Star Trek Easter Eggs

Just saw "Star Trek" again, this time with a fresh pair of eyes. You know a movie like ST has got to be packed with throwbacks to the original series... and J.J. Abrams fans can rejoice as well, because the film is packed with goodies for you guys too.

Here's some of what I saw in the film and found online:
OG Trek references
(My Personal Favorite) In the scene where we first see Scotty, there is a cage on his desk and you can hear purring. In the cage is a small furry creature. It is a Tribble, a furry pet that does nothing more than eat, reproduce, and bring comfort to humans. It makes it's debut in The Original Series episode "The Trouble With Tribbles". At first you can only see one in the cage, by the end of the scene there are two.

Another item from The Original Series is the Bottle of Saurian Brandy that Kirk uses to bash the cadet over the head in the bar fight. This "Flagon" or Bottle appears in the episode "The Enemy Within".

In a possible Nod at Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Evac kit that Kirk wears when he lands on Delta Vega has a registry code ‘NCC-1701-D’. This is the registry of the USS Enterprise-D, which of course hasn't been built yet and will be captained by Jean-Luc Picard.

In the end credits two songs heard in the movie (”Josh Greenstein” and “Awasoruk Jam”) are listed as being “Written & Performed by Cyrano Jones". Cyrano Jones is the name of the intergalactic trader responsible for introducing tribbles in the OG episode “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

The Vulcan Ship "T'Plana Hath" from the film "Star Trek: First Contact" can be seen in the Shuttlebay of the Narada (Nero's ship).

Scotty says he has been banished because he lost Admiral Archer's prized Beagel. Admiral Archer Captained the original Enterprise NX-01 in the series "Enterprise", his prized Beagel was named Porthos.

The Centurian Slug getting put down Captain Pike's throat is an homage to The Ceti Eel. The Ceti Eels are Slugs that go in your ear and attach to your brain so someone can control you. They are from "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan".

Spock strands Kirk on planet Delta Vega, the same planet he suggested stranding Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell on in the second pilot episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before".


Kirk is eating an Apple during the Kobiyashi Maru test, this is an homage to the scene during "Star Trek: Wrath of Khan" where he eats an apple in the Genesis Cave while explaining that he cheated on the test.

Sulu's ability to fence is from a vintage episode "The Naked Time".

Pretty obvious, but the guy in the red suit who dies on the drill is a HUGE reference to the curse of the redshirts. This stems from the original series, in which anonymous security or engineering (red shirts) would go out on landing parties and die to show the severity of the danger in the situation.

There's a quick mention of the USS Farragut when Uhura talks Spock into assigning her to the Enterprise. The Farragut was the ship Kirk served on for several years, prior to his Enterprise command, it's history is described in the episode "Obsession".

There is an alien on board the USS Kelvin in the opening scene that looks a lot like the alien from "Star Trek: The Animated Series".

The Number 47 is constantly reffered to in the Star Trek Universe. Writer Joe Monesky of "The Next Generation" and "Voyager" was a member of "The 47 Society" when he attended Pomona College. (The 47 Society believes there is mathematical proof that all numbers add up to 47) He began to include the number 47 in a lot of the writing. There are several 47's in the new movie;
The dock Kirk pulls up to when he decides to join Starfleet is #47, there are 47 Klingon Warbirds destroyed, etc.

At the end of the movie we see Admiral Pike give Kirk a medal and he's in a wheelchair...
A) The medal can be seen on certain outfits Kirk wore on the Original Series.
B) This is a throwback to the pilot episode of the Original Series. Pike (Jeffery Hunter) was the original Captain of the Enterprise, but no one liked that pilot ("The Cage") so they scrapped him and got Shatner to play Kirk in the 2nd Pilot. Footage from "The Cage" became the basis of the 2 part episode "The Menagerie", in it Kirk is captain and footage of Pike is cut in to appear as if he is fleet captain, later we discover that communication with Pike is impossible, since he has been severely burned and paralyzed by exposure to delta rays, he is confined to a wheelchair operated by brainwaves. He cannot speak, and only communicates with a flashing light: one flash means "yes", two flashes mean "no". Thus, explaining in Canon what happened to Pike. Essentially the final scene with Pike in the wheelchair is a reference to these episodes.
B.2) By the way, the light up wheelchair makes an awesome cameo in the "South Park" episode "Pre-school", used by Miss Claridge.
C) The uniform Admiral Pike wears at the end is very similar to the upgraded outfits Kirk and crew wear in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture".



Abrams Easter Eggs
"Tagruato" the fictional company responsible for the release of the "Cloverfield" Monster can be seen in 23rd century San Francisco.

When Uhura orders drinks at the Bar, the Bartender recommends the "Slusho". "Slusho" is also from "Cloverfield" it is a drink made by the Tagrauto Corporation that's main ingredient is seabed nectar. Seabed Nectar is the Cloverfield Monster's main food source. "Slusho" is also referenced in an episode of Abrams' show "Alias". An image of the Slusho appears on the menu when Uhura orders it.

The Same fonts from Abrams' latest show "Fringe" are used to show the audience the locations and times (like IOWA and THREE YEARS LATER)

Thanks to Thai-Duong for pointing out that Kirk rides through Iowa on his motorcycle in the same method used for the Bad Robot logo

The Red Ball. In most of Abrams' projects you will see a red ball, most notably in "Alias" where it is part of the Rambaldi storyline. In Star Trek it is the ball of Red Matter.

Greg Grunberg has cameos in almost all of Abrams' movies and shows. He was Eric Weiss on "Alias" and the Pilot that dies in the first episode of "LOST", but his scene as Kirk's step-father was cut. He can still be heard as the voice in the car.

Star Wars References?
Paramount has just started a contest through their "Star Trek Facebook page". Contestants need to point out which scene has an "R2-D2" from "Star Wars" in it. If you know the answer, email it to facebook@paramount.com with "STAR TREK Easter Egg Sweepstakes" in the subject line for a chance to win an official prop from the film STAR TREK. (It is supposedly the moment where the Enterprise comes out of warp speed into the remains of the other starships).

Also, Apparently when the ship assignments are being read out you can hear "Vader, USS Hood".

Star Trek

Yo Yo.
I saw "Star Trek" yesterday in IMAX. It was sickzilla. SOO GOOOD! Beyond So Good. AHH I can't wait to watch it again. This officially knocks "Cloverfield" from my top JJ Abrams movie, (ok, i'm sorry, that's a lie. I love "Cloverfield"). Where do I start? First of all, seeing it in IMAX was a great decision. It looked so crisp and clear, not too mention way bigger than a standard screen. The effects were great the whole picture through. There was one shot where some ships didn't really feel like they fit in, but I think that had to with the IMAX blowing it up. Otherwise great computer work. The soundtrack was perfect, it blended action and comedy just right. Photography was typical Abrams, which I love. Technically a very sound film. Now we get to the acting. I knew I was gonna love the cast as soon as I heard it announced. Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as McCoy, Anton Yelchin as Checov, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, John Cho as Sulu, and Simon Pegg as Scotty. OK, the standouts for me had to be Quinto playing a perfect Spock, Simon Pegg doing a hilarious Scotty that was reminiscent of the OG but not a straight copy, and My Love Karl Urban as McCoy. Even I was impressed by his acting chops in this, it truly captured the comedic dead pan Deforest Kelley had in the original. Urban's performance, completely unbiased, was the best of the film. Zoe Saldana's Uhura and John Cho's Sulu are a bit different from their 1960's counterparts, she is a bit more sensual and he is a little more badass, but it works for me. Anton Yelchin is another actor I admire, he doesn't really get too much storyline to shine in, but he does great with what he does have. His Checov is a bit of a blend of old and new. Where he doesn't necessarily look like Checov, he does sound exactly like him, rockin' a harsh Russian accent and changing all his V's to W's. He also shares that same youthful enthusiasm and wonder of the original character, so I liked it. In fact, the only performance that left me a little empty was Chris Pine as Kirk. I mean he was great; Cocky, Arrogant, and somewhat relatable. I actually think it was the writing that did the character any injustice. I read an article where Abrams said his goal to make you understand why Kirk is the way he is, I just don't think he completely achieved that in this film. That aside, the best part of this film was that it retained the wit and comedy of the Original series. The trio of Kirk, Spock, and Bones play off each other so well. I laughed so hard sometimes in the theater that I would catch myself clapping, and I wasn't the only one. Those were in fact my favorite moments in the film. When we saw the characters play off each other's differences. Granted, some of the classic lines seemed a little forced, like they were stuck into scenes. But still really good. Ok, so now for the bad guys. Romulans played by Eric Bana. On paper, great idea. Romulans haven't been featured baddies for a while now. So it is nice to see them as opposed to Klingons. Eric Bana as the head baddie Nero actually gets little face time. His performance seemed a bit average, as did all the other Romulans. BUT since you don't really see that much of them, you just rely on your knowledge that they are not good dudes and you are set. Trust me, this sounds negative, but the movie honestly is so good. Anyways, there are several OG series references, several "Wrath of Khan" references, so Trekkies can rejoice. The storyline itself is definitely the weakest part, which has plagued many of the ST films. So Thumbs Up to the Writing, Thumbs Down to the Propostorous Story. If you like Comedic Science Fiction-y Action then you'll be satiated. Fans of Films like "Starship Troopers", the newer "Star Wars" films (1-3) , or obviously the "Star Trek" franchise, or fans of Simon Pegg's old TV show "Spaced" will be into this.

Harry Potter 6 Trailer

Wow this has been out for like 3 weeks. I am slipping!

Transformers 2 Trailer

This has been out for a week and I didn't know!!! I am so ashamed of myself.
It is AMAZING!

Fields of Honey

So today I was watching one of my FAVORITE episodes of "Tiny Toon Adventures" entitled 'Fields of Honey'. I watched it a bunch as a kid and now that I have it on DVD I am rediscovering it. This has to be one of the best episodes of this show, seriously.

It's about how all the other tiny toons have mentors except for Babs. Buster looks up to Bugs Bunny, Plucky has Daffy Duck as a mentor, and Hampton has Porky for a guide. Buster and Plucky argue over who is the greater classic animated comedian and ask Babs her opinion. Since she does not have a mentor, the 3 of them go down to the film vault to watch old reels and see who is funnier. In the vault there is a hooded guide who sends the boys away with reels of their heroes. Babs is left alone and hears a voice that tells her if she watches the reels she will find her. So Babs watches, and when she throws on the last reel from 1933 she discovers HONEY. She heads to the library where she discovers that Honey was a Warner Bros. character from the 1930's who appeared in cartoons with her boyfriend Bosko. As cartoons moved to color, audiences forgot her and she went missing, even Bosko didn't know where she went and eventually he too disappeared. Babs' mission is to find Honey to be her mentor. She hears the mysterious voice once again and it tells her to build a theater to showcase Honey cartoons. If Honey cartoons can garner an audience and stir up laughter, then Honey will return. Because, after all, a character is only young and alive if it has an audience. So, she builds the theater and struggles to get people to come see an unknown character. Eventually through the power of television advertising draws a huge crowd, including the vault keeper and an old woman. As the black and white films play, the audiences laughter grows uncontrollably. The old woman becomes young before Babs' eyes and it is revealed she is the missing Honey. The vault keeper pulls back his hood and it is Bosko. Honey and Bosko are revived to the audience and will live on, Happily Ever After.
Here is the 2nd half if you are interested in checking it out:



OK, OK. Why do I find it to be so special. Well, for us 20 somethings who grew up watching "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and "Street Sharks", we have very vague recollections of classic characters like Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, or even Mickey Mouse. We didn't have a TON of exposure to the classics. Bosko cartoons are real cartoons that premiered in 1929, that is 80 years ago. Before Bugs, Bosko was actually THE STAR that launched "Looney Tunes" for Warner Bros.

Bosko was WB's answer to Mickey Mouse and appeared in 39 shorts for "Looney Tunes". 30's animation was substantially different from contemporary animation in that the entertainment of the time was more musically oriented like vaudeville acts, where as today, storyline and plot are key. What is the point of that last semi-unrelated fact? Just that... if you can't exactly figure out what Bosko is, he was actually designed as a, uh, um... a negro boy. Completely un-racist! He was designed as an African American boy, like those performing in Vaudeville acts at the time. Look at old-school Mickey Mouse or Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, cover the ears and you will see the same look disguised as animals. That clever Walt. Anyways, point is, although these cartoons were designed for a different era and a very different audience, they are still beautiful pieces of art as well as history. SO, it is nice that a kiddie cartoon in 1990 would take an opportunity to re-examine their roots and allow a whole new generation to know these characters. When Porky Pig became the breakout star of "Looney Tunes" (Yes, before Bugs, Porky was El Numero Uno for Warner Bros.) it meant the end of Bosko and Honey. And that's ok. I don't really think it would be that funny today to watch two little cartoon Black kids sing and dance. BUT I think it is really nice to remember the characters that paved the way for the "Looney Tunes", "Tiny Toons", "Animaniacs", "Pinky and the Brain", etc. Bosko can also be seen in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", one of his cartoons is playing on a TV Set, and in "Space Jam" in a portrait hanging on the wall.

So here is an OG cartoon entitled "Bosko and Honey" from 1932, it's not epic but it is interesting to watch. If you find it interesting, go on youtube and look for one called "Bosko and Bruno" (Yes, Bruno is his dog, and yes he does sound like he is saying Pluto, shameless theft in the 1930's) I innocently laughed a few times during that one.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

NEW Transformers 2 Character Posters...


Starscream, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee.

New G.I. Joe Trailer

I don't know if it looks good, but it does look expensive.

Burger Kingons

You know when you see something and all you can think is, I NEED TO BLOG ABOUT THAT? Probably not, but that is what just happened to me when I saw the new Burger King "Star Trek" Promotion commercial. It is absolutely ingenious. I love it.

The promotion itself is for collectible Star Trek glasses and Toys that released TODAY. Instead of the Burger "King", we meet the Burger Kingons; a hybrid of Burger King and Klingons. They basically come to earth to steal this nerdy kid's Star Trek glasses and his girlfriend. Pretty Funny. The fact that his dog is named Tiberius is the icing on the geek cake.


It has been 25 years since Burger King carried Star Trek glasses so it's nice to see the tradition resurrected for the new film. These are made of glass not paper like the ones available at AMC, so I'm sure they are a must have for Collectors cup aficionados. Also, one will be available each week to ensure that you are going back every week to score a whopper and a glass.

So, of course, now I need to go get these glasses. But I can't really decide on which one I want. There are 4 in the set:

Kirk and the Enterprise (Front, Back, and Box)


Nero and the Narada



Spock, Original Spock, and the Jellyfish



Uhura and the Enterprise

All the glasses are frosted, if you could see these up close you would notice blueprints to the spaceships etched in the frosted parts of the glass (You can click any photos for a zoom).

Also, Each week they will release one kid's meal toy featuring the characters, ships, and communicators from the film. All of the toys have soundeffects. (All these images came from TrekMovie.com, which also has a video featuring all the toys with sounds).


You know I'm gonna have to go get the figure of my future husband Karl Urban ("Bones" McCoy in the film), but I really think I want to get the communicator and tricorder too so I can run around my backyard and play Star Trek haha. Plus, I really like how similar these toys are to the Burger King "Star Wars III" toys from 2005. They'd probably look really cool displayed together. I would make Spock fight with Han Solo.
VS.
Anyways, looks like a pretty cool way to exchange some hard earned cash for things that won't keep you alive during a nuclear winter. The campaign itself has to be one of the most clever things I've ever seen. I absolutely love it. It's funny whether you are a Trekkie, Trekker, or just a dork who thinks the Burger King is a creep.

The movie comes out May 8th, go see it, sneak a whopper and some chicken fries in, and don't forget to pay for it with your limited edition Star Trek AMC Theaters gift card, of course.