TMP on Blu-Ray

[Leto_II]

Fair enough, although it's actually Wise himself (on-camera) who goes into a good amount of detail about the re-editing process in the DVD documentary (as well as on the audio commentary track), and claims that he personally supervised things -- as you mention, it's not really provable either way, but Wise's own words kind of give that theory a tiny bit more heft (as it were).

 

[Hober Mallow]

What the PR people said about the depth of Wise's involvement and what actually transpired isn't provable, obviously, but the editorial choices in the film don't match what Wise previously said he wanted to do if he could recut the film, and the number of fan wanky changes made in the DE smack of someone else driving the bus (hello Sharpline).

Haven't seen the DE since it was released, but just off the top of my head: I'm hard-pressed to think how the CGI addition of an original series shuttlecraft as an easter egg is supposed to have contributed to Wise's original vision of the film.

 

[Maurice]

^^^Or changing San Francisco to match the later films, or superimposing the stardate on that scene, or changing the size of the cloud, etc. etc.

 

[OneBuckFilms]

The San Francisco change was actually to reflect more clearly the ideal earth of Gene Roddenberry.

 

[Saturn0660]

If they were lost, it'd be the exact same situation that happened to Babylon 5, and which is preventing that series from getting an HD upgrade -- essentially, the original CGI files created way back in the mid-'90s were dumped out of memory and lost.

What this means is that Warner Bros. will have to spent a huge amount of money to create brand-new visual FX from scratch if they ever want to release B5 on Blu-Ray.

But at least they wouldn't look so fake. I loved B5 but thats the one thing I always hated about it.. The CGI was cool. But looked 100% fake. Great for the 90's Not so much today.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Great for the 90's Not so much today.

It wasn't even good in the 90s, although the FX guys were some of the early TV CGI pioneers and they got better as they went along.

 

[Lance]

The original special effects for B5 were famously done on 'Video Toaster' technology used on the old Commodore Amiga computers, right? Did they ever get around to updating it to more regular PCs later on? Changing to a completely different computer system might have contributed to those earlier FX shots no longer being available. As well as the fact that the commercial life of the Amiga itself died sometime around 1994. Could the Amiga files have been migrated to a new operating system?

EDIT: Wikipedia tells me they stopped using the Amiga after the first season.

 

[SpHeRe31459]

EDIT: Wikipedia tells me they stopped using the Amiga after the first season.

Right. Video Toaster eventually became PC software, not tied to the Amiga, and then eventually morphed into software widely used today called Lightwave 3D.

 

[austen_pierce]

SLV or go home.

Seriously, there's so many character beats that are hardwired to my memory of that movie, watching it so many times on VHS, that no current version seems right.

I would gladly pay good money for a deluxe three version Bluray set: theatrical, DE and SLV.

What in the world does Paramount have against these type of releases for Trek?????

I am so relieved we got the original cut of The Motion Picture on Blu-Ray instead of the Director Edition abomination that came out a decade ago. The original cinema release from 1979 is the definitive cut of TMP and no one should tinker with it. It is what it is and shouldn't have been messed with.

I am just glad that Paramount had the usual foresight to render the new DE effects in SD thus sparing us from its HD release. If someone from Paramount reads this, please ensure you never let some fool looking for a quick buck talk you into remastering the DE for the undoubted future blu-ray special uber edition. It is not broken, it does not need fixing, it is what it is and we love it.

The best thing that could happen for any future TMP release would be to go back to original camera negative and rebuild the movie from there using the exact same system CBS digital are using on TNG right now. Imagine those wonderful effects recomposited with 21st century technology... the original elements but without noise/matte lines etc NO NEW CGI, just the original but better.

OH and please Paramount, when you re-re-re release TMP on bluray please please don't scrub the grain off. DNR SUCKS. Keep the grain intact, scan at 8k or 16k or whatever and do it right next time. Just ask CBS Digital to do it! (Not HTV)

Thats funny, I thought the DE was the only thing that made rewatching TMP worthwhile.

Actually, I wouldn't go quite that far (see below). My nirvana would be the DE effects with all the footage added back in. Pacing be damned, I want ALL the content.

One thing I wish the DE had included is the extended argument between Kirk and McCoy in Kirk's quarters ("And another thing..." "Get out of here, Bones.").

Ditto. Classic Kirk annoyance scene. Can't get enough of that!

 

[Maurice]

The San Francisco change was actually to reflect more clearly the ideal earth of Gene Roddenberry.

Boy have you got that backwards.

 

[maneth]

I enjoyed the blu-ray version I have. It mentions the 82 AU size of the cloud so I assume it's not the DE...

 

[BillJ]

I enjoyed the blu-ray version I have. It mentions the 82 AU size of the cloud so I assume it's not the DE...

It is the original theatrical release. All the TOS film Blu-rays are.

 

[Saturn0660]

Great for the 90's Not so much today.

It wasn't even good in the 90s, although the FX guys were some of the early TV CGI pioneers and they got better as they went along.

Well, i guess "great" in the way that there was so much of it.. It did look kinda shitty but in a "cool" kinda way.. But i enjoyed it anyway.

 

[Grant]

I enjoyed the blu-ray version I have. It mentions the 82 AU size of the cloud so I assume it's not the DE...

It is the original theatrical release. All the TOS film Blu-rays are.

 

[borgboy]

The lack of DE versions is why I have yet to re-buy the TOS movies on blu ray yet.

 

[Grant]

The lack of DE versions is why I have yet to re-buy the TOS movies on blu ray yet.

 

[Warped9]

The lack of DE versions is why I have yet to re-buy the TOS movies on blu ray yet.

Yep, I have the TMP and TWOK on DVD, but I'd pick them up if released on BluRay.

 

[BillJ]

The lack of DE versions is why I have yet to re-buy the TOS movies on blu ray yet.

I'm much happier with the theatrical cuts. Never was much of a "DE" man. Usually scenes are cut for a good reason.

 

[Grant]

I guess it's better for Paramount to only have one version of each on Blu so they don't have to bother with sales from folks who like the Director's cuts or the TMP 'Longer Edition'.

I am glad the DVDs of 2 and 6 were pretty good transfers---so I don't mind too much.

But the fans of the TMP SLV are screwed because that version isn't even available on regular DVD.

 

[SchwEnt]

But the fans of the TMP SLV are screwed because that version isn't even available on regular DVD.

^^^ and how!