Directors cut

[CorporalCaptain]

Shrinking the size of the cloud from 82AU to 2AU for the DE never made any sense. It's supposed to be a cloud generated by power way beyond their expectations ("twelfth-power energy field"), and as Spock surmises it V'ger is capable of digitizing whole galaxies. Why 2AU is somehow better is beyond me....

 

[Damian]

I actually loved the DE of TMP. But more for the changes and reordering of some scenes to improve the pacing. I never had an issue with the special effects of the theatrical cut, though the ones for the DE were fine. On Memory Alpha there is a notation about how they haven't released it on Blu-Ray because it wasn't done in HD and the company that did them is no more (or something to that effect). However one of the guys that worked it was a copy saved for it and says it can be upgraded to HD. All Paramount has to do is call basically.

My hope is that they maybe release a DE on Blu-Ray next year since it will be the 40th anniversary. Paramount loves anniversaries so that would be a perfect time.

Shrinking the size of the cloud from 82AU to 2AU for the DE never made any sense. It's supposed to be a cloud generated by power way beyond their expectations ("twelfth-power energy field"), and as Spock surmises it V'ger is capable of digitizing whole galaxies. Why 2AU is somehow better is beyond me....

I have to be honest, I always thought the reverse. When I first found out what an AU was I thought 82 AU's was impossibly large. 2 AU's is huge by itself, but seeing the scale of the Enterprise against the cloud as it approached it at least seems possible.

One thing I will say though about CBS/Paramount when it comes to Star Trek (unlike Star Wars) is that they are fine with giving everyone what they want. You will always be able to get the original theatrical cut of the movies and the original versions of the episodes. The enhanced/remastered versions are there for those who want them, but they don't pull the original versions so if you are someone that likes the unaltered version you're good to go. I liked the remastered and updated versions, but I'll admit sometimes I'm in the mood the watch the original, warts and all. You don't get that with Star Wars. If you want to watch the original 1977 unaltered version, good luck unless you have the original VHS version.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

If you want to watch the original 1977 unaltered version, good luck unless you have the original VHS version.

It was released on DVD (and LaserDisc).

 

[Damian]

A proposed director's cut of ST 5:TFF has been floated several times over the years (with fans even attempting to revise the laughable special effects themselves), but Paramount sees the idea as throwing good money after bad and won't consider it.

I've seen that myself. In a way it's a shame I think. It ranks last on my list of Star Trek films, but that doesn't mean I hate it. I sort of have a soft spot for it. It still had some good character moments and I loved the forward observation room set (and Goldsmith's score at least was top notch). I really wish they would just redo the special effects because they were so bad. And nowadays it probably could be done pretty good on the cheap. Fans have done some decent versions, I imagine Paramount probably could pretty inexpensively. And I actually do think there'd be a decent enough market for it to make it worth their while. This film really stands alone for the poorness of the special effects. Even the much maligned Nemesis had decent special effects.

 

[Damian]

It was released on DVD (and LaserDisc).

Oh, I didn't realize that. I remember fans for years had complained bitterly that there was no original version available and I was always happy Paramount gave Star Trek fans a choice.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Yeah, the original SW is on DVD, all the OT original theatricals are in fact, but they weren't particularly outstanding transfers.

The trilogy was re-released on separate two-disc limited edition DVD sets from September 12 to December 31, 2006, and again in a limited edition tin box set on November 4, 2008;[140] the original versions of the films were added as bonus material. The release was met with criticism as the unaltered versions were from the 1993 non-anamorphic LaserDisc masters and were not re-transferred using modern video standards. The transfer led to problems with colors and digital image jarring.[141]​

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film)#Home_media

I have it. The issues described there are noticeable.

 

[CommanderTrip]

Shrinking the size of the cloud from 82AU to 2AU for the DE never made any sense. It's supposed to be a cloud generated by power way beyond their expectations ("twelfth-power energy field"), and as Spock surmises it V'ger is capable of digitizing whole galaxies. Why 2AU is somehow better is beyond me....

I think it's just 82 AUs is just absurdly huge. I have the star trek magazine that came out when they released the TMP DE. They did a special issue covering a lot of the changes. I'll dig through it and see if I can find the excerpt that touches on their thinking for the change.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I think it's just 82 AUs is just absurdly huge. I have the star trek magazine that came out when they released the TMP DE. They did a special issue covering a lot of the changes. I'll dig through it and see if I can find the excerpt that touches on their thinking for the change.

It's not absurdly large for something that can digitize whole galaxies, is what I'm saying.

 

[Therin of Andor]

It's not absurdly large for something that can digitize whole galaxies, is what I'm saying.

2 AUs is also absurdly huge.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Our galaxy is about 6 billion AU in diameter, give or take. It's silly to say something capable of digitizing it out of existence has to be only two AU in diameter or it's going to be too unbelievable.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Our galaxy is about 6 billion AU in diameter, give or take. It's silly to say something capable of digitizing it out of existence has to be only two AU in diameter or it's going to be too unbelievable.

We already know I am silly.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I have been known to be very silly at times!

 

[Tenacity]

Our galaxy is about 6 billion AU in diameter

More like 63 billion.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

More like 63 billion.

6.3 billion AU assuming 100,000 light-years in diameter. Looks like one of us misplaced a decimal point?

 

[Lance]

Esentially I agree with @CorporalCaptain that I don't feel like the DEs contribute much that is different or better. They're just different, alternative takes on the theatrical versions, and one's preferences on them are subjective. Director's Cuts of movies are nearly always subjective, sure the director may or may not prefer them, but sometimes theatrical versions are actually improved by the removal of unnecessary scenes that make a director's cut feel bloated. Sometimes less really is more. I for one found it refreshing to watch the theatrical version of movies I'd only ever seen the director's cuts of and often find myself prefering the cut down versions. YMMV.

 

[Tenacity]

one of us misplaced a decimal point

That would be me.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

That would be me.

No worries. Thanks for double-checking it.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

I had the VHS version of TUC with the 'scooby-doo' ending growing up and never knew it wasn't how everyone else saw it. I now have the DVD version which intercuts stills of each member of the conspiracy as Spock is assaulting the information out of Valeris. Was super weird looking, like an effect out of a completely different movie.

Anyway, whenever I watch it now I still only watch the DE because that's the one I know and love. But now when I watch it, I kinda laugh to myself at the end and imagine Cartwright yelling, 'AND WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT TOO, IF...!'

 

[Kor]

I haven't seen a version with that on, just the briefing and scooby doo scene. Is it on the blu ray? I'm still holding on with my 10 disc DVD box set til a decent hi def release of the 10 films takes my fancy.

The version of STVI with these snippets, as well as slightly different take during the questioning on the bridge, is this one: http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Trek_VI:_The_Undiscovered_Country_(Special_Edition)

So my memory was slightly faulty. it's not officially called "Director's Edition." It's called "Special Edition." Nevertheless, I believe Nicholas Meyer did have some input on this release (but maybe my memory is faulty on that as well).

It was released on DVD (and LaserDisc).

And the DVD was a lousy rip from the Laserdisc, just included as an extra with one particular limited release of the Special Edition which is no longer in print.

Kor

 

[Lance]

One thing I will say though about CBS/Paramount when it comes to Star Trek (unlike Star Wars) is that they are fine with giving everyone what they want. You will always be able to get the original theatrical cut of the movies and the original versions of the episodes. The enhanced/remastered versions are there for those who want them, but they don't pull the original versions so if you are someone that likes the unaltered version you're good to go. I liked the remastered and updated versions, but I'll admit sometimes I'm in the mood the watch the original, warts and all. You don't get that with Star Wars.

Agreed. I think it may have been Nick Meyer himself who observed, of his own Director's Cut of The Wrath of Khan, that he believes that the notion that a Director's Cut automatically equals a definitive edition of a movie is a misnomer, that even he believes that theatrical cuts can sometimes be better for the cuts made to them, that film making is a colaborative process, and that it is always important for the theatrical versions to be available because, ultimately, a Director's Cut is just an alternative edit, and which version of a movie a person thinks is best is down to their own subjective preference and not the responsibility of the film makers themselves. If only George Lucas could be so enlightened...