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https://www.indiewire.com/2022/09/star-trek-motion-picture-4k-restoration-1234760940/>
"When the late director Robert Wise stepped behind the camera for 1979’s “Star
Trek: The Motion Picture,” he reinvigorated a moribund franchise that hadn’t
existed in a live-action format for 10 years. “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”
was the fourth highest grossing movie of its year (as well as one of the most
expensive, costing around $10 million more than that same year’s “Apocalypse
Now”) and began the modern “Star Trek” era as we know it, spawning multiple
sequels, spinoffs, and television series. It also nabbed three Academy Award
nominations, for Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Original
Score.
In spite of all this, Wise was never happy with the film and it was a sore
subject with him for decades after its release. “’Star Trek’ was the one that
got away,” said producer David Fein, who worked with Wise on several home video
releases of the film. “He always insisted that you have to have your script
solid before you start, you have to know where you’re going and have everything
prepared. But he started this film with a tremendous deadline and a script that
was being rewritten constantly throughout the shoot. Script revisions were
coming in not just by date, but by time. Bob would get notes and say, ‘Well I
just finished shooting this’ and throw them away.”
To make matters worse, the need to make a Christmas release date meant the
visual effects and sound were never properly completed; Wise viewed the version
of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” that came out on December 7, 1979 as a
workprint, and the fact that he had to abandon the film before it was completed
haunted him for over 20 years. “It hurt him that it was something that got away
from him that he didn’t have control of,” Fein said, explaining that the first
visual effects company on the film was innovating as they went and simply
didn’t have the time to implement their ideas. When they were replaced, Wise
had half as much time as he needed to finish the effects.
After working with Wise on a DVD release for “The Sound of Music,” Fein
broached the subject: Why not return to “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and fix
all the things that had bothered the director for so many years? Wise was
initially reluctant to revisit a movie that had caused him so much pain, but
after the success of George Lucas’ “Star Wars” re-releases and other special
editions of classic sci-fi pictures the director became excited by the idea. He
wrote a letter to Sherry Lansing at Paramount to inquire about reopening
post-production for “Star Trek,” and in 2001 he and Fein collaborated on a
re-edited “director’s edition” for DVD release that included new visual effects
shots, an improved sound mix, and more precise color timing."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
