Product Details

• Actors: Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Billy West (II)
• Directors: Peter Jaysen
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Goldhill Home Media
• DVD Release Date: January 29, 2002
• Run Time: 75 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005V9HD
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,157 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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• For more information about "Mind Meld - Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Tailored to the most hard-core Star Trek fans, Mind Meld gets you up close and personal with the stars of the original television series. Its premise? Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner sitting together and having a quiet, earthy chat about old times. There isn't much new information about the show--though old cast resentments are addressed--but viewers learn a great deal about the personal lives of everyone's favorite spacemen. The two discuss the pressures of filming a weekly show and the difficulties of maintaining one's dignity as an actor while wearing pointy ears. The personalities of both men shine through and it becomes obvious why they were cast as they were; Nimoy really is more thoughtful and reserved, while Shatner is extroverted and showy. The best part of Mind Meld is witnessing the genuine fondness the two men share for each other. It's clear that they really were (and are) best friends, even when the cameras stopped rolling. --Ali Davis

Product Description
Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime is an unprecedented 75-minute examination of the impact the Star Trek experience has had on the franchise's most celebrated participants: William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. These two stars have arguably embodied the brightest icons in the sci-fi universe; Shatner as passionate Captain James T. Kirk, and Nimoy as logical-minded, half Vulcan Mr. Spock. Now, in an unprecedented candid conversation at Nimoy's Beverly Hills home, these two icons of popular culture share with each other, and the viewers, the behind-the-scenes adventures of one of the greatest franchises in entertainment history.

They discuss:
The Phenomenon: How Star Trek meaningfully changed their careers, their very lives.
The Creative Battles: The pressures of making a landmark weekly series. The challenges of bringing back Star Trek as a movie franchise.
The Original Crew: Rivalries, jealousies and conflicts between the original cast and creators.
The Personal Impact: Pressures on their families and friends. Struggles with personal demons and addictions.
The Final Frontiers: Lives reviewed. Facing death. Remembering their Star Trek co-star DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy) and the legacies both men hope to leave behind.

Shot in beautiful high-definition video, this lush production features rare personal photographs that span the careers of the two men, as well as a visit into Nimoy's study filled with memorabilia of the incredible voyage they shared. Most of all, these two passionate actors reveal the incredible bond that was the cornerstone of their success; the trust, the friendship, and the ability to consistently challenge each other to boldly go where neither man has gone before. 75 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent project with Nimoy and Shatner..., October 31, 2002

By	Mark Savary "moon_city" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Nimoy and Shatner, sitting around and discussing their careers and mutual friendship. At first, one might think that this disc would be a boring, PC rehash of info all Trek fans have heard about a million times over. No so!

The actors discuss personal issues both on set and off, failed marriages, alcoholism, and other events they were affected by both during Trek and post-Trek. Much of the discussion is about things even the most hard-core fans had never known about until now.

Even the rest of the famous sci-fi cast comes in for scrutiny, as the two Titans of Trek discuss why they aren't close to the supporting cast. Shatner and Nimoy candidly talk about the animosity from the other actors, animosity that Shatner finds himself puzzled by.

But it doesn't stop there. They also talk about their different acting approaches; Nimoy, consumed by character, Shatner, turning character on and off like a switch. I found this a particularly interesting insight into the two men, and the characters they played. Nimoy really does embody some of the Spock intellect, artistry, professionalism, and inner turmoil. Shatner really does embody a Kirk-like energy and zest for life, almost gung ho in his attempt to have it all. Nimoy at peace with himself, Shatner still reaching for the brass ring.

One annoying curiosity is that, although dedicated to him at the end, there is little or no discussion about the late DeForest Kelley. A similar annoyance was pervasive in Shatner's recent Trek book, "Get a Life!", which supposedly covered Trek conventions and the cast's reaction to them. Kelley's views were noticably absent.

It could be that the men wanted to focus on their personal relationship here, or that they weren't all that close to the late actor. What they do say about the third corner of the famous Trek Triad of Kirk, Spock and McCoy is very interesting, but still, I have to wonder why Kelley wasn't just a little bit more prominent in proceedings.

If the film fails, it fails only in that it is all too short. There just seemed to be so much that could still be said, still be revealed about both Trek, the actors, the classic cast, and how Nimoy and Shatner really feel about the New Treks. Perhaps a sequel or limited series of these type of discussions would be a possibility. However, this is a rare glimpse at the two actors and their relationship, a private glimpse into that which we, the audience and fans, are intruders into. As such, we should be grateful for this interesting peek we are allowed at the two stars of "Star Trek".

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, February 10, 2005

By	Greatwood (Sugar Land, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mind Meld - Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime (DVD)

"Mind Meld" is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of two iconic actors who starred in the immensely popular Star Trek! For those of us who grew up watching Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock this is a must see! The two actors meet at Leonard Nimoy's home and share their memories in his beautiful backyard..You immediately sense a bond between the two that you sense as a deep and meaningful friendship..sort of a brotherly love if you will..

Shatner sort of starts off interviewing Nimoy but contributes quite a bit of his own personal reflections and memories..

One of highlights of this program is how Shatner deals with the animosity and resentment of his former castmates..It's obvious that he is quite hurt by some of the criticisms but he creates a veneer of rationalizations to "protect" himself...a defense mechanism if you will...

But to Shatner's credit..he was the "star" of the show and his boundless energy and crafting of his character was most likely going to alienate others..as a comparison, we always heard stories of Barbara Streisand's tantrums on movie sets..but I guess in a sense, that's what drove these artists and made them great! What I found odd is that Shatner stated that he felt the Star Trek conventions fueled the other actor's egos and made them feel more "important than they were" in his words..I'm not sure about that..after reading George Takei and Nichelle Nichol's books I felt they respected Shatner for his obvious talents as an actor but they, as an ensemble of actors, felt that their talents were not appreciated...as George Takei put it..he felt he was "decoration" on the bridge half of the time..

In making Star Trek the classic show that it was, the contributions of Nimoy and Shatner were immense no doubt however, there was one point during the interview where I felt that Gene Roddenberry had an immense amount of control over the show when Shatner mentioned that for the first movie..he had a idea about a scene and he and Nimoy worked it out and presented it to Robert Wise the director and Wise told them to run it by Gene..since Gene had crafted the original story..however..when it came time to do so..Shatner kind of felt intimidated...

This is a wonderful interview in that it humanizes the two actors and gives you quite a bit of insight into the pressures and stresses of making a hit TV show..that it's not all glitz and glamour but a lot of hard work! In the end you really respect these guys for their dedication to their characters and their openness about issues that they dealt with..

A definite must see for diehard fans of TOS and the 6 movies!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great look at the two who made Star Trek!, July 11, 2002

By	K. Wyatt "ssintrepid" (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

For a true Star Trek fan this DVD is a fantastic way to spend a mere 75 minutes of your time. I thought I followed Star Trek pretty well, however, I did not know that Leonard Nimoy had gone through an alcohol problem. I wasn't truely aware that he'd seemingly had a lot of anger and confidence problems during those early years. William Shatner seemed like he was talking but more or less leading an interview with his friend. I personally do not believe that he didn't see or feel the animosity that the other cast members had for him. Overall though this is a very enlightening DVD and I recommend it to all Star Trek fans.