STAR TREK REVIEWED

07min 59sec — 01 January 1969

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK9hXWpckdY

This film is said by some sources to be the first Star Trek fan film.  We are aware of one Star Trek fan film made even earlier, in 1967 on 8mm film, but this is certainly one of the earliest fan film efforts.

Interview with creator Peter Emshwiller: http://treknostalgia.blogspot.com/2009/05/fan-film-focus-junior-star-trek.html (02 May 2009)

"First Star Trek Fan Film Made by Kids in 1969" (Candlelight Stories): http://www.candlelightstories.com/2009/05/05/first-star-trek-fan-film-made-by-kids-in-1969/ (05 May 2009)

The First Star Trek Fan Film (Fan Cinema Today) (broken link): http://fancinematoday.com/2009/05/05/the-first-star-trek-fan-film-ever/#more-3091 (05 May 2009)

Discussion (12 Days of Trekmas): http://twelvedays2009.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-5-five-fan-films.html (03 Jan 2010)

Rating: 1.  Any film written by a ten-year-old and which has ten-year-olds playing the lead roles is going to have issues.  Here, there are also times when the sound makes it impossible to tell what is being said.  Also, the roughness of the video or casting the same person dressed the same way to play two parts makes telling who is who very difficult.  It is only 8 minutes long, and the story has no motivation.  Some aliens grab and attack for no apparent reason and are defeated.  I do not adjust my rating for age, budget, etc.  So, I have to say the writing is fair to poor.  I give the kids a point for acting, and the sets are also basically fair to poor, except the sick bay, which is pretty good.  The special effects do the job, so they get some credit for that.  Because it was impossible to follow, I can't say I found it well directed or entertaining.  It was, however, tightly edited.  That gives it about 2.75 of a possible 8 points, which would be a 2, if I could have followed the sound throughout or knew who I was watching.  It is the bad sound and impossibility of knowing which characters are Star Fleet and which are aliens that drops this to a 1.

Without regard to what our review, this film is historically important, and as such has value.