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UPCOMING
EVENTS
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Saturday,
May 22: Away Mission to Stone Mountain Park
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Friday, May 28–Sunday,
May 30: TimeGate & Room Party
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Friday, June 11–Sunday,
June 13: Sci-Fi Summer Con
NEWS
& ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Captain Watts named Sci-Fi
Summer Con Fan Guest of Honor
• USS
Republic wins STARFLEET Communiqué lottery
• Time to order new Republic
shirts
•
STARFLEET vs. Chapter dues
• Personnel Records
• Recent
Chapter Event Photos
SIDEBAR
• May Birthdays
• Member Reenlistments
• Wish List
• About the Republic
• For More Information
• USS Republic Online
• Related Sites
• Our Member Benefits Program
Partners
•
News from TrekToday.com
—
2010 Hallmark Trek
Ornaments
—
Trek Nation’s Colthorp on Trek, Fans
and NuTrek
—
Collins: On Romulans and Trek
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
Away
Mission to Stone Mountain Park
Saturday, May 22, 2010
US Highway 78 East, Exit 8
Stone Mountain GA 30087
(770) 498-5690 |
Because
YOU demanded it! At the Republic's Fall
Dinner & Business Meeting last year, members voted for
an "away mission" to Stone Mountain Park as one
of the chapter activities they most wanted to do in 2011. And
so.. here it is!
 Stone
Mountain Park is a green oasis where families and friends
can enjoy the outdoors together. Listed in Frommer’s
500 Places to Visit with Your Kids Before They Grow Up
and cited by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one
of the “35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See Before
You Die,” Stone Mountain Park is located just 16 miles east
of downtown Atlanta. The five-square-mile park is Georgia’s
most visited attraction. Home to the world’s largest
piece of exposed granite, Stone Mountain Park offers a variety
of attractions, entertainment and recreation, including:
Costs
Admission into the park is $10.00 per vehicle with less than
15 passengers. This gives you access to many of the park’s
fun outdoor activities, including hiking and nature trails,
a walk-up trail and a fantastic view of the Confederate memorial
carving, plus the world’s largest lasershow spectacular. Carpooling
(e.g., "cramming as many people as possible into a single
vehicle") is strongly encouraged—see below for carpooling
details.
Some of the park's attractions have individual admission fees;
others are included only in a One-Day Adventure Pass. Some
of the individual admission fees are listed above. Depending
on how long you plan to stay inside the park and/or how many
different attractions you may desire to visit, you may decide
to pay for each attraction separately or purchase a one-day
pass for $27.00 plus tax. This pass offers unlimited
admission to most park attractions including Sky Hike, Summit
Skyride, Journey to the Center of the Earth™ 4D Adventure,
Scenic Railroad, Mini-Golf and Camp Highland Outpost. If
you plan to visit three or more of the $9 attractions or even
only two of the $14 attractions, the one-day pass is definitely
the best value for an all-day "away mission."
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CLICK
THUMBNAIL FOR LARGER IMAGE
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The
USS Republic's very first "away mission"
to Stone Mountain Park... on June 4, 1988, less than
a month after the chapter's commissioning! Although
many of these charter members' names have been lost
to history, still recognizable are the Republic's
very first Commanding Officer, Capt Christopher Ernst
(fifth from right, in yellow shirt), Jon Crymes (directly
under the first T in STARFLEET) and Bruce Peret (third
from right, under the second T in STARFLEET).
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Although
the USS Republic has not visited Stone Mountain Park
in modern times, this "away mission" will not be
the chapter's first visit. As evidenced by photos
in the chapter's archives, the Republic visited Stone
Mountain Park as a group several times between 1988 and 1993. We're
very much looking forward to renewing this long-abandoned
tradition and adopting it as one of our modern annual events.
Carpooling, Picnic and Group Shot
Because admission to the park is $10.00 per vehicle, it's
a good idea to carpool. However, since not everybody
wants to arrive at the same time, we'll plan on three different
carpooling times. ENS1 Tony Cade has offered
the parking lot in front of his store, The Dragon's Horde,
as a rendezvous point. Those who wish to carpool
into Stone Mountain Park should arrive in front of The Dragon's
Horde just before 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon or 2:00 p.m. The
Dragon's Horde is located in the Value Mall shopping center
at 5615 Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain, about 2½
miles outside the Perimeter.
Whether you choose to carpool or arrive on your own, please
gather at 4:00 p.m. in the Studdard Picnic Area for a group
shot. The Studdard Picnic Area is located across
Robert E. Lee Boulevard from the Riverboat Marina Complex
and is the largest public picnic area in the park with over
200 tables. There are 25 members of the original
Republic crew in the 1988 photo shown above—let's
try to get more than that in 2010! After the group
photo, those of us who have brought food from home or purchased
from one of the park's restaurants can stay for a group picnic. Please
make plans to attend!
Please Note: If
weather conditions cause this event to be cancelled, it will
be rescheduled to sometime in October. If weather
is questionable, use your best judgement.
STONE
MOUNTAIN PARK WEB SITE
MAPS
AND DIRECTIONS |
TimeGate
& TimeGate Room Party
Friday, May 28 - Sunday, May 30, 2010
Holiday
Inn Select - Perimeter
4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Chamblee GA 30341
(877) 276-1796 |
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TimeGate
is an annual science fiction / fantasy convention that focuses
on Doctor Who and Stargate, though all interests
are represented. So if you're into Stargate SG-1,
Doctor Who, Stargate Atlantis, Torchwood
or The Sarah Jane Chronicles—or you're excited
about the upcoming show Stargate Universe—this
is the con for you! But if not, they'll also have
Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes,
literary, horror and comics programming, too, along with
many other topics.
 One
of TimeGate's guests this year is Diana Botsford,
who wrote, produced and directed for 12 years in the television
and film industry, including a screenwriting credit for
the sixth-season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
"Rascals." Additional guest information
can be found on the TimeGate web site.
Preregistration has closed; at-the-door rates are $45 for
the full weekend, $20 for Friday only and $25 for Saturday
only or Sunday only.
ROOM PARTY! The USS Republic will
have an official presence at TimeGate with a member recruitment
table throughout the weekend and a room party on Saturday
night, hosted by Lt. JG Dave Churvis. Members
and friends who plan to attend and would like to sign up
for a shift at our recruitment table should contact
the Captain and those that can help with supplies
and/or serve as hosts or hostesses for the room party are
encouraged to contact Lt. Dave. We
hope to see you there!
TIMEGATE
WEB SITE
MAP
AND DIRECTIONS
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Sci-Fi
Summer Con & SFSC Room Party
Friday, June 11 - Sunday, June 13, 2010
Crowne
Plaza Atlanta—Perimeter NW
6345 Powers Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta GA 30339
(888) 233-9527 |
Now
in its tenth year, Sci-Fi Summer Con is for fans, friends
and anyone interested in science fiction, fantasy, horror
and comics. The Republic has had an official
presence at this convention for the last several years,
including our 20th anniversary celebration two years ago. Sci-Fi
Summer Con is Atlanta's only annual convention devoted exclusively
to all forms of science fiction and fantasy, and the Republic
will once again have a very strong presence this year.
Special Membership Rate for Republic Members
Memberships are currently $20.00 until May 20 and will be
$35 at the door—however, Republic members can
register for Sci-Fi Summer Con at our special discount of
only $15.00 per person until May 20—a savings of $20.00
off the at-the-door price! To receive this special
rate, you must download
this form and remit your payment by cash, check
or money order. Contact Chris
Jones if you have any questions or problems obtaining
this rate or making your payment.
ROOM PARTY! In addition to our member
recruitment table throughout the weekend, the Republic
would like to host a room party on Saturday night. Anyone
who is planning to attend and rent a room in the hotel and
would be willing to serve as host should contact
the Captain as soon as possible. Other members
and friends who plan to attend and would like to sign up
for a shift at our recruitment table and/or help out with
this room party should also contact
the Captain soon. We
hope to see you there!
SCI-FI
SUMMER CON WEB SITE
MAP
AND DIRECTIONS
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NEWS
& ANNOUNCEMENTS
Captain
Watts named Sci-Fi Summer Con Fan Guest of Honor |
 USS
Republic Commanding Officer Capt Eric L. Watts
has been selected as Fan Guest of Honor for the 2010 Sci-Fi
Summer Con, to be held at the Crowne Plaza Northwest in Atlanta
June 11-13.
Active in Star Trek fandom for more than thirty years,
Capt Watts is one the most well-known Star Trek fans
in the Southeast. He founded and was president
of the United Federation of Trekkers in Columbia, S.C., from
1980 to 1988, served as Dragon*Con's Director of Star Trek
Programming from 1993 to 2009, and has commanded the Republic
since May 2006. He served as a production assistant
on the set of Star Trek: New Voyages for the episode
"World Enough and Time" in 2006 and will play the role of
the iconic Harry Mudd in an episode of Star Trek: Phase
II (formerly New Voyages) called "The Sky
Above, The Mudd Below" in the fall of 2011.
Capt Watts was Sci-Fi Summer Con's Fan Guest of Honor in 2004
and is delighted to be named Fan Guest of Honor again in 2010. This
year, he'll be moderating two discussion panels, "Out
with the Old, In with the New: The Repercussions of J. J.
Abrams' Star Trek" and "The Past, Present
and Future of Star Trek Fandom in Atlanta."
SCI-FI
SUMMER CON WEB SITE
ERIC L. WATTS
BIOGRAPHY |
| USS
Republic wins STARFLEET Communiqué lottery |
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STARFLEET
Communiqué #157 features the USS Republic.
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The
USS Republic was one of six winners of STARFLEET's
bimonthly CQ lottery for issue #157, the most recent issue
that featured the Republic on the front cover and
in a five-page article. Each issue, CQ editor
Rear Admiral Jon Lane randomly selects six STARFLEET
chapters (five domestic, one international) to receive a
box of 100 surplus copies of that issue to use as member
recruitment incentives. In a message posted to
several STARFLEET mailing lists, Adm Lane assured members
that the Republic being selected a winner of the
lottery of the issue with our cover photo was purely coincidental. The
other five winners include the USS Revelation (Kingsport,
Tennessee), the USS BortaS (Homer, Illinois), the
USS Ark Angel (Lago Vista, Texas), Deep Space Two
(Sarasota, Florida) and the USS Dauntless (Johannesburg,
South Africa).
Our
shipment of 100 copies has arrived and will be used at our
member recruitment tables over the next four months. If
any member of the Republic has still not received
their subscription copy in the mail, please
contact
the Captain.
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| Time
to order new Republic shirts |
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Detail
of our embroidered sport shirts--click to enlarge
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With
summer almost here and the Republic planning an active
schedule of events, it may be time for you to order one of
our spiffy Republic sport shirts. These
high-quality collared shirts with a black yoke, collar and
sleeves with royal blue torso, reminiscent of the Voyager-style
Starfleet uniform, have the Republic's red, blue, yellow
and black logo embroidered on the left breast. They
have been very popular at Republic events and activities
where full Star Trek costumes aren't necessary or appropriate.
Available in all sizes from Small to 3XL, these great-looking
shirts are available for only $40.00 each (plus $5.00 shipping,
if needed). We don't keep these shirts in stock...
we special-order them once we've received a minimum of six
payments. So far, we've received only one. Payment
options and instructions can be found in our Ship's
Store. Don't miss your chance to get this
great-looking shirt... order yours today! |
| STARFLEET
vs. Chapter dues |
 When
you remit your annual membership dues payment of $25.00 to
the Republic, $15.00 is forwarded to STARFLEET and
the Republic keeps the remainder. If you
receive a dues renewal notice from STARFLEET and pay $15.00
directly to them, please remember that you still owe the
Republic an additional $10.00 for chapter dues. To
make recordkeeping as simple as possible, Republic
command prefers that members submit a single payment of $25.00
to the chapter. Your STARFLEET dues will be paid
on your behalf. Dues can be paid quickly and easily
on the Republic's web
site. Thank you! |
| Personnel
Records |
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Congratulations
to ENS1 Zannetta Law, who announced her engagement
to Richard Tucker at the Republic's Spring
Dinner & Business Meeting in April. Zannetta
and Richard are planning to get married sometime this
summer and can be seen together in the Dinner Meeting
and Iron Man 2 photos shown below. |
| Something
special going on in your life? Submit
your Personnel Record for publication in the
next issue of The Republiqué! |
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| Recent
Chapter Event Photos |
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Spring
Dinner & Business Meeting || April
18, 2010
Members and Friends of the USS Republic
meet at the Ryan's Family Steakhouse in Brookhaven
to chart the ship's course for the next six months.
Front row: ENS3 Chris White, Capt Michael Cowart,
CO Capt Eric L. Watts, Ens Robert Teague, Ens Ken
Cribbs. Back row: ENS3 Jeff Trew, ENS3 Joanne Trew,
Ens Kelli M. Orr, Ens Eddie Hines, Ens Barry Bynum,
ENS3 Marilyn Teague, Lt. JG Dave Churvis, ENS1 Zannetta
Law, Richard Tucker, Chris Jones.
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OutLantaCon || April
30-May 2, 2010
Commanding Officer Capt Eric L. Watts diligently
works the USS Republic's recruitment table
at OutLantaCon, a three-day sci-fi/fantasy/gaming
convention held by and for the local GLBT community.
Capt Watts' efforts resulted in two new members
joining the Republic over the April 30 to
May 2 weekend.
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Away
Mission to Iron Man 2 || May
8, 2010
Members and friends of the USS Republic
NCC-1371 gather for an "away mission" to Iron
Man 2 on opening day weekend. Kneeling
and seated in front: Crmn Jessica Curtis, Ens Eddie
Hines, ENS3 Chris White, CO Capt Eric L. Watts,
Melanie Hayes, Ens Ken Cribbs, Gwen Brown. Standing:
Sarah Hughes, Ens Robert Teague, CRMN3 Jenilee Trew,
Sharyn Bilbo, ENS3 Marilyn Teague, Richard Tucker,
ENS1 Zannetta Law, Capt Michael Cowart, ENS3 Julianne
Trew, ENS3 John Stump, ENS3 Joanne Trew, ENS3 Jeff
Trew, Ens Barry Bynum, Kevin Parker, Theresa Parker,
David Brown.
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MAY
BIRTHDAYS
Saturday, May 1
Ens David M. Phillips
Sunday, May 2
Capt Michael Cowart
Wednesday, May 5
Ens Barry Bynum
Saturday, May 8
Ens Glenn Albertini
Monday, May 10
Ens Linda Phillips
Friday, May 14
Cdt Noah Taylor
Monday, May 17
Ens Lisa Burrows
Cmdr David A. Slaughter
Thursday, May 20
Ens Bill Searcy
Tuesday, May 25
ENS3 Julianne Trew
Thursday, May 27
Ens Sean Johnson
Friday, May 28
Ens Page E. Lewis
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MEMBER
REENLISTMENTS
These members renewed their SFI and chapter
dues in April
Lt JG David Churvis
ENS1 Lea Hepler
ENS2 Michael A. Knight
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The
Republic needs certain items on a continuing basis
to operate. To help keep our expenses and membership
dues as low as possible, donations of the following items
would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for
your support!
CRITICAL NEED: HP 10 black, cyan, magenta and yellow
ink cartridges and print heads
Also:
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Wi-fi
enabled Windows XP laptop with remote mouse |
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postage
stamps |
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ABOUT
THE REPUBLIC
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Commissioned
on May 14, 1988 at Dixie-Trek in Atlanta, Georgia, the
USS Republic NCC-1371 is a chapter of STARFLEET
International (SFI) and a member of STARFLEET Region 2. The
Republic currently has 106 active members
(as of May 10) and is the largest chapter of STARFLEET
in the world.
The Republic plans and coordinates an active schedule
of events for its members, frequently partnering with
other local science fiction groups in the Atlanta area
for joint activities, but does not hold meetings on a
consistently fixed date each month.
Membership in the Republic includes membership
in STARFLEET International. Annual dues are $25
per person for both groups (family discounts are available
with certain conditions and restrictions). Membership
in the Republic includes access to our YahooGroups
message board, voting privileges in chapter elections
and a personalized laminated membership card which entitles
the member to discounts and rebates on products and services
offered by our Member Benefits Program partners. Additional
information on Republic membership and how to join
is on our award-winning web site.
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FOR
MORE INFORMATION
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USS
REPUBLIC ONLINE
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RELATED
SITES
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OUR
MEMBER BENEFITS PROGRAM PARTNERS
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NEWS
from
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| 2010
Hallmark Trek Ornaments |
|
by
T'Bonz
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| The
new Hallmark Christmas Ornament Keepsake brochure went online
this weekend, and fans can see (and hear) the newest Star
Trek ornament offerings. |
Kirk, the USS Enterprise and "Amok Time"
feature in this year’s Star Trek ornament collection. |
This year’s ship is the USS Enterprise from J. J.
Abrams‘ Star Trek XI movie. There are battery-operated
illuminated lights on the ornament. The ornament will
sell for $32.95. |
Next up is Captain James T. Kirk, the first in a new series
of ornaments which will feature a different character from
the original series. The Kirk ornament will sell for
$14.95. |
And finally, fans of "Amok Time" will enjoy an
ornament which features the Kirk-Spock lirpa fight scene
on Vulcan. Battery-operated, the ornament figures
the “fight scene” music so familiar to fans of the original
series, a preview of which can be heard at the Hallmark
site. This ornament will sell for $28.95. |
The ornament sale will commence with the Hallmark ornament
premiere which runs from July 10-11. |
To see the ornaments at the Hallmark
web site, select “In Hallmark Stores,” “Keepsake
Ornaments,” “Favorite Characters and Interests,” and finally
“Star Trek.” |
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Trek Nation’s Colthorp on Trek, Fans and
NuTrek |
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by
T'Bonz
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| Scott
Colthorp, director of Trek Nation, a Star Trek
documentary in progress, and Rod Roddenberry, son of Gene
Roddenberry, seek to make a film unlike previous Star
Trek documentaries such as Trekkies. |
It’s not easy being a Star Trek fan, with the average
public’s perception of the typical Star Trek fan
being shaped by films such as 1997’s Trekkies as
well as William Shatner’s "Get A Life" skit on
Saturday Night Live in the 1980s. |
Colthorp and Roddenberry are seeking to make a different
film, one that explores both the roots and the endurance
of the Star Trek phenomenon. “Ten years ago,
Rod Roddenberry and I set out to create a film that was,
in many ways, an antithesis to Trekkies,” said Colthorp.
“We agreed that our documentary would not focus on
the overzealous, costumed fans. We wanted to go beneath
the surface of fandom and explore the roots of the show’s
popularity and endurance from the perspective of a son,
Rod, who lost his father when he was seventeen. What
we discovered was an ex-cop with a philosophical bent, and
the courage to share his ideals in the form of a television
show. |
“The zealotry and nerdiness of Star Trek fans were
forever immortalized by William Shatner’s "Get a life!"
in that late-’80s Saturday Night Live episode. So
I wasn’t surprised to find high-cognitive intelligence when
I first began interviewing fans in the late ’90s. But
I was a little surprised to find such a diverse crowd of
emotionally developed people as well. Of course, any
popular cultural phenomenon, from sports to politics, has
no shortage of fanatics. But Star Trek fans
are very kind and thoughtful people who have, in my opinion,
been misrepresented by the media.” |
Colthorp himself is a fan. “It was at a gathering
of my college roommates every evening to watch reruns of
the original series that I found my first satori,” he said.
“My roommates and I ran the gamut of diversity: an
Army brat, a fraternity brother, an art student and myself,
a struggling philosophy student. |
“It was the Gene Roddenberry-penned script, 'The Menagerie,'
which was reformatted from the original pilot, 'The Cage,'
that grabbed my attention. I suppose my initiation
to many philosophical concepts was birthed from multiple
viewings of that episode. Of course, it was only during
the making of this documentary I have been able to articulate
what I discovered intuitively from watching this show as
a pimple-faced college student many eons ago.” |
Even though he is a long-time fan, Colthorp has enjoyed
Star Trek as done by J. J. Abrams. “I think
J. J. Abrams’ re-envisioning of Star Trek was long
overdue,” he said. “The franchise needed some fresh
talent and J. J. brought an action-packed film of the highest
order, although it lacked many of Gene’s humanistic themes.
But I think it takes an ambitious, action-oriented
and philosophically minded artist to speak deeply about
the human condition without boring today’s youthful audience.
That’s a tall order.” |
Trek Nation will go beyond the usual “crazy conventions
and over-passionate fans,” according to the description
at the official web
site for the movie.
Trek Nation will “attempt to capture how this
manifestation of a single force (Gene Roddenberry) can affect
so many walks of life.” Star Trek fans include
the famous, including “professional athletes, models, celebrities,
politicians, historians, bikers, religious leaders, lawyers
and those on the fringe of society.” |
Trek Nation is still seeking distribution and no
release date has yet been set. |
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Collins:
On Romulans and Trek |
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by
T'Bonz
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| Playing
a Romulan had Clifton Collins, Jr. looking into the deepest,
darkest part of himself. |
Although he was not a Trekkie, Collins was aware of Star
Trek, especially Leonard Nimoy. “I’ve got to say
to you that I am not a Trekkie,” he said. “I think
we all grew up watching Star Trek, whether you are
a Trekkie or not. Not to mention, just the sound
of Leonard Nimoy’s voice; it is something just so familiar
to us growing up, in those earlier years of your childhood.
There is something very comforting about it.” |
Collins had worked with J. J. Abrams before Star Trek
XI and had a high opinion of Abrams as a director.
“J. J. Abrams is a different kind of director,” he said.
“I think if every director were like J. J., Hollywood
would be like this really wonderful, just place. There
wouldn’t be any strikes. There wouldn’t be any of
that stuff. We were putting 18 hours a day and there
wasn’t a single person on that set that wouldn’t do anything
for J. J. He’s just that kind of a director.” |
Seeing himself as a Romulan for the first time spooked Collins
a bit. “I must confess that when I saw myself for
the first time I thought: ‘Wow! If I were able to
peel all the layers of skin off my past lives, this is what
I would look like in my pure evilest form.’ Believe
me, it scared me, too. I looked and I thought: ‘Oh
my God! Is this who I am deep down inside?’ It’s
funny because you are in outer space so you think: ‘What
do I pull from here? What do I research? Do
I call NASA? What do I do?’” |
Even though he was a Romulan and one of the villains, working
on Star Trek XI was a thrill for Collins. “…there
is something really heart-stopping when you get to set,”
he said. “I remember a specific point when the grandeur
of the whole endeavor just kind of hit me like a big bag
of bricks. I tried to pinch myself desperately because
I just wanted to wake up, and I realized that I wasn’t going
to wake up because I was on set and we were, in fact, shooting
Star Trek, and it is in fact going to be a whole
revival that everybody all over the world was going to enjoy
and embrace wholeheartedly.” |
Collins’s most recent film, The Perfect Game, in
which he plays the coach of an underdog team who wins the
Little League World Series, opened last month. |
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