A Tale of Two Trailers

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Okay, okay, okay. I get it. Movie studios with their mitts on popular franchises no longer make movies for the fans--The Avengers universe comes the closest to caring. They make films to make the maximum amount of money. They know the geeks and dorks and nerds are going to come out regardless of what they do to our favorite universes and their inhabitants. And, they know that we will buy the merchandise, the Blu-Rays, etc., etc. So, they don't have any reason to court us.

Instead, they spend their efforts adding their own twists to things with a particular eye toward attracting audiences that would not have been caught dead watching a geeky film a decade ago.

At least, this seems to be the explanation behind Star Trek Beyond's first trailer, which was released to run with Star Wars The Force Awakens. TFA was guaranteed to attract every person on the planet within 100 miles of a cineplex. So, the masterminds at Paramount put together the strangest Star Trek trailer ever produced. It was full of rip-roarin' action to the inexplicable Beastie Boys soundtrack. (Yes, it was Kirk's boyhood theme song in the first of the rebooted trilogy and so it probably is Kirk's lifelong anthem but it shouldn't represent the whole film.) The true fans were immediately terrified and then angry. After Star Trek Into Darkness bastardized the greatest Trek villain of all time (Khan) into a character with little resemblance to the one created by our beloved Ricardo Montalban, we had reason to be fearful. Sure, I've enjoyed the films and the treatment of our main characters has been handled remarkably well, but much of the rest has been ham-handed. The first trailer for Beyond seemed to confirm our greatest fears of what would happen when they handed the film over to director Justin Lin, the man behind half of the Fast and Furious films. Had we placed too much faith in producers J.J. Abrams and Robert Orci? Were we counting too much on superfan Simon Pegg's co-writing to deliver a true Trek film?

Then, we were left for months and months and months to our fears and anxiety. Personally, I was about to lose my cool waiting for last week's release of a new trailer. Please, Paramount, please make it right! But does the new trailer fulfill our fanboy and fangirl expectations or should we just get ready to suffer through Fast and Furious: Lost in Space?

Check out my review of the Star Trek Beyond Trailer #2 on this week's episode of the Geek Homeworld podcast, Episode 38: Beyond Bond. (You'll also get to hear what Ed thinks about Daniel Craig's recent Bond decision.)


- First Officer Cheryl, Stardate 1605.22

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Star Trek Doctors: Where are they now?

MY APOLOGIES FOR THE ROUGHNESS OF THIS POST; I VOICETYPED IT AND HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO EDIT IT YET, BUT WANTED TO GET THE CONTENT UP HERE FOR YOU.

Listen to Episode 27: Doctor Doctor for more about this and Doctor Who.

For both of Dr. Beverly Crusher and Dr. Katherine Pulaski it is worth noting that neither took on a roll anywhere near as important in the series is there mail predecessor Dr McCoy who was certainly one of three main characters both on the original series and the early films. Also these are the only women doctors featured in Star Trek with recurring roles. That the first doctor was a man is not at all surprising considering that the show was filmed in the 1960's and despite many of the social and cultural barriers that it addressed, the women on the show or not given roles of importance, they were highly sexualized in most episodes and frequently subject to the advances of Captain Kirk who was always a rascal and continues to be so even in the rebooted film franchise.  Even as groundbreaking as the character of Uhuru was as an African American, she still was subjected to gender stereotypes. dr. McCoy was played by a fellow Georgian DeForest Kelley who was born in North Georgia and he was somewhat of a celebrity in my state throughout his life. His career was certainly defined x Star Trek but in his personal life he was held for his compassion for animals and renowned for his role with the North Shore Animal League. Also noteworthy is that unlike so many Hollywood stars he had an enduring marriage remaining with the same woman for over 50 years until his own death at the age of 79 in 1999.

On Star Trek Voyager the doctor was an emergency medical hologram but still mail and portrayed by Robert Picardo who also has a geek credibility for his roles on the Stargate franchise And the animated Justice League. He has one of the most prolific careers I'm on any actors from any of the Star Trek franchise is appearing literally in dozens of films and television shows. His recent projects include the pilot episode 4 Star Trek renegades which was shot last year and he plays the rabbi in the current feature film release Hail Caesar.

The doctor on Deep Space nine Dr Julian Bashir is a genius and we discover through the course of the series that this is because he was subject to genetic engineering The fact that was discovered by Robert Picardo doctor who was making a guest appearance on ds9. The sheer was played by Alexander siddig Or as he was sometimes credited Siddig El Fadil.   the actor who is originally from Sudan End is of mixed Sudanese and British ancestry actually has an incredibly long name which is Siddig el tahir el fadil el siddig abdurrahman Mohammed ahmed abdul karim el mahdi. Maybe his parents could not settle on one name so they just chose every name in the baby name book. Just kidding. Alexander also has a lot of screen credits among these R the role of Doran Martell on Game of Thrones and different roles in the Doctor Who audio plays. He appeared in a few very big thumbs although in limited roles. These include kingdom of heaven, serianna, and the 2010 stinker remake Clash of the Titans starring Liam Neeson. During the filming of Deep Space nine Alexander had a romance and married his co-star Nana visitor who portrayed Kira Nerys, her pregnancy with their child was written into the show Although her character remained pregnant after she had already given birth. The story line on the show had her becoming the surrogate mother 4 miles and Keiko O'Brien's second child.

In the prequel series enterprise the doctor is an alien  named phlox,  but still a male Played by actor John Billingsley. Billingsley guests stars in a number of television shows including several geeky programs like x-files And True Blood. even plays a Trekkie on an episode of Stargate Sg1 his credits include cold case, Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, CSI, Hawaii Five O, The Mentalist, leverage, really it's surprising that you don't see him anytime you turn on the television.

At the end of it all, dr. McCoy is probably the most popular of all The Star Trek doctors and arguably Beverly Crusher is the next. Ask for poor old Katherine Pulaski she will always and unfortunately the poorly regarded.

Marvelous TNG Officers

On this week's Episode 25: Marvel-Lust, I rank The Avengers heroes according to their eligibility. So I thought I would post a similar list ranking the gentlemen of the Enterprise D. Once again I will start from the bottom of the list:

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Deanna Troi did an excellent job of working her way up the list, although she did not get very far. It is a difficult thing to do but I'm afraid I have to put Commander Riker at the bottom of the list. Although he is very tall, handsome, and intelligent,  Riker is clearly lacking in ambition. He is always willing just to play the second banana to Captain Picard even though he is clearly capable of command. While I can understand his desire to serve under such a great mentor, eventually he should have spread his wings. Plus Will Riker seems to have just a little too much interest in the ladies. I'm not sure you can trust him to be loyal.

The next Hunk on our list was Deanna's second boyfriend on the show, the overly domesticated Klingon Worf. Poor Worf! I'm not quite sure how he keeps his job. No one ever listens to him! Although he is the very definition of a noble warrior, he still hasn't quite figured out how to be a Klingon in the homo sapiens-only club of the Federation. Also, he is just a little bit judgmental when it comes to "weak" human women. And he is incredibly impatient! Whenever he is asked to hail another ship, he gives them exactly 0.02 seconds to respond before he declares, "No response. Let's kill them!" Considering I don't always answer my phone on the first ring, that doesn't seem to bode well for our relationship. 

Next on the list is Geordi LaForge. Geordi is a very handsome, inventive, intelligent and creative fellow, but he doesn't seem to have very much interest in having a relationship. I mean, beyond holograms. He is far too much in love with his ship to make it all the way to the top of my list. 

Number two on my list is data. He is strong, he is smart and, according to Tasha Yar, he is anatomically correct. This in combination with his vast wealth of knowledge and access to information from every culture would make for a very interesting relationship, if you get what I mean. He is a scientist, poet, musician, actor. In fact, there is no experience that he won't try. I like that adventurous gung-ho interest in everything. Plus he is indestructible and he has no feelings so he can't get angry or disappointed, and there would be far less drama than in other relationships. However, I'm afraid he can't make it to the top of my list because, well, he has a cat, and I am just not a cat person. Sorry Spot. 

By Derek Springer from Los Angeles, CA, USA:
Cdt. Patrick Caughey[1] derivative work,
via Wikimedia Commons

Before we talk about the number one choice, which I'm sure you have already figured out, I want to give a special shout out to Reg Barclay. There's just something about him that is irresistible. And O'Brien also seems like a pretty nice dad and father. But undoubtedly the number one most eligible man on the Enterprise D is Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He is the ultimate diplomat and is usually very even-tempered, despite breaking his little ships in First Contact. He is very intelligent, very patient, very intuitive, and he is not afraid to have a relationship even in difficult situations. Any woman would be proud to call herself Mrs. Picard.

--First Officer Cheryl, Stardate 2016.02.16

Cheryl's Electronic Wish List

So, Ed already shared pics of his picks from the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show. (You can also hear his observations about the show on Episode 20: CES2016 & Beyond.) Now, here is what Cheryl added to her list of must-haves:

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One of the worst things about ear buds is having to be plugged in to your device. These bluetooth-enabled ear buds solve this problem!

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Call it a drone if you want to, but I call it a personal helicopter and I NEED one. I could get to work in three minutes with this thing because the only thing between my house and my workplace is marshland that I currently have drive ALL THE WAY AROUND. How quickly can I get one of these delivered? (This made Ed's list, too, so I hope there will be a buy-one-get-one-free sale!)

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Smart glasses aren't quite where I would like them to be yet, but they are getting close. I'm going to need them to be super lite, or they will not be compatible with my terrible sinuses.

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The BB8 prototype was on display at the show. I'm fairly certain that I need a BB8--although I'm not quite sure what can do besides help me fly my X-wing, which I'm going to have to get, too. Maybe it comes free with purchase.

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A compact, wireless photo printer? Absolutely must have this, and at $109, it seems affordable. Of course, they don't say how much the paper will cost...(Maybe I can get a 3-D printer to make my own paper.)

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Let Dr. McCoy and Dr. Crusher know about this: a medical examination device that will allow a doctor to examine you remotely. Take that, tricorder. (Actually, I meant, "I'll take that tricorder.")

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Google and Lenovo are teaming up to bringing us positioning software that can self-locate without using GPS. Does this mean we won't be as reliant on satellites to find our way around the planet?

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With this solar-powered portable grill, I can finally let Ed cook without worrying about the house burning down.

-- Second Officer Cheryl, Stardate 2016.01.15

My CES 2016 Wishlist

There were some truly awesome products at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (or CES), which was recently held in Las Vegas. Here are a few of my favorite geeky products I wouldn't mind owning. (See Cheryl's picks here.)

For more information don't forget to listen to our latest podcast episode,  Geek Homeworld Episode 20 CES 2016 and Beyond

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Where it all happens with vendors from around the world showing off the future of technology.

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The HP Sprout projects a keyboard onto a flat surface including a scanner and everything you could need from a computer.

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This is just one of many drones that were displayed at CES 2016. I want mine!

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The Fitbit Blaze looks awesome. Now I still need a reason to get up off the couch.

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This is the Ehang drone that one person can be transported in from one location to another. How cool is this?

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If I had $30,000, then I would love to take home a Chevy Bolt. If I had infinite money I would buy the Faraday FFZERO1 concept car below.

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Episode 20: CES 2016 & Beyond

Ed brings you the best of the Consumer Electronics show (CES) 2016 that was recently held in Las Vegas.

From 8K TV, to rollable displays, to virtual reality, to concept cars, we bring you our favorites. Check back on the blog later this week for photos from CES.

A Very Geeky Star Wars Christmas

 This Christmas season was very special for me as a life-long Star Wars fan. With the release of Star Wars The Force Awakens in theaters, and the historic success of the film, I thought I would share some of my Star Wars swag I got for Christmas. Here is the big haul:

The Force was with me!

   Here are the individual items...
  

These are some snazzy Star Wars Christmas tree ornaments.

This glassware set reminds me of the original Empire Strikes Back glass I had back in 1983 that Burger King was giving away when you bought some food. I loved that glass, and can remember begging my parents to take me to Burger King as often as they could so I could collect all of them. Unfortunately, I only remember getting one glass. I think it was Luke Skywalker.

A very cool Santa's Cap, Star Wars style.

Blue Star Wars Santa's Cap!

Hey, how did Captain America get in the middle of my Star Wars  Christmas pictures? I got this cool action figure for Christmas also. This will have to tide me over until Captain America Civil Wars comes out in May.

This photo was taken with the flash on. Cool.

This is a candy dispenser lightsaber. Look betters, in this picture, without using my phone camera flash. It looks more sinister.

A couple of packs of Star Wars figures.

Everyone always gives me Pez-related Star Wars stuff. I never open the packaging or eat the Pez.

BB8 and Vader

Everyone needs bubbles. Star Wars bubbles.

Everyone needs water. Star Wars water is especially cool on Jakku (or Tatooine).

BB8 and C3PO.

I got this cool Darth Vader case that can hold many action figures.

Geek Homeworld Episode 19 Geek Preview 2016

  Ed and Cheryl preview all the exciting geek things coming in 2016. From movies, TV, video games, and tech trends, we have it covered.

 We talk about Disney and Star Wars geek destinations for 2016, as well as what cool geeky gifts I got for Christmas!

 We also want to thank all of our listeners, contributors, guests, and many more who interacted with the podcast making it a smashing success in 2015. We are concentrating on bringing you all the best content for geeks in 2016.

  Thanks for listening,

 SavageTechman aka Ed

 1-3-16

 

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