Star Trek: Renegades Review

Written by Stu Cooper

Ever since Star Trek: Enterprise left the air, trekkies have been dying to see another series hit the airwaves. From petitions to kickstarters, fans have been rallying behind various projects trying to get them made. Unfortunately Star Trek: Renegades hasn't made it to the airwaves yet, but it was released on YouTube, DVD, and Blu-ray. Fans of the original canon universe finally got another edition to the mythos, and it comes in the form of an epic 90 minute fan film. The film is written by Ethan H. Calk, Sky Douglas Conway, and Jack Trevino. The film was directed by Star Trek Voyager alumni Tim Russ who served as the promotional mascot for most of the film's appearances at various conventions. I actually first heard about the film when Russ and Walter Koenig appeared at Space City Con here in Houston to promote the film. The film was created by the makers of another famous fan-film Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, and serves as a sequel in some ways. Jack Trevino apparently came up with the idea for the series on the last day of Of Gods and Men. Thanks to campaigns on IndieGoGo and Kickstarter that have been going around since 2012, the project finally saw the light of day.

Star Trek: Renegades takes place ten years after the finale of Star Trek: Voyager which featured the crew of Voyager returning from their epic journey across the Delta Quadrant. The film picks up in the middle of a crisis revolving around a dilithium crystal shortage as the result of a mysterious alien race who is apparently folding space and time. The folding is causing entire planets to disappear, which is obviously bad for business. The Federation is unsure how to react to the situation, so Admiral Chekov (Star Trek: TOS) and Tuvok (Star Trek: Voyager) decide to get together with the ole Section 31 and put together a crew of misfit toys. The crew is ordered to investigate the madness and stop it before it reaches Earth. The crew consists of several sci-fi and Star Trek alum including Blade Runner's Sean Young, Alien Nation's Gary Graham, Terminator 2's Edward Furlong, Star Trek Voyager's Manu Intiraymi returning as The Lone Borg Icheb, Voyager's Robert Picardo as Dr. Zimmerman, and many more recognizable faces. Leading the crew is Captain Lexxa Singh (daughter of Khan) played by the stunning Adrienne Wilkinson, whom you may recognize from her run on Xena: Warrior Princess. The crew is essentially a sci-fi version of the expendables, which is consistent with the “Renegades” name. There are TONS of actors in this film, and if you blink you may miss some of them. The film also features several stunning females such as the crewman Ronara (Chasty Ballesteros), Andorian bombshell Shree (Courtney Peldon), and the Vulcan T'Leah (Larissa Gomes). It's certainly a crowded film and I'm not even mentioning the OTHER crew on the other ship that follows the Renegades around.

Despite the massive cast, the film manages to tell an incredibly riveting and tense story. The new aliens in the film seem to be a hybrid of Klingons and Hirogen, which makes for a rather intimidating race. The race is seeking revenge against the federation for inadvertently sabotaging their planet 300 years ago. The aliens use some kind of stone artifact to screw with time and space. The Renegades go on a mission to figure out exactly what is going on, and they are pursued by federation loyalists led by Captain Alvarez (Corin Nemec). Alvarez's crew strongly resembles the new look displayed in the JJ Abrams films, which leads me to believe that the film acknowledges both universes. There is also a lot of character ties to the other Paramount series, so there is a bit for everybody to enjoy. The film is about 90 minutes and you can tell the writers were trying to cram as much story as possible into that time-frame. Pretty much every scene is important to the plot, and if you take a break to get a snack or go to the bathroom, you may get a little lost.

The main focus is on Khan's daughter Lexxa, who is quite the bad-ass. She displays strong leadership qualities and some killer martial art skills. Not only is she beautiful and strong, but she is also poetic. The character often recites a beautiful little poem that streams throughout the film and serves as kind of a beacon for the story. Adrienne Wilkinson is perfectly cast in this role and I'm glad she is given a chance to shine. The writers could have easily focused on Chekov and Tuvok the entire time, but they take a chance and give a lot of screen time to the new characters. You can tell this film was intended as a pilot of sorts, as it has a real big series pilot feel to it.

The star of the film has to be the amazing special effects on display in the film. The film looked beautiful displayed on my HD television and I found myself absolutely speechless at how great the ship and space sequences looked. I dare say the ships looked better than they did in Voyager and Deep Space Nine (though there is a 15 year gap). There are a few awkward green screen shots throughout the film, but considering it's a fan film the quality is way beyond anything I could have expected. Whoever did the ship effects deserves a serious pat on the back. Another impressive effect that I noticed was the arm of the Borg Icheb. Since Voyager Icheb received a series of upgrades which include a shape shifting weapon arm. The arm effects are totally seamless and caused me to say “WHOA” out loud every time he used it. The make-up on most of the aliens is also top notch, especially the Andorian and the Cardassian characters. The only ones that were questionable were T'Leah the Vulcan whose eyebrows looked off in most scenes, and some of the villain aliens who suffered from bad wig fit.

Another aspect of the film that really shines is the soundtrack. The sound design is on par with most modern action films and greatly improves the tension of the film. There are pretty intense drum sequences during the action scenes that greatly elevate things to another level. It adds to the professionalism of the project and really makes you feel like you are watching a real full fledged Star Trek series.

Overall Star Trek: Renegades is a pleasant surprise that features TONS of tributes and fan service for all those loyal trekkies out there. Not only do you get to see a lot of familiar faces that you probably grew up loving, but you get to see a lot of young talent like Adrienne Wilkinson, Corin Nemac, and Chasty Bellastros who all knock it out of the park. The only downsides to the film would have to be the intense pacing, which can sometimes cause a lot of confusion, and the poor acting performance of Sean Young. I found myself cringing during all of Sean Young's scenes, but thankfully her character is not a focal point of the film.

If you can keep up with the story, the film serves as a terrific launching off point for more beautiful fan films. I was a little disappointed with how little Robert Picardo and Tim Russ showed up in the film, but Walter Koenig has quite a bit of screen-time and hasn't lost a step. If it got turned into a series, I imagine they would have returned to do a bit more. When the film ended, I found myself hoping that this isn't the last time we see this crew together. I certainly think this production has what it takes to support itself on something like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. If you'd like to check the project out, visit the official page startrekrenegades.com or simply click the YouTube links below which will take you to the actual production.

31 Days of Monster Mania: Day 17: Star Trek Enterprise "Impulse"

Written by Stu Cooper

It's time for yet another entry in the Monster Mania countdown! Today I'm going back to the vast Trekverse to discuss another creepy Halloween themed Star Trek episode. The episode I will be discussing isn't exactly Halloween themed, but it's the closest thing we will ever get to a live action "Night of the Living Trekkies". For today's entry I'm discussing the Star Trek Enterprise episode "Impulse" which is essentially about Vulcan zombies!

For those who aren't familiar with Star Trek: Enterprise it's the last Star Trek series to air on television, but timeline wise it's the first. It's a prequel to all the other series, so this is before Picard, and before Kirk. It's essentially about the first group of Starfleet people to explore space. This makes for a pretty interesting series that people seem to either love or hate. The look and feel of the show is far different from it's predecessors. Since it's a prequel a lot of the technology and costumes look different than what we are used to. That rubs some people the wrong way, but I'm pretty neutral about that factor as long as the storytelling is good. The captain of the Enterprise in this incarnation is Scott Bakula who plays Captain Archer. Some of the other crew members include the insanely beautiful Vulcan T'Pol (Jolene Blalock), Engineer Trip Tucker (Connor Trineer), Dr.Phlox (John Billingsly), Hoshi Sato (Linda Park), Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating), and the always smiley Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery). The crew experiences all sorts of first time adventures while in space, but one they couldn't have possibly predicted is an encounter with zombie Vulcans!

The episode starts with Captain Archer looking battle damaged and he is hauling an irrational acting T'pol into sickbay. There is something seriously wrong with T'pol. She's acting like she is losing her Vulcan mind! Cue Rod Stewart theme tune. Flashback to one day earlier. The crew of the Enterprise receives a distress signal from a Vulcan ship called The Seleya (beautiful name) which was a ship lost in the expanse over 9 months ago. The crew follow the distress signal which leads to an asteroid field full of a rare mineral called trellium. Trip seems to think the Vulcan ship went out into the asteroid field to collect this mineral and something happened. Archer wants to investigate but realizes the Enterprise is too big to navigate through the asteroid field. Archer decides to take the shuttlepod over to the Seleya, he is joined by T'pol and Reed. T'pol reveals that she actually served on the Seleya for over a year as a science officer before joining the Enterprise. She had already left the ship by the time they had gotten stuck in the expanse. The Seleya appeared to become a victim to a "subspace eddy", never to be heard from again. Any ships sent to retrieve them were never heard from again either.

The shuttlepod makes it to the Vulcan ship, and Hawkins joins the crew as well. Reed, Archer, T'pol, and Hawkins all board the Seleya. T'pol and Archer are investigating some odd biosign readings. After Reed finds trellium and Vulcan blood covering some of the bulkheads. This is obviously not a good sign. Soon after this Archer and T'pol are confronted by a Vulcan who appears crazed. He charges at them with a weapon and takes several phaser shots to dispose of. The Vulcan also appears to have warped skin, as if he has some kind of virus. The crew continues to be attacked by Vulcans throughout the ship, all with the same crazed virus. The Vulcans seem to have lost all sense of reality and logic, bent on killing the crew. The crew uses the stun setting and continues to take out every Vulcan they see. Reed decides to set his phaser to kill, which causes a dispute between him and T'pol. T'pol believes he has no issues killing her people, despite the fact that they could be saved. Archer agrees and orders the crew to continue stunning the Vulcan zombies instead of killing them. The crew realizes that there are 147 Vulcans on board, and they are going to have a serious fight on their hands.

After battling through several decks, T'pol begins showing signs of the same Vulcan virus the crew of the Seleya have. It becomes Archer's priority to get her help before it's too late. Meanwhile Tucker and Mayweather are using another shuttlepod to mine trellium from a nearby asteroid, which isn't going so well for them. Archer and the crew eventually reach the sickbay of the Seleya where they run into a Vulcan that T'pol knows. The Chief Engineer of the ship, but unfortunately he gives into the madness and is unable to give them any answers. T'pol begins getting irrational and angry, and Archer knows her time is running out. The crew decide to continue battling their way through the Seleya, fighting off Vulcan zombies one by one.

Meanwhile back on the Enterprise Trip and Mayweather are able to gather the materials they needed from the asteroid, but as a result of their messing around a giant asteroid is now heading directly for the ship. Two asteroids collide in front of the ship and cause a serious delay in any kind of rescue. It's up to Archer and his crew members on the Seleya to save themselves. As they continue battling the zombies, T'pol begins to turn crazy. She starts making lots of snide remarks towards the crew members, including a remark to Archer about his father's failed work. She soon convinces herself that Archer just wants to kill the Vulcans and get revenge against them. She sets her phaser for kill and holds the crew hostage. Thankfully the crew are able to disarm her and subdue her. Archer realizes the only way to free themselves is to override the ship, which would lead to a warp core breach. Archer sends Dr.Phlox some bio information that will allow him to treat T'pol and the crew are rescued at the last minute by Trip and Mayweather. The Seleya explodes. T'pol is treated afterwards but is still haunted by the memories of the zombie Vulcans and feels a bit betrayed by her crew. She felt that it was not necessary to kill all of the infected Vulcans, but they had no choice.

"Impulse" was a Season 3 episode and by this point we had gotten to know the characters quite well. The crew was actually in the middle of a big story arc with an alien race called The Xindi, but it's not a factor in this episode. The episode originally aired in October 2003, just in time for the Halloween season! The episode itself is pretty one dimension but it's a lot of fun. If you ever wondered what "Night of the Living Vulcans" would be like, this does it justice. It's basic zombie movie scares, but in a Star Trek universe. The one interesting layer of depth to the story would be the psychotic breakdown of T'pol. We get to see T'pol become very emotional, which for a Vulcan is rare. She ends up expressing her true feelings regarding some of the crew members and says some things that can't be taken back. This issue reaches such a heated point that she actually requests that the Captain leave her on the next habitable planet. It provides a pretty interesting element to the bland zombie story we've seen 1,000 times. If you're looking for a good Star Trek Halloween episode, you can't go wrong with "Impulse", even if you aren't an Enterprise fan!

31 Days of Monster Mania: Day 2: Star Trek The Original Series: "Catspaw"

Written By Stu Cooper

It's time for Day 2 of Film Enigma's 31 Days of Monster Mania! Today's choice is something that I hold near and dear to my heart. Those who know me personally know I am a massive Star Trek fan. As a Star Trek fan I always wanted to see a Halloween special the likes of Roseanne or Home Improvement. While they never did any official holiday specials, there was an episode of the original series with a very strong Halloween theme. The episode was entitled "Catspaw" and involved all sorts of iconic Halloween traits.

The crew of the enterprise beamed down a landing crew consisting of Sulu, Scotty, and a red-shirt named Jackson to a seemingly uninhabited planet called Pyris VII. When the crew is unresponsive, the crew grows concerned when the red-shirt beams back up to the Enterprise and is apparently dying. Before he dies he warns the crew that they are now cursed! The crew responds the only way they know how, by beaming down to the planet to check things out. When Kirk, Spock, and Bones beam down to the planet they are immediately confronted with haunting imagery starting with screaming ghost like creatures. The screaming ghosts warn the crew members, but Spock is not alarmed because when he scans them, he realizes they are not real. Soon after this, Kirk notices a black cat that is wondering around the planet and the planet is covered in fog, creating a very familiar horror like environment. The ghostly environment only gets creepier as the crew stumble upon a castle! The castle is obscured by fog and looks like something straight out of Dracula.

The crew follows the black cat into the castle and encounters a wizard like man that looks like something straight out of Flash Gordon. The wizard begins talking to the black cat as if it understands, and the crew is quite confused. The crew also learns that the Wizard appears to have control over Sulu and Scotty and has put them into a zombie like state. The zombie crew members appear to be under the wizards command. So now not only do you have ghosts, a foggy castle, a black cat, but also zombie crew members! After Kirk, Spock, and Bones continue to investigate they realize that the wizard Korob is some type of alien that can control imagery and create illusions. To make this episode even more scooby doo-ish, the Wizard Korob uses a magic wand to do this.

After being held hostage by Korob, the crew witness the black cat turn into a human looking woman named Sylvia. Sylvia reveals herself to be in charge of the Wizard, and tells the crew that they serve a higher purpose, and are merely creating images that they've read about in human culture. Kirk and Bones make references to "Trick or Treat" which puzzles the Vulcan Spock. Kirk challenges Sylvia's powers and she demonstrates her magical powers by turning the enterprise into a toy, and threatens to burn the toy, which would of course kill the entire crew. After talking Sylvia down, Kirk is able to reason with Sylvia even if only for a brief moment. Sylvia then takes control of Bones, and adds him to her zombie army. Now it's up to Kirk and Spock to figure out how to stop Sylvia, and save their zombified friends.

After being held captive in a dungeon, Kirk and Spock are able to talk their way back into the good graces of Sylvia and the Wizard Korob. Kirk uses his powers of seduction to show Sylvia what it is like to experience a man's touch. We then learn that Sylvia is not humanoid, and actually has no understanding of sensations, sexuality, or power. Kirk uses his sexuality to show her a sample of what sexy sensations feel like, and of course Sylvia falls for Kirk. Sylvia tempts Kirk by showing him that she can transform into any kind of woman. Kirk appears to be interested in this but of course it's all a trick! Kirk is able to trick Sylvia and figure out that the magic wand is the source of her power. After taking her source of power, Sylvia turns into the cat, except this time, it's a giant cat! The cat goes on a rampage, and the Wizard Korob decides to stop Sylvia, sacrificing himself in order for the crew of the enterprise to get away. After a very goofy chase with a giant cat, the crew is able to escape and get back to the ship. Soon after this, the crew finds out that Korob and Sylvia actually aren't even powerful beings, they are merely tiny prawn like creatures. That's right, space prawn trick the crew into entering an imaginary haunted house. The crew would study these prawn, but unfortunately without their power, the prawn die, and the enterprise pretty much forgets about them and flies off into the great beyond.

"Catspaw" is known for being one of the most ridiculous Star Trek episodes and rightfully so. From the first scene the episode is just absolute insanity and comes off like a "Star Trek Meets Scooby Doo" special, which is great for the Halloween season, but in terms of good Star Trek, you could certainly do a lot better. The episode works as a goofy Halloween Special but the effects are pretty awful, and when you find out the aliens are basically prawns who are apparently huge Edgar Allen Poe fans, you can't help but laugh. The chase with the giant cat is also one of the more ridiculous scenes in Star Trek history. So if you're looking for a really hammy Halloween feeling episode of Star Trek, this is a good choice. Don't expect to be scared, but expect to get some serious Halloween Scooby Doo vibes. Unfortunately no crew members sneak off to indulge in scooby snacks, but the ga-ga-ga-ghost scares are riddled throughout this one. If you're looking for a Star Trek episode to give you the October Halloween feel, this is the one for you.

Checkout the full episode here:

Star Trek-Catspaw by Supercylon

The World's End (2013) Review

Written By Stu Cooper

It’s been almost 9 years since I first discovered Simon Pegg in “Shaun of the Dead”. Soon after that he immediately became one of my favorite actors, and you can bet I was one of the people who showed up to see “Hot Fuzz” opening weekend! For years to come I found myself quoting both films, and then I discovered “SPACED”. This was Pegg’s British comedy show he had prior to both films. Since the episodes were hard to find until the DVD release, it took me awhile to see it, but once I did…I loved it! There is really nothing Pegg hasn’t been involved in that I didn’t love. When you combine Pegg with his best friend Nick Frost and Writer/Director Edgar Wright you have a team that is certain to impress. Wright wrote “The World’s End” along with Pegg to serve as the final installment in Wright’s “Blood and Ice Cream” series, which consists of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. The films themselves have little to do with each other aside from the actors and the comedy style. I was very excited when I heard these guys were teaming up again, and I was not disappointed. So let’s get right into the film.

“The World’s End” tells the story of man by the name of Gary King who grew up in a small town in England with his 5 best friends. One night the group decides to attempt a local challenge called “The Golden Mile” in which you must visit 12 pubs and have at least a pint at each pub. The final pub is called “The World’s End”, which sadly the boys never made it to (in 1990). After a failed attempt at the pub challenge, the boys seem to have grown up and gone their separate ways. The film picks up some 23 years later (the original challenge took place in 1990, which is obvious by the clothing and music during the time). Every member of the group has moved on to some type of mature adult oriented life, while Gary is still stuck in 1990. Gary wears the same clothes, listens to the same music, and is still obsessed over the feat that fell through his grasps…The Golden Mile. While living as a functioning alcoholic Gary makes it his mission to reunite the old gang and give the pub challenge one last attempt. After lying his way through each of his friends, he somehow convinces all of them participate. The other members of the group are Peter Page (Eddie Marsan), Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman) (begrudgingly known as “O-Man” due to a birth mark he has on his face that makes look like “The Omen”), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine), and of course Andy Knightley (Nick Frost). In a nice little role reversal, Pegg actually plays the crazy one and Nick Frost actually plays the straight laced one. It’s nice to see the roles changing up a bit. The group as a whole is just superb though. Every actor is good in their own right, and of course fans of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “The Hobbit” will be thrilled to see Martin Freeman. It’s a win-win as soon as you see this cast. Also for fans of Pegg and Wright's other projects there are several cameos from actors featured on "SPACED" and the other films as well. I verbally yelled "YES!" when the "SPACED" cameos took place.

After all 5 men agree to meet-up in their old hometown, they begin “The Golden Mile”. Gary makes it clear that he has not forgotten all the good times the boys used to have, in fact it’s all he ever talks about. There is a great sequence where it shows each man preparing to leave on their journey. Some are wrapping things up at work, some are saying goodbye to their wife and kids, but Gary is sitting in a ratty little apartment, getting wasted, and putting on the same clothes he wore in 1990. There is also a great bit where the group is all carpooling and they realize Gary is still listening to the exact same cassette tape he was listening to in 1990. They make it clear he is not ready to move on with his life, and this adventure is all that he has. The group begins the “Golden Mile” and quickly realizes that some of the pubs they grew up loving have been altered and turned into corporate chains, which puts a damper on the originality of the bars. As an added problem, Andy no longer drinks, so he keeps ordering water while Gary is trying to get everyone pumped up over the prospect of drinking all night. You find out later in the film that Andy has some serious issues with Gary, and part of that is the reason why he no longer drinks.

As the film progresses from bar to bar, funny bit to funny bit it is easy to get immersed into the film and pretend you’re right along with the group. I often found myself jealous that I could not actually participate in the challenge with them! About half-way through the film you are introduced to a science fiction element of the film. I don’t want to spoil anything, but let’s just say the film gets kicked up a notch and it kind of becomes Shaun of the Dead meets Doctor Who. I was concerned about this element of the film but it is executed perfectly. Throughout the film the theme of “maturity” and “growing up” was addressed. It seems the whole world besides Gary has moved on with life and found some type of contentment, so it’s heartbreaking to see Gary desperately latching on to his nostalgia. This is a feeling I can certainly relate to, and maybe that’s why it hit me so hard. He loves his friends, but he loves the memories more. One might say he is trapped in his own personal hell, looping his memories without introducing new ones.

As the film winds down you see Gary realize that no matter how hard he tries, he won’t be time traveling, and he won’t be that young handsome fun guy from 1990 again. He realizes he needs to be something more than that. That’s where the whole moral of the film comes in. It really feels like the message of the film is…Don’t live for the past, live for your future. If you live for the past, it will ultimately destroy your future prospects, because you are blinded by it and not prepared for what lies ahead. This is a feeling that almost every human being deals with I think. The older you get, the more you reflect on “the good ole days” and you either resent time, or you embrace it. You either wish you could go back to being a kid, or you use your new found knowledge and maturity to explore a new future. Gary’s friends were able to move on, he was not. So you get to see him tragically realize this throughout the film. I think that is the part that actually makes this a trilogy. In Shaun of the Dead, Shaun was like a young dumb boy who was experiencing life for the first time, experiencing love and friendship for the first time. In Hot Fuzz, Nicholas Angel was a stern lonesome man who was learning to lighten up and let people in, and then In “The World’s End” we have a Gary King. A shell of a man, washed up and burnt out, aged, and tired, but still looking for that last adventure, the adventure that gives me a sense of purpose. That’s precisely what he finds. The cycle is complete. There is also a final confrontation that reminds me a lot of Star Trek/Doctor Who in which King must battle the villain using wit and attitude. This film is a fun comedy, intense action sequences, and a great overall deep meaning. I absolutely loved this film and I can’t wait to watch it again. Truly entertaining stuff. I highly recommend it.

Space City Con 2013

Written by Stu Cooper

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual "Space City Con" in Houston,Texas. This convention is based around science fiction and space (obviously), also playing on the idea that Houston is the Space City, because of NASA. I was not able to attend the con last year, so I was not sure what to expect. The first day of the con was a bit hectic, the registration lines were pretty long and the volunteers were scrambling to get it together. Thankfully this passed, and Saturday/Sunday seemed to flow a bit better. I think the staff was not expecting the con to be as big as it was. The Saturday crowd was shoulder to shoulder! I got my 3-Day pass early on Friday, so thankfully I was able to come and go without much of a problem.

On Friday I had the pleasure of meeting one of my all-time favorite Star Trek characters, dare I say my absolute favorite...Robert Picardo aka The Emergency Medical Hologram. He portrayed the Holographic Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager. He was known for his pompous attitude and opera worthy singing voice. He also starred on Stargate, Gremlins 2, and several other film and television shows. He was a true class act. I even got the chance to re-enact one of my favorite Voyager scenes. WARNING...I have the voice of an angel:

Actual Scene:

Space City Version (I warned you about my beautiful voice):

On Saturday I really got into some cool stuff. The crowd was absolutely nuts, so I didn't get to take many pictures, but I did however arrive just in time for the Gowron and Martok Q and A, which was more like a stand-up comedy routine! If you aren't familiar, Gowron and Martok are two Klingons from the Star Trek Universe. Gowron has appeared in several TNG and DS9 episodes, while Martok was a central character in the latter half of DS9. The actors themselves do several conventions a year, but as an extra tribute to the fans they often do the conventions in full klingon attire and make-up! It's absolutely amazing and something that has to be seen to be believed. These guys are so high energy, it's very contagious. It's so nice to see two actors who are so humble and proud to be a part of the Star Trek mythos, and the fact that they take the time to endure the heavy make up and costuming proves that they love their fans. The Q and A was no different. The two talked about klingon rituals, let out a death cry for a fallen conrad, told some klingon jokes, and took pretty much every question imaginable from the fans. It was a nice little get together. Immediately after this, The Doctor (Robert Picardo) took a few questions and horsed around with the fans, then he was followed by The Green Ranger (Jason David Frank). JDF was full of energy and love for his fans, just like the others. You really couldn't have asked for a more loving group of celebrities.

As Sunday rolled around you could tell the attendees of the convention were running out of batteries, and everyone slowly started heading home. I participated in a Trivia competition, goofed around with some of the Power Rangers, and made some new friends, then unfortunately had to pack it up myself. There is always a sad little come down at the end of these things. This convention was all about the community. The nerd/cosplay community in Houston is evidently a strong one, and it was proven by the attendance at this con, along with the party like atmosphere that took place between the cosplayers. I didn't mean a single person who wasn't ready to party! It really gives you a nice dream state feeling to be in the middle of all this. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Amazing Space City Con video (Credit: Samaze.com) :

Star Trek Theater 3000: Power Play (TNG Season 5, Episode 15

Written by Stuart Cooper

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5 Episode 21 "Power Play"

If you know me personally, or if you've ever seen me at a comic convention or nerd related event, it's usually pretty evident that I am a Trekkie. I've been a Trekkie for about a decade and I love it more and more every time I watch it. I think the show holds a lot of merit in terms of storytelling and underlying themes. The show can speak to you on a lot of different levels, and that's why I believe it has endured all these years. I decided to start reviewing one Star Trek episode a week. This will be coinciding with something I'm doing with my friends. My friends and I recently decided to randomly choose one Star Trek episode a week, watch it at the same time, and share our thoughts/and or riffs. This week's episode was “Power Play”, a gem from Season 5 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The plot involved possession, ghost machines, a reserved Worf, and some pretty intense fighting. Let's dive into it.

In the episode “Power Play” the crew of the Enterprise intercepts a distress signal, which usually in science fiction means certain death, and of course they choose to pursue it. The crew arrives at a baron planet and Troi says she senses life on the planet, so an away team is sent down to investigate and possibly save whatever being is down there. This ignorant move results in Troi, O’Brien, and Data being possessed by orbs on the surface that are apparently the souls of a lost crew that was stuck on that planet. You still with me? I know that last sentence was heavy. After the orbs enter the bodies of the 3 crew members, they get back onto the ship and organize a mutiny of sorts. Troi, O’Brien, and Data hold crew members hostage in Ten Forward. It's soon after this that we find out the orbs from earlier were souls, and they are now possessing the crew members. One big question that has to be asked tho, how can a ghost possess Data? He has no organic matter to control, do souls have power over technology? This is never explained. I think it was merely a plot device that would give Brent Spiner another chance to act goofy and different. One cool little tid-bit. This episode featured Patricia Tallman (Night of the Living Dead 1990) as one of Worf's Security Officers! She unfortunately does not speak, and is only on screen for a few seconds.

After some tense hostage scenes, there is a confrontation between Worf and Data. A fight between the two is teased, but Worf backs down. Worf appears to be very weak in this episode, but at the end of the episode he implies this was only because he was “being reserved”. If you watch enough TNG, you know who would have won that fight. Another highlight in the episode was Miles snapping at Keiko and their crying baby. Data also threatens the baby at one point, just to emphasize how evil these ghosts are. Towards the end of the episode there is a huge moment of tension when Data picks up Picard and chokes him, then picks him up off his feet and holds him in mid-air by his throat. Just shows you that Data could really kill anyone he wanted, if he needed to. Soon after that scene the ghosts are hit with some type of wave and forced to leave the bodies of the crew members.

Overall the episode was a lot of fun and full of tension. The acting was spot on and tight. There were moments where main cast members really became vulnerable, and the villains proved to be rather menacing. I think this was a very effective story. It was also nice being able to see some of the actors act differently than they did normally. I'm sure Spiner enjoyed letting loose a bit. I would definitely recommend this episode to anyone who wants to watch a good one and done TNG episode. You get to see Evil Data, Evil O’Brien, and Evil Troi, what's not to love?

Dallas Comic-Con presents The Sci-fi Expo 2013

Written by Stu Cooper

This past weekend I was able to attend the Sci-fi Expo in Dallas,Texas. The show was presented by the same group that does the Dallas Comic-Con and Dallas Fan Days conventions every year. I had a bad taste in my mouth regarding these cons due to a less than thrilling visit with the Dallas Comic-con last year, but a lot of the issues I had with the con last year had actually been resolved. There wasn't overcrowding or ridiculous 3 hour entry lines. Everything ran rather smoothly. It was a pleasant surprise and enabled me to really enjoy the convention.

I must say after attending 14 or so conventions I thought I may start to become jaded but I've found that coming to the conventions in costume, and meeting other costumed attendees is really where the fun lies. I enjoy the autographs but after tons of celebs, you become numb to the guest announcements. I just recently started dressing up at conventions this past October. It is an entirely different experience! It's quite fun being approached by people for pictures and it is a great conversation starter. I've made several friends this way. Unfortunately I was only able to attend one day but in that one day I was able to meet several interesting people, talented cosplayers, artists, and Avery Brooks , known most famously for his role as Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Another show under my belt and another adventure to remember.

Film Enigma is Back!

Written by Stu Cooper

That's right folks, Film Enigma is back in full effect! After a long absence I have decided to revive the blog and make it better than ever. In the coming weeks you will see lots of new reviews and posts. I plan on reviewing several blu-rays, new releases, video games, and will have a new "Nerd Girl of the Month" feature. I'm currently looking for experienced writers who would like to cover any of those subjects. If you think you'd like to contribute please feel free to shoot me an email at FilmEnigmaBlog@gmail , thank you all for checking out the site. I'm also interested in receiving screeners for any type of film. I'm very open to participating with other blogs/sites/companies. Please take a look around and enjoy!