Amazon.com

Everybody's favorite Star Trek trickster god, Q (John de Lancie), returns to the Enterprise despite promises never to trouble the shipagain. Q has been kicked out of the Q continuum, he's bored, and he's decided he wants to join the crew of the Enterprise and go exploring with them. When Captain Picard says no, Q gets angry and knocks the ship into a particularly dangerous part of the unexplored universe, just to see how well they can fend for themselves without his help. Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg),the bartender of Ten-Forward, has been to this part of space before, and she recommends leaving as quickly as possible. Needless to say, they don't leave fast enough, and they meet up with the cyborg race called theBorg. After one battle, the Borg prove to be stronger, and Guinan says theirbrief taste of human technology will no doubt spur them on to seek it out again.An auspicious introduction to a brilliant villain: the Borg. --AndySpletzer ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Enter the Borg
In this episode Q has been kicked out of the 'Q Continuum' and attempts to convince Captain Picard to allow him to join the crew. Upon being rejected, Q 'throws' the Enterprise thousands of lightyears away where they encounter the Borg.

This episode is a high-point of TNG's 2nd season. Not only do we see a vendictive Q, but are introduced to one of the most powerful races the Federation will have to fight.

A well-deserved kick in their complacency
This episode has it all: great action sequences, nail-biting tension, and intriguing characters.
The omnipotent and omniscient Q pays a visit to the Enterprise, ostensibly to ask Picard if he can join the crew. When Picard smugly refuses the request, claiming that he and his crew can manage whatever is out there without Q's help, Q flings the Enterprise into a distant, uncharted region of the galaxy. Once there, Picard and his crew encouter a terrifying new enemy: the Borg. Are they really as ready for anything as they claim to be?
The Borg were a brilliant notion, and in this episode, as in The Best of Both Worlds, they are terrifying, both in concept and execution. There is a nicely spooky feel to the appearance of the first Borg, and in the scenes on the Borg ship. The episode is paced very well, the action sequences broken up by reflective moments.
Yet despite all the drama and the importance this episode has in the TNG universe, this is also a story about people. There are fresh insights into three of the characters. Picard has to face up to what his pride and ignorance have cost. We learn something of the past of the enigmatic Guinan, who has met the Borg before. And we learn that Q is far more than just a capricious meddler - if it hadn't been clear enough already. He seems genuinely to despise the Borg, and despite the harsh lesson he teaches Picard and his crew, I at least got the feeling that, ultimately, he was trying to do them a favour.
One of the great episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Q and the Borg
While on a routine mission in deep space, captain Picard and crew encounter the powerful super-entity Q.This time around Q wants to join the Enterprise crew.After having his request denied,Q decides to teach the crew a lesson: he sends the Enterprise hundreds of light-years across the galaxy to the uncharted sector J-25. It is not long before the crew encounters a powerful race of machines known as the Borg. The Enterprise is nearly destroyed but Q intervenes in the nick of time. However the lesson is plainly obvious:there are some things in outer space humanity is not prepared for,but Picard knows the Borg will return. This is one of the better episodes of the second season and serves as a prequel to season three's THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.This episode has everything:Action, humor,drama and serious discussion on the human condition.I heartily recommend that everyone interested in good science fiction buy this video.

Q as a teacher of the Enterprise crew
After viewing and re-viewing episodes of STTNG involving the entity known as Q, I have formulated a theory as to his popularity. So well played by John de Lancie, he also has some of the best dialog to deliver in all of the Star Trek episodes. There is also a deeper undercurrent in the relationship between Picard and Q, something along the lines of a great and eccentric teacher and a student. Q is so powerful that he could be considered the equivalent of a god, and some of his actions with Picard are those of a god with far greater knowledge than his pupil.
This episode, which also introduces the Borg, is an example of a powerful lesson to Picard and all beings of the Federation. Picard and Riker are both brimming with confidence that they can handle anything the universe can throw at them. Q then sends them packing across the galaxy, to a location where they encounter the Borg, an enemy that they are nearly powerless against. Picard is finally forced to ask for Q's assistance in order to avoid being assimilated into the Borg collective.
After the encounter, Picard and Riker complain to Q about the loss of life aboard the Enterprise. He is quite correct in his response in telling them that if that is their position, they should run back to their cribs. It is quite likely that the lesson would not have been so deeply learned if their "nose had not been bloodied."
This is one of the best episodes in the STTNG series in two ways. It is a hard lesson for the Enterprise crew and it introduces one of the best collection of characters to ever appear in Star Trek, the enigmatic, deadly, efficient and unemotional Borg.

Good, but a little boring at times...
This is one of the few good episodes of TNG season 2. Q returns and takes the Enterprise-D on a journey to a faraway place and introduces them to the Borg. This was obviously a platform for the writers to introduce a new threat to the Federation and for the most part, it works. But it lacks in some places, such as the scenes with Riker and his away team aboard the Borg ship. Overall, it's the perfect supplement for Trekkies, but those "outside" of the realm might be a little put off by the now-hokey set designs and subpar costumes. The best Borg episode is "The Best of Both Worlds." ... Read more

Amazon.com

The best Christmas material from two-and-a-half decades of Saturday Night Live is collected in this video, which gets off to a raucous start by presenting Chevy Chase's (literally) unbalanced rendition of President Gerald Ford decorating the White House Christmas tree.A number of memorable Christmas satires appear, including Eddie Murphy's spoof of Mr. Rodgers, Ana Gasteyer appearing in the "Martha Stewart Topless Christmas Special," and even Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song."Some of the best material is from the show's early freewheeling years: a classic bit with guest Candice Bergen, playing an uptight newswoman, being suitably offended while interviewing an irresponsible and utterly sleazy toy manufacturer (Dan Ackroyd); John Belushi doing a silent yet brilliant turn as a hard-drinking department store Santa; and the entire original cast taking part in an elaborate (by the show's early standards) production number.Also appearing in the video compilation are cast members Bill Murray, Jane Curtin, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, and Dana Carvey, as well as guests Steve Martin, Danny DeVito, Paul Simon, William Shatner, and Alec Baldwin (who visits the NPR ladies to deliver a wickedly deadpan talk about his Christmas balls).Saturday Night Live has been notoriously uneven over the years, but this video is a full stocking of consistently inspired writing and performances. --Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Prettty good mix of old and new
I'm a pretty big SNL fan. I don't get to watch as much as I'd like to anymore, but it's the most consistent funny show on tv. The SNL Christmas special is a great DVD.

It does have some notable skits. I love the skit with Alec Baldwin and the NPR ladies. It's so funny because all of them play being so serious so well. I laugh so hard every time I see this skit.

I liked the Martha Stewart topless christmas. She is such an easy target to make fun of and they do it great in this skit. Martha Stewart is annoying because of the way she talks and the way she presents herself. They spoof it so well in topless christmas. It's one of the better skits on the dvd.

All the skits with old SNL members are great. Dan Akroyd is one of the funniest guys to live and his skits as the toliet paper saleman and the toymaker are great.

Are two favorite SNL drunks Farley and Belushi both have some good stuff there fans should like.

Adam Sandler does the Hannakuh song. It's not the best version of the song, but it is the original and what a funny song it is.

I love this DVD. It's one of the better best of's they've made and I'm glad it's part of my collection.

SNL XMAS PAST AND PRESENT. a little more past please!
A good look at the best xmas skits from SNL, except they forgot
Hannakuh Harry & Gumby's X-Mas Special. It was great though to see Chevy Chase (as President Ford) open the collection, with other appearences by the BEST & ORIGINAL Not Ready For Prime Time Players Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtain, Garrett Morris, Gilda Radner and Second Season replacement Bill Murray.
Why Wont Lorne Micheals release SNL Season by season? It would be great to catch ALL the great performances, like the 1st season,PLEASE! Hail Chevy Chase!
Also Recommend:
UNDER THE RAINBOW-Chevy Chase
CADDYSHACK-Chevy Chase, Bill Murray
N.L. CHRISTMAS VACATION-Chevy Chase
SNL-Halloween
SNL-25 Years Of Laughs

Funny, but no Hanukah Harry!
This video was pretty funny. It had mostly newer stuff. I would have liked to have seen stuff from the earlier years. Also, a sticker on the package advertises that the Hanukah Harry skit with Jon Lovitz is on the video, but mysteriously it is nowhere to be found! I am certain there is more material they could have put on this 65 minute video.

Not worth purchasing
I'm a big fan of SNL, but most of the skits on this video weren't that funny. Adam Sandler singing the Hanukkah Song, and Chris Farley as Santa were the only two skits that made me laugh. I bought this as a gift for my father-in-law and I wish I hadn't! Maybe next year I'll buy him the Best of Chris Farley.

WELL BALANCED MIX
THIS 65 MINUTE TAPE IS A WELL BALANCED MIX OF OLD SCHOOL AND RECENT SNL CHRISTMAS SKETCHES. ADD THIS TO THE SNL HALLOWEEN VIDEO AND YOU'RE SET FOR LAUGHS OVER THE HOLIDAYS. I SERIOUSLY HOPE THAT THEY ARE HARD AT WORK ON VOLUME 2. THEY'VE CERTAINLY GOT PLENTY OF MATERIAL. I PRAY THE NEXT TAPE INCLUDES THE SANTA THE TERMINATOR SKIT (DECEMBER '84). EVERYONE I DESCRIBE IT TO THINKS I'M MAKING IT UP. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

My Favorite Movie to Recommend
Possibly the most miserable waste of time to come by the screen. I hated Turtle Diary and recommend it as often as possible to friends (non of whom have ever heard of it) in hopes that I may be the cause of their misery in watching it. Really it's pointless and tasteless, except that the producer seems so having something for flares of red in an otherwise bland set--this having no connection to the story, but seems as though it should in some twisted way. This movie is always near my top 10 picks in hopes that someone will chance to watch it on my account--a delight of which I have not yet enjoyed--but when said event occurs, I will cackle with glee. Seeing as I anticipate this future merth I easily rate Turtle Diary at 5 stars. I might buy this movie someday when feeling wealthy and unsatisfied with people in general.

Beautiful wry, touching romance--extraordinary acting.
Turtle Diary is one of those little gems of a film that sometimes come out of Britain to great critical acclaim and little American distribution. Starring Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley, it tells the tale of two older, very lonely London residents who are fascinated with the great sea turtles in the aquarium at the London Zoo. Jackson is a successful writer of children's book suffering though a major writers block. Kingsley is a dron at a local book store.

The meet by chance at the zoo and concoct a plan to liberate the sea turtles and return them to the sea. The bulk of the movie deals with the planning and execution of this plan.

This is an exercise in character study. There isn't a lot of action, but there is a lot of dialog. However, both Jackson and Kingsley are at the very top of their form in the film and the rest of the cast-a collection of well known and accomplished English character actors-provide awesome background and support for the story. There is a surprise ending of sorts, which I didn't anticipate when I first saw the film.

This is a quirky little movie that would be perfect for a romantic afternoon with your significant other.

An absolute gem of a film. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Faerie Tale Theatre Ever!
I would have to agree with the previous review that this is the best episode of Faerie Tale Theatre. In adapting faerie tales for film or television, the biggest difficulty seems to be in capturing that sense of awe and wonder that the original stories invoke. Without picture illustrations and a child's imagination to fill in the blanks, the original stories often appear static and lifeless on the screen. At worst, the sublime becomes downright ridiculous. Faerie Tale Theatre is a great and entertaining show, but rarely has it captured that sense of magic. This episode is one time that is has, and the results are truly something to behold. Eric Idle is the only "name" here, but the rest of the cast is equally perfect in their roles. Nicholas Meyer creates an entire other world, utilizing medieval tones in setting and costumes, as well as an eerie score of pipes from composer James Horner. The effect is mesmerizing, and if the use of rhyme as dialogue takes some getting used to, it only adds to the haunting impact in the end. This episode may be too disturbing for the youngest children, but all lovers of faerie tales owe it to themselves to see this. It doesn't have the budget of big-screen fantasies, but I rank this right up there with the NeverEnding Story and the Dark Crystal. If you love those films, then you understand what I mean about the sublime.

Wonderful and surreal...as fairy tales should be.
In the early to mid eighties, Shelly Duvall produced a cable show for the then flagship HBO network called Faerie Tale Theatre. The intent was to bring classic childhood stories to an audience of young and old alike through big name stars, directors, and hip, irreverent writing. Without this series, there would not have been a "Princess Bride". Although many of these were excellent examples of the best television could offer, the finest hour (for me) was director Nicholas Meyer's interpretation of Robert Browning's "Pied Piper of Hamelin". Both faithful to the original poem and liberal in its creative embellishments, Meyer perfectly captured the eerieness of the story. The show starred Eric Idle and he makes a perfect Piper. Tall, pale, with piercing eyes and a hawklike nose, Idle looke every bit the character: part mystic, part mercenary. And his final march out of Hamelin with the children is truly the stuff of innocent nightmares. Without sentimentality, without any concession to cuteness, this episode proved that within all great children's stories lurked something magical and sinister...Just like adulthood. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Back before Christopher Walken became a caricature of himself, when he was still considered a rising actor based on his Oscar® for The Deer Hunter, he made this graphic, exciting action film, about a group of professional mercenaries. Walken leads a band of soldiers of fortune, who are hired to overthrow a dictator in West Africa (think Idi Amin). But when their mission is compromised by political and monetary forces, Walken returns to the United States, disillusioned, battered, and not sure the high life of lawyers, guns, and money is really for him. Still, vengeance is sweet, as his partner, Tom Berenger, keeps whispering into his ear. A better film than it's generally given credit for, The Dogs of War features the kind of cool, detached performance Walken used to be capable of, before he began believing both the hype and ridicule about his over-the-top style. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Good film, not great
Walken revises his role in the Deer Hunter here, playing a mercenary involved in one of those politically torn countries down yonder. Its a good movie, from the early 1980's, but if you have the Deer Hunter already, you wont need this. I am a big Walker fan- i think he is brilliant, but otherwise there isnt much to this film. Still, its one of only a hundred films that I hand picked for my life-time collection.

'Vive Le Mort, Vive La Guerre, Vive Le Sacre Mercenaire!!'
While Dogs of War is not as exciting and crowd-pleasing as the gold-standard in mercenary movies, The Wild Geese, it is certainly the most thoughtful. It starts off slow, spending over two-thirds of the film setting up the characters and the situation. While the pace occasionally lags, the events are realistic (in terms of a 1970s mercenary operation) and there are occasionally interesting quotes like the one serving as this review's title. Christopher Walken's character is fleshed out and given depth which makes his actions in the climax the logical payoff to his development in the movie. The real problem with this film is the big action finale. It simply isn't exciting enough and is far too brief. There are one or two nice flourishes, but the bottomline is that you expect more payoff with all that build-up. Dogs of War is still a good film but it may leave you a bit unsatisfied. Try the aforementioned 'The Wild Geese' as well as 'Men of War' (1994) if you want more exciting mercenary action.

my favorite book in film
this could have been the superhit with a better script and higher budget. its still a good movie, but not even remotely close to the quality of the book.
if u liked this movie read forsyth's books the r extremely well written and researched.

Dogs of War
This is a great movie! Lots of action, well crafted production.
I read the book first and prefer its ending to that of the film.
However, it is still a fine tale and well worth seeing several times.

Cry Havoc...
From start to finish, this is the kind of movie that most young actors would kill to star in; smart, with a good script and enough character actors to anchor the film firmly into your subconscious.

I should admit I'm a huge Chris Walken fan from way back, so of course I'm biased, but if you watch the film carefully, you'll see that it warrants repeated viewings.

If I have any complaints at all, it would be the video quality, which is why the DVD is a much better bet. Still budget priced, and due to its age, the movie doesn't have much in the way of extra features, but that doesn't detract from it one bit. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A acting miracle by the young Leelee Sobieski!!!
I saw this film in a small art house and didn't know what to expect. The movie is long, but it's one of those films that you sit through and can't realize the time and don't care. The young Leelee Sobieski character (Chane) was a smartly written role that only she could pull off. The film starts out with american ex-patriots who spend there time in France while writer Kris Kristofferson and family spend time as discontented americans partying and finding culture in there life. The relationship of the entire family is a telling portrait of people looking for something to cling to and realizing that they have each other. They grow; and we grow with them through the looking glass of the dark theather that takes us away and we want to stay!!!

Leelee Sobieski is my fav!
A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries is a beautiful depiction of the different stages of a family's life through the eyes of the daughter Charlotte-Ann (Channe). The movie takes place, for the most part in France, where the young girl first experiences gaining an adopted little brother. From there, during her early teenage years she meets a character named Francis Fortescue who loves the opera and becomes Channe's best friend. The father (Chris Christopherson) is having heart trouble and decides to move the family back to the US. Both children handle this change in different ways, the adopted son (Billy) becomes a couch potato and antisocial. Channe reacts by starting to drink, have sex, etc... I won't spoil the ending but let me just say that this is a great traditional movie about how close a family be and how people can solve their problems by sticking together. I have to admit, however, the reason I gave this film such a high rating is because Leelee Sobieski who plays (Channe) is my favorite actress and she is awesome! The movie as a whole is also one of the best I've seen.

strong characters, somewhat sleepy story
I watched this movie for the second time (I think) last night with my husband and daughter. The R rating is somewhat extreme for this movie. Aside from Kris Kristofferson's characters rampant swearing, this movie could easily be rated PG-13 and then only for frank discussions about sex between the father and daughter. It could actually be considered a good "coming-of-age" movie for liberal-minded families, though even those who consider themselves liberal might disagree with the father's philosophy on life and his advice for his fifteen-year-old daughter. Of course, if you view the story and follow the plot, you might feel that he was compelled to be deliberate and forthright with her. Unlike many fathers, he takes the time to interact with his daughter and have heart-to-heart talks. This father also takes the time to cultivate his relationship with his wife. Bill and Marcella obviously have a very passionate relationship, but alcohol use is very prevalent as well. In any case, the movie is intriguing. I especially enjoyed the young seven-year-old Channe played by a beautiful young girl (I don't know her name). The scene in the treehouse with the young French actor is realistic enough to be disturbing and frightening. Channe's transition into adolescence (now portrayed by LeeLee Sobieski) is very believable. Her relationship with Francis, also an American, is so frustrating because both characters are so realistic. You feel the anguish that Channe experiences having a friend whom most young people would shun, and over time, Channe would choose to shun as well. Francis is one of those people whom you want to like because he's interesting to be around, but unfortunately, he's also so self-deprecating and self-absorbed and whiny that you can't help but dislike him at the same time. This relationship between Channe and the effeminate, opera-loving Francis might be enough to turn off many viewers.
Channe's adopted brother Billy remains an intriguing enigma throughout the movie and certainly his character could have been fleshed out more. What we gather is that he's sensitive and kind to Channe, but never seems to make friends. In France, we never see him even interact at school, or even grow into adolescence at home. If this is an autobiographical movie, then one could at times only wonder if Channe and her brother lead isolated lives within the family. There are moments of connectedness within her family that do dispel this, however. When Billy arrives with his family in the United States, he seems unhappy and out of place right from the start. There is the slightest hint that he might be quietly gay, and therefore somewhat repulsed by Francis' blatant personality. We experience a moment of unrequited connection between him and Channe's American boyfriend.
One could find so much to explore within this movie- the interracial relationship between Candida (their Spanish or Portuguese maid who, by the way, has a lovely, siren-like singing voice) and her black boyfriend, Candida's fear of commitment and total devotion to Channe, devotion that leaves her lacking the ability to create her own life. Barbra Hershey's portrayal of Marcella, a fun-loving wife and mother with no apparent career aspirations,who turns to alcohol to soften life in Paris as an American in the 60's where it's obvious she and her husband and friends often felt out of place. What's disquieting is that she experiences the same feeling of being an outcast initially when they move back to the United States.
Well worth viewing, though some like my husband might watch the movie and ultimately comment "What's the point?" (and rightfully so, since everyone is entitled to their own opinion). This is not entertainment for entertainment's sake. It is an exploration of relationships.

A Waste of Time
This movie is full of nonsense! One of the worse I have seen so far!

A Waste of Time
The movie is artful, I give it that. However, the critics must have been really drunk when they rated this movie. It is full of nonsense and is looooong winding. One of the worse movies I have ever seen. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

So, you say you want an evolution? Not on this planet.
The Enterprise rescues a seriously injured humanoid from a severely damaged escape pod. Dr. Crusher fears for the worst, but then the patient makes a miraculous recovery, although he remembers neither his name nor his past. Crusher calls him "John Doe" and discovers his cells are mutating, eventually leading to strange energy surges. La Forge and Data figure out that their visitor is from the planet Zalkon, and when the Enterprise arrives there several weeks later they are stunned when a ship meets them and its captain demands they turn over the dangerous criminal they are holding for punishment.

"Transfigurations" starts off as a pretty standard mystery: who is this stranger person and why are his cells mutating? The twist comes when we get our answer, at which point the episode becomes one of the more provocative ones dealing with the good ol' Prime Directive. At issue is how to respect the rights of an individual versus the rights of a society. Episodes like this make you wonder why each ship in Starfleet does not have someone from the Judge Advocate General's Office on the bridge all the time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Roger Ebert tagged Sugar Hill as one of the best of 1994. Leon Ichaso's film is not an action flick; no, this stylish drama wants to be a small gangster epic. Call it Roemello's Way: a thoughtful drug lord (Wesley Snipes) wants to get out of his business but takes forever to do so. A Shakespearean tragedy slowly--far too slowly--evolves. While it has a definite street-smart sense, no new ground is covered. Snipes is worth watching, though, and Clarence Williams III (seen far too seldom on screen) is terrific as his doomed father. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (8)

great acting!
Athough I have viewed this movie a couple of times on tv, when
I watched it on DVD it seemed like a whole different movie. The
background music was fantastic (horns, sax, etc.). All actors
portrayed their roles quiet well.

Could've Been Better, But Still Great
From Covenant Avenue to St. Nick-Harlem, once
the mecca that African-Americans lived, breathed and
thrived in, has become a pocket of infestation, a neigh-
borhood in hell, a timeshare in Vietnam. There's a war,
children, a war of values, of ethics, of lives, of genera-
tions and, ultimately, the spoils are simply blood, mate-
rial goods and empty futures. Wesley Snipes stars in the
new film Sugar Hill, which follows Roemello, a mid-
level drug kingpin, through the course of what seems to
be a week. Roemello is tired, but why he is exhausted is
never made clear. The film, directed by Leon Ichaso,
takes an unflinching look at both yesterday's addicts
(Roemello's parents) and today's (Roemello's brother
and partner Ray N athan) .The central theme is whether
or not Roemello will choose the true love of his girl-
friend Melissa, played with a defiant presence of char-
acter by Theresa Randle, or his surrogate father Gus,
mafia lord, supplier and the man who attempted to kill
Roemello's now-decrepit father. A battle over territory
ensues between Roemello and a competitor brought in
by Gus.
Roemello's father, played by Clarence Williams III
(who will be overlooked for an Oscar due the film's
release date), dealt drugs, supplied his wife's habit
(which leads to her death) , and lives in a walking death
of memories, regrets and heroin when the film opens.
Ray Nathan, played by Michael Wright, is the clingy,
needy older brother who relies on his Georgetown-
educated brother to balance his street insanity with
calculation and diplomacy. We then begin to see that all
Roemello is, all he has trusted, has abandoned him. Seen
this way we can finally understand why he's looking to
distance himself from his past. But the past is a curious,
vengeful, entangling animal tha t stalks all of Roemello' s
attempts to leave behind a vicious life for...? Well,
Roemello is never quite clear about where he'll go.
Sugar Hill is not one film, but several, and not one
story, but a legion of tales that fold into one another and
entangle tentacles of power, greed, lust, loyalty and
even family values. Two criticisms of this film are, one,
Roemello's character is made peripheral to the business
he actually controls. In a sense, we only see his hands
dirtied twice by murder. One is understandable, though
unjust, while the second is both unjust and inevitable.
Roemello, for all that his character embodies as an anti-
hero, becomes heroic as a drug dealer. His sense of
honor, supposedly gained through experience, makes
his moral caliber above those he deals with, and this is
where the film falters. How can the audience relate to
a good man who commits such a vile act as the extermi-
nation of his own people, his own father through
providing drugs? Is this a good man? Secondly, the film
also falters in that we, the audience, see the shadowed
results of murders-some not even shown. The audi-
ence can't visually connect to the crimes of the film
actually being committed by those we're supposed to
feel something for. In fact, a split occurs between the
good-bad guys and the bad-bad guys. Too many loop-
holes of justification and reverse condemnation perme-
ate the film. Are we, as an audience, so often spoon-fed
pabulum entertainment that we can't handle a mature
film where the characters redeem themselves not into
angels, but at least into something better than what
they were before? Do we need the hero going off into
the sunset so badly that we're willing to justify murder,
drug dealing and racial supplication just to feel good?
Make no mistake, Sugar Hill, even with it's intermit-
tently hard-soft hitting, is a film that needs to be seen, that
needs to beunderstood, and whose complexity and shades
of grey needs to be revealed and delved into. I highly
recommend it and feel strongly about the film, but I do
resent the soft-shoeing around the total impact that could
have been made. It's rated R, we're all adults, so let's live
in reality.

A cross between The Godfather and Jason's Lyric
I really liked Sugar Hill. If you've seen The Godfather series and Jason's Lyric, you'll be quick to recognize similarities. (I do realize Jason's Lyric came out after this movie.)

It's a story of two brothers being pushed into the drug/crime world by fate. One of them wants to leave the world behind, and the other doesn't want to let him go... and they've got to watch out for everyone on the street..

Definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it yet!

SONS OF THE FATHER
OK, OK so it's a story that has been told many times before --- good kid becomes a bad guy due to circumstances beyond his control but who, when he regains control as a successful adult, wants to become a good guy again.

But must inherit the wind.

So what? Just as an opera changes according to the players and a symphony is different every time it's played this is a story that is poignant despite its retelling --- especially if it is well mounted. And this one is.

Wesley Snipes is excellent as the drug-dealing son trying to throw off his past and his present in a troubling search that goes back to the future; Michael Wright provides a quirky performance as the older brother who suspects that he lives only as a reflection of his younger, stronger, smarter sibling.

Both perform a shadow play in the flickering light cast by their drug-addicted father, Clarence Williams III. Williams turns in an astonishing performance that, by itself, makes watching the movie worthwhile.

A controlled but authentic performance by mob boss Abe Vigoda is the grimy pallet upon which this tragedy is played out.

At a seminal point in the movie Snipes kills a man after telling him "I'm not like my brother." Yet he is --- but he is not. This ambiguity gives depth and dimension to a fairly pedestrian story line --- and sets the movie apart from the genre.

Superb direction by Leon Ichaso (Crossover Dreams, Bitter Sugar), an arresting ensemble cast, and a melancholy score makes this one of the best-overlooked movies of the early 90's.

The Critics Are Partly Wrong.
After reading how the critics panned this movie I wonder if they watched it. The movie has a very dark yet thoughtful feel to it. If we understand that critics rarely have talent as actors or screenwriters we can see how this nice movie could be so underrated by them. Wesley Snipes plays his role with a warm compassion for those around him. Michael Wright does overact quite a bit but he probably had a few years to go to become a good actor. Clarence Williams III was superb as the father. Theresa Randle is very good as the girlfriend. I almost fell in love with her myself. She seemed like the perfect woman. The rest of the movie is straight gangster done by a black cast except for Abe Vigoda who played his part excellently.

The opening scene and the scene about the mother and father is very good and sets up the whole movie. Especially the scene with the father and the thugs on the roof, which is fantastic. We understand so much about Roem's motives from that scene that we appreciate his later life and his rage toward the things which affect him later.

I usually don't like movies which are from the nineties but this one stands out. It is worth watching. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Brings new mwaning to the word "Idiotic."
Okay, this movie....oh man. This horrible clash of genres features over the top and under the top acting, idiotic characters, "special" Effects that are none too impressive and is the worst thing Isaac Hays has ever been involved with. Seriously, this is one ripe for MST3K, folks. Buy it only to torture yourself or other people. I have a long, curse-filled, spiteful review on my website, but I can't post the URL here so whatever. If you are going to buy, BUY USED. Do not waste any extra money on this thing. Spend it on a bag of Oreos or something instead. You'll be glad you did.

Campy fun, but no T&A
Oblivion is a campy, fun loving Sci-Fi Western movie that doesn't try to explain itself, nor does it take itself too seriously. If you are a trekky like me, its almost worth the cost of the DVD just to hear George Takei (who plays a drunk doctor) pay hommage to "Bones" McKoy with such wonderful lines as "I'm a doctor dammit, not a magician!" Oblivion has all the stuff you would expect in a B-movie western, including the wooden hero with a problematic past, the nasty villain with a band of losers, the hostage, and the shootout. This is combined with the sci-fi laser guns and bizarre B-grade off-world creatures.

This movie has all sorts of weird scenes. The best without question (also worth the price of the movie) has to be the funeral scene with the simultaneous Bingo game taking place on the second floor. This hilarious combination of sappy funeral speeches with bingo announcements like "B-1" going on in the background is a scream.

And while this movie has a really hot black nylon chick in Musetta Vander (if you're into the Trinity "Matrix" look, get this!), it is truly missing the gratuitous T&A. Musetta (the hot siren from "O Brother Where Art Thou") is hot though, so the movie still survives.

I give it 3 stars on the B-movie scale - T&A would have brought it to a solid 4.

Slower than its sequel but makes more sense.
The best of the stacks and stacks of direct-to-video junk out there.

Self-consciously campy, with stop-motion creatures, and (thankfully) good-natured, with no really objectionable stuff to speak of.

If you hear the words "low-budget" and run for the hills, pass this one up. But if you know and love AIP movies of the late 50's, it's a good bet you will enjoy this. This is as close to the feel of those that I have so far found among modern [movies].

Classic, high camp... with MUSETTA VANDER
I love this movie... I first saw it eight years ago and only recently hunted it (and its sequel, Backlash) down as an exorbitantly-priced VHS, even though it meant playing it on a tiny, tinny-sounding TV/VCR.

So, it's a "Sci-Fi Western." Let me see... Was it hokey? Heck, yeah! That's what MAKES the movie. Basically, toss Clash of the Titans, the original Star Trek series, The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the Eighth Dimension, and a little Jim Henson puppetry into a blender, and you've got a fairly representative perception of what it's like. I have no idea what the budget was, but what it looks like is NOT mainstream Hollywood, NOT trendy-Indie, but very hip and quirky and campy on a well-designed shoestring budget.

The characters are waaay over the top... waaay waaay OVER over the top... even the seemingly straight-played parts by Richard Joseph Paul and Jackie Swanson (Little House on the Prairie really was this tragic, it just wasn't meant to be). And YES, George Takei pokes fun at his Star Trek pigeonholing with wincingly blatant one-liners, but it's so FUN to see him cutting loose (Sulu was awfully straight-laced). Musetta Vander is absolutely DELICIOUS as the black leather-clad, electric whip-wielding Lash. If you've always had a soft spot for really wicked women (with a Bettie Page thing going), you'll fall for her after seeing this. Carel Struycken is so freaking cool, I want to hug him. His voice (I sooo dig his voice) and kind of innocent savant demeanor (but with bits of cold practicality peeking through) reminded me of Andre the Giant in The Princess Bride.

If you live for the credits, here you go:

Directed by Sam Irvin and written by Charles Band, Peter David (I), Mark Goldstein (II), John Rheaume, and Greg Suddeth. The credits include Richard Joseph Paul as Zack Stone, Jackie Swanson as Mattie Chase, Andrew Divoff as Redeye, Meg Foster as Stell Barr, Isaac Hayes as Buster, Julie Newmar as Miss Kitty, Carel Struycken as Gaunt, George Takei as Doc Valentine, Musetta Vander as Lash, Jimmie F. Skaggs as Buteo, Irwin Keyes as Bork, Mike Genovese as Marshall Stone, Frank Roman (I) as Wormhole, Jeff Moldovan as Spanner, Joe Muzio and Craig Anthony Muzio as Two Head, Tim Miller (I) as the Stinking Turncoat, Peter David (I) as Cowhand, Nadine Emilie Voindrouh as Josephine, Sam Irvin himself as the "Whipping Boy," and a bunch of techs and extras who probably laughed and partied their way through the entire (for Pete's sake, go find a copy of the freaking film and watch it already) filming.

What are you waiting for? A newsletter and button?

Nebula boy.

>=)

In The Year 3031...It's Cowboys And Aliens.!!!!!!!!
Not since robotic cowboys strutted the dusty streets of Westworld has a sci-fi western caused such a ruckus! Oblivion's a rough and tumble frontier outpost with all sorts of bizarre creatures wandering about. But when Redeye (half man, half lizard and all mean) swaggers into town, all hell breaks loose!
Featuring a posse of favorites including Julie Newmar as the racy saloon hostess, George Takei as the tipsy local "Doc," Carel Struycken (The Addams Family) as an eerie mortician and Meg Foster playing a robocop with a quick draw and a heart of gold-plate. ... Read more

Amazon.com

According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, "Yesterday's Enterprise" was written by committee and hastily finalized to meet shooting demands. The end result is arguably the best episode of the series. (It often outranks "Best of Both Worlds" in fan top 10 polls.) What easily could have been a typical TNG time-anomaly story turns out to be a powerful and disconcerting teleplay about the cost of war versus the price of peace.

The teaser opens with Guinan (Whoopie Goldberg) introducing Mr. Worf to a new beverage. After no small amount of wheedling, the recalcitrant Klingon dubs prune juice "a warrior's drink." This is a pivotal scene. Why? Because later, when Guinan looks out the window of Ten-Forward, she sees a strange cloud--and when she looks back, nothing is the same. The Enterprise-D is now a battleship, the Federation is entrenched in a 22-year war against the Klingons, and tactical officer Tasha Yar is very much alive. To the astonishment of the bridge crew, the long-lost Enterprise-C hovers badly damaged within a temporal rift. And something deep within Guinan tells her none of this is right...

"Yesterday's Enterprise" has it all: great writing, great acting, and, above all, honor. This episode belongs in every TNG video collection. Note: it contains tons of embedded trivia. Combat date is used instead of stardate and military log for captain's log, and early film uniforms are worn aboard the Enterprise-C. Watch for Geordi's famous "cuff" blooper in the last scene. --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

Reviews (20)

The resurrection and redemption of Tasha Yar
"Yesterday's Enterprise" is one of the greatest Next Generation stories, in which the character of Tasha Yar is given more depth and resonance in this single episode than she had during her entire time on the show's first season. The Enterprise encounters a temporal rift through which flies the Enterprise-C, the predecessor to Jean-Luc Picard's own Enterprise-D. In that instant, everything changes. We are now aboard a ship of war, which has been fighting a losing war with the Klingon Empire. Of course Worf is gone and in his place is Tasha Yar. Only Guinan knows that something is wrong and has to convince Picard that this time line is wrong and that the right one must be restored. "This is a ship of war," Picard tells her. "No, its not," she insists, "It a ship of peace." What happened? The Enterprise-C was responding to a distress call from a Klingon ship being attacked by the Romulans. Eventually Picard surmises that the Enterprise-C must have been destroyed in the encounter, a honorable act that the Klingons would have respected. The choice then is between using the Enterprise-C to help fight the war with the Klingons in this time-line or send the ship back to certain death on the chance that will make everythign all right. Meanwhile, Tasha is told by Guinan that in the "true" reality she is dead and that her death was without meaning.

This is a stunning episode, which not only provides dignity to a character who was pretty much dismissed by everyone in the first season, but which also sets up several marvelous plot twists down the road. Denise Crosby does the most with this wonderful second chance to play this character. The moments that Madame Whoops has with both Picard and Tasha are marvelous. I always like the little hints of the true nature of Picard's relationship with Guinan. It is also nice to see Christopher McDonald in something other than the male jerk roles he has been typecasted with ever since "Thelma and Louise." This is an A+ episode and before this third season ends there will be several more just as good ("The Offspring," "Sarek," "Menage a Troi," "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I"). This series really starts cooking at this point.

Ooooh Yes!
Here's an episode that brings out the best of Star Trek. The alternate universe created by the Enterprise C's time slip is utterly eerie. The war-torn Federation is getting trounced by the Klingon Empire (hardly surprising, if it did indeed come down to all out war). Everyone's on edge, Picard is at Riker's throat, and Tasha Yar strolls the gritty bridge, back in the land of the living.

And of course, Star Trek provides us with a moral dilema as Picard must convince the C crew to return to certain death. One is reminded of Wrath of Khan, when does the good of the many outweight the good of the few? It's also inspiring to give Yar a better send-off after the disaster that was Skin of Evil. This episode is a must for any fan of Star Trek.

One of the top 5
I was an original Star Trek fan back in the 60's but didn't catch hardly any of the Next Gen. series until after it was over went into reruns. Then I caught all of them in a year and a half, since they were playing them 5 nights a week. . .

Having now seen probably all of them, I have to say this is one of the greatest episodes. Denise Crosby gets to reprise her Tasha Yar role in a dramatic episode where she returns with an earlier doomed Enterprise (about 70 years earlier) to its past to try to save the ship, which is losing a battle with the Klingons. She is told by Guinan that her death was "...without meaning," and now she has a second chance. She goes back with the doomed crew to see if she can make a difference.

There are some other nice touches to this episode, such as Guinan's relationship with Captain Picard, who must convince Picard that there is something wrong with their timeline and something has altered their present, and so it must be changed back by returning the earlier Enterprise to its past. But Crosby finally gets to be the star of this one episode. Don't miss it.

Easily the best of the TNG episodes...
Every bit of it just works. Captain Rachel Garrett turns in a GREAT performance as the captain of the Enterprise-C . Patrick Stewart's finest performance as Picard; a harder man who has seen many more battles than his alternate-timeline counterpart; carrying the weight of the knowledge that the war with the Klingons does not go well for the Federation. He doesn't smile once.

The final line in Picard's battle speech to his crew, as he explains that the Enterprise-D MUST protect the Enterprise-C at any cost: 'Let us make sure that history never forgets the name Enterprise.' Best line ever spoken in Star Trek.

The U.S.S. Enterprise-C intercepts the U.S.S. Enterprise-D.
Synopsis:

The course of history is altered by the mysterious appearance of a U.S.S. Enterprise from the past.

While on a routine mission, the U.S.S. Enterprise discovers a bizarre rift in space, which reveals an unidentified vessel. Both ships are now on an alternate universe where the Federation is in the midst of a twenty-year bloody war with the Klingons.

The crew identifies the mysterious vessel as their ships' immediate predecessor, the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C, believed to have been destroyed in battle twenty-two years ago. Their own crew now includes Tasha Yar, the ex-security chief who was killed in the line of duty. Meeting with the captain of that vessel, Captain Rachel Garrett, Picard learns that it was responding to a distress signal on a Klingon outpost when it was attacked by four Romulan Warbirds. But in the middle of the assault, the ship broke through the space rift, thus saving it from the destruction recorded in the history books, and now history has no memory of the U.S.S. Enterprise-C's battle with the Romulans. Although Picard and his crew are baffled by the strange appearance of the U.S.S. Enterprise-C, Guinan's alien instincts lead her to believe that the Federation's current bloody war with the Klingons is the result of the U.S.S. Enterprise-C's presence in their future. Certain that the ship is now existing in the wrong time line, she pleads with Picard to send the U.S.S. Enterprise-C back through the rift in order to change the course of events, which has resulted in the loss of 40 billion lives during the Klingon war.

Picard confers with Data, who asserts that if the U.S.S. Enterprise-C was destroyed while aiding the Klingon outpost, it would have been viewed as an honorable act, which means the current war with the Klingons may have been avoided. Faced with this knowledge, Picard decides to send the U.S.S. Enterprise-C back through the time rift, to face its tragic destiny.

Meanwhile, Tasha learns from Guinan that, in the correct time line, she died a meaningless death. In response, Tasha requests that she be allowed to serve on the doomed U.S.S. Enterprise-C crew so that she may die in the heroic battle with the Romulans, and Picard reluctantly agrees.

As the U.S.S. Enterprise-C makes its way back through the time rift, three Klingon warships try to launch an attack on it. To assure that the U.S.S. Enterprise-C returns to its rightful place in time, Picard positions the U.S.S. Enterprise-D between that vessel and the Klingons, sustaining heavy casualities in the process. Just as the U.S.S. Enterprise-D's engine core seems on the verge of exploding, Data announces that the rift has closed, and, unaware of the preceding events, the U.S.S. Enterprise returns to its original time line, heading for a cultural exchange program with a Klingon delegation. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

"All hands abandon ship..." BOOM!!!
The above line, and subsequent collision, still chills after repeated viewings as it did when the episode aired over fifteen years ago. Although the destruction of the Enterprise is fiction, the line resonates almost as much as did the real-life "Go with throttle up" spoken to the crew of the ill-fated Challenger.

"Cause and Effect" is one of those time loop episodes that find a welcome home in most science fiction. And it's a remarkably well-paced one, with each "revisitation" as enigmatic as the first one.

This is is first-rate in all aspects!

A truly entertaining episode...
Directing "Cause and Effect" couldn't have been an easy task, but Jonathan Frakes does incredibly well. The Enterprise seems to be trapped in a time loop that starts with the crew playing poker, and ends in the ship colliding with another ship and exploding. How does this happen? How can they prevent it? Watching the episode, you'd think some of the repeated scenes would get old. They don't. In fact, it gets more interesting as the crew begins to realize something's wrong. The ending is terrifically smart and this episode is a TNG classic.

Writer's block episode...
Cause and Effect or the Writer's Block Episode

Kelsey Grammer makes an appearance as a captain of the Starship Bozeman from Kirk's era. He accidently stumbles onto Picards timeline and averts a disaster with the Enterprise. In this one we get to see the Enterprise destroyed at the end of each act before the commercial break. It took them a few tries before they left the endless time loop. It's plot has been repeated before in Voyager and many other Trek episodes. I like to call them the writers block episodes. They have taken the place of what I call the mysterious cloud thing where some ghost like cloud covers the Enterprise and makes the crew act unusual. When the producers get the crunch time of not being able to do location shooting... this is the rusult.. a shipboard story where some special effect wrecks havock with the crew. It doesn't require new sets or any other budget breakers.

The Enterprise blows up (again, and again, and again...)
You will not find a more dramatic teaser to an episode of STNG than this one: The Enterprise is badly damaged with the crew unable to regain control of the ship. Captain Picard issues a frantic order to abandon ship but it is too late and the Enterprise is destroyed by a massive explosion. The next thing we know we are in the middle of just another normal day aboard the Enterprise, except people are experiencing strange feelings of deja vu (as opposed to the unstrange type of that feeling). When the Enterprise encounters a time-space distortion field the main power systems on the ship fail. Suddenly another spaceship emerges from the distortion; Picard tries to use the tractor beams to avoid the other ship but they collide, damaging the Enterprise's starboard warp drive engine. The Enterprise is badly damaged with the crew unable to regain control of the ship. Captain Picard issues a frantic order to abandon ship but it is too late and the Enterprise is destroyed by a massive explosion. We are back to where we started.

This pattern is repeated several times in this episode, with each progression offering slight but significant chances in solving the mystery and avoiding the ship's apparent fate. These changes are most notable in the poker game being played by several members of the bridge crew. "Cause and Effect" is a first rate episode that does a marvelous job of exploring the repetitive and yet still progressive pattern of each time through the time loop. Of course we know that eventually the disaster will be adverted; the fun here is watching them discover the how. This is far and away the best of the STNG time distortion episodes. Final Note: This is the episode where Kelsey Grammer has a nice cameo appearance.

Great episode
The eterprise is in a temporal causality loop. That is the same period of time is repeated again and again with the crew having no memory of the previous loop. If they don't get out of the loop they will be stuck that way possibly forever...

This episode has a cameo appearence by Kelsey Grammer ... Read more

Amazon.com

The two-hour pilot of The Next Generation holds up well after all these years and many, many subsequent episodes and four feature films. Gene Roddenberry's second go-round with Star Trek on television boldly goes where no other soul had gone, overcoming Trekker skepticism at the time about new characters and a new cast. After introducing Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the rest of the crew, the script by Roddenberry and former Star Trek story editor Dorothy Fontana plunges them into a familiar Trek confrontation with a superior power, Q (John De Lancie), in a weirdly archaic setting drawn from Earth history (in this case, the bloody kangaroo courts of Robespierre's day). Declaring mankind barbarous and unworthy of existence, Q gives Picard 24 hours to prove humans are not just a "grievously savage race." The story is punctuated with various delights, particularly first meetings between the characters (watch for Riker's houndish introduction to Dr. Crusher) and a surprise cameo from a Trek icon. There are bumps: originally shot as a 90-minute special, "Encounter" had to be padded a bit (ergo the ship separation scene) to make it two hours. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (20)

"This is a new ship, but she's got the right name."
Star Trek made its return to the television airwaves with the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987. It was apparent from the beginning of "Encounter at Farpoint" that this new series would be more cerebral and less dependent on green-skinned slave girls and bare-chested captains. This was going to be a series that emphasized that humankind could co-exist in harmony with the technology of its creation and would only resort to violence to solve problems as a last resort.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) sets a course for Farpoint Station on his newly commissioned Enterprise-D to pick up new crew members Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), and Wesley Crusher (Wil Weaton). However, with Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), and Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) already on board, the Enterprise is intercepted by the mysterious Q (John de Lancie) who chastises Picard for humanity's inability to leave behind its more savage impulses. Picard objects to the accusation and argues that humankind, while still far from perfect, has abandoned its more destructive habits. Q decides to test this claim by subjecting the Enterprise-D to a test at Farpoint Station which will determine just how far humanity as a whole has evolved.

Being the first episode in a new series, "Encounter at Farpoint" has the usual problems typical of television pilots. The dialogue and performances are a little stiff and the nuances between characters had not yet had time to develop. Yet, "Encounter at Farpoint" is notable for expanding the Star Trek mythos considerably in just a single episode. We are introduced to a new class of ship, a new uniform design, new alien beings, the infamous holodeck, and given a history lesson on important developments that preceded the advent of Starfleet. A cameo by Admiral Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) also provides a nostalgic link to the fondly-remembered original series. It would take some time before Star Trek: The Next Generation found its stride but "Encounter at Farpoint" did its job by establishing a solid foundation on which to build upon.

The ST:TNG pilot episode...
The U.S.S Enterprise, captained by Jean-Luc Picard, is on a routine investigative mission to Farpoint Station when they encounter an enigmatic, god-like individual known simply as Q. The omnipotent being appears to have no other intention other than to cause trouble and immediately places Picard and his senior officers on trial for the crimes of humanity...

Encounter of Farpoint is not among the best of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes - it merely serves as a necessary starting point for a TV programme that took until its third series to display the type of quality we associate it with. Characters are introduced; past relationships are established (although it does take 178 episodes, seven series, three movies and eleven years for anything to come of it in the case of Riker and Troi). This is a must-have for any fan of the series - watching "Encounter at Farpoint" and comparing it to later episodes will allow you to see just how far the characters - Picard, Riker, Troi, Dr Crusher, Data, Worf, La Forge and Yar - have evolved and how the show as a whole changed over time.

~*Jenna*~

It introduced us to so many characters and yet told a story
Had I written a review of this episode shortly after it came out, it would not have been nearly as positive as this one. In viewing it again, I am struck at how well the two "unusual" characters of Q and Data are introduced. While to outward appearances he is human, Data is an android and we are immediately made aware of that as well as some of his "failings." Simple things such as whistling and humor are beyond his capacity at this time.
The outstanding feature is the introduction of one of the best characters to ever appear in a television series, Q, the impish God. Without question, he is a god, possessing mighty powers and yet he is using them to determine the worthiness of humanity to explore the stars. After the dark, foreboding and sometimes bloody descriptions of God in much of our religious literature, it is a pleasure to see one who puns and tests us with puzzles rather than in how well we slaughter our enemies. Of secondary interest is the mention of the Ferengi, although they are described as a people who eat those who displease them.
Dr. McCoy of the original series makes an appearance as an admiral, inspecting the medical facilities of the Enterprise. He is as irascible as ever, yet he also praises the Vulcans as an honorable race, worthy of respect. Data escorts him while he is on the Enterprise, and their conversation is one of the classics in the entire Star Trek genre.
The Enterprise crew gets together and their mission is to investigate Farpoint Station, a structure constructed with unusual rapidity by a people who wish to have the Federation use it as a star base. On the way to Farpoint, they encounter Q and we are introduced to the plot device where the saucer and weapons sections can be separated. This was not extensively used in subsequent episodes, which was unfortunate. Given that families are now on starships, it is my belief that such separations would be standard practice when there is the reasonable expectation of hostilities.
Q creates a courtroom whose spectators are survivors of an atomic holocaust. Humanity is put on trial through the crew of the Enterprise and then they are let free to continue their mission. When the Enterprise arrives at Farpoint, things are not what they appear to be. When the leader of the people who built Farpoint is questioned, he professes ignorance, yet it is clear he knows what is happening. Another "ship" arrives and begins bombarding the city near Farpoint. Rather than immediately firing on the new arrival, Picard seeks information and learns that the "ship" is in fact an intelligent entity that is trying to free its' mate, which has been transformed into Farpoint. By firing energy of the proper form into Farpoint, the Enterprise heals the creature and it frees itself. Q is impressed by this and announces that humanity has passed the test.
Given that there was very little to build on, this episode effectively introduces much of what is arguably the greatest television series ever. Therefore, it can also be considered the best episode of the series.

Just what you'd expect from the first episode of a series
While 'Encounter At Farpoint' is only average at best it's important to take into consideration that it is the series opener. In many such shows most of the production staff and especially the actors tend to be concerned whether or not the show will succeed; additionally the actor's character portrayals naturally become sharper and better defined. Considering the daunting task of attempting to revive the series with an all-new cast it is completely understandable that there should be some hesitation or reservations present. The debut of this Trek serialization was penned equally by the seasoned and distinguished series veterans D.C. Fontana and the show's creator Gene Roddenberry. Reportedly the story went through several changes but basically retained the same original plot of the new Enterprise crew at the edge of known Federation explored space, find the peculiar conundrum and expose the culprits. The Farpoint scenario isn't really fleshed out well; what really works best in this episode is the inspired invention of Q, brought to vivid life by the underrated and underused John De Lancie. He became more of a scamp and a thorn in the side of Picard in later episodes, but here he is genuinely nefarious and quite ominous. His performance in his relatively few scenes is more than memorable and adds punch to the proceedings when it is lagging. There is also a natural lead-in to the future episode 'Hide And Q' that comes near the end when Q first meets Riker face-to-face.

Though the show falls flat where it is concerned with the Farpoint station, the concept of Q is well developed; an omnipotent, all-powerful being appears and tells the humans they can come this far and no farther. Incapable of battling against such a potent foe the humans strike the only bargain they can: test us. See if we've advanced beyond our primitive and savage desires; watch us and make certain we don't corrupt and defile everything and everyone we come into contact with. The challenge comes at an opportune and delicate time too as the Enterprise is beginning their new mission. Sure it's a convenient plot element but it gives the writers something to work with right out of the gate and besides future Q appearances give the viewer something to look forward to in later episodes.

Initially the main characters themselves don't really come off too successfully; with the exceptions of Jonathan Frakes as Riker and Brent Spiner as Data everyone would appear to be only a distant reflection of what they were here in the episodes immediately following. At times Patrick Stewart as Jean Luc Picard comes off as more of a classroom instructor grading the crewmembers in some sort of a starship mockup exercise; Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar seems mousy here in comparison to the rest of the series; Michael Dorn as Worf speaks lines only so that Picard can chastise him; Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi wavers uncomfortably between strong and meek characterizations, unable to discern which quality she should be projecting; other cast members get too little screen time for us to get any real impression of them. By the show's end though we get a good feel of what to expect of them in future episodes; the addition of past histories and relationships between some of the key bridge officers is a great twist. Later the writers would make the most of these opportunities drawing us into the problems of being both a superior officer and a friend, defining the lines that can and can't be crossed.

Good Beginning To A Remarkable Sci Fi Show!
Star Trek: TNG was and is one of my favorite TV shows, I actually started watching it during it's second season and didn't get to watch the first season episodes til I got some first season videos from Columbia House and when I watched Encounter At Farpoint Parts One and Two I wasn't disapponted because it answered some questions for me such as how they were introduced to Q and who this Tasha Yar was who was mentioned in some of the second season episodes. Yes it may be said that Encounter at Farpoint isn't an excellent movie but it's not awful, not one of the few stinkers of the series long run by any means and I actually found this series pilot quite entertaining especially the scenes with Q played by John De Lancie who I think was fantastic and so was Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-luc Picard and I think all of the the actors were good, yes their acting wasn't as good as in other episodes but since as this was the pilot I think they just hadn't hit their stride yet and when the characters were more fully developed their acting improved a lot and really impressed me and though Encounter At Farpoint is not a 5 star episode I think it's worth 4 stars just for the scenes with John De Lancie and Patrick Stewart and in other first season episodes and later seasons you will get to see great acting from LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, etc. ... Read more

Amazon.com

TNG really hits its stride with this well-written episode. What starts out as Data's letter to the nefarious Bruce Maddox at the Daystrom Institute evolves into a complex and genuinely funny character study of the seemingly "emotionless" android. Oh, and it's the "1,550th day since the Enterprise was commissioned."

Over the course of the series, Data desperately strives to become more "human." This episode illustrates the point that even though he is technically a machine, Data possesses fundamental traits that define humanity. He has a great capacity for forgiveness (Bruce Maddox wanted to deactivate and dissect him in "Measure of a Man"), compassion (we're introduced to Data's cat, Spot), and friendship. And finally, Data is baffled and bemused by interpersonal relationships, which is the very definition of human being. As always, Brent Spiner plays Data baffled with the sophistication of Cary Grant. The B-story about Chief O'Brien's wedding is particularly baffling and amusing. Rosalind Chao makes her first appearance as Keiko, and the ship's arboretum makes its first appearance as itself.

"Data's Day" ranks high on TNG top 10 lists, and is a favorite with trivia buffs for absolute high weirdness. Things to watch for and ponder endlessly: Worf and the crystal swan; the Bolian Barber's unique hair coloring method; Dr. Crusher's secret past as the Dancing Doctor; the Ersatz Vulcan; Spot; the whole Miles and Keiko thing going on; and last but not least, the immortal sneer: "Human bonding rituals often involve a lot of... talking... and dancing... and crying." --Kayla Riggney ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A hilarious episode
This episode is a first for Star Trek, in that it presents the episode in 'a day in the life' format of one of it's characters. The character chosen in the crew's android, Lieutenant Commander Data. Data is an excellent choice, as he provides many witty comments about human behaviour throughout the story.

Anyway, in the episode, Data must sort out a disagreement between an couple who are due to be married, learn how to dance, solve the mysterious death of one of the Federation's top Ambassadors and be father of the bride in a wedding on board the ship. Pretty hard work for a day's work I'd say!!

The episode is a comic gem, with some great interplay between Data and the rest of the crew. I would recommend it to both the casual Star Trek viewer and the die-hard fan, who will find it a trivia fest!

A day in the life of Data the tap dancing super sleuth
The framing device for this episode is that Data is putting together a report on all of his activities for a single day to be forwarded to Bruce Maddox, the clown who wanted to claim Data as Starfleet property back in "The Measure of a Man" (Episode 35). For the sake of argument we will assume that Data does not do a mondo data dump on him. Two main activities occupy Data's time and effort on this particular date. First, he has been asked to stand in as the bride's father at the wedding of Chief O'Brien and Keiko, since he introduced the happy couple. There is a hysterical sequence when Data asks Dr. Crusher to teach him to dance; she teaches him tap dancing before she learns he wants to be able to dance with the bride at the wedding. Second, the Enterprise is taking Vulcan Ambassador T'Pei to the Netural Zone for a meeting with the Romulans who supposedly want to enter into diplomatic conversations with the Federation. However, a transporter malfuction apparently kills the ambassador when they try to beam her over to the Romulans. There is too much mystery here for Captain Picard and Data has to use his positronic brain to find out what really happened.

"Data's Day" would be an interesting episode even without the framing device of Data's report. I almost get the feeling that they had this interesting plot line involving a mysterious Vulcan ambassador and a fun one with Data being father of the bride at Keiko's wedding and figured why not toss the two together? Except for Data there is really nothing that puts these two halves together. The surprising thing is that the whole is more than the sum of the parts. This is not one of the best Data episodes, but it certainly does provide more insights in everyone's favorite android than most.

A Day in the Life
I love this episode! "Data's Day" is TNG writing at its best. Behind the simple premise lies a very complex character study of the seemingly "emotionless" android, Data. Make no mistake, even though "Data's Day" is charming and very, very funny, it's also quite revealing.

Over the course of the series, Data as a character desparately strives to become more "human." This episode illustrates the point that even though he is an android, Data posesses fundemental traits that define "humanity." He has a great capacity for forgiveness ("Data's Day" is a letter to Bruce Maddox, the man who wanted to deactivate and disect him), compassion (we're introduced to Data's cat, Spot) and friendship. We should all be so human.

"Data's Day" shows up on a lot of TNG Top 10 Best Episode lists. Definitely makes my personal Top 10. All-around great episode. Excellent writing. Spiner's acting is solid as always. Tons of fodder for trivia buffs.

Things to watch for: Spot; The Dancing Doctor; Worf & the crystal swan; Keiko and Miles; and last but not least, The Ersatz Vulcan ... Read more