8mm Forum: STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE

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Posted by John Higgins (Member # 2110) on July 13, 2010, 05:37 AM:

Here's another lost cause from my childhood.

A Derann Open Day in 1980 and my father decides to opt out of buying this extract in favour of the Mountain 400ft version of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.

What was included on this 12 minute extract (I think it was the length of it, but was put on a 400ft reel.

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on July 13, 2010, 06:05 AM:

John, I think your father may have made the right choice there!

The 400ft of Star Trek is actually a promo for the movie, a sort of extended trailer put into cinemas by Paramount before the film's release and subsequently released on super 8 by a lazy bunch at Marketing.

It's interesting in retrospect and may even be considered a rarity by fans, but selling it as a 400ft extract was, well, basically a huge rip-off!

The usual gravel voiced narrator informs us of the movie's greatness accompanied by a whizzing star field and a few brief teaser shots. Then he delares..."and now some scenes from Star Trek the Motion Picture", or something like that.

What follows is a rough cut of the worm hole / asteroid scene with on-set sound (rough dialogue and doors that don't hiss open but audibly grind open!!) complete with unfinished (maybe that should read "non-existent") effects and some awful temp. music!

I suppose it's enjoyable in a kind of "it's so awful it's funny" kind of way!

Then, just to rub it in, because the footage is so short, Marketing bolted on an in-house produced trailer which advertises ther current Marketing Film releases and which runs for several minutes!! I just wonder what people who parted with their hard earned cash to watch Star Trek thought of being presented with "Pirahna" ripping people's hands off at the end of this debacle! [Eek!]

Like I say, probably quite a novelty now at the right price (in fairness the box was nice [Roll Eyes]

) but, hey, what a rip-off in it's day!!!

...they did make up for it with the 3x400ft version [Smile]

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on July 13, 2010, 07:02 AM:

Rob is spot on. I bought one and then sold it! Years later I bought another used one and now have it, but if you treat it as a trailer reel it is actually not too bad.

When it arrived in cinemas, the projectionists called it Star Trek: The Motionless Picture.

David

Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on July 13, 2010, 07:27 AM:

I saw that Trek movie when it opened...and on a huge screen....and was very impressed by it....and later bought the three reel Marketing version....and I must say that version is superior. It takes out a lot of the so called dull stuff and still keeps the entire plot, such as it is, intact. The quality of the print is excellent...letterboxed. I need to check the print for color stability..since i have not run it in 10 years or longer. If you can get the three reeler, it's done very well indeed.

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on July 13, 2010, 07:43 AM:

I agree Gary, ironically the 3x400ft version is one of the best editing jobs Marketing did!

At the risk of going off topic a bit, the TV cut of The Motion Picture improved things a lot by putting back a lot of the human interest stuff that was axed for the theatrical release.

The theatrical was a massive rush job to get it into cinemas's for it's release date and apparently director Robert Wise only actually saw the fully finished version at the premiere!!

Search out the Director's version DVD which gave Robert Wise the chance to go back and re-cut the film. Also, new CGI effects were added which help the story play out better visually (although some also replaced existing effect shots and add nothing).

This new version really plays so well by comparison to the original. Sadly it was all mastered in 480i apparently (and it shows)...so no chance of an HD version anytime soon!

So I guess for a definitive edit go DVD, but for quality keep that 3x400ft super 8 copy! [Smile]

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on July 13, 2010, 10:44 AM:

I had no idea that the scene on the 400' was so 'unfinished' - I'll have to run mine again. I'd imagine it would be so fascinating to Trek fanatics that some would buy a projector simply to see it!

Posted by John Higgins (Member # 2110) on July 13, 2010, 11:13 AM:

Thanks for the insights and experiences.

Interestingly, my father's workplace social club used to do 8mm and 16mm film shows and they put together some of the Marketing and Universal 8 extended editions (2 x 400ft - £54 eh? (denied by my mother's overwhelming reaction 'GREAT - We'll buy two for you!) I remember watching the 3 X 400 versions of several key Marketing releases - fond memories of watching THE WARRIORS and AIRPLANE in a double-bill. Sadly the club ended in about 1981 with things like ALIEN and HALLOWEEN II featuring among the last of the screenings - I am sure they had a licence to screen.

What was interesting about the 16mm screenings was that they used to show full length movies like SUPERMAN and EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE and have a break after 40 minutes so people could go a grab a beer - back in the days when Brew 11 was for the men of the Midlands (hee, hee) and Beer at home meant Davenports!!! [Eek!]

Posted by Larry Arpin (Member # 744) on July 13, 2010, 03:28 PM:

Back in the day I warned people not to buy it but I knew there were some die-hard fans that would. They more than made up for it with the 3x400 foot and I like that more than the feature.

Posted by Greg Marshall (Member # 1268) on July 13, 2010, 07:38 PM:

I remember when STTMP opened in December of 1979. Theatre owners really did not have the opportunity to screen this film before buying it. That was unfortunate, as the theatre owner I worked for at the time booked it in the twin cinema in my home town. It was a boxoffice failure for theatre owners. The 'G' rating didn't help. We actually opened it two weeks before Nashville opened it... and I'm sure he paid the price for that too. Fortunately, Paramount released him from the 6 week contract in the 3rd or 4th week. This was half of the owner's Christmas boxoffice and concession sales, and really hurt.

Posted by John Higgins (Member # 2110) on July 14, 2010, 06:21 AM:

The stories of the pressure the studio put the makers under to commit to the December 79 release date were well-documented over the years. Walter Koenig stated that they didn't have a final act of the film.

I saw it Easter of 1980 amidst trepidation that kids were falling asleep at my local cinema, but I not only saw it once, but the cinema manager allowed me and some friends to stay and see it a second time - for free!!! I actually think it's a pretty good movie, especially the score by Jerry Goldsmith and at least they tried to take the film in a different direction. Of course, I can guess there will be some who don't like it, but it's happened recently with the STAR WARS prequels.

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on July 14, 2010, 07:24 AM:

John, double bill of the 3x400ft "Warriors" followed by "Airplane"...with a break for beer!

Heaven [Smile]

Posted by John Higgins (Member # 2110) on July 14, 2010, 11:31 AM:

Other memories of these shows

That STAR TREK 3 X 400 plus the 4 reel Ken Films Scope Digest of STAR WARS.

JAWS / BATTLESTAR GALACTICA / SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT - Universal 8

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