30 Years of The Motion Picture

[librarytrekker78]

Besides marking the 68th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, today marks the 30th Anniversary of The Motion Picture. For some TMP is reviled, for others it's "Meh" and others still it's the greatest Trek movie of all. In my humble opinion, Star Trek as we know it may not exist or exist in a different form. TMP gave us an new version of the Enterprise, with sets that would be used for at least the next 20 years! It gave us an new look for the Klingons. It gave us some really good music and for the time, some good special effects. Happy 30th TMP!

 

[Chrisisall]

 

[Bones2]

Wow, 30 years. That's long enough to have watched it nearly 4 times.

 

[bbailey861]

Holy cow, 30 years. I never thought of that until it was posted here. Man, I'm getting old. Does it hold up well on the Blu-ray transfer?

 

[RandyS]

Holy cow, 30 years. I never thought of that until it was posted here. Man, I'm getting old. Does it hold up well on the Blu-ray transfer?

You think you're old? I was 9 years old when TMP came out, and remember my mom taking me to see it in the theater when it was new. In fact, our local FOX station (just a local station at the time) began daily showings of the TOS reruns (Something they would do with every subsequent film release, if they weren't showing it already), and she and I watched them, and I said "They made a TV series out of that crap?" (TMP has never been one of my favorites, and at the time I preferred Star Wars), and my mom explained the history of the show, how she and he sister watched it first-run in the '60's, and how I watched TAS first run when I was three (I didn't remember that).

 

[Kirkman1987]

Besides marking the 68th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, today marks the 30th Anniversary of The Motion Picture. QUOTE]

yes, two events which will live in infamy.......

Just kidding, I like TMP a lot. I can see why some may have been dissapointed at the time. It is slow and the characters aren't quite themselves since they've been away from the enterprise. However, watching it years later knowing we'll be getting movie after movie with big villians and klingons I apprectiate the subtance of The Motion Picture.

I also think it has some of the best music in the franchise, and the Enterprise refit may be my favorite ship. The uniforms weren't that good, but I like Kirk's green and white command uniform.

 

[bbailey861]

Holy cow, 30 years. I never thought of that until it was posted here. Man, I'm getting old. Does it hold up well on the Blu-ray transfer?

You think you're old? I was 9 years old when TMP came out, and remember my mom taking me to see it in the theater when it was new. In fact, our local FOX station (just a local station at the time) began daily showings of the TOS reruns (Something they would do with every subsequent film release, if they weren't showing it already), and she and I watched them, and I said "They made a TV series out of that crap?" (TMP has never been one of my favorites, and at the time I preferred Star Wars), and my mom explained the history of the show, how she and he sister watched it first-run in the '60's, and how I watched TAS first run when I was three (I didn't remember that).

Yup, old. I was already serving in the military when it came out.

 

[Penhall99]

I've always liked TMP. Yes, its flawed, but its still a solid film.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Yup, old. I was already serving in the military when it came out.

The gala preview of TMP was a hot topic of discussion at my 21st birthday party. My friend had been so impressed by the phenomenon of a cinema filled with costumed audience members, who applauded the opening credits and cheered the entrances of every main character, inspired me to check out this highly-publicized reunion movie of a TV show I mainly only remembered via b/w episodes of TAS.

I was hooked.

 

[Penhall99]

To those that saw TMP in theatres back in '79:

What was your initial reaction? Were you happy with the movie?

 

[Data Holmes]

*Raises glass*

 

[startrekrcks]

I think it is good what did you think of the story I wasn't born when it came out in 1979.

 

[Mysterion]

To those that saw TMP in theatres back in '79:

What was your initial reaction? Were you happy with the movie?

I celebrated my 18th birthday by skipping school and being the first in line at the Everett Theater (Everett, WA) to see TMP.

My initial reaction was very positive. I mean this was actual new Star Trek! Something we hadn't had for quite awhile at that point in time.

After my friends and I had seen it a couple times, the gloss started to wear off a bit. We starred to notice the glacial pacing through the middle of the film, and the similarities of the story to a couple of TOS episodes, etc.

I still think of it as a good movie, but it isn't a great movie, IMO, as some folks proclaim it to be.

 

[DimesDan]

I think it is good what did you think of the story I wasn't born when it came out in 1979.

Nor was I, hell, I wasn't even born when Wrath of Kahn came out either.

 

[startrekrcks]

Happy 30th birthday to Star Trek TMP also what was your initial reaction after you seen it?

 

[Bones2]

I think it is good what did you think of the story I wasn't born when it came out in 1979.

You don't say.

The story? Really boring.

And would they really applaud every main character's appearance? As I recall, Bones is the first transport we see after the accident, so there's always a slight jolt when that happens. Bad pacing there.

 

[Search4]

I saw it in early days at the premier theatre in NYC - the one you went undergound. I do think it was named the Paramount.

We were very excited going in and pretty unhappy going out. Too slow, drawn out, blah blah. Wrong characterization. I appreciate it now greatly, but then it didn't ring the bell.

My in - theatre reaction to Wrath of Khan was MUCH better.

30 years. Whew.

 

[Chi'pok]

I am about to watch it on DVD in celebration of the anniversary.

I was ten years old and visiting my father in South Carolina. I dragged him and my stepmother to see it; the theater was packed; I remember liking it (the parts I understood at the time); my stepmother told me years later she didn't like it (probably because of the slow pacing, etc.); I think my dad liked it; sadly I can't ask him now that he has passed.

anyway, those are my memories of TMP.

 

[Chrisisall]

To those that saw TMP in theatres back in '79:

What was your initial reaction? Were you happy with the movie?

Great movie, but where were the ship's phasers, why did the photon torpedoes look & sound wrong, and what's up with the Klingon make-up??

 

[Therin of Andor]

To those that saw TMP in theatres back in '79:

What was your initial reaction? Were you happy with the movie?

As I said, audiences on the gala preview night in Sydney were mostly enthusiastic, but I do know of a few (who'd already seen it at the Smithsonian world premiere), who excused themselves in Sydney, to wait in the lobby, after the Klingon sequence. While many diehard fans were just pleased to have live-action Star Trek back after a decade, there were plenty of angry detractors who felt TMP shouldn't have been attempted at all. They also felt cheated that it was so much like "The Changeling". Where Nomad had gone before. The Motionless Picture.

I was lucky in that I was a newbie, with only TAS under my belt, and a few random TOS episodes - and I had just picked up the novelization. I couldn't find anyone to go with me, and ended up finishing the novelization before even getting to the cinema. I went alone, and absolutely fell in love with the film. Everything. The sets, the costumes, the music, the characters, the actors... Afterwards, I realised I hadn't noticed any of the new aliens (from "Starlog" articles, the official cinema program, and the inner sleeve of the soundtrack LP). I went back just to go alien spotting, and then saw it several more times in quick succession.

A few weeks later, I found the local fan groups and, to my confusion, found that many members disliked the movie or didn't understand where V'ger, Decker and Ilia went at the end. They also didn't consider me a "real" Star Trek fan, and it took me several years to prove my worthiness, eventually becoming the club president. My geekiness outlasted them.