Star Trek: The Motion Picture on the big screen in Los Angeles Monday June 4th

[Admiral Holdo 16]

Yea, its basically an episode the show stretched to 2 hours. If it wasn't for the great score, I wouldn't have watched it as many times as I have

An episode of... the show you admitted to not watching?

[Brónach 1,330]

I have a question. Which version of the film should I see?

[Trent B 354]

I have a question. Which version of the film should I see?

I remember watching the "extended" TV version when it was on many years ago. Grant they showed unfinished shots for some scenes but it was good to watch. I like the Director's Cut but there's something about how some scenes were just ordered differently that I didn't like too much.

[Admiral Holdo 16]

The DE has the best pace, there's something vaguely resembling tension in the third act.

[Trent B 354]

The DE has the best pace, there's something vaguely resembling tension in the third act.

True and the improved special effects added a lot to it. I know some didn't like the new effects for the when it showed the transport shuttle carrying Kirk to Starfleet Headquarters. I for one did but the only thing I didn't like was the words "Starfleet Headquarters" then the given Stardate below.

BTW got shipping notice!

[Brónach 1,330]

I really want to see it, it sounds like a film I'll like.

[Jay 46,241]

I have a question. Which version of the film should I see?

The best version of the film IMHO is the Director's Edition, but that's only available on DVD, not blu ray. If HD is important to you, there's a nice remastered Blu Ray of the Theatrical Cut.

[Jonesy 55]

The theatrical version is also available on DVD.

[Jay 46,241]

Is it now? For almost a decade it was not

[Jonesy 55]

If my memory serves, I bought it two years ago here in Spain.

[Jay 46,241]

Ah. In the USA, I'm pretty sure the DC is all that's been available since 2001 until the Theatrical Cut came to blu in 2009

[Jonesy 55]

Maybe this is only available in Europe.

[Admiral Holdo 16]

It's on the DVD set too.

[Jay 46,241]

It's on the DVD set too.

What is?

[Jonesy 55]

If I'm not wrong, the set contains the six first films.

[Jay 46,241]

Which set?

Every box set I've ever seen in the USA has the DC version of the first film.

The blu ray box set has the theatrical version, as I've mentioned

[Admiral Holdo 16]

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Original-Collection-Undiscovered/dp/B002I9Z8I0/ref=sr_1_9?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1338931844&sr=1-9

[Jay 46,241]

Aha, didn't realize they made a new box set identical to the blu ray box set but with DVDs inside. Cool.

[Brónach 1,330]

Is there any hope for the Director's Cut in Blu Ray?

[Jay 46,241]

When they made the DC in 2001, they rendered all the new special effects in 480p only. So until Paramount decides its worth their money to completely re-render all the new special effects at 1080p, it will never happen.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,383]

I'm sure it will happen.

[Jay 46,241]

If it didn't happen right after the box office success of the 2009 reboot, I dunno what they are waiting for.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,383]

They were waiting for the score to be remastered.

Paramount is investing heavily in upgrading TNG to High Def, so there is hope that they will focus their attention to TMP

[Trent B 354]

I've got the Director's Cut on DVD. The first disc only contains the main "Director's Cut" itself. Disc 2 contains scenes that were from the theatrical version as well as the extended TV version that didn't make it into the cut.

The theatrical cut is only available on VHS and the Blu-Ray version of the film.

BTW just as a little bit of info that Mike Matessino told me, he was the main supervisor who over saw the audio restoration for the "Director's Cut", including the score in the film.

[Jay 46,241]

Trent, that is not a secret that Matessino told you. He has always been fully credited for work on that cut.

And it's obviously listed on his website too

http://www.mikematessino.com/projects/

[Trent B 354]

I honestly never knew it until he told me via email the other day.

[Jay 46,241]

He's listed in the end credits of the film itself IIRC

[Rachael Foley 10,162]

and in the Expanded OST right?

[Jay 46,241]

He did not work on that

[Rachael Foley 10,162]

I mean the 1CD expanded...

[Jay 46,241]

I know

http://www.mikematessino.com/projects/

[Henry B 51]

One thing I forgot to mention about the event last night was that we watched the "The Enterprise" scene without any music at all, and people couldn't help laughing. All the silent cuts between Shatner pretending to look at stuff and beautiful but redundant shots of the Enterprise...it was comedy gold, and really summed up for me why I don't like that film.

But... that's because there wasn't music. It's a film that must have been conceived from the ground up with grand, extended musical sequences. Star Wars would be awful without a soundtrack too. How about the tractor beam sequence? It would be about as exciting as pulling your car into a parking garage. And yes, TMP takes its time a lot more than Star Wars does. I'm so glad it does its own thing rather than aping the most popular trends. It's nice that there was enough Star Wars-based pressure from producers to get the film off the ground, but not to shackle it artistically.

[Wojo 2,458]

Maybe, but the tractor beam sequence also has dialogue -- "that's no moon, it's a space station..." -- sound effects, and a few short edits instead of long sweeping pans to build the tension, and it doesn't last all of five minutes without anything else happening.

[Henry B 51]

That's only the closest comparison I could think of. Again, Star Wars is not the only best approach toward filmmaking, thankfully.

[Rachael Foley 10,162]

There is no comparison.

[Xander Harris 9,673]

I have a question. Which version of the film should I see?

The extended VHS version.

[Datameister 2,586]

One thing I forgot to mention about the event last night was that we watched the "The Enterprise" scene without any music at all, and people couldn't help laughing. All the silent cuts between Shatner pretending to look at stuff and beautiful but redundant shots of the Enterprise...it was comedy gold, and really summed up for me why I don't like that film.

But... that's because there wasn't music. It's a film that must have been conceived from the ground up with grand, extended musical sequences. Star Wars would be awful without a soundtrack too. How about the tractor beam sequence? It would be about as exciting as pulling your car into a parking garage. And yes, TMP takes its time a lot more than Star Wars does. I'm so glad it does its own thing rather than aping the most popular trends. It's nice that there was enough Star Wars-based pressure from producers to get the film off the ground, but not to shackle it artistically.

Fair enough, although most of Star Wars wouldn't be awful without music. The music elevates the films, but the pacing is good, particularly in the OT. I appreciate the idea of TMP trying to do its own thing, but the pacing is just awful. Decent pacing isn't a trend, despite minor variations over the years...it's just a standard way of keeping the audience interested.

TMP has some really remarkable visual effects, both for the Enterprise and for V'ger. But this is a case where less would have been more. Showing expansive shots of these cosmological wonders and intercutting with reaction shots with the crew is not a bad thing, but it loses all of its effectiveness once it's been going on for too long. And then you get to the next sequence that's like that, and you're already sick of it.

The other problem with TMP is really, really hard for me to put my finger on, but it has something to do with the way the characters are written, directed, and performed. There's something about them that makes them feel very distant. I can't muster up any interest in what's going on with them. Despite the various problems that plague some of the later original cast films, this one is pretty much confined to TMP.

[Jay 46,241]

I know exactly what you mean about the main cast's acting in the movie, Joe. Distant is a good word for it. I think the awful costumes didn't help make them feel comfortable in their roles either. Luckily the second film immediately rectified just about all the problems the first movie had, especially the acting.

[Datameister 2,586]

No kidding...TWOK pretty much completely fixes all of the problems in TMP. While I can understand and appreciate that some people wish it hadn't taken the Trek films in a direction that was a little more action-adventure and a little less cerebral, there's no denying that it nailed the pacing and the human element in ways that TMP never comes close to achieving.

[Trent B 354]

I agree with Joe too was the acting bit for why Star Trek TMP wasn't quite that great.

The ONLY problem with The Wrath Of Khan was that Chekov wasn't in the original TOS episode "Space Seed". Otherwise The Wrath Of Khan remains my all time favorite Trek movie.

Some speculated that when Khan was going through the files and such for the Enterprise he saw Chekov's face in the crew manifest. That's probably why he said, "I never forget a face, Mr......Chekov, isn't it?"

[Datameister 2,586]

It's technically a mistake, but it never bothered me. Agreed about it being my all-time favorite Trek movie. There is no comparison!

[Xander Harris 9,673]

The ONLY problem with The Wrath Of Khan was that Chekov wasn't in the original TOS episode "Space Seed". Otherwise The Wrath Of Khan remains my all time favorite Trek movie.

What about the "no smoking" sign on the bridge simulator?

[King Mark 3,975]

I agree all the actors don't seem to inhabit their characters quite right in TMP. It's weird because it's the whole cast

[Datameister 2,586]

Yeah, it permeates the whole film in a weird way. I could never quite put my finger on what's wrong, but it's definitely there.

[Rachael Foley 10,162]

Sadly, its the only TOS film that had a semi-young looking cast.

[Trent B 354]

The ONLY problem with The Wrath Of Khan was that Chekov wasn't in the original TOS episode "Space Seed". Otherwise The Wrath Of Khan remains my all time favorite Trek movie.

What about the "no smoking" sign on the bridge simulator?

That baffled me a bit who is to say that smoking was non existent in Kirk's time? Martia after all was smoking and offered Kirk it and he took it with out even coughing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,383]

Kirk likes to toke every now and then!

[BTR1701 60]

For those interested, there's going to be an outdoor screening of Wrath of Khan at 7th & Figueroa this coming Saturday @ 8:30 PM, with an appearance by Leonard Nimoy.

http://filmguide.laf...ventNumber=5457

[Ren 77]

Would love it if they did stuff like this on the east coast.