how big an improvement is the star trek motion picture director cut?

[Basill]

I like the improved effects (mostly), but that's about it. I grew up on the SLV so I can never deny it as my favorite presentation despite the choppy editing and the pacing. I agree with Grant that the Official Paramount Perfect Director's-Longer-But-Superior-Edited Edition will probably never happen.

[Grant]

That's the thing with incorperating scenes into a movie as a TV version or extended/Directors cut........

You can't unring a bell. Once someone has seen a version of a movie with certain scenes included and they like them or get used to them--any new version with better Fx or tighter editing or better pace or whatever improvement there is----that doesn't include those scenes/lines......

will seem incomplete to a lot of folks. Even if they think the scenes are poorly acted or not needed for the story.

the Sulu/Ilia scenes IMO are terrible and pointless, but if someone has watched that cut multiple times it becomes part of the movie's experience.

They missed a huge opportunity for the TMP Blu-ray, by not adding the SLV via seamless branching. There are no FX or sound differences that would have made it in any way complicated.

That would have only left the DE to be released on Blu-ray.

Now people are asking for the DE on Blu-ray and I'm sure some suit is saying, "Sure, we give them the DE and they'll be asking for that SLV version next."

Duh, you could have done that already with minimal difficulty!

I have some small hopes for the Director's cuts on Blu-ray, but I'm afraid we'll never see the SLV.

Hopefully the DC Blu-ray will at least have the scenes from the SLV in HD 1080P quality, as an extra.

[Harvey]

I was under the impression the DE had a new sound mix. If that's the case, then seamless branching would be a bit harder to do.

(Having said that, I hope that all three versions are eventually available on the same Blu-Ray disc at some point, similar to the Alien and Blade Runner discs with multiple versions out there).

[Grant]

Harvey wrote:

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I was under the impression the DE had a new sound mix. If that's the case, then seamless branching would be a bit harder to do.

(Having said that, I hope that all three versions are eventually available on the same Blu-Ray disc at some point, similar to the Alien and Blade Runner discs with multiple versions out there).

The DE does have a new sound mix and yes it wouldn't be feasible to have it with the other two versions.


I meant to say that the Theatrical and the SLV could have been put together on one Blu-ray and the DE could be separate on another.

But they failed to that and now it's unlikely IMO we'll ever see the SLV on Blu-ray--for those who prefer that version.

[The Squire of Gothos]

J.T.B. wrote:

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I agree with a lot of criticism of Wise's direction, but the diopter thing wasn't as much a choice as it was dictated by lighting conditions on the bridge set. The palette still seems futuristic to me, even though I don't find it that attractive.

Justin

I wasn't sure what this split-diopter business was, so I googled for it. And sure enough the preview of google images were mostly from TMP

[Pauln6]

I would definitely buy a hybrid version of the DE with improved special effects and shorter face shots plus any missing scenes and dialogue from the SLV.

[RyanKCR]

Pauln6 wrote:

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I would definitely buy a hybrid version of the DE with improved special effects and shorter face shots plus any missing scenes and dialogue from the SLV.

That would be my hybrid version I would want but using the sound mix from the SLV.

[Basill]

RyanKCR wrote:

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That would be my hybrid version I would want but using the sound mix from the SLV.

Totally agreed.

[Oso Blanco]

I never liked the DE, I just cannot accept new fx being done for a movie some twenty years after it's release.

I'm happy that the theatrical cut has finally been released on DVD and even BD, although I think that the SLV is the best version ... except for the airlock soundstage and the wrong space suit, but I'd take those glitches over the DE anytime!

[Grant]

Oso Blanco wrote:

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I never liked the DE, I just cannot accept new fx being done for a movie some twenty years after it's release.

I'm happy that the theatrical cut has finally been released on DVD and even BD, although I think that the SLV is the best version ... except for the airlock soundstage and the wrong space suit, but I'd take those glitches over the DE anytime!

Well, that's what I was getting at about changing things. But if a person were to be seeing the movie for the first time--which do you think they would prefer?

I don't mean a 'young' person--I mean a person of any age who had never seen the movie before.

I believe they would prefer the DE because of the flow/pacing without the established feelings people like us have from the past.

[BillJ]

Grant wrote:

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Well, that's what I was getting at about changing things. But if a person were to be seeing the movie for the first time--which do you think they would prefer?

I don't mean a 'young' person--I mean a person of any age who had never seen the movie before.

I believe they would prefer the DE because of the flow/pacing without the established feelings people like us have from the past.

Honestly, I don't think a person today would like any version. People have been conditioned to expect certain things from sci-fi films and I don't think TMP, in any form, has those things.

[Grant]

^^^

I agree, that's why I specifically avoided saying a young person--because 98% would never have the patience to sit thru it!

I'd be interested in knowing about somebody who was a mature general sci-fi fan who had seen the movie back in the day and not seen it since who could view both versions and pick their preferred--what would it be?


It's because I am so bored by the movie in general that I have no problem simply saying the DE the best.

If someone is a huge fan of the movie BEFORE the DE came out--I can see where changing it would be wrong in their view.

[Ian Keldon]

If they had just kept the McCoy/Kirk "discussion" in the DE it would have been just about perfect, IMO.

[22 Stars]

DE FTW. It is a great effort, and I just wish it was available in HD on Bluray

[mos6507]

BillJ wrote:

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Honestly, I don't think a person today would like any version. People have been conditioned to expect certain things from sci-fi films and I don't think TMP, in any form, has those things.

That's what I think improves its legacy over time. Khan was the crowd-pleaser, and that's fine and all, but TMP actually challenged the audience to slow down and think about things. It is unique even within Trek films. Consider how far things had fallen, intellectually, by the time Kirk said "What does God need with a starship?", let alone the banalities of the 2009 film.

To me, it's worst sin was how Kirk was presented with sort of a borderline personality disorder. It made sense within his character arc to give him an inner-conflict, but it was not satisfying to watch him be so uptight after years of wanting to see the band get back together. The best scene in the film is Spock and Kirk holding hands in sick bay for that reason, as it is a vital point of contrast.

I think after the TOS and TNG remasters they should go back one more time and redo TMP with HD effects and offer a branching blu-ray. In a home-theater environment pacing is not as much of an issue. Most people opt for longer edits rather than shorter ones (LOTR EE and Avatar come to mind).