Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 8, Episode 16: The Menagerie, Parts I and II
buy bestselling dvd movies, videos find reviews, ratings, prices
|
 |
List Price: $19.99
Features
• Closed-captioned
• Color
• DVD-Video
• NTSC
In Theaters : 08 September, 1966
DVD Release : 22 February, 2000 |
| [ + Zoom ] [ Buy Now ] |
DVD : This item is currently not available. |
|
|
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 8, Episode 16: The Menagerie, Parts I and II description
Volume 8 in the DVD series of original Star Trek episodes includes the fascinating two-part drama "The Menagerie." As if guided by the frugal wisdom of schlockmeister producer-director Roger Corman, Trek creator Gene Roddenberry found a clever way of using, instead of losing, extensive and costly footage from the then-unseen, discarded Star Trek pilot, "The Cage." Roddenberry's solution was to integrate pieces of "The Cage" into a whole new story context, and the surprisingly moving result was "The Menagerie." First, a bit of background: "The Cage" starred film actor Jeffrey Hunter (King of Kings, The Searchers) as Christopher Pike, the original captain of the Enterprise. Among Hunter's costars was Leonard Nimoy as Science Officer Spock, who eventually carried over, of course, into the reconfigured series starring William Shatner. Rather than write off "The Cage," Roddenberry conceived of a story line in which Captain Pike would re-appear on the show in a badly disfigured, paralyzed, and mute form--the result of a terrible accident in which the character saved a number of lives but took a pounding in the process. In "The Menagerie," Spock hijacks the Enterprise to transport Pike to a secret destination. During court-martial proceedings for this crime, Spock's defense is presented via archival footage of an old, pre-Kirk mission aboard the Enterprise. That footage, of course, is a re-edited "The Cage." A must-see for Star Trek fans, "The Menagerie" is a stellar example of Roddenberry thinking on his feet. --Tom Keogh |
|
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 8, Episode 16: The Menagerie, Parts I and II Customer Reviews
|
|
|
|
♥♥♥♥♥
|
As good as a Star Trek movie!
|
In addition to being a great double episode, this one thus becomes an early "Star Trek Movie," and a darned good one too! I gleaned some of the following information (edited and mixed with my own comments) from Wikipedia for the benefit of consumers here.
Here we get to see the ORIGINAL Captain of the Starship Enterprise, Jeffrey Hunter, who played the role of Captain Pike. Hunter wasn't nearly as theatrical and overdramatic as William Shatner, who ended up in the role of Captain James T. Kirk, but would have, in my opinion, been equally great for the entire series had he stayed on board.
Part one of the two-part episode was broadcast on November 17, 1966 with the second part broadcast a week later on November 24, 1966.
Here, Spock has to trick Captain Kirk and essentially commit treason in taking the Enterprise to the forbidden Planet, Talos IV. At his trial for that infraction, Captain Pike, a man unable to move or speak except through an electronic device, ultimately reveals the story behind Spock's bizarre deception.
New filming took place for the framing story for "The Cage," the Star Trek pilot film which Gene Roddenberry shrewdly utilized in the production of this episode. Since actor Jeffrey Hunter was unavailable to reprise his role as Captain Pike, a look-alike actor, Sean Kenney, played the injured captain in the new scenes of "The Menagerie".
Sadly, in 1969, while flying back to the U.S. from Spain after filming "Viva America!," Jeffrey Hunter suffered the signs of a stroke. After recovering at a hospital in Los Angeles, he suffered another stroke while at home, causing a fall and a skull fracture. He died the following day from his injuries and was ultimately interred in the Glen Haven Memorial Park cemetery in Sylmar, California.
In summary, while this double episode is NOT representative of the typical Star Trek program, it's still a superb entry and any fan of science fiction television would much enjoy this intriguing and coherent story. You don't have to be a Trekkie to "get it". |
|
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 8, Episode 16: The Menagerie, Parts I and II dvd movie.