BS: Semi-Shatner film fest

Subject: BS: Shatner film fest in London Ontario
From: ToulouseCruise
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 11:26 AM

Makes me wish I was in London Ontario... almost.

Brian..
------------------------------------
        
Film fest celebrates William Shatner


LONDON, ONT. - A film festival in London is boldly going where no film festival has gone before – by showcasing the work of William Shatner.

But contrary to what you might expect, the festival – dubbed the First Annual Mini Shatner Fest – will not feature any movies with the Canadian performer in his most famous role, Captain Kirk.

Instead, it will highlight more obscure films, ones that came out both before and after Shatner's three-season run on television's Star Trek.

"Shatner surely is not obscure, but I think that some of his lesser-known stuff from the '60s and '70s is," says Skot Deeming, the festival's organizer.

The centerpiece of the event will be a triple bill consisting of 1962's The Intruder, 1974's Impulse, and 1977's Kingdom of the Spiders.

In between movies, Deeming will play selections from Shatner's first album, The Transformed Man, on an old record player.

One of Deeming's friends plans to bake cookies in the shape of a Starfleet insignia, and there will also be a Shatner trivia contest.

According to Deeming, Shatner made sense as the subject for a film festival because he is "probably one of the most popular human beings in the world."

"He's just one of those strange camp, cult figures that everybody knows and he hams it up," Deeming explains. "He always seems to be so magnanimous, but it always seems so ridiculous at the same time. It's the cult of celebrity elevated to the point of absurdity."

Deeming picked The Intruder, in which Shatner plays a white supremacist who incites a race riot in a small town, because it is "one of the few things he's been attached to that has a lot of critical acclaim." Roger Corman directed the film.

Impulse has Shatner in the role of a serial killer. Deeming, who collects odd films on videotape, says the movie is "totally obscure and bizarre. It's really obtuse."

Kingdom of the Spiders was part of the cycle of disaster pictures that came out of Hollywood in the 1970s. In it, Shatner plays a veterinarian who discovers a colony of tarantulas who take over a small town by operating with a hive mind.

The film shines a spotlight on a period in Shatner's life when the Montreal-born performer was having difficulty finding work. This may be hard to believe today, considering the number of Shatner projects that are in the works.

On Oct. 5 he released Has Been, the Ben Folds-produced follow-up to The Transformed Man. He is making a reality show for Spike TV and also stars on the ABC drama Boston Legal. There have also been rumours floating around the internet about a possible guest appearance on Enterprise.

The festival, which is partly designed to demystify film festivals by offering an opportunity for a "wacky, good fun time," also offers an intriguing glimpse into a career that might have been.

As Deeming points out, Shatner was known primarily for doing Shakespeare and some of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone before his television career took off.

"He had a real integrity to him. And then Star Trek put him in this position where in some ways he became a caricature of himself," he says.

The free festival takes place Oct. 23 in the basement of L.A. Mood, a downtown London comic-book store. If it's a success, it may become an annual event.

One of the most sought-after prizes in the trivia contest may be a "slash" zine, the fan-made periodicals put out in the 1970s that were devoted to fiction about sexual encounters between Captain Kirk and his Vulcan subordinate, Mr. Spock.

Deeming calls it "the Holy Grail of the Shatner prizes we have."

The response to the festival has so far been enthusiastic. One person even sent Deeming an e-mail asking if he could bring alcohol.

Deeming's answer: "Maybe you should bring some alcohol. It's five-and-a-half hours of 1970s Shatner films. You might need a little bit of that."

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 12:01 PM

Yoohoo, Little Hawk where are you?
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 02:25 PM

Hey...pretty inspiring! Anyone who misses out on this one will surely regret it for the rest of their lives, right?

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 02:27 PM

Wrong!!

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 02:30 PM

I can live with everything except regret, in this case I'll make an exeception.

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: 42
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 06:37 PM

Hey LH...I have a free day if you'd like to catch this! We can beam ourselves down.

j

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Peace
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 06:50 PM

I came here fully expecting to see Little Hawk's name at the top of this thread. Imagine my surprise. The Cult of Shatner is GROWING.

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Oct 04 - 10:27 PM

It's like an irresistible force...

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: patriot1314
Date: 16 Oct 04 - 11:19 AM

Many years ago he had a torrid affair with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. However they never married as she did'nt want to be known as Stevie Shatner - Nicks!

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 16 Oct 04 - 12:00 PM

Sounds like a good place for a fire-bomb, this 'festival'

( I have "Kingdom Of The Spiders" on DVD!)

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Oct 04 - 01:08 PM

LH don't you mean an irresistable farce?
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Oct 04 - 01:25 PM

Or even resistable farce?

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Little Hawk
Date: 16 Oct 04 - 04:12 PM

You're just jealous, cos he had an affair with Stevie Nicks... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 16 Oct 04 - 06:15 PM

Fleetwood 'Big Mac' Do you want fries with that?
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 05 - 03:09 AM

Shatner?

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: 42
Date: 27 Mar 05 - 07:36 AM

omigod! There are 10 (count 'em 10) Shatner threads in a row (or a column I guess you'd have to call it).

What is the Cat coming to?

j
ps. now I have to put this on all of them to keep them aligned properly - arrgggghhhh

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 28 Mar 05 - 03:50 AM

Any such film festival would have to include

The Godshatner
Sp[endor In The Shass
The Best Little Hawkhouse In Texas
O Shatner, Where Art Thou?
Erin Shatnervich
On The Williamfront
Good Will Shatner

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 01:42 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Mar 05 - 01:48 PM

I came. I Shat. I conquered.

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 12:52 AM

William the conquerer?

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST,Outlandar
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 01:04 AM

The Shat has hit the fans...

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: gnu
Date: 30 Mar 05 - 07:22 AM

LH said : "I came. I Shat. I conquered." You said a mouthful there.

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 10:24 PM

IT has happened

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: number 6
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 10:40 PM

" The Cult of Shatner is GROWING."

may God have mercy on us all !!

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 11:45 PM

An the Award Goes to:---------------

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Cluin
Date: 09 Aug 05 - 11:48 PM

Are the Shat-heads taking over this place again?

Shatnerds!

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Aug 05 - 11:41 PM

The relationship between StarWar/Lost in Space and paedophillia

Is ASTOUNDING!!!!

Use the Newspaper search - or Google - or any multiple search engine.

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Aug 05 - 02:33 PM

That is a gross calumny! You should be ashamed of yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Aug 05 - 02:12 AM

Not saying the StarShip does - but it appears their follows dooo, do, doo-doo.

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Little Hawk
Date: 12 Aug 05 - 10:25 AM

Why?

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Cluin
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 02:36 AM

Interesting that you searched that combo of words. Were you trying for a Google-Whack?

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: sixtieschick
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 03:38 AM

I haven absolutely nothing to contribute to this thread. However, having been on the 'cat for awhile and never posted to a Shatner thread before, this seemed a good a time as any.

M.

Subject: RE: BS: Semi-Shatner film fest
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Aug 05 - 03:43 AM

Yeah, I guess...

Bill thanks you.