The "Star Trek" franchise was nearing a crossroads in 1986. 20 years after the premiere of The Original Series on NBC, moviegoers were showing up in significant numbers to follow the big-screen exploits of Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise. But while 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and 1984's "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" were hits for Paramount (they both grossed in the $78 million range domestically), they were not blockbusters. So when stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy asked for salary bumps, the studio had some tough decisions to make.
Paramount almost received an unexpected windfall when their under-contract box office juggernaut, Eddie Murphy, asked to be in the fourth "Star Trek" movie. Murphy had just starred in "Beverly Hills Cop," the highest-grossing movie of 1984, and, as a hardcore Trekker, wanted to be a part of Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi universe. The studio was thrilled,...
Paramount almost received an unexpected windfall when their under-contract box office juggernaut, Eddie Murphy, asked to be in the fourth "Star Trek" movie. Murphy had just starred in "Beverly Hills Cop," the highest-grossing movie of 1984, and, as a hardcore Trekker, wanted to be a part of Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi universe. The studio was thrilled,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Layla Sarakalo has exactly one (1) credit on her IMDb page. In Leonard Nimoy's 1986 film "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," she played a passer-by on the street who stopped briefly to talk to Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), who sought the location of nuclear vessels parked in Alameda, California. The scene sticks out in the memory because of Keonig's notorious pronunciation of "vessels" as "wessels." Koenig, as one might predict, has been asked to say "wessels" at multiple Star Trek conventions over the years, and is quite likely very sick of it. Keonig turns 87 in September, so please stop asking.
Sarakalo, however, only ever appeared in this one scene in "Star Trek" and hasn't acted before or since. According to her IMDb page, Sarakalo landed the role as an extra through a stroke of bad luck. In order to clear the San Francisco streets for the scene in question,...
Sarakalo, however, only ever appeared in this one scene in "Star Trek" and hasn't acted before or since. According to her IMDb page, Sarakalo landed the role as an extra through a stroke of bad luck. In order to clear the San Francisco streets for the scene in question,...
- 8/6/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on Eddie Volkman Show with Hannah B on Star 96.7 Wssr-fm reviewing the new Blu-Ray edition of “Back to the Beach,” the 1987 parody of Frankie and Annette beach movies from the 1960s, featuring of course Frankie and Annette.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello portray offbeat fictional versions of themselves, married and stuck in Ohio after Frankie (nicknamed the Big Kahuna) wiped out on a monster wave called the Cowabunga from Down Unda, and left the California Beach to raise rebellious Bobby (Demian Slide) and grown daughter Sandi. When Frankie and Annette go back in California to visit Sandi, the old wave meets the new wave.
Extras: Watch anywhere Digital Movie Code, Special Feature “Filmmaker Focus” spotlighting Director Lyndall Hobbs.
’Back to the Beach’ on Blu-Ray
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures
Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com reviewed “Back to the Beach” during the Eddie Volkman...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello portray offbeat fictional versions of themselves, married and stuck in Ohio after Frankie (nicknamed the Big Kahuna) wiped out on a monster wave called the Cowabunga from Down Unda, and left the California Beach to raise rebellious Bobby (Demian Slide) and grown daughter Sandi. When Frankie and Annette go back in California to visit Sandi, the old wave meets the new wave.
Extras: Watch anywhere Digital Movie Code, Special Feature “Filmmaker Focus” spotlighting Director Lyndall Hobbs.
’Back to the Beach’ on Blu-Ray
Photo credit: Paramount Pictures
Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com reviewed “Back to the Beach” during the Eddie Volkman...
- 8/22/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
I really enjoyed the Leonard Nimoy-directed film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and it did really well at the box office. Regardless of how much people liked the movie, there was apparently a lot of behind-the-scenes drama in getting it to the big screen. It's hard to believe that it's been 30 years since that movie was released.
The story centers around Kirk, Spock, and their crew traveling back in time to 1986 on a mission to retrieve two humpback whales and bring them to the 23rd century to save the Earth from an alien probe.
During a recent interview with THR, screenwriter Steve Meerson opened up about the development of the film and revealed that Eddie Murphy originally had a role in it. He said:
"They knew they wanted to make a movie that would make a statement about the environment. They knew that they wanted it to include whales.
The story centers around Kirk, Spock, and their crew traveling back in time to 1986 on a mission to retrieve two humpback whales and bring them to the 23rd century to save the Earth from an alien probe.
During a recent interview with THR, screenwriter Steve Meerson opened up about the development of the film and revealed that Eddie Murphy originally had a role in it. He said:
"They knew they wanted to make a movie that would make a statement about the environment. They knew that they wanted it to include whales.
- 12/3/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Simon Brew Nov 26, 2018
The first draft of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home had a role for Eddie Murphy in it...
Here’s something you may not know: Eddie Murphy was once set to appear in a Star Trek movie, to the point where his part was written into the screenplay.
If all had gone to plan, he would have appeared in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, one of the most successful movies in the Trek series. It was penned by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes, and in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2016, Meerson recalled putting the script of the film – that was, of course, directed by Leonard Nimoy – together.
“They knew they wanted to make a movie that would make a statement about the environment. They knew that they wanted it to include whales. They had a notion that time travel might enter into it.
The first draft of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home had a role for Eddie Murphy in it...
Here’s something you may not know: Eddie Murphy was once set to appear in a Star Trek movie, to the point where his part was written into the screenplay.
If all had gone to plan, he would have appeared in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, one of the most successful movies in the Trek series. It was penned by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes, and in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2016, Meerson recalled putting the script of the film – that was, of course, directed by Leonard Nimoy – together.
“They knew they wanted to make a movie that would make a statement about the environment. They knew that they wanted it to include whales. They had a notion that time travel might enter into it.
- 11/28/2016
- Den of Geek
Simon Brew Nov 28, 2016
Turn out the first draft of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home had a role for Eddie Murphy in it...
Here’s something you may not know: Eddie Murphy was once set to appear in a Star Trek movie, to the point where his part was written into the screenplay.
See related The Amazing Spider-Man 3: what would have happened?
If all had gone to plan, he would have appeared in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, one of the most successful movies in the Trek series. It was penned by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes, and in a new interview, Meerson has been recalling putting the script of the film – that was, of course, directed by Leonard Nimoy – together.
“They knew they wanted to make a movie that would make a statement about the environment. They knew that they wanted it to include whales. They...
Turn out the first draft of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home had a role for Eddie Murphy in it...
Here’s something you may not know: Eddie Murphy was once set to appear in a Star Trek movie, to the point where his part was written into the screenplay.
See related The Amazing Spider-Man 3: what would have happened?
If all had gone to plan, he would have appeared in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, one of the most successful movies in the Trek series. It was penned by Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes, and in a new interview, Meerson has been recalling putting the script of the film – that was, of course, directed by Leonard Nimoy – together.
“They knew they wanted to make a movie that would make a statement about the environment. They knew that they wanted it to include whales. They...
- 11/28/2016
- Den of Geek
The cast that made the original series a cult classic, returned to the silver screen time and again to create a definitive film anthology in sci-fi culture. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Walter Koenig, George Takei and Nichelle Nichols overcome enormous odds with each film to prove that galloping around the cosmos isn’t just a game for the young. The Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy takes three classic films that have stood the test of time and gives them a high-definition overhaul.
Among trekkies, the Star Trek films follow an odd pattern: the odd numbered films are bad; the even numbered films are great. The Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy on Blu-ray takes advantage of this theory and includes Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Not only does this...
Among trekkies, the Star Trek films follow an odd pattern: the odd numbered films are bad; the even numbered films are great. The Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy on Blu-ray takes advantage of this theory and includes Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Not only does this...
- 5/20/2009
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
Chicago – It’s a cliched line, but the Blu-Ray release of “Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy” has something for everyone. It’s a release that will satisfy a generation that grew up in the prime theatrical era of this franchise and give young viewers who fall in love wiht J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” more of their new favorite series of films.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 Buyers unfamiliar with the history of the franchise would naturally assume that “Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy” consists of the first three films in the now-eleven film series. Nope. Paramount cuts out the first film, the mediocre “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” and focuses on what is easily the most beloved sub-series in the entire theatrical run of the Enterprise - “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “Star Trek III: The Search For Spock,” and “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture...
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 Buyers unfamiliar with the history of the franchise would naturally assume that “Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy” consists of the first three films in the now-eleven film series. Nope. Paramount cuts out the first film, the mediocre “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” and focuses on what is easily the most beloved sub-series in the entire theatrical run of the Enterprise - “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “Star Trek III: The Search For Spock,” and “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture...
- 5/8/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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