... it’s no exaggeration to say that LIFEFORCE tosses everything in but the kitchen in an attempt to entertain you. Actually, scratch that, it tosses everything including the kitchen sink. By the time the movie is complete, you may have to watch it again just to verify that you actually saw what you just saw. The movie is a mess of enormous proportions which I absolutely loved.* (previously) [more inside]
posted by Trurl on Feb 6, 2012 - 59 comments

"They're not out to make a quick buck, they're looking to protect the integrity of the franchise and its mythology." 1998's Star Trek Insurrection went through a number of different plots before becoming the film we ultimately saw. Starting out as Star Trek: Stardust, the first take on the idea involved Captain Picard going all Heart of Darkness on a former friend from his Starfleet Academy days in a bid to find the Fountain of Youth. That treatment evolved into a remarkably Avatarish story called simply Star Trek IX in which Picard must go upriver to kill a malfunctioning Data as part of a Federation/Romulan alliance to displace strange alien natives from a planet teeming with a valuable and rare ore (spoiler: Picard actually kills Data in this treatment, and Tom Hanks was supposed to have a major role somewhere). Let the late Michael Piller guide you through the writing of Insurrection in his unpublished book Fade In: The Making of Star Trek: Insurrection (his "last great gift to the fans and to aspiring writers everywhere") in which he presents his original story treatments, story notes from his bosses at Paramount, surprisingly reasonable Trekker-type reactions from actors Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner, and much more. First made freely available by TrekCore.com, Piller's family has since asked that it be removed, but you'll still find the file roaming the Internet if you boldly go looking for it. [more inside]
posted by Servo5678 on Dec 31, 2010 - 104 comments

The Plague Dogs (can also be watched instantly on Netflix) is a gory animated feature adapted from Richard Adams' novel about two escapees from an animal research lab. It was released in 1982 but effectively vanished because of its spotty video release history and its mature content. Enjoy the trailer. [more inside]
posted by hermitosis on Aug 16, 2010 - 67 comments

Patrick Stewart has been knighted. One can only hope that he had tea with the Queen.
posted by stoneweaver on Jun 2, 2010 - 104 comments

As a child, actor Patrick Stewart regularly saw his father hit his mother. Here he describes how the horrors of his childhood remained with him in his adult life.
posted by porn in the woods on Nov 27, 2009 - 87 comments

The Blog of Captain Jean-Luc Picard The Diary of a Harassed Starfleet Officer in the 24th Century of the Star Trek of Life. Read the trials of tribulations of the most pompous Captain in the Fleet. Including Borg Recruitment, Worf being stalked, and Equal Pay for Holograms. Written as dryly as Patrick Stewart acts.
posted by MiltonRandKalman on Feb 22, 2006 - 39 comments

Interview with Patrick Stewart about his upcoming movie.
posted by Citizen Premier on Dec 18, 2005 - 40 comments