Down-to-earth director is out of this world

I'm not going to lie: Walking into a screening room full of Trekkies is intimidating. Trivia on Vulcans, the U.S.S. Enterprise crew and the villain Khan's enormously buff chest filled the auditorium minutes before the screening of an old favorite. A screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was about to begin, and I had no idea what to expect. Not being an avid fan made me skeptical of the Trekkie sub-culture, yet in the words of the director, Nicholas Meyer, who spoke after the screening, I had to release myself to his visionary art. "All art is manipulation. You must be willing to suspend disbelief and go with the flow," said Meyer.

When Star Trek's iconic emblem illuminated the Rosenwald screen, the audience burst into applause. I sank into my seat and let the opening credits transport me to another galaxy. Five minutes into the film, I was hooked. This was a movie about a sci-fi villain's revenge against James T. Kirk, but it was also about universal themes common to anyone willing to look past the pointy ears: friendship, old age and death. The movie was also a hit for its more classic sci-fi elements; it elicited craned necks for epic space fights between the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Reliant, squeamish groans when leech-monsters burrowed into protagonists' ears and laughs when William Shatner's trademark inflections were audible.

By the finale of the movie, I felt like I had been a full-blown Trekkie all my life. Nicholas Meyer had accomplished the bare task of any director: to tell a story and to make the audience take something away from the film. After the end credits, everybody was engaging in conversation with others and swapping opinions, ideas and afterthoughts until the lecture began. What to expect from meeting a director? These men and women work with famous stars, attain important Hollywood connections and may be famous stars themselves. As it turned out, Nicholas Meyer was a down-to-Earth person with a charming personality and offbeat humor. The stereotype of the egocentric and pretentious artist went out the window for Meyers, who sat cross-legged on the table, tennis shoes and all.

"It's like playing with a Rubix cube," answered Meyer on his personal take on directing Star Trek II. The director elaborated that the bits and pieces of the film had to all be put together and the themes had to coalesce. Meyer graciously answered questions and casually gave his insight on his career without sounding haughty. From the film students to the devoted Star Trek fans of the Hudson Valley, everyone was interested in Meyer's feedback on his films and the knowledge he has acquired along the way. Nathan Hoston '13 attended the film screening and Meyer lecture due to a family tie to Star Trek. "My grandfather‘s huge tower of Star Trek VHS recordings remind me of this. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to see, in person, one of his heroes. I was very pleased with this event. I am not a director or a screenwriter, but I did learn that Ricardo Montalbán's chest was not a prosthetic, so it was totally worth it," explained Hoston.

It definitely was worth it. The lecture was not only about Star Trek, but valuable expertise of screenwriting development, filmmaking intentions and all the subtle nuances one cannot learn from a textbook. By the time everyone was conversing over refreshments and cheese cubes, Meyer had off-the-cuff advice for any young people on the precipice of taking life changing chances: "What in the world isn't an uphill climb? Go on, take your best shot."

I might not be entirely a Star Trek convert, but I do wish to live long, take chances and hopefully prosper.