Star Trek: TMP Director's Cut (1 Viewer)

[ScottHM]

On the Creatures Features website, it says all 1000 copies are sold and they are taking orders for the second edition due out in Feb./March. I placed my order back on the 11th. I hope I made the cut!

I'm skeptical of their claim. I ordered the book on the 29th (with the expectation of waiting a couple months for shipment) and received a shipping notification this morning.

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[Tino]

Doesn't surprise me that they are full of it. Lying to customers and poor customer service are indicative of a shady company.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

My copy of the book is here! (Showed up a few days ago)On the downside, I've got the flu. On the plus side, that means it's doctors orders that I stay home and rest, so somehow I'm up to page 245 already! I truly hope no one else here catches the flu this season but if it has to happen, being stuck on the couch with the book isn't a bad way to pass the time. Some of the stories are familiar to me from Shatner and Nimoy's books, as well as the DVD audio commentary and bonus features. But there's plenty of stuff in here that's new to me as well. Some of the stories about the first effects house hired to do the work (that Trumbull replaced) are just astounding... stuff like, the book says there was one guy on staff who was a huge fan of the original series so as they're designing the new Enterprise and making blueprints and building models, this guy has taken it upon himself to preserve the legacy of the show so he's going in after hours and even though no ones asked him to, changing the new designs to make them more like the original series. Apparently got so bad they had to hire another person just to make sure that guy didn't sneak in any further unwanted or unauthorized changes. Can you even imagine that?So far, it's been a great read!

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Doesn't surprise me that they are full of it. Lying to customers and poor customer service are indicative of a shady company.

Creature Features is a legit business and has been in operation for years. I visited the store the other day in Burbank. They had a few copies on the shelf for sale. The rest were being sent out from another facility.

 

[Tino]

Here's my experience Neil and the reason for my comment. I placed the order for the book with Creature Features back in July. I followed up with a phone call regarding my order since I was invoiced twice. I spoke to someone who promised to straighten it out and personally call me back. He never did. I also emailed them twice and still never got a response. Still unresolved.

 

[Carabimero]

I got mine yesterday. I told myself to be very careful slicing open the tape on the box or I might damage the book. I was very careful and still the cover of my book got braised. These guys need to learn how to pack a book.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I for one wouldn't be against the special effects being updated in Star Trek TMP but only if they offer two versions of the film! The movie has been made and it has been out for some time now and people have enjoyed it the way it is. I do not think it would be right to make changes that would change the movie visually just because many may feel that the special effects where not that good. They for sure could offer the original uprezed effects and the more modern effects on a single disc. Or two discs if they do a complete re do of all the effects and textures of the movie. I personally would always want the original and think it would be a big mistake to make changes that alter the look and make it the only one available.

 

[Tino]

I got mine yesterday. I told myself to be very careful slicing open the tape on the box or I might damage the book. I was very careful and still the cover of my book got braised. These guys need to learn how to pack a book.

I received mine last week and it was also damaged. It's not like I can call customer service or anything.

 

[Carabimero]

A simple piece of cardboard over the top of the book would have been all it would have taken.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Oh great. My wallet doth protest!!

 

[Osato]

I for one wouldn't be against the special effects being updated in Star Trek TMP but only if they offer two versions of the film! The movie has been made and it has been out for some time now and people have enjoyed it the way it is. I do not think it would be right to make changes that would change the movie visually just because many may feel that the special effects where not that good. They for sure could offer the original uprezed effects and the more modern effects on a single disc. Or two discs if they do a complete re do of all the effects and textures of the movie. I personally would always want the original and think it would be a big mistake to make changes that alter the look and make it the only one available.

I think it makes sense to include both versions or even all versions of the film.Don't forget about the special home video VHS / abc cut!It is disappointing that paramount has not honored Robert wise's wishes that the directors cut be the version that is shown. Wise commented that it was the final version before his death. In this day and age the multiple versions of all of the trek films should be included in the Blu Ray releases. Hopefully the mountain can get it right in 2016.The home video industry is so different from even 10 years ago.All that being said the mountain should realize that there is a market for new transfers on the trek films. Either on blu ray or download. Hopefully they buck up and do it.

 

[Garysb]

Paramount has no issues releasing Chinatown on different formats. The artists and the movies are separate things.

Neil

Possibly, but if you are referring to Roman Polanski, there is a difference between a director, who you don't see on the screen and an actor who you do.
Many probably don't know what Roman Polanski looks like or what he did 40 years ago. He has also been given work since then. Stephen Collins is much more recent and due to his work on TV is very familiar to audiences. He has also lost any work he was scheduled to do and his TV show has been removed from many of the TV channels that ran it.

You can say the same thing about Woody Allen. He has continued to direct but has appeared less frequently in his films. It could be due to his age or about what he was accused of doing. Or both.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Up to page 348 of the book. I'm not at all holding my breath, but I'd love something new for Blu in 2016. My preference would be for an edition that included the theatrical version, the "special longer version" and the director's edition. I know the "special longer version" doesn't necessarily get a lot of love from fans now that there is an official directors cut, but that's the version I grew up with. Warts and all, I'd love to see it presented in widescreen (I don't even need a fancy surround mix on it). There are some things in the directors edition that I don't love, a few trims that I think go too far. And a lot of the new effects have always stuck out to me in a bad way. So I'd love to have the scene extensions that are all in the special longer version without the new effects. The SLV may not be the most polished version of the film, but as it was the only version in circulation for quite some time, I think it's a valid version of the film.Putting it another way - it's probably not the best version of the film objectively speaking, but it very well may be my favorite version of it anyway.

 

[Tommy R]

Up to page 348 of the book.I'm not at all holding my breath, but I'd love something new for Blu in 2016. My preference would be for an edition that included the theatrical version, the "special longer version" and the director's edition. I know the "special longer version" doesn't necessarily get a lot of love from fans now that there is an official directors cut, but that's the version I grew up with. Warts and all, I'd love to see it presented in widescreen (I don't even need a fancy surround mix on it).There are some things in the directors edition that I don't love, a few trims that I think go too far. And a lot of the new effects have always stuck out to me in a bad way. So I'd love to have the scene extensions that are all in the special longer version without the new effects. The SLV may not be the most polished version of the film, but as it was the only version in circulation for quite some time, I think it's a valid version of the film.Putting it another way - it's probably not the best version of the film objectively speaking, but it very well may be my favorite version of it anyway.

Agreed, it's the version I grew up with, and would enjoy having it on blu. The director's cut is my least favored version.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Agreed, it's the version I grew up with, and would enjoy having it on blu. The director's cut is my least favored version.

I can't really decide how to rank it myself. I love that it has most of the character moments from the SLV. I hate that it removes some of the gorgeous effects work and quickens the pacing where it should be slower. I dislike most of the new CGI, specifically that we see the entire V'Ger craft minus the cloud - it seems so small and tangible in that version, whereas the original versions by not being able to show it suggest something larger than the human mind is even able to comprehend, thus giving the film it's sense of mystery and danger. What I'm finding interesting about this book (which is made up of extensive interviews from the time of the film's production and release) is that so many of the things missing in the theatrical cut that are now in the director's cut, were cut at Wise's direction back in 1979. I had always thought it was simply a matter of them trimming as much live action as possible at the time because the effects weren't ready, so that the intention of the cuts wasn't whether or not the material worked, but just pressure to make it as short as possible because the effects shots were going to take up so much of the film. But it seems in reality to have been much more nuanced than that. In 1979, I'm getting the sense that Wise felt a lot of the material cut out of the theatrical was redundant and/or slowed the film down at parts when he felt it needed to move faster. In those interviews from then, even as some of the actors express regret at losing those scenes, Wise doesn't seem to feel that way at all. It must've been only after the release of the film that he began to miss that material. (But maybe that's not as much of a contradiction as I'm making it sound. I remember reading elsewhere Wise once saying that ST:TMP was the only film he ever made where he didn't get to do previews and test screenings in advance. Maybe if he had had the opportunity to do so, he would have returned that material to the film in 1979.)

 

[Carabimero]

A few years ago I downloaded an audio podcast that was actually a DVD commentary for the director's edition of ST:TMP. It was done by three folks who worked on the movie. I'm not sure where to tell you to go to get this, maybe Star Trek.com still has it, but if you are into the Director's Edition, you owe it to yourself to listen to this. It gave me a new appreciation not just for the Director's Edition, but for the movie itself.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I saw "Star Trek The Motion Picture" the day it opened, and the audience was thrilled to see each original cast member appear in turn. I think that part of the reason the film was considered sluggish by some is because of that reintroduction of the characters to the fan base IN A REAL MOVIE! IN A THEATRE! that was such an exciting part of the whole experience. I have the widescreen laserdisc (of the theatrical version), the Director's Cut DVD's, and the Blu-Ray. I have the 144 minute version on VHS in a box somewhere too, but the additional footage didn't really add anything except length. I do prefer the theatrical cut, because it's the movie that I enjoyed so much on opening night.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

A few years ago I downloaded an audio podcast that was actually a DVD commentary for the director's edition of ST:TMP. It was done by three folks who worked on the movie. I'm not sure where to tell you to go to get this, maybe Star Trek.com still has it, but if you are into the Director's Edition, you owe it to yourself to listen to this. It gave me a new appreciation not just for the Director's Edition, but for the movie itself.

I've got that! Totally agree, it's a fantastic listen and a great addition to the bonus features already on the TMP DVD. I don't always agree with the choices they made, but it's obvious in listening to it that everything done was carefully considered and done with love and respect for the film and the filmmakers. I think once upon a time I actually imported the film into an editing program, synced up the track and burned it to disc for safekeeping - and then ended up moving a few weeks afterwards and losing the disc. But I know I still have the podcast file around somewhere.

 

[Carabimero]

I did the same thing. I used Adobe Encore and made a DVD that has that commentary track as a bonus...that's how thoughtful the commentary was.

 

[Osato]

The directors cut on Blu ray would be the definitive version for me. That being said I switch back and forth with the theatrical blu Ray and the dc dvd. The audio and video is so good on blu ray. We just need the dc in that format!!It would be nice to have the other versions as well but once the directors cut is on blu ray that will be the only version I watch.I haven't made it that far in the book. Page 40 maybe?There's some overlap of info from Star Trek phase II book as well.