8mm Forum: star trek tv series on super 8

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Posted by Andy Oliver (Member # 604) on May 19, 2006, 05:48 PM:

Hello, i have picked up a copy of Star Trek, super 8 sound, from the original tv series. The film is on two reels, approx 550ft and 400ft. All that is logged on the reels is Battlefield 1 and 2. Would this be a complete episode of star trek or highlights? Sorry, i know little about this subject matter.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 19, 2006, 06:59 PM:

All of the Star Trek series were full hour episodes (with time for commercials etc.)

If it is 950 feet total, that works out to 47.5 Minutes at 24fps, which sounds like enough to make room for ads and a news blurb or two.

I'm betting it's this one:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0708435/

Which is a real classic!

Posted by Andy Oliver (Member # 604) on May 19, 2006, 07:06 PM:

Hi, thanks for the reply, yes it is that episode, watched the first reel, i am afraid i am not a fan of Star Trek, so i will save the second reel for another night.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 19, 2006, 07:23 PM:

I'm kind of a Star Trek Heretic: I prefer "The Next Generation" over the original. I mean, think about it: Patrick Stewart is a Shakespearian actor and William Shatner, while still being a classic himself is...well, William Shatner!

The Next Generation was budgeted at a Million Dollars an episode, but the original was made so cheaply that Dr. McCoy's little medical tricorder he used in sickbay started out as a salt shaker!

Before I start a controversy among any purists out there. I'm not saying I don't like the original, I just prefer the newer one! Late at night with a good bottle of beer in my hand, I enjoy the old one just fine!

Oddly, the Original Generation's cinematic features were much better than the Next Generation's. The stories were much better written and tended to leave enough loose ends that you really anticipated the next movie!

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on May 19, 2006, 07:57 PM:

dont forget steve it was lucille ball and her company desli that started it.my view is it was well ahead of its time.andy.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 19, 2006, 08:55 PM:

I agree, and will readily admit the later stuff could never have been as good without the original series as a basis.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on May 19, 2006, 11:03 PM:

Say what?

Lucille Ball/Desilu were responsible for getting Star Trek underway? Is that what Andrew just said? [Confused]

Posted by Barry Attwood (Member # 100) on May 20, 2006, 01:02 AM:

Jan,

If you look closely on the end credits of the original Star Trek series, you will indeed see it as a Desilu production, originally Paramount only marketed it, strange to think this is now one of Paramount's top selling titles on any format!

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on May 20, 2006, 02:29 AM:

yes jan,lucille ball was a very smart lady as well as being a fine comedy actor.so knew a winner when see saw it.andy.

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on May 20, 2006, 11:16 AM:

I cannot believe I never noticed that! [Eek!]

Amazing!

Somehow I'm picturing Desi Arnaz in the captains chair and Lucille Ball in a red short-skirted uniform right now [Big Grin]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 20, 2006, 11:29 AM:

Plus:

Jack Lord was originally supposed to be Captain Kirk, but decided to do Hawaii 5-0 instead!

(Book 'im Dano!)

If you look into the history of Desilu, they were rather shrewd. For one thing, they demanded that the "I Love Lucy" show be shot on film rather than use the early video systems, so the quality was much better. Lucy and Desi also secured rights to the film after it was first broadcast, and held rights to it in re-runs for the rest of human history. The original producers thought this was just a nice perk for them, but the hugest share of the income from "I Love Lucy" and "Star Trek" has been in re-runs!

Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on May 20, 2006, 01:20 PM:

Yup, that's what I heard too. Lucy and Desi were quite smart business(wo)men [Smile]

Was Jack Lord the guy who played Capt. Kirk in the first Star Trek series pilot? It was rejected and never shown on TV, instead Mr. Roddenberry had to make another pilot, this time with a young unknown named William Shatner in the captain's role... and that became the official series pilot. I've seen both versions and the unseen one is quite interesting, also the first version of the Kirk character comes across as much more of a conflicted, almost frustrated personality. None of the womanizing there which we were to witness countless times in later episodes [Big Grin]

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 20, 2006, 08:13 PM:

Nope:

Jack Lord never played Kirk, although he certainly had the hair for it!

In the original pilot, the captain was named Christopher Pike and was played by Jeffrey Hunter.

The rerun thing cuts both ways. The actors that did "Gilligan's Island" recognised it was a turkey, and thought it would go about six weeks before it was canceled. As a result they took a fatter first run paycheck instead of residuals in reruns. For most of that series' years in reruns none of them got a penny, and became typecast as a bonus. Only in later years when the studio wanted to do a reunion show with the original cast were they able to re-negotiate.

To my knowledge, Gilligan's Island never has been made available on Super-8! (Although there was an episode where some film gear washed up on the beach and they made a film as a rescue message! They sent it out on a raft, and although they didn't get rescued, it did win an award!)

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on May 22, 2006, 04:23 AM:

Strangely, I noticed a print of "Battlefield" on one of the tables at the BFCC last weekend. Didn't pick it up. There are a few other episodes out there, generally complete on 3x400ft. I have "City on the Edge of Forever" and I saw "Miri" on Derann's latest used list.
(Steve: I'm with you, I loved ST:TNG. Haven't watched them since their original broadcast, though. Can you believe the series will turn 20 years old next year?)

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on May 22, 2006, 04:52 AM:

I think I saw an episode on the latest Perry's list.

Kev.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 22, 2006, 03:58 PM:

When I was first getting the Derann lists I almost went after "Star Trek The Motion Picture" (You know, the first one, where pretty much nothing interesting happened the whole picture!)when all of a sudden somebody deep in my brain pulled the emergency brake and said "But you don't really like this movie! How is it being on film going to make it any better?"

I try to keep this as a general rule: don't buy it just because it's film. Buy it because you'll like regardless of the format!

Ones I'd like (assuming they exist):

Wrath of Khan (II)
Search for Spock (III)
Voyage Home (IV)
The Undiscovered Country (VI)
Generations (VII)

[ May 22, 2006, 07:17 PM: Message edited by: Steve Klare ]

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on May 22, 2006, 09:36 PM:

Steve,

Excellent advice, although I'm a fan of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture".
Derann sells "Star Trek: Generations". Scope, 6 x 400'.

Doug

Posted by Mark Norton (Member # 165) on May 25, 2006, 04:02 AM:

Yes, and I've got one! A good quality scope release it is too. I remember talking to Phil at Classic Home Cinema a few years back about releasing 'Star Trek First Contact' on super 8, he said he had the master material to do it but needed more interest.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on May 25, 2006, 03:57 PM:

Well, for the record there were 400 ft cutdowns of the original tv series. I have two myself.
Both 400footers have opening and closing titles, the episodes i own are
Is there no truth in beauty,
Requiem for methuslah.
Both are colour sound and full 400footers. Not cut dons or bits of the 3x 400footers. The quality is fair but the rarity is well worth it.

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