Episodes

  • 182: Let's See What's Out There

    182: Let's See What's Out There
    Apr 29 2016
    Series Finale.

    Running Time: 1 hours 32 minutes 33 seconds

    For the past three and a half years, Mike, John and Max have examined the work of Star Trek creators outside of Star Trek. From the series creator Gene Roddenberry to the director of Star Trek Beyond, Justin Lin, we have covered television shows, films, novels, and more from writers, directors and actors who have worked throughout the franchise. But all good things...

    In the final episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John reflect on 182 episodes of podcasting. We discuss how the show came about, what our favorite works by Trek creators are, and what we regret not covering. We also reveal our plans for the future.

    Chapters
    Secret Origins (00:01:45)
    Favorite Works (00:29:48)
    Favorite Creators (00:50:42)
    What We Missed (01:01:26)
    Final Thoughts (01:10:13)
    Stage Nine (01:14:27)
    Thanks (01:25:58)

    Hosts
    Mike Schindler and John Mills

    Production
    Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • 181: Deep Cuts

    181: Deep Cuts
    Apr 22 2016
    Lin, Part 8: Recap.

    Running Time: 1 hour 3 minutes 21 seconds

    Throughout the course of Commentary: Trek Stars, we have covered thirty eight different people who have helped to create Star Trek. We began with the very first Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, and we end with the current leader of the franchise, Justin Lin.

    In our penultimate episode, Mike and John recap their series on Lin's career as a film director. We look at all seven of his movies, including Better Luck Tomorrow, Annapolis, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Finishing the Game, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Furious 6. We also discuss the news of J.J. Abrams' latest production, Kolma, and what the rumors of the new Trek series' format could mean for future creators.

    Chapters
    Lin's Early Films (00:01:11)
    Fast & Furious (00:18:35)
    News (00:41:55)

    Hosts
    Mike Schindler and John Mills

    Production
    Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 180: Faster, More Intense

    180: Faster, More Intense
    Apr 15 2016
    Lin, Part 7: Furious 6.

    Running Time: 1 hour 21 minutes 34 seconds

    In 2013, Justin Lin directed his fourth and final installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, Furious 6. The film continues the franchise's trend of creating movies that are bigger and better than what has come before. This time around, the crew needs to stop an international criminal who is  trying to steal a technology which could allow him to take over the world.

    In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Megan of Educating Geeks to look at Lin's most recent movie. We discuss how the film achieves its large scale, how it fits into the overall continuity of the franchise, and of course, the title.

    Chapters
    Furious 6 (00:08:33)
    Hand-To-Hand Combat (00:27:34)
    The Return of Letty (00:42:10)
    Final Thoughts (00:59:40)

    Hosts
    John Mills and Mike Schindler

    Guest
    Megan Calcote

    Production
    Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • 179: The Avengers of Fast & Furiousness

    179: The Avengers of Fast & Furiousness
    Apr 8 2016
    Lin, Part 6: Fast Five.

    Running Time: 59 minutes 33 seconds

    After reinvigorating the franchise with Fast & Furious, Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin returned to helm the fifth film in the series, Fast Five. This installment acted as a reunion of sorts, as series regulars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker were joined by stars of the previous films, including Tyrese Gibson, Gal Gadot and Sung Kang for an Ocean's Eleven-style heist movie.

    In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John continue their series on Lin's work as a director by looking at his sixth picture. We discuss how Fast Five builds on what has come before, Lin's continued collaboration with his crew, and what this film tells us about his ability to handle the large cast of Star Trek Beyond. We also discuss the trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One, because why not?

    Chapters
    Fast Five (00:00:45)
    Lin's Style (00:17:47)
    Sung Kang in Beyond? (00:29:07)
    Wrap-up (00:45:07)

    Hosts
    Mike Schindler and John Mills

    Production
    Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
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    59 mins
  • 178: Getting Rid of the Thes

    178: Getting Rid of the Thes
    Apr 1 2016

    Lin, Part 5: Fast & Furious.

     

    Running Time: 1 hour 9 minutes 17 seconds

     

    In 2009, Justin Lin returned to what would become his marquee franchise with Fast & Furious. The fourth film in the series was a return to basics, featuring a reunion of the original cast, including both Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, in an effort to revitalize the franchise.

     

    In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Zach Moore of Always Hold On To Smallville to look at Lin's fifth film. We discuss the decision to bring Lin back after Tokyo Drift, the stylistic differences between the two films, and of course, the title. We also take a look at the career of Star Trek 2017's newest writer, Jesse Alexander.

     

    Chapters

    Fast & Furious (00:05:40)

    Lin's Return (00:21:57)

    Final Thoughts (00:38:17)

    Jesse Alexander (00:45:15)

    Wrap-up (01:00:30)

     

    Hosts

    John Mills and Mike Schindler

     

    Guest

    Zach Moore

     

    Production

    Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • 177: True Detective: Tokyo Drift

    177: True Detective: Tokyo Drift
    Mar 25 2016

    Lin, Part 4: Finishing the Game.

     

    Running Time: 48 minutes 22 seconds

     

    After two consecutive Hollywood blockbuster, Justin Lin returned to the world of independent filmmaking with Finishing the Game. The film is unlike any other in Lin's filmography, a "mockumentary" about finding an actor to replace Bruce Lee in his final movie, The Game of Death.

     

    In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Lin's fourth film. We discuss how it differs from the rest of his movies, what it says about Lin as an artist, and the impact which Bruce Lee had on the culture. We also touch on the upcoming Star Trek: 50 Artists, 50 Years exhibition.

     

    Chapters

    Finishing the Game (00:01:39)

    The Style (00:18:24)

    50 Artists, 50 Years (00:33:45)

    Wrap-up (00:36:43)

     

    Hosts

    Mike Schindler and John Mills

     

    Production

    Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
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    48 mins
  • 176: Citizen Kane: Tokyo Drift

    176: Citizen Kane: Tokyo Drift
    Mar 18 2016

    Lin, Part 3: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

     

    Running Time: 1 hour 24 seconds

     

    Less than five months after the release of Annapolis, Justin Lin was handed the keys to the Fast and the Furious franchise. His first of four consecutive sequels was The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The film offers and interesting take on the franchise, expanding the mythology by focusing on entirely new characters instead of continuing the story established in the first two. Written by Chris Morgan, the movie features Lucas Black, Nathalie Kelley, Bow Wow, and Sung Kang. 

     

    In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, John and Mike are joined by Brandon of Melodic Treks to discuss Lin's third movie. We look at how it differs from the other films in the franchise thus far, the members of the crew who are joining Lin for Star Trek Beyond, and the return of Han from Better Luck Tomorrow. We also discuss news, including the release of J.J. Abrams' latest production, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and the casting of Shohreh Aghdashloo in Star Trek Beyond.

     

    Chapters

    Tokyo Drift (00:02:54)

    Its Place in the Franchise (00:22:01)

    News (00:41:41)

    Wrap-up (00:52:14)

     

    Hosts

    John Mills and Mike Schindler

     

    Guest

    Brandon-Shea Mutala

     

    Production

    Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
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    1 hr
  • 175: Quick and Angry

    175: Quick and Angry
    Mar 11 2016

    Lin, Part 2: Annapolis.

     

    Running Time: 1 hour 27 seconds

     

    After the success of Better Luck Tomorrow, Justin Lin was given the opportunity to work on big studio productions with substantially larger budgets. The first of these was Annapolis in 2006. The film, starring James Franco, Tyrese Gibson and Jordan Brewster, looks at a cadet's first year at the U.S. Naval Academy.

     

    In this episode of Commentary: Trek Stars, Mike and John take a look at Lin's second film. We discuss how it effectively uses cliches, the similarities to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, and how accurately it portrays the Academy. In news, we remember TNG and DS9 visual effects supervisor Gary Hutzel, discuss the hiring of Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth as executive producers on the new Star Trek series, and touch on the order of Doug Jung's new pilot, Scalped.

     

    Chapters

    Annapolis (00:00:44)

    Accuracy (00:20:05)

    News (00:50:26)

     

    Hosts

    Mike Schindler and John Mills

     

    Production

    Mike Schindler (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Will Nguyen (Content Manager)
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    1 hr