First Contact - 20 Year Anniversary

[Horizons96]

Today is the 22nd of November 2016, 20 years to the day since the US release of First Contact, or Star Trek VIII.

In my opinion this was the pinnacle event in the best year (30!) of Trek. A beautiful new ship, a bolder and more matured vision of the TNG cast as well as new uniforms for Starfleet personnel, which would carry over to the two concurrently running series', DS9 and Voyager.

It was an exciting time to be alive for a Trek fan. My anniversary won't come until the 28th November, Australia's release date.

 

[timtonruben359]

Gosh I can't believe that this movie is 20 years old! The best of the TNG films but I get a bit sad when I watch it now because it really was the last great hurrah of the franchise and the last Trek film that I remember being truly excited for.

 

[Khan 2.0]

Frakes on the 20th ann
http://www.startrek.com/article/frakes-answers-fans-questions-part-2

 

[timtonruben359]

Frakes on the 20th ann
http://www.startrek.com/article/frakes-answers-fans-questions-part-2

Also a great article in the Hollywood Reporter today about the 20th anniversary that has interviews with Frakes, Woodard, Moore, Braga and others.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/he...t-next-generation-crews-greatest-movie-949885

 

[MacLeod]

Today is the 22nd of November 2016, 20 years to the day since the US release of First Contact, or Star Trek VIII.

In my opinion this was the pinnacle event in the best year (30!) of Trek. A beautiful new ship, a bolder and more matured vision of the TNG cast as well as new uniforms for Starfleet personnel, which would carry over to the two concurrently running series', DS9 and Voyager.

It was an exciting time to be alive for a Trek fan. My anniversary won't come until the 28th November, Australia's release date.

Seems so long ago, though for the most part VOY continued to use the DSN uniform (except for scenes in the AQ if memory serves)

 

[DaddlerTheDalek]

I still love First Contact!

 

[Horizons96]

Seems so long ago

It does. And to think Trek had been going for a helluva time before that as well... I remember that feeling during the 30th anniversary, that the 60s/70s were 'so long ago'. Now it's half a century ago....

though for the most part VOY continued to use the DSN uniform (except for scenes in the AQ if memory serves)

Yeah, that's what I meant, when the alpha quadrant was shown.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I didn't get to see it until the home video release, but I remember reading the YA novelisation and frowning that the Borg Queen is described as having brown hair, contrary to all the pictures in the "making of" book I also had.

LOVED the movie when I finally saw it.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Jonathan Frakes is a legendary performer and a gifted director. First Contact provides all of the proof for both that anyone could ever need. It's why I'm such a fan of his work.

 

[Smellmet]

Jonathan Frakes is a legendary performer and a gifted director. First Contact provides all of the proof for both that anyone could ever need. It's why I'm such a fan of his work.

I think both his Trek outings as director look like made for TV movies.

 

[Kor]

It would have been nice if Frakes had more prior experience with directing feature films before taking the reins on this.

Kor

 

[Smellmet]

Generations looked far more cinematic to my eyes. Even when it first came out I thought FC looked cheap, both the sets and cinematography. It's entertainment factor saves it from mediocrity.

 

[2takesfrakes]

... FC looked cheap, both the sets and cinematography. It's entertainment factor saves it from mediocrity.

That's exactly how I feel about TWoK.

 

[φ of π]

Twenty? First Contact has been around for more than half of my lifetime?!

I feel so old... and not in a good way.

 

[Khan 2.0]

That's exactly how I feel about TWoK.

and yet FC and WOK 'feel' the most epic Trek films in terms of grandeur and scale

 

[2takesfrakes]

I'm surprised that The Library of Congress hasn't gotten around to preserving the original print, yet, of First Contact in its protected archives.

 

[Smellmet]

That's exactly how I feel about TWoK.

And that's a fair criticism of that movie. They are both more than the sum of their parts. I actually think the visual effects are worse than Generations too.

and yet FC and WOK 'feel' the most epic Trek films in terms of grandeur and scale

Funny how these things work out isn't it? Though for grandeur and scale, TMP blows the rest of them away.

 

[2takesfrakes]

TMP benefits from exquisite taste and careful attention. A truly beautiful and elegant transition from its humble start to the competitive franchise it became.

 

[Smellmet]

TMP benefits from exquisite taste and careful attention. A truly beautiful and elegant transition from its humble start to the competitive franchise it became.

It's right up there with my favourite Trek movies. Shame we'll never see it's like again.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

We saw this at a movie night with a church group I was part of back in 1996...

The cinema was jam packed and it was a complete sell out. Actually that in itself surprised me as I thought to myself that Star Trek can't be that popular and yeah guess that night I was proven wrong.

Plus we had a bunch of people in the audience all dressed as the Borg..... That was so fricking cool.