Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Trek movies, worst to first


I read an article
yesterday giving one person's list of the Star Trek movies, from worst to first. I think he listed "Nemesis" as worst, with "The Voyage Home" first. "Wrath of Khan" was fifth. "Insurrection" was down the list. I'm watching it now, and it's one of my favorites.

With my own list, I'd pick "Generations" as my least favorite. James T. Kirk got killed in that one, and I hated the mundane way they killed him off. I have a copy of that video, but I have not watched it in years.


I'd put "The Final Frontier" and "The Undiscovered Country" in 10th and 11th place, respectively. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" is probably ninth; too slow. They spent more time with graphics than they did with story and characters.

Next comes "Star Trek Into Darkness", the one where Benedict Cumberbatch plays Khan. I hate the reboots, and "Wrath of Khan" was enough for me. I didn't need another Khan.

"Nemesis" is seventh among the 12 Star Treks I've seen. They wasted a great opportunity, and Data deserved a better grand finale than that.

The first J.J. Abrams movie, "Star Trek", was OK in some ways and terrible in others. Abrams played fast and loose with the Trek mythos (I hated that), and, frankly, I wouldn't have that James T. Kirk pilot a wheelbarrow, much less a starship.

"First Contact" and "Insurrection" come next. I actually liked James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane in "First Contact"; he was interesting, and Glenn Corbett was boring in the original series. I hated it, however, when Picard went nuts with the machine gun in "Contact"; out of character. I liked "Insurrection" because of F. Murray Abraham, plus Data's relationship with the kid. And I liked Picard's lady.

I actually like "Search for Spock", and it comes just after my No. 2 pick, "Wrath of Khan". I think the latter movie is the best Trek movie ever, but I'm picking MY favorites.

And, frankly, "The Voyage Home" is my favorite. The story line — going back in time to get to humpback whales to save the future — is implausible, but I can get past that. This is the funniest and most human of all the Treks. I love the part where they broke Chekov out of the hospital.

I just saw "Star Trek Beyond", and I'm not sure where I'd rank it between "The Voyage Home" and "Generations". I need to think about it.

I will say, though, that the part where Enterprise was ruined was torture.

Live long and prosper... And let me know what YOU think.


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Monday, July 18, 2016

Russian basketball players going to lunch

In the early 1990s, I was going to lunch in a steakhouse in Charleston, S.C., and I saw about 10 really tall men in front of me. I recognized one of them: Alexander Volkov, a native of the Ukraine who played from 1989 to '92 for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

As the manager came up to them, I passed them, but I could still hear them talking. The manager asked how he could help them. In clear English, the man I recognized as Volkov said "I'm Alexander Volkov, and this is the Russian basketball team. We're here for lunch." The manager then helped them go through the line.

I don't know why they were in Charleston or why they were in that particular steakhouse. I don't even know why I mention it here.

The 6-10 Volkov was one of the best basketball players I ever saw in person, although I never saw him play other than on TV. He's not the best basketball player I've ever seen; I saw Chris Paul in high school and just before he went into the NBA, and I saw Xavier McDaniel (the X Man) play in high school.

But that's another story for another time.

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com or nc3022@yahoo.com TWITTER: EDITORatWORK

More blog entries by Tom Gillispie
• Advice for be and would-be novelists

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie


EDITOR@WORK blog entries

Entries from The Dog Blog

Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)

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