Time: 7:40 p.m., last night
Present: Me, Maura, Bink
Movie: Tropic Thunder (2008)
Movie Setting: exterior, Vietnam, jungle, rainy night
Character: washed-up actor Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller)
Action: Speedman/Stiller, lost in the jungle, is looking at his cell phone. Over his shoulder, we see he is watching Star Trek: the scene from the episode "Arena" where Capt. Kirk is fighting the Gorn captain.
(Yup, this very scene to the left, where the Gorn grabs Kirk's leg.)
Result: All three of us screamed at once. Several people in the crowded but otherwise silent theater turned around.
I always liked Ben Stiller. Now I know why:
"Ben Stiller on the Star Trek's 30th Anniversary Special, 1996"
I have often *almost* sprayed coffee on my computer. When Ben Stiller sings the Hippie Adam's song from "The Way to Eden" (right, Manfred's favorite I believe), well... that was the first time I actually had to wipe the screen down.
Following up links to stiller-puts-some-star-trek-into-tropic-thunder, I read that Stiller owns the original Gorn head.
Do you think Stiller would let you borrow the Gorn head for your next movie? Wouldn't hurt to ask!
ReplyDeleteMakes total sense he's a Star Trek fan.
I have to see that episode again...today!!
ReplyDeleteBen Stiller is wonderful. The only superhero I ever liked (apart from Batman, obv.) is Mr Furious from Mystery Men...I'd better watch that again too...
Well.. thats my Sunday afternoon planned...
Bink: We should make our own Gorn head! Not too far from a fly, eh?
ReplyDeleteStiller references Star Trek in other films too, I've been reading. Like the Will Ferrell baddie in "Zoolander" is named Mugatu.
Seems Stiller likes all the same guys I do--Mugatu is the white fun-fur gorilla thingy that attacks Kirk.
Manfred: That sounds like a wonderful Sunday afternoon! Though I find Way to Eden almost unbearably embarrassing to watch, there's a kind of painful delight in it.
Maybe you could record some of its songs!!!