See Remastered “The Menagerie” On The Big Screen! October 5, 2007
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: DVD/Blu-ray, TOS Remastered , trackback
A year before J.J. Abrams brings his vision of The Original Series to the big screen, the original Original Series is going to get a go. CBS just announced a special presentation of the remastered "The Menagerie" on November 13th at almost 300 theaters nationwide. Both parts of "The Menagerie" will be shown in HD and cinema surround sound. The presentation includes a 30 minute behind-the-scenes featurette about the remastering. You can find theaters and buy tickets at Fathom Events ($12.50). More info at STARTREK.com
Of course it is no coincidence that these screenings are being held one week before the release of Star Trek: TOS – The Complete First Season [on HD DVD]
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I am there…
Got to see what those uniforms look like on the REAL big screen…
Just to hear the opening credits…
Nice. There is a digital projection theater close by, I hope they get it. Guess I need to check the listings. I’ve seen TOS on a 7′ home theater screen but never on a 75′ one!
Cool! I always thought the Menagerie or specifically the Cage, would make a great movie.
Wow! That’s pretty cool! I don’t suppose there’s any chance of this happening in the UK too, is there? No? :(
Hmm, that would be kinda cool to see. But since it’s not in widescreen format it won’t really feel like you’re watching TOS on the “big screen”.
Instead it’ll be just like you’re watching it on a REALLY big TV. lol
Shoot, this works out, we will see a “Doomsday Machine/journey to Babel” double bill…I would pay for that as well…
They need to release a poster and a discount coupon for the HD-DVD set at the door. That would be perfect…
nice…very nice…
now how about a Space Seed/TWOK double bill?
and a Mirror Mirror/Yesterdays Enterprise one too (c’mon – Yesterdays Ent is the closest TNG came to a mirror universe story)
The nearest Digital theatre to me is a RAVE cinema in Peoria, IL. Unfortunately they’re not on the list yet. I sent them(fathom) a message telling them about this theatre because otherwise there’s no where for people like me in central Illinois to see this. and I REALLY want to see this!
Lotsa Atlanta theatres joining in on this. Love it!
Respek the Trek!
Nothing showing near me. :-(
YES!!!! AWESOME!!!!!
I’m hoping to head up to Indy to take advantage of this.
We should make shirts or nametags or something so we can find each other.
Damn the bad luck. Only three theaters in Louisiana. The closest is still too far to make it worth the effort for me.
Great poster tag line: “This time, the bridge dissolve effect doesn’t suck!”
I’m so jealous…..it’s not coming to my town!
OK, how about these:
“The 17 minutes syndicators didn’t want you to see.”
or…
“Rotoscope-a-rific!”
or…
“A Star Trek Movie with William Shatner in it!”
Looks like it’s showing in 4 or 5 theaters in my area! I am SO there. Incidentally, earlier this year a local theater showed TWOK on my birthday (shades of Free Enterprise)! That was cool! The theater even gave away prizes to whoever did the best, “KHHHAAANNN!!!!!!” I was one of the winners. :)
might the release of this particular episode tell us something about the plot of the new movie??????
Doh! Us poor olde folks in blighty over the pond get nowt!
CmdrR — yeah, we Atlantans are blessed with lots of venues. Sort of makes up for the lousy WSB treatment of Remastered Trek!
I’m going to see if the long-sufferering little woman will take me to the Hollywood 24 off I-85 for a pre-birthday (mine’s the 18th) bash.
I wonder if they’re going to add anything new effects to it that we haven’t already seen. Seems like we ought to get something extra for our $12.50…besides the chance to purchase $6.00 buckets of popcorn.
Scott B. out.
I’m there, lucky me it’s going to be in the Twin Cities.
Awesome, unfortunately, for some reason I can’t seem to buy my ticket at Cinemark. =( I’ll have to refresh the page everyday to see when they become available.
Awesome! “The Menagerie” always was the best Star Trek movie ever made IMO, and now I’ll get to see it displayed as such.
Something tells me we may even see a teaser trailer for the new movie. Also I question why this particular episode to be shown. It will have many references around the time line the movie takes place. The rumor is we will find out how Pike ends up in that chair and how Kirk takes command.
I am 100% absolutely totally there
I am buying my ticket online tonight
It is showing in 10 theatres in NJ, one of which is in South Plainfield.
South Plainfield: the town I grew up in (SPHS Class of ‘85!!!!)
AND
this particular theatre is approximately 200 yards away from the place where I met my wife.
it will be good to go home again….
Plenty of showings in LA!! I’m there!
The Cage and The Menagerie are basically The Matrix movies, only told a lot better.
Yes! Being shown at a theater less than 5 minutes from my house. Can’t wait to go and get my geek on.
18. harris – October 5, 2007
might the release of this particular episode tell us something about the plot of the new movie??????
24. spud – October 5, 2007
Something tells me we may even see a teaser trailer for the new movie. Also I question why this particular episode to be shown. It will have many references around the time line the movie takes place.
This particular episode was chosen purely because of it’s length.
Yes, very awesome… it’s showing in like every theatre near me… oh and one of them is an iMax… Thank you, oh scifi gods… for this gift.
this is sweet! and it’s actually coming to Canada! Hopefully there will be a theatre somewhere here in Ottawa showing it!
Anthony !
we need a larger version of that poster please !
the thumbnail on startrek.com just won’t cut it for hanging in my cubicle !
This is very unexpected. What next; Star Trek The Motion Picture in HD? That was what I was hoping for in 1999 for the 20th Anniversary.
i bought my tickets. hooray for fandango!
Oh I am SO there! Sweeeeeet!!
got mine too fandango RULZ !
KEWL!!!
:-D
29. mars396
This particular episode was chosen purely because of it’s length.
Perhaps. But there are some parallels in this episode as well. “Pike” I see a great marketing opportunity for the new movie. They didn’t just want to show it on the big screen just to help push DVD sales now. IMHO they are testing the waters for something.
So the original Big E will finally make it to the Big Screen. Since they will show her, do you think Abrams in Trek XI will keep her the same since audiences will question why there is a change since the movie takes place in the same period? What will the running time be?
Hey cool! Just got mine! Need that poster too!
Please. I just don’t see the big bosses at Paramount ponying up $150M (or whatever) for a Big E with spikey nacelle caps. It will be a new E; hopefully a design that respects the original, but with lots more detail. The uniforms and sets will go that route as well. Oh, and so will the characters and dialogue. They may as well have a title card at the beginning: “Inspired by an actual TV show from the ’60s’.”
According to the site, it’s coming to Canada (although doesn’t mention locations yet). I’m there if it comes here to Vancouver! Hopefully it doesn’t have to be on a digital theatre, cause there’s none over here (yet! still waiting Cineplex!)
Do we know if MENAGERIE has been reformatted for the big screen? That is 16:9 rather then 4:3 ratio? It would be very special if they have given us a wide screen version. You Yanks get all the cool stuff. Hope someone gets this downunder and quickly!!!!
Woo-hoo! I am SO there!
#43-You Yanks get all the cool stuff.
Well, it is a U.S. show. We have to get credit for something that other countries like besides Big Mac’s.
This is going to be sweet! And finally we will have proof that the original (OK, remastered) Enterprise AND uniforms will look cool on the big screen. I shall hear nothing to the contrary.
43: Ditto
Widescreen or not?
Either way – a must for any trek fan.
I may have to leave the country to see it but, heck, Marysville WA is only an hour away.
Maybe there will be a Vancouver showing – the site says watch for Canadian locations.
STAR TREK LIVES!
45-This is going to be sweet! And finally we will have proof that the original (OK, remastered) Enterprise AND uniforms will look cool on the big screen. I shall hear nothing to the contrary.
Yes. This hits on November 13th… just enough time for JJ to gauge the audience reaction and, if positive, run out and stock up at Big Joe’s House of Velour. ;-)
If nothing else, we’ll finally get to see a 15′ Susan Oliver in all her green glory.
#47-If nothing else, we’ll finally get to see a 15′ Susan Oliver in all her green glory.
Yessss. I hadn’t thought of that. I have been trying to get my wife to color herself green and go this Halloween as an Orion slave girl, but she insists that we won’t make it out the door. Same thing happened when I dressed her up as Princess Leia in the golden bikini from Return of the Jedi. Oh wait, that wasn’t Halloween. Same thing, though.
ARGH! Sometimes it sucks living in the UK. Not to mention I’m out in the States a couple of weeks after this shows….sods bloody law. Unless of course they wait til Dec to show it in Vancouver, I might be in with a chance then!
CmdR said “This hits on November 13th… just enough time for JJ to gauge the audience reaction “.
You could be right CmdR. I sure hope this mean ST08 will look like PreTOS pilot Trek. It’s actually my favorite era and I’d love to see a new story set in that period with the “traditional” uniforms.
OMG! I am more excited about this than the upcoming movie ST XI! A true event for any hardcore TOS fan! Imagine going to see one of TOS best episodes re-mastered on the big screen! I guess I will see all of you TOS people in Miami at Sunset Place 7:30pm Nov. 13th.
What the hell! It’s showing in TEN theaters in Jersey but not a SINGLE theater in the great state of Alaska.
Oh, I am SO there! Just release the Canadian theater list already! I need to know how far I have to travel. :P
O Canada!
Maybe that’s my ticket … British Columbia here I come!
Wow, I wish I could see this, I love the episode and would love to see it all big and remastered.
I’ve got tickets already. This is going to be very cool. And if the Enterprise looks good on the big screen, then the detractors who say it’s gotta be more detailed or changed will be somewhat less credible I’d think.
This is the first time I’ve been to see any trek since the first next gen movie. Very much looking forward to this….
Nothing in New Orleans either…damn…
Cool, it’s playing at a theater near me! Where can I get a copy of that poster?
Itd be so awesome seeing The Shat in all his hunky 1960s glory on the BIG SCREEN….damn that dude was handsome – imagine walking into a bar looking like a 1960s Shat! You’d have no problem stealing all the ladies…
That aside i think The Menagirie is ideal to show on the big screen -obviously its the only 2 parter but also cause The Cage was motion picture quality FX in some parts as it had a huge budget for the time didnt it? something like $500,000 or $750,000 in 1964 – what would that be in todays money? (i think WNMHGB had a $300,000 budget) (oh wait this is the new version with new FX – oh well even better then!) and its an epic story spanning the Kirk and Pike era…(even though The Menagirie was made dirt cheap by recycling The Cage)
anyway its a great idea…
i once saw Treks I-IV non stop at the theatre around 1987 – (this way before i owned them on uber expensive vhs and i had only seen them once each at the cinema when they were out – maybe seen I and II on tv too) What a fuking great day it was …goddamn amazing
I fell off the chair when I actually saw it was playing in Naples!
Woohoooo! Off to Home Depot to get new lightbulbs and a chamis to buff out my sweet black ride! LOL
I wish they had done this before TMP was made. It might hae spared us the monochromatic uniforms, & as previously stated, proved that the 1701 would look majestic in it’s original form.
The Menagerie is playing at a theater near me that is known for having an IMAX as well. The poster doesn’t say anything specifically about an IMAX showing. Does anyone out there know if The Menagerie will be offered in IMAX?
^5: The aspect ratio is perfectly legitimate for the big screen because it was the standard for features before the 1950s. You just have to go in with an old-school attitude. :-)
^39, 57, others: The original Enterprise graced the big screen in Airplane II: The Sequel, when Paramount pulled a flyby shot from TOS out of the film vault for the gag when William Shatner is looking into space through a periscope:
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Image:Airplane2enterprise000.jpg
This is absolutely awesome! I remember as a kid going to space con in San Fran in 1976 – they were showing Star Trek Episodes non-stop from 16mm prints – it was absolutely spectacular to see our heroes on screen larger than life. Then as a bonus, they snuck in a teaser trailer for Star Wars – oh man – geeking out just thinking about it.
I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan one of the biggest theater markets in the US. The nearest city playing this to me is 95 miles away in Indiana.
Oh, hell. I hate the local theaters.
Hey Bio,
I live in SF peninsula and the nearest theatre is in the east bay 35 miles away – doesn’t make sense at all considering im in the heart of high tech geekland.
#16 what 17 minutes? doy ou mean all of the syndication cuts or is there something else..or do you mean the regular footage from the cage?
Guys the page Tony linked to says at the bottom that it is shown in its’ original aspect ratio (4:3), as it should be. I intend to go to my near by theater that is showing it.
As has been pointed out there is nothing wrong with 4:3, it will be just as “high def” as anything else, it is simply not widescreen. And as noted, 1.37:1 (for all intents and purposes the same as 4:3) is known as the ‘Academy Standard’ ratio for a reason, that was how all movies until the around 1950 were filmed. With the 50s and TV set penetration being a cause for concern, wider formats that were clearly different the the 4:3 (1.33:1) shape of the TVs were used to draw movie goers into the theater and away from the small square TV sets of the era. Thus the new ‘Academy Flat’ ratio of 1.85:1 we still see today on many movies, especially comedies. Then that got a bit old and movie studios experimented with super wide ratios such as 2.20:1 and the famous CinemaScope ratio of around 2.35:1 which is still quite often used today for movies with a grand scope.
Oh, c’mon, you grumblers – it’s even playing in towns that are sounding like no man’s land to me (there might be Romulans…), but it’s still in DRIVING distance from your home town… Can you imagine what it’s like to live in a Star Trek outpost like Germany and NEVER get the chance to see it??
I’m so there!
Hmm…..has anyone compiled a list of cities of where it will be showing?
I live in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan but I’d still like to know where
or rather how far I’d to travel to see this.
Ultimately I wonder who’s in charge of deciding where to show this film?
I think….and know that IF handled correctly….marketing and so on that
this could be a goldmine. Like someone mentioned earlier…if they showed
TWOK and Star Trek II that would sell too as would The Doomsday Machine
or The City on the edge of forever….or even a few TNG episodes….
I’m glad someone woke up….money for them and weekend matinee for us.
#63 Yeah, I know but I was refering to the remastered version we will be seeing. I’ll be curious how the external shots hold up on the big screen. If they do, I’m sure the new effects will look great on my 50″ plasma.
Is the special screening only going to run on a single day?
That’s what I’m talking about, none of this time-traveling Quinto crap.
Oh, going to have to see this… hmm I was actually planning on taking my vacation right around that date to go see my friend in Colorado, will have to see if there are any theatres showing it there. He and my other friend going are both trek fans too so that would work out well. :)
Can’t wait for this! NYC has multiple options, of course. (thank god I live in the most metropolitan city in the world!) I’ll be at Union Square for this one. Anyone else in the area going?
Before anyone gets too excited over seeing this in person, you might want to know that Fathom has gotten scathing reviews from many people (in several locations) for their piss-poor projection of Poltergeist recently.
Supposedly, according to this link from Ain’t It Cool, the systems they use to project HD are about three years old and aren’t up to the quality you might be expecting to see.
http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/34330#comment_1712757
So, just be warned.
Someone (perhaps Site owner?) should/could look into all of the facts available for
the presentation of this movie so as we’re not standing here in the dark wondering
what the deal is exactly. If its half as bad as 77 reports then why bother showing it?
I read that stuff about Fathom on AICN earlier. Damn I hope they get their $@% together. I have a showing just over a bridge from me and I am leaning towards going!! Retro TREK on the big screen is something I have always, always wanted to see!
Party time! Nothing is going to stop me from seeing it on a huge movie screen with huge theatre speakers! Time to round up the family and friends!
UK please!!
#38
Yes, they are testing something.. it’s testing whether making a new Star Trek movie in TOS era is worth it or not;
Sorry for my previous grammatcial error. I do go out on Friday night…
Just get a front projector (for those who can afford it a good one!) and forget this film.
Its a excellent idea BUT if it be can’t properly done then just forget it. Too bad really.
Can you imagine what it be like IF you could have the latest setup and have it all installed in your home? Then who need any of this? Its a a real great idea though.
#76- Mattniss-
I’m going to Union Square too. Can’t wait.
I wonder if they’ve remastered Spocks smile lol
A superb plot, fantastic actors (Shatner AND Nimoy – my goodness…), all on one screen.
Go and see it – it might be your last chance to feel the genuine spirit of TOS at your local cinema…
#77 Post from Marvin the Martian really has me concerned. I also wish someone could/would address it and soon. This link is from a site, at times, used here at Trekmovie.com as a reference. Presumably a respected one as well as CBS Paramount has often issued exclusive photos to them.
http://www.aintitcool.com/talkback_display/34330#comment_1712757
Sheez, folks. No disrespect intended for those of you who are worried that this presentation might be less than technically perfect, but I’m old enough to remember how much we enjoyed ourselves back in the day when Gene Roddenberry showed us his 16mm copy of “The Cage” in glorious black and white, complete with fuzzy monaural sound and the original (terrible) vintage special effects. The point was re-living the magic of that era with each other, viewed on the big screen, and not the technical minutae involved in what we were seeing.
I can guarantee that whatever its flaws, this screening will look about a thousand percent better than that, especially given that this episode was–thankfully–one of CBS-D’s success stories. And the behind-the-scenes featurette sounds pretty cool, too. $12.00 is not all that expensive. My advice would be to go if you’re so inclined, and to enjoy the experience for what it’s worth. :-)
Gosh! That poster is beautiful! Nothing like a little polishment to make that diamond shine.
I’m SO there! TOS-R looks good on my TV at home, but I CAN”T WAIT to see it on the big screen!
To tell you the truth, the TOS Enterprise is always the one I’ve wanted to see in the movies. As much as I liked the TMP ship, I always felt cheated that I never got to see the Enterprise, in all her original glory, at the cinema.
77. Marvin the Martian
Well – I really do not think CBSD is going to strike film prints for a one night only 300 venue showing.
I’m hoping that we get a Cinema Quality HD projected show – and not the DLP projector used to show the ads.
But even still, I think the image quality will be awesome and the group experience will be worth the price of the ticket – don’t you all?
re:77, 78 and 92-
I did some reading and yes, it looks like this could be a disaster. They streamed from a Pan and Scan of the Poltergeist DVD.
I think what they will do here is stream the HD-DVD video to all the theaters. Probably the same HD-DVD we can buy the week after this presentation. The DVD’s are 1080 resolution. Not sure if the projectors are up to the task based on that AICN report!
I agree, the main thing here is the group experience and the 30 minute documentary which I hope is on the HD-DVD set. We can probably have a better technical experience at home with a good HD set-up.
I just finished building the polar lights kit of the enterprise which you can make as the version in ‘the cage’, its wicked, and I only cut myself once with the knife!!!
“As much as I liked the TMP ship, I always felt cheated that I never got to see the Enterprise, in all her original glory, at the cinema.”
Definitely agreed. Seeing TMP for the first time back in ‘79 was like returning to your beloved childhood home after a decade’s absence, only to discover that someone had gone in and redecorated everything. The essentials were all there, but in the rush to “upgrade” for a major motion picture many of the original elements that endeared the ship to us fans (e.g. the primary colors, funky wide corridors and the room architecture suggestive of sailing ships) was lost.
The TMP exterior of the ship certainly had its virtues, as did each of its descendants in the later series (except for the E-C, the Grand Edsel of space), but for my money none of them photographed well from as many angles as Matt Jeffries’ original 1964 design. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing what Abrams and his art director come up with.
AWESOME!!
Let’s hope the projection methods are up to par.
PIKE era! My fav!! I’m looking at my AA Cage Ent on my bookcase right now- nice model, BTW.
#89- Yes, I can relate! I have the “long lost” B&W footage VHS version, too.
This showing, though, utterly historic.
If they do show the HD DVD on the DLP ad set up, I hope they keep the screen size reasonably small – I would much rather watch a brighter higher res small screen than a dim larger screen.
I am hoping agianst hope that they will mange to show a 2k digital film stream instead – please!
So, William Shatner is indeed in the “new” Star Trek movie prequel.
I will pony up the cash to see this, but not for the new DVD set.
I’ll definitely be there. Several venues have it here in Orlando!
Wow…as one of those here in the U.K. who is unlikely to get this chance, I would have loved to have seen this on a big screen, even in ‘earlier cinema ratio’ of 4:3. I am sure that the impact of seeing the colors, and imagery of classic Star Trek:TOS ( albiet with ‘CBS Digital’s’ effects ), along with the music and sound effects in booming theatre surroundsound will be most memorable. I look forward to the reviews of the experience from those that see it like this…
I saw the remastered ‘Goldfinger’ on the big screen a little while back…a Bond film I’d only ever been used to seeing on a small screen format…and it was one of the best Movie-going experiences of my life, even though I’d seen it a couple of times over the years… Everything about it was just enhanced a hundred fold, and the huge sound was glorious in the theatre. I bet ‘The Menagerie’ will seem just as magical on a large canvas, and if the new Movie can equal it’s imagery and storyline, we will be very lucky indeed.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the nearest one is 100 miles away from me!! :(
I would rather see “The Cage” remastered and on the big screen. It’s still one of my all time favorite Trek episodes.
Mike :o
Set phasers on pissed. WSB (We Suck Bigtime) in Atlanta isn’t even showing Trek this weekend. Jerks.
I have mixed feelings about this. You have to remember they filmed this way back in ‘64 or so without wide screen framing in mind. Even with all the digital fixing, I have doubts that it will look like a motion picture given the attention to detail that movie prints do. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m going to check it out.
They should do the movies as special events like this. Starting with Robert Wise’s Director Edition of TMP and on forward. Hey, what about a monthly one night film event counting down the time before the new Trek films comes out in Dec!
There are theatrical revivals of films all the time that are a helluva lot older than Trek’s pilot. If the prints have been well cared for and/or restored, they look great. (In fact, fans of the Technicolor process used in the 50s and 60s will tell you those films still look better than anything done today.) As for aspect ratios, that topic was already well dealt with earlier in this thread–it’s really a non-issue.
#103:
According to Comcast, we Atlantans are getting 30 WHOLE MINUTES, actually. They’re airing an episode of “Dead Zone” which will cut into the first 30 mins. of ST-R.
“WSB (We Suck Bigtime)” indeed!
Peace. Live long and prosper.
Except WSB. They can f-off and die.
The Vulcanista }:-|
#100 I saw the original (and best!) Italian Job at the cinema a few years ago- It looked fantastic. Evoked a real feel of the 60’s writ large on the big screen. One of my favourite all time cinema visits.
But that, and Goldfinger, were always intended for the big screen. As you say, will be interesting to hear peoples reviews of a small screen Trek on a movie screen.
That sounds awesome!
Unfortunately I’m not sure if we’re gonna get to see it on the big screen over here in Australia.
I hope that everyone here that has said that they will go, does go, and brings as many people along as they can. Not only because it’s always better to see a movie with a full house,…BUT…Maybe..just maybe The Powers that be will see that there really is still a HUGE Fan Base for TOS!! and throw us a bone with some more TOS Content…
right its times like this it sucks to live in Ireland , ……….i am sure all the british , germans and other europeans feel the same , screw that if even one european country was showing this i would go there to watch it, flights in europe are so cheat it would only cost 30-80 euros i say ,
Cinemark 20 in Moosic! YES! I will be there… what to wear?
Well, when Moriarty on AICN is willing to encourage Trek fans to boycott the event…
http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/talkback_display/34348#comment_1713527
…I think it’s pretty clear that “The Menagerie” will be projected on the DLP system that broadcasts the ads.
Which makes sense. Why would Fathom go through all the trouble to install high quality HD equipment in so many venues for just one showing? Doesn’t make sense.
Buyer beware.
Too bad this is on a Tuesday. I have to work. Why does everything happen on week nights? WHY?
When I got this story in my email I was excited, then crushed as usual. Sick of this.
#112 — Yeah I knew it was that, I’ve been seeing adverts for various Fathom events before the previews at my movie theater for a while now. Yeah it’s hardly spectacular, but it ain’t terrible either.
#95 You said it all. I felt the same thing seeing TMP. One reason why I hope they use the original Enterprise in it’s originality in the new movie. Sure, more detail, if we see it 20 feet away, but from a distance, I’d like to see the series ship, not something different. Unless of course, it’s a reboot, then the rules change for everything.
One can only hope they did something special, like re-edit the Cage footage not seen in the Menagerie BACK INTO THE EPISODE, so we see the full Pike experience within the Menagerie!!!
I started watching Star Trek back in 1991, around the time STVI came out. I watched Star Trek TOS movies and Star Trek Next Gen on TV, but I was never as into Next Gen and so I have never seen any Star Trek movie in the theatre.
Finally, that will change with this event! I am so happy that my very first Trek movie experience will be with TOS, and not a TOS movie, but the original series show!!! I couldnt ask for more. It wouldnt have felt right if my first Trek film featured a new TOS crew, now I get to see the old crew before the new movie comes out next year!!! outstanding paramount, and thank you!!!
#112, fans like me could care less about some DLP system. Getting to see Star Trek TOS on the big screen is good enough!!!
#118– Hey, it’s your money. If seeing Star Trek on a big screen, regardless of how lousy the projection may be, is good enough for you, then by all means, go and have a great time.
It’s just supremely ironic that the CBS-D team gets labasted so often in here for poor digital effects rendering, even though most of us only see it in non-HD broadcasts, or worse yet, YouTube flash video, and yet, some have the nerve to demand higher quality work when they’ve never seen it in its proper HD format. Yet, when Fathom has been roundly criticized in all quarters by numerous people for their shoddy screenings of other films, the likelihood of a poor HD experience is dismissed out of hand because “it’s Star Trek on the big screen!”
Um… okay. Like I said, it’s your money.
Indeed it is my money. And I’m spending some of it to see “The Menagerie” remastered in HD on November 13.
Seems that Fathom has added an extra showing for November 15th.
I saw it Nov 13.
Things I noticed: When we first saw Pike, Spock requested a private conversation. During that, I was surprised to notice for the first time that Pike actually had a tear in his eye as he insisted (as best he could via lights and beeps) that Spock not do as he was planning. Later when we saw the first contact video as Pikes landing party beamed down, I remembered one of the noteworthy effects on this alien world was a strange Lily that vibrated with an alien whine. When the landing party touched the stems, the sound changed (in the original TV version). For some reason, in this updated version the sound hardly changed at all. I view this bit of technical trivia as diminishing the memory of the original presentation, a mistake made by those doing the restoration. I also found it amusing when Number One (played by Majel Rodenbury) was described by the Talosian Keeper as “computer like” since she also played the AI voice of the computer in many Star Trek episodes.
Was the perceived value “worth” it? I have mixed feelings.
While the restoration was good, I still came away with the nagging feeling that I had just paid $12.50 a seat to attend a big infomercial. You see, the underlying thread before and after was a sales pitch for the dual sided HD/DVD release of the remastered digitized collection of the original series. Season One soon to be on-sale with Season Two soon to follow. Should I have paid more than the going rate for a new release feature film just to see this commercial pitch? I feel less than satisfied. Perhaps if the showing had included some special commemorative gifts for the audience, maybe if they randomly gave out a few gift vouchers for the HD/DVD collection, or even just an “x” dollars off coupon–something–perhaps I would have felt like I had made a better investment. If a similar
future presentation arises, I will probably skip it. The choice is yours…