Saavik/Kirk

[Therin of Andor]

I have heard nothing about this. Do you mean Meyer or Shatner refused to work with Curtis? And why?

Meyer is on record that he was simply not interested in having the casting people contact Robin Curtis's agent to check on her availability. He only wanted Kirstie Alley back, or Kim Cattrall.

Robin Curtis is on record as being disappointed that Meyer was not interested in talking to her.

It would seem he did not like her, or Nimoy's, interpretation of Saavik.

 

[ClayinCA]

She hops right on David in the novelization of Star Trek 3.

I had forgotten about that.

Not to threadjack too much, but I am reading it right now, and it's really, really morbid. It takes the optimism of the end of 2 and just turns it on its ear. Even more so than the film version did. And Saavik was far hornier.

I'll see your near-threadjack and raise you another one: I agree with you totally. I always thought the novelization of The Search for Spock was one of the most depressing Star Trek books I've ever read. I mean, this is from memory, but Scotty has a falling-out not only with his sister (Peter's mother), but also his niece; Kirk and Carol end up on the outs (again); Kirk and David have an argument which totally undoes the optimistic note their relationship is on at the end of The Wrath of Khan, thereby making David's death even more tragic (and it was plenty tragic already); and the whole tone of the book is so somber that it's a chore at times to even read the thing.

 

[CorporalClegg]

^
I agree 100%. Which, if you ask me, made it worse than the film ... IF you can even believe that's possible.

 

[trevanian]

Producer Bob Sallin's interviews about the Kirk/Saavik thing were pretty clear, especially in relation to Saavik/David exchange getting cut. He said that she was interested in Kirk, but sensing that he was unavailable (?!), would settle for David.

Also, if you've read Bennett's original ST3 outline, RETURN TO GENESIS, he has Saavik and Kirk get to cuddle up after the ship has blown up and they are down on the planet. She says she has always loved him (?!) and there is the impression of bumpNgrind following.

Since Kirk doesn't get any in the movies, this would have been the one time where he did get back to his old tricks.

 

[RobertScorpio]

^
I agree 100%. Which, if you ask me, made it worse than the film ... IF you can even believe that's possible.

I read that book when it came and don't remember it that will..I'll look for it again to see what youre talking about...

Rob

 

[Ward Fowler]

TSFS novelization is depressing, but I found it far superior to the movie.

 

[ClayinCA]

Well, I liked the movie. And there were things about the novelization that I did like - the ending is wonderfully well written, for example - but on the whole, it doesn't hold well.

 

[T'Aerwynd]

Nope. But I was dating them for 10 years and have been married for the last 10 , so I'd like to think I know a thing or two about them.

Poor thing. We women just let you think you know a thing or two about us.

 

[Semah]

Well, I liked the movie. And there were things about the novelization that I did like - the ending is wonderfully well written, for example - but on the whole, it doesn't hold well.

For me, there was a bout half of a good movie in there, wrapped around a bunch of Nimoy finding his directorial footing. I still haven't been able to finish the book yet.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Well, I liked the movie. And there were things about the novelization that I did like - the ending is wonderfully well written, for example - but on the whole, it doesn't hold well.

???

When did you read it.

Here in Australia, the premiere of ST III was delayed by about three months, which meant that the airmailed - and eventually even sea freighted - print reviews, novelization, soundtrack, movie magazine, poster book and comic were all fairly easily found before the film arrived. Knowing we had such a long wait, reading the novelization, and guessing which bits wouldn't be in it, was almost mandatory for avid fans.

I recall the chunky novelization (which doesn't even start adapting the shooting script until about a third of the way through the book, IIRC) moved along at a swift pace, and McIntyre did a great service to characters whom we'd barely met in ST II, and it even had a nice set-up with Amanda, explaining why she was missing for Spock's resurrection ceremony. It was impossible to put down - I remember reading bits in the staffroom at work during lunch, and even walking to my bus stop, and I don't really recall it being depressing in tone. What bit "doesn't hold well"?

IIRC, isn't this novelization one of KRAD's favourites?

 

[Tulin]

I'm with you, strange blue man.

I DEVOURED the novels in the early '80's. They were one of my all tiem favourite things about Trek, especially since knowing there would actually be EXTRA bits in there NOT in the film. It was like a bonus. I especially enjoyed the expanded characterization of the Genesis scientists in TWoK and how that fed into Carol's story in TSFS.

 

[ClayinCA]

Well, I liked the movie. And there were things about the novelization that I did like - the ending is wonderfully well written, for example - but on the whole, it doesn't hold well.

???

When did you read it.

Here in Australia, the premiere of ST III was delayed by about three months, which meant that the airmailed - and eventually even sea freighted - print reviews, novelization, soundtrack, movie magazine, poster book and comic were all fairly easily found before the film arrived. Knowing we had such a long wait, reading the novelization, and guessing which bits wouldn't be in it, was almost mandatory for avid fans.

I recall the chunky novelization (which doesn't even start adapting the shooting script until about a third of the way through the book, IIRC) moved along at a swift pace, and McIntyre did a great service to characters whom we'd barely met in ST II, and it even had a nice set-up with Amanda, explaining why she was missing for Spock's resurrection ceremony. It was impossible to put down - I remember reading bits in the staffroom at work during lunch, and even walking to my bus stop, and I don't really recall it being depressing in tone. What bit "doesn't hold well"?

IIRC, isn't this novelization one of KRAD's favourites?

I read it at the time the movie came out.

I do agree about some of the reasons why people liked this book - it is indeed wonderful how much added material there is in the book, and as I said, there are a lot of fantastic sequences in the book - I think the Mount Seleya/fal tor pan stuff is absolutely terrific and moving, for example. But there was just so much sadness in the book, which bothered me at the time and still does. I never thought McIntyre captured Scotty all that well in any of her books - he's kind of an uptight jerk, which never fit the easygoing character of James Doohan's portrayal. And as I said above, Kirk's re-estrangement with both Marcuses was a little hard to take.

That said, the stuff with Kruge and his crew is very well done (and McIntyre does correct what I always thought was a big flaw in the movie, which was that onscreen, Kirk never even learned the name of his Klingon opponent). And I liked the bits with Sulu, Chekov and Uhura that showed how their lives were affected by their association with the Genesis aftermath, and how this prompted their decision to join Kirk in his mission.

So I don't want it to seem that I'm entirely dismissive of this book, but on the whole, the book is way too depressing for me to give it an unqualified rave, either.