The Wrath of Khan Directors Cut Vs. Theatrical Cut, Differences?

[LeadHead]

I just caught a bit of TWOK on HBO and noticed the changes in Sickbay scene where Peter Preston dies. Personally, I think the Directors cut is much better. But it's been so long since I've seen the theatrical version, I really can't remember the other differences. What were they?

 

[Ziz]

The Kirk & Saavik scene in the turbolift. The dialogue is the same but it cuts back and forth between front shots of them rather than playing it out in a single wide view.

 

[ClayinCA]

Also, there's some extra dialogue in the scene in Kirk's apartment, concerning Kirk's glasses. And some more in the scene where Kirk, Spock, and McCoy review the Genesis data.

 

[SeanMcC]

Yes, it beefs up Preston with a few extra lines, establishing him as Scotty's nephew. Plus there's a few extra lines between Spock and Saavik about Khan and the concept of the human ego before they lead the Reliant into the Mutara Nebula.

The Kirk & Saavik scene in the turbolift. The dialogue is the same but it cuts back and forth between front shots of them rather than playing it out in a single wide view.

Wasn't that in the TV version? My DC DVD has that scene with a single shot.

 

[T J]

There is also this great exchange between Kirk and Spock after Kirk beams back up from the Genesis Cave. Kirk says something like

Kirk: "That's my son" Referring to David.

Spock: "Fascinating." With a snide tone as if to say I'm not surprised.

 

[new_mercury]

and was all the climbing through turbolifts after being rescued from genesis in the original theatrical?? it's been a while since i've seen the original mind!

 

[Data Holmes]

I still wish they had added back in the bit about saavik's romulan heritage.

 

[Mysterion]

I still wish they had added back in the bit about saavik's romulan heritage.

It'd be interesting, but totally irrelevant to the development of the character as we saw her.

 

[guardian]

There are 8 changes

!. Kirk's appt-----glasses line inserts
2. Kirk/Peter/ Scott in engineering--longer alternate take
3. Chekov talking to Carol line inserts
4. McCoy/Spock genesis argument--line inserts
5. Regula debate Carol Jedda etc---longer alternate take
6. Peter's death---much longer recut
7. Jeffries tube scene "That's my son"----entire short scene
8. 'Human ego' dialogue---entire short scene

The alternate Kirk /Saavik turbo-lift scene is NOT in the DC--only in the ABC version' as pointed out.

Total time difference 3 min 30 sec.
'Romulan heritage scene not reinserted because by the time they approaced Meyer for the his input in 1985 they had already turned Saavik into the more stoic 'full Vulcan' personality.

 

[A beaker full of death]

I prefer the ABC cut.

 

[trevanian]

I still wish they had added back in the bit about saavik's romulan heritage.

It'd be interesting, but totally irrelevant to the development of the character as we saw her.

Not so, it is only irrelevant to Nimoy's reworking. For TWOK, she is clearly emotional, and w/o that reference it just seems like an irrational inconsistent performance, as she swerves from competent officer to nervous cheerleader, "prepare for warp speed?"

 

[Kolrad]

There's only one thing I miss about the theatrical cut, and it's really picky. I really liked the inflection Kelley put into McCoy's line at the end of the engineering scene-- "Admiral, what about the rest of the inspection?" It made Kirk's silent response seem a lot funnier. The extended version uses a different take, and the line doesn't stand out nearly as much.

Overall, though, I really like having the added segments in the director's cut.

 

[Data Holmes]

I prefer the ABC cut.

I still need to find that!!!

 

[Therin of Andor]

Wasn't that in the TV version? My DC DVD has that scene with a single shot.

The two-actors-in-frame shot elevator scene is seen in the theatrical version, the VHS/Beta/video disk versions, the single DVD and the two-disk Director's Edition DVD.

The intercuts-of-single-closeups version, where Saavik and Kirk are almost flirting with each other, was used in the ABC TV version only. Almost all the additions first seen in that version, edited with Director Meyer's input, when it premiered were retained by Meyer for his DVD DE release, but not that shot. The ABC version also shortened the eel extraction scene a bit, and cleaned up some of McCoy's language.

 

[Mysterion]

I still wish they had added back in the bit about saavik's romulan heritage.

It'd be interesting, but totally irrelevant to the development of the character as we saw her.

Not so, it is only irrelevant to Nimoy's reworking. For TWOK, she is clearly emotional, and w/o that reference it just seems like an irrational inconsistent performance, as she swerves from competent officer to nervous cheerleader, "prepare for warp speed?"

Wel, first off, the later movies do make putting this bcak in now irrelevant. If the movies had ended with TWoK (sigh, if only), you'd have a better case.

So why does she act one way in TWoK, and another way later?

Because she's "young and undisciplined" is more likely than because she's "half-Romulan". She's only in her early 20's (pretty young for vulcans who live to at least their mid 100's). She just hasn't groked the whole emotional discipline thing yet. Watch Spock in The Cage.

The loss of her mentor does seem to sober her up quite a bit between the events of TWoK and those of TSFS, though.

Being half-Romulan would probably make very little real difference genetically, and depending on where/how she was raised, very little difference behaviorally.

 

[ST-One]

Wasn't that in the TV version? My DC DVD has that scene with a single shot.

The two-actors-in-frame shot elevator scene is seen in the theatrical version, the VHS/Beta/video disk versions, the single DVD and the two-disk Director's Edition DVD.

The intercuts-of-single-closeups version, where Saavik and Kirk are almost flirting with each other, was used in the ABC TV version only. Almost all the additions first seen in that version, edited with Director Meyer's input, when it premiered were retained by Meyer for his DVD DE release, but not that shot. The ABC version also shortened the eel extraction scene a bit, and cleaned up some of McCoy's language.

I take it that this ABC version a full screen pan-and-scan (*shudder*) version?

 

[trevanian]

Wasn't that in the TV version? My DC DVD has that scene with a single shot.

The two-actors-in-frame shot elevator scene is seen in the theatrical version, the VHS/Beta/video disk versions, the single DVD and the two-disk Director's Edition DVD.

The intercuts-of-single-closeups version, where Saavik and Kirk are almost flirting with each other, was used in the ABC TV version only. Almost all the additions first seen in that version, edited with Director Meyer's input, when it premiered were retained by Meyer for his DVD DE release, but not that shot. The ABC version also shortened the eel extraction scene a bit, and cleaned up some of McCoy's language.

I take it that this ABC version a full screen pan-and-scan (*shudder*) version?

Not just p&s, but also soundwise, the worst wow-and-flutter you've heard outside of a GAF brand super-8 sound projector ... the music sounds like somebody is turning an lp by hand at times.

 

[ST-One]

The two-actors-in-frame shot elevator scene is seen in the theatrical version, the VHS/Beta/video disk versions, the single DVD and the two-disk Director's Edition DVD.

The intercuts-of-single-closeups version, where Saavik and Kirk are almost flirting with each other, was used in the ABC TV version only. Almost all the additions first seen in that version, edited with Director Meyer's input, when it premiered were retained by Meyer for his DVD DE release, but not that shot. The ABC version also shortened the eel extraction scene a bit, and cleaned up some of McCoy's language.

I take it that this ABC version a full screen pan-and-scan (*shudder*) version?

Not just p&s, but also soundwise, the worst wow-and-flutter you've heard outside of a GAF brand super-8 sound projector ... the music sounds like somebody is turning an lp by hand at times.

Dear god... this sounds awful...

But that there are actually people who would prefer a p&s version over a letterbox one - is beyond me. But with the rise of 16x9 TV-screen that notion is hopefully on the retreat.

 

[Unicron]

Yes, it beefs up Preston with a few extra lines, establishing him as Scotty's nephew. Plus there's a few extra lines between Spock and Saavik about Khan and the concept of the human ego before they lead the Reliant into the Mutara Nebula.

Was this omitted from the theatrical version? I have an older version taped off TV (which might have been the ABC version; this particular airing was on Fox ages ago) which clearly has a line about Peter being Scotty's nephew.

 

[A beaker full of death]

^ That would be the ABC version. It also has Kirk's revalation to Spock that David is his son, as they ascend the ladder to the bridge.