Kirsten Beyer's Full Circle. Star Trek: Discovery's writing staff has many Trek veterans from all facets of the franchise. Whether it is the original movies, The Next Generation, or the Kelvin timeline, everything is covered. Even the tie-in novels. In recent years, Kirsten Beyer has taken the reigns on the post-series Voyager books, continuing the story of Janeway and her crew. Now, Beyer is bringing her talents to the screen. In this episode of Stage Nine, John is joined by Charlynn...

Dead Like Me. Star Trek: Discovery is not the first show which Bryan Fuller departed shortly after its creation. Fuller also left his very first series, Dead Like Me, after only a handful of episodes. And yet, it could be argued that Dead Like Me maintained the essence of Fuller's vision long after he was gone. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike is joined by Sarah of The Talk Film Society to look at Dead Like Me. We discuss what makes it inherently Fuller, what place it has inside the...

Supergirl: For the Girl Who Has Everything. Prior to joining the Star Trek: Discovery writing staff, Ted Sullivan worked on another beloved geek property, Supergirl. In the first season of that series, he co-wrote "For the Girl Who Has Everything" with Derek Simon. The episode is an adaptation of a classic Superman comic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons entitled "For the Man Who Has Everything." In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike is joined by his Commentary Track Stars co-host Max to...

The Mummy. While Alex Kurtzman has co-created Star Trek: Discovery with Bryan Fuller, his primary focus has been directing the first film in Universal's Dark Universe, The Mummy. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike is joined by Lee of Earl Grey to look at Kurtzman's new movie. We discuss our thoughts on the film, what its performance means for the rest of the Dark Universe, and how we feel Kurtzman performed as a director. Chapters Intro (00:00:00)  The Mummy (00:01:43)  The Dark...

Wonder Woman.   Star Trek fans identify Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, the most iconic leading character in the franchise. But in Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman, Pine takes on the role of sidekick as Captain Steven Trevor. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John take a look at the new DC film. We discuss our thoughts on the movie, Pine's performance, and the DCEU as a whole. In news, we ponder what other Star Trek project Nicholas Meyer could be working on. Chapters Intro...

The Music of Nimoy and Shatner.     Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner are men of many talents. While best known for their work as actors, writers and directors, both Nimoy and Shatner have had musical careers spanning multiple albums. In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike take a look at the music of Nimoy and Shatner. We discuss their early work, such as Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space by Nimoy and The Transformed Man by Shatner, and more critically acclaimed efforts, like The...

Alien: Covenant.   John Logan has contributed his writing to a number of high-profile film franchises (including Star Trek). He has also worked with Ridley Scott on the Best Picture winner, Gladiator. With Alien: Covenant, Logan covers both of these territories. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John are joined by Brandon from Melodic Treks to look at Logan's script for Covenant. We discuss our thoughts on the movie, how it bridges the gap between Prometheus and Alien, and how it...

Skyfall.   Star Trek: Nemesis featured that pairing of writer John Logan and director Stuart Baird. While that effort may not have yielded the finest results, the duo would re-team in a uniquely different capacity on the 007 movie, Skyfall. Logan once again wrote the script. But this time around, Baird was not behind the camera, but in the editing room. In this episode of Stage Nine, hosts John Mills and Mike Schindler take a look at Skyfall. We discuss the similarities to The Wrath of...

Any Given Sunday. While in pre-production on Star Trek: Nemesis, producer Rick Berman teased the involvement of an A-list writer. That writer turned out to be Oscar nominee John Logan. While best known at the time for his contribution to Ridley Scott's Gladiator, Logan's best film is arguably Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday. The picture stars Al Pacino as a football coach who is at a crossroads when Dennis Quaid, his aging star quarterback, is injured, making way for Jamie Foxx, a...

American Gods. Last year, Bryan Fuller left Star Trek: Discovery because of scheduling conflicts with another show he was developing. That show, American Gods, premiered last week. Based on the Neil Gaiman novel, American Gods tells the story of an ex-convict who becomes involved in a war between gods being fought on Earth. In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike take a look at the pilot for Fuller's new show. We discuss Fuller's trademarks, speculate on his reasons for leaving...

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. News that Jason Isaacs will helm the U.S.S. Discovery in the upcoming Star Trek prequel was welcomed by genre fans who know him best from another beloved franchise, Harry Potter. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John take a look at the first film in which Isaacs portrays the sinister Lucius Malfoy, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We discuss our thoughts on the film in general, Isaacs' performance in particular, and whether or not...

Trek All-Star Team. Many talented people have worked on Star Trek throughout the years. But who are the best in their respective fields? In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike assemble their Star Trek All-Star teams. We pick our favorite composer, editor, designer, cinematographer, writer, and director from the history of Trek. In news, we discuss Discovery's new cinematographer, Darran Tiernan. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Darran Tiernan (00:00:42) All-Star Team (00:02:39) ...

The Man in the High Castle Pilot. Star Trek: Discovery's pilot was directed by David Semel, a television veteran who has worked on many shows, including Heroes, House, and of course, Dawson's Creek. But perhaps most notably, he directed the pilot for the hit Amazon series, The Man in the High Castle. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John take a look at that pilot. We discuss the show's unique premise, the cinematic look, and how Semel creates a believable alternate reality. In...

Loaded Weapon 1. William Shatner's post-Star Trek career has been highlighted by numerous comedic performances in such projects as Free Enterprise, Miss Congeniality, and of course, Boston Legal. But Shatner's new career path started just a year after the release of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country with his portrayal of villain, General Mortars, in the National Lampoon spoof, Loaded Weapon 1. In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike take a look at Shatner's performance in...

The Fourth Kind. Star Trek: Discovery director Olatunde Osunsanmi has developed an impressive filmography as a television directer, having worked on such shows as Bates Motel, Gotham and Falling Skies. But prior to that, Osunsanmi made three feature films, including 2009's The Fourth Kind. The film stars Milla Jovovich as a psychologist in a small town which has experienced a series of alien abductions. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John take a look at The Fourth Kind. We...

New Discovery Cast and Crew. With Star Trek: Discovery currently in production, news of artists working both behind and in front of the camera has been trickling in. In this episode, John and Mike take a look at the newest additions to the Star Trek family. We discuss the director of episode 2, Adam Kane, the new producer/director, Olatunde Osunsanmi, and the captain of Discovery, Jason Isaacs. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) New Directors (00:01:00) Jason Isaacs (00:21:03) Closing...

Run Silent, Run Deep. Even before he directed Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Robert Wise influenced the franchise with his 1958 film, Run Silent, Run Deep. The submarine movie inspired episodes such as "Balance of Terror," and films such as The Wrath of Khan. It also shares some interesting parallels with The Motion Picture itself. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John discuss Wise's 1958 film. We also touch on the Olivier Award nomination for Kemp Powers' One Night in Miami. ...

Discovery Director Picks. Star Trek: Discovery is currently in production, but at this point in time, few of the directors are known. Who would we like to see added to the team? In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike discuss the addition of director Lee Rose to the crew, and give their dream picks for Discovery directors. We discuss both realistic and unrealistic choices. Who would you like to see direct Discovery? Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Lee Rose (00:00:39) Realistic...

Clockstoppers. After making a couple of successful Star Trek films for Paramount, Jonathan Frakes was given the chance to direct an original sci-fi movie, Clockstoppers. The film is a family-friendly action movie about a high school kid who uses the watch his dad invented to slow down time. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John take a look at Frakes' first non-Trek movie. We discuss talented filmmakers directing kids movies, the trend of family-oriented action films, and what...

Jonathan Frakes. While Jonathan Frakes is best known for his portrayal of Commander Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, his influence on the franchise extends well beyond his acting. As a director, he worked on some of the best episodes of the franchise, including TNG's "Cause and Effect" and DS9's "Past Tense, Part II," not to mention two of the feature films, First Contact and Insurrection. In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike are joined by Star Trek expert Larry Nemecek...

Pacific Rim. The pilot for Star Trek: Discovery is currently shooting in Toronto. A key member of the crew responsible for creating the look of the show is Oscar-winning cinematographer Guillermo Navarro. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John take a look at one of Navarro's movies, Pacific Rim, a film about giant robots fighting giant monsters. We discuss the sure-fire premise, Navarro's cinematography, and what it tells us about the look of Discovery. In news, we ponder the...

Alias: The Box. Alias was the television series which launched J.J. Abrams into super-stardom. He continues to collaborate with many crewmembers who worked on that show, including Michael Giacchino, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike take a look at the two-part Alias episode, "The Box," co-written by Jesse Alexander. We discuss the show's place in television history, this episode's connection to Die Hard, and the performance of guest star...

New Discovery Writers and Cast. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John take a look at all the news regarding Star Trek: Discovery! As the latest incarnation of the franchise begins production, we discuss the new writers, Ted Sullivan, Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt, and the new Sarek, James Frain. Chapters Intro (00:00:00) New Writers (00:00:41)  James Frain (00:14:06) Disco Delay (00:23:17) Closing (00:32:50) Hosts Mike Schindler and John Mills Production Mike...

Craig Sweeny & Guillermo Navarro. As Star Trek: Discovery nears production, new people have been added to the team behind the scenes. Among these are writer/producer Craig Sweeny and Oscar-winning cinematographer Guillermo Navarro. In this episode of Stage Nine, John and Mike take a look at the newest members of the Trek family. We discuss Sweeny's work Limitless and The 4400, and Navarro's work on films such Pacific Rim, Desperado, Jackie Brown, and From Dusk Till Dawn. ...

People Like Us. Alex Kurtzman has written some of the biggest blockbusters in recent years. Whether it's J.J. Abrams' Star Trek or Michael Bay's Transformers, Kurtzman's screenplays play out on an epic canvas. But when it came time for his directorial debut, Kurtzman chose to make a much smaller movie. People Like Us tells the semi-autobiographical story of a man who finds out that he has a half sister, and tries to connect with her. In this episode of Stage Nine, Mike and John look at...