Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Jul. 19th, 2009 12:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stephbgSo, we did it: watched all ST:TOS and special features provided with the DVD set. The Season 3 doccos were almost as depressing as some of the episodes. Tonight we started on the movie franchise. Thank god for low expectations.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
I'd seen this at least twice on television, because I remember noting the difference between the theatre release and the 20-odd minute shorter director's cut. Other than that, and a vague recollection that it was ponderous and boring, I didn't remember much.
Coming fresh from the TV series was a good move I think. Season 3 had prepared us for the true meaning of ST-flavoured boredom, and I know I picked up many more subtlties (mostly old cast members) that I probably wouldn't have noticed before.
What did surprise me was how Star Warsy it was. I knew in theory that ST was cashing in and ripping off Star Wars, 2001, and Close Encounters, but it really struck me this time around. Lighting designer, I'm looking at YOU. And "OMG, it's full of stars!" Hmmm. Where have I seen that before?
Shatner's hairpiece was more startling than I expected--I was particularly fond of the little flick in his fringe which was eliminated by the wig--but his waistline not much worse than in s3. The new uniforms were just silly though, and I wish someone had noticed that Shatner had weird body hair on his upper arms before they dressed him in that tennis outfit. *shudder* He must have waxed for the TV show but demanded his hairy manhood back in the 70s. His eyes were the most important part of his charm, but they changed his makeup in the film and ruined the sexy, smokey, yet intelligent effect (*phwoar*). That and making his character do nothing but look anxious and make severe management errors. Where's my s1 Jim?
Special features and further research yet to go, but talk about script development hell; no wonder it sucked (and I thought they had problems with Alien 3). It was not possible for it to do anything other than suck. Poor production staff. All of which only serves to emphasise how much I <3 the recent movie.
I'm looking forward to ST II: The Wrath of Khan. I think I probably have seen it (something about a bug up the nose rings a faint bell), and I believe there's a bit more a kissin' and a fightin'.
I'm getting increasingly worried about ST V. I keep catching bits in documentaries here and there (and dire warnings from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stephen_dedman and he's a guy who understands horror), which just ups the anxiety level.
And yet, at this time and space and with preparation, I liked it.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
I'd seen this at least twice on television, because I remember noting the difference between the theatre release and the 20-odd minute shorter director's cut. Other than that, and a vague recollection that it was ponderous and boring, I didn't remember much.
Coming fresh from the TV series was a good move I think. Season 3 had prepared us for the true meaning of ST-flavoured boredom, and I know I picked up many more subtlties (mostly old cast members) that I probably wouldn't have noticed before.
What did surprise me was how Star Warsy it was. I knew in theory that ST was cashing in and ripping off Star Wars, 2001, and Close Encounters, but it really struck me this time around. Lighting designer, I'm looking at YOU. And "OMG, it's full of stars!" Hmmm. Where have I seen that before?
Shatner's hairpiece was more startling than I expected--I was particularly fond of the little flick in his fringe which was eliminated by the wig--but his waistline not much worse than in s3. The new uniforms were just silly though, and I wish someone had noticed that Shatner had weird body hair on his upper arms before they dressed him in that tennis outfit. *shudder* He must have waxed for the TV show but demanded his hairy manhood back in the 70s. His eyes were the most important part of his charm, but they changed his makeup in the film and ruined the sexy, smokey, yet intelligent effect (*phwoar*). That and making his character do nothing but look anxious and make severe management errors. Where's my s1 Jim?
Special features and further research yet to go, but talk about script development hell; no wonder it sucked (and I thought they had problems with Alien 3). It was not possible for it to do anything other than suck. Poor production staff. All of which only serves to emphasise how much I <3 the recent movie.
I'm looking forward to ST II: The Wrath of Khan. I think I probably have seen it (something about a bug up the nose rings a faint bell), and I believe there's a bit more a kissin' and a fightin'.
I'm getting increasingly worried about ST V. I keep catching bits in documentaries here and there (and dire warnings from
stephen_dedman and he's a guy who understands horror), which just ups the anxiety level.And yet, at this time and space and with preparation, I liked it.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-07-18 05:06 pm (UTC)I have seen the movies—emma_in_oz introduced me to them that year I had broken my ankle... I remember the horror of the first's costumes! (And not much else...)
no subject
Date: 2009-07-19 12:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-18 05:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-18 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-18 05:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-19 12:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-19 01:46 am (UTC)I came away from my first viewing of the film thinking that (i) Shatner can direct, as long as he's behind the camera rather than in front of it, and (ii) he glorifies Kirk, mostly treats Spock and McCoy with respect, and goes out of his way to humiliate everyone else (particularly Nichelle Nichols).
The best thing about ST V is that, like ST:TMP and most of Season III, viewing it is completely optional and you are free to pretend it didn't happen. There is one gag in the new ST movie that is funnier if you've seen ST V, and that's probably the movie's sole contribution to the canon.