Commentary: Trek Stars 96: Spectacle Creep

Lindelof, Part 5: Star Trek Into Darkness.

Last year on Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike looked at the films that Damon Lindelof had written up to that point. Since then, Lindelof has written two more films. The first of these was Star Trek Into Darkness.

In this episode, we return to Lindelof's body of work to examine his work as a Star Trek writer. We discuss the concept of "spectacle creep" and how it applies to Into Darkness, the similarities and differences between Into Darkness and The Wrath of Khan, and the challenges of telling a small story on a big scale. We also remember the work of Next Generation director Robert Wiemer.

Running Time: 48 Minutes 37 Seconds

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Hosts

Max Hegel and Mike Schindler

Topics

The Parsec Awards (1:17)
Into Darkness (5:13)
Spock vs. Khan (15:57)
Kirk's Sacrifice (27:01)
Final Thoughts (32:29)
Robert Wiemer (39:31)
Wrap-Up (41:46)

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As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 95: A Crazy Possessed Typewriter

Abrams, Part 4: Recap.

For someone held in such high regard by the film industry, J.J. Abrams has a fairly short resume when it comes to directing. As of now, he has only directed four features, including Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, Super 8, and Star Trek Into Darkness.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and Max recap their look at Abrams's directorial work. We also discuss his upcoming film, Star Wars: Episode VII, and answer a listener's questions about Max's opinion of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

Running Time: 1 Hour 19 Minutes 53 Seconds

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Hosts

Mike Schindler and Max Hegel

Topics

Mission: Impossible III (1:05)
Star Trek (2:56)
Super 8 (32:40)
Star Trek Into Darkness (34:48)
Star Wars: Episode VII (41:04)
Final Thoughts (44:49)
Listener Feedback (51:10)
Closing (1:14:56)

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Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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Commentary: Trek Stars 92: A Fresh Coat of Paint

Abrams, Part 1: Trek.

In 2005, after eighteen consecutive seasons of television, Star Trek was suffering from "franchise fatigue." In an effort to revitalize the property, Paramount hired A-list filmmaker J.J. Abrams to direct a reboot of The Original Series.

In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Max and Mike begin a new series looking at Abrams's career as a feature film director. In Part 1, we are joined by Matthew Rushing of The Orb and Literary Treks to examine Abrams's work on Star Trek. We discuss the reasons behind hiring Abrams, our initial thoughts concerning his involvement, and what exactly his contribution to the franchise has been. We also examine the similarities between the 2009 film and The Motion Picture.

Running Time: 1 hour 18 minutes 31 seconds

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Hosts 

Max Hegel and Mike Schindler

Guest

Matthew Rushing

Chapters

Intro (02:00)
Initial Thoughts (10:18)
Continuity (22:18)
The Mystery Box (33:13)
Mainstream Trek (39:52)
Final Thoughts (54:37)
Wrap-up (1:02:57)

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Sponsor

Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive, Federation, and Spock’s World, Audible has something for everyone.

As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!

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