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Subtitled An Untrue Story, this 1997 short tells the engaging tale of a Star Trek fan who gains what so many dream of: the studliness of William Shatner.
Writer/Director: Ken Hegan
Crew: Gary Jones
Protagonist.........Ken Hegen
William Shatner.....Gary Jones
The protagonist relates his tale, in flashbacks, to a pair of disinterested children, one of whom smokes a hookah. Like so many before him, Ken wants to be like Captain Kirk. He realizes that goal when he acquires the secret to Shatner's success, the toupee of the man himself. Thus fortified, our hero becomes the World's Greatest Lover, an object of desire to women.
Plot developments occur quickly, without warning or apparent logic. The hairpiece proves to be a tribble-like life form, which may gain telepathic control of its wearer. DeForest Kelley--or maybe it's Leonard McCoy-- wanders by. Finally Shatner, suffering from toupee withdrawal, demands the return of his hairpiece.
This leads to an epic confrontation, wherein Shatner reveals his true form: an alien shape-shifter. Through the classic special effects techniques developed by Georges Méliès and perfected by kids fooling around with a camcorder, the protean Shatner assumes such threatening forms as a murderous garden hose, the Trans-Canada Highway, and the protagonist's ex-girlfriend, who makes more money than he does.
The film, which runs for a scant 12 minutes, has toured various SF Cons, Trek events, and film festivals. The Comedy Network and Bravo! have both run the short, and it appeared as late-night filler during the Space channel's early months.
Aggressively silly, William Shatner Lent Me His Hairpiece may be the perfect fan film. Clearly, nobody involved with this production took anything seriously. Equally clearly, Hegan and company had almost no budget. Like Monty Python on their quest for the Holy Grail, the filmmakers made cheapness an asset, and they achieved better results than many slicker fan film-makers.
Hegan has also produced highly-original plays for radio and stage, including Anne Murray is Stalking Me and Farley Mowat Ate My Brother. He continues to make short films.
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