Thirty-one years ago today, Star Trek - The Motion Picture was released to American movie theaters. For Trekkies like myself, it was a huge event - I remember sitting in the theater at Augusta's Turnpike Mall, entranced. For a lot of years, the film got a bad rap - even by me - but over the last decade or so, its reputation seems to have improved substantially. I'm not sure if it's because the Robert Wise Director's Cut that was released on DVD was so much better than the original version or if we've just finally caught up with what is, at its best, a thoughtful science fiction adventure that exhibits a genuine sense of wonder about the universe.
suddenly I feel really really old. TMP is actually my second favorite of the Star Trek movies.
ReplyDeleteI'm a ST:TMP apologist. Yes, the frustrating things about it are still frustrating, though the director's cut mitigates them to some degree. But for my money, it's the only film of the franchise that makes an attempt at presenting a believable look at the future.
ReplyDeleteStill...man, that is a terrible trailer.
It's amazing how unfinished the trailer is, as far as the final sounds effects and music go. But it is one of my favorite Trek movies. And you're right -- the Director's Cut does the movie a lot of justice. I was happy to see all of the updated effects and additional scenes. I especially liked the removal of Kirk's horrific line "Oh...my...God" during the transporter accident. And the part where he yelled at Uhura to turn the viewer off.
ReplyDeleteI remember the documentary discussing about how the movie reels were sent to the theaters still wet and how they barely made the release date. They should have released it about six months later and more polished, but that's Hollywood for ya. I'd buy an updated version on Blu-ray.
I enjoyed it significantly more the last time I watched it two or so years ago. Probably helps that Persis Khambatta is high on my Space Babes list.
ReplyDeleteThat, and I saw it in the theater when I was four. It's not exactly Cars or Herbie Goes Bananas.
BTW, any plans to cover Moonbase 3 on this blog?
British shows like Moonbase 3, Star Maidens, Blake's 7, Doctor Who - these were not part of my childhood as a 70s sci-fi fan, and above all else, this blog is about my memories and experiences. Space: 1999 and UFO were both syndicated in my area when I was growing up, so they're the exceptions.
ReplyDeleteWith the exception of Doctor Who (of which I'm a huge fan, by the way, going back to the mid-80s), I've never seen an episode of those shows, and couldn't write about them with any authority at all.
Hey Christopher, I’ve been meaning to ask you about ‘Blake’s 7’ and Classic ‘Doctor Who’ forever now so I’m glad to see that you’ve addressed this question. I became a huge fan of both shows back in the 80’s when they were on my local public television station in St. Louis.
ReplyDeleteLike I said above - I LOVE Doctor Who; classic & new. But I didn't discover the show until my twenties. It didn't air in Maine on PBS until around 1985 or so.
ReplyDeleteI still have never lived anywhere that showed Blake's 7 and have never seen an episode.
I would highly recommend ‘Blake’s 7’ if you ever get a chance to see it. I was able to obtain the entire series on DVD (Region 2 Import) a few years back. In fact, I bought a multi-region DVD player specifically for ‘Blake’s 7’!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I have been wanting to contact you for a while now. I visit the Space: 1970 blog almost every day and it has been a huge influence on my DVD viewing. I recently bought ‘Starcrash’, ‘Message From Space’ and ‘The Starlost’ series all because of your site! Also, while I already had an unwatched copy of ‘Ark II’, I started watching it after reading your review of the series and only have two more episodes to go. I’m basically working my way through many of the shows and movies that you cover on the blog. Thanks for the inspiration!
hell yeah ive got this on laserdisk
ReplyDeleteThe night of Friday December 7th 1979, I was fifteen and I was there at the cinema with friends to see Star Trek The Motion Picture...good memories after spending the '70s watching first Star Trek The Animated Series in 1973-74 and Star Trek The Original Series in monday through friday reruns.
ReplyDeleteSGB
I cut school that day in December to see ST:TMP. Man what a big deal the movie was back then! I had been going to Star Trek Conventions in NYC since 1977 and was as primed as I could be.
ReplyDeleteI saw it seven times at the Theater and I thought it was great the first six times, but some time during that seventh viewing I started to come out my Star Trek trance and I began to notice that the film…had…problems. But I still enjoy watching it, especially the Directors Cut DVD.
Excellent site, thanks!
I didn't get into anything Trek until 1981 when I was 11 and the local UHF channel started showing the series on Saturday afternoons. The first time I saw STTMP wasn't until it came on TV in early 1983 (I believe). I was bored to tears the first I saw it. I enjoy it more now and the Director's Cut does help greatly. It's better than the piece of crap STV and the rather mediocre ST3, but not as good as any of the even number films.
ReplyDeleteAgree, I think ST-TMP has aged well over time, and agree with David Thiel--a believable look at the future.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't into Star Trek yet when I first saw The Motion Picture in 1979. I was only nine then and I really didn't get it. Thity-one years later, I see the film as a unique experience, a stand-alone entry in the enormous Trek franchise which aspires to go beyond the limitations of space opera and be something BETTER. The Motion Picture may not be the same experience as the excellent Wrath of Khan, but it was a bold attempt at something else, and that certainly makes it worthwhile as far as THIS carbon unit is concerned.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people knock the movie as "the worst of the series" but we got a lot of Trek lore from the movie. First of all, we get a look at the modern Klingons and we also get our first taste of the Klingon language (plus a revisit to the D7 ships from the T.V. series). We get to see Starfleet Command in San Francisco, which had never been shown before (as well as Earth). We were also shown a large variety of aliens -- more than any other Trek movie in the 80's, paving the way for the multi-cultural Next Generation series. Plus, we got to see the refit Enterprise, which established the new look and feel for the ships in the movies.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of the feedback that the fans gave the studio helped make Wrath of Khan a better movie. (Like when they ditched the pajama uniforms for the new red ones). Overall, the movie re-launched the whole Star Trek franchise for a whole new generation.
Even though I like Star Trek and saw episodes during the 70's and 80's of the original series, I was never enough of a fan to call myself a Trekkie. And maybe because of that I was able to really enjoy ST:TMP when it came out since I had no expectations for it and saw as a stand alone movie. I have never understood why Trek fandom looks down upon it.
ReplyDeleteDear Chris
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say that I enjoy looking at your site. It certainly brings back plenty of wonderful memories for me, as far as science fiction is concerned. Be it Star Trek, Space:1999, Logan's Run, Star Wars, Superman, Alien, Moonraker, The Martian Chronicles, and so on and so forth. Keep up the good work. It gets better with each viewing.
My favorite Trek film. It really creates a future world of incredible detail. Really a big, epic sci-fi movie about who/what is human. Very classy, very organized. Most of Robert Wise's movies are. It was 1978, Roddenberry could have assured himself accolades by copying Star Wars. He stuck to his concept, even giving the fans invested in Trek an explanation for the elapsed time since the series -- i.e. the Enterprise refit, what the crew had been up to. I like the other movies, but I can always see something new in this one.
ReplyDeleteI have seen this movie countless times, including at least 9 times in the theater. I was 11 when this was released and I can still distinctly remember standing outside in the freezing wind and cold, in a line stretching well outside of the theater, on premiere day. I remember enjoying every minute of this movie. I loved the look, the score, the story... everything. It was Star Trek at the movies and it was awesome! And, advertising was everywhere! Star Trek place mats and happy meals at McDonald's. Star Trek models at the store. Star Trek commercials on TV. Trek, Trek, Trek! It was Trekker heaven!
ReplyDeleteBut, I think the very best thing about that time in my life was learning how much my Dad really loved me. Any adult non-trekker who would sit through that movie 9 times without uttering a word of disdain, must certainly love their child. And, while I can't remember every viewing, I remember a few and I remember thinking how great my Dad was to take me to this same movie over and over.
And, he did it again for the second and third movies, but TMP holds a special place in my heart, and I can't see it to this day, without thinking of those great times with my Dad.