Exactly. "What they intended for the characters" is very different from what the actually did with the characters. Stuff left out of the finished product was frequently left out for a reason. Anything not stated in the films or television series is not canon. You can add some of it back in as headcanon, as I often do. But it's still just headcanon. Even when we're talking about Kirk's ex-wife dying next to Sonak on a transporter pad.
But again, it is visually stated that Deltans are different somehow. It's stated that Ilia takes an oath of celibacy. She is able to affect Chekov's brain with a touch. Aligning that with the notes is not merely headcanon; it's an aid to interpret what we see. On the other hand, nowhere is it implied she is a blood drinker, so the early draft is clearly of a much lower status than the later notes. The part that is not implied on screen despite being in the official notes is Deltan telepathy and you would have to wonder why the probe could not have sensed Kirk's plan if Ilia was telepathic. Admittedly, the notes suggested that this was visual telepathy and that Deltans could project images into other people's minds rather than being used for communication, so maybe that one is up for grabs but it certainly wasn't in the movie. What IS headcanon for me is that Deltans would possess pheromone based empathy as long as they are trained to interpret that species. It's just a logical progression that is more interesting and more limited than standard telepathy or psychic empathy.
I know the film buckled under its own weight and run time, but I would have cherished a scene where Bones received his draft notice. How many of you here imagined such a scene?
That's certainly true. But some of the other backstory about Ilia and Deltans might have been worth exploring. I'm glad the novels have done just that by exploring Deltan culture and physiology in a lot more detail. I know, it's not canon. But I generally consider it part of the Star Trek continuity if/until something on screen covers it.
That's why I think it'd make more sense for Ilia to be empathic as opposed to telepathic. That way she'd only be attuned to feelings, not able to read thoughts. Deltans having strong pheromones would have explained some other things as well. Like I said, the novels really dive into that a lot deeper, and they are largely based on some of what was intended for Ilia and Deltans in some of the Phase II scripts and TMP (and I imagine some of what was in the novelization for TMP). Some adjustments and changes were made of course, but IIRC the starting point was what was intended. It's funny how you mentioned about the movie alluding to Deltan empathy and pheromones. When I first saw TMP I had never read any of the novels yet (I saw it around the time TVH came out on VHS). I kind of inferred some of that just based on what was in the Special Longer Version I saw. Empathy can certainly be inferred by her helping Chekov with his pain. But it's not as hidden in the movie as you might think. It's not explicit but it can be considered implicit at least. Sometimes you can read between the lines as you say.
That's the beauty of headcanon - you can take whatever you like, and ignore anything you don't. Rationalizations not required beyond that.
Indeed. Their reunion on the bridge of the Enterprise-D is an almost-direct reprise of Decker and Ilia's conversation in the corridor. You can really see the copy/paste for those characters.
This 1978 promotional film made by Nichelle Nichols in her TMP uniform shows that the TMP uniforms and the TOS transporter effect actually worked together quite well. Rest in Peace, Nichelle. We didn't deserve your talent and your love for the rest of us.
Who else read it all while imagining Gene's voice? Interesting. I wish they would have a text overlay also reading "In Klingon space" or whatever, but it worked on its own too. The words as revealed in the movie helped, as had the on-screen translation from Vulcan to English. Just wordlessly palming his face would have jam-packed movies theaters resonating "Huh?" so loudly that all the windows would break. It was a little long, but I'd rather have the whole thing than chopping it down or eliminating it. The visuals sell the point that Enterprise is a character and is sold more tangibly than any Star Wars ship was in 1977. Roddenberry knew the non-BigThree needed more screen time. Heck, some of those scenes inside VGer cloud with the light show could have been supplanted with character stuff. One or two of the original scenes to show real-time over elapsed-time would be good, but I recall they did go on too long... But I'm a fan of the 1983 TV cut, so what do I know on this movie... He's not wrong, some do drag on for far too long and didn't excite the crew (or the audience) either. Gotta agree with this; what was left in the film comes off badly, laughably so (but I'd love to be in the theater in 1979 to observe how audiences of the time reacted to that initial line), and those lines of sexual immaturity do add badly needed context. (I also wonder what Gene would think of the superbug/drug-resistant diseases, which were inconceivable in the 70s as almost everything was easily treatable back then.) It's a small but interesting reminder of Ilia's origins. Dang, Ilia having to keep pushing Decker around. It was bad enough when Kirk was doing that! Great observation. The movie, as made, does tell it adequately. That's an interesting line. And its origin (about gift horses) was not even one made by Shakespeare! IMHO: That was a good scene and it's part of exploration of the human condition. Bingo. The cloud portion was empty padding with excessive f/x. And I adore the f/x, which try to be as surreal as claustrophobic, but something doesn't quite work. The people gawking in amazement along didn't seem to come across as tense, regardless of how many/few/any f/x shots were used. The f/x had to sell the awe and fear... Bingo. The visuals already sell the fact that this gas cloud came from the biggest fart in history. It's redundant to bring up the magnification scene, which doesn't do much to remind if the terrifying situation they're supposed to be in. ...But I still adore the extended 1983 cut the most of them all... Bingo. I don't recall anything like that in the movie; a shame it wasn't used. While it turns out VGER is Nomad's bigger buddy, prior to the crew's knowing that, the speculation would have helped put a context on "can that be one of their crew?" - as well as the audience now getting to chew on the idea that tens of thousands of aliens are poised to attack Earth. Now there's some tension - none that's seen but implied, which is the best sort and it's inexpensive to do. Another bingo bit. Not even a visible tractor beam is used to convey and it'd be easy to forget about after the second nap. I recall Spock made the line and then Decker calls for DiFalco, at which point the computer, short-circuited from that last plasma bolt blast, brings up a good interlude/intermission, especially for those who didn't need snacks or to go pee: Oh, wait, I was vacationing in the other parallel dimension where that happened... That's rather a good point! Also, his incessant use of "our" is fascinating. A good point. Great f/x or not, and they are, they do eclipse the character focus and intrigue a little much. That still doesn't stop me from preferring the 1983 extended cut, though!
One of these days I'll recut the drydock scene to show that it is eminently trimmable without diminishing its impact. A big part of the problem is that so much time is spent looking at the ship through the dock's side before the turn around and the big reveal. Cutting the shot focused on the hexagonal light would also shave a few pointless seconds off the sequence. "Our" is not new to the Bird. He'd always used that in memos I'd seen.
I did an edit of it for myself once, and in my opinion it actually increases the impact...the only problem is Jerry. Cutting out part of the cue is heartbreaking.
The sequence on Vulcan is breathtaking. A lot of effort went in to making the culture familiar, yet totally alien. The sands where Spock was to have achieved Kohlinar was arid, bubbling with punishing heat to wither away all emotion. But it was paradoxically cold. No warmth would be felt by those exposed to the rigid disciplines of thought and logic. It is an environment unsuitable to human life, however tolerant Vulcans may appear. Yet I am grateful it failed to boil away Spock's human half. As a set piece it was awe-inspiring. Humbling. The completed upgrade honored this world in a way not seen since. It honored the history of Vulcan in four dimensions, replete with original language and soundscape as noisy and disjointed as the thoughts firing through Spock's brain seeking to find their order. I look at this film and find myself wishing it were filled out even further. If only it could have been reworked and split into two films. The first dealing with Spock's quest for total emotional control, and Kirk's quest for purpose in escaping the admiralty. The second dealing with V'ger's pursuit of the Creator and Decker's world slowly disintegrating as his command is taken away as he is forced to face his own past...and the legend that is James T. Kirk.
Hmmm... Suggestion: Would it work if we cut the drydock sequence down and, instead of 'Ilia's Theme,' make the full version of 'The Enterprise' the overture instead?
makes sense. That’s right about a week before it hits blu ray/4K disc. Surely an effort to goose up sales.
I’m eager to see this. I have resisted going back to rewatch my copy of the DE on DVD to watch this with fresh eyes. I have also been unable to catch the new DE at a theatre near me (there wasn’t one). And, of course, I refuse to pay for Paramount+ just to see one movie. I’m also very curious to see bonus features including whatever deleted scenes there might be. In 1979, and for some time prior, (and long before the internet) we caught glimpses of what this new Star Trek would be. The new look ship and costumes left some of us eager and nervous over how these new things would translate from the Star Trek we knew so well from years of reruns. Some of that feeling is back in that we all know TMP, but how will this upgrade and new editing transform our experience of a film we believe we know well? Some of the reviews have fueled the anticipation, and anxiety, over what to expect.