Oiva EskolaJun 1
Todd Vaziri

As spotted by Ryan Estrada on Bluesky, HOLY SHIT

Paramount+ created a thumbnail for "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" where it genAI-filled a closeup shot of Shatner, giving him a sensible haircut and a suit and tie.

LEFT: Paramount+
RIGHT: The shot from the movie

May 29 at 12:28amIvory for Mac
Show threadTodd VaziriMay 29
Now Paramount+ is cycling through other thumbnails. What Star Trek fan could forget these unforgettable characters from “II” and “III”?
Show threadTodd VaziriMay 30
I made this for @jsnell
Show threadJosh HrachMay 30
@tvaziri @jsnell "Not now, Madeleine!"
Show threadBen MunsonMay 30
@tvaziri NOT NOW MADELEINE
Show threadJonathan PolleyMay 29
@tvaziri is she vaping?
Show threadJonathan HendryMay 29

@the_other_jon @tvaziri

Breathalyzer?

Show threadDaniel M. ReckMay 29

@tvaziri Captain Estaban's uniform is also jacked up #AIslop nonsense.

CBS is crashing out hard. Must be those #PurelyFinancialReasons we heard so much about.

Show threadAlecia Batson (she/her)May 29

@tvaziri hey, now, professional background artists and dayplayers are important. That ensign blowing the electronic bosun’s whistle for the [spoiler content here] is groundbreaking casting considering how few women #actors had roles in STII.

#acting #startrek

Show threadCheekyMcBMay 29
@aleciabatson @tvaziri Initially I thought it was Deanna Troi in a crossover TNG episode, but I couldn’t remember such an episode.
Show threadTodd VaziriMay 29

@aleciabatson never in a million years would I say that dayplayers aren't important

i think it's funny to put these characters as the movie poster tile

Show threadAlecia Batson (she/her)May 29

@tvaziri it’s encouraging to performers to see faces other than those so many recognize.

That AI-egested slop object of Captain Kirk in a suit and tie, on the other hand, could be quite discouraging.

Show threadZelda 🎀🏳️‍⚧️May 29
@tvaziri Put the vape away, yeoman.
Show threadJosh May 29
@tvaziri to be fair, the yeoman’s whistle is something that has stuck in my head since the first time I watched the film…
Show threadTodd VaziriMay 29
@josh0 same
Show threadBrian GrinterMay 30

@tvaziri the electronic whistle always irrationally annoyed me

There’s a lot of strong maritime themes in the Star Trek films like the wooden wheel in the viewing lounge in Star Trek V

I always imagined they’d keep little traditions across the centuries like a little tin whistle to call crew to attention

Show threadBrian TatoskyMay 29
@tvaziri Nice, someone needed that aspect of a picture and DID NOT GIVE A SHIT!
Show threadCM HarringtonMay 29
@virtualbri @tvaziri I mean, it’s Paramount+, who’s gonna see it?!
Show threadkhmMay 29
I appreciated the directors cut of STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF BROOKS BROTHERS
Show threadirrational methodMay 29

@khm @tvaziri

I thought that was Data at first glance.

Show threadJosh (humble with pride)May 29
@tvaziri @bnys Star Trek II: The Wrath of the Kahn Corporation’s Lawyer
Show threadDr. Fortyseven 🥃 █▓▒░May 29
@tvaziri That's hilarious. 😆
Show threadMichael GemarMay 29
@tvaziri Jim Kirk would have known how to deal with AI.
Show threadVirginicusMay 29
@michaelgemar @tvaziri “He’s a Vulcan. Vulcans always lie.”
Show threadMichael GemarMay 29
@Virginicus @tvaziri “Norman, coordinate!!!”
Show threadrk: it’s hyphen-minus actuallyMay 30

@michaelgemar @tvaziri

Kirk took no shit from AI:

Show threadMichael GemarMay 30
@rk @tvaziri It’s kinda a theme of TOS.
Show threadJeremy LatourMay 29
@tvaziri I felt it was my duty to add this glorious thing to the TMDB page for Wrath of Khan.
Show threadDaniel M. ReckMay 29
@jeremylatour YAAAAAAASSSSSSSS. Can't wait for it to show up on everyone's #Jellyfin collections of #StarTrek media. @tvaziri
Show threadDavid ShenemanMay 29
@tvaziri WHATTTT????? 🤢🤮
Show threadBrian CostaMay 29
@tvaziri 😒
Show threadCraig HockenberryMay 29
@tvaziri “Star Trek: The Wrath of Business Khan”
Show threadJeremy LatourMay 29
@chockenberry @tvaziri Star Trek II: The Roth IRA of Khan
Show threadlp0 on fire May 29
@jeremylatour @chockenberry @tvaziri, that's quite a leap, from business to (former) terrorists…
Show threadJon_AlperMay 29
@chockenberry @tvaziri Reframing Kirk as the villain.
Show threadACMay 29
@tvaziri And yet it’s still closer to being Star Trek than the Section 31 movie will ever be. 👎👎
Show threadThomas SturmMay 29

@tvaziri Maybe they should make all their thumbnails to have the characters in business suits.

"CBS - We Mean Business"

Show threadZalasur 🐸🇺🇦May 29

@tvaziri

lol.
lmao.

Show threadGlyphMay 29
@tvaziri @jalefkowit omg is this real
Show threadJason LefkowitzMay 29
@glyph @tvaziri https://bsky.app/profile/jenbeee.bsky.social/post/3mmxbslj2ds2h
JenBeee (@jenbeee.bsky.social)

Hahaaaaa it’s still there!

Bluesky Social
Show threadGlyphMay 29
@jalefkowit @tvaziri thanks for the confirmation. why does everything have to be so stupid 😢
Show threadTodd VaziriMay 29
@glyph @jalefkowit yes
Show threadBebadefaboMay 29
@tvaziri Horror fans have told me the original Michael Myers mask from Halloween was a modified Shatner mask and I could never really see it ... I see it now
Show threadDean F.May 29
@tvaziri Dick Sargent IS Captain James T. Kirk!
Show threadAdmiral MemoMay 29
@soulexpress @tvaziri Naw naw... That's clearly Denny Crane in his younger years.
Show threadBellegray LaneMay 29
@tvaziri my god Jim! What have they done to you?
Show threadAwaxMay 29
@tvaziri
Show threadCavyherdMay 29

@tvaziri

Boy, they picked the •wrong actor• to try that on. Shatner is just ridiculously hard to get a good likeness, as witnessed by the dozens of terrible tie-in novel covers, some by otherwise very accomplished artists.

Show threadScott D. Strader 😐May 29

@tvaziri I read that Netflix creates thumbnails & autoplay clips based on age, sex, race, blah. The images are extracted directly from the movie/show, but are customized to what Netflix thought would capture your attention. No longer just emphasizing T&A for everyone. This also meant that the clip could be almost irrelevant to the movie itself or even in contradiction to the drama, e.g. using a talky diner scene pulled from a slasher film.

No sure what profile would create this TWOK thumbnail.

Show threadAutistiCriticMay 29
@tvaziri Don’t you remember the scene where Kirk goes for a job interview in junior management? 😁
Show threadAllie!May 29

@tvaziri Business Shatner failing to hit his KPIs.

(Kirk Performance Indicators)

Show threadJó SkælettíssonMay 29
@tvaziri Have you ever seen the young William Shatner and Bill Belichick in the same room? I don't think so... 😂
Show threadToni AittoniemiMay 29

@tvaziri 😳😳😳

”AI is good, nothing to see here, move along!”

Show threadSummer Jo ☀️  May 29
@tvaziri and also some random eye piece
Show threadAN/CRM-114May 29
@tvaziri Frasier: TekWar
Show threadBilly AdamsMay 29
@tvaziri He looks more like Michael Shannon than Shatner in the AI slop!
Show threadJesse SpielmanMay 29
@tvaziri I can't take credit for this but I shared this link with a funny friend and he replied, "William Shatner is Michael Shannon in Glengarry Glen Khan"
Show threadBill, organizer of stuffMay 29
@tvaziri "Bobby Khan, rogue venture capitalist, meets his match when Special Agent Jimmy Kirk shows up with a team of forensic accountants."
Show threadBrian GrinterMay 30
@tvaziri brilliant!
Show threadMarco May 30
@tvaziri I think the haircut is from Julio Iglesiaz ... the resemblance is uncanny... 😉
Show threadsamiamsamMay 30

@tvaziri

what the actual fuck is going on