Timothy S. Johnston Reviews the Documentary Film, BEAM ME UP, SULU |

Timothy S. Johnston Reviews the Documentary Film, Beam Me Up, Sulu

If you are looking for an uplifting, heartwarming tale to watch, this is it.

The story is thus:

In 1985, a college student was filming a low budget movie about his favourite TV show. On a crazy whim, he reached out to George Takei, one of the stars of Star Trek, to inquire about appearing in it. Takei, sensing the earnest quality of the young filmmaker, agreed to take part. He filmed his scenes, and over the next four years, the students worked on the movie on weekends. And then …

… and then, the footage was “lost” (misplaced), until it was recently rediscovered, digitized, and the film finished.

The documentary, Beam Me Up, Sulu is about the filming of the fan movie and documents the forty-year journey toward its completion. George Takei appears in the documentary, discussing both his participation in the student film, but also far more: he talks about his experiences growing up, including his family’s internment in the US during World War 2, and other early experiences in Hollywood. There are also “behind the scenes” glimpses of him filming the story, interacting with the student filmmakers, and generally just being the happy, outgoing, and pleasant person that he is.

It certainly is a feel-good movie, and watching the older footage of George Takei is wonderful. Like many other fans of Trek, and of movies in general, I, with my group of friends, did exactly the same thing back in the 1980s and 90s. We made fan films of our favourite movie properties, so I truly identified with the group in this movie, led by the intrepid Stan Woo.

Story continues below …

I especially appreciate George Takei’s participation both in the student film and in the interview for this documentary. He didn’t have to do it. Keep in mind, in 1985, Takei was a star, and not just on TV. By this time, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock had come out. All made money and the cast was extremely popular. We idolized those actors! They couldn’t walk down the street without being recognized. Not one of them. For George Takei to agree to do this, on his own time and without pay, is extraordinary, and is testament to his personality and character.

And, I want to point out, that he’s not the only one who participated. James Shigeta (Die Hard) also took part, and although he’s now passed, he is very present in the documentary and it’s a pleasure to see him.

Beam Me Up, Sulu also features appearances by other familiar faces, including Garrett Wang (Star Trek: Voyager), Rod Roddenberry, writer Robert J. Sawyer, Alexander Siddig (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), and Christina Chong (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds).

I had a smile on my face through large portions of the film. The doc is a tight 90 minutes and is available to rent on Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play. I recommend this, especially if, like me, you are a fan of Trek and have spent time in your youth dreaming about playing the characters you idolize on TV and film, and living within those worlds. This documentary will give you a chance to remember those days, and it will also uplift you in these trying times. Give this doc a chance; you won’t regret it.

TSJ’s rating of Beam Me Up, Sulu: 8/10

Check out the trailer, here:

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A Blanket of Steel by Timothy S. Johnston and from Fitzhenry & Whiteside, LTD. is the recipient of the 2024 GLOBAL Thriller Award GRAND PRIZE and the 2024 CYGNUS Award First in Category.

— Timothy S. Johnston, 4 March 2026

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Praise for Timothy S. Johnston’s A Blanket of Steel

“Fans of Clive Cussler’s NUMA Files will be delighted with Timothy S. Johnston’s undersea novels. Truman McClusky and Dirk Pitt are cut from the same adventurer’s cloth.” — Nick Cutter, author of The Deep and The Troop

“Action that ranges from close range combat to torpedo-fueled attacks. The result is a thriller that keeps moving from confrontation to confrontation … with constant danger and the vast depths of the ocean as a setting, there is always reason to keep reading.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Read the book and prepare to be blown away by one of the best writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. Timothy S. Johnston is simply amazing.” — FIVE Stars from Readers’ Favorite

“A Blanket of Steel is not simply a ‘daring do’ thriller … It’s prescient.” — Amazing Stories

“A priority selection. An action-packed story that is hard to put down. A Blanket of Steel is outstanding.” — D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Innovative technology, Mac taking risks no one else would dare and thinking his way through to brilliant solutions … But the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. This is it. The countdown to the final battle … Johnston does an excellent job of keeping the tension taut as he plays with the reader’s perceptions of characters we thought we knew and trusted …” — SFcrowsnest

“Expect to be left breathless. Trust me here. Please. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.” — Michael Libling, author of The Serial Killer’s Son Takes A Wife and Hollywood North: A Novel in Six Reels

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A BLANKET OF STEEL is out now!

WATCH THE GRIPPING BOOK TRAILER HERE.

FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE

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A Blanket of Steel from Timothy S. Johnston and Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd.

Book Cover & Jacket Copy:

AN UNSTOPPABLE THREAT!

A mysterious assassin has murdered Cliff Sim, Chief Security Officer of the underwater colony, Trieste. Cliff was a mountain of a man, highly trained, and impossible to defeat in combat. And yet …

Someone brutally beat him and left his broken body in a secret Chinese facility at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

And included a calling card for Truman McClusky, Mayor of Trieste.

Taunting him.

Mac has led the underwater colonies in their fight against the world’s superpowers. Climate change has devastated the surface; nations suffer famine, drought, rebellion, rising waters, and apocalyptic coastal flooding. But now, as Mac leads the underwater colonies to freedom and independence, he’s faced with the gravest threat of his life: a Russian assassin, hellbent on killing Mac and everyone he cares for. Now Mac must uncover the identity of the killer, face him in combat, and at the same time lead people in battle against the largest underwater force ever assembled. It’s Mac’s final test, and to win the war, he must use every tool at his disposal, including the most surprising and devastating underwater weapons ever invented.

If Mac fails, all hope is lost for the future of human colonization on the ocean floors.

But the assassin could be anyone …

Watch your back, Mac.

A Blanket of Steel is the most gripping thriller yet in The Rise of Oceania.

FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE

The other books in The Rise of Oceania series by Timothy S Johnston:

The War Beneath 9781771484718
The Savage Deeps 9781771485067
Fatal Depth 9781554555574
An Island of Light 9781554555819
The Shadow of War 9781554556007