170 - STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979)

Mark Maddox joins me to discuss one of his favorite films of all time - STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979). Does Mark need medication or is he able to back up his opinion of this film that has served as an easy punchline for decades? And what do I think of the film? Will there be an argument? You might already know the answer. Thank goodness for Mark Clark’s fine Start Trek FAQ books that serve to keep us on track. Mostly. 

We discuss the years long genesis of the film touching on the planned ‘Phase II’ concept that was supposed to bring Star Trek back to television. Mark talks about seeing the film theatrically in 1979 and his reaction to the big screen sight of the Enterprise. He then relates his love of the wormhole sequence and we examine its function within the story. Jerry Goldsmith’s magnificent score is heaped with praise by both of us while Mark laments the use of the theme for The Next Generation television show. The production problems the film encountered get some attention with the foolish choice to lock in a premiere date before the film was even started coming under scrutiny. And the decision to begin shooting without a finished script can’t go unremarked either! It’s a miracle a coherent movie came out of this process in the end. Or course, it took a couple of decades for the thing to be really completed by the director but now we can see the film in the best light, flaws and all. 

If you have any thoughts on the first Trek movie thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We hope to cover more the series in the near future so thoughts on those are welcome as well. Thank you for listening!