As scripted and filmed in Search for Spock were the scenes where they actually showed them climb the steps of Mount Selaya (where the little girl listed in the credits said to Spock's unconscious body "live long and prosper") and also they walked through the Hall of ancient thought which was more heavily mentioned in the movie before it was edited down. I'm not even sure if they mention the Hall of ancient thought at all in the Final Cut. But in Nimoy's commentary he does lament the fact that those scenes were cut because he wanted to show a little bit more of Vulcan landscape and history and visuals before they got to the Fal Tor Pan ceremony. Anyway, when they enter the Hall of ancient thought 6 Vulcan priestesses move their hand over Spock's litter and levitate him! If you look closely in the Final Cut when they exit the building onto the platform you can see the six maidens holding their hand on top of his body rather than actually holding the litter from the bottom the way the Enterprise crew did when they got off the ship. My question is would that have annoyed the fans and you guys in particular if they had actually showed it in close-up as they did in the original cut? Because when the maidens start to levitate Spock the Enterprise crew is amazed. So it was actually supposed to be something that the audience was supposed to also be amazed by. So do you suppose that the fans would have said "where the hell did this power come from and how come it's never been seen before" or they would have just accepted it as something that Vulcans could do if they were trained enough in mental powers to do so?
I gather I would have shrugged and thought "Oh, they aren't above using standard antigrav stretchers for their ancient rituals"... Had I noticed, that is. Timo Saloniemi
I am sure the procedure gets mentioned in the novelization. Or at least in a photo caption, or demonstrated, in one of the "making of..." magazines. Australia waited six extra months for ST III to premiere here, and the sea-freighted novelizations and tie-in material arrived here three months before the premiere. I happily accepted the skill. Spock's katra got put back in place, too, so no surprises left. But frustrating to not see the action more clearly. BTW, George Takei played a Vulcan extra, by request, in the night-shoot crowd scene.
In a movie where we just learned for the first time that you can make a back-up of everything that makes a Vulcan who they are? And you can even sometimes put that back-up in a new body?
I've always had a soft spot for those Trek stories where the very survival of Vulcans and Romulans is dependent of them refraining from using the old powerful magic that would theoretically and biologically be available to them. I'm sure the Vulcans before Surak had their share of folks who would make Jedi knights jealous with their resurrection/clairvoyance/telepathy/telekinesis "mysticism"! Having the powerful mages locked up in monasteries would probably be the logical thing to do. Even if it meant locking them up with the katras of even more powerful mages of yore... Perhaps those telekinetic pallbearers are the Vulcan equivalent of ICBMs, strategic weapons siloed up far away from population centers as a deterrent? Timo Saloniemi
Well it's kind of nice to hear that at least a couple of people wouldn't have minded to see that had it been emphasized more. I wish they had spent more time leading up to the ceremony a few a couple of minutes of taking in the Vulcan culture. Personally I think the movie moves way too fast from the explosion of Genesis till when Spock is brought back to life. I've heard two theories on why the part where they carry his body through the Hall of ancient thought was cut. One is that the visual effects were subpar and therefore they had to be cut and the other is that "the audience was getting a head of us"-- which basically means the Trekkies had to have Spock back --right now! And couldn't wait an extra minute or two of screen time for them to climb the steps and walk through the Hall of ancient thought. It's not like Search for Spock was a long movie. It is the shortest of the first six. And as I said in the commentary Nimoy does mention that he wishes he could shine a little more on Vulcan before they get right to the ceremony. And Horner's music was so beautiful when they got to Vulcan I wish we could have got a bit more of that as well.
Star Trek fans as a rule lose their minds over anything that violates their perception of what should and should not be. So yes. I'm sure some people would have gone berserk. I personally would have said "Oh cool...I didn't know Vulcans could do that. Awesome that they showed it here"
I agree 100%. I think a lot of them would have lost their minds honestly. The same reasoning as "I know Khan never saw Chekov because he wasn't in space seed. I know Spock doesn't have a brother because they never mentioned it on the series." Basically the same reason they had to have Spock back and they had to get rid of David and Carol and eventually saavik-- the fans wanted the series of movies to reflect the TV series and not go anywhere new.