Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) (1 Viewer)

[Joseph Bolus]

Since we’ve started ranking Star Trek movies, I guess I’ll throw my current list in:

Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek:First Contact
Star Trek (2009)
Star Trek:The Motion Picture
Star Trek VI:The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek IV:The Voyage Home
Star Trek III:The Search for Spock
Star Trek:Generations
Star Trek Beyond
Star Trek:Nemesis
Star Trek:Insurrection
Star Trek V:The Final Frontier
Star Trek Into Darkness

“Into Darkness” was so bad, I was actually mad when I left the theater. How dare they rip whole scenes and dialog directly from “Wrath”?! To this day I cannot understand what Abrams was thinking of with this needless remake.

 

[Tom St Jones]

"Oh come on say it! The director was an idiot!"
—Mirina Sirtis, on Star Trek Nemesis in 2014

STuART BAIRD is no idiot. While he may be a much better film "editor" - he's edited many of the biggest action hits of our time incl. 'Superman', 'Lethal Weapon', 'Demolition Man','The Omen' ('76), 'Skyfall' - than a film "director", his other films as director, U.S. MARSHALS (follow-up to 'The Fugitive') and especially EXECUTIVE DECISION ain't bad. As films, generally-speakng, neither may be a "masterpiece", but as so-called popcorn movies theyre both top-notch slam-bang entertainments (too bad the original ads for 'US Marshals' gave away far too much) with good performances by their respective casts (I particularly liked David Suchet as the villain in ED). Mr. Baird may or may not have been the right director for a "Trek" film, but he's hardly as bad as some may say.

 

[Jason_V]

Boy you are sure right about the soundtrack. I got the two-disc complete score and it's one of Goldsmith's best, right up there with TMP and FIRST CONTACT.

And there's the thing about every Trek film, at least for me. Regardless of their relative merits as a movie, the score has almost always been top notch. Every movie has at least one track to get me going.

STuART BAIRD is no idiot. While he may be a much better film "editor" - he's edited many of the biggest action hits of our time incl. 'Superman', 'Lethal Weapon', 'Demolition Man','The Omen' ('76), 'Skyfall' - than a film "director", his other films as director, U.S. MARSHALS (follow-up to 'The Fugitive') and especially EXECUTIVE DECISION ain't bad. As films, generally-speakng, neither may be a "masterpiece", but as so-called popcorn movies theyre both top-notch slam-bang entertainments (too bad the original ads for 'US Marshals' gave away far too much) with good performances by their respective casts (I particularly liked David Suchet as the villain in ED). Mr. Baird may or may not have been the right director for a "Trek" film, but he's hardly as bad as some may say.

I'm sorry, but yes, he is. When he refers to LeVar Burton as Laverne (for six weeks...and Burton is known for a lot outside of Trek going back to the early 1980's)...when he doesn't watch a single episode of a series he is directing a movie based on...when Herman Zimmerman (an 18 year vet of the franchise) says he was impossible to work with...when he said he wasn't out to make a movie which rested on TNG history (which in itself is stupid, if you look at the actual plot of Nemesis).

I don't blame him entirely. The script is terrible and this was near the end of Rick Berman's oversight of the franchise. The cast seemed to phone most of their performances in, even Patrick Stewart. Just because Baird is a good editor doesn't mean he's good enough to take on "the center seat," so to speak.

 

[Tino]

And there's the thing about every Trek film, at least for me. Regardless of their relative merits as a movie, the score has almost always been top notch. Every movie has at least one track to get me going.



I'm sorry, but yes, he is. When he refers to LeVar Burton as Laverne (for six weeks...and Burton is known for a lot outside of Trek going back to the early 1980's)...when he doesn't watch a single episode of a series he is directing a movie based on...when Herman Zimmerman (an 18 year vet of the franchise) says he was impossible to work with...when he said he wasn't out to make a movie which rested on TNG history (which in itself is stupid, if you look at the actual plot of Nemesis).

I don't blame him entirely. The script is terrible and this was near the end of Rick Berman's oversight of the franchise. The cast seemed to phone most of their performances in, even Patrick Stewart. Just because Baird is a good editor doesn't mean he's good enough to take on "the center seat," so to speak.

And all that still didn't make him an idiot.

Ill prepared and the wrong man for the job perhaps. But idiot? Certainly not. Let's not get carried away here.

 

[Jason_V]

Ill prepared is not having read your script.

Idiot is not knowing then name of one of your stars. Utterly foolish. Senesless. Lack of intelligence. Ignorance.

 

[Tino]

And off we go......

Look. I just don't agree with calling the man an idiot. Let's agree to disagree. Name calling should be beneath us here at the HTF. We're not that "other" site for God's sake!

 

[Jason_V]

Thanks for the morality, Tino. We'll agree to disagree and leave it there.

 

[Jonathan Perregaux]

Actually, the "idiot" comment came straight from Marina "Pull No Punches" Sirtis.

Michael Dorn was struggling to find a nice way to say the same thing, because he's a gracious guy, but she dropped the hammer. Because she don't take no guff.

 

[Tino]

Thanks for the morality, Tino. We'll agree to disagree and leave it there.

Jeez. No "morality" intended Jason. I just don't think he should be called an idiot that's all.

And shame on Sirtis for doing that. That's a no no in the industry. And makes her look bad too.

 

[Carabimero]

I agree there is no need for personal attacks. She could have simply said, "The man wasn't qualified to direct a Star Trek movie." That's a true statement as far as I am concerned, and doesn't sink to personal attack.

 

[Tom St Jones]

Thanks for the morality, Tino. We'll agree to disagree and leave it there.

RIGHT MAN, WRONG FRANCHISE/ GENRE (Or vice versa)

 

[Carabimero]

So Vidiot's comments supports the claim that in 1980 against Robert Wise's desire, Paramount forced the V'Ger effects back into the film.

I have been unable to find the Wise quote I read back around the year 2001. It wasn't in Starlog. I'm pretty sure I read it on StarTrek.com but I can't find it there, either. I'm curious to know how old Vidiot's comment is, because though unlikely, it's possible his is the comment I originally read in the first place. Perhaps in the intervening 15 or 16 years my mind morphed it into a quote by Wise. If true, there is no second source.

Still, I have to ask a common-sense question. What is more likely? That Wise wanted those 12 minutes cut or left in? Everything I know about the man and his craft tells me he wanted the movie tighter and faster paced, so even if there is no second source, I tend to believe Vidiot.

 

[Nelson Au]

Vidiot posted in that Hoffman thread on May 22, 2016. The amazing thing is that he posted and David Fein posted on that thread, so it was very satisfying for me to get a reply from Mr. Fein.

It was a little surprising to read Vidiot's comments, especially that he wasn't aware of the Directors Edition DVD. I suppose when you're in the business, you might not know about all the projects being done for home video.

Alan, if it's any consolation, I do remember reading or hearing someone, either Wise or Roddenberry or a cast member say Paramount paid for those effects, and by golly, we will keep them in the movie so you can see where all that money went. And this was at least 20 years ago I heard or read that.

I haven't said it in a while, we need Star Trek The Motion Picture Directors Edition remastered! I'd buy a 4K system for that.

 

[Carabimero]

Vidiot posted in that Hoffman thread on May 22, 2016.

Thanks. So that wasn't the source of what I originally read. Good to know. That gives me more confidence in the veracity of the source. Unless something materializes to make me believe otherwise, I will always believe Wise wanted those minutes cut.

 

[Nelson Au]

I did some more light research and found another post on the Hoffman forum while doing a general Google search. This post linked below explain's Vidiot's job a little more. There isn't anything too new, but might be interesting.

Check out post #65:
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...-on-4-30-retracted-by-paramount.308629/page-3

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Still, I have to ask a common-sense question. What is more likely? That Wise wanted those 12 minutes cut or left in? Everything I know about the man and his craft tells me he wanted the movie tighter and faster paced, so even if there is no second source, I tend to believe Vidiot.

From the back cover of the insert found inside the DVD of Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition:

"Thanks once again to Paramount's support, we have been able to complete the film as 'The Director's Edition'. In addition to finding a new, and I feel, proper editorial balance for the film, we have also completed those effects shots and scenes we had to abort in 1979, and have given the film a proper final sound mix. It has been an opportunity which I never believed would happen, and one for which I am grateful beyond words. Gene Roddenberry was right...time travel IS possible."

This is signed by Robert Wise.

Neil

 

[Osato]

Some great quotes about tmp.....

https://trekmovie.com/2017/09/06/in...ked-if-he-would-appear-in-discovery-and-more/

 

[Sam Favate]

Can anyone tell me if the 50th Anniversary steelbook blu-rays that came out last year are region-free? Or region 2? I've seen conflicting information.

This is the TMP steelbook:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Trek-...505082593&sr=8-1&keywords=star+trek+steelbook

 

[TonyD]

Is there something in that that isn't on the U. S. Release?

I bought a Jaws Steel just for the art on the case

 

[Nelson Au]

I see this on the US Amazon site. I never bought the steel book blu rays of the films as I already had them. But the package design is very nice.