Scott Atwell Star Trek Discussion thread (Series and Films) (5 Viewers)

[Nelson Au]

I’d love to see a 4K release of TOS. I’ll have to go back and review the details of the remastering, as I don‘t know what the resolution was that they scanned the film elements at. As far as the CGI effects, I don’t know what those are rendered at, if 2K, is that Ok for 4K?

On my last re-watch of the entire series, and on recent viewings of various episodes, I prefer the original effects as simple and crude as they were for the time and budget they had. Most of the CGI is good, not all of it works for me anymore. The original effects are organically tied to the show and era it was made. It’s too jarring to me now to see the modern effects applied. It was a great experiment and I applauded the effort.

As far as the higher resolution revealing more detail for make-up such as Spock’s ears, I noticed that when the HD-DVD and Blu Rays first came out. When the laserdiscs came out, I noticed the wood grain on painted surfaces on the sets. I forget the exact example, but it was a drawer in Kirk’s quarters when opened, you can see the wood grain. I’ve also noticed that some shots are soft, some on purpose as when Finnerman lit the women. And some are soft because of the layering effects of the film elements right before a dissolve, so not sure a 4K release will help those shots. I imagine more color definition will be cool. This is the 480I or less period of television So they never expected the failings to show up on screen as the low resolution of TV covered it. What I get excited about with a 4K release is it would be even more like being in the dailies room looking at footage just filmed at the Desilu studios.

I rewatched The City on the Edge of Forever last night and recently some other episodes including The Trouble With Tribbles and I still find myself more engaged with the story then any weaknesses of the sets or effects. If my eye tends to wander to some seams on Spock’s ears, or the coffee stains on his tunic in Trouble with Tribbles, I can look past it. It’s fun to see. I’ve also noticed the scuff marks on the walls and floors from wear and tear. I even saw a damaged part on McCoy’s tricorder in Operation Annihilate last night for the first time! I’ve noticed the lace on hairpieces, that Elinor Donahue wore a wig, Deforest Kelley’s bandaid on his finger, I can see all sorts of stuff. But I guess that can be part of the fun. Overall, the stories and the message of the series triumphs over all the other weaknesses. That’s one reason I love Star Trek so much, and I love the hardware too, but the message of hope for the future.

 

[Osato]

I think another release of tos will happen along with the
Long overdue 4k tos Star Trek movies too.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I've had a memory of hearing the theme to Star Trek: The Motion Picture on The Price is Right since I was a kid. But the memory is so old I wasn't sure it really happened. I've been watching Price is Right re-runs on Pluto TV and last night, I saw a showcase that did indeed play the TMP theme. My childhood memory was right.

It seems they played that and the disco version of "Close Encounters" when they did the "Time Capsule" segment in the Showcase Showdown. Below is one of those, but not the one I saw last night.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

This universe destroying V’Ger probe can be yours for the right bid!

 

[The Obsolete Man]

I've had a memory of hearing the theme to Star Trek: The Motion Picture on The Price is Right since I was a kid. But the memory is so old I wasn't sure it really happened. I've been watching Price is Right re-runs on Pluto TV and last night, I saw a showcase that did indeed play the TMP theme. My childhood memory was right.

It seems they played that and the disco version of "Close Encounters" when they did the "Time Capsule" segment in the Showcase Showdown. Below is one of those, but not the one I saw last night.

Yes, for those who didn't know and might care, there's a new classic TPIR channel on Pluto TV now. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, they air a hundred episodes (so far) of the show from the 1982-1983 season. Pluto also has a Star Trek channel that's heavy on the first 4 seasons of TNG, if antyone's interested.

And yes, TPIR uses the TMP/TNG theme frequently in Showcases. They've also used the Star Wars theme at one point. But the TMP/TNG theme is used far more often for Holly, Janice, and Dian to wear skintight outfits to.

 

[Blimpoy06]

We bid 500 quatloos!

 

[The Obsolete Man]

We bid 500 quatloos!
View attachment 83443

Five... hundred ONE.

 

[Nelson Au]

Wow, I don’t think I ever saw that Price is Right with Star Trek TMP music before! Thanks for the heads-up on that one.

 

[Nelson Au]

Osato, it would be nice to get Star Trek TMP in a remastered 4K release with TOS.

 

[TravisR]

I just watched the episode The Way To Eden for the first time (yes, I realize that I'm five decades late) and those space hippies are... something. It's not that bad of an episode but the goofy hippie characters make it like watching Dragnet 1967.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

I just watched the episode The Way To Eden for the first time (yes, I realize that I'm five decades late) and those space hippies are... something. It's not that bad of an episode but the goofy hippie characters make it like watching Dragnet 1967.

"You're pretty high and far out. What kind of kick are you on, son?"

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I just watched the episode The Way To Eden for the first time (yes, I realize that I'm five decades late) and those space hippies are... something. It's not that bad of an episode but the goofy hippie characters make it like watching Dragnet 1967.

If you strip away the bad choices made from a zero budget, reduced shooting time and too on the nose contemporary dialogue, there is an interesting story buried in there. I like the ending, and the way it speaks to how people disillusioned with their world can fall prey to following figures who would willingly lead them to their deaths if given the chance.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

If you strip away the bad choices made from a zero budget, reduced shooting time and too on the nose contemporary dialogue, there is an interesting story buried in there. I like the ending, and the way it speaks to how people disillusioned with their world can fall prey to following figures who would willingly lead them to their deaths if given the chance.

The original idea probably would've been better.

IIRC, it started life as an episode about McCoy's daughter before turning into Space Hippies.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I seem to remember something like that too. The only issue I have with it is that I generally dislike when episodic television introduces a never before mentioned relative of a main character, and then never mentions said relative again afterwards. I don’t dislike Operation Annihilation but it also stretches credibility to discover that Kirk has a brother, that said brother and wife die horribly, nephew survives, everyone is in smiles at the end and the kid and the dead brother are never heard about ever again.

It worked in TNG when Picard visits his Earth family because it felt in tune with where the character was at that moment in the show. But in TOS it felt more artificial to me, as if to raise the stakes in an otherwise underwritten script.

If McCoy had a daughter, all of a sudden the story and history of that becomes way more compelling than anything they actually show onscreen.

 

[Osato]

I've had a memory of hearing the theme to Star Trek: The Motion Picture on The Price is Right since I was a kid. But the memory is so old I wasn't sure it really happened. I've been watching Price is Right re-runs on Pluto TV and last night, I saw a showcase that did indeed play the TMP theme. My childhood memory was right.

It seems they played that and the disco version of "Close Encounters" when they did the "Time Capsule" segment in the Showcase Showdown. Below is one of those, but not the one I saw last night.

I remembered hearing one of the tmp themes on price is right as a kid too. I actually thought I heard the bob James remix though.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

I remembered hearing one of the tmp themes on price is right as a kid too. I actually thought I heard the bob James remix though.

Honestly, that sounds a lot like many of the day to day Score Productions music cues by Edd Kalehoff that are regularly used on TPIR.

The one used in the showcases by '82 is the Goldsmith version.

 

[Osato]

I seem to remember something like that too. The only issue I have with it is that I generally dislike when episodic television introduces a never before mentioned relative of a main character, and then never mentions said relative again afterwards. I don’t dislike Operation Annihilation but it also stretches credibility to discover that Kirk has a brother, that said brother and wife die horribly, nephew survives, everyone is in smiles at the end and the kid and the dead brother are never heard about ever again.

It worked in TNG when Picard visits his Earth family because it felt in tune with where the character was at that moment in the show. But in TOS it felt more artificial to me, as if to raise the stakes in an otherwise underwritten script.

If McCoy had a daughter, all of a sudden the story and history of that becomes way more compelling than anything they actually show onscreen.

To say nothing of Sybok as well.....

 

[Blimpoy06]

there is an interesting story buried in there

The interesting story from "The Way To Eden" for me is the one for Dr. Sevrin. To my knowledge, his is the first character in Star Trek from the Federation that not only hasn't benefited from the progress of the 23rd Century, but actually has had his life destroyed by it. He is told he must live in isolation due to a bacterium strain he is immune to, but can spread to others.

 

[Nelson Au]

DeForest Kelley and DC Fontana discussed the idea that McCoy had a son, but Kelley said it ought to be a daughter whose 20 and is studying nursing. The story would have been titled Joanna and she’d come aboard the Enterprise and Kirk would do his usual thing and McCoy would be seeing Kirk from the eyes of a father. It was supposed to create some conflict. The idea was scraped. But it would have been cool still to have seen an episode about her and McCoy and not the story that his wife left him and all he had left was his bones.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

The interesting story from "The Way To Eden" for me is the one for Dr. Sevrin. To my knowledge, his is the first character in Star Trek from the Federation that not only hasn't benefited from the progress of the 23rd Century, but actually has had his life destroyed by it. He is told he must live in isolation due to a bacterium strain he is immune to, but can spread to others.
View attachment 83458

It seems particularly fitting for 2020, where a huge part of the covid problem is that people can get and pass on the virus without ever feeling the effects of it themselves. Sevrin doesn’t believe in the science and that’s an issue today as well.