Anyone feel...sorry for Shatner?
- Thread starter Phantassm
- Start date
Yes. He is an icon. A huge part of Trek becoming what it did. He and the fans deserve a better send off than Generations.
L
Lord Garth
Guest
As much as I want to say it was short-sighted, who in 1994 actually thought a movie like this would ever be coming out?
Back then I figured TNG would make as many movies as TOS over the same amount of time and that by the end of it they would've settled on a third crew to take over whether it was DS9, VOY, or a (then) unknown fifth series.
This was before prequels were in vogue and the only remakes were of old shows with no new material in decades. TOS didn't apply because they'd only come out with a movie three years earlier and the new series were still continuing that universe.
1994 was a different time.
What I will say was a mistake back then was William Shatner thinking that being brought back to life after he was killed would be a given. TNG could stand on its own and showed every sign of wanting to stand on its own with the exception of passing the torch.
When Spock was killed off in TWOK, the only Star Trek crew was TOS and Spock was an irreplaceable part of it.
So 1982 was as different from 1994 as 1994 is different from 2007. Three different decades with three different situations and one can't fit the other two.
I understand the why and how but I do feel sorry for William Shatner and wouldn't have minded seeing Shatner-Kirk in ST XI with Leonard Nimoy.
Back then I figured TNG would make as many movies as TOS over the same amount of time and that by the end of it they would've settled on a third crew to take over whether it was DS9, VOY, or a (then) unknown fifth series.
This was before prequels were in vogue and the only remakes were of old shows with no new material in decades. TOS didn't apply because they'd only come out with a movie three years earlier and the new series were still continuing that universe.
1994 was a different time.
What I will say was a mistake back then was William Shatner thinking that being brought back to life after he was killed would be a given. TNG could stand on its own and showed every sign of wanting to stand on its own with the exception of passing the torch.
When Spock was killed off in TWOK, the only Star Trek crew was TOS and Spock was an irreplaceable part of it.
So 1982 was as different from 1994 as 1994 is different from 2007. Three different decades with three different situations and one can't fit the other two.
I understand the why and how but I do feel sorry for William Shatner and wouldn't have minded seeing Shatner-Kirk in ST XI with Leonard Nimoy.
Not in the least.
I mean, Shatner is the godhead, sure, but he got to do a movie where Kirk died, he got to do books where Kirk didn't die, he was never far from the convention circuit, and he was paid a king's ransom throughout. He had his cake, ate his cake, and managed to resell the shit from the cake as fertilizer, and I have no inside information, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the reason he's not in the current version of the script is because they wouldn't pay his quote. Shatner's doing okay. Spare him your pity.
I mean, Shatner is the godhead, sure, but he got to do a movie where Kirk died, he got to do books where Kirk didn't die, he was never far from the convention circuit, and he was paid a king's ransom throughout. He had his cake, ate his cake, and managed to resell the shit from the cake as fertilizer, and I have no inside information, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the reason he's not in the current version of the script is because they wouldn't pay his quote. Shatner's doing okay. Spare him your pity.
Not in the least.
As most above have said, he hasn't been Kirk for years. To be honest, the last time he was Kirk was STIV. After that, he just mugged his way through, essentially being Shatner doing an imitation of Kirk.
Let someone else take the role and play it seriously, making it his own.
As most above have said, he hasn't been Kirk for years. To be honest, the last time he was Kirk was STIV. After that, he just mugged his way through, essentially being Shatner doing an imitation of Kirk.
Let someone else take the role and play it seriously, making it his own.
GodThingFormerly
A Different Kind of Asshole
I wouldn't feel sorry for Shatner even if he was sodomized to death by a wild boar. Actors are like any other order of low-IQ psychopath. There is simply nothing inside them except a rudimentary deterministic automaton equipped with a semi-convincing mimetic algorithm. The ability to actually experience emotions such as grief or regret is as far beyond them as the ability to solve a partial differential equation is beyond a chicken.
TGT
TGT
Depends on the circumstances.
If they could've used him and it's a money thing on his part -- no.
If the story truly doesn't need him -- no.
What I just don't understand is how Nimoy's advice was solicited for how to cast for Spock, but Shatner lets on like he had absolutely no input about the casting for Kirk. The character of Kirk seems marginalized in this whole thing.
Shouldn't we be seeing public appearances all over the place by the new Spock AND new Kirk about now? Get some buzz going over the pair of them? Instead, we only see Quinto and Nimoy out front.
The start of filming is less than eight weeks away.
If they could've used him and it's a money thing on his part -- no.
If the story truly doesn't need him -- no.
What I just don't understand is how Nimoy's advice was solicited for how to cast for Spock, but Shatner lets on like he had absolutely no input about the casting for Kirk. The character of Kirk seems marginalized in this whole thing.
Shouldn't we be seeing public appearances all over the place by the new Spock AND new Kirk about now? Get some buzz going over the pair of them? Instead, we only see Quinto and Nimoy out front.
The start of filming is less than eight weeks away.
I don't particularly feel bad for Shatner... he is the only member of the TOS cast to have had any sort of real career beyond Star Trek, and I frankly don't think he needs it any more. I also do not think he and Nimoy are best friends, in particular, and I don't honestly think he is that broken up about not appearing in the film.
GodThingFormerly
A Different Kind of Asshole
Personally I don't. Probably the most professional thing he can do is wish everyone involved well and say that he's there to offer whatever support he can to making sure that this movie lives up to it's potential.
To be honest Kirk is dead and I have always wanted this movie, if it is a reboot to be that...a reboot without any involvement of any original cast at all except for possibly a voiceover.
To be honest Kirk is dead and I have always wanted this movie, if it is a reboot to be that...a reboot without any involvement of any original cast at all except for possibly a voiceover.
I don't feel sorry for him at all.
Star Trek doesn't owe him anything. And he doesn't owe Star Trek anything.
He was compensated for his work, and that's that.
Star Trek doesn't owe him anything. And he doesn't owe Star Trek anything.
He was compensated for his work, and that's that.
I don't feel sorry for him in any case.
But I still think that 'WE' are all getting the run-around from JJ, the Paramount/CBS gang and Shatner.
I think it's all a big cover-up because They want to have a big showing when They finally decide on who is going to be the new Kirk.
As someone said above, I also can't believe They are not going to ask Shatner to endorse the 'New Kid' and help introduce him to the public.
I expect that some time in the next 30 days or so, there will be a REALLY BIG news conference somewhere, that will introduce the new Kirk actor and the Shat-man will be right there on stage with him!
They will probably announce at that same time that Shatner has finally been worked into the script/the money is finalized and it's all been hush-hush'd to surprise 'US'.
But I still think that 'WE' are all getting the run-around from JJ, the Paramount/CBS gang and Shatner.
I think it's all a big cover-up because They want to have a big showing when They finally decide on who is going to be the new Kirk.
As someone said above, I also can't believe They are not going to ask Shatner to endorse the 'New Kid' and help introduce him to the public.
I expect that some time in the next 30 days or so, there will be a REALLY BIG news conference somewhere, that will introduce the new Kirk actor and the Shat-man will be right there on stage with him!
They will probably announce at that same time that Shatner has finally been worked into the script/the money is finalized and it's all been hush-hush'd to surprise 'US'.
no
