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Leonard Nimoy Says New Trek Movie is Bigger than The Motion Picture

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By GustavoLeao / 15:08, 27 January 2009 / Star Trek: Nemesis

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The latest issue of the official Star Trek Magazine, now on sale, features an exclusive interview with Star Trek star Leonard Nimoy are here are more excerpts from the article.

Star Trek Magazine: What was your reaction when you learned that J.J. Abrams was going to be in charge of the new Star Trek movie?

 

Leonard Nimoy: I was very pleased. I am familiar with his work, I'm a fan of his work. I think he's  an extremely talented gentleman. We had a very successful meeting, myself with J.J. and  a couple of his writer/producers. The conversation went extremely well, because I got a sense immediately that we were on the same page in terms of what Star Trek could and should be about. I thought they had a very strong grasp of what the characters were about, and how the chemistry between the characters should work. I was very pleased.

 

Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman have admitted that had you not been interested in going ahead on the basis of the story that they had, they would have had to go back to the drawing board. Were you surprised that they had made it so contingent on your involvement?

 

I wouldn't say surprised. It made sense in a certain way because they did feel that the story they had in mind was Spock-centered. I wouldn't say surprised: I was pleased and flattered that they had chosen to do a story where Spock was so significant. We had had several projects prior to this where Spock had been marginalized and I wasn't particularly happy about that. I found in this film that Spock comes back into focus in a very wonderful way.

 

Would you describe this as a back to basics approach?

 

Definitely! Very definitely. I'll tell you what: my description of this movie is that it's a gigantic production, several times larger in scope than any Star Trek movie that has been made prior to this. The production values are enormous. But right at the core of it is great heart. And that heart comes from the characters, and the use of the characters, and their relations with each other. That is Star Trek at its best: a large idea with heart at the center of it.

 

Is this bigger than Robert Wise's original Star Trek: The Motion Picture?

 

I really think it is. As large as that movie felt, and it did feel large, I don't think it achieved the on-camera production values that this film has. It was a different kind of movie, a different look, a different feel. Scene after scene in this movie you see very large scale production values which I don't think we've had in any of the movies prior to this.

 

With all due respect to Robert Wise's movie, it did not have the humanity of the characters at the core of it. I think that's the profound difference between that movie and this.

 

Did you have any involvement at all with the casting, particularly with Zachary Quinto as Spock?

 

Only when J.J. was considering Zachary Quinto as Spock. He sent me some footage of Zachary's previous work. I immediately saw the value. He looked to me to be believable, but probably more important, he showed great intelligence as an actor, and a great internal life, which I think is terribly important for the Spock character. I called J.J. immediately and said "I think you've found a wonderful choice."

 

It was mentioned at the Las Vegas convention that you have a number of scenes with Simon Pegg as Scotty. Did it feel odd working with someone playing that character that wasn't Jimmy Doohan?

 

Well, of course, nostalgia plays a big part in this whole story, and memory and history. I dearly loved every one of the actors that was part of the original crew, the original cast, I really dearly loved them. It was very touching to me to see very talented people take the torch and carry it on. I think Simon Pegg is a wonderful actor, with a great comedic sense. Chris Pine as Captain Kirk - they're all wonderful. I'm so pleased.

 

My wife, who is not a major science fiction fan, sat with me and watched the present cut of the movie about two weeks ago. We saw it in its present condition, which is still unfinished. It's still a work in progress, there's still some special effects to come, and so forth. But about 20 minutes before the movie finished, she turned to me and said, "I don't want this movie to end." That's how much she was enjoying it.

 

It's the best compliment for a storyteller...

 

Quite right. It's a wonderful movie.

Read the full article in issue #15 of The Official Star Trek magazine. Subscribe now HERE!


 



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TMP was a great movie | Report this post to moderator
By: Welshie (Odo's file, contact) @ 07:47:25 on Jan 28, 2009

@ Doctor Trekker I totally agree with you. I thought TMP was a fantastic movie, it is the classic typical 70's style sci-fi that I love. Just look at 2001 space odyssey, classic movie, great movie, most people would say it is boring because their limited minds cant grasp the simple pleasures that these movies offer. TMP was visually stunning, the music was great (and at the right moment with the Enterprise beauty shots could bring a tear to your eye.) I think one of the most powerful moments in the movie is at the end after the last line in the movie when Kirk says "that-a-way" and we get that flyby beauty shot of the Enterprise under her belly, with the theme song playing at a slightly shower pace, when those bows are pulled across the violin strings and the enterprise is passing over us and then eventually goes to warp not only brings a tear to my eye but fills me with immense pride as to the fact (if we all work together...this could be our future.) My favorite Star Trek theme will always be the opening song to the motion picture, it is an incredibly powerful song. I would agree that TMP totally pulls you into that world.

I heard plans of TMP being brought back to the movie theaters with the new special effects. Honestly I would love it, I was not born until 83 so to see TMP on the big screen would be mind blowing. To see TMP in IMAX would be a dream come true.


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Bigger? We'll see | Report this post to moderator
By: sb2004 (Odo's file, contact) @ 06:47:55 on Jan 28, 2009

I too think that TNG is unfairly maligned, in part because it was a true SF film, as opposed to all the others which were more action films. I often cite it as an example of why true SF is difficult to make a successful film out of. Yes, TMP was successful, but the fact many people to this day are divided about it shows it wasn't 100% successful on every level.

But unlike all the other films -- right up to Nemesis -- I never once heard it referred to as a glorified episode. You watch TMP, especially on the big screen, and you actually lose yourself in that world.

It remains to be seen as to whether Trek XI has anything that comes close to the cinematic artwork that was the Enterprise flyby and the Vger flyby. I don't think today's filmmaker's have the patience to give up a good chunk of their film to outright art ... not with an audience that seems to have collective ADD and wants instant gratification. (I refer to, among other things, the growing pushback against long-term arc shows like Heroes, Lost and even to an extent BSG. The fact we're seeing more old-fashioned "single-episode standalone" series being commissioned and making the top of the ratings suggest that audiences at least in North America are moving back to taking their stories in bite-sized pieces again. TMP debuted at a similar time and as a result the flybys and other slow-moving aspects of the film were criticised at the time. Even if today they're fondly remembered.

So we'll see if Trek XI manages to capture some of that feel -- or if the studio will even allow it to come close.

Al


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I hope ... | Report this post to moderator
By: timmer33 (Odo's file, contact) @ 18:57:24 on Jan 27, 2009

I hope this is a delicious movie.


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  • Eating it??? | Report this post to moderator
    By: Chimera06 (Odo's file, contact) @ 12:23:45 on Jan 28, 2009 | Edit History (1)

    Delicious? Why do some poeople use a culinary word to describe something you can't eat? Celluloid is so fresh but not filling. Silicon, plastic, gel and film fluid. Yum. What are you, Data? Lol. jk.


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TMP | Report this post to moderator
By: Doctor Trekker (Odo's file, contact) @ 17:23:43 on Jan 27, 2009

Reading Leonard Nimoy's comments about the scope of the movie compared to "The Motion Picture" made me remember why I personally think it is one of if not the best of the original films. It was science fiction at its best. Critics complained there was no action, just the crew looking out the view port for the majority of the film. I personally never noticed or was bothered by that. I was captivated from the time the movie started until the final beauty shot. It was a excellent story, great special effects and one of the most beautiful scores of any science fiction movie. My local theater played this for over a month. During its run, I spent every Saturday afternoon in that theater totally mesmerized.
Coming off the heals of the action and excitement of "Star Wars" (which I spent many Saturday afternoons watching that during its first run)"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" reminded me how easy it was to confuse good science fantasy with good science fiction and gave me a better appreciation of both.
Peace!

--------

“I’d give real money if he’d shut up! “ – Dr. McCoy : Star Trek VI


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  • RE: TMP | Report this post to moderator
    By: OV-101 (Odo's file, contact) @ 18:14:06 on Jan 27, 2009 | Edit History (1)

    Besides TWOK, TMP had the most exterior shots of the 1701, which I loved a lot. I too did enjoy the look of the movie. The only thing I did not like is the dryness of the main characters. There was something flat about them. I still enjoyed them being on screen but they seemed slightly depressed (compared to their TOS selves). Maybe it was just me....

    I will say that Nimoy is not someone who makes these comments lightly. I think he is genuinely inawe of this movie. Like Karman Blade said, Nimoy's comments makes me very excited about this movie.

    --------

    "Life's tough. It's tougher if you're stupid."
    -- John Wayne

    "Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence."
    --Dr. Leonard McCoy

    "I'm a politician, which means I am a cheat and a liar, and when I am not kissing babies I am stealing their lollipops."
    -- Jeffrey Pelt, The Hunt for Red October

    "Liberals, Intellectuals, Peacemongers, IDIOTS!!!!"
    - General Decker, Mars Attacks

    "It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires, both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
    - Q from Q Who


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I'll say this... | Report this post to moderator
By: Kamen Rider Blade (Odo's file, contact) @ 17:01:07 on Jan 27, 2009

Out of all the actors and production crew from the movie who've been interviewed, it's definitely Mr. Nimoy who gets me the most excited about it when he comments on it.

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"Oh relax, Cupcake. It was a joke."- James T. Kirk


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  • RE: I'll say this... | Report this post to moderator
    By: kc (Odo's file, contact) @ 17:51:52 on Jan 27, 2009

    I would have to agree with that. Wasn't it Nimoy who caught Kim Catrell during STVI doing some revealing pictures on the set with ears and nothing else and basically took the negatives himself to protect the franchise? I can't imagine anyone who was that protective of the franchise changing that much where he would sell out for a paycheck.


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    • RE: I'll say this... | Report this post to moderator
      By: cdydatzigs (Odo's file, contact) @ 18:46:13 on Jan 27, 2009

      WHAT!?!? Really!? Hahaha, I was only 13 years old when Undiscovered Country came out so I wasn't privvy to that sort of information but... dang, did Ms. Cattral really do the full monty in Vulcan ears? Hot :P

      --------

      -- Steve
      "If a sixth Star Trek television series is ever realized, it will be set in the new universe." -- cdydatzigs, June 15, 2009.


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      • RE: I'll say this... | Report this post to moderator
        By: kc (Odo's file, contact) @ 21:24:32 on Jan 28, 2009

        That's what I read in an article a view years ago. She was supposedly posing on the helm station at night after the day's shoot when Mr. Nimoy caught them. He wanted to protect the franchise's image.


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      • RE: I'll say this... | Report this post to moderator
        By: SuperDave (Odo's file, contact) @ 21:29:19 on Jan 27, 2009

        Seriously. If that story is true, then I'm very dissappointed in Mr. Nemoy... ;-)

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        • RE: I'll say this... | Report this post to moderator
          By: cdydatzigs (Odo's file, contact) @ 11:49:49 on Jan 28, 2009

          Especially considering he would later go on to win awards photographing obese women in the nude, lol

          --------

          -- Steve
          "If a sixth Star Trek television series is ever realized, it will be set in the new universe." -- cdydatzigs, June 15, 2009.


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