Welcome to Star Trekking, my weekly attempt to share points of interest and random intersections in the final frontier.
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Will Harris writes about pop culture, including a long stint with the AV Club’s Random Roles feature. In his newsletter (which you should definitely subscribe to) he’s been sharing outtakes and greatest hits from his interviews, and there’ve been several Trek-adjacent people included.
But one issue, an interview with Alan Ruck, specifically caught my eye.
How did you come to reprise the role of Harriman [from Star Trek: Generations] for the fan film Of Men And Gods?
I was just between gigs. I had a funny thing happen. [Hesitates.] I mean, I’ve had some ups and downs in this career. I’d been in New York for awhile—I was doing Spin City in New York, and I moved my family there for that—and I had done a musical. I toured around with The Producers, and then I did it on Broadway. And then I did Absurd Person Singular, where I met Mireille, and then she’s, like, “Well, I’m moving out to California.” And obviously I had this great new girlfriend, so I said, “Well, I guess I’m moving out to California!” And it kind of took awhile before casting directors out here… They kept thinking of me as a New York guy, since I’d been there for 10 years, so they were, like, “Oh, he’s here?” So I had a little trouble getting work.
A guy named Bob Catalano, who represented me for autograph shows, he said, “Listen, there’s this movie that this guy’s written, and he wants you to play Harriman again.” I said, “I’m not doing anything that week!” So I just went up about as far north as you can go in the state of New York and not be in Canada, to this teeny, tiny town, and we shot in this warehouse that had been an old car dealership but which they’d turned into a soundstage. It wasn’t really good, because it had a metal roof, so when it rained, it was impossible. You couldn’t shoot. So, yeah, it was a goof. It was something to do. I thought, “Why not?” And Walter Koenig was involved, so I thought, “Well, if Walter’s gonna be there…” [Laughs.]
Fan films - even bigger budget ones featuring actual Trek stars - are a strange, unexplored area for me. I watched the first episode of New Voyages whenever that came out, a decade or more ago, and, well, it didn’t grab me. And I’ve never gone back to give any of them another chance, even though I got to tour the Star Trek Continues set while it was still under construction.
Then there’s that whole Axanar thing which seems to have single handedly torpedoed the long form fan film. I don’t know. It’s a weird area. They don’t feel “real”to me, even if they star Walter Koenig and Tim Russ and Nichelle Nichols and, well, Alan Ruck. They just seem to be nothing more than vanity projects. Then again, I’d jump at the chance to wear a uniform and stand on the bridge and pretend to have the Enterprise at my fingertips. But no one has asked me.
And I haven’t even scratched the surface of the Starship Farragut and Vaal knows how many other fan spinoffs are out there.
Have you watched fan films? Is there one I should take a chance on? A specific episode or movie that might rope me in? Tell us in the comments.
Meanwhile, I’m ready for a vacation and this looks like a place I need to visit.
You don’t know how much you. need this video of the Discovery theme played on a cimbalom.
From the vaults.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
From my own vault.
My Friend Neil S. Bulk sent me some great video links.
First off, keep an eye out for the greatest ship in the galaxy.
After this I’ll never view the Voyager opening credits the same way.
Glorious virtual tour of the refit bridge.
And the original, no bloody A, B, C, or D.
Your cat needs this.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/812017233/star-trek-enterprise-1701d-ds9-wood-cat
Thanks, Charlie, for sharing the link.
I am 100% sure I am going to love this book.
I finally created my own Star Trek art. I am truly the Picasso of Trek art. Eat your heart out, Lee Sargent.
And speaking of our friend Lee Sargent, he’s been doing a series he calls Li’l TNG and they are of course adorbs.
You know that ship wedged in the Suez Canal?
Best Jeopardy category ever.
I’m not really a tattoo guy, but this is nice.
And finally, here’s this from Stephen Woolston.
A thought for the day.
Back in my Star Trek loving days, I once said to someone, "I'd love to be crew on a vessel flying through space."
They replied, "You are. It's called Earth."
DIRECTIVES
Several kind folks pointed me to this article about a new LLAP monument planned for Boston.
And I’m sure you heard that Boston declared March 26 Leonard Nimoy Day.
From Sebastian: Spock is the center of the Trek universe.
From Eric Deggans: Leonard Nimoy taught us Acceptance is Highly Logical.
Now go treat yourself to the musical stylings of Leonard Nimoy.
Thank you for reading.
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Love long and prosper,