Topic: A new Scotty and Data lashes out.

[Sirgod]

http://trekweb.com/articles/2007/01/22/James-McAvoy-to-Play-the-New.shtml

According to Scottish tabloid The Sunday Mail, Last King Of Scotland star James McAvoy is set to play Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the upcoming Star Trek XI prequel to be produced by J.J. Abrams.

According to the site, Paramount Pictures said: "We are very excited about the film. Casting is in the early stages - we cannot comment on any names yet."

But an insider revealed: "The producers are keen to have a Scottish Scotty and James is the No.1 choice."

"They think he could form a brilliant double act with Matt. James' star is on the rise after The Last King of Scotland. He's Scottish and has box office appeal so he fulfils both criteria."

This information is preliminary, of course, and entirely rumor.

--------------------------------------------

http://www.syfyportal.com/news423165.html

Brent Spiner: Star Trek's Failure Is Fans' Fault
Actor who played Data speaks out over 'Nemesis' failureBy MICHAEL HINMAN
Jan-21-2007

If blame is going to be tossed around about why "Star Trek: Nemesis" was such a huge failure, you need to start with the fans.

At least that's what Brent Spiner, who played Data in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the subsequent movies, told the official Star Trek Magazine, as reported by TrekMovie.com.

"We worked on the story with the intention of making it for the fans," Spiner said. "With every Star Trek movie prior to that, we tried to find a way to bridge the gap between the fans and the general public. With 'Nemesis' we said, 'Forget that! Let's make a movie for the fans, because that's the people who actually go to see the films.' And what happened? They didn't go!

"Usually the films opened big, even if they had a lot of competition, but 'Nemesis' didn't even do that. That was a message from the fans that they were done with us."

"Star Trek: Nemesis" opened on Dec. 15, 2002, just days before "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" opened. The film made $18.5 million on opening weekend, and did a total American box office of $43.1 million.

In comparison, the previous movie -- "Star Trek: Insurrection" -- had an opening day box office of $22 million in 1998, going on to gross $70.1 million.

Spiner says he's all for restarting the Star Trek franchise, however, despite his previous comments on J.J. Abrams' idea for Star Trek XI.

"I think they're right to start a new movie franchise that will hopefully spawn a new series that will spawn new movies," Spiner said.

-------------------------

Stephen

[Lieutenant_Q]

All that proves is that Spiner, Berman and Braga are out of touch with what the fans wanted.

Nemesis, made for the fans?  Ha!  Most fans want to see something with a little more substance, like an original plot, not how can the Enterprise save the Earth once again.

Enterprise Finale.  People watched that?  Wasn't that supposed to be a "Valentine's gift" for the fans?  What a joke!

[S'Raek]

I love the Romulans but let's face it Nemesis sucked.  If you want to make a movie for the fans start by making a good movie to go and see.  The theatre is pretty expensive these days and no one wants to waste the $$ on crap like that.

[Chris Johnson]

You want a good Trek movie for the fans?  Although I can't speak for every fan, try another Insurrection or First Contact.  Something with a little action, yet something that also shines a light on a problem on the world and analyzes it from the perspective of an optimistic future.  Something with substance, entertaining, a tiny bit of action, but not mindless.

I like Spiner.  As a kid, I've barely missed a chance to meet him (thirteen years ago, after the TNG Finale but before DS9's third season).  He could be right a bit, but only a bit.  I believe he should've put some of the blame on the people who made Nemesis and Enterprise.

[Nemesis]

You guys make me want to change my alias (which far predates the film).   

[jualdeaux]

You guys make me want to change my alias (which far predates the film).   

To be honest, I have never even thought to myself that your alias is a title of a ST movie.

[GDA-S'Cipio]

"We worked on the story with the intention of making it for the fans," Spiner said. "With every Star Trek movie prior to that, we tried to find a way to bridge the gap between the fans and the general public. With 'Nemesis' we said, 'Forget that! Let's make a movie for the fans, because that's the people who actually go to see the films.' And what happened? They didn't go!

"Usually the films opened big, even if they had a lot of competition, but 'Nemesis' didn't even do that. That was a message from the fans that they were done with us."

We (or at least I) weren't "done" with them, it's just that Nemesis was bad.  It failed as a film on every level:  bad script, bad directing, bad editing, bad makeup and -- quite frankly -- some pretty bad acting.  (With the core cast, I like to think that the bad acting was the fault of the dialogue and the directing.)

I didn't really enjoy every Star Trek movie, but that was the only one I walked out of the theater afterwards with the wish that I'd waited to share the cost of a rental with several friends.  It's the only one I ever told friends to skip.

But it wasn't a sign I was done with the cast.  I wouldn't mind seeing them have another go.  If they made another movie, and it was good, I'd sing their praises.

-S'Cipio

[EmeraldEdge]

Plus, I never understood how taking what fans hold dear, crapping on it, then force feeding it to them, was "doing it for the fans".  That kind of thing may fly in some parts of Europe, but 'round these parts it's a no go.   Nemesis just wasn't that great a movie, and it's sad.  Take Insurrection, one might think "Hey, they couldn't have done worse than that at making a blockbuster movie".  I mean the thing was based on these guys with ugly sagging skin or something like that, wasn't filled with all that much action at all.  Smacked more of a TV episode with higher production values to me.  But still, I think I'd rather watch it than Nemesis, even though Nemesis has all those battles, it's just full of gimmicky stuff.  I'd say they did it more for the marketing than the fans, at times.  Vampire Remans?  Dune buggies?  I mean, they have a near limitless source of energy and shuttlecrafts, why do they need a dunebuggy?  At the very least, it should be some kind of hover craft that can then fly on it's own when needed.  I guess the best thing that came out of Nemesis was now fighters are very, very canon!   We just need to work on getting back slow plasma and throw in some drones (yeah, they are already there, but people still don't accept.  I guess you have to throw a full screen shot of it with a major cast member saying "This is a drone.  It works very much like old earth technology missiles.  The projectile is self propelled as it leaves the host and guides itself on course towards it's designated target, whereupon it explodes with a deadly, or disabling force.  Once again, it's called a drone.")  I'm suddenly having a desire to write up and produce a fan film that will do Romulans the way I'd do them. heh.  Anyway, the whole Reman thing didn't make any sense at all (how did they build that ship?).  Trek has gone so far down the crap road that it's going to take a lot of damage control to undo some of the stuff that's been thrown out there in the name of "doing it for the fans".  I'm still laughing at a 2 day trip to the Klingon homeworld at warp 4.  Earth wasn't conquered how?  Is it a 15 minute ride to Vulcan then?  Then there's the whole time scale of ships within range in TMP1.  Ugh!  Don't these people care at all?

[Nemesis]

  Nemesis just wasn't that great

 

Maybe we should invite Mr Spiner to lurk here and see what real fans have written about that movie and to read the fanfic so he can see how real fans write about Trek.  It might just enlighten him about what Trek is to the fans and why that movie was a flop. 

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

I enjoyed Insurrection quite a bit.  It had a good story about cast out kids coming home to commit genocide and reclaim their home. It was the stuff star trek was supposed to be. Nemesis was just crap.  If Nemisis was targetted for trekkies, trekkies ought to nuke them for being viewed so poorly. Nothing was done right.

[Villa64]

This conversation reminds me of the ST: Enterprise thread.

And ultimately many got what they asked for... no ST at all.

[Nemesis]

This conversation reminds me of the ST: Enterprise thread.

And ultimately many got what they asked for... no ST at all.

Better no Trek than bad Trek. 

[Sirgod]

IT looks like Spinless, is trying to do some PR control.

http://trekweb.com/articles/2007/01/27/Brent-Spiner-on-Data-Trek-40th.shtml

More excerpts from Star Trek The Next Generation actor Brent Spiner interview to the latest issue of Star Trek Magazine are up at Titan Magazines official site.

"I don't tire of talking about Data though," he quickly reassures. "I mean, what would be the point? There's nothing I can do about it. This character's going to be with me for the rest of my life, one way or another. I don't feel pigeonholed by the role, and a lot of other things have happened as a result of playing it."


Spiner is enthusiastic about Star Trek's birthday, but questions the year count. "Is it really 40 years? It feels like 90. Maybe I'm younger than I think! I can recall it premiering like any other show on NBC, so September 8, 1966 in itself was no big deal for me. I guess that I really only got into it in the 1970s when I was at college and watched in the afternoon during daily re-runs."


While fans are celebrating the series' anniversary, many people are just as keen to play down the achievement, Spiner confides. "I find it interesting that the people who don't watch Star Trek are always interested in telling you that they don't!" he observes. "I don't understand that... it's all about respecting people's choices, and it's a good thing that the anniversary is high profile. It's a way of showing the fans that you respect their choice to watch and support the programmes. We're recognising that their choices are valid and it's ok to embrace this whole phenomenon."

-------------

Stephen

[Villa64]

This conversation reminds me of the ST: Enterprise thread.

And ultimately many got what they asked for... no ST at all.

Better no Trek than bad Trek. 

No Trek is what we got.

Somehow it doesnt feel satisfying.

[Nemesis]

Better no Trek than bad Trek. 

No Trek is what we got.

Somehow it doesnt feel satisfying.

I'd rather no Trek than Enterprise.

[Darkseid]

Nemesis was entertaining if you like seeing the Sovereign in action, but other than that it wasn't that good.  If they wanted to end TNG as good as they ended TOS, then they should have brought back Nicholas Meyer.  The Undiscovered Country was pure Genius.  Excellent plot, visuals, music, villains and ending.  Kirk's final speech made it clear that the Voyages of the Starship Enterprise would always continue.  Nemesis... just ended.   

[Dash Jones]

I actually LOVED Nemesis.  In fact, of the Next Generation Films...Nemesis is the second best one, right after First Contact.  Generations got VERY boring at points...and Insurrection...I know you weren't supposed to side with the bad guys...but 600 people...hell...you have more than that on the Enterprise itself...plus...it had some boring parts as well...good directing though.

I think Nemesis had superb writing (I actually enjoy the stuff that particular writer writes though soooo), much more so than most of the other Star Trek films actually.  I think they may have cut just a wee bit too much...but I liked Nemesis, even if no one else did...

They made multiple references and hidden ideas to past star trek plots and characters, the villian was adequete, and I enjoyed the final ship battle tremendously.  Only had one disappointment from the movie...and that was not seeing Riker's new Command (other than Deana of course)...or is that Mr. Troy's new command?

[Sirgod]

I could have sworn they showed the Titan in Nemesis. Maybe it was a pic or story posted here.

The battle was great, but there was so much going against it IMHO. I remember watching it, and driving my friends crazy, wanting to fight the Scimitar in SFC3. I think Dave or Scott, or maybe even Erik got tired of me pesturing them every hour on the hour for the ship, and they finaly released it.

Now I really enjoyed Insurrection. I thought it was the most poetic of the TNG films. First contact being the best, and Generations, hey It had the Shat, it get's a pass.

Stephen

Oh yeah, I read the other day, that Scotty's son want's to try out for the roll of young Scotty. I think that would be kinda cool actually.

[Dash Jones]

If it's in there, it's not named.  I haven't caught it, though I think there has been a story or two about it.

Yes, the Scimitar in SFC3 that they designed was a BEAST of a ship!!!