Happy Birthday TFF
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Because TNG was on at the same time TFF came out, I guess. You had Trek on TV and in theaters, "old" and "new." First time that situation happened, I think.
There were also the poorly and slightly redressed TNG sets used for TFF that stood out like sore thumbs.
There was also the dichotomy of having TNG on weekly, where the Klingons were allies; then going to the theater for a TOS film, where they're enemies.
I love all eras of Trek, so I'm not using one incarnation for or against another.
In the spirit of celebrating the anniversary of TFF take a gander at this ad featuring James Doohan!
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s75Ge7e0nhE&feature=player_embedded[/yt]
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s75Ge7e0nhE&feature=player_embedded[/yt]
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The Numbers indicates the budget was an even $30 million, and when prints and advertising are factored in, it probably cost Paramount between $45 and $60 million. Even if the studio (the distributor) took in 75% of these grosses that's only $47 million, or just above the break-even point for the low end of that estimate. Of course, 50-60% is the average that studios earn from domestic grosses, and foreign grosses result in even less for the studio (40%). Since the film earned $52 million in the United States and $18 million abroad, we can deduce that Paramount earned between $33.2 and $38.4 million theatrically. That covers the production budget, but it doesn't cover prints and advertising.
To add insult to injury, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home cost $6 million less and grossed twice as much as Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.
Yeah, it was nearly a franchise killer. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country had a budget that was either the same or reduced from its predecessor and was set to be released at the height of Paramount's big 25th anniversary promotional event, and still it was almost cancelled by the studio.
So what exactly did that have to do with celebrating the date? Are TNG fans that insecure about their shows place in Star Trek lore that they have to bash the original every chance they get?
It's funny, Shatner and Nimoy show more life today than Stewart and company showed in 2003 with Nemesis.
Eh...well I disagree. Even in Insurrection there was more energy than STV and STVI. I don't recall any review where anyone felt the NG crew were going through the motions, but that came up a lot in STV and STVI reviews...yup the writing was on the wall.
RAMA
Sometimes its not just about money. It was also perceived that the failure of STV meant that Trek's day was simply over on the big screen with the old cast. When the studio thinks this then its a big problem. Luckily, Paramount also had STNG running parallel and its popularity arc was the exact opposite of Trek V.
RAMA
Aww man, that was brilliant! Thanks for posting.Gawd...did we really look like that in 1989? Doesn't seem THAT long ago.
Hey Harvey, that's a great analysis. Incredible to think that TFF could have stopped the TOS films in their tracks so soon after the mega-hit that was TVH.
Given the appalling (the fan and mainstream newspaper reviews were scathing) word of mouth this film seemed to generate, and the unprecedented big name competition for the movie watchers' dollar (Batman, Bond, Lethal Weapon etc all in theatres at once, along with free Trek on TV in the form of a fast-improving TNG), I'm sure the suits would have been happy to make anything at all.
Personally, I can still watch TFF over and over. I see what Shatner was trying to pull off, but for various well documented reasons, it failed to come together for him. I felt in 1989, as I do now, that it seemed like a third season TOS episode - unfortunately with special effects that look like they were made in 1969 as well. The poor effects work has always made this film seem like the odd one out in the TOS series.
Anyway, happy birthday TFF, a film whose heart was in the right place, and that gave us plenty of great moments for our big three
Oh, and, to this day, my Kraft STV Marsh-melon dispenser is still one of my most prized Trek collectibles
I remember an interview with Nimoy wherein he explained that when the shoot was running behind schedule, Shanter just started directing things faster and faster to finish on time. And, you could have guessed that from the finished film. (Realistically, even good direction couldn't have saved that script.)
In his interviews before the film's release, Shatner semed almost giddy, as if "Nimbus Three" and everything surrounding it was just the most clever science fiction idea ever.
He really didn't have a clue.
In his interviews before the film's release, Shatner semed almost giddy, as if "Nimbus Three" and everything surrounding it was just the most clever science fiction idea ever.
He really didn't have a clue.
I remember seeing Shat, IIRC, on the Tonight Show, doing promotional rounds for the film. I'm not sure if it was right before or right after the film was released, but to me, he seemed quite nervous, almost embarrassed, as if he was having an integrity crisis promoting a file he knew wasn't quite up to snuff.
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