From: yung@r-node.gts.org (Amos Yung)
Subject: Re: Star Trek's Classics - Top 10 List (Not Letterman...)
Organization: R-Node Public Access UNIX System (416-636-2026) - 24 hrs
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 06:47:27 GMT

In article <1992Apr11.083743.15909@acsu.buffalo.edu> v075q5fr@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Scott J Gorcey) writes:
>
>     Just to generate discussion, I've been kicking this list of
>     what I think are the best Star Trek TOS installments, in order
>     from absolute best downward.
>
>     1. _Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan_
>        The classic literary themes of obsession (_Moby Dick_), maturation
>        and tragedy (_Great Expectations_) are weaved through allegory
>        seamlessly into this brilliantly moving and dramatic and 
>        first transforms the TOS characters, Kirk especially, into
>        real people - without losing their archetypal heroes and
>        villains signatures.  Absolutely the best.  Nothing will
>        top it.
Without a doubt.


>     2. "City on the Edge of Forever."
>        Harlan had nothing to bitch about.  The rewrites gave this
>        installment a surprising emotional weight and tragic 
>        demeanour.  Despite Shatner's horrible acting, par for the
>        course, his scenes with Joan Collins emote feeling and
>        you can't stop feeling Kirk's helplessness at the climax.
>        Best TOS episode ever.
While CotEoF has never been a favourite of mine (I know, I am in the 
minority), I recall Shatner had worst performance than the one he pulled
in that episode. 

>     3. "Balance of Terror."
>        25 years have not destroyed totally the tension and intrigue
>        this episode offers.  Nor have quantum leaps in Special FX
>        technology.  This is a classic clash of honorable adversaries
>        and notable because the adversary (Mark Lenard) took on
>        dimension of his own as a character, as opposed to a heavy.
>        Great U-Boat and WW II (i.e. Japan) parallels.
I will put this one as No.1 on my TOS list.

>     4. "The Conscience of the King."
>        Often overlooked installment is the series (and thus, Star
>        Trek's) first heavy reliance on Shakespeare for allegory,
>        in this case heavily on _King Lear_.  The theme: redemption,
>        which has been popular again lately in _The Prince of Tides_,
>        _The Doctor_ and _The Godfather III_.  Brilliant weaving of
>        Lear performances and diegetic plot here. 
Awfully pretentious, if you ask me.
 
>     5. _Star Trek III: The Search For Spock_.  Often unjustifiably
>        lauded, this film overcomes a silly deues ex machina premise
>        and plot device (bring Spock back to life) with sure-handedness
>        and confidence by freshman director Leonard Nimoy.  ST III
>        goes right for the heart and is the actualization of Kirk's
>        "How we deal with death is at least as important as how we
>        deal with life" revelation in II.  
>        Characters were handled in the same mature, upright fashion
>        we saw in TWOK.  Christopher Lloyd does a brilliant turn as
>        the Klingon pirate/commander.  The destruction of the Enterprise
>        was a deft and sombering surprise.  And Spock's return on 
>        Vulcan never fails to bring tears.  
>        Also notable was our first extended look at Earth and the
>        re-emergence of several denizens of the Trek TOS universe
>        of past; tribbles in the bar for example.
>        Brilliant, through and through.
That's my biggest pet-peeve in the TOS movie series. There is one huge
problem with the film: Why the hell did they return to genesis??? To
retrieve Spock's body that they didn't know was there? And what were 
they supposed to do with the dead body?t  

>
>     The rest of the list later: included are, in no particular
>     order for the moment:
>
>         _Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country_
>          "Amok Time," "I, Mudd," "Mirror, Mirror,"
>           one other.
STVI is good. "Mirror, Mirror" is not bad. Don't care for the other two.

My list for good TOS: Where no man has gone before
                      Balance of Terror
	              Galileo Seven
                      The Nake Time
                      Journey to Babel
                      A private little war (well, perhaps not ....)

My list for TNG is MUCH longer.....

>
>          Comments so far??  (Also coming is the TNG top ten, sure
>          to generate furvor).


-- 
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Amos Yung          | Macintosh Jr.: The power to crush the other kid.
yung@r-node.gts.org| 
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