dwhitney@uok.UUCP (06/08/84)
#N:uok:8400044:000:4357 uok!dwhitney Jun 7 22:49:00 1984 Some notes that float to the top of my tricorder: A great deal of questions have popped up about ST3, and I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth: One review of ST3 called it a *dead cat* I kind of wonder what attitude they had going in, because of more than a few people and friends I've talked to their's is the first one to put it in the dumper...oh well As for breaking records, folks, ST3 made $16.7 million its first weekend, which set a record, beating "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." That's right, ST3 beat the almighty "Indiana Jones.." About the novel version, don't read the book expecting to see the movie again. In my opinion, the novel was WAY too slow. The movie didn't start until you were 100 pages from the end, and there was way too much involvement with too many characters. McIntyre (sp) got away with that in WofK novel, but it goes overboard here. (The novel is over 290 pages...) If you can, pick up James Horner's soundtrack album on Capitol Records--its a totally different kind of music from STTMP or STTWOK..very spiritual, as was the movie. Also included is a bizarre single (3 minute on a 33 LP) which gives a jazzy, borderline disco version of the ST theme.... Some rumblings about Enterprise destruction indicate it was too expensive too film..the model was made at a cost of $300,000 for the first film by a different company, and to avoid using it to excess in WofK, ILM made a bunch of small- scale miniatures for the effects without all the blinking lights, and interior workings of the TMP model....a new ship could be cheaper to film (effects and models) and the like.... Many people have nit-picked little things about ST3, which I think defeats the purpose of the film. You can call virtually every episode of ST on the carpet for little wrong things, but you're not watching to find mistakes, you are watching to be entertained. I think the destruction of the Enterprise was moreso a statement that nothing in Star Trek is sacred any more, which certainly sets the stage for new films and stories you couldn't have done otherwise. By the way, this film sets a PERFECT stage to convert "BLACK FIRE" a super ST novel by Sonni Cooper, to a TREK IV. If you haven't read Black Fire, please do so. It is the best one I've read in many a time.....and it would make a great film. As for the crew being in dutch, well, that's only half true. I agree with the comments that Kirk did pirate a Bird of Prey, save Genesis from Klingon hands, as well as a Federation Starship... Lastly, about the refitting of Enterprise. From what I've read, the time span between ST1 and ST2 is deliberately vague. Early drafts of ST2 included references to ST1 (McCoy tells Kirk in his apartment he should never have given back the Enterprise after Voyager). But the studio was so snakebit after the TMP disaster, they deleted all references to it in the hopes it would be more or less forgotten in the light of new and better episodes. (and to an extent, I think that is exactly what happened.) I think Leonard Nimoy is first rate as a director, and if you catch this month's Starlog, he says he has already read a rough outline for ST4 which he is considering directing...Also, while out in LA last week, the gate guard at Paramount (a very nice lady) said that she couldn't be specific, but the sets for Star Trek had not yet been struck (dismantled) which was VERY unusual for a movie so near release and through post production... (In other words, she all but said that ST4 is just around the corner and we may see more of the familiar Enterprise than any of us bet.....) One more thing, one distinct difference between ST3 movie and book was that the book went to great lengths to point out that Enterprise was not just to be decommissioned, but she was to be dismantled....this made the destruction of the Enterprise considerably easier to swallow. Also, David Gerrold has rereleased WORLD OF STAR TREK, with two or three new chapters and his views on the future of Star Trek. (He does believe that Paramount will build a new Enterprise, and NOT just rename that flying bathtub called the Excelsior) David Whitney !ctvax!uokvax!uok!dwhitney "How many fingers am I holding up???" \\ // P.S. In case your wondering, I would have payed $50 to see this thing. Its great!!!!!!!!! (as in AWESOME!)