Here's a fun photo-montage poster from the original Battlestar Galactica I web-stumbled upon recently. I bet one or two of you Star Kids had this hanging on your bedroom wall....
See the Cylon in the lower left pic on that poster? They made a full-sized poster using that pic; I not only had the Cylon poster, I had it hanging on my wall, and I might actually STILL have it in storage (assuming it didn't get ruined over the years during moves, leaky garage roofs and a flood). Granted, by the time I removed it from my wall all those years ago, the corners were a bit frayed from thumbtack holes, and slightly discolored from later use of that tacky stuff that was supposed to be better than tape (but petrified to the walls once it hardened and left oil spots on both the poster & the wall). It's funny how hard it was to find pictures of the actual Galactica herself back then. There were always (to my perception) pics of the characters and the Vipers, occassionally a Cylon Raider, but for the most part, the Big G was hard to come by. The most notable exception was the 'Rag-tag Fleet' jigsaw puzzle, which featured the battlestar TWICE in one photo! (I had originally thought one was supposed to be the Pegasus, til I put the puzzle together and saw that both battlestars were the Galactica.) Anyway, what memories! CR
Neat poster. I wondered if you've ever heard if the original BSG series would ever be remastered into widescreen format (can that do that?) or if they've slated a blu-ray release?
El Vox - I doubt that it would be cost-effective for Universal to go to the expense of remastering the original Battlestar Galactica for HD... but never say never.
If they did, though, I certainly wouldn't want them to alter the aspect ratio. It would be vastly preferable to maintain the 1.33:1 "standard" frame as Paramount did with the HD Star Treks and A&E/Network did with the Space: 1999 Blu-Rays.
The show would look terrible in Blu-Ray. If you watch the normal prints now on big screen, the matting of the space shots are terrible and always disppointing to watch.
What folks don't seem to remember is that this project was made specifically for television (despite the movie showings to recoup studio expenditures and gain fan following). Having watched the original movie on a 50" flatscreen, the models themselves look great, but most of the space effects shots look cheap (you can see the blue tints behind where the ships are superimposed moving). When you get to the 2-part Cain episode, it's hard to watch, you become painfully aware the effects were made for the small screen, and they don't transfer well to the huge screens we have now.
LOVE the ideas, but the quality of how the effects were originally shot would make the efforts pointless (other than to squeeze more revenues from collectors).
I was just watching Freaks and Geeks on Netflix recently and saw the Cylon poster that CR mentioned in one of the character's bedroom. it was very prominent in the scene. It was great to see OBSG being represented even in the 1981 era. I think the Starbuck pic in the lower left was also a poster or at least a puzzle.
I'm just glad we got the series with all the great extras on DVD. I Even Galactica 1980, sans the extras though.
Did anyone else send away for the BSG Space Station Kit from 1978 from General Mills? I came across pictures of the kit while writing this, made me laugh. Still have bits of it around.
On YouTube there is an awesome video of the sfx (always preferred that to spfx) guys from ILM, then Apogee, at the old Van Nuys warehouse location working on the first BSG episodes shot before Universal Hartland took over. You even see John Dykstra's desk with his Star Wars Oscar(seen on a BSG trading card). The film was shot by Dave Berry and features Dykstra's crew working on the fx for "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero", even the gun itself. You see many fx greats all having fun while working. The film ends with some great silliness where they use a backdrop and stand, even a fan for that wind blown effect, to shoot everyone flying through space, check out Steve Gawley's Spidey suit. I wonder if anyone ever did anything more with the footage. Search it out under - Behind the scenes of Battlestar Galactica 1978.
I really like your site, many of your stories mirror some of my own. Oh, how i wanted that Space 1999 Eagle playset I saw in a catalog back in '76 even though I didn't watch the show as i was just getting into Trek at the time. I loved UFO and could appreciate Space especially the ships, but just didn't get into it at the time. Silly playground rivalries between Trek, Space and Lost in Space caused a lot of that too.
I had this poster too. And the one that anonymous refers to with just the cylon. I think there was a third one as well. Probably got them all at Kmart. No Target or Walmart then. But could have got them at National Record Mart in our local mall too. I think I had these up with my black and white Star Trek crew poster and my Jaclyn Smith poster.
I discovered your blog today in a search for The Day after tomorrow TV pilot which I just stumbled upon. Thanks so much for this blog. I look forward to exploring it in detail.
Holy crap, I had that poster! I didn't hang it up though, those singers with the four eyes and two mouths freaked me out too much.
ReplyDeleteGreat poster, though the choice of pictures is puzzling. There's 3 pics of Starbuck but not one of Apollo?
ReplyDeleteSee the Cylon in the lower left pic on that poster? They made a full-sized poster using that pic; I not only had the Cylon poster, I had it hanging on my wall, and I might actually STILL have it in storage (assuming it didn't get ruined over the years during moves, leaky garage roofs and a flood). Granted, by the time I removed it from my wall all those years ago, the corners were a bit frayed from thumbtack holes, and slightly discolored from later use of that tacky stuff that was supposed to be better than tape (but petrified to the walls once it hardened and left oil spots on both the poster & the wall).
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how hard it was to find pictures of the actual Galactica herself back then. There were always (to my perception) pics of the characters and the Vipers, occassionally a Cylon Raider, but for the most part, the Big G was hard to come by. The most notable exception was the 'Rag-tag Fleet' jigsaw puzzle, which featured the battlestar TWICE in one photo! (I had originally thought one was supposed to be the Pegasus, til I put the puzzle together and saw that both battlestars were the Galactica.)
Anyway, what memories!
CR
Neat poster. I wondered if you've ever heard if the original BSG series would ever be remastered into widescreen format (can that do that?) or if they've slated a blu-ray release?
ReplyDeleteEl Vox - I doubt that it would be cost-effective for Universal to go to the expense of remastering the original Battlestar Galactica for HD... but never say never.
ReplyDeleteIf they did, though, I certainly wouldn't want them to alter the aspect ratio. It would be vastly preferable to maintain the 1.33:1 "standard" frame as Paramount did with the HD Star Treks and A&E/Network did with the Space: 1999 Blu-Rays.
I hope one day we get the Original ABC Battlestar Galactica 1978-79 on Blu Ray
ReplyDeleteI doubt Universal would find it financially feasible to remaster the entire series in HD.
ReplyDeleteThe show would look terrible in Blu-Ray. If you watch the normal prints now on big screen, the matting of the space shots are terrible and always disppointing to watch.
ReplyDeleteWhat folks don't seem to remember is that this project was made specifically for television (despite the movie showings to recoup studio expenditures and gain fan following). Having watched the original movie on a 50" flatscreen, the models themselves look great, but most of the space effects shots look cheap (you can see the blue tints behind where the ships are superimposed moving). When you get to the 2-part Cain episode, it's hard to watch, you become painfully aware the effects were made for the small screen, and they don't transfer well to the huge screens we have now.
LOVE the ideas, but the quality of how the effects were originally shot would make the efforts pointless (other than to squeeze more revenues from collectors).
I was just watching Freaks and Geeks on Netflix recently and saw the Cylon poster that CR mentioned in one of the character's bedroom. it was very prominent in the scene. It was great to see OBSG being represented even in the 1981 era. I think the Starbuck pic in the lower left was also a poster or at least a puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI'm just glad we got the series with all the great extras on DVD. I Even Galactica 1980, sans the extras though.
Did anyone else send away for the BSG Space Station Kit from 1978 from General Mills? I came across pictures of the kit while writing this, made me laugh. Still have bits of it around.
On YouTube there is an awesome video of the sfx (always preferred that to spfx) guys from ILM, then Apogee, at the old Van Nuys warehouse location working on the first BSG episodes shot before Universal Hartland took over. You even see John Dykstra's desk with his Star Wars Oscar(seen on a BSG trading card). The film was shot by Dave Berry and features Dykstra's crew working on the fx for "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero", even the gun itself. You see many fx greats all having fun while working. The film ends with some great silliness where they use a backdrop and stand, even a fan for that wind blown effect, to shoot everyone flying through space, check out Steve Gawley's Spidey suit. I wonder if anyone ever did anything more with the footage. Search it out under - Behind the scenes of Battlestar Galactica 1978.
I really like your site, many of your stories mirror some of my own. Oh, how i wanted that Space 1999 Eagle playset I saw in a catalog back in '76 even though I didn't watch the show as i was just getting into Trek at the time. I loved UFO and could appreciate Space especially the ships, but just didn't get into it at the time. Silly playground rivalries between Trek, Space and Lost in Space caused a lot of that too.
Now to go look for my Tricorder/tape recorder.
Rory O'Toole
I had this poster too. And the one that anonymous refers to with just the cylon. I think there was a third one as well. Probably got them all at Kmart. No Target or Walmart then. But could have got them at National Record Mart in our local mall too. I think I had these up with my black and white Star Trek crew poster and my Jaclyn Smith poster.
ReplyDeleteI discovered your blog today in a search for The Day after tomorrow TV pilot which I just stumbled upon. Thanks so much for this blog. I look forward to exploring it in detail.
Ernie