

We also have a quick review of Dark Phoenix, we give our Star Trek 4 pitch, and we talk about people hating Batman actors, how Arli$$ was "white Ballers", what killed the dinosaurs, how Picard would have folded, ITS A FAAAAAAKE, Kal shares his Batman score story, Gooey goes hard against Bale-man, and we give Batman war drive and Sisko a Batarang!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Will Smith "Ha Ha" compilation by mattdh12 on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ2zisSlIME

Proud member of the Analog Legends network! Follow @analoglegends on Twitter for more retro goodness! #analoglegends

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

BackTrekking returns again to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

Ka1iban and GooeyFame are back again to talk about the legendary Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Trouble With Tribbles". Unlike tribbles themselves, the idea behind tribbles didn't spring from nothing and we explore the connection between this episode and a novel by the "Dean of Science Fiction", Robert A. Heinlein!

On the show, we talk about the resistance against "funny" Trek, the evolution of David Gerrold's script for the episode, the complications of intellectual property, the complicated politics of Heinlein, Kirk's loathing for bureaucrats, and the process of bringing Tribbles to the screen. We also talk about Roddenberry being a buzzkill, bombing at WorldCon, "women be shopping", Pigs Is Pigs 2, being outranked by your wife, Kal loves popplers, and Gooey apologizes for not liking a children's space novel about selling bicycles!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Check out these adorable flat cat plushies by PatchworkMouseCrafts!
http://www.themousehole.org/flatcats.html

Proud member of the Analog Legends network! Follow @analoglegends on Twitter for more retro goodness! #analoglegends

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

BackTrekking returns again to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

This week, hosts Ka1iban and GooeyFame are talking about the all-time great Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Measure of a Man" and the Supreme Court case of 1857 that inspired it, Dred Scott vs. Sandford! Dred Scott was a slave who fought in the courts for his freedom and his amazing story formed the basis for a similar tale about Data being put on trial to defend his right to exist!

On the show, we talk about the historical facts in the case of Dred Scott, the turmoil present in the divided America of the Antebellum era, his right honorable dumdum dodo Roger B. Taney, our very human Founding Fathers, and the WORST DECISION the Supreme Court ever made. We also talk about the subtle mastery of Melinda Snodgrass's script for "Measure", robo racism, the "pleasant" language of oppression, the wisdom of having Whoopi in the episode, Jonathan "Face Acting" Frakes, plucking a pigeon, the lack of AI in Trek, and Riker putting his leg up on himself!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

See Kal's interview with Melinda Snodgrass about "The Measure of a Man"
https://www.facebook.com/eistpod/videos/1893178130987304/

Proud member of the Analog Legends network! Follow @analoglegends on Twitter for more retro goodness! #analoglegends

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

BackTrekking returns to look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

Except not this time! Trek has inspired many other artists in their work, and this week, Ka1iban and GooeyFame are sitting down to talk about a little band from New York called the Beastie Boys! Throughout their discography, the Beasties have employed countless pop culture references and Star Trek ones in particular litter their albums and videos.

On the show, we talk about the Beastie's origin as a punk quartet, their early "edgy" personas, their development of their sound across their discography, being "white rappers", and we call out various Trek references in both the Beasties and other artists' work. Plus, we take a look at the new Star Trek: Picard trailer, criticize Carson Daly's interviewing skills, forget Danny McBride's name, discuss the genius of MCA and the genius of Genius.com, point out the distinction between Dr. Spock and Mr. Spock, Kal confesses that Fiona Apple got him into Wu-Tang, and Gooey has a David Bowie on Star Trek: Discovery pitch!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It's the first episode of BackTrekking, the show where we look back at the real-world inspirations of classic Trek episodes!

This week, hosts Ka1iban and GooeyFame are talking about the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Starship Mine" and its clear inspiration, the classic action blockbuster "Die Hard"! Both Captain Picard and John McClane find themselves being hunted by terrorists and must use their wits to survive!

On the show, we talk about the way Trek inspires real-world science and technology, going "full Marvel", having an unlicensed Blockbuster card, learning to kill again, "Die-Hard-on-a-blank", 300 year-old Mr. Ed references, the enigma of Hart Bochner, Admiral Bruce Willis, and everyone's singing!

Tweet at the show or your hosts with your suggestions for future episodes!
http://www.twitter.com/backtrekking
http://www.twitter.com/ka1iban
http://www.twitter.com/gooeyfame

Proud member of the Analog Legends network! Follow @analoglegends on Twitter for more retro goodness! #analoglegends

Theme: Disco Medusae Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/