“A date that will live in infamy.”
December 7 signals America’s entry into World War II and deserves to be remembered.
The date also brings back memories of the first and last time I succumbed to fannish exuberance. Star Trek: The Motion Picture was opening that day in 1979, and I was determined to have the best experience by making it an event.
The film took forever to get off the ground after Paramount Pictures dithered and couldn’t decide how to exploit Star Trek‘s fan interest. There was the aborted Phase II series to help launch a fourth network. Then the bake-off as luminaries, including Harlan Ellison, pitched story ideas, none of which enticed the execs, leading to my long-standing belief that Paramount had no idea what to do with the franchise.
The first trailer dropped, with Orson Welles’ narration reintroducing us to the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Since it was attached to prints of films we screened at SUNY-Binghamton, my roommate brought a 16 mm projector to the dorm room, and we watched it a few times, gleaning details to supplement what we had learned from Starlog.
The film was not to open at the local megaplex but instead to play, I believe, at the independent Cameo Theater in Binghamton.
I spent the week combing my dorm to collect cash so we could have a massive group outing to the premiere that Friday night. The day before, I took the bus from campus to the theater and bought something like 40 tickets, much to their astonishment. The one person absent was my fiancée, who chose to go to New York City to attend a performance of The Nutcracker with her mother and grandmother. (She had a better time.)
© 1978 Gene Trindl
Five hours before showtime, I braved the chilly weather, first on what I expected to be a long line, replicating the mania for Star Wars. While that proved to be untrue, I made some acquaintances as we waited for the doors to open.
We entered, tossing our coats on our preferred seats, and went for refreshments. I was on the aisle, fairly close, and psyched.
After the lights lowered, the anticipation reached its peak. The ponderous overture played, followed by Jerry Goldsmith’s rousing new theme. Then, the turgid story played out, and the disappointment seeped in. It was Star Trek, and yet it lacked the verve and snap of the television series. The dialogue was largely devoid of the familiar intonations, and the story was a retread of a second-season episode and just wasn’t great.
As I recall, I preferred the pre-show conversation with a rabbi’s daughter next to me to the film itself.
I’ve since come to appreciate it with time, but it’s a lesser offering in the film rankings. More a misfire than a rousing revival (which has been extensively reported on for those who don’t know the details).
What We’re Watching
We’re almost done with Ken Burns’ The American Revolution, which is as captivating and fascinating as all his other documentaries. I knew a lot of the era since I teach related works, but I still learned things. We also caught Jay Kelly, an interesting character study with strong performances (I prefer Adam Sandler straight, like here, and Spanglish). I understand what writer/director Noah Baumbach was trying to achieve, but I don’t think it was entirely successful. Definitely worth a look. And we saw episodes from the current rotation: The Witcher, House of Guiness, Never Have I Ever…, Family Law, and Matlock.
Quirks in routine mean I haven’t seen much for myself, including the current half-season of Stranger Things, which is driving some of my students nuts since they want to talk about it.
What I’m Reading
I am listening to Fellowship Point, a fine novel by Alice Elliott Dark, which Deb recommended. On the Kindle, I just began David Mack’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire, and on the nightstand is The Complete Red Mother, which I am enjoying. At school, I am working my way through Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, which is amusing and edifying.
#Tags: Adam Sandler, Alice Elliott Dark, Born a Crime, David Mack, Family Law, Fellowship Point, House of Guinness, Jay Kelly, Jerry Goldsmith, Matlock, Never Have I Ever, Orson Welles, Paramount Pictures, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Ring of Fire, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Stranger Things, SUNY-Binghamton, The American Revolution, The Witcher, Trevor Noah