To Boldly Go (Media Meditation #2)

Yesterday, I went to FYE and purchased Star Trek on DVD. This was perhaps the most wonderful purchase I have ever made. I had reserved a copy ahead of time, and managed to get the limited edition with the steel cover. My edition also came with a digital copy so I can, as the insert says, “experience Star Trek anywhere in the galaxy!”



I was super excited about the digital copy that came included. This is part of a major convergence trend that has been appearing more and more in DVDs. It makes sense. Now, even DVDs are struggling to remain relevant and desirable. If a consumer is given the choice between purchasing a hard DVD or a digital copy from iTunes, more and more they will go to iTunes. It’s more convenient and easier to transport. A large DVD collection is great, but what’s the point if you can’t bring them all with you wherever you go? With a digital copy, you get the accessibility of uploading it to your iPod or other device and taking it with you.

I have to say that I am massively jealous of people who own Blu-Ray players. I want to begin buying Blu-Ray because “Hollywood pick[ed] Sony’s Blu-Ray discs as the successor to the standard DVD” (pg. 215), and also because the Blu-Ray edition of the movie is AWESOME. It comes with an interactive cover that allows you to access hidden features on your computer, another amazing example of an aesthetic shift.

Skip ahead to 3:50 to hear about the Blu Ray edition:


I love the production techniques used in this movie. J.J. Abrams directed the film, and used lens flares throughout to create very interesting effects. They used regular flashlights off screen to create this effect. It was so visually exciting to see these. It gave the impression of lights and stars glinting off all the interfaces aboard the Enterprise. If you want to know more about it, go to about 2:00 on the above video.



I loved the incorporation of Leonard Nimoy into the cast of this film. Nimoy played Spock in the Original Series of the show, the television show that started it all. It was very nostalgic to include this iconic figure in this newest addition to the Star Trek franchise. They discuss Mr. Nimoy at 2:45 in the video.


Leonard Nimoy as Spock in newest Star Trek film (left) and in the Original Series (right).

I have to say that what I love most about this movie is its ability to stimulate all parts of my brain. My reptilian brain goes crazy with every explosion and combat scene. The triumphant music pinpoints my limbic brain and gives me goose bumps. And that plot of this film, with emphasis on theories of time travel, black holes, and the vastness of space, lets me think with my neocortex.

I’ve cultivated a strong attachment to Star Trek ever since this film came out. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the effect it has had on me and the interest it has sparked for space and continued exploration. Some people say that they would go away to Hogwarts if they only could. For me, however, I would enlist in Starfleet in a heartbeat.



More information/resources:
Star Trek: The Original Series on Youtube
Star Trek Official Site
Memory Alpha: Collaborative Star Trek Reference Database