I May Have A Problem...

Where Plenty Of Fans Have Gone Before

I got an extra day off yesterday and I decided to celebrate my good fortune by spending as much time as possible in my PJs, on my couch, watching Star Trek and generally being a nerd. I managed pretty well, had a super nerdy day and even went out for a bit and picked my self up Bones and Khan bobble heads to go with the Spock my cousin got me for my birthday.
And because all of that just wasn't nerdy enough I thought "I should start a new blog. Three just isn't enough."
So behold - Tea. Earl grey. Hot.
Engage.

Odds

And in other news, I bought new shoes! Yay! (no, I am not one of those "shoe freak" girls. The only three pairs of shoes I own are falling apart. It's just time, that's all.)

Sick Today

I felt like posting something but not enough to be creative. Sorry. I'll post again when I feel less like shit.

Damnit! Now I Need An iPhone!

Apparently there's a new app For the iPhone that turns it in to an old style communicator. That, my friends, is made of WIN.

Is it wrong that I would get an iPhone just so I could have this app?

Star Trek: The Review

I had to write it some time. Come on, you knew it was coming, didn't you? I just had to wait a while and let it all sink in. Today I saw it for a second time, collected my thoughts and here I am.

Here's the short version - It was mind-blowingly awesome. If I ever get the chance to meet J.J. Abrams, I just might kiss him. I loved this movie from start to finish.

And now, in traditional Kill the Body style, here's the long version (you know this was coming too, right?).

From the day that the movie was announced I've been waiting. Patiently (well, patiently for me anyway). The closer the release date got, the more anxious I got. The night it opened, I was there before anyone, ticket in hand. Obsessive? Yeah, I am. 

My expectations were high, really high. I'd kept myself from as much information as I could (aside from the previews which I'd watched dozens of times) because I didn't want to form any opinions before the opening credits even rolled. I'd heard some people complain about some casting choices, but beyond that I knew almost nothing. I even managed to keep myself from rushing to IMDB and checking everything out.

I'm glad I did. It meant I got to be surprised a few times (very happily surprised) which was amazing.

I could go in to every single detail (believe me, I could, really) but I won't. It would take me the better part of the next year to cover it all. The casting was amazing (aside from a brief appearance by Winona Ryder - honestly one of only two minor complaints I had). Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto were perfect. Simon Pegg was so awesome as Scotty it hurt. Karl Urban picked up the classic Bones paranoia, sarcasm and attitude like a natural. And Nimoy... Oh Nimoy, I can't even begin to say how much I love that man. I quite literally giggled like a schoolgirl. 

Aside from the cast, the movie was visually astonishing. There isn't a single moment in the film that wasn't breathtaking in it's style and detail. My only note on any of the visuals is that I wish I could have seen so much more of Vulcan. 

This movie should be taken from the point on as a lesson on how to make a successful prequel (there are too many examples of how not to do it). Star Trek is something I know, it's like an old friend, I've seen them all so many times there isn't much that I've missed. I know the characters stories, I know the history, I know the stories and if you can take all that in to account and still manage to surprise me, show me new things and keep me happy all at once you, my friend, have really gone where no one has gone before. I've seen the Enterprise and every version of it (hell, I own a scale model of the thing - I see it every single day) and when the shuttle flew past the newly completed NCC-1701 I saw something I know well and it felt like it was the very first time I'd ever laid eyes on it. That is how you can tell you've done something right.

I knew walking in to the film that the margin for error was huge and my expectations were so high that the chances that I would walk away horribly disappointed were too great. I worried that it wouldn't just fall short of what I hoped but that it would be an incredible flop that would leave me speechless in frustration. But even with all that, it still managed to exceed my expectations. A feat which has never been achieved before.

Finally, and most importantly of all, today when I saw it I saw it with my brother. My brother is so not a trekkie. In fact, I've been teased more than once for my trekkieness. But he wanted to see it. When we left I looked to him for an opinion (of which he has many, the unfavourable ones being loudest). He thought it was great.

He has seen maybe a handful of TNG and even less TOS. He knows little to nothing of the show. Despite all that, he understood it all AND he liked it. A lot.

Yes, I know this post makes me even more of a nerd than you already thought I was. Sorry, it had to come out sooner or later. 

This Probably Says Too Much About Me...

I have yet to see even a single episode of Heroes. I know, I should watch it, that's what I keep hearing. But I haven't. So before the cast of the new Star Trek was announced, I had absolutely no idea who Zachary Quinto was. When I heard some people were upset over the choice, I couldn't imagine why (actually, I still can't figure it out). And I was even more confused after I saw the movie. 

I thought he was wonderful. I have always loved Spock and Nimoy was one of two very big reasons I watch Star Trek. (The other is Bones. No, it's not Kirk. He was always my least favourite.) So the fact that he managed to play a character I know well and love and still make me very happy speaks volumes for him.

Now all that being said, I'll also point out, I don't think I'd ever really seen Zachary Quinto before the whole Spock thing. 

Here he is! Yay Spock!

Now here's my question - Am I the only one who prefers him as Spock? I dunno... maybe it's the ears, but I'm liking this look, a lot.

Death Of Khan

I was really hoping that this year would, at very least, start off better than last year. But no. Here I am writing yet another fairwell to one of my favourite people.
Ricardo Montalban passed away this morning. Taking with him one of the all time greatest voices, ever. No one else could have been Khan or Mr. Roarke or could have made the phrase "fine corinthian leather" so damned sexy. Really, there have been few people who could make anything sound so damned sexy.

More Sad News

I was absolutely hearbroken to read that Majel Barrett passed yesterday. Majel was always one of my all time favourite Star Trek regulars. Whether it was as Number One (however short lived the character was), Nurse Chapel or in every episode as the computer. Although I must say that no one holds a candle to Lwaxana Troi, daughter of the fifth house, holder of the sacred chalice of Rixx, heir to the holy rings of Betazed.
The final frontier just won't be the same without her.

Top Ten: Trek Edition

If you all haven't worked it out yet, I'm a giant nerd and a huge Star Trek fan. That doesn't mean that I don't have issues with the show. Actually I think an integral part of being a Star Trek fan is having issues with things about the show. It means you're a big enough geek to start thinking about things enough to take issue with them and to form an opinion.
My biggest issue with any of the shows is that, for as good as much of the make-up was (even TOS was good for the time and the budget), some of it was just downright painful. It actually makes me want to hunt down the make-up artist and hit them. Worse than that, it distracts me from enjoying perfectly good episodes.
So here are my Top Ten Worst Star Trek Make-Ups

#10: Bolians

This may or may not be because I fucking HATE Mr. Mot. He doesn't show up often but when he does I just want to punch him in his silly blue divided face. GAH!

#9: Cheron natives

I know that this make-up is on a whole different level than the rest on this list, simply because it's so... oh god, I don't even know what this is. But let me explain that it's not even the make-up that gets me crazy. I mean, it's Frank Gorshin for fuck sakes. How could I hate Frank? In anything? It's just that this make-up is entirely too "Star-bellied Sneetches" and such a painfully obvious allegory the whole thing is just kind of painful.

#8: Tyrans

Am I the only one who thinks it looks kind of like she has a vagina on her face? I dunno. But it bothers the shit out of me every time I see it. Not because it looks like a vagina, but because it's so fucking distracting.

#7: Talosians

I know that from this picture you can't tell, but the back of their heads look like asses. Giant, pulsating asses. With gross veins. You can't tell me someone didn't notice that before they shot the episode. You just know there was one guy on set who burst out laughing and everyone was like "What? What's so funny, Bob?" and he had to try and stifle his laughter and pretend it was nothing. He probably said he was thinking of something he'd seen on TV the night before.

#6: Cardassian

Otherwise known as the Spoonheads. I have never liked this make-up. Ever. But Gul Ocett here is laughably bad. Her make-up is the kind of bad that makes grown make-up artists weep.

#5: Selay (tie)

When are the writers and make-up artists on Star Trek going to realize that they'll never be able to pull off a believable reptile make-up. Years after the Gorn shittied up TOS, the Selay showed up, large as life and twice as shitty for TNG. Jesus Christ on a cracker!

#5: Anitcans (tie)

Anitcans tie for the #5 spot because I honestly can't decide which of these I hate more and because they happened to appear on the same episode. From the look of them I would suspect they evolved from the chinese crested.

#4: Tilonians

I don't think I can even begin to put into words how much I hate this make-up. I don't know who sculpted this prosthetic, but it looks like something a five year old would have come up with. I really don't even have words for this. It hurts my soul.

#3: Gorn

Okay, I swear I'm not trying to pick on TOS. But the Gorn gripe my ass something awful every fucking time I watch "Arena". I mean, the episode itself is one of my least favourites, but a big part of it is this fucking make-up. Between his disco ball eyes, his ill-fitting rubber muscles, his non-functional mouth, his stupid sparkly Tarzan outfit and that goddamned hissing-gurgling noise he makes, this has got to be one of the most ridiculous aliens to ever grace the Star Trek universe. The worst part is that we're supposed to believe this slow moving, silly looking, dip shit is scary.

#2: Andorians

These goofy bastards are a constant source of annoyance. Don't even try to blame these on the times either. This picture is from TOS, yes but the Andorians have shown up later on in other series and they're still a bunch of goofy fucking bastards. I'm not sure what bugs me more, the stupid ass blue skin or the fucking antennae. In fact, I think I actually hate the newer version more than the old version.

#1: Antedeans

Holy hell! Where to start? I really don't know. This is by far and away the worst Star Trek alien EVER. Everything about them is wrong. EVERYTHING. Even their outfits. People often complain that too many of the Trek aliens just had some weird shit on their foreheads or their noses but if this is an example of what happens when they go all the way, then by all means, carry on with the forehead and nose mods. Please. For the love of god. For my sake.

Who Loves Q?

I loves Q.

Just sayin'.

Well, It Was Only A Matter Of Time

The good folks at Eternal Image have come out with a line of Urns and Caskets that are either the nerdiest or the most awesome line of Urns and Caskets ever conceived of by man. Either way, I give you - THE STAR TREK LINE!

Beam Me Up, Scotty

James Doohan was the man. He was one of the biggest reasons I love Star Trek: TOS and it was a sad day when the world lost our beloved Scotty.
But wait. His story doesn't end there. No, sir. The man who was Scotty is headed back to the stars, back to space, back to where no man has ever gone before. James Doohan's cremated remains are going to be shot in to space on April 28th. (Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd write.)

Along with James Doohan’s cremated remains will also travel the ashes of one of NASA’s first space travelers, Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, aboard a privately-built rocket set to launch from New Mexico this month.
The launch of a SpaceLoft XL rocket built by the private firm UP Aerospace is scheduled for April 28. SL-2, as it has been dubbed, will lift off from Spaceport America, a state-funded launch site near Upham, New Mexico and about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of the city of Las Cruces.

Two to beam up, I guess.

Talk Nerdy To Me, Baby

Okay, so here's the nerdiest question I think I've ever asked. In fact I think it's the nerdiest thing I've ever pondered.
It's something I've been wondering since I watched two episodes of Star Trek (yes, Star Trek... insert nerd joke here). One in which (the ever annoying) Wesley Crusher falls in to a pool of water on the Holodeck and another where they demonstrate how Holodeck objects cannot exist outside of the Holodeck by throwing a book out the door and watching it disappear.
If things on the Holodeck cannot exist outside of it, then wouldn't it stand to reason that the sopping wet Crusher, stepping off the Holodeck, should have become bone dry again?
There, I've just exposed myself as a nerd.