Star Trek films on DVD

I actually held out on buying Trek DVDs until a couple of years ago when I found nearly all of the special edition DVDs on sale for $5 each at WalMart.

Above: ST:TMP Director's Edition, released in November 2001 and features various changes (improvements!) supervised by director Robert Wise including a new cut and new special FX.

Above: ST:TWOK Director's Edition, which features a few minor tweaks versus the theatrical release and previously-released DVD. Released in August 2002.

Above: ST:TSFS Special Collector's Edition, released in October 2002.

Above: ST:TVH Special Collector's Edition, released in March 2003.

Above: ST:TFF Special Collector's Edition, released in October 2003.

Above: ST:TUC Special Collector's Edition, released in January 2004.

Above: ST:Generations Special Collector's Edition, released in September 2004.

Above: Star Trek: First Contact Special Collector's Edition, released in March 2005.

Above: ST:Insurrection Special Collector's Edition, released in June 2005.

Above: ST:Nemesis. Strangely, I think this was the ONLY Star Trek movie I owned on DVD for several years. This is the original 1-disc release from May 2003.

The Star Trek Encyclopedia

Another 90s purchase was The Star Trek Encyclopedia, compiled by Michael Okuda, Denise Okuda, and Debbie Mirek.

This tome has also been issued in three editions to date; my copy is from the first edition, which was published in April 1994 and covers TOS, 6 seasons of TNG, 1 season of DS9, and the first 6 Trek films. My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TFF Making Of

Bill Shatner and his daughter Lisabeth collaborated on the Making-Of book for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

The book was published in July 1989. My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TFF Movie Magazine

Once again I picked up a movie magazine from Starlog Press.

Above: Some great artwork created for the film.

Above: More behind-the-scenes and interview goodies.

ST:TFF Comic Book Adaptation

DC released a comic book adaptation of the fifth Star Trek film.

Above: Cool panels covering one of the most effective passages of the film.

Above: The rock creature didn't make it into the film, but it did appear in the comic!

Ad for the launch of DC's 2nd monthly comic featuring the original crew and their first monthly TNG comic.

ST:TFF Novelization

The Trek movie novelization reins were handed over to J.M. Dillard for the fifth film in the series.

The book was published in June 1989. My copy is from the first printing.

ST:TFF Theatrical Release

At the time of The Final Frontier's theatrical release I had a job as a co-op student in Ottawa. One of my co-workers who shall remain nameless (but here's a clue -- Tom Shurtliff) decided to play a little practical joke on me. He knew that I had entered a newspaper contest to win tickets to the premiere. While we were at work, Tom called me from another room and informed me (in a disguised voice) that I had won the contest. My initial excitement quickly turned to disappointment when he revealed the ruse.

Fortunately, a few days later I received another call, this time legit, letting me know that I had won two tickets to the premiere.


I took my girlfriend to the show (she was a bit of a Trek fan as well, in particular Data on TNG) and I remember trying my best to be positive about the film while she gave it a thumbs down. Despite winning its first weekend at the box office, the fifth Trek film proved a bit of a disappointment both financially and artistically.

Anticipating The Final Frontier

In September 1986 I started my university years. After the books, the beer, and the, uh, social interaction there wasn't a lot of time left over for Trek. My level of enthusiasm for the fifth Star Trek movie definitely paled in comparison with the previous three films. In my archives I can only find a single newspaper clipping announcing the upcoming film.

Trek Reference

The market for Star Trek reference books took off around the time of the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Throughout the 1980s and beyond the original series and its progeny were analyzed, classified, and commented upon by a multitude of authors in various ways.

The Star Trek Compendium by Allan Asherman is one of the earliest and one of the best guides to the original series. It was first published in January 1981. The 1981 edition provides background on TOS, a TOS episode guide, and a chapter covering Star Trek: The Motion Picture. My copy is from the 7th printing and was purchased on 19 June 1985.


A revised and updated "20th Anniversary Edition" of The Star Trek Compendium was released in September 1986. It added coverage of the second and third movie as well as a brief episode guide for the animated series. My copy is from the first printing.


Another revised and updated edition was published in July 1989. Coverage for The Voyage Home and The Final Frontier was added. My copy is from the first printing. There were a few additional editions of this book, but in terms of my purchases I drew the line at three!


A Star Trek Catalog was published in October 1979, presumably in anticipation of the first movie. It includes a short interview with Gene Roddenberry, a look at Star Trek fandom, a chapter dedicated to the actors, a (brief) synopsis of each TOS and TAS episode, and a look at some of the Trek books and merchandise which had been released up until that time. I received this as an early 15th birthday present on 28 September 1983. (Apparently it was on sale for 99 cents!)


This is an interesting book which postulates the development of space travel from the 20th century into the early part of the 23rd. It includes wonderful line art and paintings by Rick Sternbach. It was published in January 1980. My copy is from the first printing and was purchased on 19 April 1984 on sale for $1.99.

The Monsters of Star Trek is a short book which again seems to have been released due to the expected popularity of the first Star Trek film. It classifies some of the aliens that have appeared on the original series (e.g. "energy creatures", "ancient races") and provides some information about them interspersed with recaps of the episodes in which they appeared. It also has some decent b&w stills from TOS as well as a few from ST:TMP. This book was published in January 1980. My copy is from the 2nd printing and was purchased on 3 July 1984.