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The Cage remastred

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Yes, but since the amount of work involved is much more than the other episodes, the work is being done over time and will not be released in full until the end of the TOS-R run next year.
 
This is one episode where I know I'm going to prefer the original unless all they do is clean it up. Enhancing the regular episodes is OK with me and I've enjoyed a lot of what they've done. But a version of The Cage with enhanced effects just seems very wrong to me.
 
Mallory said:
This is one episode where I know I'm going to prefer the original unless all they do is clean it up. Enhancing the regular episodes is OK with me and I've enjoyed a lot of what they've done. But a version of The Cage with enhanced effects just seems very wrong to me.

Any reason why?

And didn't we kind of already get this when they did the Menagarie?
 
I can't quite pin the reason down, since it's probably more emotional than rational. But The Cage was Gene's original shot of what he envisioned Star Trek as and the effects were stunningly good for the era. I've always looked at The Managerie as an episode that simply included clips from something we hadn't seen before.

The Cage stands alone though (in my mind anyway) and regardless of whatever effects may be enhanced, I'm almost positive that I'm still going to prefer the original. I'm going to approach it with an open mind though, just as I have with all the others.
 
^ Agreed. As Paul McCartney said to people who would want to reunite the Beatles, "You can't reheat a souffle."
 
Its not as if this version will be replacing the old. TOS-R is distinguished as such so that we have TOS as well, both will be upgraded to HD, its just TOS-R will have the new effects.
 
To a large extent I do, since I consider both of these episodes to be be previews of what the series would be rather than being in the same vein as the production episodes. While I genuinely appreciate them cleaning things up, I'd be very happy if I can get those cleaned-up copies minus the effects enhancements and I think we'll be able to.

Both of these were pilot episodes, mini-movies in their own right. That's the way I tend to think of them.
 
Mallory said:
This is one episode where I know I'm going to prefer the original unless all they do is clean it up. Enhancing the regular episodes is OK with me and I've enjoyed a lot of what they've done. But a version of The Cage with enhanced effects just seems very wrong to me.

Of course, but project forward 15 years or so, when you'll be so used to seeing HD images on your widescreen HD, and your need to run the comparatively crappy old FX of "The Cage" gets less and less. The filmed performances will still be great, but the FX will be blurry by comparison.

I have a new stereo turntable for my old LPs, but I've found myself slowly duplicating my LP collection with CDs when I see them over the last decade, since it's now become frustratingly inconvenient to get up midway through every album to flip over the disk. Furthermore, my ear can now hear the scratch, scratch, crackle, scratch, crackle of the stylus on the LP disc's grooves like never before.

I have many favourite LPs that have never had a CD available and they have simply fallen into disuse. I never thought it would happen, but it did. Some LPs have simply fallen off my regular playlist.

I'm positive I will eventually favour playing only HD stuff on an HD screen, even my beloved ST. Good on CBS for wanting to keep ST on people's radars via TOS-R.
 
Therin of Andor said:
Of course, but project forward 15 years or so, when you'll be so used to seeing HD images on your widescreen HD, and your need to run the comparatively crappy old FX of "The Cage" gets less and less. The filmed performances will still be great, but the FX will be blurry by comparison.
You could very well be right. But in another 15 years or so I'll be in my late 60's/early 70's and everything is probably going to look blurry. :D
 
I agree with the vinyl comparison. I recently ripped some of my favourite episodes to my new laptop (so that I can watch them if the mood takes me without having to get out the boxset, open the inconvenient packaging, carefully slide out the flipcase from its sleeve without scraping disc #1, go through the booklet to find out which disc I want, start up the player, wait for the language select screen, sit through all the copyright bumf and Paramount logos, sit through the CG menus, actually select the episode...) and was unpleasantly surprised by just how grainy and dirty the supposedly 'cleaned up' DVD footage turned out to be. I never noticed all the speckles and munge on a TV, but they show up glaringly on a high-res display. A kind of preview of HD viewing of non-HD material, I suppose.
 
Therin of Andor said:
Of course, but project forward 15 years or so, when you'll be so used to seeing HD images on your widescreen HD, and your need to run the comparatively crappy old FX of "The Cage" gets less and less. The filmed performances will still be great, but the FX will be blurry by comparison.

I don't agree. SFX have progressed a trillionfold since 1966, and I've been watching Trek since 1972. No matter how many times I upgrade my TV and no matter how great visual effects get, I never - ever - think the shots in Trek are bad or distracting.

As for how they look in HD...the DVD prints (as I point out often) have been remastered and cleaned up. They look just as good as the stuff being aired now. I watch my DVDs on a 52 inch DLP-HDTV about 5 or 6 feet from the screen. They look outstanding, especially over an HDMI cable. And I will always maintain that the new FX generally stand out as modern against the lighting and cinematography of the 60's series. The original visuals look like they belong and the "new" FX will date much faster than the old. I guess my preference is partially influenced by knowing how little they had to work with in the 60's, but how great the stuff turned out. Today, CGI is capable of grand images, but the TOS-R CGI is often sub-par. I appreciate the work they're doing, but I will never prefer the CGI effects over the originals. Ever.

Hell, I still watch the laserdiscs sometimes for the original sound mix and I do not have a problem with the less than perfect picture.

Oh, and not only to I still play LPs, I still buy them.
 
Please refresh my memory, but what percentage of "The Cage" is already remastered via "The Menagerie"?

I have the distinct pleasure of having watched my first ever TOS show, a rerun -- as "The Cage" ...

...however it's been a long, long time since then and I've watched and recorded "The Menagerie"...
 
Both the original print and the new effects print will be HD. This means that even though the original print will look the same as the episode does now, it will be substantially cleaner and cleaner, even the effects shots.

Its just the original effects print will have more noticeable grain and age in HD, but still be cleaner due to the HD resolution scan and cleaning process, its not going to be horribly grainy as everyone thinks, thats only the first stage before all the digital cleaning is applied.

Whereas the TOS-R print, will only have the new HD effects and space sequences, for those who only want the cleanest and tidiest appearance.
 
Mallory said:
I can't quite pin the reason down, since it's probably more emotional than rational. But The Cage was Gene's original shot of what he envisioned Star Trek as and the effects were stunningly good for the era. I've always looked at The Managerie as an episode that simply included clips from something we hadn't seen before.

The Cage stands alone though (in my mind anyway) and regardless of whatever effects may be enhanced, I'm almost positive that I'm still going to prefer the original. I'm going to approach it with an open mind though, just as I have with all the others.


Mallory said:
To a large extent I do, since I consider both of these episodes to be be previews of what the series would be rather than being in the same vein as the production episodes. While I genuinely appreciate them cleaning things up, I'd be very happy if I can get those cleaned-up copies minus the effects enhancements and I think we'll be able to.

Both of these were pilot episodes, mini-movies in their own right. That's the way I tend to think of them.

Mal, you said exaclty what i would have said about them.

I cant add anymore than that. I agree hands down. :thumbsup:
 
I don't really care as long as it's done in a thoughtful way that doesn't compromise the original. What I don't want to see is a totally Lucas-style re-imaging...
 
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