STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

William Shatner as Captain Kirk

STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991). Director: Nicholas Meyer. 

Captain James Kirk (William Shatner of Dead Man's Island), who blames the untrustworthy Klingons for the death of his son, is outraged when he learns there is to be a peace treaty with the barbarian-like aliens. Worse, he is to invite the Klingon delegation aboard the enterprise. Dinner is awkward, but things take a turn for the worse when the Enterprise apparently fires on the Klingon ship, and Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) is killed. Trying to help matters and figure out what happened, instead Kirk and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) find themselves put on trial for assassination! 

Kim Cattrall on the bridge of the Enterprise

The Undiscovered Country -- "the undiscovered country, the future" is from Hamlet -- was the last of the theatrical Trek movies to feature the original cast all by themselves, although Shatner and others appeared with Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Generations. The film is fast-moving and entertaining, although there are times when the script allows Kirk/Shatner to be a little too "cutesy." Otherwise the performances are good enough -- Leonard Nimoy [Zombies of the Stratosphere] and Janes Doohan are aboard -- and the actors playing Klingons, including Warner, are especially notable: Christopher Plummer as Chang and Rosanna DeSoto as Gorkon's daughter, Azetbur, among others. Sulu (George Takei) is now captain of his own ship, with Grace Lee Whitney as his communications officer. (Christian Slater also has a small part as a crew member of Sulu's ship). Iman makes an impression as a shapeshifter who helps Kirk and McCoy get out of the prison mines on an icy planet where they are incarcerated. Kim Cattrall is also memorable as a new Vulcan crew member on the Enterprise. Nichelle Nichols has a little more to do as Uhura. 

During their dinner together, Chang remarks that "you have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon." Of course, one might wonder if the Klingons would even be familiar with Shakespeare or have any interest in reading him, but this is undoubtedly an in-joke among several. The FX work in the film is excellent, and Cliff Eidelman's score, especially the dynamic theme music, is also memorable. 

Verdict: Semi swan song for the original Star Trek crew. ***.
 

THE HORROR AT 37,000 FEET

Chuck Connors

THE HORROR AT 37,000 FEET (CBS telefilm/1973). Director: David Lowell Rich. 

Captain Slade (Chuck Connors of Hot Rod Girl) is flying a passenger plane from Heathrow airport to New York. Architect Alan O'Neill (Roy Thinnes of The Invaders) is shipping, via the cargo hold, an altar, among other items, from an abbey that was built over a place of Druid sacrifice. Another passenger, Mrs. Pinder (Tammy Grimes), failed to stop Alan from taking the altar from England via legal means but is planning to try again in New York. Meanwhile, once the flight takes off, Alan's wife, Sheila (Jane Merrow), begins hearing frightening voices. And the cargo bay begins to develop a frigid atmosphere that quick-freezes the poor flight navigator (Russell Johnson). Before long there's a full-stage panic aboard the plane as Slade tries to get his ship out of an unholy wind and the passengers fight against the demonic force in the cargo bay. 

William Shanter, Jane Merrow, Roy Thinnes

The Horror at 37,000 Feet is one of a great many made-for-TV horror films that proliferated during the seventies, and it's an entertaining picture, although anyone expecting a masterpiece of terror will be disappointed. Despite the absurdities of the plot and some of the situations, the movie is fast-paced and harrowing enough to easily help the viewer suspend disbelief. A big plus for the production is the way the entire cast plays so well together even after things get seriously weird and some of the characters become understandably hysterical. Although William Shatner [Dead Man's Island] doesn't quite get a handle on his role as an ex-priest, generally playing in too perfunctory a style (but at least not over-acting), Conners is solid and Tammy Grimes excellent as the strange Mrs. Pinder. 

Buddy Ebsen and Will Hutchins

Being a TV movie, it's no surprise that the film is full of TV stars, including the already named along with Buddy Ebsen (as a wealthy entrepreneur) and Will Hutchins (as a cowboy star in foreign movies) with Paul Winfield and Lynn Lowry along for the ride. The whole thing reminds one of a slightly longer episode of Twilight Zone or Outer Limits, and works on that level. One wishes there had been more outside shots of the plane in flight to remind viewers that everyone is miles up in the air, adding another degree of fear and tension to the proceedings. France Nuyen plays a model and H. M. Wynant is a co-pilot. Jane Merrow is an English actress who did a lot of work on American television (as well as British TV series) and appeared in such films as Hands of the Ripper and Island of the Burning Damned; she is fine. Creepy theme music by Morton Stevens. 

Verdict: Don't watch before booking your next plane trip. ***. 

DEAD MAN'S ISLAND

Barbara Eden

DEAD MAN'S ISLAND (1996 telefilm). Director: Peter Roger Hunt.

Henrietta O'Dwyer (Barbara Eden) is an investigative reporter who was once in love with a man named Chase Prescott (William Shatner). Nearly thirty years have gone by, both have married other people, and Chase is now a very wealthy industrialist with a mansion on an isolated island that was once Indian land. Chase asks Henrietta to come to the island and informs her that someone tried to poison him; he wants her to ferret out who the would-be murderer is before he or she can succeed in taking his life.

William Shatner

The suspects in the movie consist of a near-classic 90's TV cast (in addition to Eden and Shatner, of course): Morgan Fairchild is an actress who wants Chase to back her in a Broadway show; Traci Lords is Chase's current and much younger spouse; Christopher Atkins and David Faustino (from Married With Children) are his sons; Olivia Hussey and Christopher Cazenove are the maid and butler; and Jameson Parker, Roddy McDowall and Don Most (from Happy Days) are his employees. As for motive, some of them will get a large amount of cash in Chase's will, while others have different grudges to bear.

Morgan Fairchild

Eden is, as usual, pleasant, but she isn't that convincing in her role, and her narration of the story is unnecessary. The other cast members are no better than they should be and Roddy McDowall is Roddy McDowall. If you like murder mysteries with the usual elements and two-dimensional suspects, there are much worse movies than Dead Man's Island, which moves pretty quickly and has some suspense, even if you may not entirely buy the denouement. It's amazing that Eden was actually sixty-five when she made this teleflick as she looks years younger. The island and mansion settings for the movie are beautiful.

Verdict: Not exactly Agatha Christie, but fun. ***.