These are the voyages of ...

"Star Trek" is back and better than ever with a new movie of the same name that introduces the characters from the original series that Trekkers love but also adds a few new wrinkles to the 40-year-old franchise.

Most of the "Star Trek" universe that has unfolded since the original series debuted in 1966 is the same in this movie. There is the Federation. Teens still attend Star Fleet Academy. Vulcans and humans are friends. Klingons are out there. So are Romulans. But there are some significant differences that you'll have to see for yourself.

"Star Trek" takes us back to the literal beginning of James T. Kirk and then introduces all of the old favorites from the original series. Kirk has a chip on his shoulder. Spock is torn between two worlds. Chekov is a young whiz kid. Sulu is a swashbuckler. Scottie works magic with his machines. Uhura is a hottie. And Bones McCoy is ... well ... Bones McCoy.

"Star Trek" could easily be a one-time deal but given it raked in almost $150 million in its first two weekends and these stars are all young and beautiful (except Simon Pegg as Scottie) I'd say another film is in our future.

Nobody except maybe series creator Gene Roddenberry knew what was possible when "Star Trek" made its debut in 1966. The series bounced around and was unceremoniously cancelled after only three seasons.

Then reruns surfaced in syndication and the show took off. After years of debate, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" opened in 1979. And even though it is considered by many Trekkers to be the worst of the bunch it did well enough to inspire a second film, "The Wrath of Khan," which revisited an episode from the original series about super-humans that Kirk maroons on a planet. It was a hit.

That was followed in short order by a third movie, "The Search for Spock," and a new television series, "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and suddenly "Star Trek" was hotter than a supernova.

Seven more movies followed and along the way the original cast turned over the film reins to the cast from "The Next Generation." Four more television series also came along.

Critics said the franchise was in trouble after the 10th movie, "Nemesis," fared poorly at the box office in 2002. An attempt was made with the fifth television series, "Enterprise," to find a new approach by going back to the founding of the Federation. The series stumbled along for a couple of seasons. Then tried something radical by devoting season three to a single storyline about a race called the Xindi trying to wipe out humanity. The show seemed to finally find itself in season four but was still cancelled.

Now director J.J. Abrams has a hit movie with "Star Trek" and all is right with the world.

Trekkers have their favorite episodes and movies, but if you are new to the game and want to catch up on the "Star Trek" universe, here are my choices for the best episodes from the five "Star Trek" series as well as what is considered the best of the movies. Live long and prosper!

"The City on the Edge of Forever" (1967) -- Joan Collins guest stars in Episode 28 of the original series' first season. Kirk and Spock land in 1930s New York while chasing Dr. McCoy, who has gone mad from an accidental drug overdose and jumped through a time portal. Kirk gets the girl as usual, but must let her go or else change Earth's history. Stars include William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan and Robbins' own Nichelle Nichols. Probably the best of the time travel episodes.

"Q Who?" (1989) -- John de Lancie guest stars in "The Next Generation's" Season 2, Episode 16 as omnipotent prankster Q, who tosses the Enterprise 7,000 light years away into the Federation's first encounter with the Borg. Stars include Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Whoopi Goldberg and Wil Wheaton. This episode introduced the Borg, who went on to become one of the franchise's baddest villains.

"Badda-Bing, Badda-Bing" (1999) -- Episode 15 of the final season of "Deep Space Nine" finds the command staff acting like the cast of "Ocean's Eleven" as they try to save the holosuite casino from a hostile mob takeover. Stars include Avery Brooks, Nicole de Boer, Michael Dorn, Nana Visitor, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman and James Darren as nightclub crooner Vic Fontaine. A nice change of pace from the Dominion War that dominated the last two seasons of this series.

"Year of Hell" (1997) -- Capt. Janeway's starship Voyager is falling apart and its crew dying off as it attempts to fight off a Krenim time ship that is attempting to recreate a better past for its people in this two-part episode from Season 4. Stars include Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Robert Picardo, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill and Kurtwood Smith as the Krenim captain. I loved the toll the battle was taking on poor Voyager.

"In a Mirror, Darkly" (2005) -- This two-part episode from the final season of "Enterprise" is a delightfully evil twist as the Federation of the Mirror Universe is a lot different from the peace-loving bunch in our universe. All the characters are here but they are nasty counterparts who scheme against one another and plot to take over the Terran Empire when they discover a Federation ship from the future. Stars include Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Linda Park and Connor Trinneer.

"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986) -- Kirk and company rescue the Earth yet again when they go back in time to fetch some whales to repopulate the species and stop a ship from destroying the planet. There are plenty of laughs in this entry. Stars include William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley and Catherine Hicks as a whale expert.

The Dom is dead

Today's generation might not remember Dom DeLuise, but Baby Boomers definitely will know him from his days on Dean Martin's comedy show and as a frequent co-star of Burt Reynolds and a favorite actor for director Mel Brooks.
DeLuise died Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 75.
DeLuise acted in dozens of movies starting in the early 1960s including a rare dramatic performance in "Fail-Safe," a Cold War thriller about an American bomber accidentally sent to bomb Moscow.
He also appeared in dozens of television shows including his long-running skit as an inept magician on Martin's comedy show in the 1960s.
DeLuise didn't always appear on screen. He voiced characters in several movies including Don Bluth's "An American Tail."
He was a noted chef and had been making regular appearances on cable cooking shows.
He also penned seven children's books.
His three sons, Peter, David and Michael, all followed him into show business.
Here are six movies available on video and DVD that are representative of his acting career.

"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982) -- DeLuise is a TV preacher who wants to close Dolly Parton's Chicken Ranch, a brothel protected by the local sheriff (Burt Reynolds) in this musical comedy. Also on hand are many of Burt's other co-stars including Charles Durning and Jim Nabors.

"Secret of NIMH" (1982) -- DeLuise voices Jeremy, one of the animals in this Don Bluth animated film about a fieldmouse's effort to save her ailing child.

"Fail-Safe" (1964) -- DeLuise has a supporting role as an American airman who is ordered to tell the Soviets how to shoot down an American bomber that is accidentally sent on a mission to drop an H-bomb on Moscow. It's a radically different turn for the comedian.

"Silent Movie" (1976) -- DeLuise co-stars with Mel Brooks in this comedy about a director's quest to produce the first major silent film since the 1930s. There's only one word spoken in the movie.

"Fatso" (1980) -- DeLuise stars in this Anne Bancroft (Mrs. Mel Brooks) comedy about a man whose effort to lose weight finally takes off after he meets the girl of his dreams (Candice Azzara).

"Hot Stuff" (1979) -- DeLuise stars and directs this comedy about three cops (himself, Suzanne Pleshette and Jerry Reed) who start a fencing operation and then keep it going without official sanction from their higher-ups.

You can find out more about DeLuise and a complete filmography at his Web site http://www.domdeluise.com/

Mommas from hell

Mother's Day is fast approaching and lots of guys are moaning over the fact they are going to have to do something nice for mom.

In Hollywood, moms are usually treated as special women who are sweet and kind and loving, and did I say sweet?

You know the kind of movie moms I mean. Myrna Loy raising 12 children and keeping a handle on her husband in "Cheaper by the Dozen." Or more recently, Bonnie Hunt doing the trick in the remake and its sequel.

But sometimes, filmmakers turn the tables and create movie moms who are as nasty as Klingons and a little off upstairs.

Anjelica Huston, who played a nice Irish mom in "Agnes Browne," is a cold, manipulative con artist whose son (John Cusack) is a cold, manipulative con artist in "The Grifters." The ending is chilling.

In 1993, Holly Hunter stars as a murdering mom in "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom."

Here are six movies available on video and DVD that are sure to make you worship your own mom on Sunday.

"Throw Momma from the Train" (1987) -- Danny DeVito concocts a plan to murder Billy Crystal's shrewish ex-wife if Crystal will return the favor and dispose of DeVito's overbearing and acid-tongued mom (Anne Ramsey, who was also a nasty mom in "Goonies.")

"Mommie Dearest" (1981) -- Christina Crawford (Diana Scarwid) painted her adopted mother Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway) as an abusive harpy in her memoirs that were the basis for this biopic. Wire hangers, anybody?

"Public Enemies" (1996) -- Theresa Russell stars as an overly possessive Ma Barker in this glorified look at her bank-robbing brood that terrorized the Midwest in the 1930s. Other stars include Eric Roberts and Alyssa Milano. This is one of those films that is so bad, it's good.

"Mother's Boys" (1994) -- Jamie Lee Curtis stars as a troubled mom who returns after walking out on her husband (Peter Gallagher) and sons three years earlier. They want nothing to do with her, but she won't take "no" for an answer.

"Serial Mom" (1994) -- Kathleen Turner is all sugar and spice until you mess with her family. That's when she pulls out the butcher knife and becomes Serial Mom in this John Waters black comedy. It has most of Waters' usual stars including Ricki Lake, Traci Lords and Patricia Hearst.

"Ever After" (1998) -- Anjelica Huston (again) is the evil stepmother of Drew Barrymore in this above-average adaptation of "Cinderella."

Video 6-pack lives ... sort of

For the better part of the past 20 years, I wrote a weekly column called Video Six-Pack for the Daily Southtown and its successor the SouthtownStar.

The column ended a couple of weeks ago thanks to Chapter 11 corporate restructuring for the Sun-Times News Group, which includes the SouthtownStar.

But thanks to the miracle of the Internet, I am reviving the column. At least I'll be able to continue writing even though I no longer will be paid to do so. That's love, I guess.

Anyway, this is my way to introducing myself to new readers and telling faithful readers that I am back ... sort of.

I'll be posting the first What to Watch column later this week. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. And, to the Guy I used to work with, I can write about anything I want.