Reader I Met Him-The Cherry Hill Star Trek Convention

A more accurate title for this post would be "Reader I glimpsed him for 1 second and Took an Akward Picture" but I couldn't resist using using a play on the Charlotte Bronte quote.

Last Sunday I attended the Creation Entertainment  Star Trek convention in Cherry Hill, NJ.  It was my second convention and the first time I went alone, which I was nervous about at first, but I had a great time.  I wore favorite vintage sci-fi outfit.  My rocket skirt from Girl in  A Whirl

 and I used the Star Trek lunch box a friend game me as a purse.

A few of the convention attendees asked me in a confused way if I was dressed as a character from the show, many people where, and I had to explain I always dress like this.  One women told me I was very brave which I found interesting since I don't think of myself that way at all.   I'm shy!  

The main reason I went to the convention was to hear William Shatner.  He gave a talk that I really enjoyed even if I could barely see.  I bought a ticket to have my picture taken with him and along with tons of other people I lined up for a picture.  You only get one second, he looks at you, says thank you and snap, picture taken.  I think a little akward in the picture, and Shatner may look like a card board cut out, but I'm still happy I did it and the picture is now hanging prominently on my living room wall.

I had fun walking around the convention too.  Trekkies are usually very friendly people so I had nice conversations with several people.  I bought a Star Trek wobbler cat toy:

Its a Klingon warrior and I love the little beard.  I already have a few Star Trek dog toys but this was the first Star Trek cat toy I've ever seen.

I also bought a Gorn ornmanent.  

The Gorn episode is one of my favorites:

I saw a lot of the same vendors from last year:

There was also a model of the Nomad probe from the famous The Changeling episode.

In one of the rooms you can talk to some of the actors, and I got the autograph of Max Grodenchick who played Rom on Deep Space Nine, my favorite character on the show.   

The Cherry Hill convention was just the beginning of the my adventures for Star Trek's 50th anniversary.  Yesterday, I got my fifth tattoo.   

It's the Enterprise from the Original Series and its on my right arm so I can wear my geekdom on my sleeve.  I'm not gonna lie it hurt a bit.  My last tattoo, a  dog on my left wrist didn't hurt at all, which made me think this wouldn't hurt.  I was wrong!  I really like it though.

On Sunday, I'm going to the Star Trek Mission New York convention.  Live Long and Prosper!





 

Sci Fi Saturday A Day Early Again: A Special Screening of 1951's Sci Fi Masterpiece The Day The Earth Stood Still

Near my home in Jersey City is a really wonderful vintage landmark.  The gorgeous Loew's Jersey  Theatre.  . Originally opened in 1929 it has the over the top deco styling that was the standard for theatres at that time.

My favorite part is the display of discard items they found on the floor during the renovation.  Old candy boxes, train tokens, cigarette cartons, grocery lists and such.  

The Loewes also has an organ! The old fashioned kind that rises up out of the theatre floor.

The Loewes closed its doors in 1986.  It was saved from demoltion by the group the Friends of the Loewes who have worked since the late 1990s to restore the theatre and keep it open as a cultural centre.  The theatre hosts concerts, conventions and weddings.   Best of all, in my opinion, is that they screen classic movies a few times a year, and every June they feature films in my favorite genre, Science Fiction.  This past weekend I got a special treat when they screened two of my vintage sci-fi favorites.  1951's The Day The Earth Stood Still and the 1902 Georges Melies silent short A Trip to The Moon,  the first science fiction film ever made.

I wore my Girl in A Whirl rocket skirt which was pretty perfect for the event.  

The Day The Earth Stood Still is a notable film for its strong anti war message that reflected the Cold War anxiety of the time.  Unlike many other films of the time the alien in The Day The Earth Stood Still, Klaatu, is a good guy concerned about  escalating violence.  He comes to Earth to warn humanity that they have a choice they can join other planets in inter-stellar peace or they can continue down their current violent path and soon "this  Earth of yours will be a burned out cinder."   The film also has an interestingly stark  look, despite the over the top poster.   Honestly I prefer the visuals in this film to most special effects laden modern science-fiction.

I think the studio was a bit confused about how to market a "smart" sic-fi film.  Hence the poster that seems to be for a different movie.  This scene of actress Patricia Neal, a brunette, being carried by Gort the robot:

became this on the poster:

A blonde in a red evening gown who never appears int the film.  What must Patricia Neal have thought?

The Day The Earth Stood Still was remade in 2008 but such things are best forgotten.


The other film screened,  Melies A Trip Too The Moon,  is only about 13 minutes long, but has many pioneering camera techniques.  It really is an interesting piece of film history.

What is your favorite retro sci-fi film?

A Friday Photo Shoot, Sci-Fi Saturday Style, -Canine Star Trek Costumes

Mom wrote her review of the wonderful Star Trek Costumes-Fifty Years of Fashion From the Final Frontier in this post, but we also did a fun photo shoot with the book and our own Star Trek Costumes courtesy of our friend Deb from pug possessed and Melissa from pug notes.  

Bob as Captain James T. Kirk

Mr. Tuvok, Phillip J. Fry, Ping, and Weasley as Star Trek: The Next Generation crew members.

Phillip J. Fry as acting Ensign Wesley Crusher

Weasley, Ping and Mr. Tuvok as Star Trek: The Original series crew members Lt. Uhura, Captain James T. Kirk, and Commander Spock.

  

Book Review: Star Trek Costumes: Five Decades of Fashion From The Final Frontier

Trekkies like myself know that the greatest television show of all time is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.  

  The original series premiered on September 8, 1966 and while that series only  lasted three years it spawned four spin offs, an animated series, twelve movies, hundreds of novels, and has legions of seriously devoted fans.   So its no surprise that plenty of people are pretty excited for the anniversary and Paramount is busy releasing retrospective books and planning conventions.  All of that makes a dedicated member of the Church of Trek like myself

Image from Futurama another awesome sci-fi series

seriously crazy with excitement.  One of the first books released in celebration of the anniversary is the Star Trek Costume Book: Five Decades of Costumes from The Final Frontier.   

As I've written before (post one, post two) I adore the kitschy sci-fi style of Star Trek so this book is right up my alley.  I've had it since it was released in October and while there are things about it that I think could be better, over all I love it.   

It starts with The Original Series of course and while I wish it had gone into much more detail,  I enjoyed the coverage of the hillariously outlandish 60s looks.   I'm also pleased that the book gives credit to a man I think is an under-appreciated genius, William Ware Theiss, the first Star Trek costume designer.  

Theiss is the man who came up with Trek's signature sexy 60s space age look and his creations are many things, but never boring.  He used all kinds of unconventional fabrics and trims and cuts to create different outlandish looks week after week.

 

Theiss even had his own theory of costume design: The Theiss Titillation Theory which states that "the degree to which a costume is considered sexy is directly proportional to how accident-prone it appears to be."  The theory is on ample display in costumes worn by some of the female guest stars 

Theiss didn't just focus on the  ladies though, there where plenty of scanty get ups for the men.  Its rare and somewhat refresshing  to see a television where male bodies are on display almost as much of female ones, I can't think of anyone but Theiss who did that in the 1960s.

Apparently Theiss's costumes did cause some chaos on set since his theory meant that the outfits where often slipping and falling of the actors and had to be taped in place.      







Theiss's sketches are also displayed in the book showing the evolution of a design from concept to execution, which is interesting.

From the Original Series the book goes onto cover all of the series and the spin offs and a fan learns some interesting facts about the outfits.  For example series creator Gene Roddenberry apparently hated wrinkles and felt they'd be eliminated in the future so the uniforms are always made out of tight stretchy fabrics that are designed to resist wrinkling.

But it never quite works right which is why the actors are constantly seen adjusting their uniforms.   Fan's even gave the signature shirt tug a name, the Picard maneuver.  You can see it in action, many times, below:

It seems that no one working on  Star Trek is  ever 100% happy with the uniforms and they are being endlessly re-designed and fussed over.  They change for almost every series and film but they are always fairly tight and wrinkle free.  

The TNG (thats the Next Generation)  uniforms are very 80s track suit 

and by Deep Space Nine and Voyagers the colors are reversed and the fit is a bit looser.

Enterprise is a prequel so the uniforms are a bit more in line with the space suits we see today

and the uniforms from Star Trek The Motion Picture are too seventies for words, and what the heck are those buckle things at everyones waist?

I'm not a fan of the uniforms in the current motion pictures.  I think its the fabric that I don't like.  Also they seem weirdly late 1990s to me.

This is just a sampling of the changes the book covers many more.  

Until  I read the book I didn't know that Theiss designed the first season of costumes for The Next Generation, but in retrospect its pretty obvious.  There are some seriously crazy looks.  Including a skirt for men (if you think about it the idea that men in the future would be wearing dresses and skirts is pretty revolutionary, particularly for the 1980s) and some sort of shiny wrap thing with leggings that the men have to wear on a female dominated planet.  

 

   

Wesley Crushers early season sweaters are also a testament to 80s fabulousness.  I just can not get over the orange one it seriously leaves me awestruck, here is just nothing that compares too it.

 

Though Keiko O'briens wedding dress, not a Theiss creation, comes close.  According to the book its supposed to be a space age take on a traditional Kimono, but it looks like saran wrap and what the hell  is that on her head!?!  
Sadly as the series goes on the fashion gets a bit duller, and while I think all the costume designers have done a reasonably good job no one compares to Theiss.  But the aliens are always fun and the book covers all of the races.  You learn that Klingon costumes involve a lot of quilted leather and jewelry 

 

That the costumers regret the decision to give the Romulan's giant shoulder pads, it was supposed to make them look aggressive.

That the Ferengi love oppulence (and apparently upholstry fabric)



and that Vulcans are understated and tasteful

You have to be a fan of the show and have a sense of humor to appreciate Star Trek style, its certainly emblematic of fashion icon's  Diana Vreeland famous line: 

If you love Star Trek, and you love the crazy looks.  I can't recommend The Star Trek Book of Costumes enough.



Coming Soon: Our Star Trek costume photo shoot, starring canine trekkies