Down in Austin, Texas, local resident and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Til’ Dawn, Sin City, Planet Terror) has been programming some of his favorite movies at the historic Paramount Theatre as part of their 50 Years of Classic Film series. I happened to be in town and caught Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. The theatre is beautiful with a large marquee outside, full bar and majestic tiled ceiling inside. As the film was being introduced, Robert Rodriguez walked on stage, looking tall and swole carrying a notebook fashioned like the Necronomicon from Evil Dead.
Rodriguez talked about watching the original Star Trek series as a kid and seeing Khan at the local theater. After the success but massively over budget first entry, Paramount bumped creator Gene Roddenberry to a Consultant and it was decided to base a sequel on episode “Space Seed”. Which featured Ricardo Montalban as genetically engineered conqueror and smooth badass Khan. Rodriguez originally planned to show the full episode before the film but due to TV rights, cut it down to his trademark 10 minutes complete with commentary.
After the snipped episode, Rodriguez spoke of working with Montalban later in life after the actor had been confined to a wheelchair dating back to an injury suffered as a young actor falling off a horse onto a rock. You could feel Rodriguez’s reverence for Montalban, sharing that on trips to LA he would hang out at Montalban’s beautiful estate (paid for by years of TV’s The Love Boat), talking, eating and listening to records. When Rodriguez wanted the actor to appear in Spy Kids 2, Montalban demurred stating he couldn’t travel but Rodriguez sent a private plane and made every concession for his comfort. The two would end up working together on Spy Kids 3 as well.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan from director Nicholas Meyer and writers Roddenberry, Jack B. Sowards and Harve Bennett, is one of the great sequels of all time. Even with its cost cutting techniques like William Shatner’s Captain Kirk never actually sharing a frame with Montalban’s Kahn due to scheduling and the replacement of expensive composer Jerry Goldsmith (Alien, First Blood) with up and comer James Horner (Commando, Aliens). Rodriguez sat down to watch the flick and other films in his line up include Terminator 2: Judgement Day, First Blood and Romancing The Stone. I’d love to hear some of his stories about Arnie, Sly and Michael Douglas…
