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trekz

Star Trek 2010 Las Vegas Con Reviews

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Day 1: After a Wednesday night rush of buying photos, photo ops & autograph tickets - plus discovering Bruce Greenwood had cancelled :P - arrived at Con to see Thursday Guests.

 

First up Walter Koenig - Chekov! He received a thunderous welcome & thanks for appearing after an awful year in which his son diasappeared and was found dead. (Walter's wife was in audience) Audience Q&A: Q - How did Khan recognize you in STII? A - Chekov had a bad case of Montezuma's revenge and was in the only ship's lavratory on the third level behind the boilers. Khan's genetically engineered kidneys were bursting as he waited outside the door. F I N A L LY the door opened and Khan grabbed Chekov by the shoulders and said " I will always remember your face!"

 

Q - Did you work with Anton on the new movie & Russian accent & did you like the movie? A - Walter was pleased with Anton's performance. Anton is his own man & he did not work with him on the movie accent. Walter enjoyed the movie.

 

Q - Talk about your getting job on Star Trek. A - appeared on as guest on Liutenant, Mr Novak and Alfred Hitchcock presents. Was interviewed Was told to be funnier. On a later take he said: "Keptin, guess what? Your sheep is about to blow up?"

 

Q - Do you have a huge Star Trek collection at home? A - "My action figure remains in my office upstairs. As long as my Trek things don't seep out into other parts of the house, my wife tolerates it!

 

Q - What's you favorite ST movie? A - ST The Motion Picture (Thought it would be the only one (THE Motion Picture!) "Everything rang true. The words were idigenous to each character: Chekov's words had to be spoken by Chekov."

 

Q - Do you see or speak to other TOS cast members? A - "We're all getting along, more or less"

 

Walter spoke of the enduring influence of Trek & then told a final story: "I went in for supposedly routine 45 minute knee (orthroscopic) surgery. It took 2 1/2 hours. He woke up very groggy and the first thing he sees and hears is the blurred face of his doctor saying: "Aye got a wee bit o news fer ya, laddie!"

Walter left to a near standing ovation!

 

Next, George Takei - Sulu!

I missed the first part where George talked about the new movie & each character. George talked about the defeat of Proposition 8 in California. He said "Equality won!" He opined that "there is a difference in faith beliefs and civil law. No one has the right to write values into civil law." George talked about doing voice work in making a video game. George finished by saying that Starship Enterprise is a metaphor for starship Earth. We need to take care of our only planet.

 

End Part One Thursday Con guests.

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Part 2 Thursday

 

Since there have been articles posted on this site on some of each days appearances at the LV con, I will mainly concentrate on those appearance and details not covered.

 

The Great Classic Series Reunion featured Barbara Babcock (Mea 3, Philana), Hagan Beggs (Lt. Hansen), Bruce Hyde (Lt. Kevin Riley), and John Winston (Lt. Kyle). Some highlights:

Barbara Babcock talked about the movie Space Cowboys with Clint Eastwood. Their first scene was a love scene. Clinton blocked it on the spot - one time, no extra takes. Babcock's favorite Dallas episode was one directed by Larry Hagman - who she said was "mischevious and a practical joker."

 

John Winston didn't come to Hollywood until he was 38. He enjoyed seeing Shatner develop his sense of humor over the years as Kirk.

 

Babcock talked about using projection in the theater versus using inuendo and minutae when in front of the camera to communicate what you're feeling. Shatner as Kirk has a certain theatricality and declamatory style as a larger than life character.

 

Winston agreed that acting on TV is an entirely different ballgame. He thought that it took Stewart the first half of the first season to become comfortable in front of the camera.

 

Babcok said her most delicious and most challenging role was as Grace on Hill Street Blues. It was a challenge to make her a believeable character. Babcock also spoke of playing Angela in Glass Menagerie, and her role on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. On Doctor Quinn she did her own riding.

 

Gary Lockwood (Lt Gary Mitchell) and Sally Kellerman (Dr. Elizabeth Denher) appeared together on the main stage. Sally remembered being huffy with Gary when they first worked together on Kraft Mystery Theater when Gary didn't know a couple of his lines. Gary L. played football at UCLA. He starred as Bill Rice in The Lieutenant. One of his favorite director's was Stanley Kubrick, one of the greatest.

 

Sally stated that Rodney Dangerfield was brilliant in Back to School. It was one of the easiest jobs I ever had, said Sally, I just had to love him. Sally told that she once suggested that he come up sometime and have dinner, and Rodney just looked shocked and frightened.

 

Gary Lockwood talked about acting in 2001: a Space Odyssey which he knew would be special as directed by Kubrick.

 

Sally talked about Robert Altman, who directed M.A.S.H., the movie. Altman invented the use of more than one microphaone at the same time in that movie.. Sally said Bob made filming the movie easy. Elliot Gould thought Altman was crazy.

 

Gary talked about loaning money to Donald Sutherland at the end of some months so he could feed Keifer.

 

Speaking about the successful Star Trek pilot Where No Man Has Come Before, Gary said he hated wearing those eyes. He said he was glad that he did it, though he had to do the whole thing blind, because he said it made him feel more like the character, which was somewhat Godlike. Sally replied, "Well we all knew you think you are!" They both acknowledge they were glad that Star Trek became a big hit and that Gene credited them with being responsible for Star Trek being sold.

 

End part 2

Edited by trekz

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Thursday Part 3

 

Due to cross scheduling in the The Kelley and Roddenberry theaters, I missed parts or all of some panels. I popped into the And The Children Shall Lead panel & heard Pam Ferdyn remembering guest star Melvin Belli, who won the first personal injury case ever, trying to explain to her, a nine year old, what a personal injury was! Craig Huxley talked about acting against a green screen. (Then I rushed off...)

 

The Classic Guest Star panel included Barbara Baldavin (Angela Martine), Stewart Moss (Lt. Joe Tormelen/Hanar), Naomi Pollack (Rahda) & Paul Comi (Lt. Stiles)

 

The story was told of a fan who asked Comi "How does it feel to beam up?" as a serious question. He replied that it tickles a bit and she left satisfied with the answer.

Baldavin spoke of being proud of her work as a casting director especially on Dynasty.

 

Moss talked of when film actors wouldn't do TV because they felt it was beneath them. However. the writing talent in the 50's, 60's & 70's gve us a body of work that is remembered today, mentioning Playhouse 90. Comi noted that the writing of the period was so special, he would have acted for nothing, and you felt were part of the family on sets. He noted that changed in the 1980's.

 

Moss spoke of working with John Wayne in the movie In Harm's Way, and in The Missiles of October, portraying Kenneth O'Konnel. Comi noted that Moss' Star Trek work gave George a chance to run around without his shirt and Leonard to cry!

 

Comi talked of how things were shot & related his experience of acting in the restricted room in a cockpit in The Odyssey of Flight 33 on the Twilight Zone, and how he spent a day rehearsing to get it correct.

 

Pollack spoke of being cast as both a Hindu and an American Indian at the time. It was noted that Trek sets were made of cardboard and the uniforms were like pajamas, but "they spent money on writers."

 

Casting Director Joe D'Agnosta (married to Baldavin) noted from the audience how Star Trek was able to address contemporary social issues of the times, and how actors got to play scenes that stretched to nearly five minutes at times.

 

Moss noted in the episode The Naked Time that the hazard suits were like "shower curtains." He noted an argument with Marc Daniels over his character taking his glove off and infecting the crew, and said he wouldn't have done it. Daniels ended the conversation by saying, " Stewart, your nose itches! If you don't take off the glove we don't have a show!"

 

Moss noted the kindness of Dee Kelley when he guested with him on Bonanza and said that Dee was "a darling man."

 

Comi noted that his grandchildren know more about his career than he does, but his children just knew that Dad went off to work in the morning. Moss spoke of watching a black & white episode of Perry Mason gefore realizing he was in it and didn't remember it at all.

 

Moss also talked of his amazement over Star Trek fans that knew all the dialogue and names of episodes. The whole panel admitted that they watched their guest episode before coming so they could better answer fan questions. This excellent panel was the end of Thursday's programming.

 

End Thursday Part 3

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Friday Part 1

 

I attended the David Gerrold and Fan perspective presentations and blew off the Rod Roddenberry presentation. I will pass of reviewing those 2 presentations unless someone is really interested.

 

The DS9 Dominion Panel: Casey Biggs (Damar), Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat), Andy Robinson (Garak), Jeffrey Coombs (Weyoun) and Salome Jens (female Changeling)

 

Jens noted her changling was above the Dominion. Talked of how her character took Odo through the garden showing him that everything has energy & conciousness - We are everything and everyone - all uniquely married to each other.

 

Robinson talked of playing destructive characters and made a point how we are now at war. Talked of misguided policies and how DS9 showed the complexity, ambiguity and dark and light of war.

 

Coombs felt that in Star Trek the Federation represented American values. See the other side of the argument, be tolerant or there will be a war. Maybe you are part of the problem...

 

Alaimo said that Cardassians needed to get over representing bullyism. He never want to be a bully. Dukat had power, Alaimo enjoyed underplaying his physical powers and let the intellect and emotion come out. Dukat was not a one dimensional character. The writers watched us and let us develop the characters.

 

Biggs noted the writing was so good. Very melodramatic, helping characters make situations seem believeable. Series characters changed over the arc of the show. Kill someone becuase they are a traitor. Biggs remarked there is "nothing real about reality shows" on TV now. Cardassians were not just very straitlaced and stolid but 3 dimensional characters. These "bad guys were good guys" militaristic, but with 15 sides to everything.

 

Robinson noted that Garak was an cypher and an enigma. Displaced from his own culture into an alien culture on the station. When cast as a Cardassian, you can't go to the library and do research on your history. You're on whole new ground and must find something to base it upon. Cardassians struggled for survival. Robinson saw them not as Nazi's but more as an analogy of the Prussians - Militaristic, imperial, with limited resources - producing a toxic over-reaching mix. Garak was a democrat - having had a different kind of education, as "spy' or memeber of the Cardassian Diplomatic corps - more like an European model. In the Pale Moonlight - the ends justify the means

Garak, Robinson said, was brilliant and smarter than me.

 

Coombs spoke of Weyoun the clone. Coombs would go in at 4 AM to put on makeup. When trying to base your character on something, in Star Trek it started with the costume. The exterior informs the interior. The costume makes you walk and hold yourself a certain way. Weyoun was genetically endcoded to never change. He was friendly yet ruthess, and helpful to the Dominion. With nothing to base him on, Coombs noted he looked somewhat Kabuki. The courtesan to the court - make you at ease but knows where the bodies are buried. More along the lines of Louis the IV court

 

The cast then mentioned mask classes and acting when one cannot see your face.

 

Jens noted that there were few quandries for the Dominon. She thought of her character like the Greek Godess Athena - she knows all mistakes and has no respect for anything because it is all wrong. She sees the Galaxy destroying itself.

 

The cast spoke of current projects and the relative value of an MFA degree before leaving the stage.

 

End Friday Part 1

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Friday part 2

 

Avery Brooks took the big stage with his positive outlook at full warp. He did some piano playing with one hand, then playing and singing There's always Something there to Remind Me. (He has a CD out)

 

Questions began (with Avery commenting positively on people who were well dressed.)

Q - (younger kid) If they made a movie of DS9 would you play Sisko?

A - Avery gave him a long look then said - "Who else would I play?" He commented that with the sucess of Star Trek there is less likelihood of there being a DS9-VOY-TNG era movie.

 

Q - In DS9 did they make you shave your head?

A - Another look from Avery. "No not until they reached the point that now I wouldn't be mistaken for Captain Picard!"

 

Q - In Pale Moonlight was it refreshing to do a monologue rather than dialogue?

A - He approached it as if he was talking to a child that he had never seen before, or as if he was talking to his Dad.

 

Q - (younger child) Want to ask what memories you had on DS9 set that were Good?

A - Watching Ciroc Lofton grow to be a man

 

Q - There was a Question concerning Avery doing Death of a Salesman in Oberlin Ohio

A - Avery felt Arthur Miller's work was tranlated into my language, while the experience of Willie Lohman is telling a human story in America

 

Q - (From a teacher) What is the greatest gift I can give my students?

A - The answer is YOU. The most profound thing you can give them is you.

 

Q - Asked about his music

A - I've always been a musician. Music was always part of my life. I'm still a musician. It's all about expression with me.

 

Q - Asked what he might write about in a novel

A - About the dimensionality, not compartimentalism. We are not just heard or percieved in one dimension - we are the sum of all

 

Q - You played a religious character in DS9 - any new thoughts about religion or the Divine?

A - There is a relationship to the divine, That's a fact. It's part of my lineage. We all come from the same family. This warring - push pull of heaven and earth - we all deal with it

 

Q - Asked about Brock Peters

A - I loved Brock Peters who played my father.

 

Avery finished with another song - and left to thunderous applause.

End Friday part 2

Edited by trekz

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