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Do you think the filmmakers came off like douchebags on the DVD?

If you look at video of my friends and I it is clear we have been friends for a long time and some of us have even worked together in the past. It would be silly to misconstrue that camaraderie for all of us essentially just being 'yes men' to one another. They were talking, as a group, about a wildly successful (monetarily and critically) film; did you expect to see them bickering and pulling one each others hair or something?


Exactly. Were they supposed to beg for forgiveness? Air all their dirty laundry? That wouldn't be very professional, would it?

They made a hit movie. They're proud of it. So what?

We should all be lucky enough to be such douchebags.
 
Were they supposed to beg for forgiveness? Air all their dirty laundry?
No, just be informative and entertaining. I didn't watch the commentary to hear how proud they are of the film and how brilliant their decision making was, I wanted to listen on how they came to those decisions and why they thought it would benefit the film. Everything they talk about that even remotely becomes informative is stuff we already know.

I also love how they talk about the R2-D2 cameo. They hint at it, but they don't tell you what it is. They do try to say which shot it is, but it turns out to be the wrong shot.

"Brian, is there a little easter egg that's coming up that people should be looking for on the DVD?"
*Shot from the film that does NOT have R2 in it*
"The-There! You just past-"
"There?"
"Mhm"
"Are we pointing it out?"
"No. Just something in there you might want to look out for."

Well, that was pointless.
 
Most DVD commentaries are little more than a conversation between those involved, offering little to no insight into the film-making process.

The real insight is usually in the extra features: making-of documentaries, production spotlights, deleted scene commentaries, etc. In this respect, the Star Trek DVD/BD really excelled - it's one of the best ones out there. Tonnes of interesting behind-the-scenes info!

RT.
 
Re: Do you think the filmmakers came off like douche bags on the DVD?

lol was I in a mood when I started this thread.

I do agree with their motives ,but actually saying that they made Trek cool again...I'm sorry that just annoyed me for some reason.

Cool can be very subjective.

But I'I give credit where it's due...it was a pretty good film.
 
To me they came off as just obnoxious with this 'How do we make Star Trek cool again?' attitude.

I mean I like the movie ,but that comment was wrong plain ,and simple.

Just shows the arrogance of today's movie makers.

Most of them get in because of who they know anyway.
Actually, I don't think they came off as douchebags. After seeing the commentary I got a slightly different feeling...that they really didn't understand the whole Star Trek ethos. Then at the end one of them says it was fun and that they ought to do another one. There was long almost uncomfortable silence from JJ, and he kind of hem and haws his way out of it.

I have to wonder if the Paramount "suits" are a little unhappy with the guy for the $1,000.00 per hour helicopter rides, and renting dodger stadium. Especially when the things cost so much to make in the first place. (Now I know why we got the brewery instead of a decent engine room. As in R. Church's designs for the ship.)
 
I have to wonder if the Paramount "suits" are a little unhappy with the guy for the $1,000.00 per hour helicopter rides, and renting dodger stadium. Especially when the things cost so much to make in the first place. (Now I know why we got the brewery instead of a decent engine room. As in R. Church's designs for the ship.)

No, the Paramount "suits" are really happy with Abrams and his people and this is why they continue to ask them to produce big budget films for the studio - including the next Star Trek movie.

No one is unhappy that money was spent on the drill sequence or the ice planet sequence - shot at Dodger stadium - instead of on an engineering room. Those were important action sequences which helped to make the film a success, while one more room full of throbbing lights would not have mattered to as many as one out of ten thousand viewers.

You know what happens when the studio execs are "a little unhappy" with you? They don't return your calls. There's quite a list of producers you could ask about that.

So you can stop wondering.
 
That said, I do hope we get a better engine room with the next film. Something that DOES look like an engine room. If they don't, it won't kill the next film, but let's face it, they do now have the money.
 
Actually, I don't think they came off as douchebags. After seeing the commentary I got a slightly different feeling...that they really didn't understand the whole Star Trek ethos.

This again. :rolleyes:
Star Trek was as heavily rebooted for TMP as it was for Star Trek (this could get confusing ;)); I guess Roddenberry didn't get the Star Trek ethos either.

Then at the end one of them says it was fun and that they ought to do another one. There was long almost uncomfortable silence from JJ, and he kind of hem and haws his way out of it.

There was no 'uncomfortable silence'. :rolleyes:
 
That said, I do hope we get a better engine room with the next film. Something that DOES look like an engine room. If they don't, it won't kill the next film, but let's face it, they do now have the money.

If it looks as large as the brewery, that would be nice.
If the sets weren't destroyed after filming (doubtful) they should have money for some other 'standing' sets.
 
The very idea that this thread exists and that there are people who are strongly dissatisfied with the supplementary material that has absolutely no bearing on the film at all whatsoever is all the evidence anybody should need that, for whatever the reason, there are people who simply refuse to be satisfied with anything relating to this movie, TOS as a re-boot, or Star Trek displayed in a fashion contrary to previous films (up to and including the fact that they were commercial failures.) (Red Alert! Run on sentence!)


-Withers-​
 
That said, I do hope we get a better engine room with the next film. Something that DOES look like an engine room. If they don't, it won't kill the next film, but let's face it, they do now have the money.

If it looks as large as the brewery, that would be nice.
If the sets weren't destroyed after filming (doubtful) they should have money for some other 'standing' sets.

I read somewhere that all of the sets for the Enterprise have been saved in anticipation of possible sequels.
 
The commentary affirmed the impressions I had of the film while viewing it, that they were intent on making Star Trek more like Star Wars. Indeed in so many words they essentially say that.

But ST09 really isn't a big surprise. Its likes have been almost inevitable with each new travesty Paramount cranked out over the years. The real signs where Trek was going could be seen in VOY and ENT and the TNG films, although there were inklings further back then that. But way back then a different course could have been taken at any time. But with VOY and ENT and the crappy TNG films, and to some extent the bulk of the '80s films as well, then Abrams' movie was pretty much inevitable. And if not him then it likely wouldn't have been much different with someone else in control.

Way back in the '70s a lot of fans decried that Star Trek wasn't getting its due, the credit and recognition it deserved. We didn't know how good we had it. After the '80s films and TNG took it really mainstream the slide into dumb-and-dumber was pretty much inevitable. Some of the DS9 episodes were the last gasp of decent work. After that they were just circling the toilet.

Star Trek was as heavily rebooted for TMP...
TMP was not a reboot in the sense you seem to mean. It was firmly set in the TOS continuity. It was a visual upgrade to feature film standards. Some could debate about where they may have gone too far in some respects. My only real quibble with the film is that it could have been set later a couple of more years perhaps. TMP's other failing though is that it needed more meat in the story, or more specifically a little more character drama between the visual spectacles.

On the other hand TWoK comes off as very much a reboot although not as drastic as ST09. TWoK has a feel to it as if TPTB wanted everyone to pretend TMP didn't happen. TWoK has a good feel to it, very TOS like in terms of character and dynamic, but it doesn't bear much scrutiny in terms of plot and credibility. And Nicholas Meyer's hamfisted approach to some of TOS element's were way off. The most obvious thing was those fucking stupid uniforms that are the perfect visual cue for all the little things Meyer got wrong.
 
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That said, I do hope we get a better engine room with the next film. Something that DOES look like an engine room. If they don't, it won't kill the next film, but let's face it, they do now have the money.

If it looks as large as the brewery, that would be nice.
If the sets weren't destroyed after filming (doubtful) they should have money for some other 'standing' sets.

I read somewhere that all of the sets for the Enterprise have been saved in anticipation of possible sequels.

Maybe, but the sets from The Motion Picture were reused as well. They were recognizable, but they were tweaked. I'm betting some set tweakage will take place for the second Abrams Trek as well. I'm betting they will bring down the lighting on the bridge and Engineering will get a big makeover. Keep the sense of size, but look more like Engineering and less like the place Lavern and Shirley work at.
 
I have to wonder if the Paramount "suits" are a little unhappy with the guy for the $1,000.00 per hour helicopter rides, and renting dodger stadium. Especially when the things cost so much to make in the first place. (Now I know why we got the brewery instead of a decent engine room. As in R. Church's designs for the ship.)

No, the Paramount "suits" are really happy with Abrams and his people and this is why they continue to ask them to produce big budget films for the studio - including the next Star Trek movie.

No one is unhappy that money was spent on the drill sequence or the ice planet sequence - shot at Dodger stadium - instead of on an engineering room. Those were important action sequences which helped to make the film a success, while one more room full of throbbing lights would not have mattered to as many as one out of ten thousand viewers.

You know what happens when the studio execs are "a little unhappy" with you? They don't return your calls. There's quite a list of producers you could ask about that.

So you can stop wondering.
I guess if we follow your ideas we don't need a bridge, a turbo lift, or those corridors either. Too many blinking lights, distract from the profit of all those JJ fanboys going back 22 times to see the stupid film.

You have the controls, I'm out of here.

Good bye and good luck to all!
Regards,
Chuck
 
The commentary affirmed the impressions I had of the film while viewing it, that they were intent on making Star Trek more like Star Wars. Indeed in so many words they essentially say that.

[...]

Way back in the '70s a lot of fans decried that Star Trek wasn't getting its due, the credit and recognition it deserved. We didn't know how good we had it. After the '80s films and TNG took it really mainstream the slide into dumb-and-dumber was pretty much inevitable. Some of the DS9 episodes were the last gasp of decent work. After that they were just circling the toilet.

So, it's just that you wanted everyone to admire your little clubhouse but didn't want them to enter it?

Star Trek was as heavily rebooted for TMP...
TMP was not a reboot in the sense you seem to mean. It was firmly set in the TOS continuity. It was a visual upgrade to feature film standards. Some could debate about where they may have gone too far in some respects. My only real quibble with the film is that it could have been set later a couple of more years perhaps. TMP's other failing though is that it needed more meat in the story, or more specifically a little more character drama between the visual spectacles.

TMP may build on the foundations of TOS, but visually and stylistically there is no connection to TOS whatsoever.

On the other hand TWoK comes off as very much a reboot although not as drastic as ST09. TWoK has a feel to it as if TPTB wanted everyone to pretend TMP didn't happen. TWoK has a good feel to it, very TOS like in terms of character and dynamic, but it doesn't bear much scrutiny in terms of plot and credibility. And Nicholas Meyer's hamfisted approach to some of TOS element's were way off. The most obvious thing was those fucking stupid uniforms that are the perfect visual cue for all the little things Meyer got wrong.

TWOK, like any movie, has it's failings. But it is revealing that even you recognize that it is actually much more like TOS in tone and only differencieates itself visually from it (much like Star Trek).
 
^^ If you cut away my emotional overtones in what I was saying what it boils down to is what constitutes a Trek story and how it's told changed as it got more recognized and more popular. Much of it mightn't have even been conscious on the part of the producers as they focused increasingly on the lowest common denominators with the idea that "this is what Trek really is." Everything else got left by the wayside.

TMP and TWoK are the two best bookends of what TOS was overall: intelligence and enthusiasm. After that in fits and starts intelligence was increasingly dismissed in order to cater to the broadest possible audience. The deciding question became more "What will have the most appeal?" over "What is worthwhile doing?"
 
^^ If you cut away my emotional overtones in what I was saying what it boils down to is what constitutes a Trek story and how it's told changed as it got more recognized and more popular. Much of it mightn't have even been conscious on the part of the producers as they focused increasingly on the lowest common denominators with the idea that "this is what Trek really is." Everything else got left by the wayside.

TMP and TWoK are the two best bookends of what TOS was overall: intelligence and enthusiasm. After that in fits and starts intelligence was increasingly dismissed in order to cater to the broadest possible audience. The deciding question became more "What will have the most appeal?" over "What is worthwhile doing?"

Please, stop putting TOS on such a high pedestal.
And, please, stop insulting those who enjoy being 'just' entertained by Trek.

What I always liked about TOS the most was that sense of adventure and fun that was wrapped around the occasional high-minded, intelligent idea. And that is what got lost over the course of the years, when it Trek became just formula.
Star Trek finally brought the fun, the adventure and the sense of something new back.
And now that the origin story is done, we may even get an interesting idea wrapped in the action in the next film.
 
I have to wonder if the Paramount "suits" are a little unhappy with the guy for the $1,000.00 per hour helicopter rides, and renting dodger stadium. Especially when the things cost so much to make in the first place. (Now I know why we got the brewery instead of a decent engine room. As in R. Church's designs for the ship.)

I believe Paramount has to approve the budget to begin with, or at least I would think that Abrams would have be to transparent with how its being spent. No matter what, it all went to producing a film that produced Paramount a quarter billion dollars or more in profit. Abrams knows what he's doing, that's why he has the multi-film contract with Paramount and something to show for it. :techman:
 
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