(89) Star Trek: A New Beginning.

89

Silver Age Star Trek. Or maybe Star Trek: Friday the 13th... This rates a 1 on the 0 to 5 point scale, the lowest rating being a 0.  A rating of 1 beats watching trailers and teasers. It may be intended as a parody. I admit to have a defective meter on what other people find funny.  It's also not "Really really bad stuff"... zero or below.

At least two episodes are available on You-Tube, a long one about the standard universe, and a short about the mirror universe. Sort of. If you can tell the difference.
This is their You Tube home: http://www.youtube.com/user/man8785

This appears to be a group of high school students. The opening says they faced suspension for making this film. A pity. I suspect their high school physics class would have been more fun to watch.

Part I Act I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCLqBUSsDYY&feature=related

Part I Act II

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi8Z-Gjja78&NR=1

Part II Act I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBGcdoWAXHs&NR=1

Part II Act II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqAGY0kQy5k&NR=1

Sound quality is lousy. Sets non-existent. It seems to be shot in a private high school building. Choate, (which is located in Wallingford, Connecticut, USA) probably, since it's called "The Choate Edition." Special Effects 3rd rate. OK. make that 5th rate. But they're in high school. Acting mediocre. The is minimal plot and script. It's sort of Star Trek meets Teen Horror Flick. There fighting and running and an unkillable alien who climbs around on ceilings and speaks what they identify as Klingon. Then more fighting and running. Then some screams. More fighting and running...

On the other hand, they have a nice sense of humor, and it's fun. Hey, ever wonder why the artificial gravity never fails on Trek ships? (OK, there was one movie when it failed, but still, you'd think it would happen every time they lose power). Well, the artificial gravity fails here! Why limit yourself to Trek music? Or general music? How about Mission Impossible music? And one other good thing about it is an earth ship that speaks Russian. Isn't that logical, since, after all, the Russians were the first in space? Good point, kids. Unfortunately, all these points could have been made in a paragraph shorter than this one, or in a film under 10 minutes. No need for a long movie.

So, sadly, I still have to rate this film as a 1, poor. Still, not a zero. Still, better than watching teasers and looking at banners for films that may never be made or released.

There is also

Star Trek: A New Beginning: Gunsmoke and Mirrors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PcbsNcHmTM&NR=1

This is a sampling of bloody and violent images from many films, starting with films set in ancient times (Homeric Films?) and working through time until you get into violent images from Star Trek. Then the same actors as in the other film now appear with the sign of the earth of the mirror universe, now killing for no apparent reason... as opposed to trying to kill for a reason and failing in the other film. One nice touch was inserting Kahn at the right moment in Earth history as it flashed by.

No words. No plot. Same props... except the 'leader' has a Hitler mustache.

Some people like this group better than I do. Here's a discussion of the work:

http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=50919

But I have to rate the second film a plain 1. Poor.

This group has NOT given up. They have a rough cut of a third film which they describe as the third part of a three part trilogy, vis:

Star Trek: A New Beginning Part 3 Rough Cut
Part 1 of 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hpYP2f7DyQ  (9:32)
Part 2 of 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOwjCkH-eU4  (10:00)
Part 3 of 3  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fjS9K_2FVQ  (6:17)

These videos, in their current form, were posted in early or mid-June, 2010.  Bravo for the continued effort!  There is a major improvement in the video quality and upgrade in the special effects compared to earlier efforts.  A cartoon character waving from an otherwise very Trek looking panel is either a realistic touch that many people do personalize their offices or a signal this is supposed to be a comedy.