07.21.00 "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" DVD Set To Get Facelift

On the heels of the recent DVD release of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) has confirmed that the first film in the series, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," will be enhanced and re-edited for its upcoming release in the DVD format.

A formal announcement will be made in the weeks ahead, which is expected to include news that "ST: TMP" is undergoing an overhaul in its visual effects. Plus, scenes that were shot but not included in the theatrical release will be re-added. The film is being re-edited by director Robert Wise, 21 years after he originally helmed the project, according to PHE.

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" came to theaters in December 1979, and featured the cast of the original TV series, a decade after the show was cancelled. The release, set for some time in 2001, will mark the final Star Trek film to be released on DVD.

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Doesn't look like there will be an iso score... but regardless, it should be an excellent disc! Let's hope the speculated formal announcement becomes a reality.

Jeron

I would only lament the loss of the beautiful strains of one of Jerry's finest scores...

Perhaps they'll do a seemless branching thing, like what they did with The Abyss, Independence Day and Terminator 2 allowing you to decide which version of the film you'd want to watch.

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A formal announcement will be made in the weeks ahead, which is expected to include news that "ST: TMP" is undergoing an overhaul in its visual effects.

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Mostly from an aesthetic view. I never liked the uniforms. and the bald-headed chick annoys me "Decker Unit..."

If I can love films like The Cell and Phantom Menace for only their visuals, I can also despise films like TMP for its visuals, here mostly confined to the costumes. Call me shallow; you'd be right.

***insert rim-shot here***

But seriously, recently in San Antonio, they held a GeekCon2000, I mean a Star Trek convention (yes I went) and Grace Lee Whitney was there. When she wasnt blathering on and on about her 12 step program, she did happen to mention TMP saying that Wise was indeed retooling it and had mentioned to her that he might need some of the actors as well. Does that mean pick-up shots? 21 years later?? How funny.

You know how they say that only the even numbered Treks are "good"? Well, TMP is my fave of the odds. More (not by much though) than Search for Spock. Final Frontier is a piece of dog-poop (except the score is awesome!). Generations.......tried. Insurrection was embarassing.
(As for the evens my list goes 2,4,6,8.....interesting hmmm?)

Also at the Con was some guy who'd been Roddenberry's right hand man for a number of years. He started off by asking the crowd what timeline of Trek was their fave. Classic, NextGen, Pre-Classic. He said that time and time again NextGen (the timeline itself) is the most popular thats why theyd never do a series based in the classic or pre-classic timelines. He went on to make a comment that Star Trek is a cash cow and that it is an inexhaustible source of stories and enjoyment and apparently $$$$$.

Personally I think Star trek NEEDS a rest. AND A GOOD ONE! Not because Im a casual fan (which Im not cuz I dig it). But because I think we should ask the question as to WHY they keep making new movies and series'. I think the business aspect is the driving force behind Star Trek now and has compromised its CREATIVE INTEGRITY. "They" are NOT producing things Trek because of its message. Sure they talk about keeping Genes "vision" alive but its alive because it makes money, NOT BECAUSE PARAMOUNT WANTS audiences to realize that it shares in the ideals that Star Trek tries to uphold. It is this MONETARY motivation that leaves Star Trek VERY shallow and hollow for me nowadays. Even Robert Beltran has said that "Voyager's writers are brain-dead."
If this is so (and just look at 80% of the episodes) its because there is a lack of creativity. Star Trek is being kept alive because of the money it generates.
I say let it die......FOR NOW. Let time pass and lets see what NEW ideas can be written for the franchise in lets say.....TEN YEARS or so.

Give it a rest already.......please.

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Originally posted by meegle:
Well I heard that the version shown on the airplane was SO bad.........people were walking out.

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Now tell me, while an interesting premise, how do you walk out of an airplane?

Had they letterboxed it, the film would have had even more of an unfinished feel that would not have jibed with the relatively antiseptic production design.

Regarding the isolated scores, as I understand it, the record companies that are involved with the production of some of the soundtrack albums are not happy about this idea and have made this known in no uncertain terms to Paramount.

NP - Indochine by Patrick Doyle