Kenner Hand-cranked viewer and cartridges (Released)

Sorry I'm 4 years late to this thread! I'll have restored versions of all 5 cartridges soon :-)

Wow, that was a fast response! I'm glad to see this thread is still alive! I didn't think I'd ever find anyone who would appreciate it! 

This is actually my second iteration of this restoration (I did the first one's with VHS footage before there were any DVDs). 99% of the work is already done for this newer iteration. Here's what I did:

- ripped the appropriate scenes from the theatrical DVDs (using the viewer and cartridges as a reference)

- edited the sequences to match the cartridges' scenes, frame by frame (very painstaking, and for the second time!)

- cropped each scene to the exact dimensions of the same scene on the cartridges (again, very painstaking, but wasn't possible the first time since the VHS versions had their own cropping that didn't match the cartridges)

- flipped 3 of the 5 resulting sequences horizontally (which is how Kenner made them for some reason, adding to the charm of these sequences)

- emulated the opening logo for each of the cartridges 

I'll post on YouTube when I'm done (should be in just a couple of weeks).

To answer the other question, there are no alternate takes, but the horizontally flipped scenes make them look like different footage, and most likely contributed to the memory of "alternate footage" ;-)

Between collecting the cartridges again on eBay, ripping from VHS and then ripping again from DVD, I probably spent a good 2 years of my life recreating my favorite childhood toy! I did this for my own pleasure so that I could once again scroll through the sequences I grew up with by recreating them digitally and playing them on a PDA or smartphone with software that would allow me to play the sequences forwards and backwards, and frame by frame, just like I could on the toy.

I just can't believe there's anyone else who cares! I definitely though this would be something I would only be able to enjoy without sharing it with anyone.

Stay tuned!  

MTFBWY

Upon re-reading this thread it occurred to me I still might be on my own in enjoying this restoration, as I was referring to digital, not physical, restoration of this toy viewer and its cartridges. Sorry if I unintentionally got anyone's hopes up. Please let me know if you're still interested in a digital restoration of these sequences. 

Don't sell yourself short.  While I would be most interested in preserving the original slides, particularly if they were taken from an alternate take, I think this is a worthwhile project you have completed.  Many projects here recreate an archaic format of something Star Wars related in a new manner.  For instance, there are projects that take The Story of Star Wars trilogy LPs and put them with video.  It appears quite successful.  I am definitely interested in what you have done. :)

Is this a wined up?

I would love to see a Give-a-Show restoration too! I loved that toy.

I'm sure this has been asked a billion times: there's no search feature in these forums, is there? It's awful hard to find stuff.

I would sure like to check these out.

Definitely interested! I have several cartridges...and are pretty familiar with the ones I don't have anymore. I seriously doubt there was any alternate footage.  They didn't plan on making these...only when the film was so successful did they go ahead, so I doubt they were working with temp footage or anything other than a super 8 print.

I don't know if this was pointed out anywhere else in the forum, but as I mentioned above, there is no alternate footage on these clips. The first three cartridges - "May the Force Be With You", "Destroy Death Star", and "Battle in Hyperspace" - contain horizontally flipped but otherwise familiar footage, while the final two - "Danger at the Cantina" and "Assault on Death Star" - are also familiar footage but with the correct orientation. The opening logos on all 5 are correct, so Kenner must have copied or mounted the footage backwards on the first three before adding the logos, and must not have caught on until they made the 4th and 5th sequences! 

Puggo's restoration of the first cartridge - "May the Force Be With You" - flipped the footage back to its original theatrical orientation. Anyone who owns the toy with the included cartridge can confirm this. The footage on the toy is not alternate footage, but horizontally flipped footage! Hence the childhood memories of "alternate" footage!

I'm almost done with all 5 restorations, and they will be true to Kenner's cropping choices and horizontal anomolies :-)

LIKE

These horizontally flipped pieces of footage can turn into footage for fanedits by next year.

Ronster said:

Is this a wined up?

Like, it drank too much wine?

TV's Frink said:

Ronster said:

Is this a wined up?

Like, it drank too much wine?

For one, it can be cranked, so no it's not a wind up, and two, probably.