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:TMP Comic Book

A comic book adaptation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture was published as a single-issue Marvel Comics "Super Special Magazine" dated December 1979. When Marvel launched their monthly Star Trek comic a few months later, the adaptation was reprinted across the first three issues, starting with #1 dated April 1980. It is the 3-parter which I have in my collection.

Above: Issue #1 April 1980.

Above: Issue #2 May 1980.

Above: Issue #3 June 1980.

Marvel's monthly Star Trek title lasted for eighteen issues. I bought all eighteen in one shot during the Maplecon 5 convention, on either 15 July or 16 July 1983.

ST:TMP first viewing

Given that I missed Star Trek: The Motion Picture at the theater, when did I actually see it for the first time?

As far as I can tell, it was on 8 October 1982. Here's a portion of my diary entry: "Today I went to Video Warehouse to pick up a VCR and 4 movies. My selections were Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Wars, Logan's Run and Silent Running. Super Dave came over at 5:00. We watched Star Trek, Star Wars, and Logan's Run. I watched Star Trek a couple of extra times when Super Dave wasn't here."

Then from 10 October: "Dave and I watched Silent Running this morning which he felt to be a very poor film though I thought it has some very special qualities, not the least of them being the lead actor. We also watched parts of Star Trek again. When Nur came over we watched Logan's Run, then Star Wars, and then Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The latter picture seems to get better with each reviewing, while Star Wars is as endearing as ever."

And from 11 October: "Also today, I watched Star Trek: The Motion Picture twice (once in the fast frame, though) and Silent Running a second time."

Note that our family didn't own a VCR until 22 March 1983, so before that date we used to occasionally rent out a VCR (!) to watch movies.

I also eagerly awaited the arrival of ST:TMP on television.

These are clipped from my local newspaper and television directory. My trusty diary indicates that ST:TMP aired on Ottawa television Sunday 20 February 1983 at 9PM. Here is a portion of my diary entry:

"I like it better than the first time I watched it but I still find the movie to be lacking in excitement and coherence, though the latter could be more the fault of the editor than the producer. I also found Shatner's performance in the picture to be much inferior to his portrayal of Admiral Kirk in the second movie."

It aired again on Monday 12 September 1983 from 8PM to 11PM. From my diary: "I still maintain that it is a very slowly paced film and that there are a few awkward moments but for all these flaws it has a basic excitement and interest if you look hard enough for it."


The 20 February 1983 premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a big draw on Ottawa television, bested only by the last episode of M*A*S*H. I'm not clear on the precise ratings period to which the numbers in the article apply.

ST:TMP Trading Cards

Topps released a set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture trading cards in 1979. The set consist of 88 cards and 22 stickers. I managed to collect 12 of the stickers and all but one of the cards (#33 - "Andorian Close-Up"). Unlike other trading cards in my collection, these cards seem to be from the U.S. release. I picked up some of these at the Maplecon 5 science fiction convention in Ottawa, July 15th or 16th 1983. Others I picked up on 3 September 1983, I believe from Capital City Cards in Ottawa.

Card #1 features a handy checklist on the back.


The stickers. My sticker doubles went up on the side of my dresser. They are still there to this day, although the dresser is now in my parents' storage room.


I'm sure I must have been irritated at the time about missing a single card from the set.


The backs of some of the cards featured puzzle pieces. Four separate pictures could be constructed from these.


Other card backs featured a plot summary, actor bios, production crew bios, and quotes from several people associated with the film.


These are the wrappers in which individual packs were sealed. I've included 3 samples here, identical save for the different advertising.