Shatner Has Not Seen Trek XI

[Botany Bay]

What do people think?

I think he's about as interested in checking out the latest project at the place he last worked 15 years ago as I would be in checking out the latest goings on at the place I worked 15 years ago.

I have no idea what prevented Shatner coming back as Kirk, but I think one last Shatner/Nimoy scene in the latest movie would have been the icing on what was a surprisingly tasty cake.

 

[Borgminister]

He's still working there, and working it for all it is worth..

 

[Barchester]

One question: why should Shatner watch the new movie, or any movie of series in the first place? What does is matter for us if he does or doesn't?

 

[DevilEyes]

In fairness, the plot of Star Trek V is more coherent.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say Shatner did a lousy job with a decent idea, and Abrams did a bang-up job with a terrible idea.

I'd say Shatner did a great job with a marginal idea, and with a marginalized production force that undermined him as much as it helped him.

When I see the word 'bang' in association with something that seems drunk and spoiled with lens flares, I gotta assume you mean banged his head on something. From the first 7min I saw online, the way they shot this trek movie should be illegal, it is so crappy-looking.

Are you serious? STV is a half-decent idea developed into an awful script with lousy dialogue, bad humor and characterizations that are actually character assassinations, combined with amateurish direction, bad acting, awful so-called special effects and a total lack of pacing. I can only excuse the effects, but nothing else was dependent on the finances so it cannot be excused.

 

[barnaclelapse]

Conan's somewhat on the tall side, and Shatner is a very short guy.

Angelique Pettijohn told the story of auditioning for "Gamesters Of Triskelion" and after looking at the script saying to the casting director and producer - against her own better interests - that she didn't think she was right for the part. "This character is described as 'an amazon.' Look at me, I'm tiny."

Whereupon the Trek folk laughed and said "honey, you haven't met Shatner - next to him you'll look like an amazon."

Shatner is cool, he's funny, he's a good actor, he's got a strange enough sense of humor to be both intriguing and irritating. I love him. I guess one can't help being interested in what he thinks of things - but honestly there's not really a good reason in the world to give a flying fuck what he thinks about anything, is there?

I'm generally always interested because I find him to be an interesting cat, but that's about as far as I've ever felt the need to take it. I don't actively pursue his opinion or have ever gone so far as to allow his opinion of something to influence my own.

Doesn't mean it's not entertaining or interesting when he does share his thoughts.

 

[darkshadow0001]

One question: why should Shatner watch the new movie, or any movie of series in the first place? What does is matter for us if he does or doesn't?

I know. I don't think he's interested in Star Trek that much anymore, didn't he take his son to one of the new Star Wars movies awhile back when they were out? Big deal if Shatner hasn't seen it.

 

[cooleddie74]

At least he's no longer adamantly and publicly ashamed by TREK. Until SNL in 1986 and even a little after that he seemed to go out of his way to avoid talking about the old shows(TOS, TAS) and the first four movies all that much...as if the gravy train that all but made his career was some albatross around his neck.

 

[Ward Fowler]

^I'm a Shatner fan, but yeah, I never liked that about him either. If it were me, I'd embrace something that gave me a lifestyle that most can only dream of. I guess with age comes wisdom.

 

[Jonas Grumby]

At least he's no longer adamantly and publicly ashamed by TREK. Until SNL in 1986 and even a little after that he seemed to go out of his way to avoid talking about the old shows(TOS, TAS) and the first four movies all that much...as if the gravy train that all but made his career was some albatross around his neck.

I've never had a beef with Shatner about that. In fact, I think it's perfectly understandable.

No actor wants to find himself being typecast and that's exactly what Star Trek threatened to do. Shatner, if you'll recall, did a great deal of truly garbage work just after Star Trek folded, mostly because higher-echelon producers didn't want to cast "Captain Kirk" in their productions. (Most of the other regulars from the series have also complained about having difficulty finding work during those years due to typecasting.)

Remember, Star Trek was not considered a hit its first time around. It was cancelled after just three years, leaving Shatner unemployed and facing a reputation as an actor who does "silly sci-fi stuff," not a great reputation to have at that time in Hollywood. (Lloyd Bridges, in fact, turned down the lead in Star Trek specifically because he feared that reputation.)

No, at a time when his involvement with Star Trek was probably having a negative impact on his ability to get new, and varied, roles, I don't blame him at all for trying to avoid being joined at the hip to that one past project.

 

[PhasersOnStun]

STV is a half-decent idea developed into an awful script with lousy dialogue, bad humor and characterizations that are actually character assassinations, combined with amateurish direction, bad acting, awful so-called special effects and a total lack of pacing.

So...you're saying it wasn't your favorite of the original movies?

 

[Therin of Andor]

Yeah, that's my point, they write the whole f'n books, Shatner doesn't do squat

Shatner has described the writing process in numerous interviews. He plots the novels, narrates the action sequences and Kirk dialogue into a dictaphone, a manuscript is typed up by a secretary, Shatner proofreads it, and then sends it to the Reeves-Stevens. They shape the book, add in the 24th century tech and polish the characters, then send it back to Shatner who does another revision.

That's not squat.

No, at a time when his involvement with Star Trek was probably having a negative impact on his ability to get new, and varied, roles, I don't blame him at all for trying to avoid being joined at the hip to that one past project.

Exactly. When you're deep into playing "TJ Hooker", and doing the publicity circuit to promote that show, you don't want journalists asking about "Star Trek".

I don't think he's interested in Star Trek that much anymore, didn't he take his son to one of the new Star Wars movies awhile back when they were out? Big deal if Shatner hasn't seen it.

What son? He has three adult daughters.

Grandson?

 

[Brolan]

There is an easy explanation for all of Shatner’s actions:
Shatner is an asshole.
End of explanation.

 

[trevanian]

In fairness, the plot of Star Trek V is more coherent.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say Shatner did a lousy job with a decent idea, and Abrams did a bang-up job with a terrible idea.

I'd say Shatner did a great job with a marginal idea, and with a marginalized production force that undermined him as much as it helped him.

When I see the word 'bang' in association with something that seems drunk and spoiled with lens flares, I gotta assume you mean banged his head on something. From the first 7min I saw online, the way they shot this trek movie should be illegal, it is so crappy-looking.

Are you serious? STV is a half-decent idea developed into an awful script with lousy dialogue, bad humor and characterizations that are actually character assassinations, combined with amateurish direction, bad acting, awful so-called special effects and a total lack of pacing. I can only excuse the effects, but nothing else was dependent on the finances so it cannot be excused.

To put it mildly, I disagree with you on virtually all points.

If you should have any interest in seeing my views in detail, you can probably find 10,000 words from me in defense of TFF over dozens of posts from the last several years here -- some in the form of personal opinion, some in the form of quotes I have gotten out of folks who worked on TFF. Posting any of these thoughts anew in this thread might, depending on who is moderating here at the moment, result in me being hit with a troll warning (wouldn't happen to me in any other sub-forum on trekbbs, but in this one, anything goes), so you'll have to use the search function if you want fuel for a debate.

As for "character assassinations" ... I'd reserve that assessment for TUC's take on Kirk and Spock.

 

[Sector 7]

There is an easy explanation for all of Shatner’s actions:
Shatner is an asshole.
End of explanation.

I have known that for years. I hated having to deal with his ego and attitude. Therefore, his opinion has been irrelevant to me for many years.
Mere curiosity (and boredom) brought me to this thread.

 

[Orcus]

It's interesting to see how many experts on writing and film-making we have here. And people who expect a man, who is an effective stranger, to go out of his way to see some movie chronicling a series we deem important.

I've been in a few films myself (admittedly, a very few). I certainly haven't seen all of them - nor do I have any interest in doing so: it's work. Granted, most of them were enjoyable experiences, some of them paid well - some of them paid diddly-squat. None of this means that I have a God-given duty to people I've never met to go out, see the films and report favourably on the merits of them...

As Shat once said: "Get a life!": I really don't know why this thread exists at all. So the Shat hasn't seen a movie? So what? Why do you care?!

 

[Search4]

I was in Vegas when he made the statement, and the follow up statement where he said he'd see it with Nimoy.

My head screamed b-------. There's no way he didn't get a DVD direct from Abrams (or Paramount) and no way he hasn't actually seen it. I'm sure he's interested in XII, for example, and seeing it is basic homework.

Most of the discussion was about how he could not - would not - be SEEN seeing it, in a theatre, for example, with the inevitable "Captain Kirk goes to see his movie" clip on Youtube.

For the record, he can see it, or not, at his choice!

 

[number6]

Who the hell cares if he sees it or not??

He's one of many actors who doesn't watch TV or movies. He's in the biz. I do a lot of live sound and the last thing I want to do on my day off is see a show.

Shatner has stated time and time again that he rarely, if ever, watches himself, and since he's not involved in this film, why should anyone be surprised that he hasn't seen it and why should it matter?

 

[cooleddie74]

Harrison Ford is a terrific actor who got made by STAR WARS. Yet how often does he acknowledge or talk about the SW franchise? He tends to dismiss Han Solo as a one-dimensional fluff role these days and likes to think he moved on to far more prestigious work.

 

[trevanian]

Harrison Ford is a terrific actor who got made by STAR WARS. .

I wouldn't contest that for a moment, but consider: he had already appeared in well-received films THE CONVERSATION and AM GRAF. If he hadn't had stardom thrust at him after SW, he might have had an erratic but steady climb on more character-centric roles, a la Tommy Lee Jones, and wound up with more acclaim and less cash. So he might have been 'made' in a different way that could have been more creatively rewarding for him. (and I wouldn't have had to suffer through FORCE 10 FROM NAVARRONE, either.)

Now that I think about it ... if Ford had been cast in BLADE RUNNER w/o the baggage of stardom, he might have been even more credible. Or failing that, if they'd cast Tommy Lee in the role. Hmmm.

 

[shapeshifter]

Agreed #6. I don't give a rats ass if he's seen it or not.