TNG Movie Night S3: Sights, sounds & tales from L.A. to E.P.

We'll keep collecting anecdotes here, but it's safe to say Thursday night's "Best of Both Worlds" TNG Bluray movie night from CBS and Fathom Events was easily the biggest Trek blowout event in this series. And kudos to TrekRadio for having podcasters and others (like moi) call in from theaters around the country for a little live flavor of Collective fun.

TREKLAND had our ticket-giveaway winners among the hordes of non-drones heading to cinemas nationwide, and Canada too. As promised here's a round-up of what we got in—including a wedding proposal, thanks to Locutus (or at least thanks to his timing of return).

Of course, the fact that the newly HD'd show in question was "The Best of Both Worlds"—and an all-new cinematic edit to boot—didn't hurt the turnout.

The fact that the flick in question not only packs its own punch, but evokes for all who were around in 1990 that long-ago innocence of witnessing a breakout hit in the process, your reward for  standing by in the lean early years... before all the movies and sequels and had-to-get-a-job worldweariness. It calls to you, back to the days when you really could obsess over the world's best cliffhanger... all. summer. long.

Which, as @SirPatStew recounts in the new documentary, applied to parents as well as kids. (And I won't spoil his story, if you haven't seen it elsewhere yet.)
 
Still, I heard that some goers were confused with that Other Star Trek Movie coming next month ...

"There were five people (looked like a family) who got up and left at the beginning as soon as the Fathom trailers finished and the documentary came on. They apparently thought they had bought tickets for the new J.J. Abrams film-—you know, the one that hasn't even come out in the U.S. yet. Pretty amusing!"—Frank Gruber, Paramus, NJ screening

"Guy came out of the theater, saw an Into Darkness poster, said to his friend: 'That's what I THOUGHT we were coming to see!'—@gregharbin (Seattle)

Unofficial ground central for TNG movie night may have been at the Century City Arclight in L.A., where goers got to hear remarks from TNG staffers and Blu-ray project consultant Mike and Denise Okuda, LeVar "Geordi" Burton, onetime TNG S3 writer Ira Steven Behr, and even Elizabeth "Shelby" Dennehy herself, plus Blu-ray doc producers Robert Meyer Burnett and Roger Lay Jr. The Westmores Michael and Michael Jr, who did the Borg electronics, were also in the house—and thanks to my Vegas Vanna, Mary "Televixen" Czerwinski, for these photos while I was "on location" in El Paso:

Listening to Ira wax historic are (from left) Rob, Roger, Denise, Mike, and LeVar ...

...plus a zinger from Elizabeth!

And friend/photog Mary snags those Westmore boys

But meanwhile, in Charleston, S.C.:

"As the director of Carolina Alliance of Star Trek Fans... last night at a local Regal theater we hosted an event. I've worked with NCM Fathom Events since Season 1 and last night was our largest attendance yet!!! We even had a couple get ENGAGEd!"—Erika Y. Figueroa

Our ticket winner in Philly sent this:

"I attended the showing at the Rave 6 University City... It seats about 200 and was a sellout. As I waited for my friend Amy, I talked with members of the Philadelphia Star Trek Meetup Group and the Southeastern PA Nerd Herd.  I ended up missing the pre-show trivia questions and the [documentaries] and instead spent my time talking with my new friends! (Even more members of these 2 groups showed up after this photo was taken.)—Loretta Painter (in TNG T-shirt), Philadelphia

From our Cleveland-area winner, too, in North Canton:
"The theater was almost sold out, and I bought the tickets for our others there; I was going to help the less fortunate anyway."—Roger Scritchfield, Akron


We also heard from the USS Ticonderoga crew in Salt Lake City:
"We had more than the previous two showings"— @TardisCaptain_p

And the USS Atlantis in Idaho, too:

And yes, here in El Paso, where I was in town for Sun City SciFi con, the small but rowdy group at the "overflow" Tinseltown Cinemark theater stood up for my camera to yell out for TrekRadio, and then racked up a few raffle prizes from the con promoters:

Family night!: "Not a great shot, but here's me and my daughter, @ConeErica in Provo, UT"—@cone_is










We also got some thoughts from Treklanders who simply pinged me:

"Modern me got hit almost as hard in the gut as the 1990 me: Fleet graveyard scene hits me right in the feels every time. —@thejoncon, Phoenix area

"That was fun! Loads of #TNG fans, Trek t-shirts everywhere & even a few costumes. Too bad about tech issues tho."—@wetodded, San Diego

"Unfortunately, here at the Orem, UT event, nobody was in costume. Except me."—Scott Armstrong

"I wonder how many Miley Cyrus fans were disappointed last night?"—@doubleofive, Bedford, IN

"Yes [ennoyed],  but thanks to technical difficulties we lost 30 minutes of the episode #dontgotoAugustaGA —@The_Don_Burrito


"Awesome big sceen show, almost full theater, lots of fun, laughing, clapping, true ST fans." —@laura_leclair8, Revere, MA


The event has not dropped off, the numbers keep growing, and a TNG Season 4 promo night seems a sure thing—especially with that trailer for the set on view as well.  I have it on good authority that plans are well along for a repeat of this special edition and documenatry, so we'll see you in a few months back at the theater—even after that other Trek movie... and hopefully glitch free and with cheer to spare.

TNG S3 movie night is here! Share your pics and stories

Are you one of the Treklanders heading to theaters tomorrow night in drones... er, droves... to catch TNG's "The Best of Both Worlds" in HD and an all-new cinematic-length edit?

Well, you're not alone! It's become a huge night for CBS Home Entertainment and its sparkling TNG Blu-ray remastered series —with Season 3 next out on April 30, and up for pre-order now. There's also a single disc on sale of what you'll see Thursday, the specially-edited "film" of BOBW and a documentary.

Here at Trekland, do you remember what we did for the inaugural S1 movie night and the  S2 followup? Fans took pics of the evening and shared them—so let's do that again. And drop me a note about the night as well. Just use larry@larrynemecek.com, even if you post them elsewhere—and don't forget a note about your experience.

For instance, many of the theaters are sold out! So what does your crowd look like? Much less your own party group? Share, and we'll run as many as we can—along with the stories of our five Trekland ticket winners for two passes in Phoenix, Kansas City, Cleveland, Philly and Boston.

Tell me what you think of not only the night, but the feature edit—and the documentary that will be shown. Roger Lay and Rob Burnett have done another great and unvarnished job on the docs, and I just watched Season 3's full-season set where Michael Piller's stabilizing of the scripts and the upset writing staff is a highlight—and the subject of a special tribute. Any reader of my TNG Companion knows I long ago called him "the man who saved TNG," and thus perhaps all future Star Trek—and Ira Steven Behr is particularly honest about painting a complete picture of Michael. You'll want to watch ALL FOUR of the new docs when you get the S3 set right off the bat—and yes, all the DVD-era features are here as well. Plus, an all-new assembled blooper reel, too... or "gag reel," as they say in the biz.

TrekRadio has planned to have 12 movie sites nationwide covered by popular podcasters with live reports Thursday, so be listening there if you can't make it ... As for me, I'll be at the Tinseltown Theatre in El Paso with fans there, on the eve of Sun City SciFi con this weekend—and of course sharing a shot or two.

And an FYI: CBS is being modest about it, but each of these TNG movie nights truly is a promotion for each new Blu-ray set. In order to keep it that way and avoid higher costs from add-on fees to original actors and crew, any actual profit CBS makes is being donated once again to the American Red Cross. So you can even feel even better while you're rescuing Picard... and TV history.

And getting in training for that OTHER movie next month ...

Our winners and pics! TNG's movie night is Thursday

So, here they are!

For the second time, I'm excited to be able to partner with Fathom Events, CBS and Allied-THA marketing to get 10 winning fans to the next TNG Blu-ray movie event night this Thursday, April 25. It's all to mark another remastered TNG season set release in Blu-ray, of course—this time, a special re-edited "movie" version of "The Best of Both Worlds" —and that solo disc plus the regular S3 set are coming April 30.

After our first group of winners last fall, I went with an all-new group of cities—except for Boston, where I wanted to bring a little smile to the fandom end of that hard-pressed area liast week. Our other cities for the free pair of passes this round were Phoenix, Kansas City, Cleveland and Philadelphia.

All of them promise to send along pics and a note from Thursday night—as I hope all y'all will do, so we have a great round-up of costumes and crowds at Trekland as we've done in the past.

So congrats to our Treklanders who knew the answer "Admiral Hansen," with actor George Murdock having played Galactica's Dr. Salik on the original BSG, and then were lucky enough to get drawn out of the pile (with help from another TNG vet, at left)

Nathaniel Bennett, Boston 
     Roger H. Scritchfield, Cleveland
          Travis Pflanz, Kansas City
               Loretta Painter,  Philadelphia
                     and David Williams, Phoenix.

Thank you winners, and everyone who pitched in from those five markets, for taking part.

It's a festive week as the TNG event kicks off with the overwhelming favorite TNG episode seen in an all-new refined light ...  and the ramp-up for Star Trek Into Darkness bombards us with trailers, leaks, and sneekpeaks daily until its US debut May 17 ... while going up down-under already.

So send us your group shots and even the movie house, if things get Fleet Festive where you are—feel free to send us a note too—to larry@larrynemecek.com, and we'll run them as we did for S1 and S2. That goes for you too, Canada!

And if you need a reason to think about getting the new season ...

Big Bend fans: Meet us at Sun City SciFi in El Paso!

Hey, all you fan-folks  through the Rio Grande region of West Texas and southern New Mexico—

Let me remind you about a new sci-fi con in El Paso next weekend—where I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of new fan-buds myself ... and playing Mad Science to boot, for the first time since 2003!

Well, maybe more Fun than Mad... because Sun City SciFi is the latest start-up convention in El Paso—the birthplace of Gene Roddenberry— and has been nice enough to have me back out. Marina, Tony Amendola, Robin Cruz,  and a host of comics, anime and other sci-fi guests are there too ...

I'll be in El Paso a day early for Thursday, the night of the nationwide TNG "Best of Both Worlds" High-Def Movie Night from CBS and Fathom Events, so come out and we'll see the show together, after a con PRE-preview at 5 p.m. at the theater.

The entire convention is at the El Paso Airport Marriott, so fans and events are all on one site for maximum fan logistical awesomeness ... and the hotel lounge has been good enough to host our next version of the "Con of Wrath" meetup/fundraiser party.

... Plus, with the Gene Roddenberry Planetarium in his birthplace town, we will stage a return of a "Trek Stars/Real Stars" astro-smackdown on Sunday!

So here's my scoop:

THURSDAY:

—TNG MOVIE NIGHT: 5 p.m. Meet/greet Trekland table, convention giveaways...7 p.m. "Best of Both Worlds" movie: Tinseltown Cinemark, 11855 Gateway West, 79936

FRIDAY:

—PREVIEW NIGHT, 6-9 p.m., Exhibitor Room: A laid-back night for weekend passholders to come by and check out all that is TREKLAND and "The Con of Wrath."


SATURDAY:

—TREKLAND'S "BETWEEEN THE CRACKS" SHOW, 12 noon, Main Stage:  Our trademark "slideshow" of Trek in-jokes, news, behind the scenes...from all 47 years of Trek. Plus our traditional audience poll start-up: do you know you own Trek profile?

—WAK-A-BLOOPER: 5 p.m., Main Stage: Can you get your snark on? Here's a new one—be in the crowd and help decide the best shout-out caption for some very offbeat Trek clips across all the series. And yes, for prizes ....courtesy Sun City Scifi!

—CON OF WRATH Meetup, El Paso Edition!: 9-11 p.m., right in the Marriott lounge: our patented BONUS off-grid road show of prize trivia, rare Trek video, and exclusive raw celeb clips from our own doc about this infamous event from heroic Trek pop culture meltdown history!

SUNDAY:

—TREK STARS/ REAL STARS, 12 noon, Main Stage: With co-guest Cory Stone, director of the Gene Roddenberry Planetarium, in which we lovingly "debate" just how many of Star Trek's real-life star homes really do work out for harboring native life—blue, furry, or otherwise. No really—we have a list and everything. The same panel I've only done twice before: at NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, AL in 2003 and at Muenster Planetarium in Germany in 1998!

 —RAPID-FIRE TREK TRIVIA, 1:30 p.m., Game Room: Better not be late! This is a half-hour of unfancy Q/As, just you (and the rest of the crowd) and me for a cool prize. If you've ever seen me do this at the Vegas Khaaann!, this is how we roll! With prizes courtesy of Sun City SCifi!


And the rest of the time... come visit at my table where I'll have the latest in Trekland goodies and gossip.

Just another week from now—I hope the Borderlands do us proud. I'll be sending EP's own pics for Thursday's TNG movie night from our trivia ticket winners and everyone else in for our Trekland photo roundup the next day, too!

Win tickets to TNG's "Best of Both Worlds Movie" night from Trekland !

UPDATE: The contest is officially closed, but it will be 3-4 hours until I start sorting entries. If you want to take the chance, I will consider entries that come in during that time, until 10 pm EDT/ 7 pm PDT.

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So here we go again!

Are you ready to shoot for a pair of free tickets to see TNG's remastered "The Best of Both Worlds—The Movie" next Thursday, April 25? At a Fathom Events theater near you?

Near you, that is, IF you live in or near Phoenix, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Cleveland ... or Boston. Those are our Big Five this time around.

Once again, I'm thrilled that Fathom and Allied-THA have been gracious enough to let TREKLAND sponsor 10 lucky winners to this event in five cities around the country. The night, of course, is to promote the sale of the much-anticipated 3rd season set of the ongoing TNG Blu-ray remastered project by CBS that has been such a hot seller and godsend to Prime-starved Trekfen the past year. And this special "movie" version of BOBW will be available as well! More on that below the fold, but first:

Entering Trekland's "Best of Both Worlds Movie" ticket contest, as with our Season 2  theater event last winter, is simple—but do it fast!

The only caveat is you have to be situated and able to attend the screening in one of those cities, of course: all are new this time around except for Boston—I just couldn't resist a little nod to their city this week.  You need only send your email, your mailing address for the ticket delivery from Fathom, and your answer to this question:

In "The Best of Both Worlds" (parts 1 and/or 2), what is the character name of the actor/actress who also played a senior member of the crew of the original Battlestar Galactica?

HOW TO ENTER:

Once again, we're doing this simply—so pay attention to this quickie entry process and its quirks:


—Go to my website, larrynemecek.com, and click on the yellow Newsletter box at left.

— In the "First Name" box, ignore that label and write your FULL NAME and complete mailing address: street, city, state, zip code.

— In the "Last Name" box, ignore that label as well and type one of the five "TICKET CITY" listed that is proximate to you—Phoenix, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Cleveland, or Boston ... followed by the two-word answer to the above question. (Example:  "Boston — Wil Wheaton". (Sample only:Wil was many things but he was NOT Boxey. Or even Muffet.)

Again, fair warning: Unless you want to spring for a plane/train ticket or long-haul it, please do not enter unless you are in or near one of the five metro areas listed. Sorry, Rest of America (including my native and adopted homes)—We went into new cities, and we'll get even more of you next time.)

That's it!

ONE entry per person—thanks!

ENTRY DEADLINE is 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time/ 3 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, April 21!


Five winners will be announced by Monday night, April 22—after I draw from among all those submitting both the correct answer AND a complete, useable email and mailing address; both are required in order to win. Fathom Events will be provided the five winners' addresses, and will supply the prize tickets directly to them. Also, Fathom will award the specific theater passes as close as possible based on geography.

NOTE: Aside from the five winners, all email and address data is seen and retained only by me and does not go on to Fathom or any other corporate entity.  If you wish to opt-out of my list, write "opt-out" after your trivia answer. Otherwise, I hope you stay in for my low-key monthly contact through the year of rare goodies, sneak peeks, front-row insights, con travels and project updates from all over Trekland.

Meanwhile, if you want a sure thing for "TNG 'Best of Both Worlds' Movie Night" tickets next Thursday, April 25, go here to go ahead and order yours. Ever since the Fathom/CBS hookup began for TNG, people have been looking forward to THIS one—and some theaters are already a sellout. But just call first: tickets are still available in dozens of sceening theaters across the country that will actually be beamed the program as part of the exclusive National CineMedia Digital Broadcast Network —check out the theater list HERE.  And if you do come across a sell-out, let us know ASAP here, or on Trekland Facebook or Twitter, will you?

Last DVD generation (above); remastered clip (below)

Of course, the movie hoopla calls attention to the latest amazing season of Blu-ray return-to-film HD remastering (see at right), added footage, and all-new bonus documentaries from CBS (plus all those  released before) that goes on sale everywhere Tuesday, April 30 —or in advance now.  The movie night this time spotlights a special special "polish" version of the classic cliffhanger and conclusion that changed Star Trek forever—and even U.S. television!



For truly, if you are a Trek fan, you should indeed know how "The Best of Both Worlds" changed Star Trek—and not just TNG ("Cliffhangers and sweeps-event two-parters for everyone!") ... AND that the astronomic reaction to the summer-long wait for the conclusion to "Mr. Worf—fire!" generated so much heat across the industry that season-finale cliffhangers came back into vogue across all genres, including network shows. "Who Shot J.R?" may have been the question of the summer in 1980, but it took Locutus of Borg to make it stick 10 years later. I'm just sayin.'

And once again—send us your pics of the April 25 crowd and/or cosplayers from TNG movie night wherever you see it (to larry@larrynemecek.com), and we'll share them with everyone!

See the entire press release for the night below...but first:


CANADIAN FANS: No ticket giveaway for you here, but you do have the chance to also catch the movie version of this classic on a big screen. As my onetime ST Communicator writer James Careless tells Trekland:

Fortunately for Canadian Star Trek fans, April 25 is springtime in the Great White North. This is why Canadian Trekkies will flock to theaters to see the one-day-only showing of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation: Best of Both Worlds ’ at any of 50 movie houses nationwide. It is being hosted by Cineplex Entertainment as part of the company’s Front Row Centre Events (FRPC) package.

“FRPC is designed to really utilize our theatres on quiet days with unique events,” explains Brad LaDoucer, Cineplex’s VP of alternative programming. “We did a 25th anniversary event last year to mark the original launch of Star Trek: The Next Generation, featuring some of the series’ most-loved episodes, and it was very well received.” Cineplex also enjoyed similar success when it screened Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

As for fans wearing costumes on the big night? “We encourage our guests to come in their favorite Star Trek regalia,” says Mike Langdon, Cineplex’s director of communications. However, phasers and Klingon bat’leths should be kept at home – and fans are asked to turn off their communicators for the duration of the movie.

Tickets for the Canadian April 25 screening of "Best of Both Worlds" can be bought online now at www.cineplex.com.

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And meanwhile back in the States, here's the full press release on the event—where profits, by the way, as a promotional event, will be donated to the American Red Cross:

“Star Trek: The Next Generation® – The Best of Both Worlds” Event Transports into Cinemas on April 25 

NCM® Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN Present a One-Night Event Featuring the Classic Series’ Third Season Finale and Fourth Season Premiere Remastered into a Feature-Length Presentation

Special Event Will Precede “Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds” Blu-ray Releases on April 30

Centennial, Colo. – Feb. 27, 2013 – “You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.” Trekkers nationwide will soon heed those commands as NCM® Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN present “Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds,” which beams into select cinemas on Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. local time. The fan-favorite two-part episode – "The Best of Both Worlds" – is comprised of the third season finale and the fourth season premiere, with Part 1 making TV Guide's list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time.” The episodes have been remastered into a feature-length presentation and will be presented on the big screen.

Tickets for “Star Trek: The Next Generation® – The Best of Both Worlds” are available at presenting theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. The event will be broadcast to more than 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Fans will enjoy this digitally restored and gloriously remastered presentation in high definition. The fascinating storyline follows the cybernetic alien race, the Borg, as they abduct and transform Capt. Picard into a half-Borg, half-human called Locutus.  Meanwhile, the Enterprise crew must race against time to intercept the nefarious Borg cube before it reaches Earth to enslave humanity.

“Fans have been discussing these historic episodes since they first aired, and we’re excited to present them like never before, newly improved and on the big screen,” said Ken Ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment.  “This special event will ensure that ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ will remain a classic throughout the 21st Century — and beyond.”

Created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the “Star Trek” franchise, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” premiered 21 years after the debut of the original “Star Trek” series. Featuring one of the most endearing ensemble casts in television history, with seven seasons and 176 episodes, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” took fans on the remarkable continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise, set in the 24th century.

“After the success of the first two ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ events, we couldn’t wait to bring additional seasons back to the big screen for fans to enjoy,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “Fans will be absolutely thrilled with the presentation of these ‘Next Generation’ classics.”

“Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3” and “The Best of Both Worlds” will be released on Blu-ray on April 30.

CBS is a proud and long-standing supporter of the American Red Cross and will continue to show its support through this event. CBS will make a financial donation to support the Red Cross which shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.


About National CineMedia (NCM)
National CineMedia (NCM) operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 19,300 screens (approximately 18,500 digital). During 2012, approximately 710 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place.  The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of over 740 locations in 172 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 41 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications.  National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.6% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com. (NCMI-E)

About CBS Home Entertainment
CBS Home Entertainment manages the worldwide DVD and Blu-ray businesses for the CBS Corporation across all lines of content including current hits and classic series from the vast CBS library, as well as new releases from Showtime Networks. CBS Home Entertainment products are released on the CBS DVD and CBS Blu-ray labels.  

About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment is the leading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reach more than 57 million unique users worldwide, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore.  IGN's network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com, GameSpy and others) is the Web's #1 video game information destination. IGN also owns the world's largest men's lifestyle website, AskMen.com, and men's entertainment site UGO.com. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.

- 30 -


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Note: This story's initial post did include one difference in the cities covered, but now reflects the final list of those involved.

Theater TNG-2: Your pics, posts—and the Burbank Saga!

Thanks for chiming in and sending pics from all over Sector America for Fathom's high-def "TNG Celebration of Season 2" in theaters Thursday night. Here's the results...

Bur first, my own story—though you guys who catch my Facebook and Twitter feeds probably already heard about our "Debacle in Burbank."

No, it wasn't quite The Con of Wrath. But it was amazing that, while the rest of the West Coast was getting its 7 p.m. curtain for the Fathom Events' "TNG Celebration of Season 2," marking the Tuesday release of the Season 2 Remastered Blu-ray TNG set, we were sitting at the ol' AMC 16 staring at .. a gray screen. For an hour. And 10 minutes.

See, video we had... audio we did not.

I had to tweet to make sure (with hope) that it was only us, not the whole Pacific Time Zone. And, it was, thankfully. To their credit, the Burbank AMC handed out free future passes to everyone who stuck it out— at least 90% of the 125 or so who first set up shop for the show. (Above: Our crowd, still 20 minutes before the so-called start time)

And a second free pass later, after the 10:18 p.m. programmed cutoff "cut off" all right—halfway through "The Measure of a Man." Oops. (Talk about, "Where's the OVERRIDE?") This time, only a 10-minute delay and a 10-minute back-up repeated in the episode—which, thankfully, let us see that amazing restored cut footage of the Ten-Forward party scene.)

But most of our audience, just as everyone did nationwide, hung on for the whole amazing big-screen experience—the docs, the powerful punch of "Measure" and the Q antics, Guinan mystique, and first hint of mindless Borg relentlessness, all in "Q Who."

Just as with Remastered Season 1's Fathom Event for the new Blu-Ray sets, lots of you sent in pics and comments, per our invite—including most of our five Trekland trivia ticket giveaway winners and guests, from around the country:


Charles Wagner, Chicago WINNER:  Had a fun evening watch some #StarTrek #TNG in the theater with my mom. Thanks to @larrynemecek and @fathomevents for the tickets.

 

Our Boston WINNER, too:

Lauree Little, @ismetoo, Orlando WINNER: Had a great time @ the #StarTrek #TNG S2 event! Thanks so much @larrynemecek! #GreatShow

John Williams, SEATTLE winner:  

I  thank you for having the contest. Inside the theater the crowd was about 30 people. They were pretty subdued. Oh well, I've been a fan of Star Trek since re-runs of the original series so I was excited to see what was in store. "Q-Who was great for the theater for the action and adventure aspects.

All in all, I had a great time. It doesn't seem like 25 years have passed. Showing these episodes highlights the quality of the Star Trek production and writing.

This illustrates the fact that having another series is highly desirable in continuing the fan support of Trek; movies are nice, but a weekly series would be great. [Stop stealing my soapbox, John!

But not all could be rosy:
Deborah P., NYC WINNER:  Thanks for the passes. Unfortunately, between work and traffic getting home, I wasn't able to make the show. I was watching the time tick away while I was in my car. Really disappointed. Ah well, so goes life.  

And here's more from the outposts:

Eric Hall , and Russell Boltz, USS Retributor, Salt Lake City: 

 






















Erika Yvette Figueroa, Charleston, SC area: Our little group down here had an event celebrating ST:TNG Season 2 on Blu-ray. We were sponsored by Fathom Events, Regal Theaters and Soundwave Music, Movies & Comics. Fathom came through with free passes which we gave away as door prizes. We also held a costume contest and gave away loads of Star Trek tchotchkes.

We did this for Season 1, and I hope Fathom and CBS Home Videos will continue to do so for the subsequent seasons.

Thanks for all you do Larry to keep Star Trek and its fandom alive! [No—thank YOU!]
 

Via Carl Stark from the USS Ticonderoga, Ogden, UT:

And then: No pics, but still more reports:


Think Geek's John Frazier, Fairfax, VA: The entire audience was debating the finer points of Picard's argument, and talked about how great the additional footage was. It was a great time, and I hope that there will be more of these showings!

Joe Daniele, Boston: The theater was packed and the crowd was brilliantly raucous and enthusiastic. I only hope Fathom continues this trend. I had never seen TNG or any syndicated Star Trek on the big screen and was pleasantly surprised and actually floored by the experience.

Paul Cannon, Hysham, MT: Only place showing #TNGS2 is 3.5 hrs away, but saw TNGS1 there. Life gets in the way. :-)

David Taylor, @SciFiCommons, Seattle:  I was a little surprised how much I enjoyed those episodes. I hadn’t seen either for a long, long, time.

Jonx, @delphinus44, "Jersey":  It was a great night !

Erika Clippinger @bassoongoddess , Silver Spring, FL :  I had tickets to go! But I had a dress rehearsal for orchestra. I cried.

David Williams, Phoenix: Kim and I were out for a showing last night. Great to see MOAM with additional footage! Theater was just about half full, but everybody enjoyed it!

Josh Hale, @expatminister, Lufkin, TX: Sadly, no pics. Only 5 folks in the theater. It is deep east Texas though.

Linda Webb Cleveland:  Jim Lowe and Chris are watching it in Albany, NY

Thomas Brown, Phoenix: @ Awatukee AMC 24. I wanted to take a picture of us next to the movie poster. The guy working the ticket counter told us that they dont put any up for special events. :(


And finally, to show that Treklanders are everywhere, EVEN right here with me:

Ted Thompson, Burbank, CA: "We went, and endured AMC's ineptitude, but loved the show - esp Measure - love that episode."


The Season 2 night cleverly ended with a Season THREE trailer for the CBS Blu-Ray set-to-come, as was tweeted too:NIck MInecci,@gettysburg7, Frederick, MD: The #TNG S3 trailer gave me goosebumps, seeing BoBW* on big screen, even in clips.  [*"The Best of Both Worlds," of course]

Does that mean that there's another Fathom theater night coming for Season 3, with  "BOTW" and the S3 trailer's similarly spotlighted "Yesterday's Enterprise" already pre-selected for the big-screen program?  No word yet, so we'll just have to wait—and keep up those long-range scans.

TONIGHT: See the show, share your pics!

I hope you can join us and our five TREKLAND ticket winners, and thousands more across  the country (Sorry, Rest of World), at the big Next Generation Blu-ray HD "Celebration of Season 2" tonight at a theater near you, produced by Fathom Events. Tickets still available at the dozens of theaters nationwide!

As with the Fathom screening event last July, Thursday night is all to preview the next release of a season of TNG on the remeastered Blu-ray level—Season 2 of course—next Tuesday—though you can pre-order now.  On the menu tonight: "The Measure of The Man" with RESTORED deleted scenes cut for time, the Borg debut in "Q Who!", and 20 minutes of the brand-new running TNG documentary commissioned for the Blu-ray remastered project.

And just like last July, I'm asking everyone who intends to party tonight the Starfleet way (or Klingon, or Borg, or whatever flies your shuttle)  to send us your pics from tonight to share with everyone in Trekland!  Whether it;s just your group, or  the whole theatre.... Just email to larry@larrynemecek.com, and I'll make sure my peeps get them to me.

For you locals in SoCal, I'll be screening TNGS2 at the big Burbank AMC downtown along with longtime Star Trek stand-in, on-camera extra, and startrek.com pioneer Guy Vardaman —if you are around, let's try for a group pic around 6:30?  Mike & Denise Okuda, who again worked on this remastered project, have tweeted to join them over at the Century City (LA); rumor has it that doc producer RObert KMeyter Burnett will be there too.

I still can't believe that Fathom and CBS Home Entertainment have launched a theater event for the second season release, so get out and make an impact tonight! You do want to see "Yesterday's Enterprise," "Sins of the Father," "The Offspring" or of course "The Best of Both Worlds" as incfredible Season 3 explodes for TNG all back on big-screen too, right?

 

Winners and pics!: TNG HD's Theatre show Thursday

Here they are!

The winners of our pair o' tickets in five major cities to Thursday's big nationwide theater event, "TNG: A Celebration of Season 2," marking the release of another season of remastered Next Generation on HD Blu-ray, on sale the very next day.

A big hat-tip to everyone—especially Michelle Portillo at NCM/Fathom Events and Nick Tarnowski at Allied Integrated Marketing—who helped Trekland play Santa in these five cities to these smart and lucky fans plus a guest:

—Joseph Daniele, Cambridge/Boston
—Deborah Pesa, New York City;
—Charles Wagner, Skokie/Chicago;
—Lauren Little, Orlando
—John Williams, Kent/Seattle

Thanks to everyone who entered—and for those who lived everywhere else in the U.S., hopefully we'll do this again sometime and set up your city for the giveaway.

Meanwhile, everybody else still has time to grab tickets and go to a theater near you—just check on the Fathom Events TNG page and theater list.  Of course, the S2 Blu-ray set itself can be pre-ordered from many sites.

AND NOW: Remember what a party the TNG Season 1 "theater night" turned into last July? Many of you were there, and on the spur of the moment when I asked everybody to share pics with us the next day, you responded! Clubs, buddy groups and anybody who dressed up or made a night of it sent in their fun pics and we posted a lot of them.

So, do the same: just email them to larry@larrynemecek.com that night or the next day, and make sure to give me a full name (or first name and initial) and mention what city you're in (and the club name, ship chapter, or whatever moniker your group might like to be ID'd as.)

Our five winners are going to send their theater pics from "TNG S2" night as well—and I will jump in with mine, too. So here's to a fun night of big-screen "The Measure of The Man," "Q Who?," and the next chapter in the amazing Remastered TNG documentary of the next Blu-ray season sets, directed by Robert Meyer Burnett amid a sea of colorful characters talkin' Trek of the Next Gen persuasion.

And stay tuned: by Thursday we'll run Part II of our chat with longtime TV Trek VFX supervisor Dan Curry and his work on Season 2—analog show then, and Blu-ray consulting now.

Win tickets to TNG Screenings Nov. 29 from TREKLAND!

I'm so excited to announce our first contest giveaway: FREE TICKETS to the Nov. 29 nationwide Fathom Events theater screening to celebrate The Next Generation's  Remastered Bluray release—this time, "A Celebration of Season 2."

That's right—you can win a pair of tickets to the event from my very own TREKLAND ... in any of FIVE major cities: Boston, New York City, Orlando, Chicago, or Seattle.

But do it fast!

The only caveat is you have to be situated and able to attend the screening in one of those cities, of course—but hey, we can't blanket the country.  You need only send your email, your mailing address for the ticket delivery from Fathom, and your answer to this question (please check its final wording):

In TNG Season 2, what major Star Trek "villain" group was introduced in what was originally going to be a "Part 2" episode to "Time Squared"?

More about the theater event Nov. 29 and the Blu-ray project below, but first:

HOW TO ENTER:

This is a quickie contest, so pay attention to this quickie entry process and its quirks:

—Go to my website, larrynemecek.com, and click on the yellow Newsletter box at left.

— In the "First Name" box, ignore that label and write your FULL NAME and complete mailing address: street, city, state, zip.

— In the "Last Name" box, ignore that label as well and type one of the five "TICKET CITY" listed that is proximate to you—Boston, NYC, Chicago, Orlando, or Seattle ... followed by the one-word answer to the above question. (Example:  "Orlando — THERMIANS*")

(Again, fair warning: Unless you want to spring for a plane/train ticket or long-haul it, please do not enter unless you are in or near one of the five metro areas listed. Sorry, Rest of America (including my native and adopted homes)—we'll get you next time.)

That's it!

ONE entry per person—thanks!

(The favorite series survey, per the regular sign-up form, is not part of this quickie contest, but is required on this widget. If you're in a hurry, just click "All.")


ENTRY DEADLINE is 6 p.m Eastern Time/ 3 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, Nov. 25!

Five winners will be announced by Monday night, Nov. 26—after I draw from among all those submitting both the correct answer AND a complete, useable email and mailing address; both are required in order to win. Fathom Events will be provided the five winners' addresses, and will supply the prize tickets directly to them. Also, Fathom will award the specific theater passes as close as possible based on geography.

NOTE: Aside from the five winners, all email and address data is seen and retained only by me and does not go on to Fathom or any other corporate entity.  If you wish to opt-out of my list, write "opt-out" after your trivia answer. Otherwise, I hope you stay in for my low-key monthly contact through the year of rare goodies, sneak peeks, con travels and project updates from all over Trekland.

Meanwhile, if you want a sure thing for "TNG: A Celebration of Season 2" tickets next Nov. 29, go here to go ahead and order yours. Tickets are still available in dozens of sceening theaters across the country that will actually be beamed the program as part of the exclusive  National CineMedia Digital Broadcast Network —check out the theater list HERE.

The big-screen event, of course, spotlights once again the remarkable HD Bluray transformation from the original film elements from all 178 hours of TNG—the hours we all initially viewed on "de-rez'ed" video so as to be able to afford compositing the pre-CGI visual effects on the ambitious TV budget of the time.  It's only been thanks to the meticulous initial archiving and storage of those original filmed elements—both live action and effects work— that the 1980s downgrade to video can now be bypassed in assembly, and the film jump to the amazing HD upgrade.

That Season 2 TNG Bluray set from CBS Home Entertainment goes on sale the next day, but you can still pre-order from Amazon and others.

We have a great follow-up STV vidchat with legendary Trek VFX supervisor Dan Curry coming next week about that very subject, after he worked on the restoration project for Season 2, which includes the Borg's debut in "Q Who?" that will be seen at the big screen event Nov. 29. It's paired along with "The Measure of a Man," complete with 12 minutes restored scenes originally cut for aired timing, and new documentaries from the season set—docs which contain even more familiar faces talking about this pivotal, strike-shortened sophomore year for the series. (That's what we call a hint.)

And just like with Fathom's Season 1 theater event last July, we'll be soliciting and posting your pics of all the festive atmosphere, costumes and all, while massing outside the designated theaters. Again, you can get the theater list at Fathom's site.


Oh—and we first talked with Dan about the TNG Blu-ray effort back then as well. You can still check it out here, of course—but stay tuned: There's more to come with our Trekland STV series with Dan in Parts 3 and 4.


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Full original press release for the nationwide theater event, below:

“Star Trek: The Next Generation^® – A Celebration of Season 2” Event

 Beams into U.S. Movie Theaters

NCM® Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN Present a
One-Night Event with Fan-Favorite Episodes Including the World Premiere of
an Extended Version of ‘The Measure of a Man’ on Nov. 29

Special Event Will Precede the Blu-rayTM Debut of “Star Trek: The Next Generation—The Second Season” on Dec. 4

Centennial, Colo. – Nov. 8, 2012 – This fall, Trekkers across the country can “make it so” with “Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Celebration of Season 2,” a one-night in-theater event on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7:00 p.m. local time. Showcasing the series’ ongoing multimillion-dollar restoration, this special event will feature two of the most popular episodes from the second season: “The Measure of a Man” and “Q Who?”. The version of “The Measure of a Man” will be the first-ever extended cut of a “Star Trek®” episode, with the world premiere of 12 never-before-seen minutes during this special event. Additionally, fans will be treated to a sneak peek of great behind-the-scenes special features including a very special cast reunion, a documentary and an unseen outtakes/bloopers reel.

Tickets for “Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Celebration of Season 2” are available at presenting theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of presenting theater locations and prices, please visit the web site (theaters and participants may be subject to change).

“We’re excited to give fans a rare chance to see ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ on the big screen, and be the first to see portions of new, original content that will be available on the season 2 Blu-ray,” said Ken Ross, executive vice president and general manager of CBS Home Entertainment.

Presented by NCM® Fathom Events, CBS Home Entertainment and IGN, this event will be broadcast to more than 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

In addition to the two episodes featured in this event, fans will be treated to a sneak peek of newly-produced, historic 25-year reunion footage of the main cast members of “The Next Generation,” entitled “Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Audiences will also see a specially-edited cut of “Making it So: Continuing Star Trek The Next Generation” – a first-hand perspective of the making of the second season, including the production of “The Measure of a Man” and “Q Who?”. Members of the show’s special effects team will reveal the secrets behind the creation of the villains The Borg, and writer Melissa Snodgrass shares stories about her landmark episode, “The Measure of a Man.” Additionally, fans will see a selection of outtakes and bloopers, transferred from original 35mm film for the first time. 

“After the overwhelming success from this summer’s ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation - The First Season’ event, we couldn’t wait to bring the second season of ‘The Next Generation’ back to the big screen,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “This in-theater event is packed with exclusive, never-before-seen content and interviews, including a historical reunion of the cast members that no ‘Star Trek’ fan would want to miss.”

Created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the “Star Trek” franchise, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” was produced 21 years after the debut of the original “Star Trek” series. Featuring one of the most endearing ensemble casts in television history, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” took fans on the remarkable continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise, set in the 24th century from the year 2364 through 2370. With 178 episodes spread over seven seasons, it ran longer than any other “Star Trek” series.

“Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Second Season” Blu-ray will be available as a five-disc set on Dec. 4. The collection includes all 22 episodes; the extended version of “The Measure of a Man”; the brand-new cast reunion; a two-part, in-depth documentary on the making of Season 2 entitled “Making It So: Continuing Star Trek: The Next Generation” – Strange New Worlds (Part 1), and New Life, New Civilizations (Part 2); and a gag reel that was created from newly-recovered 35mm film elements and transferred for the very first time to high-definition.

CBS is a proud and long-standing supporter of the American Red Cross and will continue to show its support through this event. CBS will make a financial donation to support the Red Cross which shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.

About National CineMedia (NCM)
NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology.  The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom Events present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 183 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes over 19,300 screens (over 18,400 digital). During 2011, approximately 680 million patrons (on an annualized basis) attended movies shown in theaters in which NCM currently has exclusive, cinema advertising agreements in place.  The NCM Fathom Events live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is comprised of over 720 locations in 170 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 41 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications.  National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.6% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About CBS Home Entertainment
CBS Home Entertainment manages the worldwide DVD and Blu-ray businesses for the CBS Corporation across all lines of content including current hits and classic series from the vast CBS library, as well as new releases from Showtime Networks.  CBS Home Entertainment products are released on the CBS DVD and CBS Blu-ray labels.  

About IGN Entertainment
IGN Entertainment is the leading Internet media and services provider focused on the video game and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reach more than 57 million unique users worldwide, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore.  IGN's network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com, GameSpy and others) is the Web's #1 video game information destination.  IGN also owns the world's largest men's lifestyle website, AskMen.com, and men's entertainment site UGO.com.  IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices across North America, Europe and Australia.
- 30 -

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*And if you believe the above sample "answer" is a hint, then that's it: No trivia prize for you.

Faces and crowds from "TNG Night at the Movies"

Did you go Monday night?

Actually the name was more like the "25th Anniversary TNG Event" and HD remastering showcase for two episodes and new features,  at theaters across the US, Canada and Australia. And yes, it was also a mega-marketing event to promote the formal release of the TNG Season 1 Blu-ray set the next day.

For most fans it was just a rare chance to see their TNG heroes on the big screen, pre-Generations, all dressed up and ready to shine.

It was last-minute, but on the afternoon of this CBS/Fantome event, I'd asked my tweeps and Faceboook Treklanders to snap and send pics from their movie sites. Part of this was my wondering if the question posed by the LA Times would turn out to be true, regarding any possible adverse box-office impact by the Aurora movie shootings at the TNG event.

There were hits and misses on the campics, but crowds also seemed to vary by area—and whether fans had perhaps too many choices for theaters in some markets, diluting numbers. Other sites were packed, according to anecdotal reports.

So, here's some images from all over—and thanks to those who sent in. Sadly, there's none from any of the mass sell-out crowds I've read about as well in Toronto and Orlando, to name a couple. As for my own, the Universal City IMAX was about 3/4 fuill of its 400, I'd say.

Send more, we'll add'em. (I'm lookin' at you, East Coasters & Upper Midwesterners).

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Seattle: "Full theater! We only laughed at the actually funny bits, I swear."—@gregharbin:

 "Our crowd at Regal 20 in Jacksonville, Fla."—@LorrieS68:

Full house in Emeryville, CA (Bay Area):(who sent me this? Let me know!):

"30 people in Cinemark16 in Myrtle Beach S.C."—@MrrWilly:

"We have a line. Perhaps 150 people (one costume)" in  Mira Mesa (outside San Diego)—@starfleetmom:

 

Theatre full for Star Trek 25th Anniversary Event: Albuquerque NM"—@MfaBfd:  

Las Vegas: "We had about 100, I would estimate, in my theater at the Orleans Hotel. It would have been better if CBS selected only 2 or 3 locations around Vegas instead of 5."—Paul Walker:

Myself and a couple of my Klingon Shipmates in Summerville, S.C.; we had about 70 people in a 240-seat theater. Small but raucous, happy crowd. "—Erika Yvette Figueroa / FB:

 






















And I suppose I need to include the AMC Universal Citywalk  Stadium 19 IMAX turnout: About 3/4 of the 400-some seats? I missed the lights-up pre-show time, but here's the after-show scramble about a minute after show's end:

PLUS: No pics, but thanks for these reports:


 "About 150 in 200-seat theater in Medford, only theatre in southern Oregon"— Paula Block &Terry Erdmann/ FB

"Sadly, no screening in Fargo, so I will live it vicariously through pics and RTs."—@ohtheprofanity

"Toronto's Yonge and Eglinton was sold out. I had to drive to the suburbs to get a ticket at another theatre!"—@robheydari

"The Burbank house was 3/4 full."—Barbara Watson/ FB

"150 or so in OKC"—Scott Johnson/ FB

"Three screenings in various theatres in Portland, Oregon - all three were sold out. Great crowd in the theatre I was in! Lots of costumes and cheering."—Anthony Wynn

"Larry, the theatre here in Orlando is packed. Will try to take a photo after."—@TrekRadio


Thanks to all who joined in to share, and enjoyed the evening!

Will CBS and NCM Fathom repeat for S2 and beyond, unlike the TOS Remastered kickoff event in theaters? Stay tuned ...