Author: Nick Brobeck

Trek Review: “What Are Little Girls Made Of?”

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This episode has always been kind of a hit-and-miss for me personally. It really shouldn’t be, given that it’s written by a great science fiction novelist in his own right, Robert Bloch.

How it comes across for me is that it’s a story that’s 80% there, but just missing a couple of things that could make it an all-out classic episode.

What always bothered me is having Christine Chapel in this story. She just happens to have signed onto a starship and this mission just happens to come up? Talk about convenient! If you were to go back and read some of the ideas suggested by Bloch in the earlier drafts of the story, you might find a potentially better tale, but the story is still a little problematic.

What shines in this episode is the guest starts, Michael Strong as Dr. Roger Korby and Ted Cassidy (whom you may remember as Lurch on “The Addams Family”) as Ruk, the android who doesn’t remember how old he is.
Their performances are quite stellar in this episode.

A cute moment I’ve always liked is the real Kirk planting the insult of Mr. Spock in his android duplicate’s mind…

“Mind your own business, Mr. Spock. I’m sick of your half-breed interference, do you hear?”

I’m not sure if that was suggested by Bloch or if that came in later script rewrites that Gene Roddenberry did on this episode, but nonetheless, it’s ingenious Kirk logic to set the wheels in motion to get out of the peril at hand.

If I were around in 1966, I would have felt the same as I do now after seeing this episode for the umpteenth time. It’s 80% good, but there’s still room for the story to be a little more solid.

That’s all for this week, next week… BONK BONK! BONK BONK!

Trek Review: “Mudd’s Women”

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Ah, that intergalactic pimp and no good swindler, Hartcourt Fenton Mudd, deftly portrayed by Roger C. Carmel.  Mudd has always been one of my favorite Trek characters.  As the story goes, he’s trying to take three women and marry them to lonely husbands, and of course, profit form it.  Even though that isn’t specified in the script, you’d be a fool not to assume that’s what he’s after.

This was one of the stories that was being considered to be the second Trek pilot.  With the raciness and sometimes raunchiness (by 1966 standards) of this story, I am fairly confident that this was never actually going to be made as the second pilot.  Nor would it be considered an appropriate series premiere or an early series episode.  I think airing it 6th is a good decision by all involved.  At this point, you’re familiar with the characters, who they are, what they do, and a plot like this is just the different kind of story that all Trek series would come to be known for over the years.

In other words, play out your more typical stories first and then go for the “way out there” stories.

So, what would I have thought then?  I honestly would have thought the story was a bit hokey, but overall it’s passable because of the character interaction that is going on.  The guest cast certainly drives this show, especially Maggie Thrett as Eve.  She deserves major props for playing the most outspoken of the three women in this story.  It should be put on the record that a story like this was very much of it’s time and would never fly as-is on today’s shows.

As you probably know, this isn’t the first appearance of Hartcourt Fenton Mudd, we’ll catch up with him again real soon.  Even in 1966, you had a feeling that it might be a recurring character.

Next Week, androids appear for the first time!

Trek Review: “The Enemy Within”

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Take a person, split them into two, one good and one evil, and you will see something about yourself that you probably would never want to see.  Take a hero like Kirk and do that same thing, and you have “The Enemy Within,”  the first great opportunity in the Star Trek series to watch William Shatner absolutely chew up the scenery in a classic, riveting performance.

Just to recap the rest of what was going on:  the transporter malfunctions, splits Kirk and a funny looking animal in two, and Mr. Sulu and three other crew members are trapped on a planet where the temperature drops way below zero at night, so they will freeze to death unless the transporter is repaired.  Ardent fans of the series will no doubt ask themselves, “Why don’t they just use a shuttlecraft to pick them up?”  This is an easy trap to fall in.   The concept of the shuttlecraft hadn’t been invented yet (that comes later in the season.)

I got to thinking about if, *if*, you took the men trapped on the planet out of the equation, how could you sustain the story?  Well, there is a scene in the episode in which the Evil Kirk is obviously in pain, and Good Kirk asks if his other half is dying, McCoy confirms that he is.  That simply is it.   It’s still a race against time to reassemble the Captain as a whole person.  Neither can survive without the other.  You might lose some moments, however, like the scene where Kirk is wanting someone else to make a decision on whether to go ahead and try to put him back together or not.  Honestly, the story is probably fine the way it is.  It’s a unique dilemma in retrospect, to say the least.

Now, what would me, the 1966 viewer think?  Shatner. Emmy nod?  Perhaps.  His performance drove this story home.  Without that, the story would not be believable and campy.  He makes it work.  Leonard Nimoy certainly has a great contribution here as well trying to support his Captain.   Also you have to give major props for Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Rand.   Depiction of attempted rape was something you didn’t see on TV during the late 1960s, and this show is bold for tackling the issue.  Her performance proves just how much supporting characters can contribute to the overall continuity of a show.

That’s all for this week.  Next week: Space Pimping!

 

Trek Review: “The Naked Time”

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A person’s inhibitions can be very revealing. We all probably say things we regret whilst intoxicated. “The Naked Time” taps into that side of a person’s very essence with the spread of a virus found on planet Psi 2000. This leads to some very revealing characteristics being examined of most of the principal actors on the Starship Enterprise.

This is a great episode, hands down. If I wasn’t hooked on the series by this point, this is surely the episode that would force me to make the show appointment television every week.

I have always admired Leonard Nimoy’s solo scene in the briefing room towards the end of the episode in which he is trying not to succumb to the effects of the virus. The story of how that scene came to be is the stuff of legends. Go look it up for yourself, because I won’t dwell on it here. That scene gives the first really great insight into the Spock character. When I was first watching the series in 1991, this was the scene that made me love Spock more than any other character on the show. That still remains true to this day. It would have been no different in 1966. I would bet that a lot of people would have felt the same way.

Of another note: Bruce Hyde as Kevin Riley. Only he could make “Kathleen” the most annoying song in years! 😛

Next week:

Trek Review: “Where No Man Has Gone Before” (the air version)

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As everyone knows, there are two Star Trek pilots.  You don’t need the history lesson from me, that has been said many, many times.  It also goes without saying that in a good number of TV shows in history, there are major differences between a pilot or pilots and the actual series, such as casting changes, set changes, costume changes, etc.

What’s interesting about watching either of Trek’s pilots against the actual series is these not so subtle differences.  The uniforms were quite different (no red shirts, no mini skirts) and Spock looked different as well.  Note the more up-swept eyebrows that made him look more devilish than later on.

The tale of Where No Man itself is a very straightforward action-filled moral dilemma… does the Captain liquidate his best friend who has mutated into a god-like figure?  I wouldn’t want to have to make that decision, I can assure you.  But James Kirk has to do it, to save the ship and save the crew.

I would have loved this story in 1966 or 2016, no matter when I would have seen it for the first time.  This is the story that sold the show to NBC to make it into a weekly series.  You can definitely see why.  All of the great elements of a great show are present, even if all of the characters aren’t here.

I wonder how many people noticed in 1966 and said the following…

“Hey, where’s Dr. McCoy???  Who’s that old fart playing the Doctor here?  Where have I seen him?”

Of course I am referring to Dr. Piper played by Paul Fix, who was a veteran of many, many movies and TV shows.

And you movie buffs will know that perhaps the roles Gary Lockwood and Sally Kellerman are better known for are ahead of them. It helps that they bring great charm and charisma to this pilot.

All in all, a memorable hour of TV that is significant on so many levels. I could go on for days about it, but I’ve said enough. 🙂

By the way (and I might include these every week, because I like them), here is a look at next week…

Nick’s Flix Review of “Don’t Breathe”

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Most suspense films for me fail to keep my attention as the characters plod along aimlessly. The film “Don’t Breathe”, directed by Fede Alvarez, is a wonderfully shot, very intense and intriguing movie that kept me in suspense for its modest 88 minute running time.

The plot is very simple. Three people from Detroit who are young and poor are committing petty crimes to try and get enough money to move away. They decide to hit the home of a blind war veteran, who is sitting on a fortune, and then get out. His house is in the middle of a desolate neighborhood with nobody even close to around.

The blind guy has his own secrets… but that is best saved for the film itself. Needless to say they were very shocking and I didn’t see them coming. You’ll see what I mean when you see it for yourself.

The best scene in this movie for me is when two of the characters are in the basement of the house. The blind guy then cuts the power, putting everyone in the dark. This scene is so intense. The cinematography and the editing here are first rate to let the audience see just enough to know what was going on.

The biggest takeaway from this film is the fact that it cost only $9.9 Million to make (according to Box Office Mojo.) This proves yet again what I have long said, that Hollywood doesn’t need to be throwing large sums of money at the screen in order to make an entertaining and engaging film.

Low budget film making is possible folks! 🙂

By the way, you may remember that Alvarez directed “Evil Dead.” It’ll be interesting to see what he does next!

Trek Review: “Charlie X”

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This story has always been a so-so one for me.  The tale of Charles Evans, alone since he was three years old, discovered at 17.  But, he was given a power by a race called the Thasians so he could survive.  Couple teen angst with power to change things at will and you have a tale probably better suited for the Twilight Zone episode “It’s a Good Life.”

I almost certainly would have drawn that conclusion in 1966 as I do now.  But, that doesn’t make it a bad episode whatsoever.

The guest star, Robert Walker, Jr., I have always thought that his performance leaves a lot to be desired as Charlie.  Sometimes it feels as if he is going a little too over the top in his interpretation of the role.  It’s not bad, but it leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion.

The story is solid.  Who can fault a script by the legendary D.C. Fontana?  Visually the show is a bit passable, but most bottle shows (that being a story completely on board the ship, to save money) are.  No big visual effects here, nor are any necessary.  This is definitely a story-driven episode.

That music score by Fred Steiner however is the most memorable thing to take away from this show.  Such legendary cues that would be heard several times over in later episodes.

Me, the TV viewer of 1966, would have gobbled up every moment of this show!  It was a much better experience than the previous episode, and more indicative of what this show is about.  What would intrigue me however, is the teaser for next week, and the odd looking uniforms to what I had previously seen.

 

See you next week! 🙂

 

Trek Review: “The Man Trap”

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Thursday night, September 8th, 1966 from 8:30pm-9:30pm on NBC is a sacred, historic time in television history.  It’s the debut of Star Trek.  Viewers were treated to the saga of the Enterprise visiting Planet M-113 and crossing paths with a monster that has come to be affectionately known as the “Salt Vampire.”

I can’t help but think after watching this show that the audience, unless they absolutely knew what they were watching, would be left bespectacled, but a tad confused.  Nobody had ever seen a show like this on television before.

To be quite honest, I probably would have felt the same way.  But, knowing my penchant for unusual ideas, I would have been fascinated to tune in again.  Just to see what they were cooking up next.

I always have a false impression that you always should be introducing characters in a series premiere.  One has to remember however, that Star Trek was never like that at all.  Even in the two pilots, there are little morsels here and there revealing character traits, but the background of all characters is something that was gradually added to over time.  As to whether or not this episode needed more introductory material, not really.  The plot is the point of this episode, any expository stuff is merely here to pad out the episode.

Speaking of opportunities for exposition, I call attention to a scene in the middle of the episode.  It’s when Yeoman Rand visits Sulu in the Botanical section.  I call your attention to the plant, named “Beauregard” (or “Gertrude” according to Sulu) in the center of the room.

hand-plant

I don’t need to tell you that it is obviously someone’s hand.  Remember the show has a limited budget, folks.  It adds to the charm.

So, in summary.  From an average TV viewer’s perspective, what is my impression?  I would be encouraged by what I seen.  I would have probably hoped for a more spectacular story then a melodramatic monster-fest that this episode was to open the show.  But, not knowing the production challenges going on behind the scenes at the time to even get the show on the air by its airdates.

Next Week: “Charlie X”.

 

Blogging From a Train

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So we are on our way as of this post on Trip #4 to the Big Apple.  After driving the entire way by car the previous three times, we decided to go up to Lynchburg, VA and catch Amtrak the rest of the way, via the Northeast Regional Train #156.  I’ve got to say, this is a great way to travel, albeit a bit bumpy at times.  The staff on the train is very friendly and the experience is truly delightful.

This trip has gotten off to a great start!

Boy, Was This One Rotten

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I just cannot get over how bad the recent remake of “Ben-Hur” was.  It’s so sad that people in Hollywood even think remakes are still even remotely a good idea.

Here is the Nick’s Flix video I did yesterday to that effect:

Case closed.