TMP-DE fully restored in 4K…it’s about time!

[urbandefault]

White lettered credits at the beginning would indicate that it is the theatrical edition. Plus, when Spock is on Vulcan, you can see T'Khut in the darkened sky.

I remembered the darkened sky and some other stuff from '79, but there've been so many versions ...

I believe it had it going all the way back to its original release in 1979.

That was when you were suppose to drop your acid...

So the overture was in the original theatrical release? I thought I remembered it being there, but again, so many versions. And it's not there in the P+ version I just watched.

 

[BillJ]

I remembered the darkened sky and some other stuff from '79, but there've been so many versions ...

Bad thing about getting old, everything starts to run together.

So the overture was in the original theatrical release? I thought I remembered it being there, but again, so many versions. And it's not there in the P+ version I just watched.

It is on both the Blu-ray and 4K disc version of the film.

 

[Indysolo]

TMP has always opened with an overture. The theatrical and "Special Longer Version" play it over a black screen while "The Director's Edition" plays it against a moving star field.

 

[Warped9]

I find myself tempted to rewatch the 2001 DE for now, but I’m holding out for the 4K DE disc release in September.

 

[urbandefault]

Bad thing about getting old, everything starts to run together.

No shit.

It is on both the Blu-ray and 4K disc version of the film.

Yeah, I don't have those. I saw the original release in December '79, might have been 12-07 (can't remember), and I have the DE on DVD. All the talk about the SLV and Discount Bob's Birthday Edition or whatever get all muddled up.

 

[BillJ]

I saw the original release in December '79, might have been 12-07 (can't remember)

I saw it in the theater, though I was just a bit over 8. My memories of it are fuzzy.

All the talk about the SLV and Discount Bob's Birthday Edition or whatever get all muddled up.

I would love to have a disc version of the SLV. Though I think that dream will never come to fruition.

 

[urbandefault]

I saw it in the theater, though I was just a bit over 8. My memories of it are fuzzy.

I was 20. I took a date.

Where's the "old man with a cane" emoji? Oh, yeah. Dennis has it.

 

[MakeshiftPython]

I'm fortunate to have grown up with the theatrical cut via letterbox VHS and not be indoctrinated by the SLV forever disappointed that it never found life beyond pan-and-scan VHS/LaserDisc.

For kicks, I did get the LaserDisc version a few years ago just out of curiosity. However, the first side of Disc 1 is fuzzy as hell.

 

[BillJ]

Why I prefer discs? Can’t login into Paramount+, they seem to be having some kind of trouble. Can’t signin via password nor does the code to activate from the web work.

 

[trekfan_1]

Why I prefer discs? Can’t login into Paramount+, they seem to be having some kind of trouble. Can’t signin via password nor does the code to activate from the web work.

Agreed . Although I download media and stream, I still buy physical media if available for anything I consider more important than casual viewing

 

[Tomalak]

I believe it had it going all the way back to its original release in 1979.

That was when you were suppose to drop your acid...

I know it was in theatres but I don't think it was always present on VHS. The first time I saw it was on the Director's Edition DVD, but I'd already seen the theatrical cut on VHS and the SLV on television with no overture as far as I can recall.

I guess it was snipped for TV and I may have just hit the fast forward button on the VHS!

 

[David cgc]

I know it's almost certainly the Mandala Effect, but the one thing I remember about the Overture on my SLV videotape is that I was sure the Paramount logo came before it, and the Overture went directly into the opening credits with no break. I probably should've checked after I got the DE DVD and before I no longer had a VCR.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The overture was always on the VHS tapes I had. I remember always fast forwarding over an eternity of black. Then it went to the Paramount logo. Overtures were meant to "warm up" the audience or provide some intro music as people filed in for "road show" productions or the higher profile films. I'm sure someone will correct me, but I don't think they were meant for general theatrical presentations, so they would be before the logos. No studio would want to have their logo dropped, so that extraneous material could be cut without losing the studio identifiers.

 

[Vger23]

I'm one of those people who doesn't have clear-cut "preferences" for different versions of films. I like the theatrical versions, the Director's Cuts, and the extended TV versions of

TMP
Close Encounters
Blade Runner

etc, etc, etc...

They all have their pluses and minuses. If I like the film....I generally like seeing different versions of that film. I don't get all up-in-arms over changes (or non-changes) to my favorite films.

 

[truthchampion]

I have mixed thoughts about the TMP DE. I prefer the 1983 TV cut, the theatrical cut, and the Director's Edition in that order. But, I do think all three versions should be available in HD. And I'm glad some form of TMP is in 4K, so it might as well be the version Robert Wise felt was complete. That's ultimately what would've been honoring the director's wishes.

It's the exact opposite opinion I have of Blade Runner, where I prefer the Final Edition over the original version.

I just finished watching the new version of TMP. I really didn’t know how I would feel about it, when I first saw it I thought it was fantastic, unfortunately a lot of water has passed under the bridge since that time. I was pleasantly surprised it is a better film than I thought it would be today.

The script has its problems and I know to some people it is slow and the effect shots take too long. None of that mattered to me. The actual writing was classic Star Trek, it could have easily have been a Star Wars clone considering when it was released but it wasn’t. It was truly Star Trek on an epic scale in comparison to the original series.

Was it a classic movie, not really but it was classic Trek. Could it have been better, of course, a more original script would have been much better. But it is what it is, and in my opinion it is very good Trek. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would probably give it a 7 or 8. It could have been better but at least it was proper Star Trek. Seeing that fly by of the Enterprise still is a thing of beauty to me.

 

[Kor]

I (like many of us) fall into the trap of spending a movie runtime on my phone. I rewatch the Trek movies every year and have found that the familiarity makes it easy to do this. Not a knock on the quality (I do it for all of them). My copy of the original Director's Edition of the DVD got a lot of use over the years, but honestly, not all of it was me paying close attention.

This time, I was watching with rapt attention. It's funny how something I've seen so many times before seems new because I'm actually focusing on it. I never noticed how many times McCoy wanders onto the bridge for no reason and then leaves a few minutes later. I can't remember him having any lines both times he does this.

I also paid closer attention to Ilia's replacement, never thinking much of it before. Looking into it, Chief DiFalco was played by Shatner's then wife.

I realize none of these may be new to many, but I'd never noticed these things before.

And Robert Wise suggested that Ilia herself was actually a last-minute replacement navigator for the woman officer who died in the transporter accident, explaining Decker's surprise at seeing Ilia. Roddenberry's intent for the deceased female character may have been different, as in his novelization she was Vice Admiral Ciana, who had been in a temporary marriage contract with Kirk. And Kirk has a rather, um, sentimental reaction on seeing her on the comms some time before the transporter accident.

Kor

 

[David cgc]

That's what I always took from her appearing right after Kirk mentioning they were waiting on crew replacements, and no one seeming to expect her.

Except Chapel. Maybe they also met off the ship at some point.

 

[BillJ]

I watched the first half of it last night. The sound mix is incredibly improved, though I'm not sold on the visuals, yet.

...but I'd already seen the theatrical cut on VHS...

That was released early in the life of VHS. It might have gotten snipped to cut cost on the release as video tape was still pretty expensive.

 

[Tomalak]

Yeah, the sound mix is just stunning. It's a real revelation.

I've not been able to watch in full 4K HDR yet so can't fully comment in the visuals.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I have an important question: Does this include Spock's deleted scene line that "everyone creates God in their own image" which is the most perfect line that ties the film together and puts a bow on top?