Thursday, June 21, 2007

Shat gets shit

From CHUD, There’s going to be big Star Trek casting news in the weeks to come, with lots of info hitting the web before Comic Con, or so I’ve been told. But if a gossip story running in the New York Daily News is to be believed, one name you won’t be hearing in the cast list is William Shatner.

According to the paper, the Shat is furious that he’s not been offered a cameo in Star Trek XI, but that Leonard Nimoy has. Supposedly he’s currently lobbying for a role in the movie, just so he can keep up with Spock. Shatner’s manager, Larry Thompson, thinks the whole thing is bullshit, though:

"I don't know that to be the case, so I can't comment."

Star Trek XI is almost certainly a prequel film and not a reboot, featuring a young Kirk, Spock and crew. While the idea of having cameos from the old men is nice, if it’s not a framing device with the elderly spacemen reminiscing I don’t see how it would work – these guys are too recognizable. If Shatner shows up as some Starfleet Admiral, we’re all going to be yanked out of the movie. By the way, I have to admit to having some kind of Star Trek fever with the imminent production of the film – at least a fever for the original series. There’s something I love about that show where the campy and the serious stood side by side; look at an episode like City on the Edge of Forever, which has a really heartbreaking story but also Dr. McCoy all sweaty screaming ‘Assassins! Murderers!’ Man, you can laugh and cry at that shit.

8 comments:

Jordan said...

It IS a reboot! What is this guy talking about? New actors + start the story over = reboot.

Richard Hatch didn't screw up the new Galactica by being in it. He made it better.

Octopunk said...

I like that guy's assessment of City on the Edge of Forever.

Ooh, I'm on the fence on this one. On one hand, I think it's bad luck and bad form to spurn Shatner, but I can also see how his appearance would be harder to fold into a reboot than Nimoy's. I reckon it would be better to not have either one in there.

DKC said...

I don't really have a comment either way except to say that that is a freaky, freaky picture of Shatner

Jordan said...

I DON'T like that guy's assessment of City on the Edge of Forever.

If octopunk is allowed to get mad everytime somebody calls The Matrix Reloaded "disappointing," I'm allowed to get mad every time somebody calls original Trek "hilarious" or "campy,"

McCoy yelling "Assassins!" is a perfect example of a 100% serious (Harlan Ellison, no less) piece of drama. It's not their fault that the thing is so good, we're watching it forty years later (at which point any TV is going to look ideosyncratic and maybe a bit unintentionally funny to our modern eyes/ears).

So there.

Johnny Sweatpants said...

That damn Shatner picture is priceless, isn't it? Never have I seen one picture capture an entire human being ... I mean, if he had a shirt one that's one thing, but... hang on,

Johnny Sweatpants said...

Shatner's aware of how ridiculous he looks in the picture... but he portrays humility... yet he's 100% self-concerned and aware of the camera, and flaunts his iconic Star Trek status.

Jordan said...

This was in his "ridiculous toupee" period.

Octopunk said...

Jordan has a point re: COTEOF. I hadn't spotted the use of the dreaded c-word. I was just happy to see someone truly enjoying original Trek despite/because of the elements that seem silly or overdone now.

He gets some of the serious, quality vibe, which is more than you can expect from a lot of viewers, and by doing so possibly informs people that there's more there than silly old stuff. Which is a good thing, in view of the imminent reboot and possible renewed interest in the original series.

And I don't get angry when people call Reloaded "disappointing." That movie was disappointing. But it didn't "suck," which is what burns my butt.

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