New Commentary For ST:TMP Director’s Edition July 13, 2007
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Feature Films (TMP-NEM) , trackback
A brand new audio commentary for the Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director’s edition is now available at STARTREK.COM. The commentary features the production crew behind the DE: Daren R. Dochterman, David C. Fein and Michael Matessino. The commentary was recorded just last month and covers things not discussed in director Robert Wise’s commentary on the original disks. Go to STARTREK.COM to download it.
If you don’t have it you will need to pick up Star Trek – The Motion Picture: The Director’s Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector’s Edition)
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Outstanding.
Daren, was this newly created for the HD version???? And what about the films heavy grain, I know you and the other effects crew had to add grain to the new effects to match it up with the film master, will this be cleaned up??
I hate the way R. Wise clipped the Klingon begining in the DC DVD. Heck that was the best part of the movie!
What the new effects, editing and sound crew did make this movie actually enjoyable! I put it on quite often now and watch this version. I hadn’t done that to the original version in years. It is more exciting and feels a little more like ST. Hearing the old sound effects also made it more fun.
Terrific. I can’t wait to hear this.
Cool, I also anxiously await the HD or BD version of TSar Trek-The Motion Picture. In my opinion, the best film in terms of granduer and scope and pure cinema.
I asked Daren on his website about this film, no reply. So I figure he has no info on it yet, unless the audio commentary says something about it!
I wish the Sci-Fi Channel and others would latch on to “Director’s Cut” thinking. I’d love to see this, but I really don’t want to plunk down big bucks for a nearly 30-year old movie I’ve seen a dozen times already.
AMC has been playing the director’s cut of Das Boot which is fan-freakin’-tastic, by the way. ABC once ran the “extra scenes” version of TWOK, which was so-so. (Sorry, but Scotty weaping in sick bay needed to be kept short.)
Anthony, if you know of any mailing or emailing addresses where we can ask for such things, let us know. Sci-Fi, local affiliates regarding remastered showtimes, anything like that. I think that would be a valid thread or link on this site. And whilst I’m bugging you… can you get Cawley to commit to allowing downloads on WEAT?
i think its safe 2 say that TMP-DE is as much the definative version of the film as the DC of Blade Runner is…i dont think u can get the original 1979 version on dvd at all. i do think they shud have put the old version on disc 2 tho (not just the bits that were changed)…like they did with the Alien films.
#7
“I’d love to see this, but I really don’t want to plunk down big bucks for a nearly 30-year old movie I’ve seen a dozen times already.”
Big bucks? How cheap are you to buy a DVD. It’s worth it for the special features alone. You are missing out.
” wish the Sci-Fi Channel and others would latch on to “Director’s Cut” thinking. I’d love to see this, but I really don’t want to plunk down big bucks for a nearly 30-year old movie I’ve seen a dozen times already.”
Ever hear of rental? Blockbuster? Netflix? The Mom & Pop place down the street?
“i dont think u can get the original 1979 version on dvd at all.”
You can’t get the original theatrical cut or the special extended version on DVD. Through the byzantine details of Hollywood contracts, the theatrical cut was released on VHS for a period of time before it went out of print and was supplanted by the extended cut, while the original theatrical cut was the only version ever released on laserdisc. So the most complete picture one can have of the various incarnations of STTMP require you to have the DVD, the VHS and probably the laserdisc. And I’m enough of a nerd to have all three.
From what I saw its about 10 bucks last I saw at Amazon. I prefer this cut over the Original Version. Its seamless with the material. It looks like how it was filmed in the late 70’s. Robert Wise a great choice for director because of his past credentials with Science Fiction.
I just wish more of Hollywood was like that now.
I’ve seen ST:TMP Director’s Cut for like $9.99 at WalMart.
Hardly the “big bucks”…LMAO!!!!
I watched ST:II:TWOK yesterday and the quality on the DE DVD was poor at best.
To let these films decay is a crime. Paramount needs to have the first half remastered and the second half rescanned. This is ridiculous.
Okay, it improved on the original quite a bit, but there was still some VERY awkward stiffness in the characters and a decidedly hefty lack of “the old Star Trek CHARM. The whole vision for the movie missed the mark with a heavy dose of over ambitious pomposity in the rehashed NOMAD script trying very hard to be 2001: A Space Oddysey instead of being itself. Not to mention the extremely horrible leisure suits. Big kudos go to the ever illustrious Jerry Goldsmith for an amazing soundtrack ( I miss him sorely) and to Syd Mead for some great design work as usual.
all I can say is THANK GOD WRATH OF KHAN CAME OUT NEXT.
I’m sure we will be seeing remastered movies once the new films start coming out. TWOK needs to be cleaned for sure, and some scenes (like the overlong Scotty crying scene) need to be cut again. As for adding new special effects, the only film that really needs it is ST V: The Final Frontier.
.. .As for who should do future effects for remastered movies, I say it should be Industrial Lights and Magic; especially if they are doing effects for the new movie.
The commentary is sadly a bit dull. I fell asleep at one point.
[...] (Anm.: Dies ist eine Übersetzung des Original-Artikels des Trek Movie Reports) [...]
I like this movie mostly because it gave us the only updated 70’s version of Trek.
big bucks? lol what do u beg on the streets? its only about 10 bucks! TMP is a damn good SF film. twas the most expensive movie ever at one point at $45 million (think that includes all the failed attempts too)
Star Trek The Motion Picture is the one I play most often, many times just having it on in the background while I’m doing something else. I love the soundtrack and it seems the most futuristic of the movies. I even like the uniforms, at least better than the ones that were introduced in Khan.
I wish it had been closer in style and tone to the TV series, but it did make sense the way it was presented as being a refit set several years after the 5 year mission.
It was quite an event reuniting the original cast for the movie and I remember anxiously anticipating it.
Although I have an awareness of the new movie, mostly through reading this site, there is none of that excitement present. Recasting any of those roles with different actors just really bugs the heck out of me, regardless of whatever else they come up with. Some people call that a narrow-minded point of view. To those people, I say, “Go kiss a Mugato.”
I am looking forward to listening to the new commentary track.
Welcome back! ;)
ST: TMP is equally spotty and surprisingly quite dirty in the supposed updated DE. Like Demode mentioned for TWOK why Paramount allows
this to happen is certainly beyond me. Why can’t they clean up each frame
IF necessary? All the updates don’t mean squat IF the film is still grainy.
Of course looking back at my latest post…The film is dirty and thats utterly deplorable with todays technology. Would it cost them that much to fix it?
Lord Garth has a wicked system (good setup) and in HD the dirt really shows up….sort of funny how home technology is better then what Hollywood is willing to spend to make the corrections. Well….you know what I mean.
“I even like the uniforms, at least better than the ones that were introduced in Khan.”
Your opinion is valid, but I’m just curious about what’s wrong the Khan ones… probably the most consistent approach to Trek costuming since the original series, IMO.
I just read the August, 1978 version of STTMP (yeah, I know, Star Trek nut) and it’s amazing how much was cut out. Everything in Khan that people like was in STTMP; security men having a phaser battle on the bridge, Kirk getting attacked by V’ger,; compartments exploding when V’Ger attacked; McCoy dealing with casualties; Spock and Decker in the captains’s chair; many scenes with the secondary characters, including a chance meeting with Chapel where she kind of suggests to Kirk she’d like working with McCoy; the ship evading “whiplash energy bolts” (it kind of sits there in the movie as flimed); Spock breaking the code to speak with V’ger on the bridge and the ending is similar except that Kirk is beamed down by Ilia to Starfleet records to retrieve the microfilm of Voyager 6 command codes because it wasn’t in the database. I guess special effects took up the time, because most of there were small scenes. I think the movie as is s classic trek, if the problem was they couldn’t get all this done, then they managed to get people who could simplify the themes and still keep it an intelligent story that still holds up, for me, anyway. But Roddenberry had it all on paper; this version would have been like a late second season episode. Wish they could restore some of this footage in another edition. Some scenes must exist, unlike the Admiral Nogura stuff which doesn’t appear to have been filmed.
Is that ‘78 draft online somewhere?
The only thing the TMP uniforms needed was some color. If those uniforms had used black and the color scheme of TOS and onward then they would have been cool.
>>Big bucks? How cheap are you to buy a DVD. It’s worth it for the special features alone. You are missing out.
Well….I think most people remember or are referring to a time when special DVD’s (with extras) use to easily cost between $25.00 and $30.00 each and
not the common ones that are mass produced and sold cheaply at Walmart.
>>So the most complete picture one can have of the various incarnations of STTMP require you to have the DVD, the VHS and probably the laserdisc. And I’m enough of a nerd to have all three.
Oh, really?
Hmm…..just checked E-Bay. They have ST-TMP on Laserdisk for under $5.00 and a player for about $25.00 – so thats not a bad deal.
Lord Garth….Hark….where are you? Its your lowly slave girl seeking your knowledge. How do you think a Laser-Disk version hooked up through a
older player (of course) would look on a HD TV? I imagine it wouldn’t make
much difference but I’d appreciate your input on this. Thanks Again….
re: 25 Jovan and 28. THEETrekMaster
THEETrekmaster has it about right. To me, the series uniforms were perfect in regards to style and color. Maybe the pants and boots could have been updated slightly. STTMP uniforms would have looked better in the series color scheme. The built-in boots looked kind of cool, but probably were very impractical.
I hated the coats starting in Wrath of Khan. They were just too different from the shirt style of the series. They looked extremely uncomfortable and restricting, therefore to me not a good style for use on a busy starship.
Or something like that.
And to those of you who say Star Trek is not about red, blue, and gold uniforms and red bridge railings and all the other stylistic things about the series, you can all go kiss a Tholian.
“Well….I think most people remember or are referring to a time when special DVD’s (with extras) use to easily cost between $25.00 and $30.00 each and
not the common ones that are mass produced and sold cheaply at Walmart. ”
The STTMP-DE DVD you can buy cheaply at Walmart now is the same one that was initially released several years ago. It just has a lower price now because its been out for several years. The content and quality of the product are the same. Its sold cheaper now because they know everyone who would pay $25 for it already has one. If one were to wait a few more years, it may well drop from the $9.99 price point to the $7.50 or even the $5.00 price point. Or even better, go to Blockbuster and rent it for a greenback dollar.
Or do what I sometimes do (when it works) I just rent the DVD – burn a copy for myself and then I’m all set. Thats the sweetest deal of all. Burn Baby Burn!
imagine Twok with everyone in Tmp uniforms…or tmp with everyone in twok uniforms or even tos uniforms wow thats just totally tripped me out…. wow…what else? twok with tmp soundtrack… dont think any other film series with the same cast has been through so many changes with uniforms, music, etc
Duane- A laserdisk hooked up to an HD TV would look the same as hooked up to a standard tv. About the same as a standard dvd player. Unless you attach an upconverting dvd player or HD DVD/Blu-Ray player with HDMI, DVI or Component cables capable of upconversion the signal will not be better than standard progressive scan players. If an HD-Blu-Ray player is too rich for your blood and you already have an HDTV, the upconverting DVD players might be a good solution. They are cheap (between $50- $100) and will upconvert your standard dvd’s to near HD levels on an HDTV (the same as HD and Blu-Ray players do with standard dvds) They will not play HD DVD’s or Blu-ray disks but they are a good in between solution for someone on a budget who already has an HDTV but doesn’t want to jump up to HD or Blu-ray. It should be noted that each month HD DVD and Blu-Ray players costs are dropping and many studios plan to put out combo disks (One side of the disk HD DVD the other side Blu-Ray) thus possibly ending the dumb format war.
Oh….Lord Garth! I’m am humbled again in your presence. Bowing both repeatedly and meekly! And to think….me but a humble slave girl. The Glory and wonderment of it….like I died and went to heaven.
Stanky,
Just my opinion, but the thing about the the II-VI uniforms is that they are TOO militaristic and not FUTURistic enough. I never thought those uniforms went well with the sets either.
At least the TMP uniforms were futuristic. And that’s what I liked about the TNG uniforms. I never cared for the DS9/Voyager uniforms either.
I understand one reason for why they changed those uniforms though — waistlines. I think — and rightfully so — they were concerned about how Doohan for example was going to look in those form-fitting TMP uniforms going further into the series.
That’s one good thing about the II-VI uniforms — they are very forgiving of weight and neck wrinkles (because of the turtlenecks).
TTM
This is the only 70’s version of Trek which is why I like it
everyone see the tos era shuttlecraft taking off in the DE when kirk arrives at starfleet? that must b the only piece of TOS equipment or the like to feature in the films.
is any1 SERIOUSLY gonna replace their dvd collections with HD DVD discs? after having just replaced their vhs collections with dvd? i know its better picture & sound but this is getting ridicoulus!!
I doubt I will….I would buy new stuff on HD DVD.
Snake- Yeah, many of us do. Not with everything because many of the standard dvds still look tremendous upconverted on an HD/Blu-ray player. Treat yourself brother, you won’t be disappointed
#44 Snake…
I’m with you! Long live the standard format DVD!
I have a huge collection of movies now and I don’t plan on replacing them with HD DVDs. Besides I don’t even have a HD television anyway..so it would be a total waste of money.
Someday…and only when the HD DVD format war has long been settled, I may purchase a new HD TV and a HD DVD player that can play both the new HD disks, as well as the stardard ones.
I just hope the newly remastered TOS sets are released in the stardard DVD format and not just on HD. If not I ain’t going to buy them! Are you listening Paramount/CBS?
Mike :o
right on bro. it just about killed me replacing my vhs collection with dvd (had to be done tho) i’ll be damned if i gonna do it again with the same frickin format! maybe if they bring out interactive holographic versions.. but otherwise no… christ the thought of havin to buy the same films again. id have 2 think twice about collecting films at alL
That’s the August 9, 1978 draft. Maybe the memory wall scene is somewhere online but not the whole thing. You can probably pick it up somewhere.
I’ll say simply that the DC is far superior to the original. Visually and thematically. It holds together a lot better and is a lot more watchable.
I’m going to hold out for the “2012 Director’s Grandson Edition” which will hopefully contain the “smello-rama” 6.1 smelltrack, as well as an informative commentary from the Director’s grandson and his former babysitter.
Mike :o
21. Stanky McFibberich
Same here, I love having the first film on in the background for some reason. Great soundtrack and nostalgia to go with it I suppose. I always stop and watch it when it’s on cable as well. The other films just aren’t as enjoyable, perhaps it’s the 70’s vibe that many of us here all seem to miss.
51. MichaelJohn
I second that! Perhaps it will come with some scratch ‘n’ sniff cards :D
Ok, about that commentary:
1.) If there was a mention of Abel and Associates I missed it.
2.) Darren, can we see that finished shot you rendered of Kirk exiting the airlock from the Memory Wall sequence? That would be cool.
3.) Error in crediting on the wormhole bridge shots. That was the ONE and ONLY sequence that kept Abel footage. Abel didn’t do the exterior wormhole effect, but did the bridge footage that was streaked. This is why Abel and Associates — and Richard Taylor in particular — have a credit during the closing credits of the film.
4.) The bridge footage with the V’ger light footage was shot while Abel and Associates was still working on the effects. I have talked to Richard Taylor about this and he described in detail the shooting for that sequence — and his plans for what the V’Ger probe was going to look like (nothing like what is in the final film, btw).
5.) I hope to have my articles on the work of Robert Abel and Associates back up online in the near future — and at that point, you’ll be able to piece together the true history of the visual effects. This is something that has never been presented — either on a DVD extra or in a book. It goes a long way in dispelling the myth that the visuals began and ended with Trumbull and Dykstra (even though I admire those two greats tremendously!). The groundwork for their work (MOST of the miniature work, design, etc.) was laid out long before they arrived on the film.
Great commentary track. A terrific addition to the film and a shame it couldn’t have been on the actual DVD. Definitely a keeper!
Just to set the record straight, or at least as I have learned it…
Abel and Associates and Richard Taylor received credit on the film at the end contractually for actually ONE shot that was in the released film. The explosion of the asteroid at the end of the wormhole sequence. As far as I know that was the only finished effect that Abel’s people did that remained in the film. (there might have been some playback graphics on the control panels in the bridge, but I’m not sure.) As that shot has been replaced in the Director’s Edition, and since Mr. Wise when he was alive really disliked talking about Abel and his company, we didn’t mention him in the commentary. (For the record, we did contact Mr. Abel in 2000 when we were approaching cast and crew for interviews, but he declined. He passed away unexpectedly in October of 2001)
The Wormhole streaking lights sequence was done by Robert Swarthe and his crew for Trumbull. (Though something like it undoubtedly was planned by Abel’s Group)
Abel’s group, and Richard Taylor in particular, are responsible for the first phase of redesigning of the Enterprise herself. It was Taylor who came up with the “art deco” look of the new warp engines, though the self illumination and floodlight fixtures that are found on the final shooting model were handled by Andy Probert, one of the only holdovers from Abel’s art department, under the direction of Trumbull.
It is truly sad that a very dedicated team of artists and craftsmen fell short of completing their tasks on this film. Perhaps if there had been another year before release, they would have been able to bring their visually stunning ideas to the screen. However, the motion picture industry is one of deadlines… and that often clashes with the pioneering artistic spirit… as it did in this case. After a year of in depth research, development, equipment building, and spending a major portion of their budget, a paltry amount of footage existed. I have seen some of it, and it was enough to put the studio into a tailspin… partly due to a lack of vision, yes… but also due to a real concern over time constraints and the ability of a maverick effects company to fulfill their contract.
Very little of the development work that Abel’s company did saw through to the final film. And this is why they were, perhaps wrongly, not mentioned by us.
The Kirk Exit from the enterprise shot made it only to a still storyboard form in pre production of the director’s edition. Due to our own budget and time constraints, it never made it past that… and I personally was never pleased with what I had come up with for it. So, I’m afraid it will remain unseen.
Hope this clarifies our reasoning, and the information that we learned.
cheers.
drd
#56 Daren Doc
That’s answered a few things of interest. I am very glad that the late great Robert Wise got the chance to do his Director’s Cut of ST:TMP, as it is a big improvement on what was rushed in it’s original release.
Daren,
Great post. True, it was Trumbull’s idea to add the spotlights (and the detail around the upper and lower saucer domes) to the Enterprise.
I plan on having my interview with Mr. Taylor back up online soon — complete with pre-production art, set drawings and more. He was kind enough to loan a good portion of the original production artwork to me and I was able to take digital photos of a lot of it.
Once up, I hope you and other visitors find it interesting. It will be a true historical archive of that phase of TMP’s production. This phase of production is important because it was during this phase that MOST of the look and feel for Star Trek onward was established. I plan to make this archive as complete as I can make it at this juncture and with the artifacts I have.
And it’s interesting to see what had been planned for the film, yet was not accomplished…
Too bad Abel declined your interview request…a lot of excellent talent worked for Abel and contributed to Star Trek, Tron and other films. It would have been a chance to showcase their contributions to the franchise.
I think if the film had had a Lucas-like figure (setting up a permanent Trek effects house — a la’ ILM.) developing the film then perhaps Abel might have eventually pulled off the effects.
TTM
#58 THEETrekmaster
I will definately find your interview and pre-production photos of interest, and look forward to you putting the “link” to it up here when you are ready to.
Will do, Cervantes! :-)