Poe's "Raven," performed by Star Trek's Q

Quantum Mechanix has released a nerdtastic Hallowe'en video: John De Lancie (Star Trek's Q) reading Poe's The Raven. I still prefer Lord Buckley's 1950s hipster argot version, but this is damned cool nevertheless.

(via IO9)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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JackThompson

Headlines like this really bug me – it’s like saying “I saw Captain Picard starring in Macbeth!” Really should respect the actor over the roll.

That being said, I’d listen to John de Lancie read the phone book.
- princeminski
  
  “Role.” Unless you’re talking about something completely different.
Anonymous

The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” version is my fav.
Anonymous

Christopher Walken’s version on the “Closed On Account of Rabies” album is also excellent.
bottyguy

I really prefer the Simpson’s version, it really tell the story, and I like they way they combine James Earl Jones and Homer reading it:

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/halloween/videos/2450364/title/simpsons-version-poes-raven
- CANTFIGHTTHEDITE
  
  Ditto, the Simpsons interpretation of the poem in terms of their own universe was brilliant. My fav, by far.
Xenu

Q. should get his own Star Trek movie.
turn_self_off

About the only star trek episode with Q that was watchable was when he first stopped by DS9, and Sisko punched him.
- JackThompson
  
  First and only time. Q made a singular appearance on DS9 early on, got decked by Sisko, and never went back.
  - Tynam
    
    Which just goes to show how much of a doormat Picard was, really.
    
    But JackThompson is right. I think the audience should damn well be expected to know the difference between the actor and their most famous (rarely ‘best’) role. John de Lancie especially, because damn, he rocks.
    - S2
      
      LOL! From the Words-you-never-expected-to-see-in-series dept: “JackThompson is right.”
      
      Poetry is a spectator sport; almost always better to hear it than to read it. “Almost” because I suddenly had visions of Diane Rehm or Ruby Rhod trying to pull this off. (With apologies to JackThompson for not giving Chris Tucker his due ;-)
Anonymous

The Raven doesn’t just have to be a cold reading, it makes for a hell of a short film, if I do sa so myself!

http://vimeo.com/15996012
Roy Trumbull

The version I have was done when Lord Buckley was being interviewed by Pat Henry who was the owner of KJAZ, Alameda. Buckley gets into it and Pat Henry is laughing in the background. In Lord Buckley parlance the raven was the bug bird.
Then there was the speech of Brutus over the body of Caesar.
“Hipsters, flipsters, and finger popping daddies
knock me your lobes
I come to lay Caesar out; not to hip you to him
The bad jazz a cat blows wails long after he’s cut out
The groovie is oft interred with his stash
So don’t put Caesar down.”
- Anonymous
  
  Get ‘em !
FnordX

I see your John de Lancie and raise you one William Burroughs reading Annabel Lee: http://vimeo.com/2651548
Anonymous

Yes he was on Star Trek, however I remember him when he was a regular on Days of Our Lives.
Drhaggis

I have to say, that’s so Raven.
Richard Thames

Q is one of those unfortunate but amusing roles that transcends the universe it’s originally from. My coworkers and I were just talking about how it’s hilarious to see John de Lancie appear in other series or films and still think of him as Q messing with humanity.