I cant explain it. Something about Nimoy's acting choices I guess. On the other hand I cried like a baby when the Enterprise when down in flames in ST-III.
Oh, if you see it as something other than hammy overacting it's probably quite, um, moving. Problem is, it was Shatner and he was going over the top as he so frequently does.
We got to cen22 at 7am for the first TMP showing (scheduled at 11 something), but my best SJ memory for movies is Cinema 150, first day CLOSE ENCOUNTERS. Must be my best experience of a movie ever. The UFOs practically shredded one of the speakers in the theater, and we came out looking up at the rain like something special was gonna come down.
I saw WoK in '82 thru a dirty windshield at a drive-in. UGGHHHH.......... Anyway, Shatner's KAAAAAHHHHN!! did not seem humorous at the time. I think it only became funny and campy after the Seinfeld episode.
I'm pretty sure the whole point of that bit is to illustrate he's been blinded without having him scream "MY EYES! I CAN'T SEE! IT BURNS!" After all, Shouty Spock mostly only barked orders or "THE WOMEN!!!" and not so much whining about his problems.
I've still got super-8 film footage (roll-ends, when we were just using up the last of the cartridge before putting another one in) from 1984 and 1985 and 1987 that have me acting out the KHAAAN and Klingon bastards speeches, as well as Chris Lloyd's 'get out! get outta there!' as well as, 'get away from her you bitch' from ALIENS. I think that predates SEINFELD by quite a bit.