Two Shatner articles in one day? Why not?…it is Shatcember after all. William Shatner has some new interviews where he promotes his new talk show Raw Nerve (which premieres Tuesday night) and also talks about the end of Boston Legal, the new Star Trek movie (and the new Kirk, Chris Pine), the Takei feud and more.
[UPDATE 2: See below for new comments on JJ Abrams]
Shatner hits Nerves ends Denny and ‘cant do anything about’ new Trek
Go to IGN.com to read the full interview. In in Shatner talks about his style as a interviewer for Raw Nerve, how he chooses the guests and the questions and hits their ‘Raw Nerves’.
At the end of the interview, IGN got around to talking about the new Trek, here is the exchange:
IGN: Lastly, I’d like to ask you if you’d gotten a chance to see any of the 20 minutes of footage from the new Star Trek movie that’s been circulating around?
Shatner: No, I’ve seen nothing. Is it good?
IGN: It looks pretty good actually. We have these iconic screen characters like James Bond and James Kirk, but, unlike Bond, this is the first time that Kirk is being rebooted. How do you feel having Kirk played by another actor? Have you seen any of Chris Pine’s work?
Shatner: No, I haven’t. Have you?
IGN: Yes, I saw him play a sort of a psycho hillbilly.
Shatner: Well then, that sounds right for Kirk.
IGN: How do you feel about the character living on in the form of another actor?
Shatner: Well, there’s nothing I can do about it. But I hear that it’s goingto be a fun movie, and I’m looking forward to seeing it.
…more at IGN.com
Psycho Hillbilly?
The part that IGN was referring to was as one of the Tremor Brothers in the film Smokin Aces, which earned Pine a lot of critical praise and was said to have moved him up the charts in Hollywood, helping him get the part as Kirk.
A DVD extra clip about the Tremor Brothers (w/ Pine talking about the role while in character) is available on YouTube. [CAUTION: vid contains violence and adult language].
UPDATE: Shat talks Takei feud + critics
In another interview with Reuters, Shatner talks about his recent feuding with fellow TOS actor George Takei. Shatner said of Takei:
Here’s a guy in whose company I’ve been not too many times who doesn’t seem to like me, so it’s only like a curiosity, what did I do?
Reuters reports that Takei’s manager says Takei wants to appear on Shatner’s talk show (something Shatner talked about doing as well). So maybe this hatchet will finally get buried.
Shatner also talked to Reuters about critics who pan his acting, saying:
No one likes to hear somebody think bad things about them, but I know my talent and if I didn’t have any ability I wouldn’t be around all these years.
UPDATE 2: Shatner says Abrams is ‘lying’ about not being a fan
There has been a bit of a hullabaloo about JJ Abrams recent interviews where he has talked about not being a fan of Star Trek until after he made the new Star Trek movie, usually saying this to less than Trek-firendly audiences. Well in another Raw Nerve promotional interview at UGO, Shatner weighs on on that controversey.
UGO: And as Abrams did this road show, he had a little bit of a prepared statement and his talking points. The type of thing you don’t see of Shatner’s Raw Nerve.
WS: Yes.
UGO: And the jokey way he decided to break the ice was, ‘I never was a fan of Star Trek.’ It’s the first thing out of his mouth.
WS: Uh oh.
UGO: How do you react, when you hear that?
WS: Well, he lies through his teeth. Because he was a “big fan of Star Trek.” So, JJ Abrams is trying to cast himself as a nouveau entre into the Star Trek universe. But I know him to be an old admirer of the show.
UGO: Well, he’s got to clear himself of the perceived stain. There are some people who think Star Trek is just for the mouth-breathing nerd. It’s a marketing ploy that either he devised or someone who devised for him and told him to say and it is what he’s running with it.
WS: Nobody tells JJ Abrams what to say, I can tell you that much. He’s got to broaden the base of the audience. And, I’m really being facetious when I refer to him as a long-time admirer. But he’s doing the best he can. You and I both recognize his trying to broaden the base of the audience, so that people will come to see it as an adventure.
UGO: Why do you think there is a little bit of a stigma to Star Trek?
WS: I think because the audience that has remained there has been so passionate in the affection for the show, that people who don’t know why they’re so passionate think of them in negative terms. And so if you’re known to like Star Trek, you’re linked with this group of people who wear costumes.
much more at UGO.
More Raw Nerve Reviews:
New York Times likes it, saying:
“Shatner’s Raw Nerve” puts its host’s peculiar brand of intensity on full display. The set looks like the cavernous basement lounge in a Balinese hotel. Mr. Shatner sits in an armchair that butts up against his guest’s on a diagonal: he is so up close he looks as though he is going to spoon-feed whoever is seated there in front of him. I kept expecting the opening question to be, “So how about a spring roll?”
But Mr. Shatner is much more probing than that. What does he want to know? He wants to know what Valerie Bertinelli thinks about sin. This Lifetime television star is the first guest on the show, and what she has to say about sin isn’t going to put Thomas Aquinas out of business. (Yup, she has done some sinning, and she feels really bad about it.) But Mr. Shatner is clearly modeling himself after the sort of interviewers who prod and prod for specificity. He just keeps going until he arrives at a question like this: “What lie lurks behind the eyes that you think is unforgivable?”
Boston Herald isn’t so sure, noting:
Can the TV icon and self-parody really get his Shat together to host his own Bio talk show (debuting Tuesday night at 10)?
You expect a spin on Bill O’Reilly. What you get is closer to Larry King with a dash of Tyra.
Will Shat go to the Premiere? …hmm..
I hope shatner will be invited to all the premieres…
I know it’s canon and all….and it could come off as contrived…I understand that..but …sentimentally…I really wish we could see Kirk Prime one more time….
I feel bad for The Shat about BL being cancelled; at least it got past 100 episodes.
Casting Chris Pine as Kirk was horrible casting. Sure, he has the typical “look” that’s popular for guys to have today, but he should be modelling for Abercrombie or something, not trying to play Kirk.
Not to mention that this new movie totally has Kirk all wrong. He was never a “buck the system” kind of guy originally, a “rogue” or whatever; he became that as he grew older, but a lot of TOS episodes describe him as being a bookworm and hard-ass about following rules in his younger Academy days.
#4, I think it’s pretty plain that the Kirk we meet in the new movie is not yet the TRUE Kirk. This is a Batman Begins scenerio, where he has to grow into the man we expect him to be. The reason? Timeline change. Something awful happens to Kirk in his formative years that isn’t supposed to happen. Therefore, bookworm and hard-ass becomes “rogue” with no real direction.
And TOS *certainly* projected a James T. Kirk that was willing to “buck the system” on a regular basis. How many times did he violate the Prime Directive again?
#4
I didn’t realise you had already seen the movie and were in a position to already comment on an actors performance…
Purists are so predictable.
Shat gave Pine a thumbs up. So says The Shat.
…and the adventure continues…
4 & 5.
The Kirk we see in the movie — and I’m feeling pretty confidant about this now — is not the Kirk we knew from TOS but a new Kirk on a new, altered timeline. The writers have hinted at this before. “Something” happens in the opening moments of the movie that let’s TOS cononistas know immediately that the timeline has been altered. The Roms from the future go back 20 or so years before Kirk is supposed to take over the Enterprise. They destroy the Kelvin — Kirk’s dad’s ship — and Jim Kirk grows up without a father. His choices are different. Starfleet’s choices are different. Pike’s choices are different.
This Kirk didn’t grow up with a strong work ethic, sense of direction and lots of studiuosness. It’s a different Kirk — but the same Kirk.
#4 a person can be rebellious and extremely smart and bookish at the same time. It depends on the situation. Personally, I think Pine will do a fine job as Kirk during his rise to the captaincy. I always gave off that sort of rogue ladies man persona (Ruth, Janice Lester, Carol Marcus and numerous others can attest to that), not to mention his attitude of not wanting to lose (Kobayashi Maru and disobeying the prime directive and the temporal directives numerous times just to complete the mission.) Pine’s version of Kirk would fit into the main timeline easily, not just going with the cop out, I-don’t-want-to-use-my-imagination, alternate timeline.
4. The TOS Purist aka The Purolator – December 1, 2008
“Casting Chris Pine as Kirk was horrible casting. Sure, he has the typical “look” that’s popular for guys to have today, but he should be modelling for Abercrombie or something, not trying to play Kirk.”
I’ve seen Pine in several roles now. The lad has pretty huge acting chops. Even at this early age, he is a far stronger performer than Shatner. He really digs into a role and becomes the character.
please lettuce stop calling him “Kirk Prime™”
we all know that JC© is JTK.
THE WOMEN!!
=h=
#4
“Casting Chris Pine as Kirk was horrible casting.”
Simply put, how do you know? Have you seen the 20 minutes of footage?
#4 “””Not to mention that this new movie totally has Kirk all wrong. He was never a “buck the system” kind of guy originally, a “rogue” or whatever; he became that as he grew older, but a lot of TOS episodes describe him as being a bookworm and hard-ass about following rules in his younger Academy days.””””
You ever heard of the Kobayashi Maru???
Re #10 I don’t like to respond to other people’s posts, but Shatner had worked in movies such as Judgment at Nuremberg and The Brothers Karamazov, done classic sci-fi turns in Twilight zone and Outer Limits and played the lead in his own TV series, For the People, before doing Trek. Heck, he even did sci-fi radio! Check his IMDB record if you want. Shatner did a pilot to play Alexander the Great on TV. Nothing against Pine, but he does not bring the level of experience to this part that Shatner did, and that’s not to criticize Pine at all, though a Kirk who looks 25 kind of pushes credibility for me. But that’s a personal opinion, they’re obviously making this film for a younger crowd.
whooooo there
I just got news of this new star trek film………………..
………………………………
……………..so, whats the deal…………. no original cast?
re: 15
I wish I knew as little about it as you.
I like Smokin’ Aces a good flick. Pine was great in that. I cant wait to see what he does with Kirk.
there will only be one kirk… and that shatner.. he brought so much charm, warmth and strength to the role…. in one word::::: CHARMISMA!
I think he is simply irreplaceable.. unless there was a star trek with computer animated characters and Shatners voice.. but then again it would be shatner in effect…
as for that Pine guy, the Kirk imposter?… I have not seen him acting, but darn he is ugly!
I dont know what the ladies think of him, but he looks like a ferengi to me! lol. his forehead is huge!
re above: its nice to see shatner posts here with a sudonym hah
Shatner will be invited to the premiere, as will the rest of the surviving original cast. Will they actually attend? We’ll have to wait and see. If they decide not to show it’ll just be said that they had “prior engagements” and couldn’t make it. (blah blah blah)
>Captain SLow
Just imagine what star trek would be if the actor that played captain Pike on the first pilot was to continue playing star trek.. lol
the series would have bene a long forgotten novelty!!!
Speaking of BOSTON LEGAL, David Gautreaux (Xon) has a small role tonight as A.A.G. Marshall Brickman.
Shatner on Takei:
“Here’s a guy in whose company I’ve been not too many times who doesn’t seem to like me, so it’s only like a curiosity, what did I do?”
“In whose company I’ve been not too many times”?! Maybe that’s the root of it, Shat, Takei feels like you treated him like a piece of furniture — oblivious to his being around all those years on the same sets.
14. Kev-1 – December 1, 2008
I’m well aware of Shatner’s past work. I’ve watched 99% of it. Being the rabid young fan that I once was…I used to try and get my hands on all things Shatner. I can tell you, as a viewer and as someone who worked as a professional actor myself, that Pine is a stronger actor Bill Shatner. That’s nothing against Bill as a person…or his personal talents, merely an observation based on my own knowledge of the craft.
4. The ‘bookworm’ remark basically comes from the pilot, which included variant sets, variant uniforms, different make-up for Spock and a different middle name for Kirk. While people have retconned the ***story*** as being from earlier in the Enterprise’s mission, there are a number of specifics that, as with any pilot, contradict what we see later in the series.
Kirk’s rule-bending was frequently seen in the original show, meaning the ‘bookworm’ remark was probably an aspect of the pilot that was ultimately apocryphal!
Wow, it only took four posts before somebody said anything stupid.
For the record, in TWOK, Kirk talks of bucking the system in a major way, or is TWOK not considered canon in your world, #4?
As for a lot of TOS episodes describing Kirk as bookish, how many exactly are there? When you say a lot, I would expect at least fifteen, which is still a small percentage of episodes filmed. Please name them all.
On the other hand, you could do what Kevin J Anderson did in Paul of Dune and claim that all of Frank Herbert’s Dune books were written in-universe and therefore are inaccurate.
Even someone casual about canon like me is appalled at that idea!
27. Dom
On the other hand, you could do what Kevin J Anderson did in Paul of Dune and claim that all of Frank Herbert’s Dune books were written in-universe and therefore are inaccurate.
Even someone casual about canon like me is appalled at that idea!
____________
Hey Dom,
I’m not quite sure what “written in-universe” means. I’ve been enjoying the post Frank Herbert Dune novels, but do they really attempt to subvert the original ones? Yikes. I always saw the new books as being a supplement to the originals, told in an entirely different style.
Also, since I’m also a cheapskate, I won’t get “Paul of Dune” until it’s in paperback.
Dude the Shat is the Shiznit!
I hope Chris Pine does act like a Psycho Hillbilly in the new Trek. Hillbillies are an under appreciated segment of Americans who deserve to be represented on screen. I’m tired of anti-psychobilly bias in mainstream American television. When is the last time you saw psychobillies represented on screen? Shane on the Shield was it, and he blew his brains out. Not all psychobillies are corrupt cops! I suppose Earl on My Name is Earl is a psychobilly, and not all psychobillies are trailer trash ex cons with hot girlfriends that cheat on them. We need to see more psychobilly lawyers, doctors and starship commanders.
It’s time, America.
He’s from iowa, not the South.
The “Kirk as bookworm” is from the second pilot, as several have noted, and from “Shore Leave” where Kirk admits to McCoy that he was “positively grim.”
The hellraiser Kirk COULD be based on the Kobayashi scenario from TWOK … though I’ve always thought that there was more to that story than just Kirk gaming the system. I wish we could see THAT story.
Sadly, the young Kirk we seem to be seeing in this new movie is largely lifted from a really poorly written book, “Best Destiny” by Diane Carey. (According to an Entertainment Weekly article, the writers (Hi, Roberto!) were influenced by this book.) A quick peek at the reader reviews on Amazon gives is a surprising 4 stars, so I appear to be in the minority with my opinion of it. Still, I didn’t think the character of Kirk as a youth in this book rang true. Not at all.
However, it’s much more fun to show a Rebel Without a Clue come into his own in a movie than it is to show a centered young man with a strong sense of destiny and duty, who gradually learns to loosen up … I guess.
But that’s how I always saw Kirk: a guy who started off very grim, focused, studious, serious, competitive … but who gradually learned to take chances, buck the system when it needed bucking, and who developed a sense of humor about himself. For instance, when Kirk talks to Gary Mitchell about “almost marrying” the little blonde lab technician who may or may not be Carol Marcus, that’s a young man who obviously takes things very seriously, not a guy who routinely shags babes and hides out under beds.
But we’ll all have to wait and see how the movie plays things out.
Scott B. out.
I think the new “image” of Kirk is completely plausible, I said to those who don’t see Kirk as a young rebel, angry, searching for direction. I think it is more likely Kirk would be a wild young man who learns self-control, as opposed to the studious, serious character who learns to become a risk-taking, rule-breaking hero… shrug.
30. Enterprise –
“He’s from iowa, not the South.”
Hillbillies aren’t from the South either. Technically. More like Kentucky.
Well, McCoy was from Georgia, right? That’s close enough.
31. Scott
I liked Diane Carey’s stuff. She gets a lot of stick, but she was an author whose work I looked forward to in the early days. Her giant novel, Final Frontier is a great overture to Best Destiny!
28. cellojammer
After all the complaints from fans of the original novels about his wild contradictions of continuity from the Frank Herbert novels, KJA has now stated that all Frank Herbert’s Dune novels were propaganda written by Princess Irulan, Harq Al Ada and their descendants and his continuity is the correct one. Effectively, he’s decanonised all the original six novels! I find that disturning and egomaniacal!
disturbing, even!! ;)
Shatner should interview Kirk! That would so kick ass.
35. Dom
“After all the complaints from fans of the original novels about his wild contradictions of continuity from the Frank Herbert novels, KJA has now stated that all Frank Herbert’s Dune novels were propaganda written by Princess Irulan, Harq Al Ada and their descendants and his continuity is the correct one. Effectively, he’s decanonised all the original six novels! I find that disturning and egomaniacal!”
__________
Now that takes nerve! I think I’m going to have a problem with that too.
Thanks!
KJA lost his marbles a long time ago.
#31 Great Stuff , Scott ! Terrific Snaffus ! All Round and Spot On !
#35 Though I disagree with Scott that Dianne Carey is a Hack . I think she is a Strong Star Trek Writer and a Great Contributor to Epic Trek !
#37 Very Sweet ! The Old Veteran interviewing the new Lead Actor ?!
As time goes on Im starting to like the idea behind the story of the movie less and less. Now that they’ve thrown in time travel it seems like the idea of cannon has been thrown out the window. They did it with Enterprise and I blame that for what killed it as a series because in season 4, when they got away from it, well the show rocked. It seems like this movie is going to do that even worse. I hope Im wrong, I want this movie to be good, but with JJ saying that he wasnt a star trek fan and all is making this movie harder to like.
Oh, Good Lord, Nicholas Meyer knew nothing of Star Trek and he made the best Star Trek film.
Shatner will always be remembered as the first, best Kirk — just like Sean Connery as the first, best Bond. It’s hard for me to get past Pine as more than just a pretty boy. I’ll admit I’ve only seen him in a few clips, but I haven’t seen anything terribly noteworthy or impressive about the young man’s talents and I sincerely doubt that he is a stronger actor than Bill. I’m worried that this may become just a slick Star Trek 90210. I sincerely hope Mr. Pine will prove me wrong, but so far I haven’t seen anything that speaks to Kirk’s charisma as Shatner captured it.
I always wonder why people say “why do you accept a reboot of Batman but not a reboot of Star Trek”. Because THIS new Star Trek is not a reboot.
If they would just start anew with younger actors, modern settings etc. it would be totally different. But as we begin in the established continuity in the new movie and from there on create a new one this makes everything different.
Think about this: Penguin from the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman-movies travels back in time and is followed by Robin. Their actions would change the whole timeline and create this “reboot”.
I do not like this concept. For me this has a bad tast of “destroy everything that went before so that our version is the one and only”…
Ya know, I really don’t know or care whether Pine has a “broader range” or is the “stronger actor” than Shatner. I guess it’s not possible to say, because he’s at the beginning of his career and Bill Shatner has already had a career of more than 50 years and still keeps doing alot of different, surprising things. He’s created two iconic roles, one of them becoming a cultural heritage, the other one winning him two Emmys and a Golden Globe.
In the end, I think it all comes down to whether you admire an achievement and merit that has lasted for all those decades and has brought us so much joy and is one of the main reasons why we’re still here discussing one of the greatest fictional heroes (Shatner must have done 1 or 2 things right…;), or whether you prefer the new kid in town who still has to prove if it deserves your praise and whether it will last or not.
The way I understood JJs statement about his Trek fandom was rather that he he was no ultrageek trekker, like Bob Orci, but that he liked it all right…
But yeah, he used that phrase as a foirst line in all the PR stunts because these places were packed with regular folks, not fanboys.
It worked.
#18
For what it’s worth (probably nothing), and I can’t speak for the ladies, but talking as a fully paid up ‘gay’, I can confirm that Pine is HOT.
That bit where he’s looking up at the Enterprise being built – looks very cute. Top off under Uhura’s bed (maybe) – nice.
Thanks for the man-crumpet JJ et al.
Re: 21 – To the person known as Spock’s Brain
The late Jeffrey Hunter — the actor who played Pike in The Cage — was a great actor. I am so amazed at how easily you throw around insults on this website. You truly are not a very nice person. Furthermore, you betray a lack of intelligence, curiosity, and wisdom.
http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/atlanta-holiday-guide/year-review/year-stupid/year-stupid-celebs/#homepage_tab_newstab#homepage_tab_newstab#homepage_tab_newstab
One more from the Shatosphere.
http://www.theonion.com/content/cartoon/dec-01-2008
still more Shat.