Spocklight: A Star Trek Podcast

In the second ever Spocklight Christmas Special, we go to desperate measures to bring you Trek-based festive content, by covering ‘Christmas Eve’ starring Sir Patrick Stewart.   Liam dives into the formidable trend of faith based cinema, tries his best to stick up for the magnetic screen presence of Sir Patrick and gushes about he and Matt’s shared love for The Killers Christmas singles   Paul admits his admiration for two of the worst/best characters in the movie, is stunned by the hugely pervy, creepo photographer character and is forced to drop a never before seen (if not-so-surprising) final star rating   While Matt talks the sudden rise of recent cheesy Christmas movies given free reign by streaming services and is left confused by the wildest post-credits scene ever.   Put your feet baby (and listen to our latest episode), it’s Christmas Time!   As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/spocklightpod/ EMAIL

Liam, Matt and Paul return to the beginning of the Spocklight adventure for the 40th anniversary of ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ as we dive into the 2001 Director’s edition of the film to find out, once and for all, if there truly is no comparison.   As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/spocklightpod/ EMAIL - spocklightpod@gmail.com Please Follow, like, share and all that good stuff.   Credit for our wonderful theme music goes to the incredibly talented, Adam Johnston’s, you can find more of his work at - https://adamjohnstonuk.bandcamp.com/ Our beautiful artwork was created by Stephen Trumble, see more at http://www.stephentrumble.com   

We’re joined by Trek newbies, Alex Petrovic and Joe Foster from awesome comedy podcast, ‘This Thing On?’, as we revisit Star Trek: The Next Generation with Liam, Matt and Paul picking an episode each to showcase the appeal of TNG.   We’ll be discussing the episodes (episode numbers as per Netflix):   Sins of the Father (Season 3, Episode 17) The Drumhead (Season 4, Episode 21) The Inner Light (Season 5, Episode 25)   Hear us talk VCR board games, a fat-shaming Nursemaid, the continuing political relevance of The Drumhead, whether Worf should have picked someone a bit harder than Picard for his cha’DIch and the history between those two characters, while Alex relates being a Romulan spy to playing for Nottingham Forest football club and tells us of his fateful meeting with Sir Patrick Stewart himself.   The cha’DIch will be silent and listen to this podcast by downloading now!   As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebo

We’re joined by comedian & host of the ‘Insane in the Men Brain’ Podcast, Rich Wilson, for our most sprawling and epic episode yet, talking everything from class representation in media, the importance of diversity, incel culture, classic comedy and... oh yeah, 1993's ‘Robin Hood: Men in Tights’   Liam examines how the gentle tone of early Mel Brooks' movies often make up for some of their more dated humour, thanks Sir Patrick Stewart's cameo appearance in Men in Tights for saving the movie and uncovers forgotten Frankie Howard flick, ‘Up the Chastity Belt’ complete with camp Robin Hood on his research deep dive.   Matt attempts to break down the various eras of the spoof genre, feels vindicated when 1998's 'Mafia' turns out to be a real movie after all and tells the story of his childhood stage acting debut and his own experience as a 'man in tights'.   While guest star, Rich Wilson tells us how his podcast encourages men to talk more openly about mental health & toxic masculinity, recalls the

Prepare to lock down and undergo the longest decontamination process of your life as we return to examining ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ Director, Robert Wise's filmography with 1971 Sci-fi Horror Thriller, The Andromeda Strain, on another Spocklight at the Movies!   Liam admires the chilling effectiveness of the opening ghost town sequence but feels like they sacrificed entertainment value for rigorous authenticity and wishes the characters had more charisma than 'week one rejects in a reality show'   Paul gives us the skinny on original Author, Michael Crichton, finds the film to be an early precursor to the real-time stylings of 24 and the sci-fi nature of The X Files, praises Wise's technical prowess and dunks on the underground lab's undeniably shitty laser defence system   While Matt wishes the occasional sense of urgency was felt throughout the whole story, can't help but latch on to the potential for more paranoia-fuelled drama and is shocked by a certain monkey sequence that would surely cau

Spocklight at the Movies is on the run from our gambling debts and joining Tom Hanks, John Candy and Rita Wilson on a Peace Corps flight to Thailand, it’s Nicholas Meyer's 1985 comedy 'Volunteers'!   Liam reveals his somewhat recent appreciation for the late, great John Candy, discusses the history of THAT Coca Cola product placement and breaks down the problematic, white saviour tropes of the movie.   Paul talks up the shared comic sensibilities between the film and our own shorts from the mid 2000s (the 'Groovedoctor' oeuvre), chats the difficulties of nailing the landing in high concept comedies and ponders the potential of a contemporary remake.   While Matt talks Hank's character's inherent unlikeability and it's connections to the initial iteration of Woody in Toy Story, suffers from tonal whiplash as the film jumps for 4th wall breaking gags to sudden heads on pikes, and comes to the realisation that it’s close to being a slapstick version of Rambo.   Volunteer to mine the depths of this forgot

In a very special episode, Robert Sallin, the Producer of ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ returns to the podcast to share more of the untold inside story of producing the most celebrated and iconic Star Trek film ever made.   Bob also tells us about the difficulties directing his first feature film, 1969’s ‘The Picasso Summer’ starring Albert Finney and Yvette Mimieux and achieving the incredible feat of helming over 2,000 commercials featuring such stars as Tom Selleck, Jack Lemmon, Joan Rivers, James Mason and Larry Hagman. We’re also lucky enough to be joined by his Wife, Sandra Sallin, who chimes in with the amazing story of attending the after party to a private screening of ‘E.T.’ with Steven Speilberg and George Lucas.   If you haven’t heard it, we strongly recommended listening to our first episode with Bob, Supplemental 4: Interview with Robert Sallin, published on September 21st 2017 still available on our feed as well for even more great in-depth anecdotes from the man himself.     As usua

The Man in Black fled across the desert, and The Gunslinger followed... and behind him came Liam and Matt to debate the 2017 cinematic interpretation of Stephen King’s magnum opus, The Dark Tower, adapted for the screen by ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Writer, Director and Executive Producer, Akiva Goldsman.   Liam compares the film to ‘Last Action Hero’, hates on Jake's deadbeat parents and realises that we still haven't cracked the art of CGI flame hands, while Matt tells the tale of his not-so-epic quest to track down all the books in the series, breaks down the three cardinal sins of shitty exposition and struggles to synopsise this complex, genre-hybrid on a brain-meltingly hot day.   We also discuss the new TV reboot of the franchise and other King Properties and lament the lost Dark Tower adaptation from the team behind... LOST!   All hail the Crimson King, don't forget the face of your father and join us for our 3-year anniversary as we journey into Mid-World and beyond.     As usual you can find SP

Join us for an incredibly fun chat as we let loose and crank it up to 11 with the amazingly energetic, Michele Specht, best known as Dr. McKennah in ‘Star Trek Continues’ and one of the many voices of the ‘Star Trek Online’ game. Hear which Trek series was her gateway into the fandom and why she thinks Trek's focus on ethical, moral and spiritual storytelling really sets it apart. Discover the pressures she felt in doing the franchise justice, dealing with overwhelming fan (and original cast) reactions and finding the right level of theatricality when matching the aesthetic of the original series. We go pretty deep on this one, learning how unhealthy motivations, audition horror stories and the need to find her centred self all brought Michele to the brink of quitting acting altogether. Plus - insights into the world of voice recording for Star Trek Online & numerous anime shows, as well as the reveal of what Michele’s dream Star Trek: Discovery role would be.   As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on:

We're BACK with another Trek TV Revisited episode. This time we endure our return to Star Trek: The Animated Series, with special guest, Eliot J Fallows, of Chortle Awards nominated Podcast, ‘Heal Your Wounds’ and the fantastic ‘Sean & Eliot Read the Bible’, joining us to dissect the episodes:   1.02 Yesteryear 1.04 The Lorelei Signal 1.12 The Time Trap   Liam applauds the series (occasionally) using animation to it's advantage by adding more imaginative, gonzo characters, but blasts the emotionless line delivery of the majority of the main cast.   Paul can't believe the audacity of including a 45 second sequence of Scotty singing, laughs at director Hal Sutherland's overly flashy signature credit and generally thinks the show has all the animated prowess of a pop-up book.   Matt manages to appreciate some profound moments and wonders why this wasn't just a radio series thanks to the lack of actual 'animation' in this 'animated' show, while Eliot struggles to comprehend some (admittedly flawed)

In this special episode we’re joined by Shazad Latif, best known to Trekkies as Ash Tyler in ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ and to many others as Clem Fandango in ‘Toast of London’.   Hear the origins of Shazad’s dual role on Discovery, how he navigated one of the most challenging storylines in Trek history, what it meant to him being a half-Asian romantic lead in such a brilliantly diverse cast and how life has changed thanks to being part of the worldwide phenomenon that is Trek.   We also talk about what it was like to become a pop culture icon as Clem Fandango in Matt Berry and Arthur Matthews’ wonderful sitcom, ‘Toast of London’, getting to play Jekyll but not Hyde in ‘Penny Dreadful’, landing a regular role in ‘Spooks’ straight out of drama school and even the moral complexity of his role in ‘Ordinary Lies’.   Looking to the future, Shazad gives us the scoop on the forthcoming ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ and ‘Departure’ while we speculate on Discovery Season 3 and Michelle Yeoh fronted Spin-off,

In a giant-size special for our 50th episode, Liam and Matt are joined by Daryl and Jeanette of the ‘Sudden Double Deep’ Podcast to dissect the first X-Men movie from the year 2000 starring Patrick Stewart, just in time for the release of the latest chapter in the franchise, ‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix’. We examine the dawn of today’s Superhero movie phenomenon in detail, unpick the Bryan Singer controversy, discuss the differences between blockbuster movies past and present while looking forward to the possible future of the X-Men movie franchise. All that and the unfortunate story of a Jimmy Savile tattoo! Magneto’s right; there is a war coming, make sure you’re on the right side by downloading this episode now! As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/spocklightpod/ EMAIL - spocklightpod@gmail.com Please Follow, like, share and all that good stuff.   You can find more information about Daryl and Jeanette's brilliant Film

Liam and Matt are joined by James Dyer of the Pilot TV Podcast and Empire Magazine as we dive right into Discovery Season 2 and try and have a little fun along the way in one epic Spoiler Special.  As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/spocklightpod/ EMAIL - spocklightpod@gmail.com Please Follow, like, share and all that good stuff.   You can find James @jamescdyer on Twitter and the Pilot TV Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you catch your pods. Credit for our wonderful theme music goes to the incredibly talented, Adam Johnston’s, you can find more of his work at - https://adamjohnstonuk.bandcamp.com/ Our beautiful artwork was created by Stephen Trumble, see more at http://www.stephentrumble.com 

We begin a revisitation of Trek TV by introducing The Original Series to special guest, Stand-Up Comedian, Jen Ives, by handpicking three episodes for her to watch.  Liam presents his case for why 'The Corbomite Maneuver' truly sums up the mission statement of Star Trek, Paul enjoys the campy sets (and definitely the dresses) of 'Who Mourns for Adonais' and Matt loves the complex motivations fuelling Spock's actions in 'Journey to Babel'. While Jen is creeped out by McCoy, enjoys seeing the Spock family dynamic (especially thicc Sarek) and absolutely cannot handle these long running times.  Make it a VERY Good Friday and join Spocklight and co back in the kitschy 60s heyday of sci-fi television, what better way is there to celebrate Easter?!   As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/spocklightpod/ EMAIL - spocklightpod@gmail.com Please Follow, like, share and all that good stuff.   You can find Jen @jenivescomedy o

It’s...SHOWTIME! We’re joined by Boyd Hilton of the Pilot TV Podcast and Heat Magazine to dissect the much maligned Robert De Niro/Eddie Murphy buddy cop satire as we ask the big questions: Why wasn’t William Shatner promoted from fleeting cameo to full co-star status? How did this film cost $85 million? And most importantly, was Deniro still sexy in 2002?!   As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/spocklightpod/ EMAIL - spocklightpod@gmail.com Please Follow, like, share and all that good stuff.   You can find Boyd @boydhilton on Twitter and the Pilot TV Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you catch your pods. Credit for our wonderful theme music goes to the incredibly talented, Adam Johnston’s, you can find more of his work at - https://adamjohnstonuk.bandcamp.com/ Our beautiful artwork was created by Stephen Trumble, see more at http://www.stephentrumble.com 

Slap on your reading glasses and put your feet up as we dive into over fifty years worth of Star Trek comic book history with special guest, Professor Elemental.   Comics covered in this episode: Star Trek #1 (Gold Key, October 1967) Star Trek #18 (Marvel, February 1982) Star Trek Annual #1 (DC, 1985) Star Trek Annual #2 (DC, 1986) Star Trek: Starfleet Academy #1 (Marvel, December 1996) Star trek: Early Voyages #1 (Marvel, February 1997) Star trek: Countdown (IDW, 2009) Star Trek vs Transformers #1 (IDW, September 2018)   As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/spocklightpod/ EMAIL - spocklightpod@gmail.com Please Follow, like, share and all that good stuff.   You can find Professor Elemental @prof_elemental on Twitter and more information about his upcoming gigs and tours at www.professorelemental.com Credit for our wonderful theme music goes to the incredibly talented, Adam Johnston’s, you can find more

Join the Spocklight crew on a truly fantastic voyage with special guest, Empire magazine’s Nick de Semlyen, as we discuss the 1987 Joe Dante hidden classic, ‘Innerspace’, Starring Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan and Star Trek: Voyager's very own... Robert Picardo as ‘The Cowboy’! Liam debates the outcome of a somewhat confused love triangle, Paul praises the now dearly departed Dick Miller, Matt recalls how seeing the film for the first time whilst in the grip of a delirious fever somehow made it even crazier, while our guest, Nick de Semlyen, tells us about his upcoming book, ‘Wild and Crazy Guys’, the Easy Riders, Raging Bulls of 80s comedy movies, as he contextualises the film within the cinematic era in which it was made. All this, plus a specially prepared statement from James Dyer of the Pilot TV Podcast. Come and twist the night away with us and download now, whether you be big, small or microscopic. Disclaimer: Slightly more echo than we would like on this record thanks to us being in a glass

In a special crossover episode with ‘Easy Riders, Raging Podcast’, we’re joined by its host, Chris Johnston, to discuss the 1978 remake of ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ as we scream and point our way through the Leonard Nimoy starring sci-fi classic. And once you’ve listened to us be horrified by gloriously gory practical effects, explain why the Body Snatchers franchise is the sci-fi answer to ‘A Star is Born’ and praise a ‘Granny Slap’ for the ages, head over to the ‘Easy Riders, Raging Podcast’ feed on Saturday 26th January for Part 2 of our 1978 crossover special as we join Chris on his show to chat Paul Schrader’s directorial debut, ‘Blue Collar’.   As usual you can find SPOCKLIGHT on: TWITTER - @spocklightpod INSTAGRAM – @spocklightpod FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/spocklightpod/ EMAIL - spocklightpod@gmail.com Please Follow, like, share and all that good stuff.   You can find ‘Easy Riders, Raging Podcast’ at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/easy-riders-raging-podcast/id1195855939