Spock's Brain - Live on stage!
March 21, 2009 8:01 PM Subscribe
Be sure to browse the other Monkey Go Lucky offerings, especially the Jimmy Pardo stuff.
Trivia: Monkey Go Lucky is run by actor/producer/editor Andrew Koenig, son of Walter Koenig (Star Trek's Chekov).
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:38 PM on March 21, 2009
Trivia: Monkey Go Lucky is run by actor/producer/editor Andrew Koenig, son of Walter Koenig (Star Trek's Chekov).
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:38 PM on March 21, 2009
This would be better if he played all the roles himself while dressed as Patrick Steward in Encounter at Farpoint.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:57 PM on March 21, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by blue_beetle at 8:57 PM on March 21, 2009 [1 favorite]
This is great. I had to watch it twice to catch all the details they paid attention to - acting, script, lighting, sound/music - theater is apparently a great stage for ST.
posted by stbalbach at 9:28 PM on March 21, 2009
posted by stbalbach at 9:28 PM on March 21, 2009
Brain and brain, what is brain?
posted by adipocere at 10:45 PM on March 21, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by adipocere at 10:45 PM on March 21, 2009 [1 favorite]
Ooh! Ooh! Now do "Arena"! Or "Amok Time"! Or basically any episode that has the "fight theme"*.
*: DA DA DAAA DAAA DAAA DAAA
DAAAAAAA
DA DA DAAA DAAA
posted by DecemberBoy at 1:01 AM on March 22, 2009
*: DA DA DAAA DAAA DAAA DAAA
DAAAAAAA
DA DA DAAA DAAA
posted by DecemberBoy at 1:01 AM on March 22, 2009
So Star Trek was a comedy all along. Who knew?
"Star Trek is filmed before a live studio audience..."
posted by leibniz at 2:19 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
"Star Trek is filmed before a live studio audience..."
posted by leibniz at 2:19 AM on March 22, 2009 [1 favorite]
Only way to redeem that episode is to make it a comedy.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 6:53 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 6:53 AM on March 22, 2009
thank you for posting thank you for posting thank you for posting ...
posted by wittgenstein at 7:11 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by wittgenstein at 7:11 AM on March 22, 2009
Aw, I was holding my breath for "Brain, brain, WHAT IS BRAIN?!" but still LOLd aplenty.
Especially fitting seeing as how today is apparently International Talk Like William Shatner Day!
posted by pyrex at 7:42 AM on March 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
Especially fitting seeing as how today is apparently International Talk Like William Shatner Day!
posted by pyrex at 7:42 AM on March 22, 2009 [2 favorites]
Here's a direct link (.mov) to the unedited first segments of the performance (for those who didn't "go to mikecarano.com for more" as instructed at the end of the video.)
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:51 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:51 AM on March 22, 2009
Good effort. The original is rivaled only by the Star Wars franchise as one of the worst examples of drama ever created.
posted by juiceCake at 7:52 AM on March 22, 2009
posted by juiceCake at 7:52 AM on March 22, 2009
Them's fightin' words juiceCake. William Shatner is brilliant in the first season - growing up I thought of his performance as over the top - looking at the original series now as an adult, (especially the first season), I've come to realise that Shatner is doing exactly what he should - it's drama, pure drama.
(one caveat though - I think Star Trek V is the best in the series - do with that what you will).
posted by jettloe at 1:41 PM on March 22, 2009
(one caveat though - I think Star Trek V is the best in the series - do with that what you will).
posted by jettloe at 1:41 PM on March 22, 2009
If you're wondering what happened to the Star Trek set used in the live shows, check out Part 1 of Five Minutes with Mike. (It's all fun to watch, but if you missed a pill, and have no patience, skip to about 5:45 into the video.)
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 5:00 PM on March 22, 2009
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 5:00 PM on March 22, 2009
Them's fightin' words juiceCake. William Shatner is brilliant in the first season - growing up I thought of his performance as over the top - looking at the original series now as an adult, (especially the first season), I've come to realise that Shatner is doing exactly what he should - it's drama, pure drama.
Sure, go for it. I haven't the foggiest idea what any of that has to do with my feeling that the original episode of Spock's brain is one of the worst examples of drama ever created outside of the Star Wars franchise.
posted by juiceCake at 6:19 PM on March 22, 2009
Sure, go for it. I haven't the foggiest idea what any of that has to do with my feeling that the original episode of Spock's brain is one of the worst examples of drama ever created outside of the Star Wars franchise.
posted by juiceCake at 6:19 PM on March 22, 2009
I don't know why everyone always hates on Spock's Brain. The scene where McCoy is hopped up on smartballs and hooks him back up enough to be walked through the rest is brill. In all seriousness, it's one of my favorite ST moments.
posted by DU at 5:05 AM on March 23, 2009
posted by DU at 5:05 AM on March 23, 2009
Yeah, I can't really understand it either... I remember Spock's Brain as being totally awesome. Then again I was about seven at the time..
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:25 AM on March 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:25 AM on March 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I can't really understand it either... I remember Spock's Brain as being totally awesome.
Think about something you think is nonsense and then think about a friend, relative or lover who thinks otherwise. Then you'll get it.
To me Spock's Brain is totally awful, but such things are relative. It's a sort of precursor to Weekend at Bernie's (and astoundingly, Weekend at Bernie's 2). The Star Trek franchise paid tribute to this episode and I imagine Weekend at Bernie's in a DS9 episode (DS9 is my absolute favourite ST, others, not so much) where a dead Vorta was remotely controlled to supposed much amusement.
Frye's Fearful Symmetry for example is a book I absolutely adore (and of course Blake), others, I've found, not so much.
I thought the ST cartoon was awesome when I was seven. Now, not nearly so.
posted by juiceCake at 9:13 AM on March 23, 2009
Think about something you think is nonsense and then think about a friend, relative or lover who thinks otherwise. Then you'll get it.
To me Spock's Brain is totally awful, but such things are relative. It's a sort of precursor to Weekend at Bernie's (and astoundingly, Weekend at Bernie's 2). The Star Trek franchise paid tribute to this episode and I imagine Weekend at Bernie's in a DS9 episode (DS9 is my absolute favourite ST, others, not so much) where a dead Vorta was remotely controlled to supposed much amusement.
Frye's Fearful Symmetry for example is a book I absolutely adore (and of course Blake), others, I've found, not so much.
I thought the ST cartoon was awesome when I was seven. Now, not nearly so.
posted by juiceCake at 9:13 AM on March 23, 2009
jettloe: William Shatner is brilliant in the first season
I've been watching the TOS episodes in broadcast order intermittently over the past year, and Shatner's performance definitely changes from season to season. Most of his hammy Shatner-ish moments are in season three, but in season one he's not a bad actor--he doesn't even have his signature halting diction yet. (Leonard Nimoy is also a better actor in season one than in season three, though by the final season Spock is a caricature of season one's Spock, so Nimoy doesn't have as much to work with.)
I think part of the comparative wackiness of season three (which not only has Spock's Brain, but the episode where Kirk thinks he's a Native American, the episode with Abraham Lincoln, the episode where Frank Gorshin has half of his body painted black and the other half white, and the episode that's a recreation of the gunfight at the OK Corral) results from the new producer brought on board: Fred Freiberger, who also worked on the equally wacky The Wild Wild West. (Michael Dunn, the dwarf who played Miguelito Loveless in TWWW, even shows up as a guest star in Plato's Stepchildren.)
Also, The Empath is far worse than Spock's Brain, in my opinion.
posted by Prospero at 9:33 AM on March 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I've been watching the TOS episodes in broadcast order intermittently over the past year, and Shatner's performance definitely changes from season to season. Most of his hammy Shatner-ish moments are in season three, but in season one he's not a bad actor--he doesn't even have his signature halting diction yet. (Leonard Nimoy is also a better actor in season one than in season three, though by the final season Spock is a caricature of season one's Spock, so Nimoy doesn't have as much to work with.)
I think part of the comparative wackiness of season three (which not only has Spock's Brain, but the episode where Kirk thinks he's a Native American, the episode with Abraham Lincoln, the episode where Frank Gorshin has half of his body painted black and the other half white, and the episode that's a recreation of the gunfight at the OK Corral) results from the new producer brought on board: Fred Freiberger, who also worked on the equally wacky The Wild Wild West. (Michael Dunn, the dwarf who played Miguelito Loveless in TWWW, even shows up as a guest star in Plato's Stepchildren.)
Also, The Empath is far worse than Spock's Brain, in my opinion.
posted by Prospero at 9:33 AM on March 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Count me in as someone else who thinks that "Spock's Brain" is vastly underappreciated; it's a sly commentary on the show's tendency to beat people over the head with allegories, the battle of the sexes, quick deus ex machina solutions to problems that are forgotten by the next episode, and any number of other things, and I suspect that most of the haters just take the show too damn seriously.
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:49 AM on March 23, 2009
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:49 AM on March 23, 2009
in season one he's not a bad actor
Go watch the couple of Twilight Zone episodes that Shatner was in prior to ST. He's really not that bad. I've long had the theory that his hamminess on ST was a direction problem, not an acting one. "You have to act BIGGER! You are the CAPTAIN!"
posted by DU at 10:10 AM on March 23, 2009
Go watch the couple of Twilight Zone episodes that Shatner was in prior to ST. He's really not that bad. I've long had the theory that his hamminess on ST was a direction problem, not an acting one. "You have to act BIGGER! You are the CAPTAIN!"
posted by DU at 10:10 AM on March 23, 2009
I think you're spot on Prospero. I'm now going to get hold of early Shatner performances to see him in action. + I'm excited cause he's coming to town, (Nashville), as part of our film fest, (full disclosure=am a juror this year), to promote a documentary about his album 'Has Been' being turned into a ballet - can't wait to see it - and hopefully interview William himself!
posted by jettloe at 10:39 AM on March 23, 2009
posted by jettloe at 10:39 AM on March 23, 2009
By the way... the photo page on Mike Carano's website has a photo of the the actor who plays Kirk closing the show with a Shatneresque rendition of Rocket Man.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 10:52 AM on March 23, 2009
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 10:52 AM on March 23, 2009
None of those are as bad as "Friday's Child", "And The Children Shall Lead" or "Elaan of Troyius", and none of those are as bad as "The Lights of Zetar", which for my money is the worst by an overwhelming margin. "Spock's Brain" is funny and quite watchable. The ones I've named here are painful to see and "Zetar" is agonizingly bad, without even unintentional humor to help you through it.
posted by George_Spiggott at 11:21 AM on March 23, 2009
posted by George_Spiggott at 11:21 AM on March 23, 2009
Yes, but for sheer WTFness, the flying fried egg creatures in "Operation: Annihilate!" are right up there with the annoying angel in "And the Children Shall Lead".
My favorites were "A Piece of the Action," "Charlie X," "The Menagerie" and "Mirror, Mirror."
And I think William Shatner rocked in the role, because he was so much more compelling, maybe because of that hammy quality. He and Ricardo Montalban were an inspired pairing, imo, because they both have that in common.
I am such a geek girl.
posted by misha at 2:13 PM on March 23, 2009
My favorites were "A Piece of the Action," "Charlie X," "The Menagerie" and "Mirror, Mirror."
And I think William Shatner rocked in the role, because he was so much more compelling, maybe because of that hammy quality. He and Ricardo Montalban were an inspired pairing, imo, because they both have that in common.
I am such a geek girl.
posted by misha at 2:13 PM on March 23, 2009
Oh, wait! I almost forgot "The Trouble with Tribbles", which of course was the absolute best ever Star Trek episode, hands down. And then there's "Day of the Dove"...crap, there's a lot more of them!
I never really cared for Spock's Brain so much, though the whole concept was so hilarious that I guess it gets bonus points for that. Hopefully, that was intentional hilarity.
posted by misha at 2:17 PM on March 23, 2009
I never really cared for Spock's Brain so much, though the whole concept was so hilarious that I guess it gets bonus points for that. Hopefully, that was intentional hilarity.
posted by misha at 2:17 PM on March 23, 2009
Did Shantner ever cry?
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:37 PM on March 23, 2009
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:37 PM on March 23, 2009
The flying eggs were terrible as special effects, but pretty creepy as monsters go. And yeah, Piece of the Action is definitely the best. "Heaters"
Kirk may have cried as Kirok...?
posted by DU at 5:15 PM on March 23, 2009
Kirk may have cried as Kirok...?
posted by DU at 5:15 PM on March 23, 2009
I loved and still love Balance of Terror. Superbly acted and directed.
posted by juiceCake at 2:05 PM on March 24, 2009
posted by juiceCake at 2:05 PM on March 24, 2009
Look, not every episode can be "City on the Edge of Forever," okay?
posted by steef at 2:00 PM on March 25, 2009
posted by steef at 2:00 PM on March 25, 2009
I'm late to the game, but let me say that the only episode I refused to watch as a kid was "Mark Of Gideon". I am not sure why. I haven't seen it recently; maybe I would hate it less now.
I have a soft spot for "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" in that I thought Gorshin was one of the few actors who played a humanoid alien who really seemed alien to me; he stood around in really strange positions.
posted by wittgenstein at 5:56 PM on March 30, 2009
I have a soft spot for "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" in that I thought Gorshin was one of the few actors who played a humanoid alien who really seemed alien to me; he stood around in really strange positions.
posted by wittgenstein at 5:56 PM on March 30, 2009
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posted by jettloe at 8:27 PM on March 21, 2009