Jason watches a steaming pile of Shat...

...ner movies. Everybody loves good ol' Bill Shatner. "Boston Legal" is one of the best shows on TV right now, allowing everyone to fall in love with Shatner all over again. Personally, I think he and James Spader are the best couple on TV right now.

But last night the good people at the Vortex Room had an all-night Shatnerthon. Rumor has it, it's the first of many. This is Shatner from the 70's, in the brilliant post-Trek pre-T. J. Hooker years. First an episode of Barnaby Jones where Shatner is the millionaire adventurer who fakes his own death to be with his mistress. Then "Impulse" aka "I Love to Kill", which starts with a little boy witnessing a man attacking his mother. The little boy kills him with a sword, then grows up to be Matt Stone (Shatner), who wears leisure suits, seduces women, cons them out of their life savings, and kills them. Evil, evil Shatner. And finally "Secrets of a Married Man". Shatner is a happily married aircraft designer, with a couple of fatal flaws. First, he's kinda bored with his sex life. Second, his commute for some reason takes him past dozens of prostitutes (even in broad daylight). Eventually, he gives in to temptation, sees a few pros, but always goes back to his wife and children committed to being a better husband and father. That is, until he runs into high class hooker Cybill Shepherd (back when that meant something), who scams him big time. Eventually her pimp comes looking for $5,000 (apparently, back when that meant something, too) and things get complicated.

In between, fabulous Shatner clips and music, including of course his famous "Rocket Man" performance. Rumor has it this is the first of multiple Shatnerthons the Vortex is planning. I'll keep you loyal readers informed. In the mean time, next Friday night they'll show "Omega Man" to "celebrate" the release of Will Smith's "I am Legend".