Shatner Commands Paintball 'Spplat Attack'
Record Event Comes To Pay-Per-View, Video
POSTED: 2:33 p.m. EST December 6, 2002
Paintball -- the final frontier. Sure, it's a place that many people have boldly gone before, but not the starship Enterprise.
That is, until now. And the great thing is, the ship's captain, classic "Star Trek" star William Shatner, has invited the universe to come along with for his new adventure.
It's called "William Shatner's Spplat Attack" -- a reality-based event that earned the distinction of being the biggest sci-fi scenario paintball game ever. Pitting three teams against each other in a "Survivor"-like atmosphere, "Spplat Attack" debuts on INDemand pay-per-view television Sunday and makes its debut on video and DVD Tuesday (Creative Light Video).
"'Spplat Attack' is a real departure for me," Shatner told me in a recent wnbc.com interview. "Paintball is hysterical. It's a great enjoyable game that everybody can play and we had 10 cameras filming all the various parts of it. And we had the equivalent of (CNN correspondent) Christiane Amanpour (Shatner's daughter Lisabeth) doing the interviews. It was just a fun time."
The 'Spplat Attack' event took place on Aug. 31 at Challenge Park Xtreme in Joliet, Ill. Over 1,500 gathered for the event, which benefited Shatner's annual Hollywood Charity Horse Show. It was organized by the Society of Paintball Players and Teams (SPPLAT).
Part of the appeal of the gathering for people was it's unique setting. Because of Shatner's close affiliation with Paramount Pictures, he was able to incorporate a "Star Trek" flavor into the game.
The concept of the story is conceived by "The Big Giant Head," a member of a destructive alien race who orchestrates an intergalactic paintball battle between three teams of life forms. Members each don a jersey with "Star Trek" logos, and the teams are named the Federation, the Borg by and the Klingons.
Shatner is in charge of the Federation, of course. The other teams are headed by world renowned paintball player Tom Kaye and nationally syndicated "shock jock" Mancow.
The game itself was modeled with elements of the classic "Star Trek" episodes "The Squire Gothos" and "The Gamesters of Triskelion."
"We wanted to try and invest 'Star Trek' in paintball to kind of insure that people would take notice," Shatner explained. "We didn't know how popular it might be. Would it go or would is not go? So, we wanted to guarantee as much as possible, so I went to Paramount and I asked them to allow me to use those names and even some replica in those jerseys that we had made, and they very graciously granted me the right to do that."
For the paintball enthusiast, having the opportunity to play the game in a "Star Trek" themed setting was like icing on an already delicious cake. By taking part in the event, the science-fiction icon gained the understanding why the activity is so engaging -- it inspires youthful behavior.
"It allows you to release the child that's in all of us and instead of being staid and sitting in front of a television set and remembering what it was like when you were a kid, you go out and be a kid again," Shatner said.
And, best of all, he said, it's safe.
"Well it's first of all a game, and it's a game that kids, like myself played when we were very young," Shatner recalled for me. "In Canada we had bb guns, but we didn't know that you could shoot somebody's eye out. Part of the fun of the paint ball thing is that it stings when it hits. It doesn't kill you -- it's like a rubber band hitting your skin. It makes you yelp, but there's no harm done and you are required to be carefully padded, especially around the head."
The fit 71-year-old said he enjoyed the paintball game not only because it allowed him to be a kid again, it made him realized how much of a family-friendly atmosphere it promotes. In fact, not only was his daughter there for the game, his wife was on his team, and turned out to be a pretty sharp shooter.
But most of all, he's pleased he was able to raise more funds for his Hollywood Horse Show charity event. It's a cause that's near and dear to his heart.
"Every year for the last 15 years, I've been putting on a horse show that has raised in excess of $1 million over the years for charities," Shatner explained humbly. "I've picked different charities from time to time. It's always for handicapped children, but it might be kids on a Native American reservation or kids in after-school programs. Sometimes it's for addicted women. I'm looking for ways to raise more."
More Info:
William Shatner's Official Web Site
'Spplat Attack' Official Web Site
That is, until now. And the great thing is, the ship's captain, classic "Star Trek" star William Shatner, has invited the universe to come along with for his new adventure.
It's called "William Shatner's Spplat Attack" -- a reality-based event that earned the distinction of being the biggest sci-fi scenario paintball game ever. Pitting three teams against each other in a "Survivor"-like atmosphere, "Spplat Attack" debuts on INDemand pay-per-view television Sunday and makes its debut on video and DVD Tuesday (Creative Light Video).
"'Spplat Attack' is a real departure for me," Shatner told me in a recent wnbc.com interview. "Paintball is hysterical. It's a great enjoyable game that everybody can play and we had 10 cameras filming all the various parts of it. And we had the equivalent of (CNN correspondent) Christiane Amanpour (Shatner's daughter Lisabeth) doing the interviews. It was just a fun time."
The 'Spplat Attack' event took place on Aug. 31 at Challenge Park Xtreme in Joliet, Ill. Over 1,500 gathered for the event, which benefited Shatner's annual Hollywood Charity Horse Show. It was organized by the Society of Paintball Players and Teams (SPPLAT).
Part of the appeal of the gathering for people was it's unique setting. Because of Shatner's close affiliation with Paramount Pictures, he was able to incorporate a "Star Trek" flavor into the game.
The concept of the story is conceived by "The Big Giant Head," a member of a destructive alien race who orchestrates an intergalactic paintball battle between three teams of life forms. Members each don a jersey with "Star Trek" logos, and the teams are named the Federation, the Borg by and the Klingons.
Shatner is in charge of the Federation, of course. The other teams are headed by world renowned paintball player Tom Kaye and nationally syndicated "shock jock" Mancow.
The game itself was modeled with elements of the classic "Star Trek" episodes "The Squire Gothos" and "The Gamesters of Triskelion."
"We wanted to try and invest 'Star Trek' in paintball to kind of insure that people would take notice," Shatner explained. "We didn't know how popular it might be. Would it go or would is not go? So, we wanted to guarantee as much as possible, so I went to Paramount and I asked them to allow me to use those names and even some replica in those jerseys that we had made, and they very graciously granted me the right to do that."
For the paintball enthusiast, having the opportunity to play the game in a "Star Trek" themed setting was like icing on an already delicious cake. By taking part in the event, the science-fiction icon gained the understanding why the activity is so engaging -- it inspires youthful behavior.
"It allows you to release the child that's in all of us and instead of being staid and sitting in front of a television set and remembering what it was like when you were a kid, you go out and be a kid again," Shatner said.
And, best of all, he said, it's safe.
"Well it's first of all a game, and it's a game that kids, like myself played when we were very young," Shatner recalled for me. "In Canada we had bb guns, but we didn't know that you could shoot somebody's eye out. Part of the fun of the paint ball thing is that it stings when it hits. It doesn't kill you -- it's like a rubber band hitting your skin. It makes you yelp, but there's no harm done and you are required to be carefully padded, especially around the head."
The fit 71-year-old said he enjoyed the paintball game not only because it allowed him to be a kid again, it made him realized how much of a family-friendly atmosphere it promotes. In fact, not only was his daughter there for the game, his wife was on his team, and turned out to be a pretty sharp shooter.
But most of all, he's pleased he was able to raise more funds for his Hollywood Horse Show charity event. It's a cause that's near and dear to his heart.
"Every year for the last 15 years, I've been putting on a horse show that has raised in excess of $1 million over the years for charities," Shatner explained humbly. "I've picked different charities from time to time. It's always for handicapped children, but it might be kids on a Native American reservation or kids in after-school programs. Sometimes it's for addicted women. I'm looking for ways to raise more."
More Info:
William Shatner's Official Web Site 'Spplat Attack' Official Web SiteCopyright 2002 by WNBC.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
