Coming in 4K - Star Trek's 1-IV??

[JamesRye]

Just this morning, Amazon France dropped a listing for a box set of the first four Star Trek films in 4K Ultra HD with a street date of September 8.

https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/060921-0800

 

[arch101]

Given other discussions about this, I think that listing is a bit premature and will be withdrawn.

 

[Kor]

It seems the listing has already been taken down, since the link doesn't work anymore.

They could have already done the TWOK DE as a UHD disc if they really wanted to. It's been available in 4K on iTunes for some time.

Kor

 

[Tomalak]

It seems the listing has already been taken down, since the link doesn't work anymore.

They could have already done the TWOK DE as a UHD disc if they really wanted to. It's been available in 4K on iTunes for some time.

Kor

Bill Hunt addressed that in another article. Essentially it's a catch 22 because Paramount don't want to release just one film, because people will want the whole collection, but they aren't quite willing to spend the money to remaster them all up front.

A set of the first four films therefore has a slight ring of truth, because it would be a toe in the water and includes two of the most popular films, one of which has already been remastered in 4K.

But I won't hold my breath...

And the TMP Director's Cut is a whole other issue.

https://trek.report/news/an-update-on-the-status-of-star-trek-4k/

 

[Grant]

The link went up prematurely and was taken down. But it is a legit item and will go back up after Paramount announces it.
It will contain the theatrical of TMP though.

 

[StalwartUK]

I doubt we'll see anything but the theatrical version of TMP from now on. Remastering etc. probably would be too expensive. It's gone the way of the so-called "Special Longer Version" that has only ever seen the light of day on VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc and like the Director's Edition was at one time pretty much the only version of the movie you could get (at least for the US).

Far easier to just scan an original print/negative and call it a day.

You'd think though they would do at least TFF and TUC too so you could have a 4K boxset with all the TOS movies and then maybe do the TNG films later.

 

[Bad Robot]

I doubt we'll see anything but the theatrical version of TMP from now on. Remastering etc. probably would be too expensive. It's gone the way of the so-called "Special Longer Version" that has only ever seen the light of day on VHS, Betamax and LaserDisc and like the Director's Edition was at one time pretty much the only version of the movie you could get (at least for the US).

Far easier to just scan an original print/negative and call it a day.

You'd think though they would do at least TFF and TUC too so you could have a 4K boxset with all the TOS movies and then maybe do the TNG films later.

I understand why they didn't. I believe in the hierarchy of the First Four. V and VI are both smaller films, as evidenced by the fact that casual fans persistently confuse the two (they did it back then as well).

I will be disappointed though (as in actually disgusted) if we never get the TMP director's cut. Anyone who wants it will know what they need to do. 4k is virtually useless to me, but I'll definitely be picking these up. It will be worth it just to have new transfers (and hopefully remasters, except in the obvious case of II) that weren't digitally scrubbed.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I doubt we'll see anything but the theatrical version of TMP from now on. Remastering etc. probably would be too expensive.

The original DE team is still in consultation with Paramount, but (of course) no one is at liberty to say anything more until Paramount decides it is time for a Media Release.

Currently on our "Star Trek - The Motion Picture Appreciation Society" Facebook group, we have a memo from David C. Fein (Producer, Star Trek: The Motion Picture–The Director's Edition) that addresses the current situation (as of 8th June, 2021) and it reads:

"A quick note for everyone...

"'Star Trek: The Motion Picture–The Director's Edition' is Robert Wise’s finished film and was originally created in SD for a successful worldwide DVD release. Thanks to great evolutionary jumps in entertainment technology, now is the ideal time to bring 'The Director's Edition' to current standards and future-proof it so it can be enjoyed – just like any other film – in any format. Spelled out, this includes a theatrical DCP, 4k UHD, Blu-Ray, streaming, digital purchase, etc.

"Much of what I read lately about this project and how it's to be released is inaccurate, outdated, and certainly doesn't relate to my experiences with Paramount in regard to the completion of the film and the formats that are being planned.

"When those decisions have been made, I'm sure there will be an official release announcment. Until then, I wouldn't worry or believe much of what you read on the internet.

"P.S. anytime you read something that refers to 'The Director's Edition' as the 'Director's Cut', you can essentially dismiss it as unofficial and uninformed."

 

[Grant]

For now all I'm worried about is getting the trilogy in September and the theatrical cut of the first movie will just be a bonus as far as I'm concerned until they finish the director's Edition.

 

[valkyrie013]

Grew up watching the longer tv version since I VCR'd it from the Tele. It feels weird when I watch the other versions.

 

[BillJ]

It would be a crime to leave the SLV out of a new release.

 

[Grant]

Since the theatrical and the SLV could fit onto the same disc with seamless branching and since this first release coming in September is most certainly not the Director's Edition this is probably the last chance of the special longer Edition getting a release in high definition. If they revisit the movie again it will be the Director's Edition which is not compatible to Branch with the special longer version. So the fans of the special longer version may have their best shot with this next release. But honestly in my heart I feel like the studio does not care to ever release the SLV again.

 

[Tomalak]

I've long hoped for a comprehensive release of TMP with the theatrical cut, the SLV and the DC. I'd settle for the first two, but I'd be disappointed if it was only the theatrical.

Given the TWOK release gave us essentially the theatrical and the TV cuts, there is precedent.

 

[Grant]

The SLV of the motion picture was thrown together by the network in 1983. The director's cut footage was specifically picked out by Nicholas Meyer in 1985. So for all intents and purposes The Wrath of Khan "TV" cut WAS the director's cut.
EDIT: Because I misspoke about theatrical vs. TV cut. Sorry.

 

[Tomalak]

Meyer doesn't really like to call the extended version a "director's cut" for that reason - they're both his cut, just different versions.

 

[Grant]

The three and a half minutes that he added back in were the final cuts forced on him by by Paramount before they released Wrath of Khan. So when ABC and or Paramount asked him what he would like to put back for the first television showing he knew exactly the footage that he wanted.

 

[Oso Blanco]

I don't care a bit for the DE, and I will never ever watch it again. All I want before I die is the SLV in widescreen HD!

 

[Kor]

It's interesting that one or two little snippets that were added to the TWOK "Director's Edition" on DVD were not included in the "Director's Cut" on blu-ray. So they are two different versions of the movie. Which one is closer to the TV version?

Kor

 

[Bad Robot]

It's interesting that one or two little snippets that were added to the TWOK "Director's Edition" on DVD were not included in the "Director's Cut" on blu-ray. So they are two different versions of the movie. Which one is closer to the TV version?

Kor

The DVD is.

However the only thing missing from the Blu-Ray is a single line of dialogue, and literally just the audio stem is omitted. Nothing is actually trimmed. And no one knows why Nick Meyer cut it.

The ABC broadcast had an additional line spoken by the bridge simulation, listing the Koybiashi Maru's registration number following the number of passengers. It also does a more subtle (if slightly choppy) job of looping the music whenever material was added during a scored sequence.

On the minus side; the broadcast was slightly zoomed, it was noticeably darker, and the 4x3 selective scanning was not as good as the first generation of VHS tapes (or even the 1991 second generation of tapes/laserdics). The audio mix wasn't that great either. It was obviously edited for TV, and some of the commercial break fade-outs were abruptly placed.

Wherever scenes were extended, the broadcast utilized the same alternate takes of scenes that were later cut into both DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the DC.

 

[Smellmet]

It would be a crime to leave the SLV out of a new release.

Indeed it would. My ideal version of the movie is the SLV with the upgraded DE effects (which will never happen) but I'd certainly like to own a HD version of the SLV as is.