What can you say about a guy who managed to save the Star Trek film franchise from itselftwice? Star Trek: The Motion Picture, while not necessarily a bad film, was a major disappointment, especially for Trekkies whod waited years for the beloved Enterprise crew to make a comeback. What they got for their patience was a long, bloated special effects showcase with a few familiar faces along for the ride. Nicolas Meyer, fresh off his first directorial effort (1979s Time After Time, one of the greatest time travel movies no one ever talks about), was hired to inject some much-needed humanity into the sequel, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (he also did an uncredited rewrite of the screenplay). Though made for a fraction of the budget of the first film, Star Trek II is justifiably considered one of the best entries in the entire franchise for two reasons. First, it milks our built-in familiarity with these iconic characters for all its worth, rendering the climax as emotionally-powerful as sci-fi gets. Second, the film revisits the past to give us the nastiest sci-fi villain since Darth Vader, Khan (Ricardo Montalban, returning to the character he played in a single TV episode, only with more psychotic gusto). Meyer would go on to direct the harrowing television film, The Day After, a realistic depiction of the aftermath of nuclear war, before being called to rescue the Star Trek franchise yet-again, this time after William Shatners disastrous, cheaply-made slapstick debacle, Star Trek V. Though there was some question whether or not the series should continue at all, especially with the cast getting-on in years, Meyer was the perfect choice to make sure the franchise ended on a high note. Once-again having a hand in the story, Meyer acknowledged these characters were getting old and made their advanced age a poignant element to the film. As director and co-writer, hes arguably the primary reason Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country concluded the original franchise with a bang instead of a whimper. While still an active screenwriter, Meyer hasnt directed a film in years. Too badhed have been the perfect choice for the third film in the Star Trek reboot franchise.
D.M. Anderson works and lives in Portland Oregon. He is the author of two young adult novels (Killer Cows & Shaken) and a collection of dark tales (With the Wicked). He has also published several short stories which have appeared (or will appear) in various anthologies and magazines such as 69 Flavors of Paranoia, Night Terrors, Trembles, Encounters, Implosion, Strange Fucking Stories, Perpetual Motion Machine. He documents his adventures in the dark on on his movie site, Free Kittens Movie Guide
