To you, your friends and family, have a thrilling holiday!
Star Trek Sex: The Book - Analyzing The Most Sexually Charged Episodes Of The Original Series
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Captain Kirk and Michael Meyers
Captain Kirk a crazed serial killer stalking co-eds on Halloween? Well, kinda.
John Carpenter's classic shocker, Halloween, needed a mask for their boogeyman. A Captain Kirk mask was purchased - modified by special FX guys - and voila! Starfleet Stalker!
John Carpenter's classic shocker, Halloween, needed a mask for their boogeyman. A Captain Kirk mask was purchased - modified by special FX guys - and voila! Starfleet Stalker!
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Spock The Logical Vulcan Zombie
It's only logical - Vulcans make FASCINATING zombies. IDIC = Infinite Decay Interred Corpse
Die Quickly & Rot
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Halloween Borg Bash
If there's one alien race who captures the spirit of Halloween most perfectly, it's The Borg. Their leader, The Borg Queen, remains the most weirdly sexually attractive one of them all.
Played by Alice Krige (Stephen King's Sleepwalkers) The Borg Queen puts the Boo in the holiday.
Played by Alice Krige (Stephen King's Sleepwalkers) The Borg Queen puts the Boo in the holiday.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Halloween III - Season of the Witch - Androids Run Amuck
It may not be Star Trek, but fans of Halloween III: Season of the Witch - directed by John Carpenter - remember those nasty androids - straight out of the darker episodes of Trek.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Dr. Richard Daystrom and Blacula
Actor William Marshall brought to life the brilliant architect of the advanced computer power on Starship Enterprise. Fleshing out Dr. Richard Daystrom, Marshall gave fans an arresting performance in the original series episode, The Ultimate Computer.
Fans of the cult horror classic, Blacula, and its sequel, Scream, Blacula, Scream, know Marshall as the title character - the African Prince Mamuwalde, cursed to follow in Dracula's bloody footsteps.
Fans of the cult horror classic, Blacula, and its sequel, Scream, Blacula, Scream, know Marshall as the title character - the African Prince Mamuwalde, cursed to follow in Dracula's bloody footsteps.
Do Vulcans Like Halloween Because They Look Like Vampires?
Today, I was looking at my little Vulcan beanie baby. And then my nephew saw it on my bookshelf and he shouted, 'Is that a vampire?' No, it's a logical Vulcan, but he certainly could pass for a vampire, couldn't he?
Vulcans, Vampires and Halloween
a perfect combination.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Borg Alert - It's That Time Of Year
Aliens are a decidedly mixed bunch. They can be weird looking, cool or funny. They can inspire awe and mystery, and more than endless fascination about their origins and cultural customs.
After all the wondering, fascination and speculation, certain aliens shock or chill us to the bone. Let's face it, some of them are just downright scary.
The Borg
Bringing Halloween to Star Trek like nobody's business.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Ghosts Of The Final Frontier
For decades, we've explored strange new worlds and sought out new lifeforms with Starfleet. What of death?
Indeed, Kirk's and Picard's Enterprise met those who weren't really alive - or dead - at least the way we understand those terms in our own limited, human way. Perhaps the most important part to ghost hunting is to first ask, What is a ghost? From such a starting point, and with preconceptions put aside, these are a few of the more surprising, disturbing and plain ghostly Star Trek tales.
Day Of The Dove
When Captain Kirk tangles with war ready Klingons, he can't know a thing more villainous and destructive lies at the core of the conflict with the battle loving boys. After taking Klingons prisoners aboard Enterprise, they escape and engage in brutal hand to hand combat with the Starfleet crew. It seems a non-corporeal alien - one of pure energy - or a 'ghost' is quietly manipulating circumstances so it can feed off the negative energy and the wounded and dying. In the end, it's discovered good feelings - especially frivolity and laughter - are like poison to the phantom intruder. As Klingons and humans laugh off the ghostly thing, it flees in frustration. Numerous reports through history document ghosts as siphoning off energy or being troublesome, like the Poltergeist theory of misbehaving ghosts who suck energy from humans and act mischievously.
Wolf In The Fold
Was murderous Jack The Ripper a ghost? Could other serial killers, apparently unconnected to each other, be the bloody work of the same savage phantom? It's the mind boggling premise here, and it's one of Trek's spookiest tales. After Chief Engineer Scott, or Scotty to pretty much everyone, is accused of killing several women on an alien world, an investigation is launched into the murders. Even a kind of seance is used, but when Scotty apparently kills the medium performing it, things turn more bone chilling. Finally, it's determined that an entity - much like the one from 'Day Of The Dove' - is feeding off people's hate and fear. It's able to climb inside a person to posses their body, much like how Patrick Swayze's ghostly character invaded Whoopi Goldberg in the Oscar winning spook fest, Ghost, and then it compels them to kill others.
And The Children Shall Lead
Can an obese attorney at law be considered a ghost? Marvin Belli, the rather rotund, famous lawyer, tried his hand at acting, and this was one of his roles. When a group of colonists are found dead, apparently from mass suicide, and their children are found alive, Kirk's Enterprise takes in the tykes to ferry them home. Belli plays the Gorgan, a ghostlike spirit of evil intent and potent power. He enables the kids to sort of wish at people - by using a hypnotic like mind hijack - thereby gaining control of them or influencing them with their own thoughts. Like other 'ghost' creatures mentioned previously, the Gorgan acted like an energy sapping spirit or poltergeist.
The Survivors
If you had awesome powers approximating a god's omnipotent ability, would you seek revenge if a loved one was murdered? It's the mind bending idea behind this haunting Next Generation episode, and though the alien creature called a Douwd may not be an actual ghost, the spooky vibe, plus the alien's ghostly feel qualify it as being on the fringe of supernatural study. Captain Picard and crew meet Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge, who are apparently a human senior citizen couple still in a loving marriage. Before the story's close, it's revealed Rishon is actully a fantastically realistic illusion being projected by the incredible alien entity Kevin, a Douwd. A side plot where Counselor Troi's mind is distracted, by the torture of a song playing over and over again is another ghost like moment which haunts us far after the show's end.
Sub Rosa
Writer Jeri Taylor, a producer on TNG, and writer for this episode calls it a 'romance novel in space.' It certainly qualifies as such, but it's also the most direct parallel to a ghost story ever to appear in Star Trek. Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) gives the eulogy at her grandmother's funeral, only to later be obsessed with quitting Starfleet and taking up residence in her Nana's house. Captain Picard must approve his Chief Medical Officer's resignation, but he still worries for her, and for good reason. A mystery man known as Ronin, who romanced Crusher's Nana, has now set his sights on Dr. Crusher. Turns out Ronin is a creature composed of 'anaphasic energy' - yet another parasitic lifeform who feeds on humans; here, by possessing a person's body and using them as host. In the end, Crusher is forced to destroy the charismatic creature, but she realizes that its romantic embrace brought great happiness to much of her family - including herself.
The Next Phase
If you died, yet never left your home or the sound and sight of your loved ones, would you be a ghost? Another clever science fiction premise coincides with the notion of ghosts and supernatural, in this suspense filled romp. When a transporter accident renders Ensign Ro (Michelle Forbes) and Chief Engineer LaForge (LeVar Burton) invisible and mute, courtesy of their physical matter being out of phase, the two conclude they must have died from a transporter malfunction. LaForge, however isn't entirely convinced, and sets about to prove that it must be yet another wild sci-fi happening. Despite the logical nature of their state, Ro keeps on acting as if she's in the hereafter - complete with baring her soul to her crew mates in a deathbed confessional manner.
Indeed, Kirk's and Picard's Enterprise met those who weren't really alive - or dead - at least the way we understand those terms in our own limited, human way. Perhaps the most important part to ghost hunting is to first ask, What is a ghost? From such a starting point, and with preconceptions put aside, these are a few of the more surprising, disturbing and plain ghostly Star Trek tales.
Day Of The Dove
When Captain Kirk tangles with war ready Klingons, he can't know a thing more villainous and destructive lies at the core of the conflict with the battle loving boys. After taking Klingons prisoners aboard Enterprise, they escape and engage in brutal hand to hand combat with the Starfleet crew. It seems a non-corporeal alien - one of pure energy - or a 'ghost' is quietly manipulating circumstances so it can feed off the negative energy and the wounded and dying. In the end, it's discovered good feelings - especially frivolity and laughter - are like poison to the phantom intruder. As Klingons and humans laugh off the ghostly thing, it flees in frustration. Numerous reports through history document ghosts as siphoning off energy or being troublesome, like the Poltergeist theory of misbehaving ghosts who suck energy from humans and act mischievously.
Wolf In The Fold
Was murderous Jack The Ripper a ghost? Could other serial killers, apparently unconnected to each other, be the bloody work of the same savage phantom? It's the mind boggling premise here, and it's one of Trek's spookiest tales. After Chief Engineer Scott, or Scotty to pretty much everyone, is accused of killing several women on an alien world, an investigation is launched into the murders. Even a kind of seance is used, but when Scotty apparently kills the medium performing it, things turn more bone chilling. Finally, it's determined that an entity - much like the one from 'Day Of The Dove' - is feeding off people's hate and fear. It's able to climb inside a person to posses their body, much like how Patrick Swayze's ghostly character invaded Whoopi Goldberg in the Oscar winning spook fest, Ghost, and then it compels them to kill others.
And The Children Shall Lead
Can an obese attorney at law be considered a ghost? Marvin Belli, the rather rotund, famous lawyer, tried his hand at acting, and this was one of his roles. When a group of colonists are found dead, apparently from mass suicide, and their children are found alive, Kirk's Enterprise takes in the tykes to ferry them home. Belli plays the Gorgan, a ghostlike spirit of evil intent and potent power. He enables the kids to sort of wish at people - by using a hypnotic like mind hijack - thereby gaining control of them or influencing them with their own thoughts. Like other 'ghost' creatures mentioned previously, the Gorgan acted like an energy sapping spirit or poltergeist.
The Survivors
If you had awesome powers approximating a god's omnipotent ability, would you seek revenge if a loved one was murdered? It's the mind bending idea behind this haunting Next Generation episode, and though the alien creature called a Douwd may not be an actual ghost, the spooky vibe, plus the alien's ghostly feel qualify it as being on the fringe of supernatural study. Captain Picard and crew meet Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge, who are apparently a human senior citizen couple still in a loving marriage. Before the story's close, it's revealed Rishon is actully a fantastically realistic illusion being projected by the incredible alien entity Kevin, a Douwd. A side plot where Counselor Troi's mind is distracted, by the torture of a song playing over and over again is another ghost like moment which haunts us far after the show's end.
Sub Rosa
Writer Jeri Taylor, a producer on TNG, and writer for this episode calls it a 'romance novel in space.' It certainly qualifies as such, but it's also the most direct parallel to a ghost story ever to appear in Star Trek. Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) gives the eulogy at her grandmother's funeral, only to later be obsessed with quitting Starfleet and taking up residence in her Nana's house. Captain Picard must approve his Chief Medical Officer's resignation, but he still worries for her, and for good reason. A mystery man known as Ronin, who romanced Crusher's Nana, has now set his sights on Dr. Crusher. Turns out Ronin is a creature composed of 'anaphasic energy' - yet another parasitic lifeform who feeds on humans; here, by possessing a person's body and using them as host. In the end, Crusher is forced to destroy the charismatic creature, but she realizes that its romantic embrace brought great happiness to much of her family - including herself.
The Next Phase
If you died, yet never left your home or the sound and sight of your loved ones, would you be a ghost? Another clever science fiction premise coincides with the notion of ghosts and supernatural, in this suspense filled romp. When a transporter accident renders Ensign Ro (Michelle Forbes) and Chief Engineer LaForge (LeVar Burton) invisible and mute, courtesy of their physical matter being out of phase, the two conclude they must have died from a transporter malfunction. LaForge, however isn't entirely convinced, and sets about to prove that it must be yet another wild sci-fi happening. Despite the logical nature of their state, Ro keeps on acting as if she's in the hereafter - complete with baring her soul to her crew mates in a deathbed confessional manner.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Set Phasers On Trick Or Treat - Trek's Scariest Moments
Horror isn't what you'd usually associate with Trek.
Science fiction and horror tread a fine line between one another, but can be blended together smoothly, Classic examples from literature clearly illustrate how connected they can be. Take these English language novels; Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. First and foremost, they're sci-fi tales of lab experiments gone awry, however a primary goal is to scare us.
Catspaw
It has witches, a bubbling cauldron and even a black cat. It was intentionally designed as a Halloween themed episode and mostly succeeds in its chilling mission. When Kirk's crew come upon a planet with a Gothic style castle - complete with spell casting, cackling witches - it's a spookfest. Writer Robert Bloch (Psycho) scripted the surreal, spooky tale, where Kirk's enormous starship Enterprise is reduced to a piece of jewelry.
Return Of The Archons
Much of this episode takes place at night, or sees the actors running about in dark caves. Kirk's crew must free a society in the grip of a domineering being calling itself Landru. This beastial despot uses robed guards to zap anyone who doesn't do his bidding. The hooded flunkies wear thick hoods too - you can barely make out their faces - and talk in a weird, electronic vibrato, making them really creepy.
Charlie X
When you're a teenager, much of life and growing up can be downright scary. For teenager Charlie (Robert Walker), everything he does or says seems to give those around him a fright or a laugh. Charlie's human, but was gifted with fantastic powers by a weird energy based race. When the Enterprise crew cramp Charlie's style, he proceeds to rip their faces off or turn them into lizards. Talk about scary stuff!
Schisms
It's more than a little ironic when an advanced Starship staffed with a capable crew become target of alien abductors, but that's just the premise here. It's not so much the story, but the slick execution of just how the Enterprise crew are reduced to little more than lab animals for an advanced inter-dimensional race conducting experiments. The lighting and sets heighten the fright factor, but it's the clever sound design of the creepy clicking creatures which really shakes things up into a fear realm.
Man Of The People
A diplomat's life is challenging, even frustrating - but scary? An ambassador (Chip Lucia) causes Counselor Troi to become a raving thing, and that's when the scares begin. We see Troi transformed into a screaming, witch like husk of her former self, while the diplomat's possession of her comes to a nightmarish boiling point.
Realm Of Fear
TNG writer and producer Brannon Braga took his own real life fear of flying and injected it into main character Lt. Barclay in this spooky tale of missing persons. When Barclay must help out in recovering tech in the mission, he starts experiencing flashes or hallucinations of weirdly floating creatures. Fearing he could be going nuts or even dying of a rare condition called 'transporter psychosis', he visits Counselor Troi for therapy. Actor Dwight Schultz brings such a dread fear to the proceedings, he more than communicates it to us.
Whispers
Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream? Edgar Allen Poe knew what scared us, and in this weird tale, Chief O'Brien (Colm Meaney) plays a man lost within his own known world. This one is so spooky, much like Chief O'Brien's experiences within the tale, we're not sure of anything until the stunning final act.
Sound Of Her Voice
More suspenseful than scary, yet there's still a creepy vibe permeating till the final act. The Defiant is on a rescue mission. It's perilous because the Dominion could be engaged. The Starfleet officer they're seeking isn't only injured, but will die because of high levels of carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere. The tale's desolate quality is heightened by the fact Defiant only gets audio signals from her, so it feels like a radio play throughout the episode. Debra Wilson (MAD TV) plays the injured woman with the captivating voice. It's a triumphant performance since she's never seen on camera.
Phage
There's an urban myth - there are criminals who rob people of organs, to sell to clinics or the wealthy for transplants. This tale plays with that horrible medical premise. It created a whole new villainous race for Voyager to contend with for many a season. When it's revealed that the aliens want the organs for their own disease infected species, it's poignant, but no less chilling.
Haunting Of Deck Twelve
Neelix, the starship cook and mascot, scares up chills with a ghost story. The Borg kids become alarmed when they can't regenerate properly, so Neelix seeks to distract them. What's designed to be a fun, yet chill filled time, devolves into something far darker and spine tingling.
Science fiction and horror tread a fine line between one another, but can be blended together smoothly, Classic examples from literature clearly illustrate how connected they can be. Take these English language novels; Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. First and foremost, they're sci-fi tales of lab experiments gone awry, however a primary goal is to scare us.
Catspaw
It has witches, a bubbling cauldron and even a black cat. It was intentionally designed as a Halloween themed episode and mostly succeeds in its chilling mission. When Kirk's crew come upon a planet with a Gothic style castle - complete with spell casting, cackling witches - it's a spookfest. Writer Robert Bloch (Psycho) scripted the surreal, spooky tale, where Kirk's enormous starship Enterprise is reduced to a piece of jewelry.
Return Of The Archons
Much of this episode takes place at night, or sees the actors running about in dark caves. Kirk's crew must free a society in the grip of a domineering being calling itself Landru. This beastial despot uses robed guards to zap anyone who doesn't do his bidding. The hooded flunkies wear thick hoods too - you can barely make out their faces - and talk in a weird, electronic vibrato, making them really creepy.
Charlie X
When you're a teenager, much of life and growing up can be downright scary. For teenager Charlie (Robert Walker), everything he does or says seems to give those around him a fright or a laugh. Charlie's human, but was gifted with fantastic powers by a weird energy based race. When the Enterprise crew cramp Charlie's style, he proceeds to rip their faces off or turn them into lizards. Talk about scary stuff!
Schisms
It's more than a little ironic when an advanced Starship staffed with a capable crew become target of alien abductors, but that's just the premise here. It's not so much the story, but the slick execution of just how the Enterprise crew are reduced to little more than lab animals for an advanced inter-dimensional race conducting experiments. The lighting and sets heighten the fright factor, but it's the clever sound design of the creepy clicking creatures which really shakes things up into a fear realm.
Man Of The People
A diplomat's life is challenging, even frustrating - but scary? An ambassador (Chip Lucia) causes Counselor Troi to become a raving thing, and that's when the scares begin. We see Troi transformed into a screaming, witch like husk of her former self, while the diplomat's possession of her comes to a nightmarish boiling point.
TNG writer and producer Brannon Braga took his own real life fear of flying and injected it into main character Lt. Barclay in this spooky tale of missing persons. When Barclay must help out in recovering tech in the mission, he starts experiencing flashes or hallucinations of weirdly floating creatures. Fearing he could be going nuts or even dying of a rare condition called 'transporter psychosis', he visits Counselor Troi for therapy. Actor Dwight Schultz brings such a dread fear to the proceedings, he more than communicates it to us.
Whispers
Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream? Edgar Allen Poe knew what scared us, and in this weird tale, Chief O'Brien (Colm Meaney) plays a man lost within his own known world. This one is so spooky, much like Chief O'Brien's experiences within the tale, we're not sure of anything until the stunning final act.
Sound Of Her Voice
More suspenseful than scary, yet there's still a creepy vibe permeating till the final act. The Defiant is on a rescue mission. It's perilous because the Dominion could be engaged. The Starfleet officer they're seeking isn't only injured, but will die because of high levels of carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere. The tale's desolate quality is heightened by the fact Defiant only gets audio signals from her, so it feels like a radio play throughout the episode. Debra Wilson (MAD TV) plays the injured woman with the captivating voice. It's a triumphant performance since she's never seen on camera.
Phage
There's an urban myth - there are criminals who rob people of organs, to sell to clinics or the wealthy for transplants. This tale plays with that horrible medical premise. It created a whole new villainous race for Voyager to contend with for many a season. When it's revealed that the aliens want the organs for their own disease infected species, it's poignant, but no less chilling.
Haunting Of Deck Twelve
Neelix, the starship cook and mascot, scares up chills with a ghost story. The Borg kids become alarmed when they can't regenerate properly, so Neelix seeks to distract them. What's designed to be a fun, yet chill filled time, devolves into something far darker and spine tingling.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Catspaw - Spooky Halloween For Kirk's Crew
Who says we won't be celebrating Halloween in the 23rd century? For Captain Kirk and his noble Starfleet crew, they have no choice but to get into the spirit of scary things after they visit a planet that takes the whole notion of spectacular spooktacular very seriously.
Where's Vincent Price when you need him?
Where's Vincent Price when you need him?
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