Pilot to Captain

With Star Trek, nothing is ever easy, and that’s part of the franchise’s charm. Take the pilot episode of the series -- either pilot episode. The first pilot, The Cage, was rejected by NBC, so Gene Roddenberry had to create a new one (Where No Man Has Gone Before). Roddenberry recycled The Cage’s plot and footage into The Menagerie, a two-part flashback episode (numbers eleven and twelve in the series’ run) featuring the pre-Kirk captain of the Enterprise, Christopher Pike, and his adventures on the planet Talos IV, with a slightly more emotional Mr. Spock (not that kind of adventure). The Menagerie is a dandy of a story (it won a Hugo Award and everything), and it’s recently been digitally restored with Cinema Surround Sound and updated CGI effects in honor of its 40th anniversary. Tonight at 7:30 p.m., you can enjoy The Menagerie on the big screen of the Regal St. Louis Mills Stadium Cinema (5555 St. Louis Mills Boulevard, Hazelwood; 314-227-5503 or www.fathomevents.com). There’s a “making-of” documentary and a special video message from Eugene Roddenberry included in the $12.50 ticket price.
Tue., Nov. 13, 2007