Review: Starship Exeter

If you don't have any interest in the original TV Star Trek, or low-budget film-making, you can skip this. A couple months ago, I was reading a back issue of Star Trek Communicator and I found a link to a Trek fan film called Starship Exeter. rattrap posted a similar link not long afterward, and this weekend I got around to downloading and watching this 2002 production.

Let's start with what they did wrong. The script has a few "well why didn't the characters do X?" moments. The aliens are a bit oddly acted in places, and the production crew admits to regretting a certain monster model.

That's all. Everything else is freaking perfect. The costumes are right. The sets are right. The props are right, the sound effects are right, the characters are right out of 2270's Starfleet. They even made their gorgeous CGI Constitution-class starship wobble at the same place the Enterprise used to wobble in certain shots. I was completely transported (no pun intended) back to a time when a determined humanity was making its mark in the Trek universe, whether alien races liked it or not.

This brings me to another point. Say all you want about certain cheesy aspects of classic Trek, it was one of the most high-budget TV shows of the 60's - nobody did anything with better production values back then. Starship Exeter is so well-done that if it was showing on cable right now, it could fool you for a moment into thinking that you were watching another Roddenberry spin-off pilot. Low-budget film-making is catching up to Hollywood faster and faster - one reviewer stated that he'd rather watch Exeter than Nemesis.

This was a joy to watch, not just for the nostalgia overload, but as the herald of what's to come for those of us with DV cameras and a few thousand bucks. I highly recommend it.

You are cordially invited

What:  Michael & Rain Moving
Where : (from Salem Wood Apartments) 100 Kimball Ave Apt G84 Salem, VA
When:  Saturday September 25th show up anytime after 9:00am
Who:  Any and all who would like to help 

Directions - From 81 take exit 140 and turn right at the stop sign at the bottom of the exit ramp.  Follow this road for about 1.5 miles.  You will go through a light at Main Street, continue forward.  You will go through another light, continue forward.  The first street you can turn at after the second light you will make a Left (there is no light or stop sign here).  It is Colorado Street.  Stay on this street for about a mile or so.  You will go through a stop light where the Salem Donut shop is on your right hand side.  Continue forward.  You will go up and over a small bridge.  When you see another stop light coming, there will be a stop sign to the right of the stop light.  You need to go forward to the stop sign and not the stop light (There is an Apple Mart on the corner).  This is still Colorado Street.  Go forward along the sharp turn in the road.  There will be a parking lot on your left hand side, right after that is Salem Wood Apartments, turn left into them.  We are the very first building on your right hand side, building G.

Things to know - our apartment is on the 3rd floor so stairs are involved.  It is 1.5 flights of stairs (one of those set ups a half flight down is the first floor, a half flight up is the second.)  We will have tons of drinks for everyone, ice tea, pop, whatever people want.  We will also be providing food.

If you could drop us a line if you think you could make it that would be great.

Thanx everyone!!