Subtle Shatner - The Thread
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Or the look Kirk, up to his chest in tribbles, gives McCoy when he says "I haven't figured out what keeps them alive yet."
Some of his old-age acting in The Deadly Years may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the scene where he says Spock stabbed him in the back is very emotive, made more so by Kirk's aged body being unable to sense Janet in the background.
Yeah. Shatner talked in his book Star Trek Movie Memories how the sidestep thing that Kirk's horse does to approach Picard's horse is a difficult move for a rider to make. Shatner was riding one of his own horses in that scene, so there was a trust there.
Shatner is a good actor! He can make you believe every word he says! In the TV series he was excellent, it was only in the movies that I started to doubt his commitment to the role! Then again the joy in his voice at seeing the Enterprise again after a few years in TMP was very emotive and a marvellous scene! Shame about the rest of the film!
JB
JB
Kirk gives Spock a quick glance just before Spock neck pinches the Vian.
It would have been disturbing if Spock’s neck pinch didn’t work on a Vian.
I think almost the entire first season counts as "Subtle Shatner".
I recall reading somewhere, maybe it was Nimoy's "I Am Spock", but I swear someone on the cast or crew commented along the lines that Shatner went OTT in the third season because they all knew it was over and hamming it up was the only way he could stay interested.
I recall reading somewhere, maybe it was Nimoy's "I Am Spock", but I swear someone on the cast or crew commented along the lines that Shatner went OTT in the third season because they all knew it was over and hamming it up was the only way he could stay interested.
I like the very end where Kirk is back in the command chair and he's ordered warp one, and he's asked the heading.
KIRK: Mister Sulu, ahead, warp one.
SULU: Warp one, sir.
DIFALCO: Heading, sir?
KIRK: Out there. Thataway!
The gesture and the little smirk he gives after saying "thataway" are great.
I think the sense of wonder he conveys at the beginning of the clip are good too. That's one of the fun things about Star Trek. The sense of wonder in exploration. Shatner conveys it well here.
It is impossible to watch this scene without cracking up. Every inflection, every subtle movement, speaks volumes about both characters. What fine actors. And they always had amazing chemistry on screen. Too bad Doohan came to resent Shatner so badly off-screen.
Rewatching Boston Legal, now in season 5. Denny Crane was played perfectly. He hit every note spot on, pitch perfect.
Shatner takes a lot of criticism, but he's a very good actor.
Shatner takes a lot of criticism, but he's a very good actor.
I recall a TOS director saying in his Starlog interview that the stars, and Shatner in particular, had too much power by the third season, and the directors had too little. One complaint was that the director would want to shoot something, but the cast would be at a table rehearsing.
OTOH, for my money Shatner made excellent use of his power. To get a bad scene out of him, you needed a seriously bad script.
That fishing episode is one of my all time favourite episodes. “Did you say Klingons?” Ha!
As a lawyer, I've always channeled Shatner as Captain Kirk when giving an opening or closing to a jury. It works for me. I watched that series just waiting to hear one more awesome speech from Shatner... and never got it.
Shatner definitely struggles with himself while contemplating taking action against Captain Ronald Tracey in The Omega Glory after realising how he has contravened the Prime Directive by helping the Kohms!
JB
JB
Yeah. I think that if he doesn't have a strong director riding herd on him he can get broad and self-indulgent, though. Nicholas Meyer has often said that the more takes he made Shatner do, the better he'd get. I really like the more mellow, naturalistic Kirk we see in TWOK and TUC under Meyer's direction. He's got the thoughtfulness we saw in the Kirk of the first season. He questions himself and occasionally finds out that he's been in the wrong. (Think TWOK's "I've cheated my way out of death, and patted myself on the back for my ingenuity" and TUC's "I was scared of no more Neutral Zone. It never even occurred to me to take Gorkon at his word.")
Leonard Nimoy, OTOH, seemed to let his friend Bill get a little more mannered and hammy at times. I have a tough time seeing Meyer let Shatner's delivery of "I - have had- enough of YOU!!!" in TSFS make it to the final cut. Yes, Meyer was the guy who gave us "KHAAAAAAANNN!!!", but I think that was an operatic moment that really worked within the context of the movie.
Shatner is also very good at the end of "Amok Time." Shatner (and/or director Joseph Pevney) realizes that this is Spock's big moment, so Shatner goes small to balance out Nimoy going big. I love Kirk's smile as he enters and his little self-assured chuckle as he crosses to McCoy (patting himself on the back for his ingenuity, no doubt 
). And I LOVE the directorial touch that Spock's expression changes to that broad grin during the split second when Kirk crosses in front of him -- It makes the smile all the more surprising because we don't see the transition.
Shatner and Nimoy were a great double act, man.
). And I LOVE the directorial touch that Spock's expression changes to that broad grin during the split second when Kirk crosses in front of him -- It makes the smile all the more surprising because we don't see the transition.Shatner and Nimoy were a great double act, man.
With Shatner and Spader close behind.Shatner is also very good at the end of "Amok Time." Shatner (and/or director Joseph Pevney) realizes that this is Spock's big moment, so Shatner goes small to balance out Nimoy going big. I love Kirk's smile as he enters and his little self-assured chuckle as he crosses to McCoy (patting himself on the back for his ingenuity, no doubt
Shatner and Nimoy were a great double act, man.
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