TREK Fan Films

STAR TREK: OF GODS & MEN is a talked-about fan film. A fan film is what it sounds like: a bunch of fans pooling their time and money to produce an amateur movie. In this case, a new STAR TREK original series episode.

Months and months can go by before these TREK fans post a new film on the Web. One of my favorite sites (Yes, there are several groups doing TREK fan films) is STARSHIP EXETER, where they have taken months and months to post a new 10 minute act of the show. To their credit, they poke fun at themselves for taking so long here.

I can imagine it takes a lot of time and planning to do these, so delays are just part of the process when you're doing it got no pay. And Paramount says that these TREK copies are OK, as long as they're distributed free and no one makes money. Yeah, for real. Hard to believe, but there it is.



Anyway, OF GODS AND MEN is one fan film that's been announced with Walter Koenig (above) in it. There will be a second one with Mr. Koenig titled TO SERVE ALL MY DAYS, written by TOS writer D.C. Fontana (who used to be Roddenberry's secretary during TREK until she turned to writing for the show). There is a small teaser here, and larger one here. The official site is at STAR TREK NEW VOYAGES.

Both of these fan films are fun to peek at, but it's weird to see the actors in what are ... well ... amateur movies, with amateur actors.

TO SERVE ALL MY DAYS was going to be finished this summer, but it was delayed. Regardless of when these projects are finished and on the web, I'll watch 'em. If nothing else, the effects are AMAZING. Nothing compared to the old show (below):

It looks like an art project made with styrofoam cups and pipe cleaners and silver paint. (It's from the infamous SPOCK'S BRAIN episode.)

But hey ... I don't mean to pick on these fan films. They got HEART, baby. Miles and miles of heart.

Here are a few of the sites:

STARSHIP EXETER shows another starship & crew during the TOS period.

STAR TREK THE NEW VOYAGES continues the original show into the 4th Season.

STAR TREK HIDDEN FRONTIER is set in STTNG/DS9 universe.

(I'm only into the first 2 of 'em, since I'm a TOS guy.)

And the NY Times had a nice story on Sunday about minor cast members of the original series who are still popular TREK convention guests.