Star Trek Fan Collective

directed by various
USA 1966

Here we have yet another Star Trek: Fan Collective, this one focusing on the captains. Frankly, since Star Trek has always been captain-centric, I don’t see the point of releasing a tribute to the captains. However, I’m sure that die-hards would beg to differ from me, and as someone who interned with StarTrek.com, I guess I shouldn’t complain either.

This set is a much better deal than the other Fan Collectives because it contains new materials--new extras--not found anywhere else. The actors who played the captains recorded new interviews to discuss their favorite episodes, their reactions to fans’ selections, and general observations about Star Trek. It’s nice seeing them again, especially since some of them have kept low profiles after their shows ended.

Star Trek: The Original Series
William Shatner’s pick is “The City on the Edge of Forever”. The fans voted for “The Enterprise Incident” and “Balance of Terror”, though “Balance of Terror” should be seen before “The Enterprise Incident”. (Both deal with Romulans, and “Balance of Terror” is when Kirk sees Romulans face-to-face for the first time.)

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Patrick Stewart’s pick is “In Theory” (the one with Data trying to date a human). The fans voted for “Chain of Command” (think torturing captives) and “Darmok” (think Gilgamesh). In Stewart's case, the fans wanted more substance than the captain did.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Avery Brooks’s pick is “Far Beyond the Stars”. The fans voted for “What You Leave Behind” and “In the Pale Moonlight”. These are all very dark, troubling episodes--a good fit for a dark, troubling series.

Star Trek: Voyager
Kate Mulgrew’s pick is “Counterpoint”. The fans voted for “The Omega Directive” and “Flashback”. This is a very disappointing disc because these are rather sub-par stories.

Star Trek: Enterprise
Scott Bakula’s pick is “Judgment”. The fans voted for “These Are the Voyages” and “First Flight”. “First Flight” is an excellent look at the early days of humanity’s attempts to reach deep space, but “Judgment” and “These are the Voyages” are not memorable. I was surprised to see that the fans voted for “These Are the Voyages”, which shoehorned the TNG cast into what should’ve been a moment of closure that belonged exclusively to ENT. In fact, weren’t most fans of ENT and Star Trek fans in general angry about “These Are the Voyages”?

Yunda Eddie Feng

Theatrical Release: 1966-2005

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DVD Review: Paramount - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Yunda Eddie Feng for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Paramount Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	781 min
Video	1.33:1 and 1.78 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 2.0 surround English, Dolby Digital 2.0 surround Spanish, Dolby Digital 2.0 surround Brazilian Portuguese
Subtitles	Optional English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese
Features	Release Information: Studio: Paramount Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.33:1 and 1.78 Edition Details: • actors' introductions to various episodes • interview clips DVD Release Date: 24 July 2007 slim transparent cases in custom cardboard box Chapters 150

Comments:

Video:
The video looks no different from what you get with the already-released full-season box sets. TOS actually compares favorably against TNG, DS9, and VOY since it was shot and post-produced on film (which has a higher “resolution” than 480i analog video). However, TOS also suffers from debris and print damage. Therefore, the ENT footage looks the best.

Audio:
You get the same Dolby Digital 5.1 English tracks that were on the previously-released DVDs. For TOS, TNG, DS9, and VOY, the 5.1 tracks are sweetened versions of the original mono or stereo surround tracks. Therefore, most of the festivities reside in the center channel. However, the subwoofer does pack a kick even in old episodes like “Balance of Terror”. ENT had real 5.1 mixes from the beginning, though as with most TV shows, the tracks can’t compete with the state-of-the art sound designs of big-screen fare like Letters From Iwo Jima.

You can also watch the episodes with DD 2.0 surround English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese tracks (expect for “What You Leave Behind” and the ENT disc). Optional English, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.

This pressing is probably being used for both R1 (U.S.A. and Canada) and R4 (South America), which explains the presence of Brazilian Portuguese audio and subtitles.

Extras:
William Shatner gets the whole thing started with an introduction to the whole set.

You get actors’ introductions to various episodes. These are not particularly enlightening since some of the actors chose episodes that they directed as their favorites. Sometimes, the actors don’t really know what to say when talking about episodes that the fans picked for this set. The best intro is probably the one by William Shatner and Joan Collins for “The City on the Edge of Forever”; it’s rare to get a guest star talk about what they did in association with Star Trek, and the two obviously have fun flirting with each other after all these years.

There are additional interview clips with the actors. Surprisingly, Avery Brooks has the most to say, perhaps because he has been so quiet about his place in Star Trek for so long. The clips have self-explanatory titles, so there’s no need to discuss them in-depth here.

Finally, Scott Bakula thanks fans for buying yet another Star Trek product.

--Miscellaneous--
The five discs are housed in slim transparent cases. The cases are collected in a custom cardboard box.