Star Trek 4 To Feature Thor's Chris Hemsworth

All you Thor fans and Trekkies out there are in for a treat.  Actor Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in The Avengers movies and his own solo installments, will be reprising his role as Captain Kirk's dad in the next J.J. Abram's produced Star Trek flick.

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Vorta - The Alluring Clones Of The Dominion

Send in the clones!  On Deep Space Nine we met the enigmatic Founders - a gelatinous race which could morph into most anything imaginable.  The Founders employed a seductive subordinate race of solid beings called the Vorta. These aliens kept the aggressive Jem'Hadar, the grunt soldiers, on a short leash and served their morphing masters as the middle managers of The Dominion.  Although not physically strong nor impressive in terms of physiology, the Vorta are the ultimate negotiator.  In their dealings with the Federation and Starfleet, they could be more than effective in making diplomatic deals.  Is it their charm?  Maybe it's those deep, blue eyes which seduce from afar, or perhaps it's those soothing, lilting voices.  Whichever the case, the Vorta command a quiet kind of Star Trek sex vibe indeed.

With the Vorta, there are many mysteries on their culture and origin, and even the concept of their own death is questionable or variable.  There is no fixed death, nor real permanency of dying for these alien caretakers from the dread Dominion.  Once they die, a clone can be created and the Vorta in question can be back operating in the field in no time flat.  Talk about a great healthcare plan!  Live long and prosper, indeed!

Lucy - The Great Redhead Of The Galaxy

If creator, writer and producer Gene Roddenberry is known affectionately as The Great Bird Of The Galaxy, then Lucille Ball, whose Desilu studio produced Star Trek, must be The Great Redhead of The Galaxy.

It's said that Lucy took such pride in her television shows, she was even known to push a broom to clean the sets, and swept up on the Trek sets more than once.  Talk about a hands on boss.  The next time you laugh out loud watching I Love Lucy or catch one of your favorite Star Trek tales, remember, that if it wasn't for Lucille Ball's wild comedy, Roddenberry's great space race may never have blasted off at warp speed.

Kira And Her Slinky Mirror Counterpart

Star Trek loves to play around with the alternate universe or mirror universe theory - that there may be other universes and realities much like our own, albeit with certain differences.  Although not officially proven by our science at this relatively rudimentary developmental stage, science fiction like Trek or the TV series, Sliders, uses the concept often and to great dramatic ends.

In Deep Space Nine, the Bajoran Officer Major Kira Nerys has her own mirror counterpart, who, shall we say, is complicated.  She calls herself the Indendant, and all who cross her path and challenge her definitely come to know just how seriously she takes her intentions.

Sexy Spotlight - Roberta Lincoln - Teri Garr

Gene Roddenberry created one of the most popular and recognizable male characters in pop culture history - Captain James T. Kirk.  The Star Trek creator also invented other iconic male characters like Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Chief Engineer of the Enterprise, Scotty.  Roddenberry was also adept at coming up with the feminine side of the TV equation with characters like Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) or Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) - hostess of Ten Forward lounge on Captain Picard's Enterprise.  He also crafted a memorable female character we only saw once - Roberta Lincoln, played by beloved actress Teri Garr.

Garr is perhaps best known as the confused girlfriend of gender bender Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, or as Gene Wilder's love in Young Frankenstein - from director Mel Brooks.  In Star Trek, Garr played the beautiful and confused Ms. Lincoln opposite Gary Seven (Robert Lansing), in the episode Assignment: Earth.  The episode was designed as a 'backdoor pilot' - meaning a tale inserted within a TV show that could serve as a launch for a spin-off series. Unfortunately, the show never materialized, so we're all left wondering - whatever became of the resourceful Ms. Lincoln?

iPad or PADD? Star Trek Sexy Tech Is Sexy Modern Gadget

iPads may not be all that new anymore, but they are certainly some of the coolest and sexiest high tech toys around.  Star Trek also uses a tech pad of sorts - or the PADD - Personal Access Display Device.  Captain Kirk used a version way back in the 1960's and Captain Picard's streamlined version allowed him to be well informed about missions and crew rosters.

It's said that with a properly configured PADD - one could stroll down a Starship corridor and pilot the Enterprise - plotting courses and even firing on enemy vessels.  Just think of how indispensable your Android tablet or iPad has become to you now in your everyday work and play.  Engage your tablet and your PADD!

Star Trek Movies - How They Stack Up on Rotten Tomatoes

On Rotten Tomatoes, Star Trek (2009) scores highest of all cinematic treks.  There are now 12 feature films - 6 in the original cast - 4 featuring the Next Generation cast - and 2 with actors recast as Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and others. How do Captain Kirk and Captain Picard measure up on Rotten Tomatoes?

Star Trek: The Motion Picture   (1979) - Score 45%

Directed by Robert Wise (The Haunting) and reuniting the cast from the original 1966 TV show - William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig and George Takei - the big screen effort is a contradiction in cinema terms. Though awash with spectacular sets, costumes and FX, the film seems to keep both the characters on screen - and audience - at arm's length. This may have been an intentional or subliminal theme, afterall, Spock and the rest haven't been working together for years. When they must band together to fight the rampaging thing called V'ger, a little rekindling of the chemistry is definitely required.

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) - Score 90%

Khaaaaaaaan!  It's the line most associated with this Nicholas Meyer directed flick, and perhaps as popular as other taglines like Beam me up, Scotty or Live long and prosper. Khan was played by the charismatic Ricardo Montalban - TV's Mr. Rourke of Fantasy Island fame. There's a plethora of reasons why STII is so popular, even favorite among trekkers, but chief among them is the powerful performance from Montalban. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role in 2013's Into Darkness, and while serviceable, and even fun, his portrayal can't touch the original Khan.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock   (1984) - Score 78%

Spock is back - well, mostly. It's a rare and special film where the title character doesn't truly appear till the final scenes, but that's what makes STIII so engaging. Still, compared with its predecessor, the love for it is dimmer. Leonard Nimoy helmed the movie and one can say that his dual role of director and actor - as brief as it was - may have limited the care and feeding of this cinematic beast. Note to Taxi fans: Christopher Lloyd, the Reverend Jim himself, plays head Klingon Kruge. He's not the most villainous of the Trek big baddies, but he's definitely the quirkiest.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home   (1986) - Score 85%

You can't go home again? Not for Captain's Kirk crew! They not only do so, they travel in spectacular, albeit risky fashion. After the Enterprise herself is sacrificed in the previous entry, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest time warp back to the hip 1980's. Their mission? Bring back a few whales - yes, those giants of the ocean. Directed again by Nimoy, this in all respects is the lightest, even most joyous of space treking tales. There's no villain - save maybe bad future ecology. It's hands down the funniest film entry of them all.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier  (1989) - Score 21%

What does God need with a starship? Kirk fires off this line to the super baddie at the film's conclusion, so you basically get an idea of the tone of this ambitious, if off kilter 5th installment. William Shatner directed this weird romp - and provided story material - like his buddy Leonard Nimoy had in the last two outings, but sadly, the reception wasn't quite the same. Though bolstered by the solid actor Laurence Luckinbill as Sybok, the tale is hampered by a muddled narrative focus and cheap looking FX and production values. Note: For real fans and collectors, the blu-ray release looks worlds better than the DVD or even when it's broadcast on TV.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country  (1991) - Score 83%

The Klingons make a serious, yet still fun appearance, in perhaps the most political oriented entry. Writer Leonard Nimoy is on record saying he got the idea after witnessing the fall of the former Soviet Union. The Klingon Empire becomes the stand in for the Russians and Kirk and General Chang's face off evokes the tension of the cold war between the USA and USSR. Christopher Plummer as Chang delights in his deviltry. Nicholas Meyer returns to the director's chair, which results in an adventure for both the inquisitive mind and action loving spirit.

Star Trek: Generations (1994) - Score 47%

The passing of the historical and creative baton is realized here in polished style. Kirk, Scotty (James Doohan) and Chekov give way to The Next Generation alumni of Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), Data (Brent Spiner) and Jonathan Frake's Riker. Director David Carson makes good use of the upgraded TV sets and offers up new eye candy like Stellar Cartography. While it doesn't rank up there with Wrath of Khan or the forthcoming Borg buffet, ST: First Contact, Generations utilizes no less than three villains in the self serving Soran (Malcolm McDowell) and delightfully decadent Klingon Duras sisters to great effect. While no masterpiece, it seems to grow on one after repeated viewings.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) - Score 92%

I am the beginning. The end. The one who is many. I am the Borg.  The one and only Borg Queen, played by South African actress Alice Krige (Stephen King's Sleepwalkers), is a primary reason this feature film entertains so well. It comes in 2nd best rated on Rotten Tomatoes. In TNG's 2nd season episode, Q-Who, we met the Borg - courtesy of the clownish demi-god, Q. This cybernetic race scours the galaxy like a band of tech hungry zombie geeks. Jonathan Frakes directed this dark blockbuster, and while the parallel story of Riker, Troi and LaForge coaxing the drunkard Zephram Cochrane into action is compelling, the seduction of Data by the Queen and reuniting with her beloved Locutus (Picard) is the story we've come to see. The Borg are such a universal crowd pleaser - like The Walking Dead with blinking lights. They were covered mightily during ST: Voyager's television run, and will no doubt invade the big screen again someday.  Resistance is futile.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) - Score 55%

Like a warp powered fairy tale or Ponce de Leon's search for a fountain of youth, this 3rd Next Generation movie feels like a lost and overlong episode. There's a great, screeching villain played by Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus), and an intriguing mystery, but the payoff and ultimate stakes are far more TV centric than big budget box office fodder. Look for a few hilarious scenes as Starfleet's finest get 'younger' from the planet's deaging radiation - Worf suffering through a bout of acne alongside Beverly and Troi's breasts getting perkier by the hour qualify for must see chuckles.

Star Trek: Nemesis  (2002) - Score 37%

Above all else, this is worthy for introducing us to one of the most in demand actors working today, Tom Hardy, whose first Hollywood flick was a small role in Black Hawk Down. Hardy plays a clone of Captain Picard, enmeshed in Romulan politcs. Though he's hindered a bit by dopey plotting, convenient alien social structure and over the top dialogue, Hardy is an actor who always commands the screen. Tom Hardy will be the new Mad Max - taking over for Mel Gibson. Nemesis was helmed by British director Stuart Baird (Executive Decision), and it's said that while filming, Baird caused tension by confusing characters with one another - frustrating many actors.

Star Trek  (2009) - Score 95%

It was a 7 year gap, but well worth the wait. J.J. Abram's big budget bonanza solidified Star Trek as a huge cinematic draw - as long as it was given enough money, time and talent. Starring Chris Pine as the new Kirk, Zach Quinto as Spock and Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, the movie satisfies most hardcore fans, while opening things up for new ones. This one scores highest of all the Treks on Rotten Tomatoes and managed to smoothly steer the franchise into another entry four years later.

Star Trek: Into Darkness  (2013) - Score 87%

We're aging, Jim.  The Enterprise crew are aging once again - albeit a little slower this time. With four years between each big screen outing now, the fans must wait longer and see their heroes and heroines just a tad more weather beaten come the film's release. But it's OK, all that jarring CGI eye candy distracts with gleam and glee. With British thespian Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbitt: The Desolation of Smaug) fleshing out a new kind of Khan, and Spock and Uhura's romantic relationship rocking on into stormy territory, this one has something for every fan, new, old or merely confused.

Neelix's Ship - Voyager Spotlight

Neelix became many things on Voyager - cook, host, guide, inspirational icon.  To some he was admirable, even cute - to others he was just plain annoying.  However, before he came aboard Janeway's starship, he had his own ship - the freighter, The Baxial.

Alien Spotlight - The Horta - The Devil In The Dark - Happy Mother's Day!

During its over four decade run, Star Trek has featured many mothers.  The Borg Queen (Alice Krige) doing anything to see her collective family survive thrilled us.  Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) caring for her son Wesley (Wil Wheaton) impressed us.  In Voyager, there was even The Caretaker - a kind of pure energy mother.  Above all, there was a tough mother who dealt out strong defensive punishment when protecting her offspring - the Horta from The Devil In The Dark.

On Janus VI, the Horta roamed the mining tunnels and made sure nobody messed with her eggs.  The horta are silicon based life and therefore appeared and functioned quite differently from most other carbon based lifeforms.  No matter what you thought of her physique, or methods of dealing with interlopers, the horta was one tough momma!

Lucille Ball - The Mother of Star Trek

Lucille Ball, beloved star of I Love Lucy and dozens of feature films, was one of Hollywood's greatest comedians.  Lucy, as adoring fans call her, was also co-founder of the Desilu studio - with husband Desi Arnaz - which produced Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek for NBC.  If Roddenberry is Starship Enterprise's founding father, Lucy is its founding mother.

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Star Trek Villains - The Bad Guys & Gals

Star Trek loves to showcase the bad guys and gals.  From Khan (Ricardo Montalban) to Kang (Michael Ansara) and Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill) to the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), the universe that producer Gene Roddenberry created way back in 1966 loves to give us a few black hat wearing villains to mightily mix things up.  Set phasers on evil grin!

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Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Headset Charts Star Trek Voyager Bridge

Star Trek used the incredible holodeck for fun, exploring, simulation and experimentation.  Now, we have Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Headset to explore Star Trek: Voyager.

Although still not commercially available as a product, the Oculus Rift may also allow users to explore Game Of Thrones or Jerry Seinfeld's apartment.  In the demo available for viewing on YouTube, one can stroll around Captain Janeway's starship bridge - as the ship's various stations blink and beep merrily.  But don't be lulled into a false sense of security - before you know it, Red Alerts sound and a frantic battle scene grips the Intrepid Class Starship.

Spotlight On The Directors: Robert Wise - Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Robert Wise, the veteran director of so many feature film classics, like West Side Story, The Haunting and The Day The Earth Stood Still had his Hollywood work cut out for him.  How to film a TV show that's a cult classic and do it justice on the silver screen for loyal fans while bringing in new ones? 

Although critics moaned over the long running time and overload of visual FX (in today's bloated FX laden cinema, ST:TMP is standard to quaint fare), fans plunked down enough box office loot to make it a hit and justify the many installments to follow.  In 2009, director JJ Abrams faced a similar challenge, and his reboot or re-imagination starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana and Karl Urban soared to praise and profit.

The Human Adventure Is Just Beginning.

While being easy to dismiss as too visually oriented, too long or lacking emotional subtext, Wise helmed a movie dealing in both the physical and sexual needs of humanity and our more substantive emotional underpinnings.  Lt. Ilia and her old flame Decker (Stephen Collins) exemplify just how complex a future could be where issues of interfaith or interracial couplings have been settled, but now a new variable challenges our notion of being human - one of interspecies joining.  Ilia (Persis Khambatta) is a Deltan and her people employ sex as we would in celebration or greeting.  Their sexuality is as much a part of their identity as their name or career.  This romantic couple joined alongside by the struggle of Spock and Kirk to rectify and rekindle their own long, passionate friendship and professional relationship are more than enough of a humanity equation to savor and balance - if viewers only pay attention.

Ultimately, Wise made a film that he could be proud of, even though he didn't have enough time to finish the complex optical FX.  Back then, the only computers capable enough to conjure up such visuals in the budget and production time scheduled were the fictional cyber circuits of the Starship Enterprise.  In November 2001, Wise finally got the chance to see his finished film premiere in the Paramount Theatre of The Arts - complete with new digital FX which perfectly complimented the traditional film opticals of the 1970's era.  It was subsequently released on a special edition DVD.

Could A Real Pleasure Planet Like Risa Be Popular?

Of all the fantastic planets that explorers in Star Trek have visited, perhaps the most fun - in terms of adult sexuality - is the pleasure planet known as Risa.  Here, among scenic foliage and pristine beaches, the order of the day is pleasure - where most any kind of sexual description is enjoyed.  Risa was first showcased in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Captain's Holiday" - where Picard had a pretty memorable adventure amid the seductive trappings of the hedonistic world.

We've had pleasure cruises and relaxing resorts for a long time here on planet Earth.  Could an even more open and pleasurable place like Risa become popular among our own populace?  Would the more religious minded or puritanical seek to forbid such a place?  Even now, places like Disneyland and Las Vegas offer their adult visitors a much more mature kind of entertainment.

One thing's for sure:  The tradition of displaying the horga'hn - or the Risian symbol of sexuality - will probably never go out of style to get desired action which the individual desires.  On Risa, it ensures the one who displays it will get amorous attention from another.  On Earth, our own notions of such similar sexual games are long on tradition - if not always on such public display.

Most Important Women of the Star Trek Universe

Gene Roddenberry's cosmic universe is populated by strange, new life forms - creatures and beings so advanced, so ultra complex in their biology that even Spock could only utter, "Fascinating" - without actually admiting he didnt' have a clue as to what Kirk's Enterprise had encountered.

Along the way, Captain Kirk's Enterprise, Picard's Enterprise, Sisko's DS9, Defiant and Captain Janeway's Starship Voyager engaged many unforgettable aliens.  Among them were some very sexy and memorable ladies.

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Retro Interview: Deep Space Nine's Nana Visitor - Major Kira

I had the great pleasure of interviewing actress Nana Visitor who plays the strong willed and sexy Major Kira on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Visitor talked about her dancing background, her tenure as the legendary Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway, and becoming horror legend Jason's Mom in the remake of the horror classic Friday The 13th.

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New Star Trek Film Fan Project Gets Kickstarter Boost

A new Star Trek fan film project is going into Warp Drive.  The campaign has already raised about $30,000 and is projected to go as high as a whopping $250,000 - making it the most expensive Trek fan launched project ever in history.  Full of classic sci-fi actors, most notably starring actor Richard Hatch of classic Battlestar Galactica fame, the story will delve into classic Trek back story - involving the infamous Garth of Izar, seen in the TOS episode, "Whom Gods Destroy".

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Star Cameos of Star Trek

Star Trek has all those bright, shining stars.  Big names like Christopher Plummer from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to Eric Bana from 2009's Star Trek from director J.J. Abrams (Mission Impossible III), dazzle fans in big co-starring performances.

Some stars don't take big roles, but contribute to Star Trek in cameos.  Below is a Klingon, right?  Yeah - if John Tesh was a Klingon!

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Deep Space Nine - Memories of Writing for The Star Trek Spin-off

I wrote my Deep Space Nine script while attending college in NJ.  It was an incredible time for me and I can't imagine ever being more excited about a project.

The script sale to Paramount Pictures occurred right as I was attending my first year of college.  That freshman year is a heady time for any young student, and to think my script had been purchased for the show lent even more excitement to the thrilling time.

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Funko Pop Releases New Star Trek Toys

If you like your Star Trek toys small & cute, Funko Pop has created a line just for you.  The figure line even includes an Orion Slave Girl like Vina in Captain Pike's illusion from Trek's pilot, "The Cage".  Check out the adorable tiny guys and set phasers on play!