"Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9/16!

[jcNX01]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Hey ScottDS - See my note a few posts back. We did a lengthy segment tonight on DVD Geeks radio about the Alternate Realities collective. Although the show was live, we'll have the podcast up in a couple of days. Just check back at dvdgeeks.tv.

Not all the episodes have commentaries, but it's nice to see _new_ commentaries on episodes that didn't have any before. Of particular note is Brannon Braga's commentary on TNG "Parallels." It's one of the more candid of the bunch.

 

[species5618]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Just picked up my set, going to watch "Mirror, Mirror" for the first time in over a decade! Yay!

From looking at the packaging, it seems that they've decided to group the episodes by category (Mirror Universe, alternate realities, etc...) rather than ordering them chronologically (according to airdate*) as they did in past sets.











*Although I could have sworn on one set Enterprise episodes precede TOS episodes.

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

^^The sets that were released in 2006, Borg, Time Travel, and Klingon did have Enterprise preceding the other Trek shows. This was not the case with last year's Captain's Log set, or this year's Alternate Realities set.

 

[blockaderunner]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

I would love it if they did a series about some random crew on a ship in the mirror universe who starts out as bad guys, but as the series went along they become good guys who tries to start a rebellion against the Terran Empire (which would show why the Terran Empire was basically overthrown by the time the DS9 mirror universe episodes came along). If the series was just about some random evil crew, and they were evil throughout the series, it would probably get boring, lol.

The inevitable "turning bad to good" plotline would be just as boring, if not moreso and is cheap attempt at "character development".

If it's good guys you want, why not just watch regular universe Trek? What's the point of exploring an alternate reality if the goal is to make it as stale as the regular reality. Alternate relaities are fun once in a while, but don't dedicate a whole series to it if it's not going to stay true to that reality.

Hmmmm, well if the main characters in this hypothetical series were to be evil throughout the entire run, I admit it would be kind of cool to see what new evil things they do every week for a little while (not that I'm condoning being evil, mind you ), but to me it's infinitely more interesting to see a person, or people, better themselves (especially if they start out bad) rather than just watch a bad person get more evil if there are no protagonists to oppose them. I mean, who wants to watch that? It would get awfully depressing.

I can see what you mean. But in today's TV enviornment, a Mirror Universe series would fit in. Look at the critical accalim of such shows like Mad Men, The Shield, Dexter, The Sopranos, and nuBSG. Most the principle players are less than savory and the few protagonists there are are written off as weak or a joke. That's whay I don't watch any of these or seen enough to know that it's not my cup of tea.

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Well, despite what I said upthread, I went ahead and bought this today. Haven't watched any of it yet, though

 

[USS Kongo]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Are the Classic Trek episodes in this set the remastered shows, with the new CGI effects? Just wondering.

Sean

 

[species5618]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Are the Classic Trek episodes in this set the remastered shows, with the new CGI effects? Just wondering.

Sean

I watched "Mirror, Mirror" last night and it sure was remastered, much to my surprise--it's a safe bet that the rest of the Original Series episodes on the set are as well.

As far as "Mirror, Mirror" I didn't notice any obvious tinkering beyond the external shots of the Enterprise (I know some people loathe the remastered episodes, but damn did the ship look good!), and perhaps some of the transporter effects.

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

I do remember reading somewhere that all the TOS episodes on the set are supposed to be the remastered versions. Although with those episodes, I don't think there was very much to change beyond orbital shots and ship flybys.

 

[USS Kongo]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

^Thanks. That's interesting. I may buy this set just because of that. I've never seen any of the remastered shows and am curious about them.

Sean

 

[The Wormhole]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Not to derail this thread too much, but of the few remastered episodes I've seen, the only one I found particularly impressive was The Corbomite Maneuver. Although, I do admit I missed the remastered Doomsday Machine, which managed to blow away many people I know who were skeptical about the remastering.

 

[jcNX01]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

IMHO, the remaster of "Mirror, Mirror" isn't that outstanding. Overall, it's cleaner and clearer than what you've seen before, but there aren't too many FX shots to begin with. There are some nice little touches like the Agonizer leaving a little "glow" on Kyle when Spock removes it. For the most part, any composite shots (like people on viewscreens, etc) look the worst. There are still dust/scratches that haven't been removed - perhaps too much labor if they didn't have the original elements as separate film to rebuild the composite effect.

 

[egonbeeblebrox]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Who does the commentary on "The Enemy Within?"

 

[jcNX01]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens do the commentary for "The Enemy Within." It's not bad, but since they weren't there at the time or associated with the show, it's not as intimate a commentary as the others.

 

[KayArr]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

I've only watched the first 2 discs so far, but I'm liking this collection a lot. I haven't seen the DS9 MU shows, but I like them--and "The Visitor" is a fave of mine, so glad that's included later. I really disliked the Enterprise MU shows because they took away 2 shows that could have been dedicated to the characters I loved, but surprisingly I liked the episodes as part of this collection--good campy fun!

There's a short overview/featurette of the episodes for MU (2 parts), Parallel Dimensions, Twisted Realities, and Alternate Lives (2 parts)--a nice change from the other bare bones collectives, though they are a bit fluffy, there's some good stuff in them, though.

I forgot how much I liked "Parallels," and I really enjoyed Braga's commentary.

More when I finish the collection--

 

[omnirad]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

It sure would be cool if there was a "mirror universe" Star Trek series.

It's been made. It's called nuBSG.

So, TPTB won't do my idea of The Worst Of Trek Fan Collective? That would be cool. Imagine Spock's Brain, The Outrageous Okana, Take Me Out To The Holosuite, Threshold, A Night In Sickbay, and so many other turds being trashed by commentary by the MST3K cast or even the cast of the actual episodes. THAT's something worth buying. I would show that TPTB have a sense of humor and they would rightfully bury those stinky corn nuggets.

"Take Me Out To the Holosuite" a turd!?! That is a damn fun episode, and the last blast of levity before the ten part dominion war/dukat-winn meltdown. If you must include a DS9 ep, how about "Prodigal Daughter". What a waste of Trill swill!

 

[KayArr]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

I actually loved the Reeves-Stevens' commentary on Enemy Within--I found it very interesting. David Carson's commentary on Yesterday's Enterprise was fantastic--one of the best I've heard in terms of an audio commentary. I've never forgiven the writers for ruining YE by introducing Sela--grrrrrrrr!!! I think that I'll keep YE as canon and ignore Mind's Eye and all the Sela eps--I wasn't crazy about Spock in Unification, anyway.

 

[arch101]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

I'm not the biggest Voyager fan in the galaxy, but wouldn't "Year of Hell" qualify for this set? I could gladly do without "Turnabout Intruder"

 

[ialfan]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

I'm not the biggest Voyager fan in the galaxy, but wouldn't "Year of Hell" qualify for this set? I could gladly do without "Turnabout Intruder"

"Year of Hell" was already in the Time Travel set so I am glad they didn't include it again.

 

[ChristopherPike]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

Originally the plan was to include all the Mirror Universe episodes and make up the episode count with other alternate dimension stories. Somewhere along the line, the goal posts were shifted. Factor in anything with evil twins, psychotic trips and out of body experiences. Equal coverage between all five series seems to have been made a priority, instead of letting the best episodes rise to the top of the pile. At least that's my opinion. It's the same kind of mess which allowed These are the Voyages onto the Captain's Log set, I figure...

 

[KayArr]

Re: "Alternate Realities" Fan Collective DVD set coming out on Tues. 9

From what I've read, we're not missing much with those last 2 MU episodes. I thought it was a nice mix of episodes and liked having 4 from each, though I refuse to watch Course Oblivion. I decided that Turnabout Intruder was cheesy, awful fun. I did miss having a Voyager commentary, though.

Really, Carson's, Braga's, and the Reeves-Stevens' commentaries were great--better than the norm, I'd say.