posted
Maybe they do this as a gimmick like Star Trek 2.0 on G4, call it Star Trek 1.1 Beta. Except it wouldn't have that annoying frame where people type random shit at the bottom.
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Sorry to be a wet blanket, but I see nothing in that clip that's any better or more convincing than the original VFX. But then, I'm sure everyone's aware of my well-recorded views on the Star Wars special editions and the director's edition of TMP. Rubbish.
Vintage films/TV shows with CGI effects = CRAP. Period. Full stop.
-MMoM
-------------------- The flaws we find most objectionable in others are often those we recognize in ourselves.
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Well so long as they weren't intended to supplant the originals, only supplement, I wouldn't have a problem. Sure looked neat. Also I got a chance to talk to Darren Dochterman at a con. He was cool and very funny.
Registered: Sep 2000
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quote: That said, I agree that the effects look good. However, didn't the guys who made Red Dwarf decide to go back & fix their effects, to lukewarm response?
Yeah, although that was in part due to the somewhat less than convincing nature of mid-90s CGI (at least on Red Dwarf's budget) compared to the original model shots. They also went back and changed some of the dialogue, as well as the design of the ship. All the DVD releases are of the original version AFAIK, although series VIII uses the CGI version of the Dwarf.
YES!! The Red Dwarf re-done effects for season 1-7 were CRAPTACULAR!!
The model of Red Dwarf and the effects right from season 1 were just fine - better than that crappy CGI redesign.
And yes they even edited episodes down. They took out some of the most absurd and funniest jokes from some episodes like "Better than Life" - Cat's girlfriend Miranda...
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
quote:Originally posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim: Sorry to be a wet blanket, but I see nothing in that clip that's any better or more convincing than the original VFX. But then, I'm sure everyone's aware of my well-recorded views on the Star Wars special editions and the director's edition of TMP. Rubbish.
Vintage films/TV shows with CGI effects = CRAP. Period. Full stop.
-MMoM
I'm sure if you did a side by side comparison with the original footage the improvement would become more evident. It seams the same because whomever did this was being very faithful to the original camera angles, compositions and even the pans. Of course none of this improves the story telling, just makes the reactions to what's on the viewscreen a little more credible.
As far as those examples you mentioned, I'd say that both had a limited ammount of success. The Star Wars Special Editions were a little over cooked, apparantly old George developed a thing for slapstick at the time, as evidenced by a certain unamable charater from episode one. As far as TMS:SE, I though that was lagely successful, the only let down was that in places the new effects quite obviously had bugetary restrictions (same goes for Red Dwarf.) However, at least they made a consious effort to match up the style to the original footage.
posted
I just watched that episode on DVD last week. There's nothing wrong with the VFX. They were state-of-the-art at the time, and they match the production values of the show perfectly. Redoing them to pander to those who can't appreciate them for what they are would not be any kind of improvement.
I can't fathom how anybody can enjoy watching effects shots that so obviously stand out as being anachronistic to the rest of a production. Rubbish. Crap.
-MMoM
-------------------- The flaws we find most objectionable in others are often those we recognize in ourselves.
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
I agree Nim, I think the effects look neat - but there is nothing wrong with leaving it of course. I'll again recount my viewing of nearly 12 hours straight of Trek in a Season 1 marathon. By about episode 5 the weirdness of the grain and the crap or non-existant effects (which had bothered me before when watching a single episode here and there after watching modern Trek) had fallen away. I appreciated Trek for what it was and wasn't distracted by the differences in cosmetic touches.
Still, those new effects look nice. Add a little bit of drama - for me at least - the appearance - as I said above of the planet killer gave me shivers - sort of like the 'magnification' of the Borg ship in BOBW Part 1.
Interesting effect for the tractor beam too... or was that orange to begin with - I can't remember.
I wouldn't mind seeing a version with redone effects. As long as the normal ones were freely available. No George Lucas style trying to rewrite history.
Having said all that though, a sign of good Trek are episodes that could take place in a room with no effects and still kick arse. DS9 pulled that off in spades!
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
quote:Originally posted by AndrewR: Interesting effect for the tractor beam too... or was that orange to begin with - I can't remember.
You know, when I first watched the video I assumed the orange thing was just battle damage - I remember in "Doomsday Machine" that the Enterprise takes damage at one point and has to carry out emergency repairs. I took it to be material venting out of a section of ruptured hull. Of course then I realised that all the scenes in the video are from before the planet killer opened fire on the Enterprise, so tractor beam seems more likely!
I don't think they ever actually showed the tractor beam in TOS - it was used plenty, but I don't recall ever seeing a visual effect associated with it. I think the closest we come to seeing it is when Kirk orders it used against an air force jet in "Tomorrow is yesterday" - when it is switched on the cockpit fills with a bright light and an electrical sound is heard (though that could be the jet itself, as the tractor beam crushed it moments later).
As for the effects they're not bad and it might be an interesting idea, but I think it would rob TOS of some of its charm. Part of the fun of watching classic Trek is the bright colours, the hammy acting and the "I can see the strings" effects. It gives it character, and given what a grey, dull, soulless beast later Trek became I'd like to keep as much character of the original as possible.
Some of the DVDs from the older Doctor Who series have updated special effects, but there is an option on the main menu that allows you to choose which one you want: the new effects or the classic ones. Such an approach might well work if they were to redo TOS. I suspect I'm not the only one who would be interested to see it, but would like the option to keep the feel of the original as well.
-------------------- Quidquid latine dictum sit altum viditur
Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Originally posted by FawnDoo: Some of the DVDs from the older Doctor Who series have updated special effects, but there is an option on the main menu that allows you to choose which one you want: the new effects or the classic ones. Such an approach might well work if they were to redo TOS. I suspect I'm not the only one who would be interested to see it, but would like the option to keep the feel of the original as well.
Thankfully, they finally came to this same realization with the upcoming (re)release of the classic Star Wars trilogy on DVD.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Hmm... original VHS, laserdisc, THX-enhanced VHS, Special Edition, DVD Special Edition, DVD Super Special Edition... *sigh*
I should clarify that though I started this thread and I think the idea is cool, I absolutely hate George Lucas-style retconning and forcibly removing the original theatrical versions. I would absolutely still consider the original to be the "true" form, but I would still love to see some modern visualizations for the old show, regardless. ("In a Mirror, Darkly," anyone?)
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
I originally had the idea for Star Wars on DVD (Hi-Density or Blu-Ray). Put everything on there, and in the menu one can choose original theatrical edition, Special Edition, WTF?-DVD-Retcon Edition, or Do-It-Yourself Edition -- where you can select which versions of which scenes you want to have in your personal ideal version.
Like, I'd drop the whole Anchorhead/Reunion With Biggs sequence in, no matter its state of restoration. For the dramatic elements, too -- not just for Koo Stark.
I think the same would work just dandily for Trek. Original version, or with extra-crispy VFX -- but on the same disc so you can choose with each viewing which you're in the mood for.
--Jonah
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
I have the SE on VHS tape somewhere...I considered buying the DVD's but realised that I never watch the movies anymore and actually fell asleep during Star Wars when it was re-released in the theatres. The friends I went with looked at me like I peed in the communion wine or something.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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