Star Trek: TNG on the Big Screen

Fathom Events is hosting another Star Trek big screen event.

A few years ago, to promote Star Trek on Blu, they has a big screen showing of the two part episode The Menagerie. Now, with The Next Generation season one coming out on Blu, they are doing a big screen showing of two first season episodes: Datalore and Where No One Has Gone Before.

http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/startrektng.aspx

I have no intention of getting the Blu-ray collections of Next Generation, but I'll be at the theater for this. Bought my tickets a while ago. I'll be there, as close to the center of the theater as I can, popcorn in hand.

Just wanted to give a heads up to any Trek fans who might be interested.

Was TNG shot on film? It certnaily wasn't broadcast in hi-def. Will they have to redo all of the effects to convert it to bluray? Anyone know anything about the process used for this conversion? I might just be convinced to purchase if it has great features and the conversion is really something special.

See everybody! I don't REALLY hate Star Trek. Much as I think Farscape and Battlestar make Star Trek tv a sterilized snooze-fest by comparison, I've still got the heart of a trek fan beating within me!

Yes, TNG was shot on film. The transfer to video was not HD.

Unlike the original series, though, this was less about redoing the FX and more about restoring. The model work was mostly left. Part of the big screen event will be -- from what I understand -- snippets of behind the scenes for this restoration. The Blu-ray sets themselves will include extensive documentaries about the subject.

Happen to know if the restoration is from the film, or from the broadcast video?

Hopefully this isn't incredibly overpriced like the DVDs were.

Either way, I wish they would of picked some decent episodes to show (admittedly that's hard to do with the first season IMO), although I do have fondish memories of Datalore.

Yes, it's first season, so the pickings are pretty limited. My guess is that Datalore is a fan favorite, while Where No One Has Gone Before shows off some of the restored effects?

I remember when this season was unfolding on my TV in real time, from week to week, I loved it. I realize now part of that love was because there was nothing else. For season 1, there are very few episodes I would watch again by choice.

From an interview with Mike Okuda -- this might explain some of the process of what was going on:

Mike Okuda: The original series was shot and edited on film so the completed episodes existed on film so all – not that it is that easy – but all they had to do is scan the film, do the restoration and then do the visual effects. For The Next Generation they had to go back to the original camera negative and rescan it all and reassemble it all by recreating the original edits. They had to do quite a bit of detective work because even though Paramount did a wonderful job of archiving there were always pieces where they had to hunt them down. Then they had recreate the visual effects and in many ways it was more demanding because, unlike with the original series, the mandate was to match the original shot as close as possible – just making it clearer, sharper and better. And as anyone from CBS digital would tell you, this was a huge huge task.

Thanks for the info. Gotta admit, hearing these details is making me very curious to see what the final product looks like. Not sure if I'll end up purchasing, but I'm feeling the first internal twists of temptation!

It is showing tonight!

Anyone else going?

Dry as these first season TNG episodes might be, I'm looking forward to it . . .

So the Star Trek: TNG theater event last night was cool. If I had a Blu-Ray and a hi-def TV instead of a tube TV that was given to us a few years ago and a Playstation, I'd be tempted to buy the second season of TNG when it comes out. The remastering is GORGEOUS! But no amount of remastering can make the first season less dry and more engaging.

But it WAS a much better experience than the LAST time I saw the Next Generation crew on the big screen!!!

Now just show some actual good episodes and they'll be all set!
When "Datalore" is your story showpiece, you need better material. Give me "Brothers" anyday!