March 20, 2011
LOS ANGELES, California – The Nickstalgia keeps heating up! First it was rumored that Nickelodeon would produce new episodes of 90s Nicktoons, which turned out to be false. Next, it was announced that Nick and Shout Factory would be releasing Rocko's Modern Life - Season 1 on DVD. Then the ball really got going when the network announced that TeenNick would be airing many of Nick's classic 90s shows – All That, Clarissa Explains It All, Pete & Pete, Kenan and Kel, Rugrats, Salute Your Shorts, etc.
Now, Nickelodeon and Paramount have announced that they are remastering two of their movies, 1996's Harriet the Spy and 1997's Good Burger, in preparation for their Blu-ray releases leading up to the premiere of TeenNick's The 90s Are All That in the fall.
“The fans kept asking us for these titles,” says Nickelodeon president Cyma Zarghami. “We didn't want to let them down. We had approached Criterion several times about giving the fans a definitive release of Good Burger, but they declined. They didn't see the film the same way we saw it. And as for Harriet the Spy, we tried Criterion, and then Turner Classic Movies, and we were immediately turned away. Apparently, they are blind to the historical, cultural and aesthetic importance of these two beloved classic films.”
Zarghami confirmed speculation that director Brian Robbins, pruducer/writer/actor Dan Schneider, cinematographer Mac Ahlberg, and stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell were supervising the Good Burger transfer… while director Bronwen Hughes, cinematographer Francis Kelly, and stars Michelle Trachtenberg and Rosie O'Donnell would supervise the Harriet the Spy transfer.
"The remaster is coming out beautifully,“ says O'Donnell. ”The grain is back where it belongs, the cinematography is coming to life. The DTS-HD sound mix is out-of-this-world. If you liked Universal's Back to the Future Blu-ray, you're gonna love this!“
”We've been waiting a long time for this,“ says Thompson. ”Dressing up like women on SNL isn't gonna pay the bills forever. This is exciting. We can see all the grain and stuff we saw in the theaters. And Kurt no longer looks like Billy Idol, Sting in the movie Dune, or Dolph Lundgren. Oh, okay, maybe a little. We're gonna be the first Blu-ray to give you the option of both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. Both sound mixes are out of this world so far.“
And speaking of Good Burger, Nickelodeon hopes to release a 3D and/or IMAX version of the film in theaters during the summer blockbuster season.
”Kenan and Kel, fast food, bright colors, and Abe Vigoda – all in 3D! Who wouldn't want that?" says Schneider.
The remastering processes began in late January. Both films will be released on Blu-ray in early October.
Source: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/48933
