You can't miss Jonathan Frakes, even if you tried. On hustling my way
to the interview session, I caught a glimpse of him on the corner of
Madison Avenue and 52nd Street, puffing on a cigarette and listening
to the comments of some unknown person with all seriousness. The dour
look on his face made me feel I should shoot right past him and let
him get on with his business. I'd have my time with him later that
day.
When Frakes walked into the interview session, he was light on his
feet and happy as can be. I guess he got some kind of good news.
Believe it or not, I think he recognized me as he acknowledged me in
more than the usual friendly gestures one gets when you're meeting an
actor face-to-face for the first time.
Then again, as the review elsewhere shows, Frakes has no reason to be
the slightest bit gloomy. Star Trek: Insurrection is going to be
one of the biggest films in the series, ever. Frakes should take
particular pride in that accomplishment as he is the director.
So, with little further ado, here's what he had to say:
Q: Speaking of directing, here is Patrick Stewart walking in and
saying he had a hand in the script. Here you are the director of the
film, which means you do have an obligation to work the script. How do
you rectify the two?
Jonathan Frakes: Actually, I started with the script a year ago this
week. I had first shot at it. Then Patrick took a shot at it and then
Rick and Piller took shots at it through out. Brent took shot at it.
We ended up honing it down to three or four well-told intertwined
stories.
It used to be cumbersome. It was huge. It was too huge. It didn't
focus the way it needed to. I'm very pleased with the way it turned
out.
Q: We've now seen two decades of Star Trek movies. What do you
think sets this one apart?
Jonathan Frakes: Obviously, I think it's the best of the franchise.
Without being too glib, it's because it is. We made a conscious
decision after First Contact to make a 180% turn. That was a horror
movie. It was very close, very dark, very claustrophobic and
ship-bound. This is a big, sweeping, action-adventure epic; half of
which was shot on location. It is a romance. It's got kind of a
classic western theme. It's a political thriller.
Still it's what the original Star Trek did best, which was
commenting on the foibles and problems of our time, and yet couching
it in the 24th Century. One of the major themes of the film was don't
sacrifice the few for the many. Another theme was we are so damn busy
as human beings that we need to slow down and listen to the music. I
think those come out without pounding people on the head. That's what
I think Roddenberry always intended. People get their little morality
play without being lectured to. I hope that's what we accomplished
here.
We also brought in the best villain we ever had in F. Murray Abraham.
So, I'm hoping that it stands on its own.
Q: There was a time in the seventh season where the show really had
gotten its stride and every week you saw something remarkable. This
film seemed to have more of that seventh season in it than any other.
Jonathan Frakes: That's a very good observation. It seems to me that
when we go full tilt, when we use the full first team and all the
bench players, when we got everyone a chance to step up, that was when
we were at our best.
You see, I was one of the people who didn't want the show to end. It's
on the record. I felt they might have pulled the plug on the TV show
too soon.
There's something about coming back into this family after going away
and doing other jobs that all of us, ALL OF US, feel good about. We
like putting the space suits and the comfortable shoes back on. Both
in front of the camera and behind the camera I think that comes
across.
Q: One thing I couldn't help but notice is why is it whenever one
thinks up a Utopia, it's always an agrarian one. Did it ever occur to
you to have a technological Utopia?
Jonathan Frakes: I think this one was forged in the great irony of the
24th Century, where we think we've found Utopia or Shangri-La, what
we've found is housed by people who are healthy and gorgeous and
buried their guns and put their computers away. The villains are using
every bit of technology they can find to serve their vanity and make
them look young. Of course, one of the big ironies is we, the
filmmakers, are using every bit of technology we can find to make this
movie.
So, it's not lost. It also helps the theme of the film with the
slowing down.
Q: One of the things I noticed was you would do things on the alien
space ship like the big ugly sofa as the commander's chair and the
staple gun to pin back their faces. What made you do that?
Jonathan Frakes: That was just Rick and me sitting back and saying,
'Do we dare? Do we dare put that hideous fabric on the bridge of a
24th Century space ship?' Then we said, 'Yeah. We do.' (Laughs). And
with the staple gun, we were thinking of how cool the sound effect
would be.
Q: Were you disappointed that Industrial Light & Magic wasn't brought
in. Also, were you pleased to have brought in Jerry Goldsmith to do
the score?
Jonathan Frakes: No and yes. ILM didn't get the job because their bid
was millions of dollars more than the other companies combined. I
think we ended up with wonderful visual effects. I know it was risky,
but these technical artists were so good at what they do. These guys
at Santa Barbera and Blue Sky come from ILM. It's an inbred group of
people who do these things. I'm crazy about how the Enterprise looks
when it's only lit by the reflective light of the Briar Patch.
Jerry Goldsmith, I think along with John Williams, it's kind of them
and then the rest. He gets Star Trek. He has helped to define Star
Trek. I understand what a lot of other people do. I mean other crafts.
I understand what the editors do. I sort of get how the camera man
works. The production designer.
What Jerry Goldsmith does is just beyond me. It's still magic to see a
guy use a hundred-piece orchestra as his instrument. He understands
it. We go through the movie and spot the music, and describe what our
intentions were. He's so clear. He certainly helps.
He's also a gentlemen. He's from the old school. He's like, what? 70?
He's done maybe one hundred movies, and he's really loyal to Star
Trek. He also likes that I'm a trombone player. He likes that I have a
basic understanding of the process.
Jerry's been approached to write a Star Trek opera, which I
frankly think is a brilliant idea. The tone and themes are operatic
and could maintain. He wants to, but it would take a year of his life,
and he thinks that's too much time. Someone should do it.
Q: Do you think the origins of the Son'a was explained well enough?
Jonathan Frakes: It was one of our biggest concerns that the
motivation of the Son'a be understood. They are paying for their
arrogance. I think in the end result it is clear enough.
You know how when you get wrapped up in a project you feel you're
getting too close to it? How you have to step back a bit and think? We
did that. The way it's edited we think it's clear now. It does make
sense.
Q: I understand that the original name of the film was Prime
Directive.
Jonathan Frakes: I like the name Prime Directive. I still do.
Insurrection is working. I liked Rebellion too, but I'm only the
director.
I shouldn't be glib. Insurrection - that was a name that Jonathan Dolgen
-- who's the big honcho at Viacom -- came up with. He said it's a big
name, fills up the screen and makes people think of Cecil B. DeMille.
Do you think it's OK?
Q: I kind of like Prime Directive myself. It was the central issue.
Jonathan Frakes: They thought Prime Directive was too inside. You
know what their comment was? You'll love this. They thought Prime
Directive would make non-Trekkers think of an important memo. That's
what Prime Directive means to them.
Q: Then again, there are a lot of people who don't know what
Insurrection means.
Jonathan Frakes: Yes, unfortunately. That's very discouraging, isn't
it?
Q: What part of directing do you really enjoy now?
Jonathan Frakes: I like the power! I like working with all the
departments. I like working with the actors because I'm an actor, but
I also like working with the film from beginning to end. I love when I
get to input the design of the set.
I started directing during the last few seasons of the television
series because I thought that being I was there all the time, I might
as well make myself useful. An actor usually only works for one scene
and then sits for six or seven hours. You can only act so much. Also,
you can only nap so much, and I don't like naps.
When I started directing, I learned that the involvement was more
exciting. I hope it's leading into a second career. I would like it
that lots of people come knocking on my door offering me lots and lots
of directing jobs.
Q: Have you ever figured out why the first officers always make the
best Star Trek films?
Jonathan Frakes: We've commented on that. I recently had dinner with
Leonard Nimoy, and it didn't go unobserved.
Q: What about the idea Brent told us about getting the cast together
and doing something that's not a Star Trek film?
Jonathan Frakes: I've been pushing for a musical. I think Brent's come
up with a grand idea. We're pushing for it. It's a brainstorm.
I'm actually planning to take it to Paramount because I have a
first look deal with them. When I'm done with this I'm going back to
them and seriously suggesting it. It just doesn't have to be our cast.
I'd like to get Colm (Meany) and John DeLancie, for sure. Cast them in
stuff I know they could play. I would love to do it.
For instance, Marina is finally getting to do some comedic stuff. It
took them years for people to realize what a wonderful comedienne she
really is. The bar scene in First Contact, she just nailed that. It
made them realize we have to write more of that for her.
What I also like about Brent's idea is it's a new idea and a sound
one. If Paramount can be forward thinking enough about it, [they] can
benefit hugely from it. We would gladly do that project and THEN be
more than ready to do another Star Trek project.
Q: Deep Space 9 did do an episode kind of like that where they were
set in the 1950's and in regular street clothes.
Jonathan Frakes: Yeah, and that's the one that won them all the
Emmy's. Look it up.
Q: Can Riker finally get his own ship?
Jonathan Frakes: You would think. Can Riker and Picard finally get
promoted? Everybody else in all versions of Star Trek have been
promoted except them. What is the deal with that? It's an interesting
challenge.
Q: It must be something to try to create something new with Star
Trek and having to meet the constrictions of an established fictional
universe. For instance, I understand you tried to bring Armen
Shimerman as Quark in for one scene but had to cut it own because it
didn't fit.
Jonathan Frakes: We tried to do - to repeat something that was done
before, and it didn't work. It didn't have the magic. In First Contact
we brought in Robert Picardo as the holographic doctor and that
worked. It worked so well that we tried to do it again.
When Quark came it, he seemed forced. The thing is when we did it with
Armen, he knew it right off the bat. Talk about a mensch, I had to
call him to tell him about the cut, and as soon as he heard my voice
the first thing he said was 'Have I been cut out of the movie." I said
'How did you know,' and he said he knew that it didn't work.
Mania Magazine is TM & © 1997 American Entertainment Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Mania Magazine, 12/11/98
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