Star Trek on Blu-ray

Last week, details of Paramount's plans for Star Trek on Blu-ray were leaked. Timed to coincide with the release of J.J. Abrams' new flick, the first season of the original series will be released this spring, as well as a boxed set of the first six movies.

First, the good news. Details are sketchy, but Season One of TOS appears to include the original broadcast versions in addition to the goofy remastered episodes with the cheesy new effects. This was totally unexpected, but also very welcome. I might actually buy the first two seasons now.

Now for the bad news. All six movies will be presented in their original theatrical cuts only. That means no director's cuts for movies 1, 2, or 6. This is ridiculous. THE MOTION PICTURE is almost understandable, because the new effects were rendered at only 480p. They could be re-rendered, but it would cost a lot to do. But for THE WRATH OF KHAN and THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, I don't get it. Why not include the director's cuts?

As it stands, I'll be buying this set primarily for THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, THE VOYAGE HOME, and THE FINAL FRONTIER. It almost doesn't seem worth it.

However, there is a special feature which I'm quite excited about. Apparently, each film will feature a commentary track by "Famous Star Trek Fans." Now, of course, the obvious question is who will those fans be? I have no idea. But what I can tell you is who I'd like them to be.

The Motion Picture

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg

The success of movies like STAR WARS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND is what led Paramount to ditch their plans for a second TV series and produce THE MOTION PICTURE instead. So what do Lucas and Spielberg think about Robert Wise's attempt to follow in their footsteps?

The Wrath of Khan

Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino

Both of of these guys consider THE WRATH OF KHAN to be one of the greatest movies ever made. Rodriguez loved Ricardo Montalban so much that he talked the actor out of retirement. Tarantino quoted the film at the beginning of KILL BILL. I want to hear their analysis of this movie.

The Search for Spock

Angelina Jolie and J. Michael Straczynski

Jolie considers Spock to be one of her first crushes, and wanted to "make him scream." So this is an obvious choice for her to provide commentary on. Straczynski once proposed a relaunch of the original series. He also wrote CHANGELING, for which Jolie earned an Oscar nomination. I think it would be a good idea to get the two of them in a room together so that she can thank him.

The Voyage Home

Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones

Apparently, Gore and Jones spent more time watching STAR TREK than studying while roommates at Harvard. But they had graduated by the time THE VOYAGE HOME was released. They should get back together and relive their youth. And THE VOYAGE HOME is an obvious choice for Gore, given its "save the earth" message.

The Final Frontier

Mark Altman and Robert Meyer Burnett

These two guys made a movie about their obsession with William Shatner. Burnett even produced the original FINAL FRONTIER DVD. You do the math.

The Undiscovered Country

Alan Keyes and Barack Obama

THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY is a political thriller, so why not get a couple of politicians to talk about it? I'd listen to this commentary. And so would everyone else.

I'm sure none of this will ever happen. With our luck, we'll get people like Mancow and Vin Diesel. But we can dream, right?