Cool News
Even If You're Not A Mega-Fan Of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, This Is Pretty Cool!! + A Few Very Quick Thoughts On That TNG Blu-ray Sample Disc...
Merrick here...
We don't tend to plug too many conventions here on AICN, but this press release just came in promoting a rather spectacular STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION opportunity that you're not likely to see happen too many more times...if ever...so I thought I'd pass this along.
The press release appears below: I've accented the particularly Geektastic portion.
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CALGARY, Alberta, CANADA) – IT WAS 25 YEARS AGO that Star Trek: The Next Generation® revived the sense of adventure inherent in the original Star Trek® series. TNG created its own signature interpretation of hitching a ‘wagon train to the stars’. Now, over two decades later, fans of all ages will get their chance to see the nine principal members of the cast together for a stellar reunion in Calgary, Alberta, CANADA during the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo,April 27-29, 2012.
To date, the Calgary Expo is the only event in the world scheduled to host such a gathering in 2012. It is also the fist time the entire original cast has appeared as a group at a convention in over two decades.
Sir Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Riker), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Denise Crosby (Security Chief Tasha Yar), LeVar Burton (Chief of Engineering Geordi La Forge), Gates McFadden (Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher), Michael Dorn (Lt. Commander Worf) and Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) will all be Guests of Honour during the Calgary Expo. The cast will be meeting fans for autographs, individual and group photos (fees vary for each Media Guest), and participating in specially-grouped panels and discussions over the course of the weekend. Calgary Expo hours are Friday 3 PM to 8 PM, Saturday 10 PM to 7 PM, and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM MST, April 27-29, 2012.
In addition, the full cast will also take the stage for a special once-in-a-lifetime reunion event, Star Trek® TNG EXPOsed, on the evening of Saturday, April28, at the Stampede Corral, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Doors open at 6 PM MST and the program will begin at 7 PM MST. Nearly 5,000 seats will be available for this event, with prices ranging from $40 - $125 (CDN). NOTE: Box office sales for the Star Trek®TNG EXPOsed, will begin at 10 AM MST (-7 GMT), on Saturday, February 18, 2012 via www.tickemaster.com.The live evening event will open with host Emily Expo (the Calgary Expo’s mascot), and includes entertainment by local musicians Johnny Summers Little Big Band, special moderators.
Teddy Wilson, Cynthia Loyst and Ajay Fry (hosts of InnerSPACE on SPACE) and a special video tribute to the cast. The Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo will also offer a series of unique, must-have collectables for the serious TNG fan including a commemorative program to mark the occasion.
Kandrix Foong, Founder and Director of the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, not only sees this as a history-making celebration for the Calgary Expo, but also for Sci-Fi fans. “We feel privileged to be hosting this event as it is a rarity that many people will never have the opportunity to experience again. The immensity of this reunion adds to Calgary’s international appeal in a unique way for pop culture enthusiasts on a global scale.”
One or more cast members are also anticipated to stop by the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station in Vulcan, Alberta for a special visit on Friday, April 27, 2012. More details will be available in a future release. The Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo made inter-planetary history in 2010 when Leonard Nimoy,(Mr. Spock) attended the Calgary Expo as a Guest of Honour. He also made a special “homecoming” visit to Vulcan, Alberta—the OfficialStar Trek® Capital of Canada. Over 5,000 people paid tribute him in a special ceremony. Leonard graciously left his mark on Vulcan and Star Trek® fans in several ways, with a handprint set in bronze, and by lending a pair of ‘ears’ he used on the set in 1966. For more information on Vulcan and the Trek Station, visit www.vulcantourism.com.
To celebrate this incredible announcement, the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo will be hosting a screening of Star Trek: First Contact® at the Plaza in Kensington, Calgary, Alberta, on February 5, 2012 at 3 PM MST. A portion of the ticket sales will go toward the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Attendees will have the opportunity to enter a raffle for a pair of VIP passes to the 2012 convention as well as some other fantastic prizes. Proceeds from the raffle will also go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Costumes are encouraged and the person with the best Star Trek® related costume or prop will also be eligible to win some great merchandise!
BACKGROUNDER Calgary Comic & Entertainment:
The Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo has been a destination event since 2006, profiling talent from across the world in seven key genres: Comics, Sci-Fi,Horror, Toys, Anime, Cartoons, and Gaming. It is Western Canada’s largest pop culture convention and the second largest event of its kind in all of Canada. Noted for its Western hospitality, superb line up of talent and the promotion of Canadian artists, actors, and creators, the event has grown to become a destination experience for fans all over the world. The weekend event will be held at the BMO Centre in Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta.
Many fantastic guests have been announced for the 2012 Calgary Expo including Adam West, Tom Felton, Amanda Tapping, Hayden Panettiere, Tara Strong, David Prowse, James Marsters, Robert Englund, Billy West, John Noble, Katee Sackhoff, John DiMaggio, and creator guests Dale Eaglesham, George Pérez, and Yanick Paquette and many more to come. Over 35,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. Last year, the Calgary Expo garnered 30,000 attendees. Full cast biographies, tickets to the Star Trek® TNG EXPOsed event, passes to the Calgary Expo, updates and Emily Expo’s blog can be found at calgaryexpo.com. Stay connected on Twitter: @CalgaryExpo, and Facebook.com/
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Meanwhile, work progresses on the much-hyped STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION Blu-ray HD conversions. I just received my review copy over the weekend and haven't had a chance to go through it too thoroughly yet, but I've been extremely impressed by the image quality of the three episodes included on THIS sample disc (which releases tomorrow). I'd say TNG's stunning HD matering definitely adds a crispness to the overall vibe of the show - its restored visual 'pop' brings proceedings which used to feel tepid a little more, well, pizzazz (I'm hating the adjectives I'm using here, but it's one of those days). Highly recommended for fans of the show. And for anyone considering checking out TNG for the first time? THIS is the way to do it. The restoration team has knocked it out of the park with this one. Based on the "remastered" STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES - perhaps my favorite undertaking of this kind to date - I was expecting the TNG results to be rather impressive. Happily, my expectations were surpassed here.
More on the HDification of TNG in the coming days and weeks and months - as we move towards the Blu-ray release of the whole series beginning later this year, commemorating the show's 25th anniversary.
--- follow Merrick on Twitter ! ---
Readers Talkback
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...the start of Galaxy Quest.
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Is on Netflix
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that the only cast member to turn up at that Vulcan Tourist thing will be Will Wheaton.
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Jan. 30, 2012, 10:54 a.m. CST
Right. Lets have the reunion at a convention as far away from the center of the Trek universe as possible.
by The_Maltese_Vulcan
I'm suprised this isn't being held at Vulcan, Alberta.
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i added it to my instant list- there was no mention of it being remastered- i went into it WANTING to see and revel in the so bad its good sfx of the time. i WANTED to see the 60's versions. right off the bat, they used a cg ship, cg planets and space effects....hell, they use the same swirling orange planet for the first few episodes..it was terrible. worse than original next generation graphics... that said, if you want to see all the classic trek on netflix, it's there- just not the way you remember it.
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When was the last time an ST con had the whole cast from TOS or TNG?
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I met Patrick, Brent, and Marina at a local convention here so It would be cool to get the rest of them all in one place. The lines will be like standing at a ride in Universal so I doubt I'll even be able to get to them all lol. Really all I care about is Michael Dorn and John Frakes, but getting the others also will be cool. Unfortunately they almost always charge like $60 = $80.. maybe $40 at the lowest.. PER signature so I'l have to bring an entire paycheck to the event. But still...
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Can you imagine something like it getting made today? Nope, me neither.
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Sorry but no, it's not. Even in the slightest. To me this is the dullest form of recycled sci-fi imaginable, with horrid acting and exposition dialog that seem aimed at 6 year olds. How people find this serious, intelligent, insightful and profound is beyond me. Plus it was filmed like a fabric softener ad and the spaceships and gear seemed made by Fisher Price. When it came out, I wanted to love it, I really did...But it ended up being weekly disappointment...
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What a gyp.
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That was great TV.
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Jan. 30, 2012, 11:53 a.m. CST
One might consider this an indicator of how Alberta's economy is booming.
by Royston Lodge
There's money in them thar hills!
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I wish their movies had been better but I still love the TV series so much.
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are tragic. Everyone is fat and sad. And what that smoking hot chick who played Kes did to herself makes me want to cry. How do you go from this http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/f346369abffe14f04d4c0c762781f5a21924d5af.jpg to this http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4877801007_3fb1fcf779.jpg in 10 years? That is a physical transformation that puts The Howling to shame.
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Not even "acting ensign" or "Time/Space-Warping Galaxy Child" anything? Poor schmuck.
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Jan. 30, 2012, 1:57 p.m. CST
Dude... that link smackfu posted of Kes from Voyager... WOW!!!
by locke815
I am so cynical and jaded that few things can shock me, but that actually made me say out loud "HOLY SHIT." That was really really something. That just... wow. I can't even think of anything clever to say about it.
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We're talking about pre-op male-to-female transsexuals, right?
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If so, wtf happened!? Imagine the guy(s) who never hit that and celebrating right now! Imagine the poor slob who marry or dated her ans wanting to commit suicide right now!
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Was lucky enough to see the Magnificent Seven at Generations at the Albert Hall back in 1994, which coincided with the release of Star Trek: Generations. Absolutely brilliant, to see all those guys on stage, THAT stage, was just amazing. If someone ever had the balls to put on another similar event at the Albert Hall, it would sell out in a heartbeat. And these Blu-Rays, I'll be on them like a shot. Love that show like no other, so to see them in this amazing quality will be like seeing them again. Roll on DS9!
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Never ceases to amaze me, really. Yeah, she looks totally different. No, she's really not "hot" anymore. But she's still somebodies family, friend, significant other, or whatever. Here's hoping that neither you or your girlfriends/wives ever change.
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...I'm proud to say I've never been to a convention. I realize they're what initially kept the franchise alive, but I have NO interest. Never have. I don't buy any of the insane ST merchandise, either (like overpriced Hallmark christmas ornaments). Nothing for me but DVD/blu-rays, books and comics. I want all the characters to stay the way I see them in my imagination.
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If so, we need a big screen Star Trek Voyager reboot stat, just to get that image out of my mind! Here's the cast: Capt. Katheryn Janeway - Kate Blanchett Chakotay - Wes Studi Tuvok - Cuba Gooding Jr. Tom Paris - Michael Fassbender B'Elanna Torres - Penelope Cruz, Eva Mendes, or maybe Gina Carano? Harry Kim - Daniel Dae Kim (of Lost and Hawaii Five-0) The Doctor - Michael Shannon (with a shaved head) Kneelix - Nic Cage Kes - Alison Lohman or Amanda Seyfried Seven of Nine - Rhona Mitra Let JJ Abrams produce it if he must, as long as he doesn't let Orci and Kurtzman near the script. Get a design savvy director who can do sci-fi, someone like Duncan Jones or Tron Legacy's Joseph Kosiniski to helm the thing.
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If that picture bothered you, then this "now and then" shot of Kelly Mcgillis will really melt your brain: http://pics.blameitonthevoices.com/012010/small_kelly%20mcgillis.jpg
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Yawn
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It is sort of silly that they didn't mention him along with the star trek names. But now he's known for much bigger things.
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Jan. 30, 2012, 7:07 p.m. CST
dammit cornponious, now we need a TOP GUN and Witness reboot as well as a Voyager one
by lv_426
Or perhaps a Top Gun sequel with Tom Cruise as a Top Gun instructor? Instead of gay volleyball they can have a shirtless tennis match at a retirement home!
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by Grabthar's Hammer, by the Suns of Warven... you shall be remembered.
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It's actually been more like over 12 years. I think her last appearance on the show was in... 2000? She started a family, had a real life since then. People age. It is more shocking for some than others, but it's not like she's ugly. She just aged over a decade. And having kids can really change a woman. I did a search for her. I had no idea she had done various voices for an Adam Sandler CD. And she was in American History X and SLC Punk. It looks like she's changed a lot over the years, drastically. Always lovely. Try not to be too hard on her.
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Wesley Crusher doesn't get the rank of Acting Ensign because he seems to be unable to function within the parameters of that assignment! Seriously, it's a shame about the TNG movies. Such a missed opportunity. I wish they'd hire a decent writer/director and do another film with that cast... of course there's basically no chance of that happening.
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Thank you. I aim to please.
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Jan. 31, 2012, 4:46 a.m. CST
I remember the Star Trek 25th Anniversary show, hosted by Shatner.
by V'Shael
And now the TNG series is 25 years old, more or less. Makes me feel very very old indeed. I've met all the cast members at one time or another, or one convention or another, except for Wil Wheaton.
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I queued for ages, and got to ask two questions at it, one to Patrick Stewart and one to Marina Sirtis. A friend of mine also at the con, remembers it fondly since Patrick Stewart mentioned at one point that the cast were going to be heading to some restaurant after the con, and my friend shouted out *Where?* for the laugh. And Patrick, even the professional, just smiled and said *Ever optimistic...* It was an amazing event.
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The reason she looks so bad is because they fired her. When they did that to her, it destroyed her emotionally. Ask the people who know her. All the rest of the cast refer to it as "a brutal firing". She had an emotional breakdown and snapped mentally. It didn't take he ten years to look like that. It only took six. When they brought her back on the show after the firing she looked bad then too in just three years. what they did and how they did it to her is unforgivable.
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