The Captains by William Shatner (on DVD)

The Captains
by William Shatner [DVD 791.457 StaYc]

In 2011, Star Trek actor William “Captain Kirk” Shatner released this special documentary, in which he sat down for extended conversations with the five actors who have succeeded him in the “Captain’s chair” in subsequent Trek series — Patrick Stewart (Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek the Next Generation), Avery Brooks (Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek Deep Space Nine), Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek Voyager), Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer on Enterprise) and Chris Pine (James T. Kirk in the reboot movies starting in 2009).

In typical Shatner schmoose-fest style, the conversations these actors have frequently come back to Shatner and his own acting experiences, but it is still fascinating to watch these iconic combinations of performers as they interact. This production is perfect for true Trekkies and even for casual viewers of the various iterations Trek has had over its 50-year history, but would also be good viewing for anyone who considers themselves a student of television production, or who is curious about the impact of cultural phenomena on working actors — in other words, how did all these actors cope with the “fan” cults around Star Trek.

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official The Captains web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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