Thoughts on "Go Beyond" night—and all it conjured up

Doyle Zhang, modern Trek fan: From
Shanghai, China, fan since ST 09 but now
loves all Prime Trek, won trivia, knew Dr. Trek!

It's been a week since Paramount's Star Trek Beyond Fan Night at the lot. A lot of friends and their news sites covered it pretty thoroughly in word and pictures (see vid links below), and the second, "that's more like it" trailer has been pretty well dissected. (That Other Story from the night has blown up, hot and cold, too.) But here's a few of my personal thoughts...and some pics...

The bottom line is this: If Paramount needed to catapult a catch-up offense in this game of promotion and expectations and "buzz" with a hail-mary pass on a hurry-up offense ... this was a huge score. Both in terms of the event, and of course the movie—not just a trailer, but two full scenes of exclusive footage for the 500 or so fans on hand—and a pass for two to the outdoor-IMAX world premiere at Comic-Con San Diego on July 20, plus a studio street naming for Leonard Nimoy in which his family, the Beyond notables, and all fans on hand took part in a toast and mass photo. How do you top that for feel-good?

Zach Quinto leads castmates, JJ, Justin, Adam Savage,
Nimoy family, and 500 fans in a toast to Leonard—
and the unveiling of a namesake street (right) in front of 
old Desilu Stages 9-10—today's Paramount 31-32

500 fans on Stage 31, to start—and a few of them were actually not streaming or live-tweeting for social media.

It was even crowd-managed well—mostly. I mean, we'd wondered what was gonna fill up four hours; some were even wondering aloud if we'd get a draft look at the whole film.

The last 100+ of this line (left) never got in

Holding the event on Stages 31 and 32—or, in old Desilu terms, Stages 9 and 10, storied home to TOS itself—was a master stroke. But there was a major downside, unbeknownst to those inside: Some 100+ ticketed fans who were in line on time were not allowed in over fire marshal capacity concerns—an overreach probably based on the fact that the normal amount of no-shows an event planner counts on does not apply to rabid Trekfans hungry for a local event in Hollywoodland. But plenty of them were pissed—and were promised at least their own world premiere pass for Comic-Con. We'll follow up and see.

Chris, Zach and Karl in Q&A with fans

This was also, I realized as Friday had drawn near, the first big feel-good Trek hoopla on the Paramount lot in a decade—that's a generation, in employee years. I heard there was a lot of excitement and buzz on the lot, where almost no one goes back to the 90s/Aughts era of constant licensing summits and affiliate station confabs in the cause of Star Trek promo and biz.

I have to admit I was a bit distracted: So many friends from the LA fan, media and fan media worlds were here—from  my "+1", longtime fan propmaker and The Con of Wrath associate producer/donor Rusty Harrell to the @Trekkie Girls from the UK (at left, with longtime Paramount secueity guard Steve D.). And then of course with my own ticket giveaway winners, there was a lot of hosting to do.

But I also was on the lookout for strangers—if any Trek fan can be called that. Over the past year, even with this third alt-verse movie's ups and downs getting off the launchpad, I've  had a gut feeling that film in new hands might actually find its Trek roots and vibe in a way that will have a broader old-fan appeal. I've also become very focused on getting out of my own bubble, my own Internet bubble, and meeting up with those fans who are solely more recent JJ-era fans, or those who embrace the alt-verse with no grumbling.
 
That's why I loved doing a piece for Star Trek Magazine on fan reactions: I was determined to talk with fans I didn't already know! And boy, did I: from China and Malaysia and all over the US, as it turns out, were three that night. In fact, one young lady won the stunt version of Jaylah's staff from STB as the only one in the room with her hand up (besides me, apparently) for my buddy Scott Mantz' (at left, apparently in the Andorian Sector) and his trivia on Edith Keeler's social work house—and it turns out Doyle Zhang (at very top)  had flown in from Shanghai for the event (and was a big Dr. Trek fan, to boot!?).... so again, an amazing night. Look for comments from her and five other fans I spoke with (that's me working, at far right!)  in the Titan Star Trek Beyond movie special issue coming in mere weeks!

So, I yeah—I did miss out on any real hobnobbing with Stars and Names. My head was into hosting and working, as I pointed out the next day in that actual snapshot.

The otherwise nondescript teleprompter on the back wall

But if the hard-cores had a highlight, though, it had to be the Interweb meltdown following impromptu but carefully worded "announcement" by producer JJ Abrams and especially director Justin Lin, coming from that bootstrap celebration of fan passion, that the CBS/Paramount Axanar lawsuit would soon "go away". Their careful wording left lots of wiggle room for interpretation as to final details, but it's obvious they are two guys who'd like the air to be as cleared as possible when their bright shiny movie opens. I made it a point to look over at that moment to see the back-wall teleprompter — and it sure looked  frozen to me, though others have sworn the lawsuit question was indeed scripted in the scroll.

In any case, a lot in the past week has already been thrown back into flux again on this one. We'll see—but that story nearly hijacked the sole focus that Paramount surely wanted this night to have on the Interwebs and TV channels still standing. I'd far rather focus on the new series... and now, even, this new movie.

Chris Pine mingles & poses with fans a bit

Finally... 
Because it all amounted to a pretty happy crowd by night's end, no matter the fandom roots or outlook, as far as I could tell. As my gut had hoped and a recent longform piece on Justin Lin reveals, the new flick's director is an old Trek fanboy from way back—and coupled with his fixer mentality and ability to work fast and furious under fire, the STB scenes we saw hit all the right notes and, in the end, just felt right.

How many news outlets reported on CBS star Stephen
Colbert's special message to the crowd, spoken as a Trek fan?

No, not a secret clue—just still handy in the studio sign shop

1000 of these special numbered TMP homage posters
were printed for the gift swag bag.

How many newbies didn't catch John & Bjo Trimble?

When I first saw ST09 and especially STID, my brain's inner thoughts first turned to "what will I say publicly?" so as to put an honest, upbeat public face on this new paradigm format I was still a bit queasy about—and knowing many fans would look to me for a reaction.

But no such worry here. Maybe it's just serendipity that with Bryan Fuller's bunch of new CBS Trek episodes in the works and apparently Prime-set (no confirmed word yet, though), I could just mentally relax about this feature film—no pressure at being the sole rep of Gene's canon filmic universe any longer, no matter its fate.


Maybe so. But it's moot now: The trailer, the behind-the-scenes reels...and especially the 12-minute-plus piece we were privy to I'm sure you've read about elsewhere by now, keyed by a wonderfully right-on Urban/Pine-McCoy/Kirk moment of reflection... Well, I no longer had to wonder what I'd say about it publicly.

My gut instantly said, "Now this movie I want to see."

And I didn't seem to be alone.

Here's that trailer again ... 




...and a recap of the night from Paramount (sans any Axanar moments) ...
.



...and a full one-camer view of the Q&A, plus Scott's trivia:





New fan, bored fan, or just curious how much Trek you don't even know you don't know? Check out PORTAL 47—the monthly 8-point backstage pass based on my 20+ years of memories, archives and crew contacts from the front row of Trekland....live and online, right to your center seat no matter where it is!  Like a mini-con all year long—taking you where no savvy fan has gone before.

Brit-bound—Hello Destination: Star Trek London!

It's been 12 years in the making… but we're finally back in Londontown, U.K. 

And the third Destination: Star Trek show this weekend at the Excel Center is a big splash to have as a comeback event: 20 to 30 thousand hungry Brits—and all manner continentals. 

Including all those over-the-pond colleagues at the old Fact Files, and at Titan Magazines since 1996, that I've left so many IOUs for lifting a pint with over the years.  Can't wait to finally see them...

Not to mention the overdue meeting with so many great fans directly who have written to my Fistful of Data column and other writings in the official UK-turned-all Trek mag over that span.  Or those who have have found us via our Trekland CDs, podcast appearances, Star Trek Continues—and of course, the good ol' TNG Companion. 

What's more, we've arranged with Titan and Forbidden Planet stores to have 30 fresh in-country copies of Stellar Cartography on hand for sale and signing.

I can't wait to sample UK Fan opinions in our Trek forum format …and well, party in general. Sadly, the show is so massive, with so many guests, there's even more overlap conflict than Vegas/STLV … and yet, I know we'll get a lot of interaction. Sad to say, but I even hope sometime over the weekend I get a chance to actually catch up with some on-camera Treklanders that I missed in Vegas! 

We'll also have a "Dr. Trek" Crowdfunder party for "The Con of Wrath" Saturday night @ 11 pm-1 am…stay tuned.

Here's my own schedule—this is an update over even the titles and detail posted at the DST site.  I'm be at my table much of the rest of the time. Also, note I'm going to a judge at two of the quick costume contests as well:

—FRIDAY:

1430-1515:  Stage C: "Backstage at the NX-01": Q &A with Enterprise extra Jim Morehouse.

1900-2030: Stage A: Opening Ceremonies

—SATURDAY:

1345-14:30: Stage C: Costume Contest judging

1545-1630:  Stage C: "Trekland: Between the Cracks":  Yes, a it's a special Brit edition of our regular ribald traipsing through Trek headlines and my archives .

2300-0100: Crazy me! Doing a "Dr. Trek" crowdfunder meetup benefit for The Con of Wrath—site TBA but don't be surprised where it winds up...

—SUNDAY:

1400-1430: Stage C: Costume Contest judging

1645-1730:  Stage C: "The State of the Trek":  My fan forum, where I offer some food for thought and you offer fellow fans your opines and feedback.

I'm hanging on for an extra day to continue my overdue meet-ups.

NPR and me, etc: It's that mainstream media Trek again

UPDATE: You can catch the aired 20-minute NPR segment here ..... and the Voice of Russia "Prism" show here.

FLASH: I'll be on LIVE and in-studio Friday with SoCal NPR's KPCC and AirTalk host Larry Madden— 11:40 am PDT until the end of the show. If you aren't local, the station streams online, too.

Rumor has it we'll be talking about that Star Track thang—past, present and on down the road.

Which brings up the topic of the Mainstream Media —because, in case you hadn't noticed, we're tunic-deep in that special time again when they (or at least the closet-Trekfan hosts and producers sprinkled among them) can safely talk Star Trek beyond the latest science breakthrough or second-degree Trekland obituary.

I've been hit up by a number of media outlets to gab on about Gene's sandbox and JJ's corner of it, thanks to the media blitz of the Into Darkness premiere and hoopla. Aside from KPCC, I've also spoken with the Voice of Russia and Prism host Andrew Hiller in Washington, D.C. for a brief segment on his show online Friday and can be heard at that link.

So far, the print media has grabbed me for a bit in the Miami Herald already in a Sunday piece by Rene Rodriguez (left).... and there's more outlets out there who haven't sent me links yet—but I'll share them, in the next day or two... a couple from around the globe. It's all about everyone wanting opinions and context about THIS movie for the layman, and how it fits into the big 50-year Trek tableau. And, as we stay out of a time of active "aired" production, it's what we have to bite into.

It's a big-picture I continue to stay interested in, since there's so much "daily shiney" out there already to steal our attention elsewhere—a big picture I have written about already for years. Me love the canon details, yup ... but the long-view eddies and floes are good to keep in mind as well. It's fun to use the mainstream medial channels for that.

Plus, you never know just what mundane corner will yield up the next anal canonista or bigtime fan of Captain Proton, right?

Into Darkness: The Story So Far ....

Or, make that: "the reviews so far."

Many of you know that I have commented on STID only once ... a non-spoiler observation on the Uhura/McCoy marketing shift a week ago ... and yet I saw a screening of it waaay last Wednesday at Paramount.

However, as those who are close Tweetsy followers of mine or Facebookers of Trekland know, I have made a few side comments as well.

I'm going to see STID a second time tonight just to keep ruminating on it before I comment ... So I wanted to recap for everyone my thoughts that have slipped out on all fronts, before it gets any later and it's too hard to claim them (again, all non-spoilers):

—This sucker will sell a TON of tickets. More than ST09.

—Maybe even more OVERSEAS than '09 did, hopefully. (Mexico is up 300% over 2009).

—Because—and this is hardly any amazing insight on my part to say so (ie, see Paramount quotees)—the global market is driving a lot of what this film is. As it is with all flicks in the "studio blockbuster" category these days, or even the wanna-be blockbusters.

—Which is why I tweeted: "Even more reason to have a Trek TV series back on again. No foreign masters." As in the kind that drive box-office profits.

—My first sum thoughts after the first screening: "Well, THAT was a really long way to go to keep a franchise viable."

But again—I want to take a second measure before I say any more. Its not like you can't be drowned in STID commentary everywhere already, and it's not all even still spoiler-free (ie, check out any Facebook page now from around the world, even if legit reviewers are still honoring the US debut before dishing in detail.)

A U.S. opening day which, by the way, is now officially THURSDAY—a day earlier than long heralded.

Overall ...With the ALT timeline of the JJverse, I tend to take the big picture and the long view in a lot of my feelings and observations on the new movie series... and its fans, yea and nay.  In fact, I also know that I'm not the target audience here (but I might get sneaked in the back door when no one's looking). After all, what can you say? Short of comment on Mr. and Mrs. Chekov's revised birthing frequency, or wonder why Captain Pike didn't usually have his bridge crew scan in multi-layer smart graphic mode.

So, stay tuned.

And if you want something worthwhile to spend the time in line with Thursday or Friday at your local cinema ... why not get the the single source of all your essential Into Darkness info? Even my regualr column is in there. Choose either the dead-tree version, or download it to your PADD or other interface.

 

That third "Disruptions" teaser for INTO DARKNESS

So, I'm headed to a STID screening tonight ... eight days prior to the formal May 16 opening, with more screening to follow... and with considerably less angst that I did four years ago with ST09.

You TREKLAND readers know I've barely touched on Into Darkness so far—my reason being you can get drowned in that everywhere else and I'll stick to the unique takes on "everything else" I want to bring you instead.

In fact, I'm almost regretting finally seeing the damn thing after all the wait... it's going to cut off my "virgin" perspective on all the passing speculation, and also the untainted questioning of marketing goals and ambitions.

In that vein, then yeah—let's talk about that little trailer, the "Third Disruptions Teaser." (see it below) The one that caused such a brouhahah last week among Klingon fans online for its glimpse of a "non-canon" departure in Klingon look.... Really? You're upset about this? Isn't that just Chang's family? Bear in mind, too, that just as not all surviving Romulans have a tattoo—only Nero's miners-turned-henchmen—not all Klingons look lke this, nor have "glowy eyes." Do we know what they're on? Or what they might be wearing? Well, we'll find out soon enough—and have another 30 years to fix it, if we need to. But I doubt it.

No, what got my attention in that third "Disruptions" teaser was a single word—and I bet it flew right past you, saying a ton without saying it out loud: the re-drawing of Trek's troika. Listen here (below) as Uhura is described as the ship's "soul" —to cap off, on the other two "Disruptions,"  Kirk being the "heart" and Spock being the "mind." Right there, ladies and gentlemen, far more than any Klingon makeup tweaks, you have confirmed the major affect of a 21st century feature producer's take on Gene's classic sandbox: Kirk/Spock/McCoy is now Kirk/Spock/Uhura.

Or... maybe that's just marketing by a bunch of after-market editors with access to Cumberbatch's "promo extras" contract. Maybe it's a bow to perhaps endless focus groups who want a female lead in their flicks in general, and McCoy's place truly is still the third seat in the Trek triumvirate (as some early-bird reviewers have said.) And not to say that Trek shouldn't have strong female leads, obviously;  there was a lot to beef up with Nyota "And how often do I get shore leave?" Uhura that poor Nichelle would have gladly loved to take on in her "sub-second banana" days of pre-ensemble 60s TV formats. The TOS movies made up a little of that ground for her, but not much.

But it sure looks like modern movie format sensibilities have taken over "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." In any case, even for marketing's sake for English-language consumers, it's as interesting a perceived plot for success as that pedal-to-the-metal global hoopla tour to again try to crack open a Trek worldwide audience beyond the known UK, Australian and German outposts.  Karl Urban's McCoy is one of the quiet gems of the JJVerse, and neither one has really gotten much overt love in any of the posters, trailers, and press clambakes so far that I can see.

Then again, that's just about the way it always was with De and his McCoy.

We'll soon see.

So bring on The Darkness... and maybe I'll see you at the Khan.