Saturday, October 25, 2008

Ben Stiller and the Gorn

Place: Back row, the local $2.50 movie theater
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.

3 comments:

  1. Do you think Stiller would let you borrow the Gorn head for your next movie? Wouldn't hurt to ask!

    Makes total sense he's a Star Trek fan.

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  2. I have to see that episode again...today!!

    Ben 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...

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  3. Bink: We should make our own Gorn head! Not too far from a fly, eh?

    Stiller 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!!!

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