Don Movie Reviews

It should be noted that this is one of the most prominent roles played by an African-American on Star Trek TOS. While one is initially frustrated by the character's fate, further reflection suggests a lack of prejudice in this episode. Rather than walk on eggshells, the brain trust gave him the same fate (collapse of some sort) that (almost) always befell all Federation elite. (3 stars)

The Omega Glory-This patriotic episode, in which the Yangs (American whites) are oppressed by the Colms (Communist Asians), is a real stinker, no matter what your political philosophy. The Roddenberry-written episode starts strongly enough with an intriguing and disquieting teaser, but despite plenty of action it's a downhill ride once we reach the planet's surface. I can see the appeal of the 'what-if' stories; they allow us to imagine other possible historical trajectories on earth, and they are cheap to make. But the second season really overloaded us with them. Worse, this episode is in my opinion totally biased, presenting Asians as savages and Americans as heroic. A more measured approach with some heterogeneity would have been nice; on the other hand it wouldn't have made for as viscerally-gripping an episode. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't mind simplistic, but this goes too far, and it's too offensive along the way. By the time we get to Old Glory, we feel almost embarrassed for Shatner. I give him credit though for being professional enough to play the scene seriously.

Tidbit: Morgan Woodward, who plays Tracey here, was also Dr. Van Gelder in Dagger of the Mind. (2 stars)

THE ULTIMATE COMPUTER © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: The Series' Umpteenth "Man-Versus-Machine" Scenario

Historical Milestone: The first and only time the term 'Captain Dunsel' (defined as 'a component that serves no useful purpose') is brought up on the show.

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: One dead

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:
If you're familiar with the episodes 'Nomad' and 'Return of the Archons', you'll probably feel a sense of déjà vu while watching 'The Ultimate Computer'. Once again, a computer goes haywire (in this case, one that's been installed & patched into the Enterprise's systems, in preparation for ship-to-ship battle simulations), and it's up to the resourcefulness of our gallant crew to save the day once again. As expected, Kirk manages to talk the computer 'to death', but not before he shares his feelings of self-doubt, fear of losing his job to a machine, and a stiff drink with the always-sympathetic Doctor McCoy. Nothin' like a nip of the hooch with your chief medical officer to get yourself back on track, I always say...

THE OMEGA GLORY © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Allegory of the Cold War; The true meaning of freedom and liberty

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: One dead

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:
This particular show features the return of Morgan Woodward, one of my all-time fave Star Trek guest stars. As the mentally-tormented Dr. Simon Van Gelder in 'Dagger of the Mind', Woodward's unbelievably overdone facial expressions of pain and anguish were really fun to watch. His mush undergoes further manipulation-- this time showing off his 'angry' faces-- in his second Star Trek go-round as he fills the role of rogue Starfleet Captain Ronald Tracey.

But if that ain't enough of a laugh, there's Jimmers' "lesson-of-the-day" that manages to milk a few more yuks outta me. His "we the people" spiel where he discusses the spirit of the United States Constitution to the planet's natives, while heartwarming to the average patriotic American Trekkie, is also quite cheesy when it's done in that unique Shatnerian delivery that has become a component of every modern two-bit standup comic's repertoire of backup gags. Throw in the unintentionally ironic fact that William Shatner is Canadian, and the guffaws don't die down 'til the closing credits roll!

'Late

Court Martial-This courtroom whodunit, featuring Kirk in the hot seat, is a slightly below average episode. As in virtually every courtroom drama ever put to screen, the trial scenes drag. But this whole episode, quite frankly, is dull. Shatner definitely gets up for his "request it?..I demand it!" line, but somehow this episode just feels flat, despite the strong performance by Elisha Cook Jr. as an eccentric lawyer. It doesn't help that the finale's bombshell, pulled somewhat out of left field, just isn't explosive. Themes explored here, including the importance of 1) presumption of innocence, and 2) recognizing the fallibility of machines, would be better explored in other episodes. (2.5 stars)

(Elisha Cook Jr speaking to Shatner, refering to a computer terminal's sterility over the stacks of books apparent in the scene)

"Books, young man, books. Thousands of them. If time wasn't so important, I'd show you something-- my library. Thousands of books. ... This is where the law is, not in that homogenized, pasteurized, synthesized--Do you want to know the law,
the ancient concepts in their own language, Learn the intent of the men who wrote them, from Moses to the tribunal of Alpha 3?
Books."

By golly if this line isn't worth every deus ex machina and boring, ignorant techno-babble, I do not know what is. It is one of the great lines ever made by Hollywood. More than that, it inspired "My own library. Books. Thousands of them!" And I can't think of a greater gift from Star Trek to my life.

"Court Martial" Kirk is put on trial for entering a false log entry involving a crewman's death. Riveting!

The better improvement is the addition of subtitles fact that previous Scooby Dvds doesn't have.

I hope that the next releases of Scooby Dvds(Classic 69,70's episodes) include different episodes not mixed new and old material.

Give me a break, this song is dull and repetitive, the lyrics are weak- "They say that anger is just love disappointed"..huh?
I'm sorry, but what makes Don Henley think that anyone cares to hear even more of his political views.. I don't like war or violence anymore than anyone else, but if it weren't for our country standing up in the past, and defending ourselves when necessary, he certainly wouldn't be able to live the type of lifestyle he's accustomed to.

Go preach somewhere else.. whatever happened to music taking us to another place? I'm sick of everyone trying to cash in on the devastating events of the last two years.

Don't get the wrong idea here, all of this is coming from an actual fan of the Eagles(at least their music). When I heard they had a new song coming out, I was fairly hyped, but then when it turned out to be this sleeper, and the fact that there wasn't a new album of material following it, what a letdown.
As I said, I've always liked their stuff, even though they've never been especially exciting, they had some solid material-
"Sad Cafe", "Tequila Sunrise", "James Dean", "The Last Resort"(yes, I actually somewhat admired Don's point of view on this one). Hell, I even thought the new songs on "Hell Freezes Over" were worthwhile, especially "Learn To Be Still", what happened? Now, we are supposed to get our wallets out, and pay one more time to hear Henley's point of view, no thanks..

And one more thing, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE EAGLES SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE WAR!!!!!!!! They opposed the war and this song is about telling us why they did. They are showing their true Patriotism by standing up for what they believe in, and for that they should be praised, not ridiculed. Even if you supported the war, it is wrong of you act so pig-headed towards people who have a different opinion than you. We do not believe this war was in any way a defense of the freedoms we enjoy, it was only an excuse for George Bush to steal a bunch of oil while unneccesarily depleting the Federal Budget for military spending. If you don't agree with us, THATS FINE, but don't tell us we are unpatriotic for disagreeing with you. YOU are unpatriotic if you want everyone to think like you becuase American democracy is about people having different opinions and having the freedom to express those opinions without retribution.

THE WAY TO EDEN: Despite a good performance from Skip Homeier as Dr. Sevrin, the leader, his character has very little charisma to make him an even mere likable enemy personnel. The whole love story between Chekov and Irina is just terrible. How touching it is to see two souls reunited after so long, but they show zero chemistry right from the get-go. Again, another clear evidence that the writers were all out of ideas, so they blatantly recycle ideas used from earlier episodes. We had already seen a beautiful romantic interchange between Kirk and his long-lost love Ruth in SHORE LEAVE. Very badly written script sinks this episode.

REQUEIM FOR METHUSELAH: Several reviewers have claimed this as a minimal improvement over THE WAY TO EDEN, but mark my words, even for fans and collectors, this too is a bomb. I find it incredibly hard to believe that after writing such spectacular scripts in the series to MIRROR, MIRROR and DAY OF THE DOVE, Jerome Bixby would adapt such a horrible script this time around. Plus it limits the script to only five characters; Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, and Uhura. James Daly guest stars as Flint, who lived on through the centuries as Beethoven, Leonardo da Vinci, Brahms, and many others. His performance is lackluster, and his character has to go down as the blandest Star Trek villain ever. Louise Sorel looked attractive as Rayna, but she too was very uninteresting to watch. The scenes where Kirk and Rayna dance are neither romantically moving or lively. At one point, Flint, having trapped the crew reduces the Enterprise to a small antique, while Kirk looks within to see his ship and crew shrinked. PUUHHHLLEEEEZZZZZ! We already saw that in CATSPAW! Same thing with Flint's Castle Fortress. We already saw that setting in THE CAGE and THE MENAGERIE. The obligatory scene where a jealous Flint and Kirk duel, causing Rayna to perish is an even greater yawn. Just plain awful script. Awful directing. Awful entry in the series.

If you're a writer for a television series, and you're running out of ideas, doesn't it make sense to utilize flashback episodes? THE MUPPET SHOW did it. ALL IN THE FAMILY did it. BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD did it. THE SIMPSONS did it. SOUTH PARK did it. CLERKS did it. Yes, even TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES did it. For the final episodes of TREK the Producers, Directors, and Writers don't even seem to be trying to come up with fresh new ideas. Perhaps a lot of it may have been pressure from the front offices to keep the productions moving, but the shows were within their final seasons and probably was all the more reason to show that the series and the actors were starting to run on routine. At the very end of REQUIEM FOR METHUSELAH, Kirk is seen with his head down on his desk, grieving over Rayna. McCoy gives Spock a whole speech that he, being a Vulcan, will never know what it is to lose true love. In a touching final moment, Spock uses a Vulcan Mind Meld on Kirk to make him forget all about Rayna. It made me wish he would have used a Mind Meld on me to make me forget all about this episode.

My advice? See SPACE SEED or THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER instead.

This is one of the most embarrassing examples of just how easy it is for an outsider to take control of the Enterprise. Equally implausible are Chekov's lack of loyalty to his insignia (although Irina was attractive), and Spock's participation in the jam session. Skip Homeier, who we last saw in Patterns of Force, is no more believable here as an insane Dr. Severin. The ending on the planet 'Eden' is also extremely rushed (and why? so many earlier scenes were begging to be snipped), although honestly I was ready for the episode to end.

One a positive note, this episode is different and it is campy, and those are both things that many of us look for in Trek TOS. Kirk's perturbation at being labeled a Herbert, and Spock's subtle enjoyment of the Captain's insecurity, also make for a few (hard earned) laughs. (2.5 stars)

Requiem for Methuselah-This episode, which features the immortal Flint, is one of the stronger late shows. The premise is interesting, and Flint's performance is nuanced and convincing. Reena is also a sympathetic character, and her conflict in the romantic imbroglio is the most plausible. Granted, love can do strange things to people, but both the otherwise-refined Flint and the always-vulnerable Kirk really act like cavemen here. Ri-talin certainly seems to be the furthest thing from Kirk's mind for much of the episode. Reena ends up being the most tragic and sympathetic figure (ironically enough), but it is Kirk who ultimately receives the salve from Spock in one of Trek's oddest scenes.

Tidbits: By looking closely at Shatner (not his face) you can tell that he enjoys the Waltz with Reena. (3.5 stars)

THE WAY TO EDEN has to be one of the worst Star Trek episodes ever. By 1969 it was obvious that Star Trek's ratings had hit rock bottom. In order to appeal to the younger generation and the fast growing hippie culture. A bunch of very unhip network executives came up with the idea of bringing flower power to Star Trek. This was a blatant and weak attempt to try to make Star Trek hip. The results are completely laughable. This episode basically finds the Enterprise picking up a band of space hippies. Led by the mad Dr.Sevrin (played quite well by Skip Homeirer) these hippies basically run around the ship singing awful songs about the legendary planet they want to venture to called Eden. Eventually the hippies take control of the ship when their demands are not met but in the end Eden proves to be as deadly as it is beautiful. This episode is really bad. Chekov's relationship with his old flame is totally unconvincing and the acting is so bad it's laughable and the hippie songs will make you cringe. In fact this episode is so bad it's great. This may well be the (unintentionally) funniest Star Trek episode ever! Ungroovy people trying to make something groovy. This episode is a campy joke but that's what makes it a hilarious classic.

The other episode here, REQUIEM FOR METHUSELAH is actually better but it's overshadowed by the colourful campiness of THE WAY TO EDEN. This episode however has a plausible plot about control and the value of life in general. Good acting and nice plot twists and turns makes this episode a must. Somewhat of a tragic story brings out how serious this Trek outing actually is. This episode ends on a very low note, however it's incredibly effective showing us that (despite the production wos) the Star Trek series still had some life in it, even by 1969.

Overall a good pair of episodes definetly worth getting. WAY TO EDEN is so laughable it has to seen no matter what and if it disappoints you then REQUIEM FOR METHUSELAH can always compensate for it. Highly recommended!

THE INVADERS = 2 STARS
I never been a big fan of this episode. I have always found the "The Invaders" lacking in pace. The whole episode has no dialogue and consists of an old lady running around knocking out wind-up toy robots (spacemen). Even the guys who created this episode did not like the way it turned out. The saving grace is the story of fear/isolation and the twist at the end.

NOTHING IN THE DARK = 4 STARS
Robert Redford plays the big nasty Mr.Death in this episode. This was a very well acted piece with great dialogue. The episode deals with our fear with the unknown wrapped around a nice little play involving 3 people.

They claim to be digitally re-mastered yet there are still a few glitches and snow.

Episode 47 "Night of the Meek" December 23, 1961

As with short TV plays there is not real time for a buildup. Art Carney is an out of work person that plays Santa Claus. Because of his disappointment in life he indulges in libations. This leads to his dismissal as a store Santa. I will say not more as you are about to enter the twilight Zone.
Things had to move fast as there was only a half hour to complete the story.

Episode 51 "The Invaders" January 5, 1961

Agnes Moorhead is a woman living alone in an old farmhouse without any conveniences such as electricity. She is preparing supper when she hears a mysterious sound. Something appears to have hit the roof. She goes to investigate. I will say not more as you are about to enter the twilight Zone.
This episode thought well played seems to drag a bit as the woman is spending a lot of time searching around and licking her wounds. She says little (ok nothing) but conveys her part well. See Agnes Moorhead again when she has a lot to say in the movie "Dark Passage."

Episode 81"Nothing in the Dark" January 5, 1962

Long After the movie "Death takes a Holiday", in this episode death (Robert Redford) takes on the appearance of a wounded police officer.
Gladys Cooper plays an old woman afraid of Death. More than the scenario, of which we all know the eventual outcome, is the interaction between the two characters.

It could be fun to make a top ten list of absurd moments. Just to start my favs are when the dead poor girl's mother threatens to kill the rich girl and when the sheriff questions a witness WHILE THE WITNESS IS SHOWERING among a dozen or so other bare bottomed studs.

Also the first lesbian experience SECONDS after two girls share stories of daddy molestation is priceless.

Mia eventually ingratiates herself with all of the friends; smoking, drinking, and doing drugs - and sharing dark secrets - like when she and Dominique Swain discover that both of them had been molested by their fathers when they were ten-years-old, which causes them to bond by exploring each other's mouths with their tongues, pawing at each other's clothes, and then falling asleep in each other's arms soon afterwards.

Mia then uncovers that Rachel True, a gorgeous fair-skinned black girl, is bulimic; and Mia offers to help her quit when she's ready. Rachel is touched, but rather than make it with Mia, she shares a deep soul kiss with Ms. Swain to continue an on-going relationship with Dominique (who is bisexual).

Dominique is on a roll, but the only girl among her circle of friends she doesn't kiss is Meredith Monroe, who plays Hadley, the story's main character - and main suspect! Meredith looks a lot like Natasha Henstridge ('Ghosts of Mars'), so watching her is definitely easy on the eyes. The most risque thing she does in the movie, though, is get naked (from the back) with her boyfriend in bed. But her performance as a seemingly innocent and helpful best friend is excellent.

Besides Meredith, another fine appearance is made by Taye Diggs as this Southern college town's interim sheriff. He approaches his task with sensitivity and determination, and it is through his eyes - and the flashbacks that he's told - that we get to enjoy the girls' divulged sensuality.

Taye solves the crime, and one of the girls is brought to justice. She ends up behind bars at the movie's end - while we see Dominique, asleep and naked in bed - and lying between both her own boyfriend and another girl! (Gee, I don't remember college life to be this good!)

This movie is well produced - and well paced - and Dominique (who I loved in 'Lolita') is definitely fun to follow. This would be a great film to share on a really hot date. Enjoy!

It is impossible to sit through without being completely annoyed not to mention the narration by Patrick Stewart. One would think that would be a selling point, but they manage to screw it up by making Stewart read in what is best described as a generic god-like voice.

To make matters worse, the imagery is older than old school. No polished CGI here. Yes, I know this is a remake of a great classic, but that just does not cut with this title.

Let Patrick Stewart read in a normal voice, update the CGI, and for the love of god find less outdated techno trash music to play.

Sorry, this is not worth your money!!

Mike

There are some very good still photos and film from NASA and some interesting facts and theories given in this film. But a lot of the visual material made for the DVD is of very poor quality. Its a DVD. I expect it to look at least as good as VHS. And its a documentary, not a horror film. Why is the narration so extreme at times? That type of narration does not belong in this type of film. Its ridiculous. I have other DVD's on the same subject and all of them are at least 4 stars or more. I gave this film 2 stars because the information is good, some of the animation is quite good, the NASA material is good and some moments of this film are quite good. But the presentation is way off base. This is the type of documentary that would make children in school crack up laughing. Its way over dramatized. I mean WAY OVER DRAMATIZED. We have possibly the producer to thank for that. I'm not sure if its the narrator's fault. He was probably told to overly dramatize his dialog to make it sound more interesting. I feel swindled by this DVD. I've seen many amateur documentaries that are far better than this production.

This film could be improved. If they cut the poor quality animated sequences, and toned down the narrator's emotional fits, and cut the 50's style sci-fi music, this DVD could be very good. The poor quality moments in this DVD ruin the whole thing.