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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Mr Spock's $8,960 jacket leads amazing Star Trek auction

Julien's Auctions was once again the place to be for collectors looking for all the best entertainment memorabilia, over the weekend.

But while the world's press focussed on the sale of Michael Jackson's crystal-studded 1984 Victory tour glove, Star Trek fans had their homing beacons fixed on another auction entirely...

Julien's Summer Entertainment Sale featured a whole auction dedicated to the decades-old science fiction franchise, offering memorabilia from its 1960s origins through to 2009's successful cinema outing.

The auction's lots offered a number of iconic props, including guns and communication devices used by the USS Enterprise's crew, uniforms and other related memorabilia.


Leonard Nimoy as Spock in the classic 1960s Star Trek series and (right) the
character's parka jacket in the 2009 film

There was even a chance for fans to meet the original Captain James T Kirk himself, William Shatner. Shatner also donated many of his own items to the sale, including a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

But, in the end, one of the auction's big sales was a memorabilia item linking the show's iconic 1960s origins to its recent big screen success: a parka jacket worn by actor Leonard Nimoy in 2009's blockbuster film, Star Trek.

Today, Mr Spock, an emotionally-detached Vulcan, remains one of the best-known and most-loved 20th century science fiction characters - and Nimoy's cameo in the 2009 movie was a massive draw for fans.

The parka jacket, worn in what is likely to be Nimoy's last-ever appearance in the series, auctioned with an estimate of $5,000-7,500. It finally realised $8,960.


This iconic Star Trek communicator sold for $7,680

And Spock's jacket wasn't the only piece of Star Trek ephemera to exceed its pre-sale value. Elsewhere, one of the show's famous hand-held communicators, used by USS Enterprise crewmen in the 2009 film, appeared valued at $1,000-2,000.

Following enthusiastic bidding by fans, the communicator (thought by many to be a fictional precursor to the mobile phone) sold for an incredible $7,680.

Star Trek fans can now look forward to the much-anticipated sequel to last year's hit Star Trek film - and the likelihood that memorabilia purchased at Julien's auctions will continue to grow in value as the franchise's success continues.


http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/section.asp?catid=78&docid=3507

'Avatar' Star Zoe Saldana Is Engaged


'Avatar' actress Zoe Saldana is engaged to her boyfriend of 10 years, Keith Britton, a source tells Us Weekly. Britton is a 33-year-old actor and CEO of My Fashion Database.

Saldana "is thrilled" to tie the knot, the source tells Us.

"They've been together forever," the source says. "They're a great couple." But close friends explain Saldana will likely keep quiet about her engagement -- just as she's downplayed her relationship -- adding that "she doesn't even introduce him as her fiancé."

"She will just say, 'This is Keith.' She likes to keep her personal life to herself and wants people to focus on her as an actress."

Saldana's breakthrough role was in the 2002 film 'Drumline,' and she has also starred as Anamaria in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' and Uhura in 2009's 'Star Trek.'

http://www.popeater.com/2010/06/30/zoe-saldana-engaged/

Damon Lindelof diving into “Star Trek” sequel script

Hollywoodnews.com: Damon Lindelof went off the grid after “Lost” wrapped.

Hard to blame him. The media blasted its white-hot spotlight on Lindelof and his creative partner, Carlton Cuse, as the primetime television phenom approached its highly anticipated conclusion. Those who follow Lidelof on Twitter (@DamonLidelof) received infrequent updates during his European vacation … most of them about food or his inability to watch his beloved Lakers team as they made their recent title run.

But today, new news broke on Lindelof’s feed. He’s back in L.A. He’s getting back to work. And his next project is a script for the sequel to J.J. Abram’s “Star Trek” reboot, scheduled for release in 2012.

“Vacation officially over,” Lindelof tweeted. “Ready to boldly go.”

So are we. Last summer’s “Star Trek” reboot but the franchise back on the pop culture map, plugging younger actors like Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto into timeless roles once occupied by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

TrekMovie.com culled a few details on the direction of the sequel, which will be co-written by “Trek” collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The duo claims to the fan site that they have a “front runner” for a villain — stop hoping for Khan — and that the story will focus primarily on the newly established Enterprise team learning to maneuver as a family.

It’s going to be difficult living up to Abrams’ first pass at “Trek.” The pieces are in place, particularly with this new cast. But the next step will tell if we have a short experiment on our hands, or the makings of a lengthy run, similar to the kind enjoyed by the initial “Trek” actors. Lord knows there are plenty of stories from the “Trek” canon to tell. Now we just have to wait and see if Lindelof, Kurtzman and Orci choose wisely.

http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2010/06/30/damon-lindelof-diving-into-star-trek-sequel-script/


William Shatner on the Future of Star Trek and His Involvement on Free Enterprise 2

TrekMovie.com posted a video of Star Trek star William Shatner appearance at the TrekExpo in Tulsa, OK, yesterday, in which he gave the audience an update on future Trek-related projects, commenting on the Star Trek XII sequel, giving more details on his The Captains documentary, and talking more specifically about Free Enterprise 2. Here are few excerpts, coutesy of TrekMovie.com.

Asked about Star Trek XII, Shatner said "You may have noticed I am not the same. In forty years my cells have changed seven times, so this is my seventh iteration of this body. How do you put the old Captain Kirk in with the new Captain Kirk? I don't know. So, they are going to make another movie in about a year and in the meanwhile I have become kind of acquaintance buddies with J.J. Abrams and I don't know what the future will bring apropos of Star Trek."

And regarding the Free Enterprise sequel, he said "Free Enterprise...remember the film? Well we are doing a sequel, Free Enterprise 2. So they have got me involved in some fun stuff. And I will be shooting that in the next month or so.,,"

The full video, in which Shatner talks about The Captains and more, can be found here:http://trekmovie.com/2010/06/27/shatner-talks-star-trek-sequel-captains-doc-free-enterprise-2-at-trekexpo-video/

http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=4c2748ad2e53a

Star Trek Insignia Slate Stone Coaster Set For Star Trek Fans and Geek Homes Read more: Star Trek Insignia Slate Stone Coaster Set For Star Trek Fans

Geeks can now have ideal homes where every little thing bears geek signature, that is, right from door-mat to table coasters there are designs that are inspired by games or virtual world. Here is Star Trek Insignia Slate stone

Coaster set with famous Star Trek Insignia crafted in slate stone that will add subtle beauty and geek character to any table.

star trek insignia coasters1

Most homes which pay attention to details often have set of coasters that match the table, tableware and home décor. Usually these coasters are made from papers or ceramic tiles or natural slate stones – all materials which absorb moisture and doesn’t let surface of the table get wet. Star Trek Insignia Coasters which have been elegantly handcrafted and are in rich color will match any décor. In fact they can also be added as Star Trek Collectibles items by fans.

star trek insignia coasters2

The Star Trek insignia emblem looks great and all the coasters have been cut from single slate. There is rubberized foam under the bottom of each coaster to avoid scratches on the glass top or other kind of furniture surfaces and these foams can be cleaned easily incase of spills.

star trek insignia coasters3

The coasters are 4in x 4in x 1/2in in size and the protective coating on top adds to the beauty and color of the stone coaster. Star Trek Insignia Slate Stone Coaster set consists of four coasters and is listed on Etsy for $25.00.

Star Trek fans can also bring home Star Trek Pewter Mug or Star Trek Logo Acoustic Speakers to celebrate greatest human imagination of all times.

Star Trek reunited: William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy make a rare appearance after trading barbs on Twitter

Their characters Captain Kirk and Spock infamously teamed up to explore strange new worlds on Star Trek.

But William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are rarely spotted together these days and spend much of their time sparring through their Twitter accounts.

So it was a treat for sci-fi fans to see the actors in each other's company at Vancouver airport this weekend, after appearing at a Star Trek convention.

At 79-years-old, the actors looked a far cry from the intrepid space explorers of their youth as they walked through the Canadian airport after the fan event.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy

Star Trekking: William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy make their way through Vancouver airport at the weekend following a Star Trek convention

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner

Rare appearance: The 79-year-old veteran actors needed help with their luggage at the Canadian airport

Both were casually dressed, with Shatner sporting sunglasses and a cream trilby and a tired-looking Nimoy wearing a baseball cap and specs.

Although the actors are now good friends, they weren’t always so pally when the Star Trek TV show first started in the 1960s.


Shatner admitted in his 2008 autobiography Up Till Now, that ‘Leonard and I didn’t get along.’

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy

Beam me up Scotty: The actors looked tired as they checked in for their flight

However, in later years, the pair's relationship changed, with Nimoy telling the Los Angeles Times: ‘We've always been like two competitive siblings.’

The actors regularly use their Twitter accounts to make digs at each other.

Last week, Nimoy teased Shatner about the news that his former co-star is to appear in new CBS comedy S*** My Dad says.

‘Bill: Just saw promo for your new show. Glad you finally have something useful to do with your life,’ he tweeted.

william shatner and leonard nimoy

Sparring partners: Nimoy and Shatner appeared at a Vancouver Star Trek convention this weekend

Meanwhile Shatner joked with Nimoy that he has too much time on his hands after the actor announced his retirement from acting this year.

‘Lenny, it's your time to pay for a meal. I must talk to you about how you're wasting your life. My best, Bill.’

‘You're working, you pay!! Did you forget your wallet?’ responded Nimoy.

Star Trek got a new lease of life last year with a new successful movie directed by J.J. Abrams. Nimoy made a cameo in the film, appearing as an older Spock.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy

On the Enterprise: Shatner and Nimoy as Kirk and Spock in 1991 Star Trek film The Undiscovered Country


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1290387/William-Shatner-Leonard-Nimoy-make-rare-Star-Trek-appearance-Twitter-digs.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0sN6pWdh1

Friday, June 25, 2010

Saturn Awards : J.J. Abrams Trek Wins Best Make-Up, Nimoy Wins for Fringe and Orci and Kurtzman Win Award


According to TrekMovie.com, last night The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films held their 36th Annual Saturn Awards. J..J Abrams Star Trek movie had 6 nominations, but picked up one Saturn for Make-Up, which went to Oscar winners Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, Joel Harlow.

Plus, Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy won Best Guest Star for Fringe.

And Star Trek movie writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were also at the event, where they picked up the special George Pal Memorial Award. Also, the 2009 Star Trek Movie Collection won Best DVD Collection.

http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=4c2483a4cb9f5

How to tell Trekkies from Twihards: Look at the shoes

Richard Arnold has gone where many have gone before. Since 1969, he has been attending Star Trek fan conventions, first as a fan, then as a consultant, and ultimately working the merchandise tables for TV and film franchises. This weekend at a gathering in Vancouver featuring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, Arnold is attending his 1,000th Star Trek fan convention.

Arnold, who now lives in Los Angeles, became a fan when Star Trek started airing in 1966. Creator Gene Roddenberry, who met Arnold at a convention in 1972, was so impressed with how quickly the young fan could answer the most obscure Star Trek question, he offered him a job: resident Trekkie (non-paying, but with an office on the studio's lot). After 10 years, Arnold finally started getting a paycheque, and his title was changed to Star Trek consultant. “We tried archivist,” says Arnold, “but I swear people are dumb; they would look at it and say: ‘What's a Star Trek anarchist? What's a Star Trek activist?'”

With the release of Twilight: Eclipse just days away now – and Twilight now being a major player on the fan convention scene – we asked Arnold to dish on the fans of both franchises. Not surprisingly, Trekkies and Twihards occupy different worlds.

Twihards
AGE
The median age is under 16. “You don't have any other franchise that has as young an age group. Even the Harry Potter fans tend to be older.”
GENDER “You're looking at 95 plus per cent female.”
CHARACTERISTICS Voracious readers who are passionate – and loud. “I've never seen so many little girls with skinny little legs running around waiting to see the actors. Then once they come onstage, the screaming is unbelievable. I have not experienced that at any other convention.” Arnold compares it to the reception the Beatles got.
CONSUMPTION HABITS Eager spenders armed with their parents' credit cards, they nonetheless generally stick with merchandise that goes for $25 or less: lunch boxes, make-up kits, umbrellas and, of course, T-shirts.
ATTIRE The identification with vampires or werewolves is a strong presence on both the fans' chests and at the merchandise table: Team Edward or Team Jacob T-shirts are big sellers and evident everywhere. About the young female fans, Arnold also notes: “The outfits are what I would call beyond their years. If you're 12 years old, you really shouldn't be wearing three- or four-inch heels and short skirts and lots of make-up.”

Trekkies
AGE The median age is somewhere in the 30s or 40s, with a lot of people in their 50s, 60s and older. “I call it the greying of Trek.”
GENDER Surprise: Arnold says convention Trekkies are a little more than half female. “Star Trek fandom is not male dominant. Star Wars fandom is. Star Trek is about peace and co-operation ... Star Wars is about the enemy and fighting and winning, which is definitely more of a male concept.”
CHARACTERISTICS “The average Star Trek fan is probably a little more highly educated than the average comic book fan. They tend to have fairly stable marriages – the whole two-kids two-cars and all that. It's a very family-oriented thing.”
CONSUMPTION HABITS Older, more established, serious collectors who are willing to spend a lot of money on the one thing they need to complete their collection. “I have some regular customers who think nothing of dropping $1,500, $2,000 on a set of cards.”
ATTIRE Lots of people show up in Klingon wear and Arnold has a theory about that: “If you're overweight, there are not a lot of Star Trek costumes that you can get away with, but you can be a Klingon. So we have a lot of fat Klingons. You can't get away with being 300 pounds in a Starfleet uniform. It doesn't work. I'm sorry.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/movies/how-to-tell-trekkies-from-twihards-look-at-the-shoes/article1618299/


Trekkies sticking with Klingons


THE OFFICIAL STAR TREK CONVENTION

Where: Sheraton Wall Centre, 1088 Burrard St.

When: Friday to Sunday. Check creationent.com for schedule

Tickets: Various prices, daily admission $20 at the door or creationent.com

- - - - - -

A little job actor Gwynyth Walsh took nearly 20 years ago has been her ticket to frequent-flyer miles and the adoration of a select group of fans ever since.

The Vancouver actor has been all over North America and Europe, meeting Star Trek fans to talk about her role as B'Etor, one of a pair of scheming Klingon sisters introduced in a 1991 two-episode arc of TV's Star Trek: the Next Generation. The sisters — fellow Canadian Barbara March played sibling Lursa — came back for an episode three years later, and crossed over to Deep Space Nine before being killed off in the 1994 feature Star Trek: Generations.

"Star Trek fans are very loyal and very passionate," says Walsh, who is part of this weekend's convention that will also feature a reunion of original Star Trek stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

"It's unusual that with such a limited body of work that we'd be doing this sort of thing, but I think it's because we were Klingons. The people who like Klingons like them a lot."

Walsh is a busy stage actor who starred in four seasons of TV's Da Vinci's Inquest, and just wrapped a role in the TV movie One Angry Juror. She and March, who will appear together at the Vancouver convention, were based in Los Angeles when they were first cast on Next Generation. The pair had earlier met while both were with Ontario's Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

"They hadn't written a lot of Klingon females on the show before. I think that gender distinction caught people's eye," Walsh says of their continuing fan appeal. "We were plotting to take over the Klingon Empire. We were guerrilla warriors, essentially always up to nefarious deeds."

The characters gave female fans a reason to wear the distinctive Klingon ridged-forehead prosthetics. Walsh doesn't show up in costume — hers is in the Smithsonian Institution — as she answers questions and poses for pictures with fans. She and March will be at the convention Friday afternoon.

"We were blown up in Star Trek: Generations, although almost every convention I go to, some fan says, 'Well, you know, they could bring you back.'"

Walsh went to her first fan convention, in Columbus Ohio, right after Star Trek: Generations was released.

"There were thousands of people. The first time you go to one of these things it's a real mind-trip," she says. "Sometimes there is an element of devoted obsession, but for the most part, this is just their hobby. They generally know way more about the series than you do."

Walsh counts herself a Star Trek fan, and liked what writer-director J.J. Abrams did with the recent feature reboot of the franchise.

"Sci-fiis often unfairly tarred as a ghetto, an acting ghetto. But especially when you look at shows like Battlestar Galactica that's just not true. The more sci-fiyou see, the more you realize that it's difficult to do well."

Writer-producer Ronald Moore, who created the Vancouver-filmed series Battlestar Galactica, got his sci-fi start on Star Trek: The Next Generation, where he wrote the episode that introduced B'Etor and Lursa.

So Walsh can thank him for that semi-regular travel schedule.

"European ones are my favourite, I like the free trips overseas," she says. "As an actor, unless you're a huge star, you toil in the trenches and you never get to meet your audience. It's a real gift to understand how something that you're a part of affects people."

William Shatner Meeting with Scott Bakula to Discuss The Captains Documentary ?




TrekMovie.com posted a photo of a lunch meeting that took place yesterday at the San Fernando Valley between TOS star William Shatner and Enterprise star Scott Bakula.

Speculation has begun that the meeting was to discuss Shatner's forthcoming Star Trek documentary, The Captains.


"I'm talking to all the captains of Star Trek," Shatner told the Vancouver Sun. "I'm hoping to find things out about them that even they themselves don't know. And in the process find out about myself."

http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=4c231f300a7a7

Star Trek Dustbuster Phaser Replica does not suck

The phaser technology of the Star Trek universe is lusted after by geeks not just because they look dapper hanging from the waist band of a 24th century unitard, but because of its capacity to stun and kill your enemies, whether Borg, Klingon or Tribble.

This prop replica of the famous em>Star Trek: The Next Generation hand phaser won’t kill you a tribble, unfortunately. In fact, it won’t even vaporize the tribble’s closest relative — the common dust bunny — despite the addition of the word “dustbuster” right in the product name.

With a name like that, you’d be forgiven for thinking your new Star Trek phaser would at least dust your apartment, but alas, the Star Trek TNG Dustbuster Hand Phaser Prop Replica uses the word “dustbuster” just to describe the phaser’s look and not its functionality.

Sigh. Even so, it’s a neat looking phaser, even if you can’t use it to kill a mote of dust, let alone a Ferengi. It’s advanced functionality maxes out with blinking LED lights and franchise-approproiate sounds. In other words, a cool looking toy at a collector’s price: $499.99.

It’s too bad the makers didn’t get into bed with Dyson for this: no vacuum on the Internet could possibly sell more than an official Star Trek buster.

Star Trek's Spock and Captain Kirk beam into the Wall Centre for a fan convention

STAR TREK CONVENTION

Where: Sheraton Wall Centre

When: Friday through Sunday

Tickets: $20-$40 for a one-day general admission

$359 for a Gold Weekend Pass (great seats, first in line for autographs and photo-ops)

$199 for a photo-op with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy

$40-$79 for photo ops with single Star Trek celebrity

- - -

The original Star Trek TV series only ran for three years, from 1966 to 1968. But it made a lasting impression. Since Star Trek was first resurrected in 1973 for an animated TV series, it has spawned four more TV series and 11 feature films.

It even kick-started a whole new industry, the movie fan convention.

The first Star Trek convention took place in New York in the early 70s, drawing about about a dozen hardcore fans. But the Star Trek fan movement grew to the point where the term “Trekkies” became part of pop culture.

Creation Entertainment started doing Star Trek conventions in the early 1980s; over the years, the California company has done about 2,000. This weekend, it will bring one to the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre.

A dozen stars from the various Star Treks will be appearing, including Armin Shimmerman (Quark from Deep Space Nine), Chase Masterson (Leeta in Deep Space Nine) and Connor Trinneer (Commander Trip Tucker III from Star Trek: Enterprise).

The big attraction, though, will be the two men who started it all, William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock).

Shatner and Nimoy don’t together appear that often – the last time they did a Star Trek convention in Vancouver was 1997. They will both turn 80 next March (Shatner on March 22, Nimoy on March 26), so odds are they won’t be doing too many in the future, either.

Still, Shatner doesn’t sound like he’s thinking of retiring anytime soon. He’s got several new projects on the go, including a documentary on Star Trek which may be partly filmed at this weekend’s convention.

Nimoy apparently makes fun of Shatner’s work ethic when they appear together at conventions. Shatner, in turn, makes light of Nimoy’s attempts to sit back and take it easy.

“Nimoy keeps retiring,” says Shatner over the phone from Los Angeles.

“Every six months he tells me and everybody else ‘I’m retiring.’ And nobody takes him seriously anymore. But I don’t say that. I don’t know, I’m just going along. I’m just trying to make a living here.”

He’s done quite well at it. You’d be hard-pressed to find an actor with a more varied resume than the Montreal native, who made his first movie way back in 1951, The Butler’s Night Off.

Shatner did Shakespeare at Stratford, and he’s one of the only actors to have ever made a movie in Esperanto, a “planned” language from the late 19th century which proponents hoped would break down linguistic barriers. Sadly, the movie, Incubus, didn’t do boffo box office when it was released in 1965.

His spoken word version of the Beatles psychedelic Lucy in the Sky With Diamond didn’t sell all that well, either, but over the years has come to be considered a camp classic. “I was asked by the Beatles to try and inject some life into their song,” he deadpans.

Pre-Star Trek he had guest spots in TV series like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents; post-Star Trek he had success in series like TJ Hooker and Boston Legal.

For many people, though, he is known as Captain James Kirk of the SS Enterprise. A role that he almost didn’t get, because there was another Captain in the original Star Trek pilot.

“They made a pilot with an actor called Jeffrey Hunter, who was popular at the time,” relates Shatner.

“And with Leonard, who was playing Spock. The pilot didn’t work for NBC, but they were intrigued by the idea. So they asked [Gene] Roddenberry to make another pilot and recast everybody. But they held onto Leonard.

“I was in New York doing something or other. They called me and asked would I come in and take a look at this pilot, with the idea of playing this captain. So I flew in, and saw the [previous] pilot in a screening room. I was impressed by the imagination behind it, but I saw why NBC might not have picked it up – it was deadly serious. So I suggested a lighter tone. They agreed, and it sold.”

Star Trek wasn’t a huge success out of the box, but picked up fans in syndication and Shatner found himself back on the bridge of the Enterprise in 1979, starring in seven Star Trek movies before ceding control to other captains. Which, as it turns out, is the concept behind his forthcoming Star Trek documentary, The Captains.

“I’m talking to all the captains of Star Trek,” explains Shatner. “I’m hoping to find things out about them that even they themselves don’t know. And in the process find out about myself.”

He does sound like he gets a little bored with Star Trek questions, though. Asked about his favourite episode, or the goofiest Star Trek collectible he’s come across, he sounds a bit exasperated.

“This is like 50 years ago,” he says. “There’s so much now going on is so current. I’ll be in Vancouver on Sunday, [and] I had a really bad experience the last time I was there. I did the sounds of whales the last time I was there, many many years ago.

“It was [part of something] called the Star Wars concert, and I put together the sounds of whales to the D.H. Lawrence poem Whales Weep Not. Everything I did was choreographed to the sounds of whales. And when I went to the auditorium, I saw nothing but leather jackets and motorcyclists. I thought that was strange attire to wear to a concert. It turned out that it was misrepresented as a rock concert, [when] in fact it was a classical concert.

“The motorcycle clubs were there to get there to get their rock and roll rocks off, and I come in with Whales Weep Not. And the sound system fails, so there’s no sound. So all I’m doing is enunciating this DH Lawrence poem in front of all these leather jacketed monsters. That as my last experience in Vancouver. I hope this one turns out a little better.”

It’s hard to say when the Whales Weep Not show was – asked for the year, he laughed and said “before you were born.” He has been to B.C. since then, of course, doing some Boston Legal episodes on the north coast. Which is how he got turned on to one of the hot ecological issues in the province, farmed salmon.

Shatner recently lent his support to a federal NDP proposal to move all salmon farms to lakes, rather than the ocean, where escaped farm salmon mingle with wild stocks.

“Right near you, right now, salmon are dying because of the greed of certain people,” he says.

“It is horrible, and British Columbia citizens should make sure that wild salmon are protected. Because they’re a keystone species, and if they go – and there’s a danger of them going – it’ll be like the Gulf [of Mexico oil] catastrophe, the earth will suffer and never recover.”

Sounds like the kind of political awareness that would make him a good candidate to be Canada’s next Governor-General. In fact, somebody has started a Facebook campaign about just that.

“I’ve been trying to convince them I wouldn’t make a good governor-general, but they won’t let me alone,” he says.

I protest that he must have received the Order of Canada, at least.

“Canada’s given me orders to get out,” he laughed.

LOL: Star Trek Shirtless Kirk Cologne


Last year, Genki Wear released two Star Trek branded cologne fragrances for men:

  • “Red Shirt” (the tagline on the box reads “Because tomorrow may never come”)
  • and… “Tiberius” (in reference to James T. Kirk’s middle name, tagline reads “Boldly Go”).

Last month it was announced that Genki would be adding a third fragrance to their Star Trek line: “Shirtless Kirk”. I kid you not. Check out the full product artwork and description, after the jump.

The tagline reads “Set Phasers to Stunning”. Here is the official description:

Sometimes the only thing standing between you and a successful mission is a thin piece of cloth. Whether in battle or love, you know the shirt is simply… optional. Sure, it’s part of the Required Uniform–made to command respect and a symbol of strength and honor; but it’s your flesh and blood barely contained within that command gold officer’s attire that make you exactly who and what you are.

Although apropos anytime, Shirtless Kirk Cologne for Men is best worn as an evening fragrance, containing clean citrus topnotes and a heavy earth finish.

Shirtless Kirk retails for $29.99, and will be available in July.

Free Star Trek Games Are Coming to Facebook and Internet Browsers

Gameforge, a German online game-oriented company, has announced that it has entered into an agreement with CBS Consumer Products, which will allow it to create free-to-play, browser-based videogames on the Star Trek license. Initially, the company plans to put together a Facebook game and a browser-based one, with the launch date coming at the same time in North America and in Europe.

Until now, it has published games like Metin 2 and Ikariam, which have managed to get more than 100 million users and have been translated into 50 languages.

The first two games will use the original series and the Deep Space Nine setting as inspiration and will allow players to immerse themselves in the science fiction universe and experience the excitement of space exploration and the thrill of meeting new aliens and discovering their agenda.

Ralf Adam, who is the vice president of publishing at Gameforge, stated, “The popularity of Star Trek spans decades and is a testament to the richness and depth of the universe Gene Roddenberry created – at Gameforge, we put the same level of detail and dedication into our games. Honoring the Star Trek legacy and providing the global community with excellent free-to-play browser games is something we are very dedicated to and excited about.”

The new free-to-play casual Star Trek game will have to compete with a similarly built title that uses the well-known Battlestar Galactica license, in its modern incarnation. Those who are not satisfied with Facebook and browser games but love some Star Trek-based gaming can also check out Star Trek Online, the MMO, which is being published by Atari and developed by Cryptic Studios. It combines space ship to ship battles and planetary exploration and allows gamers to play as a number of races from the universe.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Free-Star-Trek-Games-Are-Coming-to-Facebook-and-Internet-Browsers-145243.shtml

‘Star Trek’ in classrooms

In the original Star Trek TV series, captain Kirk says a phrase that exemplifies the value of education: “A dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars.” Coincidently, Star Trek is travelling through space and time to make an impact on UTEP students this fall.


The University 1301: Seminar in Critical Inquiry course, under the instruction of the University Library’s assistant director Nancy Hill, will have students “Thinking Boldly With Star Trek” as that is the theme for the undergraduate class.


“I could see what great discussion points [Star Trek] brings up, like discrimination to pollution, what makes a good leader, what makes us human,” said Hill. “And just all kinds of scientific, philosophical themes, plus social, plus moral, plus ethical; it’s very versatile.”
Hill describe herself as a die-hard “Start Trek” fan. She said during her college years she would watch the TV series, but her enjoyment in the science fiction show waned until recently when her daughter expressed an interest in science. That’s when Hill suggested they watch all the seasons of “Star Trek” and decided to introduce it in her class last fall.
“In teaching, you’re always experimenting, so some material didn’t work as well and some did,” she said.


But not all of her students were receptive to this theme.
“A few students were like, ‘this is so dorky,’ and that was a problem,” she said. “They didn’t know what they were getting into. But the ones who got into it, really liked it.”


There are two major requirements for Hill’s course – to watch, as homework, assigned episodes, which can be found in UTEP’s library and to concurrently take the 1307 Astronomy class by physics lecturer Hector Noriega-Mendoza. Both classes are part of UTEP’s Learning Communities.


Hill said the class will be structured to primarily introduce the characters of the show while having the students work in teams, then talk about storytelling while bringing in other science fiction and classical mythical stories for students to compare. The last part will be about space, time, intelligent machines or technology, and monsters within and without.
“They’re a lot of episodes that deal with the duality of human nature,” Hill said. “[The characters] are split in their good and bad parts, and there are several scholarly topics that deal with that and how we look at the other people who are different from us.”


Not a material in the class will relate to the show, like skills in time management. But Hill’s idea for writing résumés will certainly have her students watching Star Trek closely.
“I’ll say identify what jobs these people are doing. You have 1,000 people on Starship and not all are the captain,” Hill said. “What are they doing and how do those jobs relate to real world jobs?”


This way, not only will students learn to identify essential criteria for different jobs, but they will have to write a résumé as if they are applying to work in the spacecraft, with the option of writing a regular résumé.


Stephanie Valls, junior theater arts major, said she took University 1301 a few summers ago and was pleased with the literature theme her professor used.


“It was good to be exposed to different ideas, and a good way to study,” she said.
Regarding Hill’s Star Trek theme, Valls said, “I think it could work, depending on how [Hill] goes about it. If you look at it as just entertaining, then it will become irrelevant, but if you see what it’s talking about, the different societies, how it works, then it could be helpful.”
Hill said she also wants to discuss virtues she extols in the characters, particularly broadmindedness.


“They’re very tolerant and that’s a very good way to demonstrate academic conversations,” Hill said. “We don’t come into an argument and say ‘you’re wrong and I’m right, you’re stupid and I’m smart.’ We come in talking in a more open way so we can listen to everybody’s opinion with respect.”


Dorothy Ward, director of Entering Student Program, said that the University 1301 course started in 1999 at UTEP. Unique themes besides Hill’s Star Trek include “Fictional Women Detectives” and “U.S.-Mexico Border.”


“We wanted to pull faculty from diverse colleges to offer a variety of themes in areas of interest to students with different majors,” Ward said.
She added that it’s up to faculty to submit a proposal for their theme and explain how it will meet the standard goals for the course.


“We looked at the percentage of students still enrolled at UTEP one year after the fall [2008] semester in which they took University 1301 and found that an average of 71 percent of students were still enrolled at UTEP,” Ward said.


According to Ward, only 31 percent of students who didn’t take University 1301 were still enrolled at UTEP, suggesting that the study and time management skills learned in the class are valuable for the rest of students’ college career.
“It’s not just fluff, there’s substance,” Hill said about her Star Trek theme, “and real meaty stuff.”


http://www.utepprospector.com/news/star-trek-in-classrooms-1.1494088

Trek Books For 2011

The full list of Star Trek books for 2011 is available in Star Trek Magazine, which hits newsstands next week.

Courtesy of TrekMovie.com, eager readers can see now what will be published next year.

The list of 2011 Star Trek books is as follows. All dates are “TrekMovie estimated street dates, Pocket official dates as seen in STM are one month later.”
January:

  • Star Trek: New Frontier: Blind Man’s Bluff by Peter David.
    Excalibur crew follow-up to David’s Treason.
  • Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – The Competitive Edge by Rudy Josephs.
    Young adult novel set at the Academy during the events of Star Trek XI.
  • Star Trek: Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony by Dayton Ward.
    The fourth Typhon Pact series novel focuses on Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E dealing with “the survival of the Andorian civilization hanging in the balance”.

February:

  • Star Trek Enterprise: Romulan War: Beneath the Raptor’s Wings by Michael A. Martin.
    Mass market reprint of the first novel in the Romulan War series from 2009.

March:

  • Star Trek: Indistinguishable From Magic by David A. McIntee.
    Novel set after last Typhon Pact novel focusing on Geordi, Scotty, Nog and Guinan exploring a “technological mystery.”

April:

  • Star Trek: DTI: Watching The Clock by Christopher L. Bennett.
    First novel-length story of the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations, will “explore numerous facets of department’s responsibilities” (primarily set between Destiny and Typhon Pact series).

May:

  • Star Trek Voyager: Children of The Storm by Kirsten Beyer.
    Following on from her 2009 Voyager novels Full Circle and Unworthy, Beyer takes the Voyager fleet deeper into the Delta Quadrant to deal with “the Children of the Storm, a powerful and extremely xenophobic species.”

June:

  • Star Trek Vanguard – Declassified by Dayton Ward, David Mack, Kevin Dilmore, and Marco Palmieri.
    Four novellas spanning the length Vanguard saga “with revelations that set the stage for subsequent books.”

July:

  • Star Trek: A Choice of Catastrophes by Steve Mollmann and Michael Schuster.
    An original Star Trek-era novel focusing on Dr. McCoy who finds “the past catching up with him”, while Kirk and Spock explore a planet “not as abandoned as it seemed”.

August:

  • Star Trek New Frontier: Blind Man’s Bluff (reprint) by Peter David.
    Mass market reprint of the January novel.

September:

  • Star Trek: Cast No Shadow by James Swallow.
    Novel set after Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, dealing with terrorists trying to destroy the Khitomer accords, where a Starfleet Intelligence operative must join forces with the disgraced Valeris.

October:

  • Star Trek Enterprise: Romulan War: In Shariel’s Jaws by Michael A. Martin.
    Second novel of the Romulan War depicts the conflict from multiple viewpoints and “delves into ancient Vulcan mythology.”

November:

  • Untitled Vanguard novel #6 by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore.
    Follows on from the Declassified novella collection with Starbase 47 dealing with threats from Klingons and Tholians.

December:

  • Star Trek Mirror Universe: Rise Like Lions by David Mack.
    Climax to Mirror Universe story David Mack started in Glass Empires, this novel deals with the final stages of Emperor Spock’s bold plan for the Empire.
http://www.trektoday.com/content/2010/06/trek-books-for-2011/

Ital all makes sense: Ke$ha is a juge Star Trek Fan

Thanks to a YouTube mashup of “Tik Tok” and Star Trek originally posted in April, we can now confirm that the beloved sci-fi franchise was what inspired the wise and poignant lyrics of a pop star with a dollar sign for a name. (The Willy Wonka line “I have a blueberry for a daughter!” just popped into my head. We have a dollar sign for a pop star!) She and the Star Trek guys face the same issues every day! Drinking, dressing oneself, the faint promise that one might never come back. It’s just that “feeling like P-Diddy” ended up being more relatable to 12-year-olds than “feeling like the crew of Federation Starship Enterprise. Whatever, Ke$ha.



My favorite part is William Shatner’s s—-eating grin at 2:11. It’s kind of like the “Bitch, what?” face Ke$ha threw her mom after she dropped her pancakes.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6980842894367661461

FanCentral.us Website Offers a Variety of Content for the Star Trek Online Fan Community

Seems like social networks are a dime a dozen these days...however, there is one little gem that bears a peek if you are a Star Trek fan or interested in sci fi, comics or fantasy.

FanCentral.us is a growing internet community that was created by a dedicated group of Trek lovers who decided it was time for a change. Not only will you find the usual blog, forums, photos/videos and chat ...but you will also get goodies like regular live watch parties, contests with great prizes, a weekly podcast with celebrity guests, the weekly Member Spotlight, active Trek-based RPGs and much more.

Star Trek has always been the cornerstone of Fancentral.us. Presently, there are weekly watch parties for Star Trek TOS and Enterprise, as well as Trek groups, two Trek-based RPGs and lots of regular Trek postings in the forums and blogs. FanCentral.us enjoys a close relationship with the crew of the Starship Farragut, and has featured celebrities like John Billingsley, Gary Graham and Richard Hatch on the FanCentral.us podcast.

In addition to the wide variety of Star Trek/sci fi related events and material, you will also find a passionate comic book crowd. IDW's Star Trek comics are a favorite and members can always find spirited discussion, information and recommendations concerning comics.

Perhaps the best part of FanCentral.us is the warm and friendly atmosphere that permeates the entire site. In addition to an amazing amount of activities and content, the administrators and members go all out to make everyone feel like they are part of a family. As an added bonus, Fancentral.us is a private community, which helps to keep internet rif- raff like spammers from disrupting site interaction. Everyone is welcome to join and will go through two stages to become full members: account approval and email confirmation. These are all great safety measures for the FanCentral.us community.

Fancentral.us is the full meal deal for fans of sci fi (big emphasis on Star Trek), comics and fantasy! An upbeat community that hasn't lost the personal touch, Fancentral.us offers social interaction with live chat, contests, live watch parties, a weekly podcast, the Member Spotlight, and much, much more!

ABOUT FANCENTRAL.US

www.FanCentral.us is a social network for fans of sci fi, comics and fantasy. The mission of FanCentral.us is to provide an entertaining, informative and safe environment for all age groups. Fancentral.us is non-profit and is sustained by donations from members.

Website: http://www.fancentral.us/


http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=4c1f6d0353bbd

Is Leonard Nimoy Really Saying Goodbye to Spock?

79-year old Leornard Nimoy, who played Spock in the original Star Trek series, was honored with a parade in Vulcan, Alberta this April, and said of the event, "I've never had an experience as touching as that in my life."

He recently announced his retirement from the film world, saying last week, “There will be no more acting or directing for me. I’m not going to do any more of it," which means Nimoy won't be appearing in J.J. Abram's planned sequel to the massively successful 2009 Star Trek movie.

But Nimoy said nothing about retiring from fan events, and was thrilled to attend the Vulcan celebration. He said, "Spock has been a role model for a lot of people by showing dignity, intelligence and professionalism. I'm very proud of that."

The Canadian town of Vulcan, named in 1915 after the Roman god of fire, has received enough Star Trek tourism from its name to fuel the construction of The Tourism and Trek Station, a small Star Trek-themed museum and photo-op. The town has also been named "The Official Star Trek Capital of Canada." Vulcan has a population of only 2,000 people.
http://www.sodahead.com/entertainment/is-leonard-nimoy-really-saying-goodbye-to-spock/question-1071669/

Shatner says he's not the governor general type

It might be the closest we'll get to a straight answer from William Shatner about whether he will ever become Canada's governor general.

Before a packed audience at the Banff World Television Festival, an audience member asked the 79-year-old actor outright whether he would ever consider taking the role.

A Facebook campaign pushing to have the 79-year-old iconic actor proclaimed governor general started in April has garnered nearly 46,000 supporters.

"The only governor generals I know have been old, distinguished and rich," said Shatner. "And I don't qualify on any of those."

It was a typically self-deprecating answer from the actor, who at last count had received at least three standing ovations from worshipful TV industry types since arriving in Banff, Alta., on Monday afternoon.

On the closing day of the festival, delegates lined up for more than a half-hour to see Shatner interviewed by Bill Prady, creator of the successful geek-boy sitcom The Big Bang Theory.

The actor spoke on a number of topics with what is becoming a trademark knack for comedy, as he recalled his rise from Shakespearean actor to television bit player to Captain of the Star Trek Enterprise in Star Trek.

But the governor general campaign points to the strange position the actor has attained in the pop-culture universe. Respected enough to be introduced as both "incomparable" and "legendary," he is still a target for good-natured barbs.

Prady started the animated, one-hour interview with a quote from George Clooney about the general awfulness of Shatner's 1968 melodramatic take on the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," before moving on to the fact that Shatner's halting acting style is frequently imitated.

"When I see it, I have said frequently to my wife, 'Are they doing me?'" says Shatner. "And she says 'no.'"

It was certainly a more playful Shatner than what delegates saw Tuesday night during the Banff World Television Awards, when the actor gave a moving acceptance speech upon receiving his lifetime achievement award. Suggesting that he had lived a sometimes troubled personal life filled with loneliness, the actor nearly choked up when dedicating the award to his wife Elizabeth.

On Wednesday, a beaming Shatner discussed his most famous role of Captain James T. Kirk and his surprise at how Star Trek became a phenomenon after its cancellation in 1969. He remembers hearing about the first Star Trek convention with disbelief.

"At one point in that era, they said 'there's this thing for 15,000 people'" Shatner says. "'Will you go out there to New York?' and I'm in L.A. 15,000 fans? Of what show again? They said, 'It's Star Trek, they're all coming out and they're going to dress in costumes.' I said 'Are you crazy, I'm a Shakespearean actor.'"

Roberto Orci spent some time discussing two of his most anticipated upcoming projects – Star Trek 2 and Cowboys & Aliens.

Roberto Orci Talks Star Trek 2 and Cowboys & Aliens


Writer/producer Roberto Orci is excited for his upcoming projects. Along with many of the fans, he remains confident in the production of Cowboys & Aliens and development of Star Trek 2.

Orci’s connection to the fans is the most impressive aspect of his creative process. Rarely do you hear filmmakers so openly refer to the fans for advice and direction with upcoming projects.


Alongside his colleague Robert Kurtzman, Orci is one of the only links that audiences have to the cryptic mind of J.J. Abrams. When it comes to Star Trek 2, the production team is still in the development stage.

Details are scarce, but Orci opened up a bit about possibilities that include a re-imagined Khan.

As far as the script process is concerned, Orci expects to be given a due date of this Christmas. The film is scheduled to release in 2012, but the team will “work backwards from 2012″ as they prepare.

Nestor Carbonell as Khan in Star Trek

Apparently, fans are requesting Lost star Nestor Carbonell as Khan in the sequel. When IGN asked Orci if he takes those suggesting into account, he was gracious as always.

“I bring it up. Any cool suggestion I read from the fans I’ll bring up in our meetings. And I’ll say, ‘One of the fans suggested this.’ So this has always been an experiment in fan consultation for us. They really are consultants on the movie.”

IGN went on to point out that many sequels take on a darker tone. While this is generally true, Star Trek was generally pretty light – even though a number of death find their way into the story.

Star Trek was exciting and fun, as opposed to serious and moody.

“I think maybe thematically, because we don’t have the burden of an origin story, we can play a little bit more with the theme and it can be a little bit more complicated. But I still think we like fun. Star Trek has always been funny. Even Wrath of Khan has got some great great, great fun in it. “

Leonard Nimoy as Spock in Star Trek 2

Personally, I think a Star Trek sequel would find more success in maintaining the tone of the first film. There are plenty of dark action films right now, with The Dark Knight leading a quasi-revolution. I wish studios would recognize that not every film should follow the style of The Dark Knight.


Star Trek 2 is set to beam up in the summer of 2012.

http://screenrant.com/roberto-orci-star-trek-2-cowboys-aliens-mikee-64695/

Sci-fi geek Will.i.am has converted part of his mansion into the Star Trek's Starship Enterprise


Could Cheryl Cole be in a Spock of bother? We can reveal her new BFF Will.i.am is a sci-fi geek.

The Black Eyed Peas star, 35, has converted part of his mansion in LA into the Star Trek's Starship Enterprise.

His pal rapper K'Naan, who duetted with Will on his hit Wavin Flag and performed it at the World Cup opening ceremony, has spent lots of time there.


He told us: "Will's house is amazing. He's a technical geek. It has crazy big sliding doors to his studio, and he can access the gadgets in his studio from his laptop wherever he is in the world.

"It's a weird sci-fi studio like Star Trek and at the press of a button, the studio opens up on to a basketball court and swimming pool. It's like entering another dimension."

Blimey...


http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/06/16/sci-fi-geek-will-i-am-has-converted-part-of-his-mansion-into-the-star-trek-s-starship-enterprise-115875-22336565/

Shatner to direct doc about Star Trek captains

Montreal-born William Shatner will direct and produce a TV movie about his early life and rise to fame on Star Trek that will screen on Movie Central next year.

The veteran actor, also known for his role on Boston Legal, revealed his involvement in the project Tuesday, as he accepted a lifetime achievement award at the Banff World Television Festival in Alberta.

Shatner joked that the movie, tentatively titled The Captains, would be a lesson in "what not to do."

Shatner is a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise, on the sci-fi series Star Trek.

He called his casting as Kirk "serendipitous."

Shatner, 79, said the Movie Central documentary would also look at other Star Trek captains.

Cut acting teeth in Canada

Shatner grew up in Montreal and had roles with the Montreal Children's Theatre before going to Stratford, Ont., for a series of Shakespearean roles.

He was on Broadway in the late 1950s and early 1960s and had several movie and TV roles, including Twilight Zone and Gunsmoke.

At the same ceremony in Banff, Eric McCormack received the NBC Universal Canada Award of Distinction and comedian Ricky Gervais received the Sir Peter Ustinov comedy award.

The annual international television festival awarded a Green Grand Prize to Louie Psihoyos, the Oscar-winning director of The Cove, the documentary about a controversial Japanese dolphin hunt.

The festival also chose productions from around the world it considers the best of their kind.

The best Canadian program was 65 Red Roses, the documentary by Force Four Entertainment and CBC News Network about Eva Markvoort, the B.C. woman fighting a battle with cystic fibrosis.