Definitely more creative and interesting than the "forehead aliens" that dominated the next 40 years
TOS Aliens = The Best??!
- Thread starter VulcanMindBlown
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I just figured there were a lot of alien species with really bad acne.
I don't recall seeing it, but apparently it was one of the captured species on display in The Cage.
Admittedly not knowing the dynamics of this aspect of the production process, was that trend/paradigm his decision to make?
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Why would it not be? Unless someone has countering information, it seems like TNG needed a consistent professional make-up department, but in regard to design choice, why would Berman, Roddenberry, et al., say, "most of the aliens need to look just like humans, only with variations of lumpy head appliances." Some make-up artists are innovators, no matter the constraints of the production, while others think they've caught on to a process, and just clone that to ridiculous levels. Some will be Jack Pierce, who created same of the most famous, innovative make-up designs in film history, while others come off as mere workmen, or hacks.
No, definitely not. While TOS gave us several memorable aliens and alien types, the other series went well beyond in both areas.
STNG gets criticized for sometimes for bumbpy headed aliens but the fact is, TOS simply would have had regular actors with no makeup or some color thrown on, while STNG used appliances to create humanoid aliens that people could identify with. But STNG upped the ante..we quickly saw non-corporeal aliens in the first few episodes, then the most elaborate lizard-like and canine-like aliens. Crystalline species as part of a worldwide, inorganic computer, a binary-cyborg species, and an insect-like species that were hyper-intelligent parasites. All in the first season. Later on we saw 2-dimesional species, quantum-singularity species, hive-mind cyborgs, colony creatures, living starships, space dwelling species, et al.
As Trek grew on TV both DS9 and Voyager added more elaborate makeups though many were background aliens, something TOS couldn't have dreamed of doing on it's budget. in the first few episodes we saw wormhole aliens, a rather elaborate alien lizard species, and being that fed off of emotions and fear. But for the overall champ, I'd say Voyager showed the most aliens of any ST series, and the most that LOOKED alien. Some memorable ones include: The Hirogen, Species 8472, The Borg (utilizing movie makeup), and many others.
Enterprise had to have the best quality make ups as it was the first shot in HD. You can still look at Andorians on 55+ inch screens and in HD/4K uprez and they still look fantastic. The primitive Andorian makeups from TOS were improved and the antennae move. We also saw some other memorable aliens from TOS in CGI..Tholians, Gorn. These joined the excellent makeups and CGI species from the Xindi arc..
In terms of TOS movies, well, there were lots of aliens in STTMP, but the makeups were mostly not "hero" makeups for close-ups. The Klingons gained a much better makeup that became the pattern for all following Klingons. V-Ger is perhaps the ultimate alien sentient AI species evolving into a human/machine hybrid. There are precious few other aliens of note in the rest of the TOS movie series. The STNG films didn't fare much better.
The JJ movies had lots of elaborate background aliens. There were more non-sentient creatures around. In general they were better integrated on the bridge. We saw a whole village of humanoid aliens that were a step above the previous movie series.
Taken as a whole, no franchise has more or more varied aliens.
STNG gets criticized for sometimes for bumbpy headed aliens but the fact is, TOS simply would have had regular actors with no makeup or some color thrown on, while STNG used appliances to create humanoid aliens that people could identify with. But STNG upped the ante..we quickly saw non-corporeal aliens in the first few episodes, then the most elaborate lizard-like and canine-like aliens. Crystalline species as part of a worldwide, inorganic computer, a binary-cyborg species, and an insect-like species that were hyper-intelligent parasites. All in the first season. Later on we saw 2-dimesional species, quantum-singularity species, hive-mind cyborgs, colony creatures, living starships, space dwelling species, et al.
As Trek grew on TV both DS9 and Voyager added more elaborate makeups though many were background aliens, something TOS couldn't have dreamed of doing on it's budget. in the first few episodes we saw wormhole aliens, a rather elaborate alien lizard species, and being that fed off of emotions and fear. But for the overall champ, I'd say Voyager showed the most aliens of any ST series, and the most that LOOKED alien. Some memorable ones include: The Hirogen, Species 8472, The Borg (utilizing movie makeup), and many others.
Enterprise had to have the best quality make ups as it was the first shot in HD. You can still look at Andorians on 55+ inch screens and in HD/4K uprez and they still look fantastic. The primitive Andorian makeups from TOS were improved and the antennae move. We also saw some other memorable aliens from TOS in CGI..Tholians, Gorn. These joined the excellent makeups and CGI species from the Xindi arc..
In terms of TOS movies, well, there were lots of aliens in STTMP, but the makeups were mostly not "hero" makeups for close-ups. The Klingons gained a much better makeup that became the pattern for all following Klingons. V-Ger is perhaps the ultimate alien sentient AI species evolving into a human/machine hybrid. There are precious few other aliens of note in the rest of the TOS movie series. The STNG films didn't fare much better.
The JJ movies had lots of elaborate background aliens. There were more non-sentient creatures around. In general they were better integrated on the bridge. We saw a whole village of humanoid aliens that were a step above the previous movie series.
Taken as a whole, no franchise has more or more varied aliens.
Running for such a time period with many series certainly helps. I do wonder how Doctor Who and all the doctor iterations and episodes compare. Many returning enemies such as the Daleks, Cybermen, Silurians - just to name a few. That would be an interesting comparison. And the Master = Q in some ways as the Sherlock Holmes/Moriarty relationship.
Q was nothing but a cut-rate Trelane, right down to a distinct physical resemblance.
I thought the best TOS aliens were the ones where they tried to make something non-humanoid, like the horta and Sylvia and Korab.
I thought the best TOS aliens were the ones where they tried to make something non-humanoid, like the horta and Sylvia and Korab.
At least one novel has described Trelane as a Q.
A desperate attempt to make the concept of Q less boring by linking it to a better character.
I really didn't like ENT's CGI Gorn and was pretty ambivalent about the Tholian.
Image what the creative geniuses at TOS could have done if they'd had today's CGI technology.
They are Delicious!
Lal and Thaan from The Empath were my favorite TOS bad ass aliens.
Well Doctor Who has 261 stories, Star Trek 739. So I'd guess there area lot more aliens in televised/movie trek. Who aliens are often more cartoonish though.
RAMA
I loved the Tholian, and at least felt the thought process with the Gorn was good..making people's memories of a slow, sluggish, non-articulated suit change to a fast raptor-like species. Ultimately the tack almost taken by JJ Abrams woulkd have been more acceptable to fans:
Part of my problem is that the CGI for the Gorn was really crappy. I'd rather have the guy in a rubber suit.
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