In Gene’s original teleplay, Dr. Carter, the Exeter’s CMO, gives the final warning log from the center seat. As the disease strikes its final blow, you see him DISSOLVING down into crystalline form. This would not have been that difficult for CBS to get down on film, as they have done MORE difficult FX to make a point (the phaser sweep from “Wink of an Eye” comes immediately to mind). Too bad.

“I’d suggest that you rent both the 1978 and 2003-07 versions of Galactica to make a side-by-side comparison for yourself, and then get back to me on what really looks “real.””

Michael,we could all selectively pick evidence to support our argument. Here’s a counter suggestion. Check the models in “Wrath Of Khan” with the cgi ships in “Insurrection” and see which you think is real. – I’ll go out on a limb here :) and say that I have yet to see any cgi created starship that look as good/real as the models in Wrath.

Imo, I’ve yet to see a cgi that makes me think I’m looking at a real ship rather than “I’m a cgi”. Some are of course much better than others and yes models too can look fake. Btw, I don’t find any of the ships in the new Galactica very convincing either.

Another problem with CGI is simply that they date badly as CGs improve. Check out the cgi ships from Babylon 5 as an example of this.

Having said all this, there is no way that sfx is going to go back to models and using CGI has led to much more versatility in shooting scenes with starships.

Perhaps more care and attention needs to be spent on creating CG starships but then that’s down to time/money considerations.

Cheers :)

I agree with you in that the WRITING should’ve relfected that the Enterprise did something with the Exeter. But I disagree that the Enterprise should’ve been shown towing the Exeter out of orbit for this reason:

UNfortunately, the captains log stated that the Exeter was left behind. If it was shown being towed away, then it would throw off the continuity for this particular episode and script. This is a writing miscue, not an effects one.

For further comment: If you did start going and fixing the writing holes, you would have a “Star Wars: Special Edition” conundrum on your hands, which is not the goal of the special effects team. To go back and fix actual writing and episode flaws would be a completely different project. And the debate on what should be fixed doing those would be MORE heated than what should be redone with the special effects. Personally, I think the remastered effects seem to be hit and miss already. Sometimes they get Black Angus, sometimes they get Sizzler. If the special effects are hit and miss, fixing the writing will be much moreso.

You guys should hire me! I’m a great “idea” man!

One of the best VFX from the original appears to have been left intact: Tracey fires his phaser at Kirk, but instead vaporizes a large piece of pottery or a basket.

“Also agreed that the Joseph ships being depicted in the movies retroactively makes them TOS canon”

That these things have been sold for years with the blessing of CBS-Paramount doe snot preculde that they could be seen in the REMASTERS or even the new FILM. However, not all the book is so.

There are only a slate of certain “TOS style” ships that are possible, Joseph has the most plausable ones that have a design lineage to the Constitution Class.

Also, while seeing TNG and maybe even slightly post “TMP” era ships is “anti-canon,” we can assume that the massive SPACEDOCK and Office Complex in earth orbit existed in the TOS era and…that some of the ancillary ships from ENT could possibly come out as “older” ships/freighters/museums (like the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas.)

Honestly, if there were to be a new TREK series following a real “TOS” inspired well written canonical FILM, one that begins in during the 5th year of the Original 5 year mission featuring another crew (maybe even adapted from Novels and Comics of quality) and that evolves, and ends, into the ST:TWOK era.

Have a storyline arc over three seasons, prewritten and canonical (like an Epic):

1st season is TOS era
2nd season some years later, maybe after V’ger
3rd season after TWOK

Everyone signs on for all of it at the begining, with adaptability for the unseen circumstance…then it ends/gives way to something else Trek-wise.

Just a flight of fancy I thought I would share that would do wonders to solidify “canon,” provide a epic “character driven” STAR TREK story.

Also agreed that the Joseph ships being depicted in the movies retroactively makes them TOS canon (including the Dreadnought, which is mentioned at the beginning of TMP). It’ll be CBS-D’s call whether we actually see any of them; my guess is that we won’t. What I can’t understand myself are those calling for substantial changes to the TOS Enterprise for a prequel film who nevertheless can rationalize to themselves that the film isn’t a reboot.