I can't understand why anyone would want the SLV cut.
News Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director's Cut is being restored in 4K, launching first on Paramount+
- Thread starter KlingonCereal
- Start date
because not everybody has the same taste and opinions?
I prefer the director's Edition but if I had to choose between the TV cut and the theatrical I would choose the TV cut because it adds in lots of the character moments that make the movie satisfying for me. Admittedly the TV cut is clunky and contains some footage that is awful but the theatrical version has no heart because virtually every scene that the characters show emotion was cut out. But unfortunately the TV cut is going to be lost to history and only available on VHS tape and LaserDisc. Of course somebody will take the deleted scenes and create their own version but apparently it's never going to be officially released again.
I prefer the director's Edition but if I had to choose between the TV cut and the theatrical I would choose the TV cut because it adds in lots of the character moments that make the movie satisfying for me. Admittedly the TV cut is clunky and contains some footage that is awful but the theatrical version has no heart because virtually every scene that the characters show emotion was cut out. But unfortunately the TV cut is going to be lost to history and only available on VHS tape and LaserDisc. Of course somebody will take the deleted scenes and create their own version but apparently it's never going to be officially released again.
To each his own but for years the SLV was the only version I had seen (until the DE on DVD came out actually). Then I saw the DE and loved it. It's not perfect (nothing is ever truly perfect). But as a final product I greatly preferred it to the SLV. It flowed much better story wise. And I know it's controversial but I liked that they altered the size of V'Ger to '2 AU's in diameter' as opposed to '82 AU's.' I think I'm in the minority on that judging from past comments but I always thought 82 AU's was just absolutely ridiculous in scope.
I do still have my VHS copy of the SLV of TMP. It was a first generation release for home video purposes. I'll never forget I had just became a Star Trek fan around the time TVH came out and my parents got me the first 3 movies on VHS (back when they were $29.95 to $39.95.....each) and I will always keep those. But the SLV isn't always the smoothest cut. Sometimes scenes were cut for a reason. There are a few scenes I might keep, some extra expository scenes that might work. But parts of it just seem like fluff to me, or should be cut altogether (like Shatner 'floating' out the airlock when you can clearly see the set pieces around him--I probably wouldn't bother even correcting that scene as it doesn't really add anything).
I never saw the original theatrical version until about 2 or 3 years ago when a local theater showed it as part of a 'classic movie' series they do (or something along those lines). I found I liked that version more than the SLV, but not as much as the DE. But I was glad to finally see that version. I've been holding out buying the Blu-Ray for the DE. It helps that with progressive scanning on my DVD my Special Collectors copy of the DVD actually does look very good so I haven't felt the urge to upgrade to the theatrical cut on Blu-Ray just to have a Blu-Ray copy. Hopefully my patience pays off
.TMP is my favorite Trek film (I'm probably one of a very few fans that says that, but there you go) and the DE made it even better. Still, I was thrilled to finally see it on the big screen 2 or 3 years ago, even if it was the theatrical cut
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I like the new sound effects, it's the replaced ones that drive me nuts (the new red alert alarm, in particular, sounded very, very digital, but I also miss the computer voice and the original, shrill warp-speed noise). When I saw the theatrical editions at the Fathom screening a couple years ago, though, I was shocked by how much more stuff there was in the surround sound tracks of the original mix. I don't know why none of that was ever audible to me in home video. Maybe they used a different sound mix, or since I only ever watched with stereo pictures, all the rear-channel stuff was eliminated entirely, but things like the early scenes in the cargo bay and engineering were buzzing with activity I'd never heard before.
i LOVE TMP but I've only watched the SLV once- when it was first aired. Even then, my 12 year old self felt I was watching an unnecesarily overextended and sloppily-edited cut. On the other hand, I have only watched the DE since it came out, except for a theatrical rewatch in 2019 for the anniversary which left me disappointed after 19 years of DE.
To each his own but for years the SLV was the only version I had seen (until the DE on DVD came out actually). Then I saw the DE and loved it. It's not perfect (nothing is ever truly perfect). But as a final product I greatly preferred it to the SLV. It flowed much better story wise. And I know it's controversial but I liked that they altered the size of V'Ger to '2 AU's in diameter' as opposed to '82 AU's.' I think I'm in the minority on that judging from past comments but I always thought 82 AU's was just absolutely ridiculous in scope.
I do still have my VHS copy of the SLV of TMP. It was a first generation release for home video purposes. I'll never forget I had just became a Star Trek fan around the time TVH came out and my parents got me the first 3 movies on VHS (back when they were $29.95 to $39.95.....each) and I will always keep those. But the SLV isn't always the smoothest cut. Sometimes scenes were cut for a reason. There are a few scenes I might keep, some extra expository scenes that might work. But parts of it just seem like fluff to me, or should be cut altogether (like Shatner 'floating' out the airlock when you can clearly see the set pieces around him--I probably wouldn't bother even correcting that scene as it doesn't really add anything).
I never saw the original theatrical version until about 2 or 3 years ago when a local theater showed it as part of a 'classic movie' series they do (or something along those lines). I found I liked that version more than the SLV, but not as much as the DE. But I was glad to finally see that version. I've been holding out buying the Blu-Ray for the DE. It helps that with progressive scanning on my DVD my Special Collectors copy of the DVD actually does look very good so I haven't felt the urge to upgrade to the theatrical cut on Blu-Ray just to have a Blu-Ray copy. Hopefully my patience pays off
TMP is my favorite Trek film (I'm probably one of a very few fans that says that, but there you go) and the DE made it even better. Still, I was thrilled to finally see it on the big screen 2 or 3 years ago, even if it was the theatrical cut
I think the background chatter on the SLV is louder and does appeal to me as it makes the ship feel more functional, although in some places it may be a fraction too loud. For the most part, I like the extra dialogue from the SLV. Uhura and McCoy's exchange about the alien crew is brief but really nice, especially Uhura's little pout. I don't know why they took it out.
Kirk's speculation about how the aliens might be too alien for us to understand in the briefing scene puts the crisis in a wider perspective. Even McCoy's smile in Sickbay when marvelling about V'Ger's true nature was a great juxtaposition - the brief joy of discovering something truly new sandwiched between one crisis and the next.
I can understand why some might think these things were unnecessary to the plot but for me, they add dashes of colour to the proceedings and little reminders of the characters' personalities. I miss them in the versions where they are absent.
I'm tempted to ask in the TMP Appreciation Facebook group (frequented by members of the DE team) if they're going to fix what I've been told is the most glaring error in the new VFX and change the shot of the asteroid exploding in front of the Enterprise so it's cheated slightly to the left of the ship's centerline instead of slightly to the right. As it is, the new shot entirely tramples over the visual language and continuity of the film.
By all means put this to the DE Team on our FB Group. I am not sure what your objection to this FX means, but please do come over! Thank you.
The clipped out pieces are in the Bonus Features of the DE DVD.
IIRC, when the movies came to DVD, the first release was ST VI, then they worked backwards until they got to TMP - "The Director's Edition" in 2001.
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Motion_Picture_-_The_Director's_Edition_(DVD)
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I was actually referencing another board member who noticed that, while TMP is a right-to-left movie (as in, the Enterprise is always pointed at the left side of the frame, even if only slightly), the shot I mentioned had the camera just slightly on the wrong side so the ship was pointed ever-so-slightly towards the right side of the frame. I was teasing him a bit by bringing it up, it's very subtle.
Honestly, I just can't think of a polite way to come in out of the blue with a bunch of 20-year-old nitpicks, a number of which they probably already knew about.
Now is the time. I was asked to give my list.
Okay, but if anyone says I'm being a big old Comic Book Guy for sharing my notes from my abortive fan-edit like I'm their director or something, I'm telling them it was your idea.
The sound effects didn't bother me one way or another. I was fine with the sound effects in the SLV (and the theatrical version I saw in the theater). The ones in the DE were fine as well. I didn't have any beef with them either way (though I guess the screeching sound of V'Ger's torpedoes was a bit grating in the DE, so maybe a minor complaint there).
And like I said, some of the expository dialogue in the SLV might be nice to have. I don't rule out all the SLV.
But I really liked the DE. I've watched my SLV on VHS maybe once since the DE came out and the pacing was a bit too plodding. I don't even care about some of the new special effects in the DE (though I do like that they cleaned up some of the effects shots and made them more crisp). It was more the pacing of the DE that I really liked. It seemed to flow better. But I wouldn't necessarily object to adding some bits from the SLV in areas that it helps the story.
That's why I settled on my own edit. All the trims of the DE but most of the extra dialogue from the SLV.
I do think it would be a shame not to finally have a definitive release which includes the SLV. I know it has a lot of detractors because it makes an already languid film even longer, with quite a bit of redundant dialogue. There's also the Kirk spacewalk scene where he's wearing the wrong space suit.
But it's the first version of the film I saw, and I suspect many others are in the same boat. I'd love it to be represented on the ultimate UHD Blu-ray release.
But it's the first version of the film I saw, and I suspect many others are in the same boat. I'd love it to be represented on the ultimate UHD Blu-ray release.
^Agreed. I'd love a Criterion-like release with all three versions of the movie.
That's great news, even though I'm not a big fan of TMP. I recently re-watched the theatrical version and it was excruciating to say the least. Unfortunately, I never got saw the DE. I know there's major differences between them, but for anyone who watched, how does the DE improves the film?
The criterion film sets are amazing! A slightly off-topic story, though: a few years ago they released Breakfast Club into the Criterion collection, complete with over 2 hours of deleted footage! It takes the entire film runtime close to 4 hours in total. I love Breakfast Club and got this release right away.
A few months after that someone broke into my shed and stole my Breakfast Club Criterion film (along with a lot of Star Trek collectibles I had acquired). I can not, for the life of me, understand why someone would steal a 4 hour cut of Breakfast Club. Literally 10 people on earth likely care, and im one of them.
Well, Criterion titles potentially end up having bigger resale value when they go out of print. There is a good deal of stuff from their catalog over the years that is no longer in distribution.The criterion film sets are amazing! A slightly off-topic story, though: a few years ago they released Breakfast Club into the Criterion collection, complete with over 2 hours of deleted footage! It takes the entire film runtime close to 4 hours in total. I love Breakfast Club and got this release right away.
A few months after that someone broke into my shed and stole my Breakfast Club Criterion film (along with a lot of Star Trek collectibles I had acquired). I can not, for the life of me, understand why someone would steal a 4 hour cut of Breakfast Club. Literally 10 people on earth likely care, and im one of them.
But in the case of some random person breaking into a shed, I would imagine that they just took whatever they saw.
Arguably the DE has a tighter pace than the theatrical cut, and also a bit more 'humanity.' Some of the additions and changes are debatable, though, when it comes to whether they really "improve" the film or not.
Kor
I’d love to see that by itself
TMP wasn’t just a movie…but an event…the perfect finish for 1979…the year of the space movie
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Same here. I even had an idea for my ideal TMP blu-ray set that I shared on here a while ago, but I think it bears repeating:
- Disc 1
- The Director's Edition
- 2001 Commentary by Robert Wise, Jerry Goldsmith, Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, and Stephen Collins
- 2007 Commentary by Michael Matessino, Daren Dochterman, and David C. Fein
- Subtitle Fact Track
- The Director's Edition
- Disc 2
- The Theatrical Version
- 2009 Commentary by Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman
- Isolated soundtrack, featuring Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-nominated score
- Possible commentary track?
- The Theatrical Version
- Disc 3 - Special Features
- The Human Adventure Is Just Beginning - A new, feature-length documentary covering the long road in making The Motion Picture a reality and the reaction to the film, using new and archival interviews with cast and crew, footage shot during the 1978-79 production by a crew hired to film behind-the-scenes developments, and possibly interviews with notable fans of TMP. I'm thinking a documentary of the same kind of scope as those done by Charles de Lauzirika for Ridley Scott's films, particularly the docs for Blade Runner, Gladiator, and Kingdom of Heaven.
- New and Previously-Released Featurettes
- The Script's The Thing: TMP Files at the Margaret Herrick Library - a new, separate featurette covering the tumultuous writing process of the movie, told through the copious drafts and revisions held at the MHL in Los Angeles, and possibly the Robert Wise Papers held at USC. This would look at the process less in terms of Harold Livingston and Gene Roddenberry fighting with each other, but more as a history of how the script and story evolved.
- Star Trek: Phase II
- Redirecting the Future
- A Bold New Enterprise
- The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture
- Special Star Trek Reunion
- Starfleet Academy: The Mystery Behind V'Ger
- Advertising
- Trailers and TV Promos
- Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes and Outtakes (probably the biggest "if..." of the set, depending on if any of the footage and audio still exists)
- "Never look a gift Vulcan in the ears, Jim."
- The Security Guard Gets Zapped
- The Memory Wall
- Also featuring V'Ger Trench set test footage
- Decker and Ilia in Engineering
- Security Guard Counted Among Missing Crew
- Storyboard and Production Art Galleries