STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984)

It might sound surprising, but my interest and affection for the entire STAR TREK universe began with 1984's STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK.  I had seen the previous movies in the series, in fact I saw STAR TREK II in the theaters with my parents in 1982 and enjoyed it immensely.  The initial installment, 1979's STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, was also a favorite despite it being so drastically different in tone and style than the subsequent films.  Regardless, for character, story and glimpses of the larger TREK universe, the third film really made an impact on me.  Plus there was the lush, exciting and often melancholic music composed by James Horner that had me riveted from its opening.

For whatever reason, though, I failed to catch STAR TREK III until the Spring of 1987, by way an ABC broadcast my dad had recorded.  He must have mentioned this to me and so I was understandably curious to discover how this chapter followed up on the pitch perfect predecessor, THE WRATH OF KHAN (also with music by James Horner).  After one viewing, and despite the usual edits and commercial breaks for network broadcasts, I was hooked.  That unfortunate Beta tape proceeded to be ran through the player multiple times afterwards, on many days once I was home from school.  The emotional components of the movie, from the loyalty of life-long friends and the sacrifices by many to rescue one, plus the riveting sequence of stealing the Enterprise all coalesced into an experience that turned me into a rapt viewer.

Immediately I set myself to trolling stores for TREK novels, episode guides for the original 1960's series (for which I had seen very little) and of course, soundtrack albums.  STAR TREK III topped my wish list for the latter, in addition to any other scores composed by James Horner, who at that time had only been working in the industry for a handful of years.  Record store shelves had precious few of these items, but those juggernaut in-store catalogs allowed me to track down this LP and place my special order.   It would be 6-8 weeks of anticipation until it arrived, but until then I at least had the movie to watch and remember.  I might even have had the music memorized before the record album itself was in my possession.

This was a point in my teens, junior high years, when I lacked a supportive peer group and my sisters were my best friends.  Kids at that age can be fair weather friends, flippant and dismissive of others, unconcerned and short-shighted regarding the unseen emotional wounds this can cause.  It was easy for me to retreat into the world of STAR TREK, where everyone seemed to belong, serve specific purposes and be genuinely appreciated by their peers.  The characters in that world would accept me without judgment.  They were trustworthy and open and showcased a quality unknowingly the most important one to me - consistency.  I imagine this be one reason many of us cling to and revisit fictional characters in fictional universes, that is the people populating them will be the same for us, on each day and on each visit.  We all can need that at times.  As an unpopular teenager, I needed a surrogate group of friends, hence the stalwart crew of the Enterprise became mine.

I soon dragged my younger sister Meri into all things TREK and she graciously humored me as I inundated her with everything I learned.  She was my compatriot and sounding board, oddly and endearingly digging whatever new thing I was delving into.  Despite our 4-year age difference, I could always count on Meri sharing my burgeoning enthusiasm for STAR TREK, Transformers, movie soundtracks and random nerdy pop culture.  At the height of our Trekiness, we actually created and produced a STAR TREK series on cassette of what were essentially "radio plays", utilizing our own custom starship and crew, each performing multiple roles.  What we accomplished was undoubtedly rough around the edges, but our earnest enthusiasm and infectious goofs imbued these recordings with a crazy sense of fun. 

Back on track with THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, when at last I had that specially ordered record in hand, my emotions ran the course of a roller coaster in mere moments, from the giddy precipitous climb to the stomach-tossing drop.  Similar to double LP sets like THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, it opened into a beautiful gate-fold cover, this one featuring the Enterprise in a stand-off against a Klingon Bird of Prey.  And also similarly, there were indeed two black platters in their respective sleeves to draw forth, which I immediately interpreted as equating to two full albums worth of music from the movie.  Fantastic!  Alas, I quickly discovered that the second record almost completely lacked grooves, with the exception a single band on side one.  And that single track wound up being... a disco version of the main theme. 

Granted, it was not exactly the music I wished to hear from the film, but the first LP in the set, however, featured some wonderful selections from Horner's score, from the rhapsodic opening piece to the pulse-pounding sequence of Kirk and company stealing the Enterprise and closing with the gorgeous music heralding their eventual arrival on Vulcan.  This score not only turned me into a lifelong fan of composer James Horner, but also music for the entire TREK universe and without a doubt, a TREK fan for life.