ST:TMP on Blu-Ray - a second look

[Oso Blanco]

I like the theatrical version the best, but would love to have a copy of the ABC Special Longer Version on Blu-ray.

The SLV on BluRay ... please, please please ... let me get what I want!

 

[Oso Blanco]

One thing about the Special Longer Version is that it's only ever been available in pan and scan versions. If you bought the widescreen TOS movie collections, you got the theatrical cut, but if you bought the pan and scan box, you often got the SLV. One of the reasons it's only available in the 4x3 format is that some of the scenes included in this longer cut used footage that included unfinished sets. In the 4x3 versions, the unfinished parts of the sets can be cropped out. If a longer version were ever prepared for DVD/Bluray, one of the decisions they'll have to make will be whether to spend the money to CGI over these unfinished parts, or simply present it as is with a disclaimer at the beginning of the film (which would be fine with me).

Or they could simply present it in 4:3, which is the only aspect ratio in which it has ever existed. It was made for TV broadcast.

There is a selfmade DVD out there, made up from officially available material. And apart from the "Kirk leaves the airlock" scene I couldn't see any unfinished sets.

 

[Procutus]

I doubt that. The only scene that really applies to is Kirk leaving the ship in his spacesuit. You can still see the part of the stage that was supposed to be painted over in the cropped version, and including it in the film proper even with completed effects is problematic, anyway, since Kirk is wearing the old version of the spacesuit from before they shot the simplified spacewalk.

You're absolutely right about the difference in Kirk's spacesuit, yet I confess that when the DE was released ten years ago, I had been hoping that one of the things they'd do with the new CGI work was to finish the airlock scene and show the rest of the ship behind him. But from an editing point of view, I can understand why they didn't.

It's right up there with not having actually included the scene with Kirk and Nogura. Though in GR novel (ghosted by ADF), I'm not even sure that a scene was filmed... I know there was discussion of having cast an Asian actor for Nogura, but I don't think it came to pass.

Therin, you're well-versed on this movie; is there a missing scene that was filmed or was that just for the novelization?

 

[Indysolo]

It's right up there with not having actually included the scene with Kirk and Nogura. Though in GR novel (ghosted by ADF)...

The Nogura scene was never filmed.

It's been confirmed numerous times that Gene Roddenberry did indeed write the TMP novelization and not Alan Dean Foster.

Neil

 

[The Castellan]

I would love to see "The Director's Edition" on Blu-Ray. I understand why they can't right now, but they should do this soon. No one is going to bat an eye if they redo the newer FX from the Director's cut, so that they look good in HD.

Oh, and while they are at it... isn't it about damn time for a Director's Edition of Star Trek V? I still enjoy Shatner's film, and it is only the bad FX that really bother me on that one.

Same here. Felt very TOS, and I can live with inferior visual effects, especially considering that there was a strike at the time. Had the strike not happened, I bet this film would be getting a lot less flack than it does right now.

 

[Procutus]

It's been confirmed numerous times that Gene Roddenberry did indeed write the TMP novelization and not Alan Dean Foster.

Thanks for the clarification. I still thought that there was some speculation that Foster did in fact, write the book.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Are you sure that Foster didn't write the book, based on the script written by GR?

I never knew GR was that type of writer.

 

[Harvey]

IIRC, according to the introduction to The Making of Star Trek--The Motion Picture, Roddenberry was unable to participate fully in that book because he had a commitment to write the tie-in novelization. (Though, being Roddenberry, he still took co-authorship credit and, presumably, half the royalties). That suggests to me that he wrote it.

 

[Maurice]

^^^It's not written like Foster's work. It ain't Foster.

 

[David cgc]

Are you sure that Foster didn't write the book, based on the script written by GR?

I never knew GR was that type of writer.

Oh, he's not, but that didn't keep him from trying. One of the big giveaways (aside from the adolescent sexuality) was long stretches of narration would be italicized for emphasis, a fairly common practice in scripts, but awful form in a prose novel.

 

[Maurice]

^^^You don't italicize in scripts, you underline! And only bad writers do that very much at all.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Though in GR novel (ghosted by ADF)

The novelization was not ghost written by ADF. That was "Star Wars". Contractually, he wasn't supposed to confirm that it wasn't written by George Lucas, but he leaked it out. "Splinter of the Mind's Eye" was his original thank you for ghostwriting the novelization (and keeping it quiet).

The rumour that ADF ghost wrote TMP's novelization as well supposedly comes from an error in the first printing of the French translation, where his "story by..." screen credit (for turning "Robot's Return" into "In Thy Image" - and that was all he did, but contractually was promised a "story by..." credit by Roddenberry despite future rewrites) was placed on the title page, but Roddenberry's and Harold Livingston's were accidentally left off. ADF has denied in print interviews that he ghost wrote it - and he has no reason to lie - and Susan Sackett's reports from the set mentioned that, towards the end of filming, GR was often "at home", desperately working on the novelization. The novelization is definitely not in ADF's distinct style. The limited edition hardcover is dedicated "To Majel".

I'm not even sure that a scene was filmed... I know there was discussion of having cast an Asian actor for Nogura, but I don't think it came to pass.
Therin, you're well-versed on this movie; is there a missing scene that was filmed or was that just for the novelization?

It was not cast or filmed. Toshiro Mifune was supposedly being sought. I believe "Chekov's Enterprise", Koenig's diary on the making of the movie, has a discussion that someone suggested the role to be played by Roddenberry himself. A wall was created for Nogura's office, but not required.

I still thought that there was some speculation that Foster did in fact, write the book.

Only from fans who won't listen.

 

[Procutus]

^


Okay, I stand completely corrected! Sorry about the faulty memory concerning Foster.

It's been years since I read the novelization, though I do recall the extensive use of italicized passages, as mentioned by a number of folks. If I can find it, I'll refamiliarize myself with GR's unusual style of writing.

 

[milo bloom]

One thing about the Special Longer Version is that it's only ever been available in pan and scan versions. If you bought the widescreen TOS movie collections, you got the theatrical cut, but if you bought the pan and scan box, you often got the SLV. One of the reasons it's only available in the 4x3 format is that some of the scenes included in this longer cut used footage that included unfinished sets. In the 4x3 versions, the unfinished parts of the sets can be cropped out. If a longer version were ever prepared for DVD/Bluray, one of the decisions they'll have to make will be whether to spend the money to CGI over these unfinished parts, or simply present it as is with a disclaimer at the beginning of the film (which would be fine with me).

Or they could simply present it in 4:3, which is the only aspect ratio in which it has ever existed. It was made for TV broadcast.

There is a selfmade DVD out there, made up from officially available material. And apart from the "Kirk leaves the airlock" scene I couldn't see any unfinished sets.

That one must have stuck in my head as a bigger problem than it actually is, sorry for the confusion.

Still, to me, that means it might be easier to create a widescreen release of the SLV for Blu/DVD if that's the only major scene that would need CGI touchups.

I grew up with the SLV on VHS, and there's so many little beats that are missing from the theatrical and the director's cut that I still miss. I also grew up with a taped-from-TV copy of TWOK and getting the theatrical cut on the first DVD they released of that movie was pretty jarring. Was very glad to get the extended cut on the two disc DVD set and I still hold out a tiny spark of hope for nice version of the TMP SLV.


(Amusing counterpoint [well, amusing to me, anyways], unlike TWOK and TMP which were expanded for TV viewings, my taped-from-TV versions of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were cut for time. Having watched those tapes so many times as a child, I'm still thrown off by the full versions sometimes.)



One more thought, the extended TV cut of David Lynch's Dune was once thought to be relegated to 4x3 showings only, but the last DVD release of Lynch's film included both the theatrical cut in 16x9 for the first time, but then also a 16x9 enhanced widescreen transfer of the longer cut. There were still a few unfinished FX and other minor bugaboos, but for fans of that cut like myself, it was still far more than we had ever hoped to own.

 

[Phantassm]

"The Director's Edition". There is no comparison.

Neil

What he said.

 

[22 Stars]

"The Director's Edition". There is no comparison.

Neil

What he said.

This. Now would you PLEASE sit down

And could we get Darren the funds to give us the DE on Bluray!?

 

[Maurice]

I'm not even sure that a scene was filmed... I know there was discussion of having cast an Asian actor for Nogura, but I don't think it came to pass.
Therin, you're well-versed on this movie; is there a missing scene that was filmed or was that just for the novelization?

It was not cast or filmed. Toshiro Mifune was supposedly being sought. I believe "Chekov's Enterprise", Koenig's diary on the making of the movie, has a discussion that someone suggested the role to be played by Roddenberry himself. A wall was created for Nogura's office, but not required.

Plans for Nogura's office appear on page 53 of the Phase II book and are dated 10-10-77, so were probably built for the aborted TV movie. The walls were repurposed to be the cargo pod-containing walls seen in the cargo deck in TMP.

 

[Procutus]

Toshiro Mifune was supposedly being sought.

That would've been all kinds of awewsome if they could've actually gotten Mifune to play the part of Nogura. I would've relished watching him and Shatner do the scene as it was written in the Roddenberry-penned novelization.



Funny how a character who never actually made it to the screen continues to have an impact on Trek, as Nogura has been featured in the Vanguard novels.

 

[Maurice]

^^^
Philip Kaufman wanted Mifune to play a Klingon in his aborted Planet of the Titans film, so that wouldn't be the first time his name came up on a Star Trek movie wish list.

 

[22 Stars]

Instead of Robau in Trek 09, they should have named/made the character Nogura, that would have fun. Shame he wouldn't live to have that conversation years later with James Kirk.