Comments on: Live Forever Watching the ‘Metamorphosis’ Remastered Preview

By: T Negative

T Negative — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 19:56:07 +0000

I noticed CBS put in some CG mountains and clouds when we first see Cochrane running towards Kirk and Co. A very nice added bonus!! The rocks around Cochrane looked like they were fluorescing under the dim light shining through the clouds. Very interesting approach by CBS but it made the set appear very alien. I liked it.

Either way I am thrilled CBS added some clouds and mountains!! Anything they do at this point to enhance the planet sets is a pleasant surprise.

The Shuttle Galileo shots were SO SO.

By: Jeff Bond

Jeff Bond — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 18:45:12 +0000

I thought the colors and contrast on the transfer here were pretty extreme–almost in an interesting way but a lot of it just looked wrong–I love the soundstage work they did on this episode but it was printed here to make a lot of the scenes, particularly the post-shuttle-landing scenes at the beginning, look like night (the initial shot of Cochrane running toward the shuttle is particularly bizarre, with amazingly “hot” green lights hitting the actor amid this deep purple background–the contrasts are so extreme it almost looks like animation). That and the pop-out green of Eleanor Donahue’s costume were distracting–I always thought this was one of the most beautiful-looking episodes but this transfer actually pushes it into garish territory.
Not much they could do with the Companion so the new space shots are an odd compromise…and I do feel the overall look is tending toward CG as opposed to the photo-real look that some of the best early shots with the new model acheived. I just got high-def and KTLA’s broadcast is uneven too–”Catspaw” looked amazing, “Gamesters of Triskelian” didn’t look high-def at all, “Metamorphosis” looked good again but the extreme contrast of the transfer didn’t help.

By: planettom

planettom — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:08:44 +0000

What’s the fan explanation of why Kirk describes him as “Zefram Cochran of Alpha Centauri?” I mean, even if he later moved to Alpha Centauri, it seems odd that the inventor of warp drive on Earth, a guy who was present at First Contact with Vulcans, would be remembered as being “of Alpha Centauri.”

That part where Commissioner Hedford/Companion makes a veil of her blouse and looks through it at Zefram, apparently to give herself “Companion-Vision”… I was thinking maybe she was lifting her blouse to show Zefram her tattoo, or her thong, or that she wasn’t wearing panties, or something along those lines.

By: Tombstone R

Tombstone R — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:33:25 +0000

Hello;
I am now 36 and have been a ST TOS fan since childhood/all my life. Please see my art web space for paintings http://artdak.dyndns.org As a fan it bothered me when product art was imperfect. Wrong colors and or missing ace braids on shirt, backwards printed photos, etc. Now after all this time I like the off/wrong stuff more then the usual right on accuracy=because there is just so so much product stuff/images. So the point…
Remastering the TOS sounded like a great idea. It still does. But when the episodes play and they cut from the episode to remastered episode effects…it just feel like a cut or commercial. I agree with those who think it should be all or nothing if you are going to do somthing…especially fix the tombstone R.

I would like to see lots of new spaceship designs, switch the Gorn episode to dark nite to chill out the low budget gorn suit (can they do that?), and plenty of creative artistic imagination. Cartoons have plenty of great simple effects these days. Why not use a multitude of effects and tecniques to bring the TOS up to speed with modern entertainment.

My final opinion is that the previews remastered would have been enough if they are only going to redo space scenes and not go for all out star trek continuity. How many times can fans buy the TOS 3 seasons again? I am satisfied with the 1st round of dvds that we all already have and the preview trailers on itunes.

P.S.-
You guys say some funny stuff in these blogs.
Thanks for the laughs.
…and serious stuff 2! …of course

By: badboy1230

badboy1230 — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:03:41 +0000

(#’s77, 78)

I agree that acknowleging sequels and prequels is not in the original mandate. I just thought that putting in a picture of the NX-01 or the phoenix hanging on the wall would be reletively easy and a nice touch. (not absolutely neccessary, though!)

By: Holo J

Holo J — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:29:53 +0000

77. Michael Hall

“With respect, no, it shouldn’t. Retro-conning TOS and its sequels/prequel is not part of CBS-D’s mandate”

Hi Michael

No it wasn’t part of CBS-D’s original mandate, you are right! But what I am saying is there should be a Special Edition version made available out there for people who would like to see a more complete update. I am pretty sure it will be done one day. I just hope it’s done in my life time. I know there are enough people who would like to see it. I just hope the Suits at CBS Paramount realise it and get on and do sooner rather than later. I would definitely buy the episodes on DVD again if there had been a complete update made for all the dated effects.

As it stands at the moment I am still interested to see what CBS turn out each week but I don’t expect much any more and I wouldn’t buy the new DVD as much as they are an improvement over the originals, I don’t think enough has been changed to own another set of these episodes. I still feel it has been a wasted opportunity.

I am aware the original mandate was just to enhance matt painting and all the space shots but I think they have been very short sighted by only doing this. It’s great to have the picture cleaned up and in HD now but I would also have liked to have heard the sound enhanced in places as well as seeing more done to the effects. It has just been the most cost effective (Cheap) make over the Suits could get away with and I feel TOS deserves better.

I don’t want to take anything anyway from CBS Digital because most of the work they HAVE done has been great, its just a shame more time and money hasn’t been given to this project. This project could have been so much more and still retained the respectful approach CBS digital has applied to their work but instead, for me anyway its been a missed opportunity.

By: Michael Hall

Michael Hall — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 03:35:34 +0000

For Heaven’s sake, it should happen!
But I’m not holding my breath..”

With respect, no, it shouldn’t. Retro-conning TOS and its sequels/prequel is not part of CBS-D’s mandate, not should it be. And while I’m on that subject, for my money when done well their renderings look a helluva lot closer to the original studio model than Greg Jein’s “Trials and Tribbilations” miniature did (and I’m a big fan of Jein’s work).

As for the episode itself, I’ve always considered it one of Trek’s (and Gene Coon’s) best, and had so taken it for granted most fans felt likewise that I’m fairly startled at the “meh” reaction in some of the postings here.

By: badboy1230

badboy1230 — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:28:54 +0000

Besides, at least some Cochrane’s ship must have made it down to the planet. The Companion did’t see to have the ability to pluck someone out of a ship and carry them through space and safely put them down on the ground. Otherwise, she would have done it to our shuttle crew.

By: The Vulcanista

The Vulcanista — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:34:36 +0000

71
Everything you said in paragraph 1 was correct, but we weren’t talking about a replica, just a picture/rendering.

Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|

By: TJ Trek

TJ Trek — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:45:53 +0000

as far as what I have seen , I have not been impressed with he new renderings of almost everythin. It looks cheap. If there are going to bother to do it at all, why not do at least as good a job as ENTERPRISE did. Those ships looked real (for the most part) the Enterprise itself I thought was amazing. One of the good things going for that show