Year: 2022

No, I haven’t gone mad.

I used to love the original Star Trek tv series, especially the early ones, and especially the ‘cheap’ ones where they encounter something alien in space that wants to kill them.

There were lots of things I didn’t understand about this universe. The plots got sillier as the three series and 79 episodes progressed. I hated Kirk, but loved Spock and Scotty and Yeoman Rand. But everyone hated Kirk.

The tv series fizzled to an end. It had a small but loyal audience, not enough to sustain it, and it died in 1969. And that was that.

Except, in the 1970s, “Star Wars” appeared and was a phenomenon. Companies were looking to cash in on the new interest in space films and what better than Star Trek. The cast were around, most were willing, people would be interested to see how they were…

Thus was “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” born in 1979. Spoiler alert: it was a hit.

Legendary director Robert Wise (“The Sound Of Music”) came on board. There was a script, effects companies were engaged (very little cgi and even that was basic), the cast came and the film was made.

Well, kind of. There were problems with the effects and other companies (Douglas Trumbull) were brought in to get something done. Even by the release, bits were not completed properly and newer director’s versions are available with better effects and more polished editing.

All the regular cast were there, plus some new people who suffer the usual fate. Shatner was as obnoxious as ever and some of the photography is very strange. But Janice Rand is there. And Spock.

The film had mixed reviews. Slow and boring, too long (132 minutes) were common complaints.

But let’s be clear about this. The intention was to create a big screen epic. The scene where the Enterprise is in the dry dock being refitted looks superb on the big screen. You have time to admire it and take in the detail. For Trekkers, this was heaven.

You can be a part of this place, with Jerry Goldsmith’s magnificent score taking you along for the ride. Sure on tv the effect is lost, but that was not the original intention. In 2022 it was released onto the big screen again and did OK.

The film was successful enough to spawn numerous sequels, new tv series and even memorabilia. The first sequels are good, then it goes off the rails a bit, especially as the budgets are reduced, but nearly all did well at te box office.

If you were to make a list of the greatest film directors, Robert Altman would probably not come to mind, but he should. For all his variability, Mr A did make some great films.

There are many that I would say not to watch (remember, this is just my personal opinion), films that misfire on many levels, even if they do have things of interest or merit (I think all Altman films have something of interest). “Images”, “Prêt-à-Porter”, “A Wedding”, “California Split”, “Gosford Park”, “Cookie’s Fortune”, “A Prairie Home Companion”, “3 Women” (with Shelley Duvall) and so on… I don’t enjoy “Short Cuts” either, though many do I know. It does not really come together, for me.

Altman, of course, did “M*A*S*H”. This is a wonderful film, mostly. It loses its way a bit towards the end. The stuff about Painless, and the extended American football game (I’m sure it is funny if you understand the game, but it is mostly an American thing) bore.

For a time, Altman filmed plays, but in a cinematic way. “Secret Honour” is great as a character study of Richard Nixon, and I have a soft spot for “Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean”.

The much derided “Popeye” is worth a watch. Yes, it’s hard to hear what is being said sometimes, but then Popeye always did mumble anyway, that was the point. Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall lead the cast.

As a comment on small town America, it’s hilarious and spot on. Sadly, the ending is lame.

“The Long Goodbye”, based on the detective story by Raymond Chandler, gets mixed reviews. It is based on the story and true to its spirit. Marlowe really is totally down at heel. Like many of Altman’s contemporary films, it looks dated now. I think people mostly object to the ending which is much different from the book.

Another favourite Altman film is “Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson”.

Based vaguely on a play and slightly less vaguely on real events, it tells a small part of the story of Buffalo Bill and his wild west show, which many people see as the beginning of modern show business. There’s much overlapping dialogue and parts are hard to follow, but repeated viewings help, especially on the big screen. And the cast is stellar: Paul Newman, Burt Lancaster, Joel Grey, Harvey Keitel, Shelley Duvall and even Geraldine Chaplin again.

And yes, it is supposed to be sepia.

On the face of it, there are just too many reasons not to like Robert Altman’s “Nashville” from 1975:

It’s long (nearly three hours).

It has a huge cast and more characters than you can follow.

It has the dreaded country music.

The politics.

The self-conscious guest stars.

There’s the overlapping dialogue that makes it hard to hear what’s going on.

There’s an unexplained assassination at the end.

And all of that is true.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s a very brief summary of the story: a group of musicians, agents and managers, reporters and assorted misfits and hangers on arrive in Nashville at the time of a political campaign. Each person has a story, and these stories overlap. At the end there is a big gala concert for the would-be politician.

First, let’s address the cast. Yes it is large, and somehow most of the characters get to tell their part of the story. The cast includes Shelly Duvall, Jeff Goldblum, Ned Beatty, Keenan Wynn, Lily Tomlin, Karen Black and many more. None was a huge name then, which is as it should be for an ensemble piece.

Yes, the visits by Elliott Gould etc are a bit cringeworthy.

Yes, it is a bit hard to hear exactly what is going on at times from the overlapping dialogue. This was a technique Altman liked as it kept the actors on their toes. It’s ike real life too. It also means that there is more to take in on repeated viewings. And it’s not that hard to hear what is being said, just don’t try so hard.

Standout from the film is Ronnee Blakley, who donated some of her songs and also played Barbara Jean. So many of the characters are based on real people. If you know your country music you may figure it all out.

There are many songs and they are not too bad. The outdoor concert at Opryland USA is a highlight, and there are many more songs in an intimate setting, including Oscar winner “I’m Easy” by Carradine.

It’s a commentary on America, a microcosm of the country. It is astonishing that the stories do intertwine and resolve. For many, it is one of the greatest films ever made. Yes, it does look dated now, and the Geraldine Chaplin character always was annoying, but it is still a massively enjoyable film if you have the stamina to watch it properly.

Is it in the top ten greatest American films of all time? Yes, it probably is.