MovieChat Forums > The Enemy Below (1958) Discussion > THIS IS THE MODEL FOR A STAR TREK EPISOD...

THIS IS THE MODEL FOR A STAR TREK EPISODE !!

posted 16 years ago by blondinii
7 replies | jump to latest

It is from the original series called something like BALANCE OF TERROR....

I remember the STOS episode you speak of, and I recall thinking the same thing when I saw it, as I had recently seen TEB and immediately made the comparison.

[–] flashingturtle 13 years ago

Watched it for the first time today and wondered how much it influenced Nicholas Meyer's Star Trek 2 tbh.

Why quote other people when I like the sound of my own voice?

[–] SeanJoyce 12 years ago

Meyer stated that his main inspirations for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan were "Moby Dick", Horatio Hornblower novels, and old WWII submarine movies.

The staging of the battle sequences calls to mind submarine warfare. Given The Enemy Below's impact on Star Trek already (the aforementioned "Balance of Terror" episode), I think it's a safe assumption that Meyer drew more than a little from it.

"...if that was off, I'd be whoopin' your ass up and down this street." ~ an irate Tarantino

[–] wlp325 12 years ago

You are indeed correct. "Balance of Terror" was the episode's title, and the actor who played the Romulan commander in this episode (the late Mark Lenard) subsequently began playing Sarek, Spock's Vulcan father.

"At a time when cynicism masquerades as sophistication, [AWTR's] theme is worth touching upon."

[–] bjlevine 11 years ago

Quote possibly the best episode of Star Trek.

"Live long and suck it, Zachary Quinto!"

[–] wlp325 11 years ago

Agreed! It was always among my top three favorites.

Rest in peace, Roger Ebert. You were the best.

[–] syncopatedrhythm 8 years ago

Yes even when the U-boat captain calls the US captain a devil, same line almost used in the Star Trek episode when the Romulan captain compares Kirk to the devil. This movie was very much the template for the Balance of Terror episode.