Jul
31
2010

Star Trek: New Voyages – Come What May

Star Trek: New Voyages - Come What MayStardate 6010.1: No sooner has the Enterprise emerged from spacedock following a refit than a distress call is received from a cantankerous Starbase commander, who later sends another message: the emergency is over, thanks to the intervention of someone named Onabi. A suspicious Captain Kirk orders the Enterprise to proceed there anyway, where he and the Enterprise crew meet Onabi for themselves, and discover that she has a closer connection to the unknown alien threat than the Starbase personnel suspect.

Watch Itwritten by Jack Marshall
directed by Jack Marshall

Cast: James Cawley (Captain Kirk), Jeffery Quinn (Mr. Spock), John Kelley (Dr. McCoy), Jack Marshall (Scott), Jay Storey (Kyle), Julienne Irons (Uhura), Meghan King Johnson (Rand), Ron Boyd (DeSalle), Jasen Tucker (Chekov), Jay Storey (Kyle), Larry Nemecek (Cal Strickland), John Winston (Captain Jefferies), Eddie Paskey (Admiral Leslie), Andrea Ajemian (Onabi), Mark Strock (Ohn), Shawn David (Security Officer), Pearl Marshall (Security Officer), Jeff Mailhote (Security Officer), Ed Kaczmarek (Mr. Leslie), Ed Abbate (Crewman), Timothy Sheffield (Crewman), Michel Anderson (Crewman), Anthony Laviano (Crewman), Jerry Yuen (Crewman)

Review: At the time this first effort by James Cawley and the determined Star Trek: New Voyages crew hit the internet, it was a revelation for most folks who weren’t on the inside curve when it came to fan films. Arguably, the media interest in their efforts not only put New Voyages and other Trek fan films on the map, but drew more attention to fan-made continuations of existing “universes” in general. In the minds of some diehard Trek fans, it was also a ballsy, defiant gesture to Paramount: if you don’t make the Star Trek we want to watch (a vocal faction of fandom was disappointed in the then-current series Star Trek: Enterprise), we’ll make it ourselves. (more…)

Jun
22
2010

Doctor Who: Devious (trailer)

Doctor Who: DeviousStory: Somewhere between his second and third incarnations, an “intermediate” Doctor is dispatched by the Time Lords to do battle with the Daleks yet again, attempting to foil their most ambitious scheme yet, but the cost in the lives of innocent bystanders is high. Before his mission is even complete, the Time Lords then catch up with the Doctor yet again and complete his sentence, forcing him to regenerate fully into his third persona and sending him into exile on Earth.

written by Ashley Nealfuller & David Clarke
directed by David Clarke
music by Martin Johnson

Cast: Tony Garner (The Doctor), Jon Pertwee (The Doctor), Peter Tuddenham (Voix), Hugh Lloyd (Scribe), David Clarke (Auriga), Anthony Townsend (Callisto), Lynette East (Adreinna), Stephen Cranford (The Covellitor), Ashley Nealfuller (Chancellor Chaldor), Arthur Harrod (Aturo), Heather Cohen (Observer Aquilia), Chris T. Kirk (Observer Vardrah), Ian Edmond (Ralib), Richard Kingshott (Nilan)

Appearing in footage from The War Games: Patrick Troughton (The Doctor)

Notes: Technically, since his scenes were taped after he recorded the BBC radio play The Ghosts Of N-Space, Devious represents Jon Pertwee‘s final performance as the third Doctor before his death in 1996 (Pertwee’s scenes were filmed in April 1995). Other “name” guest stars include the late Peter Tuddenham, famous for voicing most of the sentient computers in the 1970s BBC space opera Blake’s 7. Filming on Devious began before filming began on the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie starring Paul McGann, and work on Devious continues even into the Matt Smith era. A “highlights trailer” was included, with the participation of the filmmakers, on the official BBC DVD of the second Doctor’s final regular story, The War Games. The film’s official web site, including photos of many scenes not included in the War Games DVD trailer, can be found here.

Review: It’s hard to judge Devious on its own merits when all that’s available is a trailer. Devious is a sort of unfinished symphony: an epic work that doesn’t look like it’ll be finished anytime soon. And yet, it’s almost a part of mainstream Doctor Who folklore. It’s been in production for over 15 years, it marks Jon Pertwee’s last appearance as the Doctor, it fills in an intriguing gap in Who mythology, and Pertwee’s filmed scenes provided his surprising posthumous appearance in the 40th anniversary Big Finish audio story Zagreus. Devious is something that everyone’s heard about and, until the extended trailer appeared on The War Games DVD set, no one had seen. (more…)

Written by Earl Green in: Doctor Who |
Jun
10
2010

Mindgame Trilogy

Mindgame TrilogyStory: Recently escaped from an experiment in which they were almost manipulated into killing one another, a human officer, a Sontaran warrior and an eloquent Draconian have now gone their separate ways – though not necessarily to happy endings. The human finds herself alone and adrift in a solo spacecraft with no food or water left, and a dwindling supply of oxygen. The Sontaran is transported back into the heart of the battle he once craved, where he finds that his newfound ability to think freely isn’t an asset. And the Draconian is imprisoned, now confined to a cell that he can’t reason his way out of.

Battlefield written by Terrance Dicks
Prisoner 451 written by Miles Richardson
Scout Ship written by Roger Stevens
directed by Keith Barnfather
music by Nicholas Briggs

Cast: Sophie Aldred (Space Pilot 692 7896), Miles Richardson (Commander Of Brigade Merq), John Wadmore (Field Major Sarg)

Notes: Where Mindgame strongly hinted that the human soldier played by Sophie Aldred was Ace (possibly from the New Adventures novels), Mindgame Trilogy complicates that interpretation with the death of Aldred’s character.

Review: An interesting and somewhat surprising 1999 follow-up to the rather well-produced (if chlichèd) fan-made video project Mindgame, Mindgame Trilogy suffers a great deal in comparison because it alternates between being a total bummer (as Sophie Aldred’s doomed space pilot slowly rationalizes her way toward suicide) and rather annoyingly dull (the Draconian’s dilemma, something which could have been much more interesting). (more…)

Written by Earl Green in: Doctor Who |
Jun
03
2010

Mindgame

MIndgameStory: A Sontaran, a Draconian, and a female human pilot are kidnapped from their respective sectors of the galaxy and are subjected to the mental and psychological manipulations of another alien creature who is attempting to determine which race’s territory to invade next. However, the three prisoners manage to turn the tables on their captor, trapping him momentarily. But doing what any researcher would do with a tainted experiment, the alien escapes, setting his vessel for self-destruct. Now the Sontaran, the Draconian and the human must work well enough together under the threat of death to find their own escape route.

written by Terrance Dicks
directed by Keith Barnfather
music by Bug Music Productions

Cast: Sophie Aldred (Human), Miles Richardson (Draconian), Toby Aspin (Sontaran), Bryan Robson (The Alien)

Notes: The dialogue for Sophie Aldred’s human character is written not unlike Ace’s dialogue, with one major hint (“Wicked!”) at the very end of the episode; if one interprets this to mean that the character is Ace, it’s possible that this could be the first on-screen portrayal of Ace from the New Adventures era (namely, between leaving the TARDIS in the novel “Love And War” and rejoining later in “Deceit”). However, the sequel production Mindgame Trilogy may invalidate this interpretation, and may also indicate that this is not Ace.

Review: It’s very easy to have high expectations of this Reeltime independent video from 1998. The script, after all, was written by Terrance Dicks, Doctor Who’s script editor for much of the late sixties and early seventies. The alien makeups were some of the more credible and well-crafted work I’ve yet seen in what is, essentially, a fan production. And the cast featured Sophie “Ace” Aldred and Miles Richardson (who has made the odd appearance on such shows as Highlander). How could they go wrong? (more…)

Written by Earl Green in: Doctor Who |
May
25
2010

Starship Farragut: The Animated Episodes – The Needs Of The Many

Starship Farragut: The Needs Of The ManyStardate 6047.1: Captain Carter and the Farragut receive secret sealed orders to proceed at once to the planet Cestus III, the site of a Federation outpost attacked by the Gorn. A Federation science station near the planet, which escaped the Gorn’s wrath before, is sending a distress signal; before warping in to help, Carter and his crew receive a classified briefing which explains the original Gorn attack. The science station is studying a recently discovered wormhole which allows travel not only through space, but through time as well – a strategic hotspot for anyone wishing to simply slip into the past and attack their enemies. The Farragut arrives just in time to see the Gorn fire a weapon into the wormhole, which has unintended consequences: both ships are surrounded by “bubbles” of time which are temporarily warding off massive changes to history. But when the bubbles dissipate, the Farragut will cease to exist as a result of those changes. A woman from the past appears, with a personal connection to Chief Engineer Smithfield, but Smithfield’s ancestor may have to be sent back in time to meet her doom to set history straight. Is this really her fate?

Watch Itwritten by Michael Struck and Jack Trevino
adapted from a story by Michael Struck
directed by Michael Struck
music by Yvette Blais & Jeff Michael
Farragut theme by Hetoreyn

Voice Cast: John Broughton (Captain John T. Carter), Michael Bednar (Commander Robert Tacket), Holly Bednar (Lt. Commander Michelle Smithfield), Paul R. Sieber (Lt. Prescott), Tonya Bacon (Lt. Moretti), Amy McDonough (Dr. Holley), Bob McDonough (Galway)

Special Guest Voices: Chris Doohan, Hetoreyn, Jason LeBlanc, Chase Masterson, Vic Mognogna, Ralph M. Miller, Lou Scheimer

Notes: Scotty pays the Farragut a visit, voiced by Chris Doohan, the son of the late James Doohan, while the Romulan commander is voiced by Lou Scheimer, producer of the original Filmation Star Trek animated series, who did an uncredited turn as the voice of the same Romulan in the animated episode The Practical Joker in 1974.

Review: Another winner of an animated episode from the Farragut team and Neo F/X, The Needs Of The Many seems a little bit familiar – playing off of the same “restore history by sending this person back in time to their death” premise as Yesterday’s Enterprise, among others – but it’s interesting to see it play out in animation. Clocking in at almost the same running time as a standard live-action Star Trek episode, and dealing with more mature themes (and yet somehow not being heavy-handed with it), Needs would be a good show as either live action or a cartoon. (more…)

May
15
2010

Star Trek: Phoenix – Cloak & Dagger

Star Trek: Phoenix - Cloak & DaggerStardate 99336.20: In the early 25th century, after the destruction of Romulus destabilizes the political landscape of the Alpha Quadrant, Starfleet steps up to the plate by beefing up its technology and weaponry, and by sending the U.S.S. Phoenix on its maiden voyage as a “state ship” sporting a full diplomatic corps on board. But a recent surprise attack has left the Phoenix the worse for wear: the bridge has sustained so much damage that it won’t be functional again for a month. Stuck running the ship from engineering, Captain Avari is not a happy man. Having to endure the frequently short-sighted complaints of his ship’s diplomatic – or, in Avari’s estimation, bureaucratic – corps has only worsened his mood. A rescue team is dispatched to find the missing crew of a diplomatic shuttle on Ketrassii Prime, only to become trapped themselves by an enemy of unknown intent and stength (and the ability to sap power from their weapons and equipment). Captain Avari relishes the chance to get in on the action, leading the away team to recover the rescue team, but he soon discovers that the enemy they’re facing is only too familiar.

Watch Itwritten by Ben Andrews, Ben Johnson, Jon Johnson, James Lyle, Lorraine Montez, Leo Roberts, Brian Sipe and Roy Stanton
directed by Sam Akina, Gale Benning and Leo Roberts
music by Brad Anthony Laina / end credit music by Steve Brush

Cast: Ben Andrews (Captain Bryce Avari), Ben Johnson (Commander Talis Jaryn), James Lyle (Dr. Thomas Alden), Roy Stanton (Ambassador T’Von), Elle Viane Sonnet (Lt. Commander Akelyn Solara), Nicole Santora (Lt. Commander Yamora Vu’Shan), S. Joe Downing (Lt. Arca Niran), Vanessa Cobbs (Lt. Pelomar Laenah), Jesse James Pattison (Lt. Joben Karkko), Lorraine Montez (Lt./Major Ulti Natyra), J.P. Giuliotti (Admiral Theodore Grayson), Wes Hurley (Commander Telek), John Lynch (Major Noah Croft), Rodrigo Demedeiros (Minister/Councilor Tol Hadik), Mark Rahner (Lt. Guy Shaw), Leo Roberts (S.A.B.R.E. General Krik), Loren Walton (Lt. Baron), Eve Powell (Ensign Riley), Alexis Eggertsen (Lt. Ayiln), Jessica Hendrickson (Dr. DeSoto), Ben James (Lt. B.J. Nelson), Tellier Killaby (Lt. Commander Russoe Preval), Michelle McNamer (Lt. Commander Jennifer Elarah), Nathan Moore (Lt. Commander K’Var), Dennis Paillex (Lt. Casey Mendham), Fred Varnal (Lt. Natarion), Marlene Wong (Yavae Vadwel), Dylan Blackhorse-Von Jess (Katrassii Prime Romulan Agent), Jared Hemmelgarn (Katrassii Prime Romulan Agent), Ben James (Katrassii Prime Romulan Agent), Aaron Key (Katrassii Prime Romulan Agent), Spenser O’Neill (Katrassii Prime Romulan Agent), Adam Sonnet (Katrassii Prime Romulan Agent), Stephanie Hilbert (voice of Lusian), Brad Anthony Laina (voice of Praetor Sirol), William Michael Paul (voice of Praetor Bevoral), Adam Sonnet (voice of Lt. Molnar), Jason Wright (Computer voice)

Notes: Star Trek: Phoenix takes place in 2422, 35 years after the destruction of Romulus, an event which set in motion the events of the 2009 Star Trek movie; this also places it at least 40-50 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. Phoenix takes place in the “prime” timeline, while Nero’s pursuit of Spock sent much of Star Trek into an alternate timeline. Phoenix’s hull registry number is NCC-101138.

Review: A fresh step forward in the Star Trek saga, Phoenix is long overdue. While I’m a fan of the various “Kirk-era” productions, Phoenix has taken the direction that fan films have really needed to take for quite some time: forward – almost as far forward from TNG as TNG was from the original show. (more…)

Dec
04
2009

Star Trek: Phase II – Blood And Fire, Part II

Star Trek: Phase II - Blood And Fire, Part IIStardate not given: A boarding party from the Enterprise is trapped aboard the derelict Copernicus, which is infested with Regulan bloodworms – an infestation which demands the immediate destruction of the Copernicus and the sacrifice of anyone left aboard her, per Starfleet regulations. But the boarding party includes Spock, Rand, DeSalle and Captain Kirk’s nephew Peter, so he’s in no hurry to execute the mandatory order to destroy Copernicus. Scotty tries a last-ditch maneuver, beaming the boarding party to another deck of the Copernicus – one where, amazingly, Spock’s team finds survivors, including Dr. Jenna Yar and the secretive Commander Blodgett. Dr. Yar claims to be working on a cure for the plague spread by the bloodworms, but McCoy dismisses her proposed treatment as impossibly dangerous for any patients subjected to the process. With time running out, McCoy comes up with his own alternative to Yar’s treatment, and insists on beaming himself to the Copernicus to administer it; if it doesn’t work, he’ll be sentencing himself to death along with the boarding party. In the midst of this already-bleak scenario a Klingon ship arrives, commanded by Kirk’s nemesis Commander Kargh, who is ready to destroy the Copernicus and all aboard if Kirk won’t.

Watch Itwritten by Carlos Pedraza & David Gerrold
directed by David Gerrold
music by Fred Steiner

Cast: James Cawley (Captain Kirk), Ben Toplin (Mr. Spock), John Kelley (Dr. McCoy), Bobby Quinn Rice (Ensign Peter Kirk), Evan Fowler (Alex Freeman), Denise Crosby (Dr. Jenna Yar), Bill Blair (Commander Blodgett), John Carrigan (Commander Kargh), Charles Root (Scott), Jay Storey (Kyle), Kim Stinger (Uhura), Ron Boyd (DeSalle), Andy Bray (Chekov), Meghan King Johnson (Rand), Nick Cook (Hodel), Paul R. Sieber (Agrens), Patrick Bell (Xon), Debbie Huth (Fontana), Jeff Mailhotte (Sentell), Joel Bellucci (Bren), Anne Carrigan (Le’ak), James Avalon (Klaar)

Notes: Dr. Jenna Yar (full name: Jenna Natasha Yar) is the grandmother of Lt. Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation; by this stage she has already had a daughter, presumably Tasha’s mother, who is safe on Earth and isn’t seen in this story. Section 31 is retroactively worked into the classic Trek timeline here; it was actually first mentioned in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the 1990s, and later in Star Trek: Enterprise.

Review: The long-awaited second half of this Trek cliffhanger arrived more than a year after the first part hit the web, and even so, I’m writing this review based on a mostly-complete pre-release edit whose final two acts are still in the “temp edit” stage. (more…)

Nov
05
2009

Do You Have A Licence To Save This Planet?

Do You Have A Licence To Save This Planet?Story: A crisis looms in time and/or space, and Rassilon tries to summon the greatest Time Lord in history. But he’s busy, so the universe will have to settle for a “chrono-duke” known as the Foot Doctor, who travels through space and/or time in a vehicle that looks like a washing machine. (Understandably, he gets a lot of dirty socks thrown at him.) He arrives on Earth, which is teeming with an invasion force of Cyberons. And an invasion force of Sontarans. And an invasion force of Autons. And probably worse. But the Foot Doctor has an ace up his sleeve – no, not that ace.

written by Paul Ebbs & Gareth Preston
directed by Bill Baggs
music by Mike Neilson and Steve Johnson

Cast: Sylvester McCoy (The Foot Doctor), Mark Donovan (The Salesman), Nigel Fairs (Geoff / The Licensor), Jo Castleton (Gloria), Nigel Peever (Rassilon), Gareth Preston (Delivery Man / Cyberon), Rupert Booth (Sontaran / Auton), Philip T. Robinson (Auton / Cyberon), Paul Griggs (Auton / Cyberon), Paul Ebbs (Cyberon voice), Steve Johnson (Cyberon voice)

Notes: Despite poking much fun at the unlicensed equivalents of the Doctor and the Cybermen, many of the Doctor Who baddies who appear here are licensed, and their creators are credited: the Sontarans and Autons (both created by Robert Holmes), and the Krynoid (created by Robert Banks Stewart).

Review: It’s funny watching Do You Have A Licence To Save This Planet? in retrospect. The whole message of this half-hour send-up of the Doctor Who format – such as it was in the 1980s – and its many easily-pounced-upon foibles is simple: Doctor Who fans don’t need the BBC anymore. Arguably, they don’t even need to license anything from the BBC anymore to make fan films.

Oh, how times have changed. (more…)

Written by Earl Green in: Doctor Who,Spoof |
Oct
24
2009

Star Trek: Intrepid – Turning Point

Star Trek: Intrepid - Turning PointStardate not given: Shortly after the capture of a group of Orion Syndicate raiders aboard a Federation merchant navy ship, Lt. Cole is interrogating the Orion leader. As it turns out, the only information the Orion cares to divulge has to do with Cole’s own checkered past. It’s an encounter that puts Cole’s past in a new light – and his future in doubt.

Watch Itwritten by Nick Cook
directed by Alan Christison, Stephen Pasqua & Nick Cook
music by Bodo Hartwig / Intrepid theme by Dylan Feeney

Cast: Alan Christison (Commander Navar), Steven Pasqua (Lt. Cole), Gordon Dickson (Kashid-Zar), Jay Clark (PO Jaden Antos), Chris Cassell (Security Guard)

Review: Following on directly from the previous short, Where There’s A Sea…, Turning Point delivers another compact, economic piece of drama that moves the plot – both political and character-oriented – of Intrepid forward significantly. In six minutes and change. (more…)

Sep
27
2009

Star Trek: Intrepid – Where There’s A Sea…

Star Trek: Intrepid - Where There's A SeaStardate 59823.4: Captain Hunter and the Intrepid are roped into a “special mission” by Admiral Prentice. The objective – though not the direct order – is to sit idly by and allow one of the local merchant ships to fall victim to an Orion boarding party which is unwittingly delivering a prize into Starfleet’s midst. At the end of the day, very few will be happy with the mission’s outcome.

Watch Itwritten by Nick Cook
directed by Steve Hammond
music by David Beukes / Intrepid theme by Dylan Feeney

Cast: Nick Cook (Captain Hunter), Steven Pasqua (Lt. Cole), Lucie Cook (Lt. Caed / Orion), Steve Hammond (Captain Merik), Alain DeMol (Erik De Meyer / CPO D’Gor), Marco Piva (Rafael Batista), David Robertson (PO Josh Taylor), Dave Lees (CPO Alex Quint), Alan Score (Admiral Prentice), Gordon Dickson (Kashid-Zar), Jay Clark (PO Jaden Antos), Gary Paterson (Duffy), Alison Dickson (Kendrick), Nick Beckwith (Orion), Ann Dixon (Orion)

Review: An interesting short subject set in the Intrepid‘s “universe”, Where There’s A Sea… advances the complicated political situation introduced in the first episode and delivers a hell of a shoot ‘em up in the space of about 11 minutes. (more…)

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