98 replies to this topic

[Jason LeBlanc]

I know

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

[Henry Buck]

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]

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 Buck]

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

[Faleel]

There is no comparison.

[E.T. & Elliott]

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

The extended VHS version.

[Datameister]

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.

[Jason LeBlanc]

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]

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 Bennett]

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]

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

[E.T. & Elliott]

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]

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]

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.

[Faleel]

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

[Trent Bennett]

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.

[Stefancos]

Kirk likes to toke every now and then!

[BTR1701]

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]

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