Once again, STAR TREK CONTINUES proves itself the undisputed king of the Trek fan film genre. This isn’t meant as a slight against any other fan film or series. It’s simply that STC‘s eight full episodes just get better and better and are all but flawless in their interpretation of classic Star Trek. They tell stories that are both well-written and extraordinarily well-produced and well-directed…with excellent editing, musical scoring, visual effects, costumes, make-up, lighting, and of course, meticulously recreated TOS sets.
“Still Treads the Shadow” was written by Judy Burns, a professional Hollywood screenwriter and producer with a long list of credits. And her very first one was as co-writer for the third season TOS episode “The Tholian Web”…which should be kept in mind as fans watch this latest episode from STC. (No spoilers!) Also of note is a guest appearance by Battlestar Galactica series regular Rekha Sharma (one of the final five “sleeper” Cylons), who has an extensive list of Hollywood television roles. The episode was directed be Julian Higgins, who also directed the sixth episode of Star Trek Continues, “Come Not Between the Dragons.” Both episodes were magnificently directed.
In the finest traditions of Star Trek, this latest episode provides wonderful literary themes that serve to richly enhance the viewing experience. The title, “Still Treads the Shadow,” is taken from poetic masterpiece The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A passage from that epic poem is quoted during the episode, and I highly recommend that you click that link I just provided and (re)read that classic work (especially if you skipped reading it in high school!). It will provide some interesting insights into the symbolic “ancient mariner” who appears in this episode.
So now the question is: what will CBS and Paramount do…if anything? STC has now finished production on its final four episodes (this being the first of them) and plans to release all of them over the next several months. And although the $200,000 in crowd-funding was completed shortly before the new fan film guidelines went into effect, the run-time of this episode is 54 minutes (longer thsn 15 minute), it’s part of a continuing fan series, it features paid professionals including alumni of studio-based Star Trek productions (including writer Judy Burns and star/executive producer Vic Mignogna himself, who worked on Star Trek Online), and of course, it has the words “Star Trek” in the title.
The STC folks hope that they’ll be permitted to complete their run, having told me in a conversation last August that the guidelines don’t say that a production WILL be sued if it fails to follow all of the guidelines, only that it WON’T be sued if it does follow all of the guidelines. Fingers crossed that they’re correct!
In the meantime, “Still Treads the Shadow” premiered yesterday at the Fan Expo Dallas convention with a sneak preview for donors. But now it’s available for everyone. Enjoy…
https://vimeo.com/210024763
NICE! =D
…i’ll be watching this evening, after all the chores are done =P
CBS/P won’t do a damn thing after their Axanar experience! =D
We can but hope!
I’m going to start watching this show fairly soon – It’s a fracking shame that CBS’s narrow-mindedness has forced such great entertainment to come to an end before it’s time… *smdh* / :/
Well, technically, it was ALMOST its time anyway. STC only ever planned to release 13 episodes. Instead, they’re just doing 11…so a loss of two potentially awesome episodes. Certainly a bummer–not sure it reaches a level of fracking shame, though. 🙂
Really? I thought they were looking to finish the 5 year mission? – Anyway, it’s good to know they at least came CLOSE to their goal, a near complete blessing I suppose, but I’ll take ’em where I can get ’em… P 🙂
Oh, they’re still planning to complete the five-year mission, Amil. I’ve been told by someone on the production that the final episodes all tie in nicely and lead to a very satisfying link to what leads into ST: The Motion Picture. They simply needed to do that wrap up with two fewer episodes.
Cool… P 🙂
Blame Alec Peters and Axanar for that narrow-mindedness. CBS/Paramount was just legally protecting their property.
Understandable, but I honestly think they could’ve done that without suing someone – Maybe that’s just me though… P
Julian Higgins did not direct Embracing the Winds.
Good catch! Thanks for the correction, David…which I’ve now made. Julian directed their SIXTH episode, “Come Not Between the Dragons”–also most excellent!
I’ve watched all of their episodes and they’ve all been very well done. I’d like to see these guys write and produce something with Star Trek values but not Star Trek. All (good) movie making is just telling good stories.
We’ll see what they do next…if anything, STC is a spectacular team, but if they call it quits, they definitely go out on a high note. For one brief shining moment that was…known…as…Camelot.
It’s so gratifying to see a fan film production who actually uses the donors money for what it was intended for, production of quality Star Trek !
There’s one delusional guy who could have learned so much by following their successful guidelines (no pun intended) and actually achieved something for his supporters !
But as in life, there are those who achieved somethings and others who only talk the talk !
Ooh, I knew Judy back when I was thinking about writing Trek episodes, and even had her help get my wife into UCLA film school. Great lady. That teaser was classic JB, it did not disappoint. Glad to see her story got filmed.
I guess I’ll have to watch the rest of it . . . .
Really enjoyable all the way through.
Really? I don’t mean to negate your opinion, of course, as that’s your opinion and you’re welcome to it, but I struggled through the Teaser and Act 1 before it picked up and the great story overshadowed my, um, ‘concerns’ I have for traditional fan films.
But, hey, that’s just me, as I’m too spoiled by great acting on shows I like (Black Sails, Game of Thrones, etc.)
But, GREAT story, as I’d expect having been instructed by Judy at UCLA Extension (so long ago in a Galaxy Far Far Away). Nice twists at the end of each act break. GREAT teaser ending (That’s classic Judy, as I mentioned before)
Is Star Trek: New Voyages any good?
Some episodes are better than others, of course, but most are quite good. “World Enough and Time” is considered one of the finest fan films ever produced. I also enjoyed “Mind-Sifter” and “Kitumba” quite a bit.
Hmm, okay, thank you Jon… P 🙂
It’s WAY better than this drivel.
Hehe speaking of Vic i was just watching another fan film Nuka Break and notice Vic was slummin it as a merchant, and he did a great job definitely a must see if you haven’t seen it.
Vic pops up in a lot of places where you least expect him! 🙂
What happens when you throw in The Tholian Web, The Ultimate Computer, elements of The Alternative Factor, The Doomsday Machine, Star Trek – Nemesis, with a sprinkle of Dagger Of The Mind, and some elements from Walt Disney’s The Black Hole, the Space:1999 first season episode Black Sun, and the HAL 9000 from 2001 and 2010?
You come up with this less than entertaining concoction-episodic cocktail from Star Trek Continues.
Once again, I am NOT impressed.
Well, I was impressed…as were a lot of other people, it seems. But not everyone like the sames things,. As my old friend Gary used to say, “That’s why Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors!” 🙂
At least Baskin and Robbins 31 flavors are better to stomach than STC and Axanar.
This guy had been trashing STC for five years. He’ll start trashing Vic any moment now. He feels like Vic wronged him in some previous life.