Simon Pegg talks with astronaut Kate Rubins aboard the ISS

by Lisa Guetzkow
 

Simon Pegg, actor and co-writer of Star Trek Beyond, recently discussed the latest installment in the Star Trek franchise with Kate Rubins, a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station.

Dr. Rubins said, “I got a chance to watch your movie and I think probably I had the best view because I watched it from our cupola, which is our windows that are facing the Earth.” Pegg remarked there is no better place to watch a Sci-Fi movie than in space. Rubens added, “I got a little distracted by Earth a few times.”

Rubens went on to reflect that the special effects crew for Star Trek Beyond did something right because it absolutely felt like a space station.

Various technological advances have been inspired by Star Trek, one of them being the medical tricorder. Rubins expressed her wish for a real-life tricorder, hoping that life would imitate art in this instance.

Before signing off, Simon Pegg offered his services by saying, “If you need a chief engineer to come and fix your warp core, you know where I am.”

Watch the entire 26 minute interview below:

STAR TREK BEYOND is now available on Digital HD and will be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D Combo Packs November 1st.

BREAKING: Bryan Fuller Steps Down as ‘Discovery’ Show Runner

by Lisa Guetzkow
 

On Oct. 26, Variety reported Bryan Fuller has stepped down as the show runner for the upcoming series Star Trek: Discovery. Fuller will remain as an executive producer and the series will continue to follow the vision he has established for the universe with Fuller continuing to be involved in the story, but the day-to-day showrunning will be handed over to executive producers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, with writer-director Akiva Goldsman also joining in a top creative role.

According to Variety, there has been “strain” between CBS and Fuller over “the progress of the production of the show”. Fuller has written the first two scripts for Discovery and has planned out the major story arc for the show, but Fuller is also busy with the upcoming Starz drama “American Gods” and preparing NBC’s reboot of “Amazing Stories.”

Filming is set to begin next month in Toronto, though the lead character — a female lieutenant commander — has yet to be cast. Star Trek Discovery is scheduled to debut May 2017, after the original January launch was pushed back.

 
Mighty Mundane filed this report for broadcast:

Feature Series: Halloween Costuming

 
STAR TREK BEYOND continues to pay tribute the original 1966 series in it’s redesign of the costumes. Adam Savage and Norman Chan analyze a production quality costume from the film’s costume designer, Sanja Hays. She has worked on all seven Fast and Furious films along with 1998’s Star Trek: Insurrection. The crew uniforms were completely redesigned, replacing the Federation logo pattern seen in the previous two films. The retro look has cast member Karl Urban (Dr. “Bones” McCoy) commenting, “In the 50th Anniversary, the designers have done a wonderful job of giving a lovely nod to Star Trek’s past.”

Costume designers and cosplay artists will notice details like dual tone panels, long sleeves, and an update to the Starfleet insignia pin. Unlike the previous two films where the insignia pin was silver, the Star Trek Beyond insignia is primarily gold with a silver bevel. Film production pins were applied with adhesive and curved to lay nicely on the chest. Devil is in the details!

STAR TREK BEYOND is already available on Digital HD and will be released on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and Blu-ray 3D™ combo packs Nov. 1, 2016.

Star Trek Online: Shipyard Update, October 2016

From the Dockmaster at Utopia Planitia:

The Star Trek Online team have released three new Dreadnought Class [T6] starships for Federation Starfleet, Klingon Defense Force, and Romulan Republic factions.
 

• The first vessel, available to Starfleet Captains at Vice Admiral Rank, is the Yamato Class Dreadnought Cruiser, based on the Galaxy Class Spaceframe this cruiser features a built-in Phaser Spinal Lance capability and Saucer Separation. The Yamato Class can be kit-bashed with Galaxy, Monarch, and Venture (if purchased) class section modules.

  

• The second vessel, acquirable by Klingon Captains at Lieutenant General Rank, is the Kosali Siege Destroyer, based on the Nausicaan Garumba Spaceframe this ship type features built-in Siege Mode and Javelin capabilities. The Kosali can be kit-bashed with Guramba class section modules.

  

• The third vessel, which can be requisitioned by Romulan Captains at Vice Admiral Rank, is the Kara Advanced Warbird, based on the Ha’apax Warbird Design this vessel class features a built-in Plasma Spinal Lance capability and Dual Vector Separation. The Kara Class can be kit-bashed with Ha’apax and Haakona (if purchased) class section modules.

  

 
Each of these starships comes equipped with a Supplemental Subsystems universal console and an unlockable Subsystem Redundancies starship trait.

Supplemental Subsystems Console

“Activating this console substantially increases your starship’s maximum subsystem power levels for a short time. While active, incoming energy weapon attacks damage the attacker, and leech a small amount of the attacker’s subsystem power back to you. Additionally, you gain a Subsystem Overload Counter each time you are hit with an energy attack. After obtaining 20 counters you emit a devastating pulse of electrical energy which deals heavy damage to nearby enemies. Affected enemies have all of their subsystems knocked offline for a brief period. This console provides a passive bonus to all subsystem power levels and can only be equipped on Starfleet Dreadnought Cruisers, Advanced Warbirds or Siege Destroyers in any console slot.” Source: Cryptic

Subsystem Redundancies

A Level 5 Starship Mastery Trait. “While Subsystem Redundancies is slotted, firing a Spinal Lance, Javelin or Beam: Overload I, II and III will trigger a shield heal, a shield hardness buff and will restore offline shields.” Source: Cryptic

These vessels are also equipped with a hangar bay and are available for purchase in Star Trek Online via the C-Store.

Feature Series: Halloween Make-up Tutorial

Halloween is right around the corner, which means it’s time to decide what you’re going to do for this year. Creating a great science fiction look can be deadly, but you don’t have to be a professional makeup artist to master this killer look!

Instead, try this step-by-step tutorial from Joel Harlow (Make-up Designer) and Richie Alonzo (Lead Make-up Artist) to achieve Jaylah’s look from Star Trek Beyond — plus, shockingly enough, this look takes less than 10 minutes to do!

What you’ll need before getting started:

• Spirit gum
• White cream foundation
• No color powder
• White aqua color foundation
• Black eyeliner pencil
• Black aqua color paint
• Beige lip liner
• Beige lip stick
• Opalescent lip glaze
• Artificial eyelashes
• Eyeshadow pots (black, purple, & blue)

Step – 1. Use Spirit Gum to glue down the eyebrows. This creates a smooth surface to work with when applying make-up later.

Step – 2. Apply base cream foundation in white over the entire face and neck with a makeup sponge. Apply a thicker layer over the eyebrows to make sure they disappear. Then set the foundation with colorless finishing powder. Setting cream or liquid foundation prevents it from migrating into any lines or sliding down off your face.

Step – 3. Stipple white Aquacolor foundation on top of the white cream to add depth of color. Set this layer with more finishing powder.

Step – 4. Use a string to align the top of your forehead to the bridge of your nose. Mark out a dotted line as a straight guide line using black eyeliner. Fill in the dotted line with black Aquacolor paint. Repeat this step to complete the rest of the black line work, again using the string as a guide for symmetry.

Step – 5. Apply purple and black eye shadow only to the lids. Add adhesive to the artificial lashes and wait about 30 seconds before applying them to your eyelids. It’s recommended you curl your natural lashes, creating a shelf to hold the weight. Use black Aquacolor paint to bring the black line work onto the top eyelids and below.

Step – 6. Part your lips slightly and apply beige lip liner to your natural lip line, then fill it in with beige lipstick. Finish off with a top coat of opalescent lip glaze.

Step – 7. Lightly contour your cheeks, jawline, neck and nose with light blue eye shadow.

Step – 8. Add a silver, long-haired wig to complete your look. Pro tip: bring the black lines into the hair line of the wig.

STAR TREK BEYOND is already available on Digital HD and will be released on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and Blu-ray 3D™ combo cacks Nov. 1, 2016.

Beam up This Pin Mate™

Entertainment Earth Convention Exclusive!

Dressed in uniforms as characters from Star Trek: The Original Series, your favorite guys and gals from The Big Bang Theory are ready to beam up in new Pin Mate form from Bif Bang Pow!. Designed in a retro-style, these 7 miniature wooden figures are designed with intricate 360-degree artwork that includes hand-painted details alongside limited decals, which showcase Sheldon as Spock (Blue), Leonard as Kirk (Gold), Howard as Scotty (Red), Raj as Operations Guy that Always Gets Killed (Red), Penny as Operations (Red), Bernadette as Sciences (Blue), and Amy as Sciences (Blue).

BUY NOW! Use this link to support Trek Radio BUY NOW!

• First-ever Pin Mate™ set celebrating THE BIG BANG THEORY™ characters in Star Trek: The Original Series outfits.
• One-of-a-kind, retro-styled, miniature wooden figure.
• Numbers 1 – 7 in the series for true collectibility.
• In addition, each complete boxed set in this limited edition run is individually numbered with a holographic sticker.

Proving some of the best things do come in small packages, each character in the set measures 2-inches tall and is uniquely numbered on the bottom of the figure (as well as on the packaging): Sheldon is No. 1, Leonard is No. 2, Howard is No. 3, Raj is No. 4, Penny is No. 5, Bernadette is No. 6, and Amy is No. 7. Limited to 1504 sets, each Entertainment Earth Convention Exclusive is individually numbered with a holographic sticker. Ages 14 and up.

Leonard and Sheldon are brilliant physicists – geniuses in the laboratory, but socially challenged in the real world. Enter beautiful, street-smart neighbor, Penny who aims to teach them a thing or two about life. Something of a leader to her friends Amy and Bernadette, Penny is now married to Leonard and has a “real job” as a pharmaceuticals rep. Even Sheldon has found a female companion – entering into a “Relationship Agreement” with neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler. In their free time, Leonard and Sheldon continue to enjoy frequent trips to the comic book store and fantasy role-playing games with their ever-expanding universe of friends, including fellow scientists Raj and Howard, and Howard’s adorable microbiologist wife, Bernadette.

THE BIG BANG THEORY: TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Portal 47 Anniversary Telebriefing with Director Robert Butler

In celebration of the one year anniversary of the launch of Trekland’s Portal 47, “Dr. Trek” Larry Nemecek will host a special free Open House Telebriefing on Wednesday, October 12, 2016.

Beginning at 7pm PT / 10pm ET, Larry will be joined by Star Trek‘s first director, Robert Butler, director of the original pilot episode “The Cage” as well as a long list of episodes from iconic television series. Fans can listen to the telebriefing via phone or online link, and can submit questions in advance.

 
To reserve your virtual seat in advance for this historical telebriefing, and for more information about this event and Portal 47, go to portal47.net/specialevent.

This Open House Anniversary Telebriefing serves as a free sample of the type of telebriefings, insider guides and exclusive content offered to subscribers of Portal 47 each month.

Be sure to connect via social media with Portal 47 and Trekland on Facebook and follow @LarryNemeck on Twitter.

INTERVIEW: Broken Spirits

On October 6th, Trek Radio was joined by Stephen Weese (Producer/Screenwriter/Actor) and Richard Epcar (Actor/Voiceover Artist) from the upcoming Sci-Fi/Action movie Broken Spirits.

Broken Spirits is a full-length, independent feature that travels to an alternate dimension in our world. Trek Radio staff members Mundane, Doc, and Risa ask the tough questions in this exciting new interview. They go into the film’s production, Richard and Stephen’s thoughts on the process, as well as some of their acting backgrounds.

Click on the player below to listen to Trek Radio’s interview about Broken Spirits as we learn more about the the worlds between life and death.

PLOT: Three friends, Valerie (Cristina Vee), Scott (Steve Weese) and Trey (Gregory Crafts), take a day trip to a sweat lodge spiritual retreat at the suggestion of another friend, Daniel (Jason Wishnov). The lodge, run by half-baked spiritual guru Godric (Richard Epcar), is situated on a portal to another dimension. The four friends are pulled into the alternate dimension, where four evil spirits from a past century attack the friends to steal their bodies and strand them in this empty dimension forever.

Once you’ve listened to the interview, check out the official trailer and feature interviews with the cast members. A number of well-known actors and experienced crew members are involved in the production. Many of the cast are recognized voice actors from high profile Japanese animation such as Full Metal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell, and Neon Genesis Evangelion.

If you like playing League of Legends, then you’ll want to see Broken Spirits! You’ll not only get to hear the voice of Riven and Lee Sin in the film, but see Cristina Vee and Vic Mignogna acting in a live action feature.

Currently the film is in post production and promotion. Look for the film at animation, sci-fi and indie film conventions all over the US and abroad. The film was shot on RED MX.

To learn more, visit the film’s Official Site and keep up-to-date by following Broken Spirits on Facebook and Twitter.

Star Trek Beyond Beams into Space

Flying at speeds of 28,800 km an hour, the International Space Station only takes 90 minutes to completely circle the Earth. Astronauts working and living on the station can experience 16 sunrises and sunsets each day. With all of that right outside your window, what is an astronaut to do when they’re not conducting experiments or making repairs?

Paramount Pictures has provided the best in entertainment for astronaut downtime:

This summer’s blockbuster hit STAR TREK BEYOND has been beamed up to the team of astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to make its extraterrestrial debut.

The International Space Station serves as the world’s leading laboratory for conducting cutting-edge microgravity research, and is the primary platform for technology development and testing in space to enable human and robotic exploration of destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, including asteroids and Mars. The STAR TREK franchise is widely credited for inspiring a number of the technologies we enjoy today and for depicting a future in which international—and interspecies—cooperation advances human knowledge beyond the bounds of Earth. A living embodiment of STAR TREK creator Gene Roddenberry’s vision, the multinational inhabitants of the ISS will now have the opportunity to enjoy the very latest STAR TREK adventure as they continue to boldly go where no one has gone before.

From producer J.J. Abrams and director Justin Lin, the newest installment in the iconic STAR TREK franchise was one of the best-reviewed action movies of the year. Featuring an all-star cast including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and franchise newcomer Idris Elba, STAR TREK BEYOND follows the intrepid crew of the Enterprise as they explore the furthest reaches of uncharted space and encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

STAR TREK BEYOND is now available on Digital HD and will arrive on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on November 1, 2016.

Star Trek Beyond

Event Spotlight: Star Trek Online 50th Anniversary Party