Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
You remember Glen Oliver, right? The grand-poobah of Coax before there was a Herc, in the days before El Cosmico? Glen was the heart and soul of Coax in those early days, and he’s still admired and well-liked by everybody at AICN. It’s always a pleasure when he pops up in the e-mail inbox, and today is no exception:
Hey Drew:
Thought this might be of interest?
Director William Shatner has renewed interest in revisiting STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER before its forthcoming DVD release, and is currently talking to The Powers That Be about a product akin to the extraordinary STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE DVD revamp.
Apparently, decisions are imminent. It's been known for a while that Paramount screwed the film over (pulling budget shortly before shooting, for example). Initially, he seemed unwilling/uninterested/reticent re: a Director's Edition of the film. He's recently met with quite a bit of success on the STAR TREK novel front; this...as well as the artistic/commercial success of the STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE Director's Edition...may have motivated him to re-consider his position on the matter.
I, for one, would really like to see TREK V restored to something more closely approximating the original/intended vision of the film via re-worked VFX, re-editing, etc. I think Shatner is extremely misunderstood & has unjustly taken the fall for many things that went wrong on the film. I'd relish the opportunity for him to find some degree of vindication. Some feedback from fans (like the feedback going-on over at TrekWeb) would probably do a lot to ensure the project's continuance. I.e. if you (or your readership) have any interest re: this subject, now would probably be the time to post, as decisions are underway & imminent.
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G
Look, I’m not even a STAR TREK fan, and I think STAR TREK V is the worst of the bunch, but if this is something fans want, and it’s something Shatner’s willing to do, why not get David C. Fein and Robert Burnett, two of the very best guys in the world of DVD production today, and turn them loose on this thing? David was behind that fantastic ST: TMP DVD last year, and Robert is one of the biggest STAR TREK fans I know, with impeccable credits in the DVD world. The special package those two could put together would turn into a must-own for anyone even remotely interested in TREK lore. Paramount would have to let them be brutally honest on the supplemental section, and that would take balls, but they should take some courage from the fact that the people in charge when ST: V was made are in no way the people who are there now. These mistakes are in the past, so why not pick through the ashes to see what can be saved?
"Moriarty" out.
