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The Transformers: The Movie goes pretty hard… although it's also pretty hard to approach without any background in Transformers nerdery. This week, we're revisiting another science fiction classic from our youths: Stargate (1994)! This is our second Roland Emmerich and basically the one that led to Independence Day. And it's also the James Spader movie that immediately precedes another movie club classic, Crash. Stargate introduces the idea of an ancient device that can transport people instantaneously to another planet, prompting a group of soldiers and scientists to explore a planet whose culture matches that of ancient Egypt. It would go on to form the basis for endless TV spinoffs. Should be fun!
The big Wing Commander connection is, once again, that Chris Roberts used several tracks from David Arnold's Stargate score when temp tracking the Wing Commander movie… and ultimately he scored David Arnold himself to do Wing Commander's overture! Sarcophagus Opens was used during the Diligent's jump sequence:
And Battle at the Pyramid was used during the firefight on the Kilrathi concom ship:
A brief cue from Stargate was also used during the attack on Pegasus, but we haven't been able to identify it!
It does seem that Chris Roberts was particularly impressed with Stargate's imaginative vision. He also attempted to have Patrick Tatopoulos, the production designer responsible for Stargate's aliens, to update the Kilrathi. Sadly, there was no money for something so imaginative!
It's a total coincidence but I've always associated Stargate's alien fighters with the Dralthi from Armada and Wing Commander III. They all premiered within weeks of each other, Armada then Stargate then Wing Commander III, so no one was referencing each other… but come on, it's a Dralthi!
Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?
Stargate is available for rent or purchase on all of the standard streaming services. If you would like a physical copy, it was released on BluRay in the US in 2009 and remains in print around the world. It is currently available to stream for free in the United States via YouTube. If you are not able to locate a copy please stop by the Discord and ping a CIC staff member before Friday's showing. Please note that we are watching the theatrical cut (121m) and not the extended version (129m). The theatrical cut seems to be the most common version available online today.
How do we watch the movie together?
It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!
How can I help pick future movie club movies?
The movie club movies are voted on each week by the Wing Commander Discord. The poll is typically posted 24 hours before each week's screening and the next movie is announced at the end. The choices for the poll come from a master pool of Wing Commander-related movies. If you would like to suggest a film for inclusion in that pool you can post it to this thread.
