UPDATE 11.28.07: Australian Fans report! See page 4.

The first comes from John Tenuto, a sociology professor at College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, who teaches Star Trek-themed classes.

Hello,

We wanted to share our great experience watching "The Menagerie" with fellow fans.

Our names are Mary Jo, John, and Nicky Tenuto and when we arrived at the Regal Cinema in Illinois about 7:00 p.m. there was already a crowd of people that had gathered in the theatre for the showing of "The Menagerie." Typical for Star Trek events, the crowd showed real diversity, from college students to retirees, yet the fans shared common enthusiasm for their favorite show. We are both sociology professors, with John being the advisor of the recently created Star Trek Student Organization. It was a real community event at the theater.

The show started exactly at 7:30 p.m. with Rod Roddenberry's [video] introduction. His talk about his father was a favorite of the screening. The episode is astounding and resonates today because of its universal themes. It was great to hear laughter and applause because fans usually watch episodes with small groups rather than theatre audiences. The music was especially enjoyable with the theatre's sound system. After the credits of the episode rolled, they previewed Season 2 with images that were amazing. How often do DVD commercials make audiences laugh or cheer?

The Star Trek Remastered episodes are those unusual entertainments that improve the already great original. Rather than distract from the narrative, the team at CBS have presented — truly — a better Star Trek. That is saying quite a great deal. To those from CBS Digital, to Niel Wray, Dave Rossi, Max Gabl, Mike Okuda, Denise Okuda, Eric Ehemann, Mike Parker, James Holt, and Ryan Reeb, thank you for these versions of Star Trek that our family enjoys again for the first time.

John T.
Illinois

Thanks John. Great to see that it was a real family affair! And good luck with the Star Trek Student Organization.

My brother, his girlfriend, my aunt and I went to the screening of "The Menagerie? held in Simi Valley, CA. It was INCREDIBLE! To see an original Star Trek episode on the big screen was a once-in-a-lifetime event that I will always remember. But, like Century City, once the event was over, our lights failed to turn on as well, and we all had to file out in the dark! But I would do it all over again.

Live Long and Prosper,
Mario F.L.

The lights not coming on at the end seems to be a recurring theme. We will investigate further.

I attended a screening of "The Menagerie" at the AMC Empire 25 in NYC. I must say that it was awesome. Rarely do I get the chance to watch Star Trek with an audience that large, and it was so enjoyable to have that communal experience, especially when the male members of the audience enjoyed Vina's appearance as an Orion Slave Girl ... and their dismay when that part of the episode ended. They should do a screening with every HD release.

Live Long and Prosper,
Veronica N.

Veronica, what exactly are you saying about us males? Personally, I couldn't understand why that one scene couldn't last just a little bit longer.

Although I enjoyed the show completely, the video was a little dark and it seemed the theatre wanted little to do with the showing, from the condescending attitude from the clod behind the ticket stand, to the fact no one paid attention to the lights and volume. The steep price was also a negative.

The crowd was a great group and the atmosphere was nearly magical. My 10-year-old daughter Paris has been watching on Saturdays with me but she had never seen the episode and the surprising turns really kept her interested. She went Halloweening this year in a ST:TNG uniform, and wore it proudly last night.

Todd B.

Thanks for sharing, Todd. Perhaps the clod at the ticket stand wasn't a Trek fan? Perish the thought! And nice use of "Halloweening" as a verb.

Page 2: Letters continued...
Page 3: Letters from Europe
Page 4: (NEW) Letters from Australia