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

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Chapters

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (00:52)

Adaptation (12:36)

Final Thoughts (25:34)

Closing (34:36)

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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 (41:11)

Closing (45:46)

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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 us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

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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.

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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.

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Chapters

World War Z (1:45)

Thoughts on the Film (12:44)

The Ending (25:34)

Final Thoughts (37:56)

Wrap-Up (44:32)

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.

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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.

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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.

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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)