Star Trek II - Sulu's cut lines about promotion
- Thread starter Captain59
- Start date
I remember an interview back in the 90s where he talked about Captain Kirk "bowing down to Sulu" at the end of Trek VI and how the Enterprise crew did as well, saying that he was "the bigger man."
If you look at exactly what was cut, which I've bracketed........
you have 3 lines by Takei which I assume he didn't blow and 3 lines by Shatner--which Takei claims he did.
Now if Bennett & Meyers WANTED that IN they simply would have....
A. If Shatner made a funny faces during his or Takie's line reading used a reaction shot of Takei (or Nichols or Kelley) OR
B. If Shatner blew his 3 lines they could have made him re-loop the lines in post. There's no way he could have purposely, repeatedly blown reading 3 lines without everyone from Meyers on down thinking him a total unprofessional ass. i don't think he would have risked it just to shaft Takei.
Also his line readings just before and after the cut lines are perfectly fine. So he would have had to repeatedly turn on and off his line readings from good to 'horrible for this one 3-line reading.
I don't buy it. If the scene was long and its theme was a long tribute to Sulu, he could have then maybe tried to blow the whole thing. But to somehow have this really short scene and turn on & off every time just at the time he needed to speak 3 measely lines. Over and over?
It sounds like the same unreal attitude that Takei showed for years in thinking they were going to do a 'Cap Sulu' show.
SULU
(embarrassed)
I am delighted; any chance to go
aboard Enterprise,
{however briefly,
is always an excuse for nostalgia.
KIRK
I cut your new orders personally. By
the end of the month, you'll have your
first command: USS EXCELSIOR.
SULU
Thank you, sir. I've looked
forward to this for a long time.}
you have 3 lines by Takei which I assume he didn't blow and 3 lines by Shatner--which Takei claims he did.
Now if Bennett & Meyers WANTED that IN they simply would have....
A. If Shatner made a funny faces during his or Takie's line reading used a reaction shot of Takei (or Nichols or Kelley) OR
B. If Shatner blew his 3 lines they could have made him re-loop the lines in post. There's no way he could have purposely, repeatedly blown reading 3 lines without everyone from Meyers on down thinking him a total unprofessional ass. i don't think he would have risked it just to shaft Takei.
Also his line readings just before and after the cut lines are perfectly fine. So he would have had to repeatedly turn on and off his line readings from good to 'horrible for this one 3-line reading.
I don't buy it. If the scene was long and its theme was a long tribute to Sulu, he could have then maybe tried to blow the whole thing. But to somehow have this really short scene and turn on & off every time just at the time he needed to speak 3 measely lines. Over and over?
It sounds like the same unreal attitude that Takei showed for years in thinking they were going to do a 'Cap Sulu' show.
SULU
(embarrassed)
I am delighted; any chance to go
aboard Enterprise,
{however briefly,
is always an excuse for nostalgia.
KIRK
I cut your new orders personally. By
the end of the month, you'll have your
first command: USS EXCELSIOR.
SULU
Thank you, sir. I've looked
forward to this for a long time.}
Ya know, there are a lot of things I dislike about Takei's public "attacks" on Shatner, and vice-versa, but that last statement about the "put upon gay minority" is unnecessary.
Takei's been saying things about Shatner stealing close-ups and flubbing the captaincy lines long before he publicly came out. Moreover, in his Shatner accusations, he has never once invoked his sexuality as a means of gaining anybody's support.
Well, obviously, he's never publicly stated as such as that'd be silly.
But to me it almost seems like he goes for the sympathy 'tugs'. Not saying anything about him being either Asian or gay just that I think he might be relying on that to kinda shield him a bit. It's just a hunch
In other words...relax, Middy
But to me it almost seems like he goes for the sympathy 'tugs'. Not saying anything about him being either Asian or gay just that I think he might be relying on that to kinda shield him a bit. It's just a hunch
In other words...relax, Middy
Well, obviously, he's never publicly stated as such as that'd be silly.
But to me it almost seems like he goes for the sympathy 'tugs'. Not saying anything about him being either Asian or gay just that I think he might be relying on that to kinda shield him a bit. It's just a hunch
In other words...relax, Middy
But you were saying something about him being "gay" and the connotation of your statement is that Takei is pulling a trump card. Your modifier of "put upon" further suggests something pejorative. Now if that's not what you meant, then it was not clear. The syntax of your sentence suggested otherwise.
I don't know if they're necessarily sympathy "tugs" as much as they are a grab for attention. He is first and foremost an actor. Same with Shatner. They both play it to their respective advantages. After all, however, it becomes more annoying than entertaining.
Once again, it may not have been your intention to do so. The way it was previously written connoted something pejorative that's all I was pointing out.
I stand correct. I'd forgotten about the wedding incident. My apologies to Kirk1980.
^No need to apologize. The one-sided opinion comes from the poster named for his hero, Kirk/Shatner.
I have worked with both Shatner and Takei. Shatner is an egotistical ass. He cared only for Shatner. Takei actually cared about the craft and the growth of his character. This is why he pulled for Sulu to get his own command.
It was rather ridiculous for Kirk to make admiral while Sulu couldn't even get his own command. It was final justice when Sulu did get the Excelsior.
I have worked with both Shatner and Takei. Shatner is an egotistical ass. He cared only for Shatner. Takei actually cared about the craft and the growth of his character. This is why he pulled for Sulu to get his own command.
It was rather ridiculous for Kirk to make admiral while Sulu couldn't even get his own command. It was final justice when Sulu did get the Excelsior.
I don't see how it follows that the 'nicest actor' should get an on-screen promotion. It's not real.
Sulu's promotion would've either written the character out of the movies, or there would have to have been plot contrivances to bring him back in, a.k.a. how Worf kept being brought back to the Enterprise in the TNG movies.
Sulu's promotion would've either written the character out of the movies, or there would have to have been plot contrivances to bring him back in, a.k.a. how Worf kept being brought back to the Enterprise in the TNG movies.
Shatner rather famously referred to the Trek supporting cast during the films as "the Seven Dwarves."
Now, given that he was almost certainly referring only to Takei, Nichols, Doohan and Koenig it rather begs the question of whether part of the humor value is in his not counting very well...
Now, given that he was almost certainly referring only to Takei, Nichols, Doohan and Koenig it rather begs the question of whether part of the humor value is in his not counting very well...
The Worf bit kept getting worse.
First Contact was awesome; he was on the Defiant and the Enterprise rescued him. That's cool.
Insurrection was like this:
Picard: "Mr. Worf! What are you doing here."
Worf: "Well I just happened to be in the area and had a break from filming DS9."
Nemesis...well, we should all just forget that movie; OK?
Yep - I was talking to him at a con a few years back, and he was talking about filming Generations, where Shatner suggested Chekov be looking at Kirk in a big close-up. Koenig says that'd mean the close-up was of his ear instead of his face, so he decided for once to stand up and say "No! You're not the boss; I'll do it this way!"
And Shatner shrugged and said "OK."
Koenig says if he'd known that that was all it took, he'd have stood up more on the series, but of course none of the second-string cast felt confident enough to to do that...
Hmm.. That's what I never got about the "stealing close-ups" claim. The actor doesn't get to choose the shot (except in Trek V of course.) so why do they blame him?
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