Cool News
Blu STAR TREK!! DS9!! VOYAGER!! ENTERPRISE!! SPIDER-MAN!! X-MEN!! THE STATE!! HercVault!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
Paramount Home Entertainment, of course, has issued something that cleaves cleanly to the Trekkie Pleasure Center of my tiny brain. Star Trek: The Complete First Season on Blu-Ray
reminds us again and again why so many fell so deeply in love with the show so quickly.
This set may mark the first time that a series not originally broadcast in HD has been made available in Blu-ray.
The stations here in Los Angeles never transmitted these episodes in HD, which I gather was the case in most of the nation. Also, the broadcast outlets didn’t show the full 50-minute versions of these episodes.
All the space exteriors have been replaced with eye-popping HD CGI (they fetishize the Enterprise with crazily detailed “rivet-scraping” shots that seem almost to bounce a camera lens off the ship’s hull. A lot of the more dated not-space shots have been augmented with CGI (and live-action). This restorative work is not the work of uncaring technicians; it is the work of true believers, and you can feel the love pouring out of every frame.
It all serves as a spectacular excuse to revisit the episodes. One forgets how well-written they were. The great lines those old writers, many of whom made their names in pulp magazines and TV westerns, stuck in Dr. McCoy’s mouth. How beautiful were Matt Jeffries’ futuristic set designs and Alex Courage’s stirring and iconic score?
Strange now to revisit these early episodes and see how unformed the “Star Trek” universe was. Spock is a “Vulcanian.” In the Kirk segments of “The Menagerie,” Scotty isn’t third-in-command; it’s some dude named “Hanson.” In “The Galileo Seven,” nobody seems to know they work for the Federation yet. Starfleet is known as “The United Earth Space Probe Agency.”
NBC loosed a horny teen god upon Janice Rand in “Charlie X.” The next week presented Gary Lockwood, two years before Dr. Frank Poole and “2001,” as god-crewman Gary Mitchell in “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” (Harry says he doesn’t remember Mitchell, who had major history with Kirk, in the next “Star Trek” movie.) What else do we get with season one?
The first of many Kirk doppelgangers in “The Enemy Within.” The introduction of Harry Mudd in episode six. The second Kirk doppleganger and Ted Cassidy as the disturbing “much superior” giant android Ruk in “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” “True Grit’s” Kim Darby as Miri and her army of “grup” haters. “Dagger of the Mind,” with the third Kirk doppelganger. Clint Howard as Balok, laughing relisher of Tranya in “The Corbomite Maneuver.” The virile and broken Captain Christopher Pikes in “The Menagerie.” Our first glimpse of the Romulans in “Balance of Terror.” Finnegan bullying “plebe” Kirk in “Shore Leave.”
Spock proving himself to an African-American underling in “The Galileo Seven.” Proto-Q god-child Trelane in “The Squire of Gothos.” The swift and merciful Gorn (now with blinking eyes!) from “Arena.”
Kirk and Spock’s first of many encounters with the 20th century in “Tomorrow is Yesterday.” “Court Martial,” with Bones McCoy and his giant heartbeat-eliminating microphone. The confused and festival-loving monks of “Return of the Archons” and its 6,000-year-old ruler Landru. “Space Seed,” an episode that requires no introduction. “A Taste of Armageddon,” a “Fail Safe” sequel of sorts in which Kirk makes nuclear war much less efficient. “This Side of Paradise” (not to be confused with the Mirimanee-centric “The Paradise Syndrome”) in which Kirk insults a blissed-out Spock by calling Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan a “computer” and Amanda Greyson “an encyclopedia.” Spock melding with the silicon mom (“The children!!”) in “Devil in the Dark.”
“Errand of Mercy,” which introduced both the swarthy Klingons and the pitiful Organians. “The Alternative Factor,” which demonstrated how shitty “Star Trek” could be, was followed by “The City on the Edge of Forever,” the best “Star Trek” episode ever. The first season concluded with “Operation – Annihilate!” featuring the giant, clingy, flying amoebas that sipped Kirk’s brother to death. (I forget to ask Harry if Kirk’s brother is in the movie!)
If you know a Trekkie or a Trekker with an Blu-ray player, buy him this set. Watch his or her eyes roll into the back of his or her head.
On to the extras:
Starfleet Access
In terms of extras, the big draw is probably the Starfleet Access feature on six of the first-season episodes, namely:
* Where No Man Has Gone Before
* The Menagerie, Part 1
* The Menagerie, Part 2
* The Galileo Seven
* Space Seed, and
* Errand of Mercy
These are essentially picture-in-picture features that gather together creators and fans to offer (mostly) scene-specific commentaries. Especially fun are the split-screens comparing the old 1960s shots with the 21st century versions. Participating in these new video commentaries:
* Harve Bennett, “Star Trek II” producer
* Paul Carr, pilot actor
* Doug Drexler, “Battlestar Galactica” visual effects supervisor
* D.C. Fontana, original series writer
* David Gerrold, original series writer
* Robert Justman, original series producer
* Sally Kellerman, pilot guest-star
* Harry Knowles, aintitcool.com mastermind
* Walter Koenig, actor
* Gary Lockwood, pilot guest-star
* Nichelle Nichols, actress
* Michael & Denise Okuda, HD-DVD producers
* Garfield & Judith Reeves-Stevens, Trek novelists/ screenwriters
* David Rossi, HD-DVD producer
* Herb Solow, original series production exec
* George Takei, actor
* John & Bjo Trimble, Trek experts
* Grace Lee Whitney, actress
Learn that Gary Lockwood already knew he was doing Kubrick’s “2001” when he booked the “Trek” pilot. Learn that Gene Roddenberry commissioned a second title theme for “Trek’s” second pilot, but nobody liked it as much, so they went back to the now-familiar original title-theme for the series. Learn that the same planet set served as both Talos IV (in the first pilot) and Delta Vega (in the second pilot). Learn that a fan poll favored changing the “R” to a “T” on Kirk’s gravestone, but the HD-DVD producers lacked the resources to make the fix. Learn why HD-DVD producers decided not to fill the skies above Starbase 11 (where broken-Pike lived) with lots of spacecraft. Learn that it took six weeks to remake the single brief shot zooming into Pike’s bridge. Learn that the HD-DVD producers wanted to redesign the clunky “Balance of Terror” Neutral-Zone map, but ran out of time before they could. Learn that Michael Okuda thinks everybody trying to be very very quiet in “Balance of Terror” makes zero sense because the vacuum of space doesn’t carry sound waves. Learn that half of “Star Trek’s” first-season episodes were written before shooting began. Learn that the name “Uhura” came from the title of a book Nichelle Nichols was carrying when she met Roddenberry. Learn that though the Klingons were introduced in season one, their ships were not designed until season three. Learn that film critic Pauline Kael loved “Space Seed.”
A complaint: The picture-in-picture elements, borrowed from the HD-DVD set, are cropped in a shockingly clumsy manner, often cropping the text graphics so that, for example, series writer D.C. Fontana is identified as C. Fontana.
A bigger complaint: Supplemental material used for the “The Galileo Seven” on the HD-DVD is inexplicably not included here. So we don’t get to learn, among many other things, that Phyllis Douglas, who plays superhot Yeoman Mears in “Galileo Seven,” played Rhett Butler’s daughter in “Gone With The Wind” and a hippie chick in “The Way To Eden.”
DOCUMENTARIES.
The Blu-ray edition contains some of the documentaries found on the first-season DVD set and the first-season HD-DVD set:
* The Birth of a Timeless Legacy
* Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner
* To Boldly Go...Season One
* Reflections on Spock
* Sci-Fi Visionaries
* Kiss & Tell: Romance in the 24th Century
Missing, however, are two documentaries on the DVD and HD-DVD sets:
* Trek Connections
* Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier
The Blu-ray edition does contain two docs found earlier on the HD-DVD edition:
* Spacelift: Transporting Trek into the 21st Century
* Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
OTHER.
INTERACTIVE ENTERPRISE TOUR. Viewers are situated in a simulated shuttlecraft and get to hover over various parts of the Enterprise’s exterior, including its bridge, phaser banks, main sensor, impulse engines, warp nacelles and intercoolers.
The transporter-room-themed menus on the HD-DVD edition have been replaced with new main-viewscreen-themed menus. These and the physical packaging and are likely the only truly new elements attending the Blu-ray edition.
I didn’t know from the X-Men before I saw the first animated “X-Men,” which arrives today on Volume One and Volume Two. I found myself absolutely gobsmacked by the enormity of its cast and the complexity of its storylines, cobbled together from Chris Claremont’s ‘70s and ‘80s funnybooks. This series led me to seek out the old comics (amazing!) and start reading the new ones (not as amazing). Imagine my shock at how minor a character Julilee turned out to be in the print version!
These first two volumes combined cover about half of the series’ five-season run, so presumably volumes three and four will be along soon.
Buena Vista’s PR firm sent along lovely clippage:
Juggernaut (Vol. 1)
Wolverine vs. Morph (Vol. 1)
Swampland (Vol. 2)
Sinister (Vol. 2)
Mission: Impossible’s sixth season was the one that introduced me to the show. In the season opener they blind Jim Phelps so he can convincingly impersonate a blind man. Freaked me out. In the second episode the team convinces a mobster he’s been transported back to 1937. In episode nine, a secret agent is led to believe a foreign power has taken over the United States. In the season finale a gunshot wound gives Jim amnesia in the middle of a mission. The portrait of fabulous new cast member Linda Day George that adorns the cover somehow renders her impossibly ugly.
Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry
$18.99 Complete Animated Trek!!
DS9, Voyager & Enterprise: $37.99 Or Less!!
X-Files At $19.49/Season!!
Pee Wee At $4/Season!!
Based on the book by “The Wire” mastermind David Simon!!
Homicide at $16.41/Season!!
(Individual seasons sell for %57.99 each!!!!)
If you want to own LOST in HD, you can save big by clicking on the Blu-ray Lost Sale!!
TV-on-Disc Calendar
Last Week
Caprica: The Pilot
Dallas 11.x
FBI Files 2.x
Freakazoid 2.x
Hawaii Five-O 6.x
iCarly 1.x Vol. 2
Life Of Ryan: The Complete Series
My Own Worst Enemy: The Complete Series
Rhoda 1.x
Squidbillies Vol. 2
Tiny Toon Adventures 1.x Vol. 2
Top Gear 10.x
Wolverine and the X-Men Vol. 1
Wyatt Earp 1.x
This Week
American Dad Vol. 4
Comics Without Borders 1.x
Fallen Angel: The Complete Miniseries
Hallelujah!: Complete Collection
Little Dorrit (2008): The Complete Miniseries
Mission: Impossible 6.x
Pulling 1.x
Rookies (2008) 1.x
Shadow Force 1.x
Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 4
Spin City 2.x
Star Trek 1.x (Blu-ray)
UFO Hunters 2.x
The Universe 3.x
The Waltons 9.x
The Waltons: The Complete Series
X-Men Vol. 1
X-Men Vol. 2
Next Week
The Adventures of Black Beauty 1.x
Bleak House: The Complete Miniseries - Special Edition
Bleak House: The Complete Miniseries (Blu-ray)
Boston Legal 5.x
Bump: Lesbian Favorites
Chris & John's Road Trip
Crusoe: The Complete Series
Dexter 2.x (Blu-ray)
Doctor Who: Battlefield
Doctor Who: The E-Space Trilogy
The Donna Reed Show 2.x
Earth: Final Conflict 1.x
The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin: The Complete Series
Gavin & Stacey 1.x
Gigantor Vol. 1
Ivanhoe (1982): The Complete Miniseries
Jake and the Fatman 2.x
Jon & Kate Plus Ei8ht 4.x
The Last Templar: The Complete Miniseries
Lipstick Jungle 2.x
McLeod's Daughters 8.x
Mythbusters Vol. 4
October Road 2.x
Saddle Club 2.x
Scooby Doo Where Are You 1.x Vol. 2
That Girl 5.x
Will & Grace: Best of Friends & Foes
Will & Grace: Best of Love & Marriage
May 12
Bullshit! 6.x
CSI 1.x (Blu-ray)
Curious George Goes Green
The Dana Carvey Show: The Complete Series
A Haunting: The Anguished
A Haunting: Spirits From The Past
A Haunting: Twilight of Evil
The Jeff Foxworthy Show 2.x
Kingdom: The Complete Series
Lovejoy 5.x
Pie In The Sky 1.x
Red Green Is Special
Speed Racer The Next Generation: Comet Run
Spin City 2.x
Star Trek: Best Of
Star Trek The Next Generation: Best Of
Star Trek: WOK, SFS, VH (Blu-ray)
Star Trek: TMP, WOK, SFS, VH, FF, UD (Blu-ray)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 7.x Vol.1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 7.x Vol.2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 7.x Vol.3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 7.x Vol.4
Two and a Half Men 5.x
May 19
Battlestar Galactica 2.x
Classic TV Western Collection
8 Simple Rules 2.x
Extreme Engineering Vol. 2
Friday Night Lights 3.x
Ghost Hunters International 1.x
The New Detectives 3.x
Peyton Place Vol. 1
Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Vol. 1
Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Vol. 1
Sister Sister 2.x
Suspense: The Lost Episodes Vols. 1-3
Taggart: Death Without Dishonor
-
+ Expand All
-
HD Trek
-
I would've liked a feature going over the production snafus of season one. I seem to remember the Night of the Sentinels opener going through multiple changes each time they repeated it while they were rushing to get new episodes on the air. Good show, it also got me into the franchise and back issues. But as time went by and sleep became more important than cartoons on Saturday mornings I tuned out after season one. I did manage to catch the Dark Phoenix saga that they aired over the course of a week in the afternoons on Fox though. That was pretty sweet. Looking back on it now, it's a shame Nightcrawler and Colossus weren't given much of role. I would've preferred either of those guys to a certain dude in a trench coat.
-
Or the rest of them, for that matter.
-
...that nobody at AICN is allowed to publicly acknowledge that Grant Morrison shits better comics than Chris Claremont has ever read, let alone written? It's like he realized how stupid his Emma Frost rant was and decided to alter reality within his entire sphere of influence so that he magically became right.
-
I don't hate Harry, really. But there's a damn line.
-
Nightcrawler and Colossus > Gambit. And I thought that I couldn't love you anymore than I already did after your constant praise of Supernatural. PS, are you as worried about Bobby as I am?
-
wasn't writing X-Men when the TV '90s show was on, was he? I do prefer Morrison's run on New X-Men to almost anything in comics ever, including Claremont's X-Men.
-
When that cartoon first aired, the wheels had long gone off the X-Men bus (say, around 86-87, when there wasn't a proper follow through with the promising Days of Future Past storyline, which was muddled by the Sinister and Apocalypse nonsense). Nightcrawler was off in Excalibur la la land, and Piotr's character development had been stalled with Kitty off with Kurt et al, so Gambit was new and shiny and interesting. Don't blame the character or the cartoon for that. If anything, the most interesting character from the mid to the late 80's was Rachel Summers/Grey, yet they also dropped the ball on her development.
-
attention on the book when the popularity bandwagon revved up around 1985. They let it go to hell, and all sorts of stuff to appeal to the mainstream was tossed into the book (not to mention the watering down of the mutie-verse via too many extraneous titles). The burn out lasted a long time though, paving the way for the resurgence of Avengers books in the past decade.
-
It's always full price, even on Ebay. The only place I can find it cheap is on those sites that sell "discount" box sets, and I'm not sure I want to invest money in a box set which may turn out to be 48 copied disks.
-
bad as generally feared?
A transparant money grab prequel of a much loved series? -
The HD-DVD set had the episodes w/the new effects only, yes? Whereas the Blu-Ray set has both old and new effects via seamless branching, amirite?
-
I rather enjoyed Caprica, actually. It's no slam-dunk to end up anywhere near as good as BSG, but I thought it was very well done and shows definite potential.
Also: boobies. -
The adventures of the infant great-grandson of Lon Chaney Jr.
-
Enough connections to BSG to establish it's the same universe, but it sets itself up as a very different story.
-
If I recall correctly Herc, about a year and a half ago NBC in Los Angeles did show at least one run of Star Trek in HD...at like 2 in the damn morning.
-
2 series that even with discount are completely priced out of my collection. sigh.and that Star trek box may indeed be the first blu ray title I get. I DLed "the doomsday machine" (my favorite ep) to check out the remastering work (can't watch them any other way unfortunatly), and was quite impressed. can't wait to see the rest.
-
Really? damn. glad I didn't get them then. And on the X-men, yeah, I remember the first ep looking different everytime I saw it (or scenes from in "previously on"s). thought that was really odd.
-
Amazon had these on sale for $19.99 each. Picked up all three. Ready for a marathon of evil.
-
Life is Good!
-
And re: The State! Awww yeah, it's gonna be like $240 worth of pudding!
-
Grant Morrison who came on the book about 4 years after the show ended, isn't brought up over Claremont, in a completely unrelated talkback? God shut up. And don't insinuate everyone should like his work. Last time I checked I had my own brain with its own opinions.
-
Star Trek fans welcome a special effects facelift of their beloved series, whereas Star Wars fans scoff at anything that isn't "the original" version.
-
I doubt most fans have a problem with the improved effects in the Special Editions. What they have a problem with is the stupid shit Lucas added, like Greedo shooting first, Jabba, Luke yelling like a bitch, that horrible song and dance number in Jabba's palace...
-
Plenty of Trek fans complained about the new effects. Go look at the early talkbacks or comments on trekmovie.com.
The difference is that the new Trek Blu-Ray set lets you watch either version. You get the great new HD transfer regardless. As opposed to Lucas, who first refused to make the old ones available, and then finally released them as dirty-transfer non-anamorphic crap.
Plus what Shermdawg said. -
Its about damn time!! Now, if only MTV would do up The Maxx for dvd.
-
How so? Is this set not worth getting because of it?
-
This set seems not to include the tv-movies. That's ok, I guess - maybe those aren't part of the "complete series." But be warned, that means the PILOT isn't included either.
-
Something isnt right with it.. he didn't say I'm the Juggernaut Bitch once...
-
went ahead and ordered the B5 boxed set. Season's 2-4 are worth watching again.
-
I know what you're thinking...Barry and Levon, where did you get $240? Don't worry your pretty little head about it baby, it ain't none of your concern. Awww yeeaahhhh
-
What so you, UK people?
-
...ten minutes before the show airs? Herc? Anyone?
-
Why anyone would spend any money on the old Star Trek on Blu Ray escapes me.
Didn't JJ just get done fixing Star Trek for us so we don't need all that fossilized crap from the 1960's anymore?
Save your money people...we all have to buy multiple copies of the new movie when it gets released! -
Apr 29, 2009 11:05:04 AM CDT
MTV's been stringing us along for six years now with the State
by jimmay
So if this is finally, officially, really, truly, veritably, for reals the real release date, consider me a damn happy man. CHICKEN SANDWICH, CARRRLLLL!!
-
The Superfriends sketch alone makes this purchase-worthy.
-
Anyone else enjoying Devin Faraci's satirical take on TOS? I'm still waiting for the next installment. He does not have kind things to say about many eps.
http://chud. com/articles/articles/18964/1/STAR-TREKKIN039---DAY-18/Page1. html -
Now I can complete my collection.As for X-Men TAS, too little too fucking late.
-
That's all.
-
I buy tv series all the time. I currently have over 60 complete tv series and 30 more that I'm still working on. None of the versions of Star Trek will ever be in that collection except in pirated form. Paramount insists on charging more for a season of Star Trek when it's on sale, than other companies charge for a new release of a tv series at the height of it's popularity.
-
i do have the original series on NON-bluray. I beleive it was used and i got a good price from what i recall. i have alot of the ST movies in old VHS form and the animated series and 4 of those theme ST sets that i also got on sale (at Borders with their coupons.) And that's about it for me as far as ST is concerned. (oh, and of course i'll get the new movie when they release. But as for bluray players, 1080p screens, i just have no interest. my old tv works fine and right now i'm more interested in other collections to acquire such as the original and 80s twilight zone, ellison's documentary on may 28th, the final season of BG someday when the price comes down a little, maybe some british tv sets like UFO, 1999, secret agent man (already have all 51 or 52 eps of The Avengers with Diana Rigg which let's be honest are the only seasons to have) and someday when they have another gold box special for Man from UNCLE (which isn't likely as i missed my chance the first time dammit!). oh, and the last two seasons of Wild Wild West and set 4 of SCTV. whew! that's a lot of shee-ot!
-
90s version of Outer Limits....but then thought nah....although i think i tuned out of B5 after maybe the first (or second?) season. Can't remember---so long ago. Does any one recommend this series? I guess what i'm asking is: is this good thoughtful science fiction or just a bunch of cheesy space battles with cheesy effects with cheesy actors or do i need to give it a shot? anyone?
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 383 total posts 380 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 111 total posts 111 posts
- WTF HOLLYWOOD: SOLARBABIES -- 75 total posts 73 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 71 total posts 68 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 77 total posts 55 posts
- If the Behind the Scenes Pics of the Day drops her pen, pick it up, but don’t look at her legs or else it will be on your record. -- 54 total posts 48 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 165 total posts 41 posts
- Herc’s Seen Tonight’s Return Of THE WALKING DEAD!! Discuss Also DOWNTON ABBEY, FEAR FACTOR, PAN AM, ONCE, SIMPSONS, DYNAMITE, LUCK, SHAMELESS, BAIT CAR, THE GRAMMYS And More!! Sunday Is Sweeps Day 11!! -- 41 total posts 41 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 500 total posts 35 posts
- Avid Comic Reader Hercules Does Battle With Tedium During Kevin Smith’s COMIC BOOK MEN! -- 28 total posts 28 posts