"The only reason I know that is because that's what almost happened in The Paradise Syndrome when Kirk lost his memory and became an Indian god"

So, Train has advised me that maybe I should back away from art house and foreign films on my weekly movie recommendation. Actually, he said I should go “more mainstream”. Well, to me that just seems redundant. No one needs someone to tell them about “King Kong”, or whatever big Hollywood film is out this week. I intentionally try to choose movies on the outskirts, because the only way they get seen is entirely through word of mouth. But…I will try and compromise. I was originally planning on doing a really weird French film, but I think I’ll go a different route…

Free Enterprise

Synopsis (Courtesy of IMDB)
Young filmmakers (Rafer Weigel, Eric McCormack) trying to hawk a movie titled "Bradykillers" about a serial killer who goes after victims Marcia, Jan, and Cindy meet their screen idol, William Shatner. Shatner, appearing as himself, has fun poking fun at his own image. The two young men, who idolize him and in their fantasies have seen him as a shadowy fairy godfather figure, are alarmed at the reality of the middle-aged non-Captain Kirk man that they meet. However, their relationship helps anchor the two more into reality.

Review:
A word of warning: If you don’t have any geek tendency’s in your being…stay away from this movie. This movie is made by a pair of filmmakers who passionately love sci-fi and film in general, and this movie oozes references all over the place. And I’m not just talking Star Wars/Star Trek. I’m talking Logan’s Run, Rollerball, The Godfather, Alien, etc. The main characters in this film LOVE the movies, and they’re not afraid to show it. So if you’re unfamiliar with film in general…you’re probably just not going to get it.
However…if you’re the type that’s going to get references to blinking red lights on your hand and had a lot of action figures at some point in your life, you’ll probably really dig this flick.
Now, having said that…fear not, this is not a movie about how great classic Star Trek is. All of this Sci-Fi stuff is basically a backdrop to the story, kind of like Kevin Smith movies. There’s a ton of “geek” talk, but that’s not what its about.
It’s a movie about two friends in L.A who are just in a general state of unhappiness. Mark (Eric McCormack from Will & Grace) is freaking out over the prospect of turning 30, and Robert has just gotten dumped by his girlfriend. Once they meet their childhood idol, William Shatner, and have all of their illusions shattered are when the film gets interesting.
Now…Shatner. What can I say about Shatner? He’s rocks this movie. He pokes fun at himself in a way that few actors would dare. For example: When he first shows up in the movie, Robert and Mark are at a book store. When they look across the aisle there’s Shatner….looking through the porn section. There’s something bizarrely amusing about watching Captain Kirk look at porn in a bookstore…it’s hard to explain.
Anyway…this movie isn’t high art, and it doesn’t pretend to be, as it had a tiny budget (that sometimes shows). But…if you can understand the humor, it’s really funny, and totally worth checking out.