Re-imaging the Original Star Trek Television Series

Frankly, I'm disgusted with the idea of re-imaging the original Star Trek television series. It's just another way for Paramount studios to make a quick buck. Remember back when people became outraged from Hollywood studios coloring the black and white movie classics. This is the same deal here. If Gene Rodenberry were here today, I'm sure he would not approve re-imaging his classic Star Trek. What's next, the re-imaging of the movie Forbidden Planet?

The re-imaging process makes me furious, and I mostly blame George Lucas for this craze. This process destroys the science fiction classics. Since the re-imaging process, movie studios have released director's cuts, special editions, or unrated versions of science fiction movies and the results have been disastrous.

In the beginning (around 1996), the movie DVD market was simple. Buying movies were a snap because there were no directors' cuts, unrated versions, or special editions. Ten years later, it is a mirror of the music CD industry, which is very complicated and misleading. Now, finding a movie DVD that contains the original theater material is as frustrating as finding a music single that was originally broadcasted on the radio for the first time.

Have you ever bought a music single or CD that did not have the correct arrangement or version of your favorite song? I have, and I know music fans can relate to what I'm talking about. Sometimes, the music industry re-arranges or shortens a song because of time constraints. Because of this, people are faced with two or more versions of the same song, and most music lovers prefer one or the other. And since people are not allowed to sample CDs before buying them, they are tricked into purchasing something that they do not want without any hope of an exchange or return. Have you ever tried returning a new music CD that you have just bought? It's nearly impossible.

Now, buying movie DVDs reminds me of the painful and unpleasant experience of buying music CDs. I'll demonstrate this by using three examples involving the movies Blade Runner, Aliens, and Star Trek - The Motion Picture.

First, Blade Runner - The Director's Cut doesn't have Harrison Ford's narration. The director cuts it completely out, which hurts the movie immensely. If there were a DVD version with the narration, I would have bought it instead. However, Warner Bros. studios denied me my right to choose the original over the director's cut by refusing to release the original theater version on DVD. Blade Runner - The Director's Cut is not the movie I saw with my dad years ago, and I doubt that Blade Runner - The Final Cut, which is another version of the movie, is either.

Second, Aliens - The Director's Cut has extra scenes that were added to the film. In other words, it is the TV plus the language version. I detest this version because of the unnecessary scenes, which also makes the movie drag. This is a perfect example of why the editing process is so crucial to a movie's success. If the TV version of Aliens was released onto the big screen, I'm certain that I would not have liked it as much as the theater version. Again, Aliens - The Director's Cut is not the movie I saw with my dad years ago; however, at least 20th Century Fox was smart enough to release the original Aliens out on DVD a few years later. Fox seems to be heading in the right direction, especially now that they have released the original Star Wars trilogy out on DVD.

Finally, there is Star Trek - The Motion Picture(The Director's Cut), which has extra scenes and new special effect scenes. In other words, it is the meddled version that has new sound and visual effects. I would not be making such a fuss if the original theater version of this movie was on DVD, but it isn't. Paramount studios denied me my right to choose the original theater version. Star Trek - The Motion Picture (The Director's Cut) is not the movie I saw with my dad years ago.

It might not occur to studios or networks, but they are here to please the public as well as their stockholders. Like it or not, when people see movies with friends or family members, they attach memories to them. Changing a classic movie is like altering a person's past. Apparently, the motion picture industry has not figured this out because they continue to meddle with the classics, which are cherished by certain audiences. If Paramount studios insists on re-imaging, remaking, or remolding movies or TV series, then they must honor the originals that started the franchise. Re-imaging the original Star Trek for a new generation is fine with me as long as the old version is treated equally. Meaning, the original Star Trek TV series or theater movies should be available to the public in the same media format as the re-imaged, remade, or remolded version. In my opinion, releasing a new version to replace the original is not only irresponsible; it's dishonorable.

People should be careful of embracing past movie and TV series changes because we are about to enter into a world of HD DVD. It would be a huge mistake to not place the original TV series or theater movies on HD DVD. Furthermore, if Hollywood does not release the originals on HD DVD, I am sure the Internet could take care of that problem. Perhaps, this fact will force Hollywood to comply. Surely, they do not want this type of rebellion. I really wish that Hollywood would concentrate on the future rather than the past.