Star Trek: The Motion Picture 40th Anniversary
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I saw it on Sunday, and to my shock the theater was showing it on the nearly-IMAX sized screen instead of in one of the more standard theaters.
I'd never seen TMP in the theater before, and while I can't say that seeing it this way eliminates all of the film's flaws, it does mitigate them to a surprisingly effective degree. The E flyby, for instance, can be tedious to the point of almost being unbearable even on my 50" tv, but it was quite a sight to behold on the big screen.
As someone who hasn't seen the theatrical cut in lord-knows-how-long either, it's always interesting and a bit jarring to see, or rather not see, the parts that weren't originally included.
There is zero danger of TMP ever being my favorite Trek film, much less the one I would consider the 'best', but I am willing to call it the most 'theatrical' of the Trek films at this point, and as a bit of a film snob, I feel that's saying something.
Beyond that, there were playback issues with the featurette before the film, which was annoying since I hadn't seen it before, but at least the film itself was fine. I also wonder how many people thought the playback was broken during the pictureless overture (as Worf would say, "We're just supposed to sit here???").
I'd never seen TMP in the theater before, and while I can't say that seeing it this way eliminates all of the film's flaws, it does mitigate them to a surprisingly effective degree. The E flyby, for instance, can be tedious to the point of almost being unbearable even on my 50" tv, but it was quite a sight to behold on the big screen.
As someone who hasn't seen the theatrical cut in lord-knows-how-long either, it's always interesting and a bit jarring to see, or rather not see, the parts that weren't originally included.
There is zero danger of TMP ever being my favorite Trek film, much less the one I would consider the 'best', but I am willing to call it the most 'theatrical' of the Trek films at this point, and as a bit of a film snob, I feel that's saying something.
Beyond that, there were playback issues with the featurette before the film, which was annoying since I hadn't seen it before, but at least the film itself was fine. I also wonder how many people thought the playback was broken during the pictureless overture (as Worf would say, "We're just supposed to sit here???").
I was also surprised at the size of the screen they ran the film in. I was expecting some tiny auditorium at the end of the corridor, but this one was two doors from the ticket kiosk and it was two huge levels with recliners. The screen was the size I saw Avengers Endgame on (the third time). I was really quite pleased and it truly helped bring me back to 1979.
Question: was the theatrical version released on DVD in the last few years? And does it have the 1979 subtitles?
Question: was the theatrical version released on DVD in the last few years? And does it have the 1979 subtitles?
Yeah, it made me re-evaluate my opinion in a big way, as I've recently re-evaluated Search for Spock. I'd now say I-IV are all pretty darn solid movies, with II reaching greatness. That's a tremendous run for a time when sequels usually meant diminishing returns. And they managed to do it again with VI.
As far as I know, all DVD releases of the film are the Director's Edition, while all Blu-Ray versions are the Theatrical cut. The theatrical cut doesn't have burned-in subtitles, and they use a standard font, not the rounded super-70s typeface of the original release, if that's what you mean.
That’s exactly what I mean and thanks.
I’m a big fan of having the original subtitles. Ah well
Saw it yesterday (9-18-19) evening - only 11 people in the theatre, including me. While I was happy about the good turnout for What We Left Behind, I was disappointed in the lack of patrons for TMP. It is a different Trek era, so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised.
I was very happy to see this film on the big screen again after all these years. Despite its flaws, TMP is still my favorite Trek film. This is probably colored by the fact that we were actually witnessing the rebirth of Trek and seeing our small screen heroes in cinematic glory. The production values were top notch and the story, while again not without flaws, was a worthwhile, actual 'scifi' type of plot. I also felt that the change in the main characters fit in well with their years apart and the different paths they had found themselves on. As the film progressed, they found that old groove and, of course, realized that they belonged together at the end of it all. In a similar fashion, the Enterprise was out of sorts until Spock boarded and the whole crew was back in place, as it was meant to be.
With the few attendees, the audience was practically silent except for one couple who applauded De Kelley's first appearance and several audible chuckles, again inspired by some of Kelley's lines.
Although I'm not exactly an audiophile, I thought the sound was great. As noted previously, a few specks of dirt here and there and a few scenes that looked very 'soft' - the Klingon ships crossing over the cloud, one scene with the space station crew and Kirk and Scotty in the shuttle were particularly hazy in my view. But there were minor concerns and I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation.
I was very happy to see this film on the big screen again after all these years. Despite its flaws, TMP is still my favorite Trek film. This is probably colored by the fact that we were actually witnessing the rebirth of Trek and seeing our small screen heroes in cinematic glory. The production values were top notch and the story, while again not without flaws, was a worthwhile, actual 'scifi' type of plot. I also felt that the change in the main characters fit in well with their years apart and the different paths they had found themselves on. As the film progressed, they found that old groove and, of course, realized that they belonged together at the end of it all. In a similar fashion, the Enterprise was out of sorts until Spock boarded and the whole crew was back in place, as it was meant to be.
With the few attendees, the audience was practically silent except for one couple who applauded De Kelley's first appearance and several audible chuckles, again inspired by some of Kelley's lines.
Although I'm not exactly an audiophile, I thought the sound was great. As noted previously, a few specks of dirt here and there and a few scenes that looked very 'soft' - the Klingon ships crossing over the cloud, one scene with the space station crew and Kirk and Scotty in the shuttle were particularly hazy in my view. But there were minor concerns and I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation.
It seems that everyone who took advantage of this opportunity really had a great experience. Between here and the Facebook group I am a part of, it's been nothing but glowing reports.
I'm really glad we had this opportunity. Despite the polarizing effect the film seems to have, it is undoubtedly the most cinematic and most appropriate for the "big screen," and it was truly special to be able to see it in this format 40 years after it was released.
I'm really glad we had this opportunity. Despite the polarizing effect the film seems to have, it is undoubtedly the most cinematic and most appropriate for the "big screen," and it was truly special to be able to see it in this format 40 years after it was released.
TWOK works very well as a TV movie. It’s not epic in scope or vision. It’s a very straightforward adventure with smaller and more personal stakes.
TMP is a theatrical motion picture. It’s a spectacle. It’s meant for the large screen. It works better there.
That’s how I see it.
TMP is a theatrical motion picture. It’s a spectacle. It’s meant for the large screen. It works better there.
That’s how I see it.
Agree, with your thoughts on TMP vs. WOK. Yes, it is true that some movies, such as TMP, best serve the audience on the big theater screen because they are epic in visual scope.
hire the Ad Astra guy to make ST4 (TMP 2.0)
The SLV has the studio rafters visible, an unfinished missing matte painting around the airlock set, and Kirk in the wrong spacesuit and helmet. Those are going to be extremely obvious in Blu-Ray and 4K. While some fans would want those bits fixed, others would say they wanted the SLV exactly how they remembered it from TV and VHS.
Robert Wise never approved of the SLV, which was created without his participation.
Did "seamless branching" ever take off?
Right next to him is another Native American female, in a feathered collar. So three altogether.
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I agree. Seeing TWOK on TV, I don't feel like anything is lost. With seeing TMP on TV, now I do.
I held off watching TMP from the time this was announced until last week. You know how you don't want something until someone tells you you can't have it? So this last week I've watched it three times. Including the DE.
Nobody has mentioned how TERRIBLE George Takei is in this movie. "Why... Why it's mister---" We know from TOS and from later movies, George isn't a bad actor. And I know he doesn't have that much to do here (like in most of TOS). But really.
Nobody has mentioned how TERRIBLE George Takei is in this movie. "Why... Why it's mister---" We know from TOS and from later movies, George isn't a bad actor. And I know he doesn't have that much to do here (like in most of TOS). But really.
Yeah, it doesn't need to "take off," it's a basic function that's available to anyone who needs it. Like the "Angle" feature, or subtitle tracks with interactive buttons.
I felt Takei, Koenig and Nichols could be pretty terrible actors a lot of the time.
Also feel like a lot of it has to do with rust because really how much acting did they do between the original series and the first movie?
Nicholls has a line in the movie where she says "it's how we all FEEL Mister Spock."
Clearly the emphasis was meant to be --
" it's how we ALL feel Mister Spock"
If you heard the or seen the work print of Star Trek The Wrath of Khan the line deliveries by Koenig were not nearly as good on set as they were in the post filming ADR dubbing sessions.
It's the same with Kirstie Alley, Merritt Butrick and Bibi Besch in the work print their line readings are not nearly as good as they are in the Final Cut. The motion picture was rushed and it probably could have been helped with more post-production time for ADR dubbing.
Also feel like a lot of it has to do with rust because really how much acting did they do between the original series and the first movie?
Nicholls has a line in the movie where she says "it's how we all FEEL Mister Spock."
Clearly the emphasis was meant to be --
" it's how we ALL feel Mister Spock"
If you heard the or seen the work print of Star Trek The Wrath of Khan the line deliveries by Koenig were not nearly as good on set as they were in the post filming ADR dubbing sessions.
It's the same with Kirstie Alley, Merritt Butrick and Bibi Besch in the work print their line readings are not nearly as good as they are in the Final Cut. The motion picture was rushed and it probably could have been helped with more post-production time for ADR dubbing.
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