Getting the original back in theaters - an idea...

[Gemini1999]

Hey all -

I know that in 2013 Battlestar Galactica is going to be the the 35th anniversary for the original series. That seems like quite a long ways away, doesn't it? What about the 35th anniversary for the film release? Didn't that come out in the states during the summer of 1979? That would make the summer of 2012 the 35th anniversary of the US film release...

I was watching AMC last week and they were screening E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and a couple of other early 80's films as part of a 30th anniversary retrospective. They obviously weren't broadcasting the films on the exact anniversary date, but that got me thinking.

We'd all like to see the original Battlestar Galactica up on the big screen, right? Since the current film project seems to be mired in development hell at Universal, why not make some sort of effort to get the original film release into theaters as a limited release screening. I know that it was shown at a local theater for Galacticon 2003 convention and as part of a Cinematheque retrospective (I think) a handful of years ago.

I remember a few years ago, I saw the two part ST TOS TV version of "The Cage" in a theater courtesy of Fathom Events. It was just for a couple of days and the ticket prices were at a premium, but the screenings were sold out. Fathom Events are always having limited release screenings of all kinds of performances, etc.

I don't know how it could be done, or even if it could be done because of the film licensing issues, but does anyone have any ideas on how this might be managed, or even proposed to the right people.

I know that it probably stands a snowballs chance in Hades, but I'd love to hear your ideas.

Regards,
Bryan

[137th Gebirg]

^^^ It could work, but from a marketing POV, it might need a face-lift to give it some "bang" for 21st century audiences. Dare I say, maybe even a "3D" treatment ? It will need to do something to overcome the undeserved "cheese factor" that it has earned over the years in order to mitigate any perceived negativity. Blowing the dust off the film and putting it into projectors without a refresh treatment won't sell it. It would be fine for the hard-core fans such as ourselves but, since the primary goal of any studio is to make money, the only way I see doing it without putting the money into a continuation would be to remaster it, in the same way that TOS Trek has done and what they're about to do with TNG. Arguably one of BSG's greatest weaknesses was its reliance on repetative outer-space footage. That MUST be done away with if it has any hope of succeeding. Others have shown fan-made attempts at upgrading the visual effects. It wouldn't take much to fix up the production values a little bit. The music has always been one of its greatest strengths and the story and characters can still hold up. Just a little more eye-candy would suffice for the more shallow of movie-goers.

[Gemini1999]

Point well taken...

When I saw the two part "Court Maritial" Trek episode, it was not the CGI enhanced version, which has elements even older than the original Battlestar Galactica does. People still paid money to see it and filled up every seat in the local theater I went to. I'm only proposing a very short limited release (one or two days) that Fathom is well known for.

What you're proposing would take time, money and someone's effort to craft up. Universal isn't going to create a special film release on the hopes they might take in a boatload of cash over it. I don't really know what kind of expectations Fathom has for those limited release events, but I doubt that it's to get a take of tens of millions for a day or two.

I'm thinking along the lines of just putting something out there for fans of the original as it was originally shown. As for those that thinks it needs tarting up in order for it to be palatable, they don't have to go see it if they're not so inclined.

[137th Gebirg]

Gotcha. I guess I overlooked the original statement regarding the Fathom event and was looking more towards a more wide-spread mainstream release, possibly used as a vehicle to drum up interest in a continuation or possibly re-mastering the entire series.

If your target audience is a small-spectrum fan base then, no, you obviously wouldn't need that kind of upgrade treatment as everyone in the audience pretty much knows what to expect and you could get some pretty decent ticket sales.

A cool thing that maybe could be done in that kind of venue is a reproduction of the original "Sensurround" concept. In this day and age of THX/surround-sound mastering, one could make an argument to invest in some portable sub-woofers attached underneath each seat to give a new face to the old novelty. I know it may seem silly at first glance, but I think it has a shot of adding to the more mundane experience.

[Senmut]

Originally Posted by Gemini1999

When I saw the two part "Court Maritial" Trek episode,

Court Martial was a two-parter???

[137th Gebirg]

Are you sure it wasn't The Menagerie? That's a two-parter (based on The Cage original pilot) that has a court martial scene in it.

[Gemini1999]

Originally Posted by 137th Gebirg

Are you sure it wasn't The Menagerie? That's a two-parter (based on The Cage original pilot) that has a court martial scene in it.

Sigh...

You're right - I used to know TOS Trek episode titles so well. I'm getting old. So old in fact, that my math on a 35th anniversary for the film release - which actually won't be until 2014.

I'm just too old and stupid to live...

[peter noble]

Actually, you are correct, as this snippet penned by John Larocque for kobol.com attests:

Universal purchased 80 prints of film to run across Canada, and ran in more theaters than big films like Jaws, which had between 50 and 60 prints of film. Opening on July 7, 1978, the theatrical release did very well, a typical run lasting six weeks. Universal's aggressive marketing and Galactica's appeal paid off, in this and subsequent theatrical releases

[Charybdis]

OK, well the film was released in the summer of 1978 which would put it on track for 2013 for the 35th anniversary...

[Benedict]

Any chance to see it on the big screen, I'd jump for.