ALL SCI-FI

Brent Gair · Mission Specialist Joined: 21 Nov 2014 Posts: 465

Though still lacking an official announcement, the Blu-ray release is now up for pre-order on Foxconnect so that's pretty official:

http://www.foxconnect.com/lost-in-space-complete-series.html

Synopsis

Now on Blu-ray for the first time in this Complete Series Collection, bring home the timeless journey of Irwin Allen's LOST IN SPACE! Follow the heart-racing, cliff-hanging adventures of John Robinson and his family aboard the Jupiter 2, along with Robot B-9 and the delightfully devious Dr. Zachary Smith. This massive 18-disc set contains all 84 episodes remastered in high definition, and over 6 hours of exciting extras with recently discovered content you won't find anywhere else in the galaxy. It's out-of-this-world fun for everyone!
DISC INFORMATION

~ ALL 83 EPISODES — FULLY REMASTERED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CRYSTAL CLEAR HI-DEF!

~ OVER 6-HOURS OF BONUS FEATURES:

~ Including NEVER-BEFORE-RELEASED EXTRAS!

o 50th Anniversary Interviews with the Original Series Cast

o LOST IN SPACE: THE EPILOGUE — Original Cast Table Read of Bill Mumy's (Will Robinson) 1980 Unproduced Epilogue

o Vintage Versions of 6 Episodes AS SEEN ON AIR in the 1960's with Original TV Commercials and Bumpers

o 1973 Animated Special

o 20th Anniversary Audio Interview with Lost in Space Creator Irwin Allen

~ PLUS!

o 2 Full-Length Lost in Space Documentaries

o Original Animated Series Concept Pitch Video

o Unaired Pilot Episode: "No Place to Hide"

o AND MUCH MORE!

Bud Brewster · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:16 pm Post subject:

larryfoster · Space Ranger Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 104

Lol... I never thought of that 'direction' aspect of it.
_________________
Tired of waiting on NASA to adopt Flying Saucer technology! Sick of human political-representative government! I want 1970: COLOSSUS (The Forbin Project) A.I. - as World Control government! Providing flying saucer tech, "For the betterment of man."

Brent Gair · Mission Specialist Joined: 21 Nov 2014 Posts: 465

Officially from Fox. September 15.

PumamanRedux · Planetary Explorer Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 48

I didn't want to put my own take on the release of LiS bluray here [I put the same info above in the off topic section of this board so as not to clutter up the LiS thread] but I'll put this bit here and add additional info to Brent Gair's infographic posted in his post above me

This set has a $199.99 price tag BUT between 4/3 - 4/5/2015 the pre order price will be $99.99 if you order via http://www.foxconnect.com/wondercon

Bud Brewster · Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 8:20 pm Post subject:

PumamanRedux · Planetary Explorer Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 48

its fine Bud ...

I hope someone here will make use of the info Brent and I put forth

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:31 am Post subject:

I definitely will. BUT I hope it's not the messed-up version that Bob Burns was working on. (Cropped, color altered, etc.)
_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

PumamanRedux · Planetary Explorer Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 48

There is a Kevin Burns attached to this project

PumamanRedux · Planetary Explorer Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 48

per http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lost-Space-Blu-rays-Planned/20859

"We'd also like to touch on one other thing today. In our previous report about this, we passed along extensive word from Lex Kennedy's post at the "Lost in Space TV Series Remastered Petition" Facebook page, about technical details of how this release is going to look. Certain phrases in this seem to have caught the eyes of our readers: "The entire series has been beautifully remastered from the original 35mm film elements...The series is being presented in its original broadcast aspect ratio of 4:3, no CGI special effects have been added, and the first season has not been altered from the original black and white. Downloadable 16:9 versions will be available."

Some folks have questioned the wisdom of putting the "old" aspect ratio of 4x3 (a.k.a. 1.33:1 "square" format) on the Blu-ray Discs, and making the "current" (1.78:1 widescreen) aspect ratio of 16x9 only available via digital download (we presume UltraViolet or comparable, but nobody has said for sure). Those folks who are concerned about this say they prefer if their new widescreen HDTVs get "fully" used, instead of being "pillarboxed" (i.e., blank areas on the sides where the square-shaped 4x3 image doesn't get used). In the current world of widescreen TVs, "widescreen" is now "full frame" (remember how "full frame" used to mean "square," because widescreen would leave blank areas top and bottom?...my, how times have changed!).

Below we would like to pass along an almost-7-minute YouTube video from September 2013, the "Lost in Space HD Restoration Test" posted by Synthesis Entertainment. In it you see the level of restoration done, and how detailed the image is when shown in HD (high definition). As you'll see, it looks great whether the image is 4x3 or 16x9. The problem, you'll note in the test video, is that for the 16x9 widescreen image you get a tiny bit of extra image on the sides, but more importantly a chunk of the image is cut off from the top and bottom of the frame (a technique some in the industry jokingly refer to as "chop and crop"). Anything important in the image that takes place at the extreme top or extreme bottom of the frame for the original aspect ratio of 4x3, would simply be lost because of the conversion to widescreen 16x9. In one scene in the test video (1 minute 50 seconds in), "Maureen" (June Lockhart) mentions cookies and milk for the kids...but when the aspect ratio shifts to 16x9, the milk can no longer be seen! Only the bare tops of the milk glasses.

So, even though a bit of your TV's screen isn't going to get used when the Original 4x3 image is shown on the Blu-ray, be comforted by knowing that you're seeing ALL of the picture, and not losing anything by a conversion to widescreen. And most TVs will let you stretch that image, if you really prefer. The vast majority of our readers, we're happy to say, are VERY glad to hear that the original aspect ratio (OAR) of the show is being preserved (as it has been with other releases of vintage TV shows on Blu-ray Disc). Many of them say, "No OAR = No Sale"...and we can understand that completely!"

Test for restoration and remastering project of all 80 plus hours of Lost in Space television series. Transfer of original 35mm film elements to HDCamSR performed by Illuminate in Burbank, CA. Digital audio restoration from original magnetic sound elements performed by Sound Services, inc., Los Angeles, CA. (Be sure to set to Full Screen and 1080P when viewing it for full effect!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b61MAqktMc

Brent Gair · Mission Specialist Joined: 21 Nov 2014 Posts: 465

On Bluray.com, I wrote a brief synopsis of Kevin Burns involvement with the project. That synopsis has been copied word-for-word and shown up (uncredited) on various websites...which is perfectly Ok because I figure when you post things on the net, they are meant for mass public consumption. This is what I said:

"Most people don't realize that Fox actually let their home video distribution rights lapse for Lost in Space and other Irwin Allen properties almost 15 years ago. The rights to Lost in Space reverted to a series of partners.

Kevin Burns and Jon Jasni formed Synthesis Entertainment for the express purpose of bringing the partners together and promoting the Irwin Allen properties. Kevin Burns is a huge Lost in Space fan but he is also an active TV producer and is well versed in the technical aspects of home video. Synthesis shopped the Allen properties around to various other companies but eventually came back to a deal with Fox. So Lost in Space was lost for awhile but eventually found it's way home."

When you see those words credited to someone else, just remember I wrote them.

I will further add that Kevin Burns is a lifelong Lost in Space fan and is credited with saving the original B9 robot. He is very close with the entire cast of the show and often uses Bill Mumy on his projects. He produces a lot of reality and short documentary programs that you see on A&E, History or Discovery...many episodes of BIOGRAPHY and THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND for example. On some of these shows, you'll hear Bill Mumy doing the narration.

He did the first digital transfer of Lost in Space to VHS for Fox. His Fox VHS transfers are (until the Blu-ray) are still the best Lost in Space transfers in existence (better than the DVDs).

PumamanRedux · Planetary Explorer Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 48

For better or worse I [or rather my sig other did] ordered the set Smile

FYI: Fox will take the money off your credit / debit card to see if you have the money then put it back and then take the money out again in September ... standard procedure for pre orders

Brent Gair · Mission Specialist Joined: 21 Nov 2014 Posts: 465

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:46 am Post subject:

_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common

Robert (Butch) Day · Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 7:29 am Post subject:

The only two-part episode, The Keeper, had an interesting set-piece seen in the distance in this matte painting (look at the center bottom of the ship):

and in close-up:

It was used in The Time Tunnel as the entrance to the "free-fall" elevator:

and the ramp is actually the Chariot ramp of the Gemini XII (the ship's name in the unaired pilot) that was used in the failed pilot The Man From The 25th Century:

_

BONUS!!!

A rare color shot of the Keeper:

Doctor Smith's alternate tunic used in only a few of the 1st season episodes:

From War Of The Robots:

Here is a colorized publicity still that shows what it would have looked like. (You can tell it's colorized by looking at Robby. His gyroscopes in the 'head' are NOT colorized!):

_________________
Common Sense ISN'T Common