Watch 9 over-the-top horror movie performances by Star Trek stars
Besides battling Borgs and renegade Romulans, many Star Trek actors have moonlighted in horror films, some of them memorable ... and some not so much. Go boldly into these wild gigs by familiar Trek universe stars that we've beamed down for the 12th of our 31 Days of Halloween posts and keep telling yourself ... it was only a job.
Star Trek thespians have gained much fame and notoriety crisscrossing the heavens for all of humanity, but sometimes a pre- or post-Trek paycheck fit very well in the old wallet.
Sure, William Shatner supplemented his income reading bad poetry on LP records and breeding horses, but he also starred in a pretty cool supernatural flick shot in glorious black and white. Here's a motley assortment of some of the more curious job choices and unmentionable moments by Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Michael Dorn, Chris Pine and more, all captured from outside their storied Starfleet careers.
BUG BUSTER (1998): GEORGE TAKEI AND JAMES DOOHAN
A Trekkie two-fer in this over-the-top mutant bug flick. Sulu and Scotty camp it up in a comedy-horror midnight movie featuring oozing larva and a whole lotta insect spray.
CARRIERS (2009): CHRIS PINE
Before he was young Kirk in 2009's Star Trek, Pine starred in this sweet little apocalyptic virus film released right after the Abrams' Trek reboot. A decent cast and solid story boost this above average on the Velveeta scale.
INCUBUS (1966): WILLIAM SHATNER
This "demoness on a dark island" horror film was directed by The Outer Limits' Leslie Stevens. Shot before Star Trek originally aired on TV, it no doubt gave Shatner some skill fending off seductive females, a skill he'd put to occasional use on the Enterprise.
MOONTRAP (1989): WALTER KOENIG
Typical low-budget '80s sci-fi with Chekov as an astronaut battling a mummified space alien with Evil Dead's Bruce Campbell. Shoulda brought their boomsticks.
NIGHT OF THE LEPUS (1972): DEFOREST KELLEY
Bones goes up against behemoth bunnies gone bad in his first post-Trek feature. Fun little nature-gone-wrong drive-in diversion, but unsafe if you have a pocketful of carrots.
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR (1985): LEVAR BURTON
The dead will rise in Pitchford Cove in a silly Halloween movie starring teenage Geordi dousing his mummy costume with ketchup and eggs. Directed by a young Jack Bender, director of the final Lost episode, "The End." So HE'S the guy!
THEM (1954): LEONARD NIMOY
One of Nimoy's first screen roles, here playing an Army sergeant delivering some dire news about some badass bugs. Flying saucers shaped like ants? Crazy, man.
FALLEN ANGELS (2006): MICHAEL DORN
Worf slugs it out with some nasty Demons of the Seven Sins in a creepy old prison in this bloody horror treat. A Klingon bat'leth makes a perfect monster-mauler.
LIFEFORCE (1985): PATRICK STEWART
Jean-Luc has looked a lot better than in this space vampire romp directed by Tobe Hooper. Here he's a London doctor with Halley's Comet aliens on his mind. Engage and mop up!
And here's a complete list of all 31 Days of Halloween features:
