Ask questions to The Digital Bits team (Bill Hunt, Jeff Kleist et.al.)

[Knight-Errant]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

Unfortunately, they were done at 480.

Oh dear oh dear. Yep I see that's a problem.

That's pretty amazing. Well when it does get reconstructed it'll hopefully be a thorough restoration job so that should be great.

[Jeff Kleist]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

Were all the printmasters for Star Trek 2 destroyed?!

Fathom events does their stuff by satellite broadcast, and promotes their shows heavily before movies. It ends up being the same a a digital version. They have contracts with the movie theaters to show their stuff

Similar stuff has been done for Nightmare on Elm St and WarGames.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Fathom events does their stuff by satellite broadcast, and promotes their shows heavily before movies. It ends up being the same a a digital version. They have contracts with the movie theaters to show their stuff

Right- which is exactly why I don't understand your comment about it being "too late". Unless the DI of the Star Trek 2 remaster has disappeared or all commercial movie theatres are going to close in less than a few months, I don't understand where any deadline comes from.

[scrumptious]

In general if there is a blu-ray of a film released in a different country, does that make a release in the U.S. sooner to come? Couldn't they build off of the work in terms of encoding done in the other country?

Bill or Jeff, do you have any insight into when The Illusionist will see a U.S. release?

[Jeff Kleist]

I doubt anything that isn't a new release from Yari like Illusionist or Find me Guilty will get a Blu release any time soon. Fox distributes them, but Yari would have to pony up for the disc

Right- which is exactly why I don't understand your comment about it being "too late". Unless the DI of the Star Trek 2 remaster has disappeared or all commercial movie theatres are going to close in less than a few months, I don't understand where any deadline comes from.

Satellite time must be booked, and the event promoted. There simply isn't enough advance notice for something like this, they're all done months in advance

[Neftoon]

Hi,
Just thought I would jump in and say that having seen the new Trek movie in Sydney on Tuesday, my dad, who is 65, said afterwards "That's going to look fantastic on Blu-ray", The movie is good I just hope paramount go all out on the blu-ray.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

If I'd been at that Austin screening, after JJTrek I would have absolutely *****ed about there being no Khan

Yes, but that's you... who take personal offense to any remade version of something you loved as a kid.

I personally can't wait to see the new film. Trusted friends who have seen it - and who were skeptical original Trekkers - have liked it a lot more than they expected to. Though I agree, they should do a theatrical screening run of the remastered Trek II.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Knight-Errant

When you say rebuild, Bill, I assume the new effects for The Motion Picture Director's Edition were done at the same resolution as the rest of the film?

Is it just the transfer that needs to be rebuilt?

Here's the thing - the theatrical film footage itself can be transferred in 1080 resolution. Problem is, the Director's Cut effects weren't EVER on film, but were rendered as CG effects after the fact. Unfortunately, nobody was thinking about high-def at the time, so to save money they were only rendered at DVD resolution - 480p. In order for this version of the film to be released on Blu-ray Disc, these effects have to be completely re-rendered at 1080 resolution (probably it would make sense to go even higher to allow for future theatrical projection). And that means more time and money.

[Bill Hunt]

Originally Posted by Neftoon

Hi,
Just thought I would jump in and say that having seen the new Trek movie in Sydney on Tuesday, my dad, who is 65, said afterwards "That's going to look fantastic on Blu-ray", The movie is good I just hope paramount go all out on the blu-ray.

Rest assured, Paramount will ABSOLUTELY go all out on the Blu-ray, in the same way they did for Transformers and Iron Man. This Trek franchise relaunch is a big deal for the studio.

[Neftoon]

that's good to hear, i'm looking forward to seeing what they have planned, personally i'm hoping for both a cast commentary plus a writers/director commentary. Also looking forward to seeing how the original films look, especially wrath of khan.

[Jeff Kleist]

Yes, but that's you... who take personal offense to any remade version of something you loved as a kid.

How does that change the fact that they were promised remastered Khan which was not delivered ?

There's a difference between remake, and screwing willy nilly for nothing more than taking someone else's creative property to mold as you please

Doctor Who- Continuation-good
ST:TNG- Continuation- good
That space show on Sci-fi that stole Battlestar Galactica's proper nouns- bad

A few years ago there was that Peter Pan movie, which the creators said was "the most faithful to the book ever". Man was I excited, and then I get there and they completely screw the Tiger Lilly scene, and directly violate the "adults can't fly" hard and fast rule that is centerpiece to the entire story, and have Peter and Hook Dragonball Z it up.

On the other hand, the "Where the Wild Things Are" movie has me amazingly excited, especially knowing that Maurice Sendak was directly involved in keeping the 2 hour version faithful to his creative desires.

On Star Trek, I think my complaints will be nothing compared to Rob Burnett's

Suffice to say that

[Show spoiler]Blowing up Vulcan

is a pretty big thing, since it makes some of the most classic episodes of all the series impossible to have actually happened.

Screaming "alternate universe" isn't an excuse, that's just lazy writing and a stated desire to do whatever they want regardless of what came before
If the writers weren't lazy, they would say "how can we use what came before to our advantage, and lay the seeds?" Enterprise is an example of doing that in the laziest way "Well, we want to do a Borg/Ferengi/whatever ep, but there are no borg yet. Let's just not use the names"

Easy simple things to get right they get wrong. The Enterprise was constructed at San Francisco shipyards, and I now know 100% there's absolutely no reason it was moved to bloody Iowa. They changed the design for no reason other than to change it, (they said "it works better with real world physics" and then built it in a gravity well, where real-world physics says it falls to pieces), all so they can get the shot of Kirk watching it being built. Easy solution to stay in continuity- Ship is built in Earth orbit at the San Francisco orbital shipyard (in geosync above SF), a ship that large would be easy for Kirk to see with the naked eye, and even Luke Skywalker himself a good peek with binoculars. Problem solved, continuity intact. Everyone is happy

At least JJ didn't make Kirk into a celibate lesbian, so he's still up on Ron Moore

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Satellite time must be booked, and the event promoted. There simply isn't enough advance notice for something like this, they're all done months in advance

Right, so that's exactly what they could do- plan it months in advance, just like they always do. Where's the disconnect? With any luck, our eyes and ears will still be working in a few months.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

screwing willy nilly for nothing more than taking someone else's creative property to mold as you please

Wait... taking someone's story and using it to create a new and different story?!

[Jeff Kleist]

Right, so that's exactly what they could do- plan it months in advance, just like they always do. Where's the disconnect? With any luck, our eyes and ears will still be working in a few months.

Because the time where this would be done is now, when the repromote is happening. That's the only time they'd do something like that, because they can use the video/new film's promotional budget to pay for it.

Wait... taking someone's story and using it to create a new and different story?!

And calling it the thing it is not, yes

There are some extreme examples I can give of re-imagining, which boil down to- You can't say one story is sacred and not consider all of the them to be the same. Explore what might come after, explore what might have come before, but don't undo what is already done and laid down in stone, and don't steal the proper nouns and put out something under the same name that is definitively not

Verhovan's Starship troopers contains 2 half scenes from the book, the proper nouns, and spends most of its time mocking Robert Heinlein's belief systems, however wrong one may feel they may have been in practice. It literally steals more from the anime version than it does from the actual book. (football game, prom). So why call it Starship Troopers?

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Because the time where this would be done is now, when the repromote is happening. That's the only time they'd do something like that, because they can use the video/new film's promotional budget to pay for it.

Ok, I gotcha. Still, I'm quite sure there will be further Star Trek-related cross-promotional opportunities in the future.

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

And calling it the thing it is not, yes

We've done this before, so I don't want to go on with it, but for me, the bottom line is the question of where you draw the line and who is allowed to draw it. The way I see it, there are really only two options: you can either let someone make new material with the property or you can say "No more." If you do the former, you have to give them the opportunity to do with it what they are passionate about. Otherwise, what's the point and why bother?

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Verhovan's Starship troopers contains 2 half scenes from the book, the proper nouns, and spends most of its time mocking Robert Heinlein's belief systems, however wrong one may feel they may have been in practice. It literally steals more from the anime version than it does from the actual book. (football game, prom). So why call it Starship Troopers?

True dat. My personal fave pet-hate example is the Minority Report movie which argues the literal opposite of the philosophy so eloquently put forth by the original story.

[Jeff Kleist]

We've done this before, so I don't want to go on with it, but for me, the bottom line is the question of where you draw the line and who is allowed to draw it. The way I see it, there are really only two options: you can either let someone make new material with the property or you can say "No more." If you do the former, you have to give them the opportunity to do with it what they are passionate about. Otherwise, what's the point and why bother?

Find people who are passionate about getting it right. Bryan Singer, Zach Snyder, Peter Jackson (Osgiliath and Faramir aside, and making allowances for time compression requirements so that it doesn't take 3 movies to get to Rivendell). If you can't be passionate about the existing property, then you shouldn't be working on it. Making NEW MATERIAL is a good thing. Making new material that replaces or contradicts the old is where the rub lies.

For example, I'm intrigued about what they've talked about with Nightmare on Elm St., assuming Wes Craven likes it (I only consider 1,3 and 7 really valid for continuity, since those are the ones he was involved with, and with the exception of 4 the ones that weren't terrible ). They want to float that Freddy was framed, and that he only gave in to evil because he was so wronged. It's an interesting concept if done right. Heck, Wes Craven did his own completely alternate take with New Nightmare, using the situations from Elm St to tell a completely new and related story in the real world

[Xorp]

Sorry to sound like an ass, but is The Digital Bits ever going to go Web 2.0? It's 1998 look really sucks to navigate.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Xorp

Sorry to sound like an ass, but is The Digital Bits ever going to go Web 2.0? It's 1998 look really sucks to navigate.

Can you be more specific? I don't find this interface to be wanting at all.

[spartanstew]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

Can you be more specific? I don't find this interface to be wanting at all.

This isn't Digital Bits.

[neo_reloaded]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

Find people who are passionate about getting it right. Bryan Singer, Zach Snyder, Peter Jackson (Osgiliath and Faramir aside, and making allowances for time compression requirements so that it doesn't take 3 movies to get to Rivendell). If you can't be passionate about the existing property, then you shouldn't be working on it. Making NEW MATERIAL is a good thing. Making new material that replaces or contradicts the old is where the rub lies.

Just because you disagree with where he's taking the series doesn't mean J.J. Abrams isn't passionate about it, or is wrong. Being 100% faithful to the original doesn't mean he has any more or less respect for the material.

Popular things being remade and reimagined is just part of life. They influence people, they permeate people's lives, they invoke passion, etc. etc. Once you put it out there, people are going to do what they want with it - both on an unofficial level, and an official one if the license is acquirable. It doesn't invalidate the old material you loved, it's just something new to give a chance. And maybe it will get a new audience to try the original versions, and help extend the legacy.

I'm honestly much more excited when people have radical ideas for remakes/reboots. Watching a remake that is just the original redone, or just an incremental step over the original isn't that great. What's the point? Where's the creativity in that? A fresh take on characters and settings and stories you love can be exciting. And if you don't like it? Well there's still the original - it doesn't get lost in the process or anything.

Take The Dark Knight. Super different take on the material than the 50s Batman or the Burton Batman. Sure there are comics it is closely tied to, but those comics are themselves interesting takes on the original comics. Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead - different from Romero's, and lacking a lot of the story nuance, but still a solid setting/plot, and very visually creative and dynamic. Casino Royale - very different from past Bond films, rebooted and used the original Flemming story with a modern twist and a very different Bond from what we were used to.

Or take Point of No Return - terribly bland remake of Nikita. Same story, almost identical on a scene to scene basis, and lacking the great settings, soundtrack, acting, and directing of the original. Nothing new. Terminator 3 - completely uncreative sequel, only bit of "innovation" was a female terminator... Or the Texas Chain Saw reboot - same concept, nothing new, watered down with a teen cast - again, what's the point.

Same with music in my opinion. Bear McCreary covering Dylan's All Along The Watchtower in a unique tribal / metal style? Awesome. Punk bands covering other punk bands on those compilations that come out every year? Lame - they sound almost identical to the original song. Those same punk bands covering pop or classic songs? Interesting again.

I mean, this is obviously all just my opinion, and I'm not trying to take you to task over anything. But there are people who are passionate about these kinds of remakes.