“Star Trek” actor William Shatner is bringing one of the franchise’s most popular films to Eugene’s Hult Center this Sunday. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, the event should deliver for local Trekkies.
Shatner credits the 1982 film, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” as the movie that saved the enterprise.
“If it hadn’t been made, and then successful, it’d be very likely that the whole Star Trek franchise would’ve stopped right there after the making of what was called “Star Trek: The Movie” which didn’t so well.”
After the screening, Shatner will take audience questions, and discuss his career in -and beyond - Starfleet.
Chyrss Allaback runs a Eugene theater troupe that re-enacts Star Trek episodes. She says many locals embrace the vision of the show’s creator.
“Gene Roddenberry’s original version of Star Trek was this post-scarcity economy where there was no inter-crew conflict, no racism," says Allaback.
"And he made it very clear this was the world he wanted.”
Another local tie-in is Theodore Sturgeon, who wrote for the series and coined the Vulcan phrase, "Live Long and Prosper.” Sturgeon lived out his final years in Springfield.
NOTE: William Shatner's event will be May 19th at the Hult Center, starting at 7:30pm. A screening of the re-mastered 1982 sci-fi classic, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" will be first, followed by a question and answer session between Shatner, moderator Brian Bull, and the audience. Tickets available at the Hult Center box office or at hultcenter.org.
Copyright 2019, KLCC.
