Re-releasing the movies to the big screen

[cardinal biggles]

The film elements used in the Director's Edition of TMP should still be decent. It's just the new special effects they created that would need to be re-rendered. (While they're at it, they could restore the original opening titles instead of that golden zoom-blur crap.)

 

[Smiley]

I would be hesitant to go to a re-release screening unless I was certain that the print would be good quality. I went to a screening of the 1997 SE versions of the SW trilogy in 2004 at my college, and the picture was absolutely horrible. I'd hate to think what some of the 1979 prints look like.

 

[trevanian]

cardinal biggles said:
The film elements used in the Director's Edition of TMP should still be decent. It's just the new special effects they created that would need to be re-rendered. (While they're at it, they could restore the original opening titles instead of that golden zoom-blur crap.)

Actually, the elements are for the most part GONE. Paramount didn't even collect the fx elements from Trumbull, so he tossed them out during the 80s.
You have the negative or a dupe negative of the theatrical print, but those are probably not in the best condition. You can't recomp anything if you don't have the elements that went into an optical, so you can't do serious restoration work on an fx heavy film, you can only do a slight cosmetic fix at best, which on TMP isn't gonna be enough.

By way of comparison, Ridley Scott arranged to keep all the original elements (matte passes, beauty passes) for all the fx shots in BLADE RUNNER (including, I believe, the 30 or so that were cut out of the film) preserved in storage along with the live-action portion, so that film, when they release the next edition with the five sepate cuts of the film on it, will look amazing. They can recomp the fx, they can do pretty much whatever they want, and the quality will be amazing.

 

[cardinal biggles]

^So at this point every single effects shot would have to be redone?

 

[Phantassm]

RookieBatman said:
I would love to see the films back in the theaters, especially TMP and TWoK. I am so jealous of all those people who have TWoK showing in their area.

...Seen it 7 times in the theater!

 

[tharpdevenport]

Yeah, but let's cut if off after the 7th movie. And BAN the 10th.

 

[Shell_Head]

I think it would be great but I wouldn't do the Motion Picture as that movie, even by us die hards, tends to be slow going and that doesn't sit well with today's Die Hard, Pirates and Spidey going cinema ticket buyer.

Start with Trek2-4,6&7. If those go well then show 8(FC).

Even though I like Insurrection and Nemesis(which I know puts me into a small minority even among this crowd) I don't think those are suitable for re-release.

 

[trevanian]

cardinal biggles said:
^So at this point every single effects shot would have to be redone?

I thought I already replied to this yesterday, but I don't see it on here so I'll do a quickie r-post.

I don't think you'd redo anything ... you'd just use the best prints and or negatives available and accept that it all would look mediocre at best. In the theater, I remember the stock fx from TMP in TWOK were contrasty and annoying looking, and I guess that is because they were straight-copied from TMP, not recomped with elements. You dupe something optically, it gets more contrasty and looks worse. But if the whole movie is done that way, it'll at least look uniformly mediocre.

Remember too that we're talking TMP, which never looked uniformly wonderful anyway. You had SOME near-perfect fx, a few nice set pieces like the klingon bridge, and a lot of stuff that was IMO a lot less than optimum, ranging from makeup to costuming to particularly lousy lighting choices (soft light coming from the most unflattering directions?)

 

[Broccoli]

Re-Releases happen now and again. Just last year, I went to a re-release of TWOK. The print was old, mind you, but it really added to the experience.

 

[Tino]

Would be nice but let's be honest ....

three STAR WARS-movies in a row
are much more fun than
all ten STAR TREK-movies in a row.

 

[Broccoli]

^ oh yeah...the novelty will wear off fast. Maybe pick one or two of the movies to have a big-time re-release.

Or maybe to II-III-IV as they do form a trilogy.

 

[Borjis]

trevanian said:

Remember too that we're talking TMP, which never looked uniformly wonderful anyway. You had SOME near-perfect fx, a few nice set pieces like the klingon bridge, and a lot of stuff that was IMO a lot less than optimum, ranging from makeup to costuming to particularly lousy lighting choices (soft light coming from the most unflattering directions?)

Yeah whats up with that?

I didn't fully realize, until recently, how bad the dialogue sounds on the bridge at times as well.

Its like they had a partially incompetent production crew.

 

[Cyrus]

SchwEnt said:
I recall attending a re-release back in 1991.

It was the 25th anniversary and TUC was being released.
The local cinema has an airing of all TOS movies in a big marathon session.

The "Sit long and prosper" marathon, I went to that one. In Los Angeles the TMP print they showed was a version I haven't seen anywhere else. It had all the scenes from the special edition (minus the stupid "Kirk in the wrong spacesuit" scenes), plus some other extra scenes.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Borjis said:
Yeah whats up with that?
I didn't fully realize, until recently, how bad the dialogue sounds on the bridge at times as well.
Its like they had a partially incompetent production crew.

ST:TMP premiered unfinished. It was chasing an impossible, locked-in, release date and had to be screened in whatever shape Robert Wise could manage. He was very unhappy not to have a chance to run it for test audiences at preview screenings, or to balance the soundtrack. It's particularly noticeable in the "Special Longer (ABC TV) Version" that the sound needs a good polishing.

Also, all bridge dialogue had to be relooped due to the noise of the projector systems behind each console's monitor screens. These were converted to silent video for ST II, saving a fortune in post-production costs.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

They had to reloop bridge dialogue? Interesting...

 

[trevanian]

If you dig out the old STARLOGs, you'll see they mentioned the looping issue at length. It has been years since I saw one of those TREK REPORTS from Susan Sackett, but I remember reading that Wise and/or Todd Ramsay was impressed with Nimoy's looping skills.

I remember thinking that Collins was NOT so hot at looping (when Spock comes aboard, there is a line from Collins that looks almost GODZILLA like in its bad-synchedness.)

There was always going to be a bit of a problem with the bridge sound just due to acoustics, even preTMP. Glen Glenn Sound checked it out and found an echo when the set was bolted together, so I'm guessing that this issue was 'deadened' a bit in the sequels when they started putting rubbing mats and stuff on the floor.

 

[Epsilon-9]

I found this thread stuck back in time so thought I’d revitalize it.

The last time I saw original Star Trek features from in large gage was at the famous Empire Leicester Square London on Sunday October 8th 1989 all for just £10.00 pounds and with original JBL 13KW THX sound system, was totally out of this world.

Star Trek the motion picture 35mm scope optical Dolby stereo A
Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan 70mm six-track Dolby stereo A
Star Trek III The Search for Spock 70mm six-track Dolby stereo A
Star Trek IV The Voyage Home 70mm six-track Dolby stereo SR
Star Trek V The Final Frontier 70mm six-track Dolby stereo SR

The last Star Trek that I saw was in 70mm Dolby SR Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country on Friday February 14th 1992.

Well not the last…

I think it would be good marketing to release the films in pristine form of digital today as producing a 70mm would be sky-high ££££ with 35mm only coating a few grand.

As for how it looked and sounded at the Empire Leicester Square I have 90% solid memory of that day. Film sound is my, listening pleasure, pet love.

As for the turn out the Empire was jam packed 1130 seats! It was roar of day and with the Empire’s laser-light show beaming images of klingon bird of prey and Enterprise shooting it out on the curtains before the show started and in-between each performance.

Seating and atmosphere was warm, even when I was queuing up outside early morning a few of us fans talked to others and chatted about how awesome the Empire is.

I was totally unprepared on how it was all going to sound. Thou I had my first bite of THX back around September 13th 1989 with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 70mm Dolby SR.

It was the best Star Trek show I’ve seen and still to this very day it was untouchable for presentation the sound just didn’t leap of the screen, the bass was well supported with incredible cinematic authority that slammed kicked jolted and shuddered the Empire better than what Sensurround once was, now then.

 

[Epsilon-9]

The film elements used in the Director's Edition of TMP should still be decent. It's just the new special effects they created that would need to be re-rendered. (While they're at it, they could restore the original opening titles instead of that golden zoom-blur crap.)

I think just because Robert Wise was getting on a bit and most likely senile they produced this abomination for DVD what waste of money.

That was the worse edition my ears have ever heard!

The sound effects sounded like cat being strangled when the bridge alarm sounded.

It had missing Foley effects on the English language track while on the German language track you could hear captain Kirk knocking his knuckle on the table in disappointment as he and McCoy watch a viewing screen.

The music sounded like nothing like the original and I wanted to shove soldering iron though the DVD!

I’m sure glad they got around to releasing the original motion picture films. I had the original on laserdisc widescreen for years. I can’t even be asked to play that directors edition, even the photon torpedo sounded bad when it was fired from the Enterprise.

There was only a few 70mm six-track Dolby stereo prints stuck for STTMP.

 

[Joker]

necrowin'd.

 

[Maurice]

I found this thread stuck back in time so thought I’d revitalize it.

Dude...leave dead threads alone. This ain't a zombie flick!