Former 'Star Trek' stars reunite for independent film 'Of Gods and Men'
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Former 'Star Trek' stars reunite for independent film 'Of Gods and Men'
By MICHAEL SHERIDAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Saturday, June 21st 2008, 4:00 AM
So, have you seen the latest "Star Trek" movie?
No, I'm not talking about the J.J. Abrams big-budget feature film due in theaters in 2009, I'm talking about that other "Star Trek" film.
Wait, you haven't heard about it? Well, that's not surprising, not too many people have.
"Star Trek: Of Gods and Men," a unique feature-length production sporting an impressive cast of former Star Trek luminaries and regulars, is available online - for free.
"I thought a film that celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek would be ... fun," said Douglas Conway (whom everyone calls Sky), a writer and executive producer of "Star Trek: Of Gods and Men."
The film, shot on a paper-thin budget in less than two weeks back in 2006, was produced largely in upstate New York. Some scenes were filmed in Los Angeles, and the array of special effects were created in several locations, including Australia. The producers hoped to have it released in early 2007, but delay after delay postponed its debut.
"Star Trek: Of Gods and Men" was eventually broken up into three acts. The first premiered online in December 2007. The third and final act was made available on the Internet last weekend.
Headlining the cast are Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols, famous for their taboo-breaking roles as Ensign Chekov and Lieutenant Uhura, respectively, in the original "Star Trek" series.
"I did not have that strong a need to revisit the character," Koenig told the Daily News about his initial reaction when approached about the project. But when he understood where they were going with the story and the character, he was happy to sign on.
"These folks were really very dedicated," Koenig said, praising the cast and crew. "I'm pleased we were able to do something for a very small amount of money that had some really good dynamics."
Koenig had last appeared on the big screen as Chekov in 1994's "Star Trek: Generations." However, he did make an appearance in a fan film last year that allowed him the opportunity to say goodbye to the character.
But his role in "Of Gods and Men" was a departure from the Chekov we've known before. In this case, we're offered a more twisted, vengence-filled character.
"In the back of my head, there was Chekov, but then I was able to move away from that," Koenig explained.
The story features Chekov and Uhura as the pair are thrust into an adventure in a parallel universe where Captain James T. Kirk never existed, and the galaxy is in turmoil. The two are joined by Captain John Harriman, who commanded the Enterprise-B in "Generations." Alan Ruck, of "Spin City" and "Ferris Beuller's Day Off" fame, reprises the role he played in that film.
"Sky Conway had this script, and asked me if I would like to read it," Ruck told the Daily News. "I thought it would be fun."
The man Conway got to helm the picture was another well-known Trek alum, Tim Russ, who played the Vulcan named Tuvok in "Star Trek: Voyager."
"I've worked with Tim Russ on several projects," Conway said. "[He] is a cool guy, creative, and the consummate professional... I [also] wanted someone to direct our movie that had a keen sense of Trek. Tim was the man."
Although when he arrived on set, Russ - who is now a regular on ABC's "Samantha Who?" - began to wonder if he'd made the right choice.
"Filming was an experience," Russ said during a phone interview last week. "We shot in Port Henry, New York. There was no cellphone service, so coordinating things was a nightmare."
On top of that, there was the heat.
"It felt like 100 degrees and 99 percent humidity," Russ said. "We couldn't shoot until 6 p.m. because it was just too hot to do so."
"It was heinous," added Ruck, who also has a role in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening." The weather was "hotter than hell," he remembered.
"It was fun being with all those actors, and having a nice role, but the conditions were miserable," echoed Gary Graham, the former "Alien Nation" TV series star who had a recurring role on "Star Trek: Enterprise." "It was very hot, and it rained a lot, so the bugs were out."
Even after sunset, other issues would make life on the set interesting.
"Once the sun went down, there were bats and skunks around," Ruck noted, but insisted he was happy to have been a part of the project for the opportunity to work with Koenig again, with whom he'd shared the screen with in "Generations."
Despite the adversities, the upstate New York location was perfect for their needs. Why? Because that's where a complete standing set of the original U.S.S. Enterprise is housed. Former Elvis impersonator James Cawley created it in an old car dealership, and the set has been used in the popular online fan series, "Star Trek: Phase II."
But the real question is how Conway managed to wrangle together so many actors notable for their "Star Trek" roles.
"I wouldn't have done the movie if I couldn't get the actors to either reprise their roles or take on a new challenging role," he insisted.
That's not to say that gathering together such a group of actors was easy. In fact, some couldn't participate at all. Conway approached George Takei, who famously played Sulu in the original series, but he was unable to commit. That was when the idea to include Ruck's character was developed.
Although the producers of "Star Trek: Of Gods and Men" are prohibited from profiting from the film, it is their hope that Paramount will perhaps distribute the movie.
"Tim Russ is scheduling a screening at Paramount for a few folks. I hope they enjoy it," Conway said.
Meanwhile, you can view all three parts of "Star Trek: Of Gods and Men" at their website, www.startrekofgodsandmen.com.
The trailer is interesting. I'll sit down and try to watch this later tonight...
edit: If you don't want to sign up with an email in order to see the Acts...
06-21-2008, 09:04 PM
