Checkov's Enterprise

[Vger23]

i picked up a copy of Walter Koenig's journal on the making of TMP off eBay. Read it in less than 24 hours. I thought it was a very unique, insightful look at the making of the film from an actor's point of view. I found it eminently more readable (although obviously less detailed and diverse) than the recently released "Return to Tomorrow."

I think the most interesting things are:

1. The amazing amount of idle / wasted time on this film. Made me wonder if that is standard in making films.

2. It's interesting to hear Koenig's impressions of things as they were filming. There's no retrospective here, no tainted post-release views, so you get the excitement and optimism unfiltered. It's cool how Koenig really believed in the film and his cast mates. It's also interesting how complimentary he is of Shatner.

3. It's fascinating how honest he is about his concerns about being forgotten and marginalized during the filming of the picture. He has some funny anecdotes around that fact. I wonder how he felt about his massively upgraded role in TWOK...

I wish more of the actors had written journals like this about the filming of the other movies. That would have been amazingly interesting.

Did anyone read the book? What did you think?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I read it about twenty years ago, so I don't have any firm impressions of the book at this distance.

Film is shot at a slower pace than television. A television series will usually shoot about 7 or 8 pages of script a day. Film will shoot 2 or 3, which translates to about a 45 to 60 day shoot. However, even by that standard, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was shot at a languid pace and the film overran its shooting schedule. It was a troubled production, and Roddenberry, as the film's producer, took the brunt of the fallout from that.

 

[arch101]

I had the book years ago and, as a rabid TMP fan, loved it. I should pick up another copy.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I wish more of the actors had written journals like this about the filming of the other movies. That would have been amazingly interesting.

Being aware of your particular affinity for STAR TREK V, I'm sure you must have read Liz Shatner's book on the making of that movie. I'm just curious what your thoughts were on her offering?

Did anyone read the book? What did you think?

I did come across a few passages of it, once. The only thing that stands out for me was that Walter Keonig thought Persis Khambatta looked so beautiful and exotic, with her bald head, that he asked her if he'd let her kiss it ... which she did!

 

[Vger23]

Being aware of your particular affinity for STAR TREK V, I'm sure you must have read Liz Shatner's book on the making of that movie. I'm just curious what your thoughts were on her offering?
I did come across a few passages of it, once. The only thing that stands out for me was that Walter Keonig thought Persis Khambatta looked so beautiful and exotic, with her bald head, that he asked her if he'd let her kiss it ... which she did!

I thought the Lisabeth Shatner book was quite insightful. It actually really made me appreciate the movie a bit more, particularly all of the difficulties that had to be overcome on Trek V.

The book obviously has a little more of an optimistic vibe to it than perhaps the movie deserved, though. I think the chapters about developing the story and all the compromises there was the most fascinating. There were a lot of cast interviews as well...pretty insightful stuff.

Have you read it?

 

[2takesfrakes]

No, I've not. I like that The Shat tried to do something different with the franchise, but I'm only interested in TFF, really, from a completest perspective.

Shatner has tried to include his kids in his work, as he did with "Miri." No doubt, he spent so much time away from home because of his career. I'm sure he probably felt a little guilty about that. But they're around for TFF in force, which is sweet.

 

[Trevacious]

3. It's fascinating how honest he is about his concerns about being forgotten and marginalized during the filming of the picture. He has some funny anecdotes around that fact. I wonder how he felt about his massively upgraded role in TWOK...

Yeah, having read it recently, I really craved a sequel to this book for his thoughts on the rest. I plan to get Warped Factors soon.